Moods of My Backyard- Frosty

 
Actually took this a week ago, but I really wanted to share it.

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Little Dan + 42

 
Had a most excellent time today. Went to Spring Lake to give my program about hiking the North Country Trail. The audience was great and I love talking about the trail, but the best part was the family that invited me to be the speaker. Dan Anderson has been pastor of the Spring Lake Presbyterian Church for 21 years. He and his wife Diane took us out to dinner and we spent not nearly enough time getting caught up with each other's lives. With the program and all, I nearly forgot take even a posed picture, but at the last minute we all took off our coats (really, we had loaded the car and were ready to go) and posed a silly stare-at-the-camera-until-the-timer-goes-off shot. Here we are.



So where's the 42? Well, 21 years before he became the pastor there, he was spending a lot of time with us. He was the living example of the joke "he came for an hour and stayed for a lifetime." He did come for an hour, that was extended to two, and then to overnight, and he ended up not going home for three months. That was actually in 1972, but this pose is from 1973. We've loved Dan from the minute he walked into our lives, and he lived with us off and on for several years. My parents always considered him their first grandchild.


I know this post won't mean too much to most of you who read this blog, but it was the outstanding quality part of my day, by far.

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Cold Sun

 
My goal for today was to do as little as possible. I succeeded. The sun didn't accomplish much either.

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Concrete Stave Silos

 
Previously, I've shown you pictures of a stone silo, and one made of salt-glazed tiles. Today I found several good examples of what is probably the most common vintage farm silo in the east, the concrete stave silo.

Here's a really large one.



The construction method is pretty simple. There are hundreds of cast concrete staves, like interlocking concrete blocks. They are fitted together vertically to create rows of circles which are built upwards. The seams are bound with those steel rings. When the silo is filled, the pressure of the contents pushes outward to keep the silo stable.

If you have any engineering bent, you know that pressure is a function of depth, so there will be more outward pressure at the bottom of a full silo than at the top. Look how far apart the metal rings are near the top of this huge silo.



And look how close they are together near the bottom to deal with that additional pressure.



Concrete stave silos can be made in all kinds of diameters and heights. Here's an interesting example of that I found just down the road from the huge silo.


Of course, each one has to have a secure foundation. If you come across some large concrete ring in the woods, it's probably the silo foundation from a long-gone farm. I'll take a picture the next time I see one. If the foundation is undermined the silo can lean and even collapse.

Don't think that just because these examples have nice "beach ball" tops that is the only style. There are a number of standard and homemade types of silo caps. A little farther down the road, this abandoned barn and silo is a good example. You can also see the foundation ring. Also note that this silo was not tall enough to need more rings near the bottom.



Actually, silo caps can be quite interesting. I'll have to start catching pictures of those. So many of these vintage barns and silos are simply disappearing- falling apart from dis-use.

Tonight's a work night. Hoping for a nice nap tomorrow.

	See Glazed Tile Silo
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Praise God for Safety

 
Om was driving full speed on the freeway when his hood popped open and shattered the windshield. He wasn't hurt, and managed to drive home (to a body shop) safely. I picked him up after work.

He had to change his weekend plans, but all the important parts of the incident turned out well. That's some serious quality for the day.

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