Here is a 1971 D dime that I bought over twenty five years ago for $5.00 I think. I think it is one of the more unusual mint errors. It's a fold-over strike. One day I might sell it.

I really liked this one. It was one of the first sculptures I had done and was based on one of my sketches. I sold it a long time ago now but remember the process of making it well. This was a very fun project and I really like working with clay although I have not done so in a long time. In the first photo the two round pieces are styrofoam to reduce weight. I should have used more. Live and learn. I used an acrylic blue to paint it and then crushed a bit of pastel blue chalk to apply shadowing. Oh, of course around the eyes I used a dark blue or maybe black.

 Here is a design I thought I would make into a t-shirt but never did. I used to dabble in silk screen printing. Most or all of the artwork you will see here on this blog was made when I lived in Japan. Although I tried to sell some designs I have to say that it was difficult since there are so many talented and better designers than me there. It seemed like everyone was printing their own stuff. It was fun to try though. Good experience.

1872
Wednesday
January 31

Pumped the wells as usual and after 12 I went down town and saw Justice Poor and then went up to oil exchange but could not get a horse to go to Titusville. ..?.. had none. So came home. Splendid sleighing.

My Art

 These are some old concept sketches I drew for someone. Nothing became of the project but they were fun to do. Nothing special and you can see that I'm not good at drawing human figures. The human figure has always been my weak point which is why I prefer fantasy and sci-fi as I can get away with a lot of imagination and take license with the human form. I have more sketches that I did for this project that I'll post. It's been along time since I sketched anything and seeing these again makes me want to do it again.

York, PA 2013

I happened to look up and noticed the light coming in through the window and the plastic bottle and thought it was really cool.

1870's Diaries

1872
Tuesday
January 30

It was rather cold last night now I tell you but nothing froze up with us though. Clayton went down town and carried a letter down for Clark. Then about 1 I went over to ..?.. and he came and I had a long talk with him. Then I went down town and came home about 5:30.

1870's Diaries

1872
Monday
January 29
Oh hum, I came near freezing up last night. It was awful cold. I went down town about 1 & to Bank and to C. Nichols and around. Came home around 4. T. Carlin served a summons on me for Clark in Dala Suit. Clayton and Dykens played eucher  about 24 games. Even.

1870's Diaries

1872
Sunday
January 28
I pumped the wells as usual despite the Sunday talk. I stayed in house most all day, only when I went up after milk.
   Did not storm much but has been awful cold.
   Splendid sleighing.

1870's Diaries

1872
Saturday
January 27
Well I went down to post office this morn and about 11, Stillings came up & we run oil, total oil run net was 46.26 Bbls. Ella went down town and up to Lovell and carried a pie and a cake.

(In the early 1860's, when oil production began, there was no standard container for oil, so oil and petroleum products were stored and transported in barrels of all different shapes and sizes (beer barrels, fish barrels, molasses barrels, turpentine barrels, etc.). By the early 1870's, the 42-gallon barrel had been adopted as the standard for oil trade. This was 2 gallons per barrel more than the 40-gallon standard used by many other industries at the time. The extra 2 gallons was to allow for evaporation and leaking during transport (most barrels were made of wood). Standard Oil began manufacturing 42 gallon barrels that were blue to be used for transporting petroleum. The use of a blue barrel, abbreviated "bbl," guaranteed a buyer that this was a 42-gallon barrel.)
source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/18636-where-does-that-2nd-b-in-the-abbreviation-for-crude-barrels-bbl-come-from

1870's Diaries

Friday
January 26
After I pumped the wells I drew up a lease and wrote letter to A. Roberts then P.M. Ella went over to Johny Dungman and I went up to grocery and Clayton took letter down for Roberts.
   Nice sleighing here now.

1870's Diaries

1872
Thursday
January 25
It was awful last night and this morn but did not freeze anything for us. After 1 I went down town saw ..?.. & others. Came home at 4:30. Blowed some today.

