When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Norm, Indian River still looks the same. I also know about Fay's Motel in Grayling, but have never stayed there. I think the old snowmobile sign is gone now at least I don't remember it. I was in the Michigan National Guard from 1982-1990 and spent some good, and some bad times at Camp Grayling.
Raining here this morning but we have had a nice stretch of hot and humid weather the last week or so. Not as hot as some of you guys, but hot for us. I like it.
Today I am going to go back down to Ashley( where we moved from last year) to take my 05 F150 to a buddy's shop to get A/C fixed, I hope just a recharge. Have you ever been to Ashley, Norm? It's near the intersection of US127 and M57. Just a small farming community. We didn't live in the town proper, but in the country near it. Speaking of farming most of the land around Ashley has never been planted this year due to all the rain this spring. It's the first year I've ever seen it not planted. Not sure what they are going to do. I think it's way to late for soy beans or corn which is what they usually plant.
Dan, yes skunks are bad news, for sure. Good luck with that.
Oh I've been missing Jack, Had a dream about him last night, funny how real dreams can seem.. But I realize how much easier it is to go away on trips or whatever without having a dog to take care of, but I miss him. Have a great one!
Today did not start out as dramatic as yesterday. Instead of having 18 wheels ready to go we had 17 wheels that we built from the ground up. I finished the day with an excellent 42 wheels, way more than the others. I could have sandbagged but for me it was a personal thing, and I wasn't going to be like those clowns.
Was nice when I walked out of work but clouded up on the way home and now it's raining. I don't think it's going to last too long. I hope it doesn't. Got plenty to do to get ready for my friend.
Greg corn needs to be knee-high by the 4th. That's the extent of my farm knowledge.
Guess I'll get the inside of the house ready for company. Need to run a couple errands but they can wait until the rain stops. Have a good afternoon everyone.
Greg - I haven't heard of Ashley. Maybe they can get in a quick growing crop of sorghum or medium red clover?
Last year we had one of the wettest years on record (much resulting from hurricane Florence) and this year we're dry as a bone.
The largest farm East of the Mississippi River is located here in Beaufort, NC occupying 57,000 acres & covering nearly 20% of Carteret County. It's big. It isn't a mineral soil, it's a highly organic soil much like a peat bog.
EDIT: Ooops....I forgot to mention the name of the farm 'Open Grounds Farm'
Last edited by Vintage Chief; July 19th, 2019 at 03:49 PM.
Reason: update
As high as an elephants eye. Which would be some damn tall corn if compared to an African elephant. Up north in the Ludington area, about 60 miles from me, they are expecting 80 mph winds as of this moment (about 1am) My sister is 20 miles east of there. Don't know if they are straight lines winds (Jericho), or whether they'll carry that far. Headed for a Vette show tomorrow at the Gilmore, gonna be hot, heat indexes in the low 100's. Humidity in the upper 70's. Weather that you can wear. Update, just got a severe thunderstorm warning in my email. looks like some of that storm is headed my way. I would prefer not to lose my power, as I really am attached to my a/c at this point.
Last edited by 1969w3155; July 19th, 2019 at 10:02 PM.
Well, the got 60+ winds up north, but what I have heard so far no major damage, that occurred down this way as trees were down, a roof ripped off of a house about 30 miles S.E. of here. 140,000 without power. Hey did I mention a Vette show today? I did, didn't I? Well....it's tomorrow, after driving 90 plus miles one way, I found that out. The date must have changed on the events calendar on my fridge when I wasn't looking. So, me and my buddy called it a road trip, stopped for breakfast and shrugged it off. I guess when ya get a little older, you just brush it off as no big deal.
Well my friend got in this morning with no problems. Picked him up at the airport and went to Awful house. I was concerned that Tiger wouldn't remember him and cause a fuss, so we got dogburgers to go. My friend stepped into the house and Tiger was fine. He got the burgers anyway. Tiger has followed him around all day, like I am somehow chopped liver.
