At the county fair: old cars and mud

When a car approaches the end of its useful life, there are two main approaches to automotive recycling...

Cars can be put into a crusher that subjects them to 150 tons of pressure. The much flattened vehicles are then transported to a huge shredder that converts them into small pieces. Cars are about 65% made of steel and recycling steel uses 74% less energy than new production. Therefore the remains of an old car has a value north of $200/ton.

The other approach is a salvage yard. That would be the spare parts market. Where else would you go if you need a tail light to your 1967 Cadillac Eldorado? It is a slow process, but the value of a much needed component is certainly greater than the spot price of scrap steel.

That about sums up our lesson on automotive recycling. No, wait! There is a third and much more entertaining alternative: the Demolition Derby! The premise is simple, although there are surprisingly many rules: take a dirt field, apply water to create mud, and bring in a number of cars. The last vehicle still moving wins!

M and I recently took in the derby at the Carver County Fair. To the young car enthusiast it was two hours of car crashing fun. After viewing the spectacle from the front row he came home with a smile on his face and mud in his hair!

If you are old enough I'm sure the 1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V going down in a blaze of glory will tug at your heart strings! After this the salvage yard isn't much of an option...

At the county fair: in search of dizziness

It wouldn't be the fair if there wasn't a plethora of rides to entertain the wild at spirit.   When the tractors and lawn mowers started to feel all too stationary we headed to the Midway for some moving diversions. Goes without saying by now that Mr. M loves rides.  Fifty dollars later we headed for some deep fried ravioli.  When in Rome we do as the Romans do! 

At the county fair: farm equipment

Mathias and I took in the county fair.  For those of us whose days revolve around anything with wheels, the farm equipment display was a boatload of fun.  Sadly, not one of them came with us home...

A sunny day in the pool

On the rare occasion when it actually feels like summer... you're never more than 10 seconds away from the back yard pool.   There are restrictions on any kind of diving activity. But we're working on perfecting the cannonball.  

A cloudy day at the beach

It may be the coldest summer in years and years and years... But principles still mean something!  So we went to the beach.  After, all it is August.  Mathias really enjoyed throwing stones into the lake and digging holes in the sand. The water was plenty cold so we didn't go in for very long.  But a good time was had on the beach!

A boy with places to go

Johan is now a full-fledged mover.  He gets around with surprising speed. That causes occasional friction with his brother who can't keep up moving his toys out of the way...  We're back living in a "gated community" with various sections of the house sealed off from access.

Mr. Freezy

There's a new favorite in our household.  I don't know what they are really called, but Mathais calls them Mr. Freezy.  It is simply ice in a tube... They are very popular as a dessert - after, of course, having finished our dinner.  Mr. Freezies come in a rainbow of colors, all sharing the same nonexistent nutritional values. But how can you go wrong with blue ice for a snack?!