Pictures of my WM comin' home!

Paschale · September 03, 2004, 05:22:41 PM

Well, I finally got the film developed from my adventure last weekend, so I thought I'd share a few of them with y'all! 8)

Here you can see why I was glad I brought those new tires and rims!

Here's my dad working on the rims, packing the bearings and working on the tires with a few helpers--my great uncle's grandchildren.

That's me working on adding the lighting harness I brought along. I'm a happy camper! ;D

Here's a picture of the ramp my great aunt and uncle were able to build with some of the money from my purchase of the WM. I guess nine men from their church came over and built it for them--those yoopers are good people! Hanging onto the ramp are a few of his grandkids again.

EZ · September 03, 2004, 05:34:10 PM

Thanks for sharing your pictures.
Hope you get it going soon with not much more cost.
EZ

Paschale · September 03, 2004, 05:43:51 PM

Here's a few more pictures.

We were able to haul a load of miscellaneous wood back home for my second cousin--it should keep him busy in the shop for quite some time!

It didn't take too long for us to get on the road, and here you can see me trailing the WM as we went south over the Mighty Mac. 8)

Couldn't resist checking it out at a pit stop! Sorta had to pinch myself all that day. I was like a kid at Christmas the whole trip home. ;D

Finally, home at last!

Under cover, for the first time in years. Dad driving his Allis Chalmers WD, with my nephews looking on.

I'm really pretty excited about working on the WM and restoring it now. I'll keep you all posted on developments, and I know I'll be using the brain trust here on the forum to help with that.

I'm glad that this once belonged to my great uncle. He's the last link to that generation for me, and I've always enjoyed visiting "Uncle Wally" throughout my life. He's meant a lot to me and my family, and anytime I spent with him, I could just sit and listen to him for hours, talking about the good old days on the family homestead. For me, he's been a link to the old way of life, a link to my ancestors who all lived a hard, hard life, eking a meager subsistence from the land. Despite their hard life, he and his siblings, including my grandmother, lived life with a spirit of determination, strength and perseverance which puts my life of relative ease into a healthy perspective. He has always been positive, and he never said anything negative about anyone. He's always been quick to let loose an infectious laugh, and there's always been a smile and a sparkle in his eyes. Even on this trip, when he clearly was suffering from dementia at times, this unquenchably positive spirit still came through. It's sad to know that most likely this is the last time I'll ever have a chance to see him on this earth. I feel blessed to have known him. To own this woodmizer that once belonged to him will give it a special place in my life. I'm reminded that Arkansawyer calls his WM Wanda. Well, I think this one's gonna be called Wally!

Bibbyman · September 03, 2004, 05:43:55 PM

Glad to see you're getting that old WM mill back into service. Good job!

dewwood · September 03, 2004, 06:16:45 PM

Congratulations on your "purchase, inheritance etc. I am sure it will provide you with lots of memories. I kind of like the looks of that old Allis you have there also. I am partial to orange all the way around.

DanG · September 03, 2004, 09:25:39 PM

Congrats on getting that mill home! 8) I think you oughta call it "Little Wally."

I'm glad you got a mill, but I'm tickled to death that you got THAT mill. I'm all for keeping things in the family.

If at all possible, do yourself and Uncle Wally a favor and make the effort to go back up to see him. Even if he gets where he doesn't recognize you, he'll know somebody came, and it will do him good for the moment. It will do you good for a lifetime. ;)

Norm · September 04, 2004, 05:50:10 AM

What a great story, thanks for telling us.

ronwood · September 04, 2004, 06:53:29 AM

Paschale,

Great story and the best to you and your dad in getting the mill running.

Ron

pappy · September 04, 2004, 08:12:56 AM

Nice Paschale real nice.

You brought back some very fond memories of my mothers family, she had three great brothers.

Thanks for sharing and good luck with "Wally" you two will have a good time together.

Stump Jumper · September 04, 2004, 12:28:25 PM

YOUR DAD MIGHT GET BITTEN BY THE SAWDUST BUG AND NOT LET YOU PLAY WITH YOUR NEW TOY ;) ;D

rbarshaw · September 04, 2004, 02:42:32 PM

Con'grats on the mill. And thanks for the pics. Being from Michigan ( Standish ) myself, the scenes bring back lots of memories, especially the one of the Macinaw bridge, again thanks.

music_boy · September 04, 2004, 04:55:34 PM

I really enjoyed reading that and seeing the pics. Thanks for sharing. There are so many things that link us to our past. It is important that the generation coming sees and learns so that they can find their links to pass on too..
Rick

OneWithWood · September 04, 2004, 07:37:57 PM

Congrats on getting it home. We will be interested in how you get along with it. Do keep us posted.