We went right to work on the blue van. Got front brake lines and pads put in, and bled. The rear wheels wouldn't bleed, so we watched a YouTube video and found out when the back brakes stopped working a pin inside the proportioning valve slid to the side, cutting off the flow of fluid until it's reset. We'll mess with that tomorrow.
Dan glad you didn't get any more of the storm than that. That's a bummer about the show. Are you going back tomorrow?
Now we're going out to get a bite, might watch a movie later. Tomorrow we'll finish up the blue van and find some other worthy project. I'm actually a little tired. It's been nice out today, hot, but no rain. Hope that keeps up.
Dan, too bad about the missed show, but I'll bet good times with your buddy was almost as good... The older I get the more I value friends. I still have 3 high school buddies that are still close. Since the wife and I both became retired we spend too much time together, I'ts good to be away with some one else for a while. A older neighbor, ( in the 80's) came over to the barn the other day and commented on how it's a good thing to have a place to get away from the wife for awhile. He talked about how many of his friends got divorced after retirement because of realizing they couldn't get along with their spouse. I can relate... We didn't get those big winds up here.
Put the new Led lights up yesterday in the shop. WOW how bright. I'll try to post a pic. Have a good one !!
Mike, I was scheduled to work today, so no going back. Greg, I have a small group of guys that I have known 40-50 years, so It's always good to get together when we can. The buddy that went with me yesterday, is my partner in crime when it comes to car shows, I have know him 49 years, since the 7th grade. He is the only buddy that is a car guy. We generally talk about cars that we like or have seen for sale. On the way back, he suggested the long way, aka the scenic route, which takes a extra hour, but is good for avoiding U.S. 131 on the way to the Gilmore. The reason for the scenic route? He had seen a '94 Z/28 advertised in Hamilton, Mi., and the car was right on M-40. So, we stopped and had a look. Not as nice as his wife's Z/28. It also helps that his son is very good at sniffing out cars (usually Oldsmobiles) online, and he likes to goad the ole man into buying another one if possible.
We worked all day on the blue van and didn't get it done. Of course we'd stop a lot and talk and not work. Eh, it's nice to be around a buddy for a change. Dan I've known my best friend since kindergarten, and I thought I'd have everyone beat with how long I've known him. But it's -only- 47 years, so you still have me beat. Good for you guys to stay friends for so long.
Greg that place looks bigger and bigger every time you put up a picture. Today while working on my back under the van I was wishing for a big shop and a lift. I should have wished harder.
So far the work on the blue van is both front flex brake lines, pads, shocks. We bled the front wheels but that will have to be done again, because we got the back drums off and decided to replace the shoes and the cylinders. Oh and a grease job. The shocks were terrible. Somehow when we went to put the new ones in, they wouldn't line up with the ears on the lower A arm, and we ended up beating the hell out of the shocks and bolts to get them together.
We're leaving early tomorrow morning to go get that Corvair. Tiger is going with us. It will be a long day. We're also meeting up with a friend of ours for an early dinner, it will be nice to see her.
So time to hit the sack. Hope everyone is well. Quiet around these parts.
Mike, How many vehicles you got? Picking up a Corvair today, a Valiant last week? Where you put em all?
I just read thru my last post, I need to correct- I love my wife and I am not considering divorce, I was just rambling I guess.
Dan, I also like to take the back roads, usually one route on the way and another on the way back. It's hard to believe a 94 is 25 years old now... I had a 93 Z28 with a 6 speed. Loved that car. Bought it in 2000 and sold it in 2003. I used it for daily transportation even thru the winter. It was worthless in the snow, of course. Got caught at work in a snow storm of about 8 inches. Had to try to time the lights because if I stopped completely I might not have gotten going again. Made it home though. That was a car I knew I would regret selling because I knew it was special even at the time, but when I bought it I knew it was only a treat for myself and I never planned to keep it a long time. You always hear guys saying they wished they had kept their 68 Road Runner or whatever, but I say, don't regret not keeping it, just remember the good times you had with it! See Ya!
