"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

RDaneel said:
You've been missed in the Trad Forum, Tim; but career decisions and work do need to be on top sometimes.
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Haha I miss you folk too. True I hope it'll settle down after I return from the holidays. Italy bound! Will have to post up some photos of Italian knives for ya'll :)
 
It's Christmas.

I lost a friend ten years ago and I have been laying in my king bed remembering the time I had with the last true friend Ive made. A few beers drank in his memory.

Next to me lies my oldest daughter. Her back resting against mine as I type. Next to her is my youngest who is resting closely to the love of my life. All the Christmas presents have been bought, wrapped, and placed under the tree. I truly am blessed beyond measure. Im not rich by any means. $22 grand for a family of four is far from rich, but I have so much more than many in this world. I am loved, I am able to love, I have those whom I am to call family, a roof, food, a job, a working car, and few good sharp knives ready to be used.

I try to count my blessings, but simetimes I get caught up in the questions of how will I be able to pay for this or that, how will I be able to provide, do I need to get a second job, and all the ends and outs to being a husband and father.

It's times like this, where I am forced to face my insecurities, my faith, and my weaknesses that my limited and finite perspective is challenged. I fail constantly in so many ways.

Then a friend shares a link. A link that triggers a call to reflect. That reflection can take you down the rabbit hole of thought, but with a grain of faith, and bit of truth, light is cast, and hope is renewed in a full on sunshine of thankfulness for what you already have.

I am thankful and I am blessed beyond measure.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ZN_2Fmwg4
 
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At Christmas time, whatever one's spiritual or philosophical bias, you hope for better, wish others well and think of those less fortunate than yourself. For me, this includes the birds of the sky and animals of the earth. :thumbup: The winter is long and harsh here, it takes a heavy toll on small birds & animals and I've always put out food for them. But, my faith in humanity and decency has been badly shaken this week. In town, there are many unmade tracks between blocks (known as 'fire paths' to stop the spread of fires in the old days) These are public tracks that link places, they have trees and sometimes people keep boats under tarps etc there. People walk their dog, just use them as short cuts and wildlife enjoy the nooks and crannies and trees. Hares, squirrels, hedgehogs, loads of small birds benefit from this. To me, this enriches our lives and SHOULD make us aware that we are part of a living world.

For many years, I have hung a couple of feeders from the tree branches and a young man has started to do the same further along. Last week my feeders, held up with stout wire were gone, I looked around and then found then in the rubbish skip (dumpster) annoyed I replaced them in a different place. The Squirrels and birds soon returned. Couple of days later, the feeders had been torn down (cut as they had strong wire) and smashed to pieces on the ground, the other feeders that this young guy fills had also been destroyed. Somebody with extreme hate and anger towards animals & birds did this deliberately. It is shameful and mad, a person prefers to live in a concrete and asphalt wilderness with only 'humans' existing there. Rage filled individuals have too much power I feel. How would they like to fend for themselves in the dark & cold with no food as most small creatures have to? If only... Here's a Red Squirrel enjoying seeds in the countryside, his urban cousins cannot it seems :(

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Ah, Will, these are the situations that bring out my stubbornness. :grumpy: Perhaps you need something more camouflaged? I've seen squirrel feeders that were nothing more than a small board/plank/platform nailed to a tree. Or a cup in the crook of a branch. For that matter, will the birds feed off the ground? Scatter seeds when you walk these green alleys, and let the Scrooge of the Squirrels try to sweep up after you! :p
 
I hear you Will. Yesterday I stopped by my mates shed for some of his excellent home smoked salmon and he told me about one of the fellas he works with who I don't know. They work at the local fabrication yard (both welders) and this fella, an older chap, is apparently one of the longest serving workers. He has had ill health of late and has had to take days off sick. He was fired yesterday for 'not following absence procedures'. Five days before Christmas. Makes you sick.
 
Will Power said:
At Christmas time, whatever one's spiritual or philosophical bias, you hope for better, wish others well and think of those less fortunate than yourself. For me, this includes the birds of the sky and animals of the earth. :thumbup: The winter is long and harsh here, it takes a heavy toll on small birds & animals and I've always put out food for them.
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We get some pretty bad winters here in Central New York State too. I've been feeding birds, squirrels, chipmunks and various other creatures everyday year round for decades. It makes me feel good. It helps the little creatures and I wish I could deduct the cost of the bird seed from my income tax.

