Then a quick run to get planter parts so I can start on the planter rebuild just as soon as I get everything else done…..haha!

The rest of the day was occupied with either shed “issues” or with phone calls.  The shed issues are really nothing that doesnt go along with any building project.  But they are all things that have to be done.

So this evening just before closing I went back to C N C gun shop here in Benton to discuss the issues I had with the Ruger LCP.  Danny was pretty insistent that I was the only one with an issue and as we discussed it became apparent that he was right.

First problem was that we were not shooting with the laser on because it was so bright in the sun.  We were using the iron sights.  Apparently they are just for show….and tonight with the laser on I was hitting soda cans at 25 ft (~7 yards) pretty easy.  Matter of fact I was grouping them about the size of a tennis ball.  Much better than just barely hitting paper at the same distance on Sunday with the iron sights.

Second problem was that we were shooing at about 12 yards with the open sights.  Danny pointed out that the gun was designed for 7-12 yards with the laser as the sighting device.  Again with the laser on and at 7 yards it was no problem to hit a soda can.

Last problem was the tightness of the gun.  Tightness as in slide action and trigger pull.  The double action trigger pull is horrid compared to other double actions I have shot.  Again most all DA pistols I have shot have been pretty well “worn in” or “shot in”.  As Danny said the gun just needs rounds run through it to loosen it up.  That I can take care of!

So we will run a few boxes through it and see how she does…….with the laser of course.

But its still not even close to Glock………. or a good DA S & W revolver.

Over the weekend we got to shoot a Ruger LCP, the little .380 with a laser sight on it.  Man was I disappointed.  You can skip the laser because it is pretty much a belly gun at best.  I mean at best that’s all it is.  We had a terrible time hitting paper at 7 yards.  The double action trigger pull was horrid as well.  I guess I am spoiled with my Glock.

Got the new hitch put in the truck and got a new trailer on the way for the soil sampling rig.  Will have to make some mods when it gets here……but that being said it will be a very nice addition to the fleet for this summer.

I didn’t get to the farm show at Louisville this year but it seems like everyone else did…….. wasn’t able to get much accomplished last week work wise.  From what I hear, there was all kinds of expensive stuff there this year…..so its a good thing I didn’t go!

Now that the meeting schedule is pretty much down to one here and there I want to get cracking on soil testing work and getting equipment ready for farming the next few weeks.  My hope is my “to do” list gets a lot smaller the next seven to ten days!

If your so inclined, get on the net and do a search of campaign contributors in Illinois for your county.  It will surprise you who in your county contributes money and to whom.   In my little search I found that some people contribute and equal amount of money to “both sides”.  As an example I saw one fellow locally who contributed to the local Democrat House member and to a Republican House member in another district.  The shocking thing is the amount of money that goes outside of the area to other states where these folks do business as well.  Even in a bad economy some people have a ton of money to use to buy a politician.

Make no mistake about what these folks are doing with their money:  They are buying access and influence to elected people.  When you donate a million dollars you just purchased a Senator, House Member, Judge or Governor. You might even get to own a President.

OK there is nothing new here is there?

Nope, nothing new at all.

So why are you bringing this up now?

I always thought the way to change America, Illinois and Franklin Co. was for good men and women to run for office and get elected.  Folks with morals, conviction, Godly values and dedication to the working men and women of this nation.

That is a grand falsehood.

I have been living in the “Land of Make Believe” with Mr Rogers.

In reality all you need is enough money to buy one or more elected officials.

Its like going to the mall and looking in the window of the pet store.  There are all the cute puppies playing and pooping and you pick out the one with the spots you like and pay at the counter and he is yours.  If the dog acts up, you jerk his chain and get him back in line.

So with an elected official, you go to the State House, Senate, Governors Mansion and you look in the window and you pick the dirtiest, lying, cheating, immoral, valueless and brainless scumbag you can find who will sell his soul for money and you buy him. Then you jerk his chain, his wife/mistress/boyfriends chain or kids chain when they act up and he gets right back in line and does your work for you.

Simple isnt it.

All it takes is money.

So my new goal in life is to make enough money to buy my own elected official…..

And from the looks of the contributors list here locally the old saying holds true………you do get what you pay for!

Dont go cheap……….even if that money could be used to feed the homeless or employ hundreds of folks…………

Thanks NPR……..you enlightened me today.

The barn was not ours, but the neighbors across the road.  They set it on fire, it was not an accident.  The 100 year plus old barn was in bad dis-repair and they tore it down with a track-hoe before they set it on fire.  There were a lot of old oak beams that had the peg and hole construction in them that they burned up.  That to me was the shame in the fire.

I posted the pictures of the fire on Facebook and David McCollum, who owns a local real-estate agency, provided a history on the old barn and the farm.  I have added some notes of the conversation on Facebook below to fill in a few details and also to note a few details that I have been told as well.

Most of the history of the barn and its owner are from David McCollum.  Edits or additions to the narrative in italics are by me.