1870's Diaries

   Well it's January 2014 and a long time since my last post. I didn't have anything really interesting to write about. However while in an antique shop I found four diaries from the same man from 1872, 1874, 1876 and 1878. I never bought such things at any antique shop before but for some reason I immediately picked them up and bought them. I suppose part of me just wants to protect and share this history. I couldn't just let them sit on the shelf and perhaps be thrown away eventually. This was a person who lived and worked and had at least a wife and perhaps a child. I haven't read that much yet. I thought his entries would make good blog posts. He lived in Shamburg, PA in Venango County and was in the oil business. I can not read all of the handwriting so please do not get upset if there are gaps. In that case it will be marked like this, ..?.. In the case where I make a guess I'll put a question mark after it, (?). 
   I only know him as L. E. Avery which is written on the inside cover of one of the diaries. I guess his wife's name is Ella and that Clayton is his son. As far as I know it is fine to share these entries since the family or someone sold the books to get rid of them. For time he uses things like 2 1/2 for 2:30. I'm just changing that to 2:30. I don't think doing so will diminish the entries at all. I might ad a comma now and then and not capitalize everything that he did but nothing more major than that kind of thing.

Enjoy

1872

Monday
January 1
Clayton pumped the wells last eve. Happy New Year.
   Not so happy for me, I was rather sick last eve and so had Dr. Read come down, oh dark it was too. Ella went down town today and got Clayton a pair of boots. I gave them to him for a New Year's Eve present. $4.50. I stayed in house most all day. Run oil today P.M. $48.65 Barrels net.


Tuesday
January 2
I felt a little bit better this morning so I went up and saw Cap Denny and he came down at 2:30 and we pulled rods out of No. 2. I did not do much more, tired me all out.

Wednesday
January 3
I went down town this P.M. I went over to ..?.. and down to McDowell, (Will?) Dunes, Mc somebody and J. Lanig too. Came home about 4 oclock.
   Snowed some today & rained a little too. I paid State and County tax today of $114.32 for Clark and $4.70 for me.

Thursday
January 4
Oh hum I pumped the wells all night. Today & ..?.. No. one then at 2 I went down town got some Medicine of Dr. Read, $1.00 paid ..?.. $7.29 in all. ..?.. coal $16.70.

Friday
January 5
Run town as usual I paid Wood $25.62 in full for Deer and paid Clayton $55.00 for labor for deer. Wood drawed load coal $33.50.

Saturday
January 6
I was down town today. Sam came over today and I went down town with him. Lanig came over & paid $13.00 for B.S. I was awful sick for a little while as smoking Clayton went down town & got check cashed. $50.00.

Sunday
January 7
Sour as usual all night. Some fire in Titusville P office. ..?.. Reports say James Fisk died by a shot ..?.. yesterday from E. S. Stokes.
   Pleasant all day.
   Mrs. Dingman came over and stayed a little while.
(info - Seems like James Fisk was big news then. He was a financier involved in quite a bit of illegal activity as well as affairs. He and a partner challanged Cornelius Vanderbilt for control of the Erie Railroad and won. He was killed in New York.)

Monday
January 8
Oh dear me I pumped the wells as usual and went down town to bank. Sold F. E..?..s 92.74 barrels oil at 3.62  1/2  & I ..?.. $25.00. Got full particulars of the fire in Titusville.
   Also the death of J. Fisk jr.

Tuesday
January 9
I did not do much today more than to pump the wells. Ella went downtown and Clayton and I went to ..?.. after 3 oclock. In ..?.. Ella and Clayton went to Titusville. Started at 9:30 came home at 2. I washed dishes A.M. Sam was over today and he went to Titusville.

Wednesday
January 10
I run oil from No. 1 to No. 2 and Ella went down town to Mrs. McDonells.
   Book agent came and I subscribed for a history of the Chicago Fire and went over to C. Swiss(?) and he paid me for ..?.. ..?.. for rent for one year $18.00 to July(?) 1st 1872.
(The Great Chicago Fire happened in October of 1871 burning 3.3 square miles of Chicago. It lasted three days. Just three months prior to this entry.)

