Where on EARTH does the Time go?

I'm going to need to set up some kind of email alert to remind me to take a break and crawl in here and post!  I piled a bunch of photos into the laptop's drive and then just never sat down to organize electrons and hit ENTER.  So for that, I apologize.

 

The past five WARM weeks have been filled with project after project. 

 

 

 

 

The grand surf session of a project always begins with a wave of cleaning.  (Isn't that always the way?). Anyway, while cleaning out my studio desk in preparation for an upcoming portrait painting session, I decided my fountain pens needed a home.  I didn't want to keep them vertically in a cup.  Rather I wanted to display them and keep them ready at hand.  For that I would need a wall mounted display.  I searched and searched.  There is no such thing.  So I'd have to build one.  I purchased a ready made and routed plaque at a hobby store and a bag of mini shaker pegs.  I drilled the holes, added a bit of glue, pushed in the pegs, grabbed my can of spray paint, and hung my creation on the wall.  It turned out well, if I do say so myself.  :D

 

Of course that required a quick purchase of some new inks.

I purchased some bottles of  Lavender ink.  I HIGHY, HIGHLY recommend them.  The flow is smooth.  The bottles are classic inkwell shape, plus have a filling well inside the opening.  The colors are also intense and there are a wide range of them.  As you can see, I have a few blank spaces on my hanger.  I treated myself to a Hammered Green Esterbrook SJ fountain pen, which took care of one space.  The other one was GOING to be filled by a mother of pearl dip pen with a gold nibs from 1885, but the seller failed to mention the highly cracked, irreplaceable nibs.  So back it went.  So one place is still open.  Just in case I find something wonderful. 

My little corner of the world.  It is an antique school master's desk.  In the daytime I can see clear down the valley to the lake.  I love working here and watching the cattle and chickens.

 

 

As long as I was working in the shop, I decided to make a little shelf for my antique egg scale and get it out of my way and free up the counter space.  It looks adorable next to the wall mounted egg skelter, and is still functional!

 

 

As you can see, November brought us another nasty little surprise. ICE.  A week before Thanksgiving we had an ice storm.  And what an ice storm it was.  Thanksgiving we received an inch of ice and then 5.5 inches of very wet snow.  Luckily, it was gone as fast as it came.  Although, the deeper areas of blown snow did manage to hold on for over 10 days.

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Thanksgiving was WONDERFUL!  Sensitive people avert your eyes.  We gave the turkey carcass to the hens.  They looked at each other, did a quick head count, decided it was no one they knew and tore into a protein laden meal!

 

Yes, chickens are omnivores.  There is NO such thing as a healthy vegan chicken.  They need protein and LOTS of it!  Especially during and after the molting season.  And Boy oh BOY did we have a molting season.  Most of the girls melted before the great chill, but two of them have just started.  Naked necks, and naked chicken butts in the cold, late December breeze.  I feel sorry for them.

 

 

 

 

At the beginning of December I came up on another project.  Well, a project for Doc.  I picked up an old hand cultivator for only 20$.  Besides the rotten handles, it was in great condition.  I had planned to place it on the front lawn or on the porch.  Did I mention the rotten wood handles?  Well while placing it in the truck, I snapped one in half.  Actually, it fell apart in my hands.  I challenged Doc to make me a new pair of handles from scrap lumber.  I only meant for him to match the curves so I could bolt it back together.  Not only did he match the curve, but he contoured the grips and tapered the ends and sanded! I drilled the bolt holes, bought new bolts, sealed the handles in glossy red paint and placed the finished project out for everyone to enjoy.

 

 



 

Pretty cool, eh?

 

So all of that pulled us full into the month of December.  Which only brings MORE projects!