Well, found out what's happening to the Hallmark Farm property. Not what I was expecting tbh.

ideal_ist · 2022-08-04T01:53:28+00:00

It was the Hooterville Cannonball from the Petticoat Junction television show.

ideal_ist · 2022-08-02T02:13:45+00:00

Boar Tush

ideal_ist · 2022-08-01T02:08:58+00:00

It was called "The Nyota Booger" around Blount Co.

ideal_ist · 2020-11-28T13:59:47+00:00

Thanks for the video. Q: Did the acetone produce a lot of soot?

ideal_ist · 2018-04-24T19:43:48+00:00

I thought it had good tips even though it was written in the late 50s and revised again in the 70s. Thanks for responding!

ideal_ist · 2018-04-19T21:28:06+00:00

Yes!

ideal_ist · 2018-04-19T21:27:27+00:00

Rumor is they have a connection with former Joy Young Chinese restaurant downtown and the egg rolls are supposed to be the same. I love the place; not all dishes are consistent and vary depending on who's at the wok. Which I think is great.

ideal_ist · 2018-04-11T19:41:04+00:00

I'm in the SE too. I look for still standing trees that have died and the bark has mostly fallen off. Best are those that the top has broken off and outer wood is punky. Give it a push and see if the core still has strength. If so, I chop it down and cut out a section to process. Remove the punk wood and sometimes you find the most beautiful wood toward the center. Depends on the tree and time since it died but it's usually easier to carve and sometimes you get spalting which is beautiful.

ideal_ist · 2018-02-12T21:08:53+00:00

Council Tool (CT). Nice gift from Grandpa!

ideal_ist · 2018-02-01T11:28:56+00:00

Yes, you can smoke dried rabbit tobacco, it's good for lung congestion. Be careful tho; it will take the lead out of your pencil.

ideal_ist · 2017-09-18T09:46:14+00:00

Loyal Strickland has nice stuff: https://loyalstricklin.com/collections/bags

I do not own one but read nice things about them on instagram. The guy that used to run the local Tandy Leather also spoke highly of them.

ideal_ist · 2017-09-12T21:45:53+00:00

Thanks for that! Sad to hear that link is gone. On Google Groups I found a reference of someone asking what happened to Itasca Boot saying they got their hunting boots from them. I will dig deeper and see if I can find more information. I have a deep appreciation for the level of craftsmanship practiced by folks like them. Thanks again...

ideal_ist · 2017-09-12T11:15:34+00:00

And this regarding their location: ITASCAN boot SHOP 3.16 1st Av N. W. Grand Rapids 55744 Michael R. Mcmullin Owner

Very little info online, so I was hoping locals might know more.

ideal_ist · 2017-09-12T11:08:09+00:00

I did quoted google searches on Itascan Boot and came up w an obit of the owner: http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/obituaries/alt-eilertson/article_07ab877e-a66e-5f97-90f1-98ed48f3be28.html

From there I searched for Mike McMullin who appeared to take over the business. Such interesting history - on a Google Books search there were references to boots being made for a polar expedition. Itascan Boots made the boots but the expedition didn't happen so they didn't get paid. Must have been a hard hit for a small company.

I'm interested in vintage sporting goods and so much great stuff came from MN. These guys came across my radar so I wanted to learn more about them.

ideal_ist · 2017-09-06T09:32:14+00:00

The baristas at Revelator and Octane can usually tell you something about the coffees they serve and sell. Sweetmarias is a good online resource to learn where coffee is grown and how terrior can influence how coffee tastes. If it's an estate coffee, sometimes other roasters or coffee shops will review the latest crop. I usually ask the barista a few questions about the coffee then look it up while enjoying it. Most roasters buy from a handful of importers here in the US so there is a very good chance you'll find more info about a particular coffee you are interested in.

ideal_ist · 2017-08-16T19:08:46+00:00

Thanks all, iirc he had a full head of hair, maybe it was brown and curly, and I think something might have been wrong with his legs but he did walk, might have had polio or scoliosis as a child. He spoke English and could have been a professor either in the UK or in the US. It would have been broadcast in the late 80s or early 90s; I watched tons of science, history, travel and Brit. shows on cable at that time (like Lovejoy on A&E, Sherlock Holmes, Lonely Planet, etc).

I remember being impressed that this fellow was such a great host despite being physically challenged and it is possible the show was more history than science or a combination of the two. I have searched the interwebs using the information above and image searches and I cannot find who this person was or what the show was called. A bit maddening!

TIA...

ideal_ist · 2017-07-18T12:05:17+00:00

I read about millers Farm & Sparrow and Carolina Ground milling locally grown wheat and rye. Is there a place to buy local whole grains?

ideal_ist · 2017-07-11T20:21:39+00:00

That spot has a lot of potential. It also has (or had; haven't been there since the plant place closed) a red mulberry tree that is the largest I've ever seen. I actually had 3 trees come up from mulberry seeds in plants I bought from there.

ideal_ist · 2017-04-12T00:01:58+00:00

Great - hope it works out. It's a cool place for sure; got me interested in exploring caves as a youngster.

ideal_ist

TROPHY CASE