August 11, 2011

the 40th anniversary of Walnut Hill, day two

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Jill’s report from yesterday (Wednesday) evening:

As you can see from the photos [at the end of yesterday’s post], Day One started out sunny and bright with a cool breeze — perfect for all the morning classes. Right after lunch, the clouds blew in, and for a couple of hours the skies kept threatening something. Just before 4:00 p.m.: lightening, thunder, and rain, and then more rain, and then more. Finally the show was stopped for the day.

Then, half an hour later, out came the sun again and all was well, except for everyone who got soaking wet.

There were some great turnouts today, especially all the single ponies — forty-two of them, it turns out.

 

August 10, 2011

the 40th anniversary of Walnut Hill, day one

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Jill is at this year’s installment of the famed Walnut Hill Driving Competition with the CAA booth and is sending daily reports and photos. The show started at 8 a.m. this morning and continues through the pleasure drive on Sunday morning.

Here’s Jill’s report from Day One:

Tuesday — check in day at Walnut Hill

While on my way to Walnut Hill (in a rental vehicle with a lot of CAA stuff for the booth), I received a phone call from a friend telling me that it was pouring down in Pittsford. So I expected not to be able to drive up to my booth upon my arrival due to the wet grass, but we all were able to (thank goodness — so we didn’t have to carry heavy boxes a long way). I understand the stabling area is quite muddy due to the large number of motor vehicles coming and going.

I saw all the officials for the show: Mickey Bowen (PA), Kail Palmer (OK), Diana Brownlie (UK), and Terry Pickett (MI), plus organizer Trish Remley and show manager Ed Young.

All the vendors were unloading and setting up today. I unloaded and set up the book stands and tables, but did not get any of the books out of the plastic tubs because of the weather.

I have been coming to this fantastic show for so long I almost feel part of the crew. My job in the mornings is to stop at Dunkin Donuts and pick up coffee for everyone in the show office and even some of the grounds crew (I get one of those big coffee boxes, which has about fifteen large cups in it). This I do early and then I sit and enjoy my coffee while others are scurrying around. The show starts bright and early Wednesday at 8 a.m., and one thing that you can set your watch by is the fact that it will be on time and remain so all day. This show is a real lesson in organization and a pleasure to watch.

I understand there is a record number of entries again for this year — the fortieth anniversary of the show — 230 entries! The largest division in the Large Ponies, with more than thirty entries. Bill Remley would be so proud.

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And a few photos from Wednesday morning. It looks like a gorgeous day at Walnut Hill!

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the CAA booth (photo by Jill Ryder)

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the Walnut Hill show office (photo by Jill Ryder)

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the first class started promptly at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning (photo by Jill Ryder)

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entries in the Single Horse / Runabout Pleasure Turnout class (photo by Jill Ryder)

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John White won the Four-in-Hand Reinsmanship class (photo by Jill Ryder)

 

August 9, 2011

… and even more horsepower

Posted by Jennifer under history, Lexington & KHP | Tags: |
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After Saturday’s blog post, you probably thought we were going to drive over to Louisville to see the hot rod cars.

Well, here’s what we did instead.

This weekend, three World War II-era planes (two bombers and a fighter) owned by the Collings Foundation flew into our local airport to spend about three days. For a small fee, anyone who wanted to could walk around, look at the fighter plane, and actually crawl around inside the bombers. Needless to say, we wanted to. Crawl, however, was indeed the operative word here, as the entrances, exits, and interior spaces were all really, really tight.

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people waiting to climb inside the B17; climbing the ladder looks easy enough, but once inside the exterior door, you had to get on hands and knees to crawl though an opening into the main compartment

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those of us in line, about to climb into the B17, reflected in the propeller's nose

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a view of the ball turret from inside the B17 ...

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... and the same one from outside; it's pretty easy to see the inspiration for a few Star Wars weapons, no?

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to get into the B24, you had to crawl through a door that's *underneath* the tail; here are a couple of children by the entrance ladder for scale

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and, for a better idea of how low to the ground this door is, here's A.J. about to climb in

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one view of the ball turret in the B24

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... and the view of the other side of the same ball turret

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that little strip that's about two feet wide (that's two human feet, not 24 inches) is the "walkway" through the bomb bay; here the doors are open

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another view of the bomb bay in the B24; here I was actually standing on the ground in the open bay, underneath the "bomb"

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and, finally, the beautiful "Betty Jane," a P51 fighter plane

 

August 6, 2011

a different sort of horsepower

Posted by Jennifer under Lexington & KHP, miscellaneous | Tags: |
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I saw a brightly painted car parked in the main lot at the Kentucky Horse Park yesterday morning.

It had come, it would appear, all the way from Pennsylvania. Just to visit the KY Horse Park, you ask? Well, no. This weekend is the 42nd annual Street Rod Nationals in nearby Louisville. I’m positive that’s where this car and its occupants were headed next, after visiting with our horses.

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You’ve perhaps noticed a few photos of and references to these sorts of things on the blog? I must confess a love of admiring, driving, and riding in old cars.

When I saw this one, I thought, “Oooooh,” and took a bunch of pictures, even though it’s a Chevy. We’re a Ford family, you see.

Full disclosure: This (below) is my dad’s, which I hope he’ll drive to Louisville one of these years. The 43rd annual Street Rod Nationals, perhaps??

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August 5, 2011

down on the farm

Posted by Jennifer under history | Tags: |
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Today, something even more different …

This video clip features two brothers — both farmers in England — talking about their memories of “life on the farm” with their father … and it features some lovely footage of horse-drawn farming equipment and hay wagons.

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This one is silent and in black-and-white, but it has some fascinating footage — from 1904 — of a variety of machinery being used to cut and prepare hay, hay wagons with enormous loads, and a group of children who are, um, “helping” with the haying.

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