The barn is/was located on what was the old Robert R. Ward farm. He was the President of the bank at that time (late 1920’s) in the Wood Building on the square in Benton. He and his family lived in the big brick house on North McLeansboro St. (later the  Eovaldi house) but also owned that farm where this fire was today. When the crash came in 1929, he went to this farm on his noon hour and jumped from the silo.  (It is also told by some in the area that he hung himself from the silo on his noon hour.)

My dad (George McCollum) told me that Robert’s Ward’s wife, Terzie, was a cousin of J.C. Penney. After she sold the big house on N. McLeanboro St. to the Eovaldis in the early 1950′s, she moved to a one story brick home in the 300 block of West Church St (north side of street) and lived there until her death in the early 1970′s. That house is where Dr Knapp lives.

Robert and Terzie had 6 children, 3 sons (1 was Russell “Bud” Ward), and 3 daughters, Martha “Sis” Ward Johnson (wife of Judge Webb Johnson), Sue Ward McCollum, and Mary Ward Doerr, who was my kindergarten teacher at Lincoln School. Sue was married to my Dad’s cousin Charles McCollum and they spent many years in Puerto Rico where he was a plant manager for Levi Strauss Co. Sue’s full name was Susan Esther Ward and that’s where the street next to the Eovaldi house got its name. (Susan Esther Street).

Ward also owned the Franklin Mining Company located due south and east of the farm?  I believe that is true about the mine company. (Also of note is that coal mining maps show that the only part of the east side of Benton that is not undermined from the old Franklin Mining Co is the block where the Eovaldi house is located, where Robert Ward lived as noted above.)  He also owned a dairy company that was located at the farm where the barn was.

If you know any more history on the barn, farm, mine, dairy or house please leave a response in the comments section.  I have to approve comments before they show up……so don’t worry if it doesn’t show up right away.

The weekend consist of reviewing and teaching the history and events of April 19, 1775 as well as polishing up on the marksmanship skills necessary to teach the shooting portion of an Appleseed weekend.  To become an IIT you first have to have attended at least two Appleseed weekend shoots and shoot Rifleman, a minimum score of 210 on the AQT (Army Qualification Test) that has a maximum score of 250.  Shooting Rifleman is not an easy task as a lot of experienced shooters think it might be.  It took me three Appleseeds and a lot of practice in between them to master the skills necessary to score above a 210.

Instruction was done by Dond, Master Shoot Boss and State Coordinator for Illinois.  Dond has a very unique way of approaching a COF (course of fire) for an Appleseed weekend that results in very high scores for the shooters by the end of the day.  Small group sessions were done by Red Hats or instructors and shoot bosses to help polish up the things that were taught by Dond.

I had the privilege to be in small groups with Red Hats Wurstmacher, Castle Mountain, Shooter 30-06 and Tornado.  These are not there real names but their “forum” names that they go by at the shoots.  All of these folks are very passionate about the history and shooting that goes into a Appleseed weekend.

Castle Mountain reviews some of the history and teaches how to deliver the important points during a breakout session

Shooter 30-06 goes over the retreat of the British Regulars from Concord or the “Third Strike” using his “battle road map” during small group time.

Woodl practices explaining the AQT and how each stage of the AQT is to be shot during a breakout session.

It was a great time, made a lot of new friends and learned a lot to help me be a better IIT and one day a Red Hat!

Not only is this  a shed we are building, but it will also be a warehouse for Pioneer Seed.  Robertson Farms is now officially a Pioneer seed dealer.  We will be servicing farmers mostly in the western part of Franklin Co.  It is a natural fit for us.  We have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Pioneer as a seed customer and seed grower, mainly because I have felt that their agronomy and sales staff have always had my success at heart when offering me products and services.  So when the opportunity presented itself last fall we began the process to become dealers for Pioneer.  We have a lot to learn but are eager and ready for the challenge!

The end of day 5 on the new shed…………….now we are ready for metal!  The nice sunny days have allowed for quick progress, but the bottom has fallen out of the ground around the site. We had to pull their forklifts and tellehandler out today.  The telehandler  was setting on the frame with the last truss suspended in the air………fun!

Meanwhile, while the last truss was going up, we spotted smoke accross the field and found that our neighbors old barn was on fire.  By the time we got over there the major part of the black smoke was gone but the flames were still going as high as the silo tops!

The old barn has been a land mark on Rt 14 east of Benton and the silos are also the site where the original farm owner killed himself back in the 40′s or 50′s…………more on that later………

Finished up hauling my January contracted corn this week.  Glad to have that done……..it seems like it took for ever and I guess it did with all the meetings I have had and time away from the place.

Pioneer came and got their seed beans so we spent part of two days loading semis.  The big plus is we got it done before the rains set in!

Progress on the new building has come to a halt with the rain and winds so no new updates or pictures of progress on that front.

Waiting on the last of the planter parts to get here so we can start the rebuild on it.

Waiting on the last of the NH3 parts so we can start the rebuild on the anhydrous tool bar.

We did get the planter monitors back from AgExpress………… that’s good news!

The next few days will be spend trying to catch up on all the paperwork that has piled up between meetings and hauling grain.

All in all, I would rather shovel grain than push papers………..