Greg - "I love my wife and I am not considering divorce"...LMAO
I admire Mike's forward thinking. The more cars he can pile up in his yard the less lawn he'll have to mow.
Here's me wasting everyone's time. We took off for Florida today with the truck and trailer, got about 30 miles and I felt the trailer start bouncing and making the ride rather uncomfortable. I didn't say anything to my friend and kept driving. He's kind of the nervous type and didn't want him to start overthinking. Pretty soon it got so bad I had to pull off the highway. Went up the exit and saw one of the rear trailer tires was about to come apart. A year or so ago I had four bad tires on the trailer, and I just chose not to replace them, and on the way home from my Mom's with a car had the front two tires blow out. So the front ones are new, the back ones are old. Called the guy with the car and told him I wasn't going to make it. The spare I put on was a size down and wasn't about to continue on without another spare. Got home and then didn't do jack the rest of the day.
Went to Summit tonight and there was slim pickin's. Went to a local pizza place. Gonna head up to Year One tomorrow and get a gas tank for the Chev and a carb fuel line for one of the Cutlass. Wednesday my friend goes home.
So nothing progressed on the van today. My friend wants to be sure we get it done because the last time he was here he drove it and white knuckled it from my house to the shop, with the one working brake out of four. It will be a personal victory for him.
Well for not doing much I'm beat. Hope everyone had a good day.
Norm, bought that sign at a garage sale for .25. I think it's funny. It says "City Jail- You are forbidden to talk to the inmates". Someday I'll get it put on the wall proper, now it's just stuck on the peg board. I have a bunch of old wall hangings that are in a big box to hang when shop gets finished.
Mike, trailer tires sure are a pain aren't they? Usually they have great tread but are weather checked and unsafe from age. Around here the tire places won't touch a passenger tire that is over 10 years old, not even a rebalance, maybe they will add air but I doubt it. So much liability anymore. Anyway I think that the rubber formula is different on newer tires as the life is only expected to be 3 years or so. Probably the vast majority of people will have their tires wore out in 3 years at 20-30,000 mile a year. I think actual trailer tires are made from a different compound and last longer from cracking/weather checking, etc. I put used passenger tires on my trailer because of the new cost. Keeping them out of the sun helps. Trailer tires have a "T" as the first character, where passenger tires have a "P". ( P235/75 R15). I have some really nice tires on my utility trailer now that my friend took off his Ranger truck that sits in the garage, they were always inside until I put them on my trailer. By the way, I don't think you were wasting anyone's time, Its just life and **** happens, Its all good...
Sure did cool off here and is really nice. Actually a little cool at night. I found what appears to be bat poop up in the attic above our attached garage. Ugh... I guess tonight I will sit outside at sunset and see if I can see where it exits from. I'm afraid if I wait maybe they will come into the house! I had a bat at my old garage and didn't really care as that wasn't a attached garage. It eventually just was gone. I guess they go south for the winter and maybe didn't make it back?? Any of you guys bat removal experts?? Take care all.
We took a ride up to Year One this morning, to get a gas tank for the Chev and a fuel line for the Cutlass. They had several cars that were pretty cool inside the showroom. Not a bad ride, a little over an hour.
Worked all afternoon on the blue van. These brakes are just kicking our butts. Got the rear brakes done, but not without a lot of drama. I think we have the wrong springs on the self adjusters but they aren't binding anything so they're staying. The back cylinders won't bleed, there's nothing nowhere that tells about the prop valve/combo valve on a van. And it isn't like on a pickup. I need to get a factory service manual.
My friend goes home tomorrow so that will be it for the blue van for awhile. I gotta catch up on a few things I haven't done while he's been here. It's been a good visit. I hate that he has to go back to his wife. She's awful.
