Up in Sonoma county between Petaluma and Cotati
Is a small town with farming roots called Penngrove
That is where we went to visit the Penngrove Power and Implement Museum
The heart and soul of the operation is Nancy and Steve Phillips
And their dedicated family and crew
They keep all the machinery running in good shape
Restoring not just the equipment, but a relationship and knowledge of how things work

As gardeners, we are into plants and farming implements
So of course I gravitated towards the seed sowers and tractors of all kinds
That red Schramm engine had three cylinders running and three compressing
See the air tank?
And there was Deere, Farmall, International Harvester, and more

Inside the barn was a magical mechanical dream
Full of belts, pulleys, and the hum of work being done
From the Hicks marine engine used on San Francisco feluccas out at Monterey and Morro Bay
To all kinds of little outboard motors with a variety of propellers
There were small machines to braid lace, make furniture legs, entertain and teach the kids,
A generator to reminds us of the War of the Currents between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla
And plaques that emphasized the importance of READING THE INSTRUCTIONS!

Outside, more metal, pistons, and lubricated gears
Check out the pull start on this USMC Caterpillar tractor
And imagine a time before hydraulics on heavy equipment
When a cable lifted your bucket
And gravity dropped it back down

On the one hand these are relics of a time long gone
They are no longer used in our very modern era
Because they are too heavy, too noisy, too polluting, too slow, not safe, not enough power, difficult to start and so on
But they are like the wisdom of the ages and stories of elders
How else do you understand change evolution and progress
If you don’t have any roots or understanding of basic engineering principles
Or know about adapting to field conditions and problem solving with the tools at hand
Dave told me – you need only seven tools to work on a model T
Seven tools!? What?! And that thing came in how many colors?!

At the end of our visit
We got a train ride on the tracks, in carts meant to haul salt from the bay
And posed for pictures by the Petaluma Trolley
Well if you want to meet some great folks who can take anything apart and put it back together
And reacquaint yourself with fine machinery that has lasted the test of time for decades and a century or more
Mark your calendars! The next Power Up is July 11th, 2026
Heres the website: https://www.facebook.com/penngrovepower/

Chugga-chugga-chugga
Cinder and ashes, come along, come along!
It’s important to keep trying, no matter what
Little engines can do big things!