Views of the Neighborhood – Belt Sander Races

~ John W. Howell

There is a saying around town that we now know things are getting back to normal after Hurricane Harvey. Evidence of regular is as follows:

Belt Sander races

The popcorn machine and coffee pot are back in operation at the ACE Hardware store.

The lights at Alister and Avenue C are now working.

The Belt Sander Races are on again at the Gaff. The truck in the foreground is the Gaff delivery vehicle or a chicken coop. No one knows for sure.

Here is a photo of the race contestants.

Here is the track. Notice the extension cords running the length of the path. That’s so the belt sanders can keep going.

The spectators are fueling up for an afternoon of racing. There is music as well. The one thing that is missing is the roof.  Last year there was a roof.

The announcers stand.

A warning to parents about rowdy kids.

Pit crew

A bold statement but as far as I know totally true.

One last look at the contestants.

78 thoughts on “Views of the Neighborhood – Belt Sander Races”

  2. Americana at its best. The announcers’ stand looks like an inspiration for a Norman Rockwell painting. Soooo, who won? Fingers crossed for the sander with the frog and sunglasses. 😀

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  6. I am loving this…quirky and so much fun. Thanks for sharing John…this may be unique to Texas for all I know! Hugs Xx

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I love the message on the pick-up truck and the sign about the unattended children. LOL! Being a lover of popcorn, it’s always nice to see those old popcorn machines. I’m happy things are getting back to normal. One thing that didn’t change…the beautiful blue sky. Happy Sunday!

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  8. This is quintessential Port A. We may think we’re hot and all up here on Galveston Bay, but we don’t have belt sander races. The crab races down in San Leon are okay, but a little sissified. Crabs don’t make noise, and if one runs amok, it doesn’t cause the kind of damage one of these could.

    Is the incline at the beginning or the end of the course? I’m inclined to think it’s at the end. That’s a nice touch.

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  10. Thanks for this great tour, John. Maybe a short video of the sanders in racing mode? I’d kill to see that! Bravo, Port A!

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  13. Tee-hee! I had forgotten about this. I love the “Nice try Harvey” line on the old pickup. That was a terrific opening to this post, John. The Captain America sander looks mighty cool, but you know I have to root for the cat. 🐱 Have a sensational Sunday. Hugs.

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  14. I recognize the brands (I’ve owned two) and I have participated in an unapproved variant of this sport in shop class, many years ago. I like the guy that added roller bumpers – never trust “auto-belt-tracking.”

    I am glad to see the normal (and Texas normal) things coming back to life in town. Great recovery. I hope you have an uneventful summer/fall to reap the rewards of all this hard work.

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  15. Good morning, John,
    “coffee pot … back in operation”: now that’s good news for me! What can I say? Maybe, “Port A, here I come!” 😉 Well, not too soon yet, as we’ll be going on a road trip in the middle of May.
    As to the Belt Sander Races: that sounds so eccentric that I was thinking only the British could have something like that! 😉
    Have a great Sunday,
    Pit

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  16. Such an eclectic vibe. And I am glad the ACE hardware is back to serving up java and popcorn, that’s always a perk . . pun intended.
    As for the belt sander races, I had no idea this was a thing! But I am putting my money on the Black and Decker sponsored team . .

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  17. Not much popcorn left in that popcorn machine, John. I’d love a popcorn machine the size of that one. Good to see things getting back to normal. I must have missed the belt sander race last year. That’s a unique event to me. Hope you had great fun.

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  24. Happy for you that things are returning to “normal.” Hopefully this year will be gentler. It’s fun to get a virtual tour of a place. I’m kind of doing that with my post this week. 🙂

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