And I'm beat. Haven't decided if I'm going to see my Mom tomorrow or Thursday. I'll have to see how many flights my friend misses. I'm hitting the sack. Hope everyone had a good day.
Well my friend should be home by now, I took him to the airport this morning and then hit the Awful house. Ah, back to normal. It's nice having company for a change. I don't get to see this guy very often and we had fun working on cars. If you can call drum brakes fun.
I need a new trailer. I think I brought this up last year and then never did anything about it. I'm tired of always having some sort of drama with my trailer so now is the time. I need to have something new and trouble-free for a change. Leaning towards a Big Tex. I know they can have questionable quality, but it will have a warranty and it's cheep and close by.
Man you oughta see this giant moth that's taken up residence on the back door screen. It isn't a lunar moth, just a very, very big moth. I've been calling it Mothra. I tell Tiger to hurry inside and out or it will carry him away.
I'm going to leave for my Mom's at 0'Dark Thirty tomorrow morning. I kinda wanted to leave this afternoon but I'm not that organized. Don't have any projects planned but there will be several things I need to figure out. The neighbor's fence will be up so I can start planning some work in the back yard.
Jamesbo enjoy the grandkids. See ya's all later. Marc hasn't been around, either. Must be focused on an 18xx railroad watch, or cursing a Swiss made.
Mike - Some of those monster moths are supremely gorgeous aren't they? I've seen several over the years of which you refer. They aren't Lunar Moths & they're about 5"-6" wide - some resemble a 747-400.
James - So, the volunteer marshal I had working the paddles off the tee-box @ 2019 US Women's Open in Charleston sent me a package to my club - w/ a nice letter inside explaining his appreciation for my scheduling him to work the paddles off the tee-box during nearly every day of the event. He sent me a brand new unopened box (4 sleeves x3) of Titlleist AVX. I normally play Calaway Chrome Soft TRUVIS. I had someone give me x2 sleeves of the new Calaway ERC Soft and I really like the ERC - sweet ball. I've played the Titleist ProV1 & ProvV1X, and I do like them - I can hit them a country mile, but they aren't as forgiving on the greens as the Calaway Chrome Soft, IMO. None-the-less, I've never played these new AVX and our Member-Member tournament is this weekend. I have a practice round tomorrow & Friday and I'm looking forward to banging these AVX down the fairway & see how I manage them - or, if I can manage them.
Last edited by Vintage Chief; July 24th, 2019 at 04:57 PM.
Reason: sp
Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta, in the Great White North
Posts: 359
Well that was interesting, I just typed something and it vanished, have to do it again.
I am still around, just haven't had much to add. I am still working on old watches, right now I'm playing with a German made disaster, as if my adventures with Swiss crap wasn't frustrating enough. This one dates to about 1840-50 and is a bit of a hybrid. The style and architecture says Swiss, but the finish says German. So who knows? All I do know is that the balance is broken, and I either have to source a new one (not possible) or fix the existing one. (a remote possibility). It'll be interesting if I get it to run, but I'm not expecting much. I also have to put a new chain on an 1840 R & G Beesley fusee watch. It's a high-grade English made thing, it has 15 jewels and is beautifully made. So I'll take that one apart and clean it and re-chain it. I'll have to figure out why the chain broke, usually it's because the mainspring lets go. If that's the case, well, I have some, but it'll be a question of finding one that will fit. These English made things were all pretty much hand made in those days, no two are alike, even from the same manufacturer. But they were the best watches in the world at the time, and they were all put under by American manufacturers who could make better quality mass-produced movements with interchangeable parts just a few years later by 1870.
Went to Calgary for a Coin Convention last weekend, made some new contacts there, and our club picked up a few national awards. Had a good time, even though I ended up getting wet. Took the Electra down, it's a 3 and a 1/2 hour drive, and it rained the whole way. The car started leaking at the windshield corners in a downpour, and I found out my windshield weather sealing is shot. It is after all, the original piece of glass in the car. The car performed brilliantly though, did about 75-80 all the way. It was a nice drive even though my left leg was soaked by the time I got to my hotel.
