Nuthin' to get excited about yet - just drivin' hell bent for leather across the midwest to Winnipeg, Manitoba. After the snow storms there appears to be a nice weather window right through the weekend on my route.

This morning's kitchen picture - car packed last night - all I gotta do is iron those shirts, hug and kiss the cat and we're off...

Nice sunny drive across Michigan to Merrillville, IN. Having gained an hour crossing time zones, heading up through Illinois on a diagonal through Wisconsin to St. Paul/Minneapolis on Friday. Should take about 7 hours.

Saturday off west 3.5 hours to Fargo, ND and if in the right frame of mind may shoot the final 3 hours all the way up to Winnipeg...unless I get sidetracked by thrift stores that jump out at me from the roadside.

Mmm, anyone from there got any vacuum shops/Sally Ann/Goodwill/etc. to recommend I seek out in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area? All I need is an address and better a zip code and I can pinpoint it on the laptop's GPS mapper.

The trip home in a few weeks will be much more leisurely.

I love the things you see on the road from the car, natural and man-made.

For instance, halfway across Wisconsin, just past the Dells in an otherwise flatish landscape this looms at the side of the Interstate.

The road runs right beside the base. This is the sort on rock up cropping tower that House On The Rock was begun on.

I spent a whole day at the House a year ago. Now it's owned by a hotel corporation that tends to downplay the 'attraction'. :-(

On the sillier side we have this gizmo smack out in front of a vacation hotel that has hundreds of very expensive looking guest chalets dotting the hillsides. Think its a waterslide turbine affair that dumps wet guests in the lobby of the main hotel. :-)

Today's gas prices in Wiosconsin's Ski Country.

I got mine for $2.64 a gallon in Stillwater MN just across the Wisconsin border.

I stopped for the Bear...

I was just gonna say did you stop at a waterpark.. that's about all I saw of the Dells driving by, one after the other waterparks. LOL

Now for a really big piece of blue machinery on a flatbed.

I'd put one of these on my front lawn, just 'cause it's blue...

Once saw a few Wind generators in transit on flatbeds in North Dakota. Each of the 3 blades had it's own trailer and the tower cylinders were in 3 sections. Took up two lanes with many flashing wing vehicles in convoy.

That's all for now, Folks. Should be in Fargo ND, if not Winnipeg MB Saturday night.

I guess you don't want to drive southwest then. Gas out here is currently around $3.49/gal for reg unleaded, and I have seen it as high as 3.75. we are not too far from that dreaded four-dollar mark.

I feel old: When I first started driving in 1972, gas was 25¢/gal for regular (leaded). Then the trumped-up, phony "oil shortage" hit in 1973 and it shot up from 30¢ to 70¢ nearly overnight. Oh, the outrage!

Unpacked this morning. A virtual time capsuled virgin.

Too busy to comment at this time. Off to Movie Night at Gio's. "All About Eve"...

Tool satchel

Yes, it does show signs of actually being used a few times.

Not a single scrape mark on the wands other than the tool end.

The complete set. Candadian made Constellation Model 841E.

There is not one blemish or defect on the body other than paint wear marks on the bottom of the rim where it contacted the floor while floating. Clean inside and out.

Closeups tomorrow...

I'm assuming you decided to forgo Fargo and went straight to Winterpeg

Aaaah, is that the one you won on Ebay? I thought it twas blue

That is really pretty, congratulations! The trip sounds nice, the pictures are interesting too. Keep safe.

Wow!

Dave congrats on your latest Hoover score. It will be a nice addition to your collection. You are very lucky to get the boxes with it too. It really is a beautiful example of American engineering. Thanks for sharing the photos here.

--Tom

Tom, Alan and Pete. In light of the stunning mint condition of this 841E I am humbled to have it come into my care. It's that Holy Grail of a vacuum in box coming to light after 40 years in a time warp.

It was actually used. The tools show the evidence of run-ins with something furniture-like that left the usual light abrasions on nozzle tops and the fibre crevice tool, as well as that familiar grime on the bumpers and the middle section of the hose where it rubbed against a grimey floor. But it certainly wasn't used more than a few times. Looks to have been carefully put away in it's box while perhaps the tools were kept out and used more - with another Hoover machine? This could explain the condition of the tool box case when compared to the big carton, packing rings and contents.

An example - note the shiny unscathed 'like it was rivited in place yesterday' condition of the Mfg tag. The darker fingerprints vanished with Magic Eraser. Looking forward to giving the hose the same treatment.

Tom, what does the serial number tell about this one's date of manufacture?

Tom, I forgot to mention that the hose top swivel pipe has only one catch latch and the pipe end is molded for only one latch. All other top swivel Constellations I've seen have two squeeze latches. ??? I'll post a picture on Monday.

Wow Dave , that is one pretty machine, was this the first Canadian machine?? we had that style of hose only on the first connie over here...those boxes look like they have just been printed, a rare find indeed!!

Fascinating to see your trip & venture unfold, great to see pics of your country travels and see some SNOW for real!!!

enjoy, Mike

Haven't yet given the hose & rubber coupling collar the Magic Eraser treatment.

When was the last time anyone saw a Constellation's painted swivel hose pipe without a single scuff or scratch? Other than in the late 1950s on the assembly line or breaking the sealing tape on a brand new Connie carton... LOL

Pickings were slim after a morning locating 4 Value Villages, 3 GoodWills and 3 Salvation Armys.

Found this terrific GE Toaster model #T34FAM at a Salvation Army. The black bakelite fittings are painted cream enamel. Works fine.

Vacuum related items were not to found in any store except the usual forlorn dirt devil handvacs...until I spotted this short metal crevice tool in a bin. No other parts or the vacuum to be found. The metal tool is painted in the same dark reddish brown shade as the Canadian Electrolux Model 57 I got from Doug Smith a few months ago. It fits Lux wands perfectly. It has not been cut off short from a long tool, the end is shaped smoothly to a narrow flat slot and painted.

Doug, is this a canadian Electrolux tool? Perhaps short for use in upholstery crevices between cushions?

Well, these are the Winnipeg finds so far and mighty fine finds they are too. :P-)

Dave, you are fast becoming the King of GEC. That's a fantastic toaster, I had a Canfield toaster from the '50s, but had to get rid of it. I have a Hamilton Beach in storage I might put into service. It was from an estate at the end of the street. The last time it was used was about 1981. I'm constantly searching for a GE though.

Nice GE toaster. It was their most popular model thru the early 50's and 60's, then it was discontinued I forget when and re-issued again just before the B&D sellout albeit at half the weight of the originals. The white ones are very uncommon, most being black/brown.