Paschale · September 05, 2004, 03:39:44 PM

Thanks for the comments guys. It should be a fun project, and as I move along, I'll keep you guys posted on how it goes.

I think stump-jumper's right: my dad is starting to feel the itch! :D My nephew's did too when they saw the ole WM.

I hope I do get to see my great uncle again, DanG. I'm certainly going to try. I'll certainly carry fond memories of him for the rest of my life.

Dan

jgoodhart · September 05, 2004, 06:54:26 PM

Nice mill you got and thanks for the story :'(

chet · September 05, 2004, 09:15:49 PM

Well dat dar predition at da piggy roast dat it wouldn't be to long before you was a mill owner, was right on da money. ;D
Congradulations and keep us posted on da refurbishing. And let us know when ya wack da dogs or clamp da first time too. :D :D

Paschale · September 06, 2004, 03:50:56 PM

Sure enough, the ole prediction came true! 8) Can't wait for the first time I saw somethin'!

Hey, Chet...looks like you got yourself a new pic dar under yer name. That's gotta be you, right?

DanG · September 06, 2004, 04:07:34 PM

That pine in Chet's pic looks like some of the crap that ends up on my mill. :-/

Furby · September 06, 2004, 05:12:59 PM

8) 8) 8)

Corley5 · September 06, 2004, 05:14:21 PM

Congrats on getting your mill home. I'm sure U Wally nows that "Wally" is getting a good home. I just got back from Da UP. What is normally a 3 hour drive from camp turned into a four hour one. Got into the Bridge Backup at 4:21 PM and cleared the toll plaza at 5:33 PM >:(

Paschale · September 07, 2004, 11:44:21 AM

Crazy Labor Day traffic, eh Corley? A guy at work who just moved to town did the Bridge walk, and then coming home, he was stuck on 131 for about an hour and went less than ten miles. Crazy!

What part of the U.P. is your camp at?

Corley5 · September 07, 2004, 03:42:36 PM

25 miles east of Munising on H-58. It's 25 miles to Grand Marais if you go past the cabin. I knew better than to leave as early as I did but Zach hadn't napped yet and I figured that by leaving at 2 PM he'd sleep most of the way home. Stopped in Newberry for fuel and he woke up and stayed awake for the rest of the trip. He was one bored little boy. I was even stuck in traffic in Trout Lake of all places

. There's bridge contruction on the east edge of town that is one lane with a stop light. That took almost 15 minutes to get through :

That's a good looking WD your Dad has

Shotgun · September 07, 2004, 06:40:01 PM

Howdy Paschale,
Congrats on getting the mill. It's really special, and from the UP too.

Sure enjoyed visiting with you at the pig roast.

Funny hat, though, that you have on in the pictures. ;-)

Shotgun

ARKANSAWYER · September 07, 2004, 08:41:31 PM

Do we have an ETA of when Wally will make sawdust again? I just need to know. If you need a log just bring him down here on them new tires I got a plenty.
ARKANSAWYER

Paschale · September 07, 2004, 09:28:38 PM

Sounds like a great place for your camp there Corley. Go figure: traffic jam in the U.P.! :

To avoid those is one of the biggest reasons to go up to God's Country!

Shotgun--great talking to you too at the pig roast. Now, bout that there hat, that's a hat anyone in Michigan should be PROUD to wear, since we all know that's the TRUE university of Michigan. ;)

Arky--hopefully the ETA on the ole sawdust will be sooner rather than later! If I'm lucky, I'll have one day a week to work on the WM, so it just depends on how much I can get done. I think my dad's gonna be on engine detail, since he's a wiz with small engines. The rest is mainly just getting rid of rust, and getting stuff unstuck, so hopefully, by this winter she'll be ready to make some sawdust, and about that time, sawing logs in Arkansas will sound pretty darn good to me! Just so long as those darn snow snakes don't follow me down there! :D