Marc - I was just reviewing my convertible windshield pillar weatherstripping yesterday & again today. Both are in need of an R&R. I've been in a couple rain events with no leaking, but there are some numerous pieces of rubber which have disintegrated over the years and the rubber weatherstripping is essentially crumbling. They're on my short-list for items to order for my winter project while I'm doing an R&R on the front & rear suspension.
Last edited by Vintage Chief; July 24th, 2019 at 05:36 PM.
Mike, did the moth look like this one? A Cecropia Moth: We used to find their cocoons at the base of Sumac trees when we were in grade school. Big and pretty neat.
Last edited by 1969w3155; July 24th, 2019 at 10:02 PM.
Well as luck would have it, I had to do an LA turn around for 3 funerals today. Ya pray fer rain and get a flood, I'll take it
Norm, I like to play with the soft Calaway ***** too, but I'm a ball finder. And there so many Pro V 1's laying around in ditches, I use them alot too. Personally, I think pro V 1's are over rated for the average player. About 2 moths ago, I went hunting and filled a 5 gallon bucket with nothing but pro v 1S in the ruff [ruff ruff] on one hole. Like I said, I'm a serious ball finder. [Used to be Mini ***** but got kinda bored with them
Gonna head back norte as soon as the funeral are over
Got up early so I could hit the road, and just wasn't feeling it. Laid back down for an hour or so. My Mom will be watching the little girl all day and she's already having a fit that Tiger will be there, so there's no need to get there early and have to listen to that all day.
Dan that's exactly what's attached itself to the screen. It's been there well over 24 hours but I see this morning it has moved to the door frame and has its wings outstretched, just standing there vibrating. I wonder if it's trying to regenerate its wings, there's a couple chunks missing from them.
Marc when I was a kid my friend's dad pretty much gave him the family's 74 LeSabre convertible(it was a Luxus). After many Illinois winters it was wearing a little thin, but ran good. One afternoon we were out and it was raining and the top started leaking at the header, on my side, and I was getting soaked. My friend thought that was funny so he sped up. It was like a waterfall rolling off the visor and I picked up the floormat to put on my lap. Then my friend was mad because the carpeting was getting wet. Ah, such times.
Been looking at trailers. I must just be a cheep bastard because I can't see paying 3100 for a nice new trailer. I don't really know what I should pay, but they're pretty much all the same, I should pick one and go get it. Instead I'll probably cobble together my trailer and then curse it when yet another thing goes wrong.
Well I've lollygagged around enough, time to get serious about getting ready. Hope everyone has a good day. My vacation is quickly coming to an end, I should have taken several weeks off so it really felt like a vacation.
Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta, in the Great White North
Posts: 359
Mike, - I loved the 74 Buicks, I used to own one, but not a convertible. I still wouldn't say "no" to a 74 Electra 225 coupe even though it would probably land me in divorce court. My convertible was doing the same thing, I've eliminated most of the leak, but I have to change out the driver's side clamp now. I did the passenger's side one and that changed the car from a free-flowing water fall into a periodic drip.
Norm, - the glue that holds the glass in place is what's going in mine; the rubber is in reasonable shape. Both my convertibles spend most of their lives in the garage, in fact the Wildcat hasn't even been out yet this year. The Electra goes out for sorties but hardly stays out for very long. But I know what you mean with the crumbling or aging rubber parts on the headers or pillars. At least you've got an A-body where there are still kits being manufactured, the full size stuff is a bit scarcer. Although the lucky break either of us have is the fact that GM used the same design on each family of cars, all A-body convertibles were the same from 1965-72, and the full size line shared the same roof design and parts from the same period. So the roof rubbers off of a Chevy kit would fit like they were meant for an Olds and so on.
