Watching a steam "donkey" being built from the ground up.
While growing up at Bell Creek, I and my two older brothers were able to see a steam donkey (logging) being built from start to finish. I remember that the two men doing the work were friendly and didn't mind us being around.
As near as i can remember the two skids (runners) were logs about 30ft. long and about 3ft. in diameter.
Each end of the logs were tapered up (all by hand) and all with an ax.This enabled it to travel like a sled. The two logs were connected by big planks to support the steam boiler the housing covering the winches that contained the cable. When it was completed, the engine (steam powered) turned the winch (operated by one of the men pulling the cable in (which had been secured to a tree) up the direction they wanted to go.Pulling the cable in caused the sled to go up to the point where the cable was then secured further up the hill, thus the steam donkey would eventually reach the top of the area that they intended to log.

Note:This type of enjoyment for us boys cannot be described by just words. Our (mine) life was filled with treasured happenings that makes me grateful that I have been (above money) wealthy my whole life.
Thanks for enduring me again. I will be back

   

For what it's worth
A few years ago I read an article about an Asian woman ( don't remember what country) that was diagnosed with cancer. Being very poor and not able to afford medicine, or any kind of treatment, she had to "tough it out by herself".
One night she felt hotter than usual and knew her temperature was extremely high. She went to sleep, with her family worried and expecting the worse as the night passed.
when she awoke the next morning she felt her temperature and sickness was gone.
The cancer never came back, and she, and her family believe that the high temperature must have killed the cancer.
Enter now, Me.
When I was a teen at my Samish Valley home, All of us older boys did a lot of camping and hunting at one of the lakes on Chuckanut Mountain.We all had our rifles and loved the camping and hunting trips.
This one particular time we all decided to go I was "loaded" with a chest cold , head cold, and crappy flu.
I was not too healthy at that moment, but decided I would go anyway.
With backpacks loaded, and with our rifles slung on our backs we were off
We started up the mile or so trail that led to the top of Chuckanut Mountain.Over the last few years we had made this same trip many times. Because of its steepness the trail led a zigzag course and along the way there were certain landmarks that we had given names to. about a third of the way up was a big rock outcropping that we called( the elephants ear) further up was the "long" tressel that we crossed over a deep canyon. along the route too was a tall fir tree that we called the (blue grouse tree) we were "in the last few years" able to "harvest" several "blue" grouse birds usually using a 22 caliber rifle. once one fell from the top of the tree and as soon as it hit the ground the two of us "at that time" rushed over to the spot where it landed but never found the little "sneaker".
Back to my Story:
After an hour of steady hiking, and sweating (especially me this time) we reached the top of the mountain where we usually spent the night at the sight of the old Log camp. One of the buildings was a good shelter for us from cold and weather. 
Guess what ?? 
To put an end to my story, and to get my point across, I realized that i had gotten rid of my chest and head
cold and flu, and felt just great...........Evidently I had sweated it out of my body.

Thanks for reading this.