[landscapephotograph description=”Front end of an antique J.I. Case Steam Tractor” photoname=”Steam Tractor” photo=”http://www.timmulholland.com/wordpress1/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Thresheree-24mod.jpg” photourl=”http://www.zenfolio.com/zf/transfer/illuminataphoto/thresheree/e7f88cc02″][/landscapephotograph]

Now that we’re back in the States, I’ve brought along with me a fresh set of eyes. One of the things that I enjoy about travel is seeing how life is different someplace else – different ways of doing things, a different environment, and so on. In this case, being away for a year has helped me to open my eyes to the photographic opportunities that are nearby.

One of these opportunities was the recently completed Rock River Thresheree, just south of Edgerton, Wisconsin. Not to worry – it’s an annual event. I’m not fully certain what attracts me to an event like this – the engineering and mechanics, a link to my agricultural roots in rural Iowa, or maybe just the smell of sulfur in the air from the burning of coal (similar to what we experienced from some home heating in Invercargill). Actually, a part of my attraction is that my great grandfather (I believe) sold J.I. Case steam tractors. My first steam engine show was some time while I was in grad school when I ventured to the Old Threashers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant. A couple of years ago, we went down to Edgerton on a bit of a lark and I really enjoyed it! When we got back to Madison and Labor Day started to roll around, gee, what could we do?

I won’t write anything more about this gallery.  Either you’ll enjoy it or you won’t, and that’s just fine. There are a lot of photographs here as I was shooting to fill my stock photography repertoire…