I don't understand the mentality of people that would destroy bird feeders. I hope you find a way to continue to do what you like to do for God's creatures.

Here's a quick shot of the nine, yes nine, feeders in my back yard that I put seed in. Every little creature on our hill knows this spot. When we travel in the winter one of my sons is on feeder duty. I'm not sure they like it, but they know which side of their bread is buttered.
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...whilst I'm talking about things that make you sick - I just realised that since we have had an extra little person in our house complete with a vast increase in laundry levels my wife has been using an upstairs radiator to dry baby clothes. I keep my collection of 25s just above it in an ever evolving display. Every single one is now showing pepper spots along exposed carbon steel edges. Sigh. [emoji20]
 
Oh no, Paul. Steamed knives. :(

I used to have a bird feeder, but when I moved into my current house, I had to take it down. One day I looked into the back yard, and there were three or four neighborhood cats, lined up like a taxi queue under the feeder, patiently waiting their turn. I generally don't interfere with cats killing birds-that's nature, after all, but I felt bad to be setting out bait for them. I still keep a bird bath, because in the summers here, water is harder to find than food. Even the bees will drink from the birdbath.
 
Time to find a new radiator to keep them dry Paul. You've got some really exceptional and hard to find pieces in that collection to allow them to be getting pepper spots. :eek:
 
pmew said:
...whilst I'm talking about things that make you sick - I just realised that since we have had an extra little person in our house complete with a vast increase in laundry levels my wife has been using an upstairs radiator to dry baby clothes. I keep my collection of 25s just above it in an ever evolving display. Every single one is now showing pepper spots along exposed carbon steel edges. Sigh. [emoji20]
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Ouch, Paul! Hope they didn't sustain too much damage.

r8shell said:
Oh no, Paul. Steamed knives. :(

I used to have a bird feeder, but when I moved into my current house, I had to take it down. One day I looked into the back yard, and there were three or four neighborhood cats, lined up like a taxi queue under the feeder, patiently waiting their turn. I generally don't interfere with cats killing birds-that's nature, after all, but I felt bad to be setting out bait for them. I still keep a bird bath, because in the summers here, water is harder to find than food. Even the bees will drink from the birdbath.
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We get the occasional feral cat, red fox and hawk. I hate to see feathers all over the yard, or the one time I saw a hawk grab a squirrel off the ground and carry him off to the woods. It's a very rare occurrence though. Some of the things I see are pretty cool. Just yesterday I saw a deer use her front hoof to push a squirrel away from a pile of seed on the ground. I wish I had a picture of it.
 
I'm outraged on Will's behalf as far as the trespassing and vandalism go, but as for squirrels, the only good ones are the flattened in the road ones. They are the enemies of my blood from time out of mind.
 
scrteened porch said:
I'm outraged on Will's behalf as far as the trespassing and vandalism go, but as for squirrels, the only good ones are the flattened in the road ones. They are the enemies of my blood from time out of mind.
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I've learned to live with them but they are not my favorite creature either. ;)
 
Ouch, Paul!! I hope those wonderful #25s clean up OK!!
In my home inspecting career, I have studied the effects of errant moisture in a house. A large book could still be written on the subject, and you unfortunately have added a chapter!
My Dad taught me to keep the rifles out in the cold when winter hunting. The moisture in the cabin would cause condensation, and of course subsequent corrosion.
Babies in general up the moisture content of a house considerably, the cute little things!!:)

Squirrels remind me too much of myself to bear them much malice! Just trying to make a living . . .:rolleyes:
On the other hand, my wife thinks they are just better-dressed Rats, stealing the food from her beloved birds!
I heared they's good eatin'
Now both in our retirement, maybe we should indeed see how they taste!:D
 
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scrteened porch said:
I'm outraged on Will's behalf as far as the trespassing and vandalism go, but as for squirrels, the only good ones are the flattened in the road ones. They are the enemies of my blood from time out of mind.
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I find them to be cute from a distance, but not so cute up close.

r8shell said:
I heared they's good eatin' :D
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As a matter of fact, they are.
 
knarfeng said:
I find them to be cute from a distance, but not so cute up close.



As a matter of fact, they are.
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I still think they're cute, chasing each other playing in the yard. Lately though, I've been overrun with them. Tearing up the trees, chewing on the eaves and wiring. If things get any tougher this winter I'm tempted to set some traps and find out how they taste.
 
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