Thursday
January 11
I pumped the wells at 3 and then got ready for Limestone run down to Miller on Stage stayed in ..?.. until after . Took dinner at Downer House reached Limestone at about 6:30. Austin was at the post office. Went home with him. They are all well.

 Friday
January 12
I stayed to Austin Roberts last night & after breakfast we went down to the Moses(?) Well and then we got a horse and drove up to Foster Wells. Then we went over ..?.. Farm & picked the lease(?) I want & then we went to Clark's Farm. And in evening ..?.. came to Roberts and we made a bargain for 25 ..?.. at an 1/8 royalty.

Saturday
January 13
I got up about 8 this morning and after breakfast Austin and I went to Depot and at 9:30 the train came along and I reached home about 5 oclock came from Miller a foot. Rained some. Read a letter from A. Clark and one from Sherman and ..?..

Sunday
January 14
I got up this morn about 3 and went out and pumped the wells then came to the house and went to bed & then up again at 7 as of old. After 12 I washed and dressed up as usual. Some pleasant.
   Gave Mrs. Lovell $2.00 for milk.

Monday
January 15
I was up at 3 and pumped wells as usual. I went up and had stage come for Ella. She went to Titusville. She came home at 8:45.Run oil P.M.
   I went down town got stove pipe and joints for $1.00 fixed stove in eve.
   Ella has an awful tooth ache.

Tuesday
January 16
It was very little sleep that I got last night. Ella had a tooth ache all night so I went up this morn and got Dr. Read and he pulled it. $1.00.
3 ..?.. Benzine came today. I sent A. Roberts $400. for ..?.. note. Recd. $40 of Clayton for 1/2 of above note. Then I went down town. Ella recd. letter from Matie Springer.

Wednesday
January 17
Got up at 3 and pumped the wells & then got ready and went up to oil exchange and took the Stage for Franklin. Miller 50., oil ..?.. 45., Franklin 25., D..?.. 1.00. Back home again at 5 then at 6:30 went down to see Robert Sherman. Came home at 11:15. Clayton pumped wells. Exp. to Franklin $3.60. ..?.. to ..?.. $3.00 = $6.60

Thursday
January 18
After I pumped the wells at 7 I went down and supoenied Drum(?) for Suit for Clark with ..?.. B..?.. then got horse & went to Suit. Took dinner with Taylor at American. Black did not come to Suit. Sherman & I came home at 5:30. Drum went up at 5. Ex up there $5.55. Clayton to ..?.. $3.00.
   Supoenied Black at Franklin and Sherman Here.

Friday
January 19
I was a little late this morn about getting up at 7. About 7:20. After I pumped the wells at 11 we flowed the boiler off and washed it once(?) & then filled it again got it all ready to pump the wells at 3. Snowed and rained some today.

Saturday
January 20
Pumped the wells as usual and fooled around. Then P.M. Ella & I went down town got a pair of slippers and picture frame for Miss Roses(?). Cap Denny came down here today.
   Clayton pumped the wells for me today at 11.

Sunday
January 21
Well after I pumped the wells at 7 I got ready & Cap Denny came down here with a horse. ..?.. & we went over to ..?.. I got a note of James Denny for $25. for royalty on 68. Will call on D. H. Bouton.
Came home at 5 &paid $2.00 for horse.

Monday
January 22
I got tired of sitting in the house so I went down town and around came home about 4. Snowed some today.

Tuesday
January 23
Pumped the wells as of old. Clayton went down to Titusville after his big ..?.. went on the cars. His ..?.. weighs 20 penny. Weights cost $31.00. Solid ..?... He came back at about 2.

Wednesday
January 24
Well it has been so cold today I have not been around much. I and Clayton fixed the engine at No 2 this P.M. and after 8 he went down & got a letter for me from A. Roberts with ..?..