Pretty quiet today, started research into an old coin I picked up over the weekend, it's a 1598 Rechnenpfennig from Dordrecht in Holland. It's celebrating the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English, and it was struck in the middle of the Dutch Revolt period just prior to the Dutch gaining their independence from the Spaniards. So I'm now reading up on late medieval Dutch history...pretty fascinating stuff, actually.
Uneventful trip to the panhandle today. Although I couldn't keep my eyes open the whole way. I stopped a couple of times to get a drink or whatever. Eh, I wasn't in any hurry.
Just as I was ready to leave, I noticed the Mothra was gone. I thought it flew away to the trees or something. Nope, it fell on the floor. So I went outside and picked it up and put it on the table. It crawled sideways to the end of the table and fell back on the floor. I could see that something had eaten a hole right through the middle of it. I read that some wasps will lay eggs on these moths and the larvae will eat the moth. Yuck. So it was on its way out as it clung to the screen. And that's nature.
Norm I like those Imperials, the 67 and 68 are just about identical, but the 68 was the first year for side marker lights. All Chryslers got the little round ones, except the Imperial which was square. Very cool. Never was a fan of the pickup bed trailer look. A bit odd on the back of that car for sure.
Marc is a coin that's 500 years old actually still legible? I would imagine it would be worn smooth. Unless there were collectors way back when that knew to keep it nice. You know I'm a Dutchman. Don't know any of my history, just that that's what I am.
Okay off to bed. Full day tomorrow. Friday for the masses. Have a good evening everyone.
Yep, It is still there, Norm.
Went up to Grayling and met my brother and buddy at Hartwick Pines State park. They were camping there. I stayed a night in buddies 5th wheel RV. Had a great time. Had to go to town to get some groceries and passed Fays Motel and saw the same old snowmobile sign so took a pic of it. Back in the late 1800's/early 1900's they were clear cutting most all of the old growth pines for lumber. They got all this area except for about 40 acres when a recession happened so the logging company left the area. Then things picked up again but they went to bigger pickings and left the old growth pines. Years later Mrs Hartwick donated the old growth forest to the State of Michigan and it became a state park. It's pretty neat. Amazing how those old pines can get so tall, though they usually break off above and large parts fall off.
Today the wife's brother and sister in law and us are going up to Frankfort Mi, to see our nephew and family who have come to Michigan from California for a visit. Should be a great time, It rained a little this morning but looks like a good day weatherwise.
About convertible tops mine has never sealed good. Has all new seals and latches but still leaks and lots of wind noise. I found that the latches will get worn which allows the latch to move over past the stop and go over center which allows the top to loosen. I bought some new repops which fixed that but still doesn't seal right. Well Have a good one guys!
Ah yes, the towering White Pines. We have a few scattered about around these parts. Off to a car show in Hart, Mi. A small home town car show. I always enjoy the small town shows the best, with mom and pop diners for breakfast.
Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta, in the Great White North
Posts: 359
Here are a couple of pictures of that old coin; - the first one isn't that hot, it's sharper than it appears in the picture.
The history behind the whole thing is actually quite interesting; the Dutch merchants who would have used these things played on both sides, they sold goods to the Spanish for stupid amounts of money and then financed the rebels with it. The whole battle for Dutch independence took about 85 years to complete. In the process, they managed to bankrupt the Spanish at least 3 times. The English eventually helped with mercenaries and money, but that was only after Elizabeth was assured that she and her whole country was excommunicated and therefore persona-non-grata in all of Europe, which meant as a lapsed Catholic she was fair game to anyone who'd go after her head. The Dutch were also going Protestant and were fighting the Spaniards for their rights. In the end, the Netherlands came out of this war with a solid "free" kingdom of it's own, total independence, and an economic empire that was stronger than the Spanish. The Spanish Hapsburgs came out of it broke, missing territory, and humbled. The Austrian side of the family was being slowly taken apart by the Germans. So the time from about 1400 to 1600 was the zenith of Spanish and Hapsburg influence in the world; - it was all down hill from there on in, until World War I finished off the Austrian branch of the family, and Franco's revolution in 1936 finished off the Spanish remnants.
Home again, home again. Had a nice visit with my Mom but boy am I glad to be home. Just Tiger and me. Had an uneventful trip home.
Dan I got exactly two pictures out of that. The Ford with the blue Corvair next to it, and the one below it, a steering wheel. I tell you Verizon should be ashamed of themselves. They charge me a ridiculous amount for 15gb of high speed a month, and when that gets used up the connection is slower than dial up. Not to mention any clown and his brother connects to my so called "secure" jet pack. I can't tell you how many times I get a message, a device has connected to the jet pack.
Marc that's pretty cool. Do you suppose during those 85 years the Dutch were saying, geez will this ever end?
I'm beat. Tiger has collapsed and I think we'll be in bed early tonight. One more day until work, and really it doesn't even count, because I will spend the whole day getting ready for the week and then get to be early so I can get up at 2. Eh, it was fun while it lasted.
So have a good night everyone. It's beautiful here.
Thanks Dan. I should have said that differently. My computer is slow as molasses because I used up my 15gb early and the pictures just wouldn't load. It resets on the 4th so it's just text for me until then.
I did see the Lincoln you posted on facebook, I love, love those Lincolns. Eh, Facebook is another one. With the technology we have today why are we still paying through the nose for it, and putting up with slow speeds?
Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta, in the Great White North
Posts: 359
Nice pictures Dan!
I'm digging that Starfire; (I think it's a Starfire, but it could be a Jetstar) - I'd prefer a 62 myself, and I've had a 64 Dynamic 88, I like the cars, the lines aren't bad, just a little boring compared to others of that vintage.
The 1912 Buick is neat, finally a Buick I haven't owned! Speaking of old vintage cars, today I picked up a Waltham 8 day dash clock off of something from 1926. It's busy banging away happily on my desk.I have no case or anything for it, it's just loose and it seems to be keeping time.
Just to finish the history lesson; - wars were fought a little different than today; - armies went out to fields and slaughtered each other, they very rarely went into and laid waste to towns. Most European towns had castle-style fortifications around them which rendered them almost impenetrable by armies. An army would "lay siege" to a town and camp out front until the town started to starve. Usually then the townsfolk would make a deal, the army would get what it wants and the towns people would live. It only started getting messy during the 30 Years War in Germany between 1618 and 1648. That's when canons and gunpowder really started to become an issue and then all of a sudden the fortifications didn't mean anything anymore. A lot of German cities were destroyed in that period; - it was almost as bad as WW II was in terms of destruction and civilian deaths. So to answer Mike's question on how the Dutch felt when this dragged on for 85 years, they probably weren't too fazed by it. War and the fighting of it was just part of daily living in the 16-17th centuries. It was the "sport of kings" before they discovered horse racing.
Back to the research...I just realized that I actually have a book called "Observations on the Netherlands" written by Sir William Temple. My copy is an original from 1688, so it's a hundred years later, but there would be some historical gems in there about why certain things are the way they are. The same goes for another book I found in my library, one called "Mikrokosmos; A Little Description of the Great World" by Peter Heylyn, my copy is a 3rd edition dated 1633 and it has quite a bit about the war going on in the Spanish Netherlands. What's neat about these sources is that they are contemporary; a lot of what I'm looking for is still in living memory to the authors, so I might find some obscure facts. This is getting good! Now to find a nice bottle of wine, start the fireplace, (it's pouring and cold out there again anyway) and immerse myself into the 17th century.
July 19th, 2019, 03:03 AM
So, me and my buddy called it a road trip, stopped for breakfast and shrugged it off. I guess when ya get a little older, you just brush it off as no big deal.
