O/T Getting Closer... Feeling the Breeze...

jhiggins

jhiggins

Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Messages
3,258
...and seeing the sun come up through a huge brand-new window in the dining room only reinforces why I am taking so much time off (from Knifemaking) to remodel our house. As I sit at the table, sipping my coffee this morning before work, I realize why my back aches, and my hands are cramped and stiff. Looking at the sun rising through the pines, and smelling the cool air makes me realize that all my hard work will transform my house from the ugly duckling into the beautiful swan. I can't help but giggle at the thought my house will soon be the nicest in the neighborhood.

My hiatis from the shop and the forge is finally coming to fruition. I'm here to say a huge THANKS to all my friends here who have helped me get through this BS for the last 6 months. Scraping beams, varnishing, rebuilding soffits, all new windows, painting, foundation, roof, plumbing, electrical - you name it and its practically new now. I feel like I've been in Discovery Channel Monster House HELL for the last half a year.

Thanks, my pals, for being here and being patient with me. I'm figuring around October I can start cranking out some knives again, posting pics, and inventing cool shop gizmos for your entertainment. :D
 
Your forgetting the important things Jeff.....

Bow season....

Muzzle loader season.....

Rifle season......

Turkey season.....

During that time I seem to remember something about Christmas and Thanksgiving :p
 
And how dare you forget duck season

Oh Yeah....that's my last shot at Kayaking for the season. :o
 
Yeah, uh huh. And what about the fishing rods I haven't touched in 2 months?
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
i know John Andrews would be mad if someone didn't mention tree rat.... i mean squirrel season. :D
Click to expand...

Man, just out in the road here at work there is a huge Grey Squirrel splattered. I thought of John! :D
 
That's good work you've been up to Jeff! I need to do the same thing but finances are holding me back.
 
Thanks, Guy. It's like $200k-worth of built-up excrement I need to purge out. You have no idea how glad I will be to be finished. Its funny sometimes... when your plate is so full, you begin to live one day at a time - or less than that even. Simple things begin to matter a lot, like quitting half and hour early, or the outside temp dropping 20 degrees. Tonight, I have a date with my son to go ATV riding. If he didn't ask me, I'd be building a new door for the garage. Instead, we'll ride for an hour or so and then go get a burger and beers.
 
Well as long as we are off topic ( never do that) :footinmou
I'm curious how many others have quirky fall traditions. In addition to hunting season getting close, fall also stirs up memories of younger years.

When I was a child, we would be making soap about now from the scraps saved all summer. I don't save many ham/pork scraps but still make soap.

When I was a teenager, I would be boiling my traps in walnut hulls soon. I don't trap anymore but still have 50 or 60 hanging in the shop. I don't boil them now but think of it often.

Butchering day would be coming up in the first of November. That was a big event when all the neighbors would come over to help. There was one man who specialized in slaughtering hogs and he would supervise in exchange for some of the meat. The women would all prepare food and there was a big dinner at the end of the day. I admit, I bought a hog just to butcher last year but it wasn't the same without all the old folks. All of whom have gone to their reward now.

While we cut and split firewood all year, there would be a special push now. As I recall, it took 8 cords minimum to get through the winter.

We would be planting some of the winter crops up until today. I've already done that although my little garden wouldn't come close to feeding the family.

I guess to sum it up...fall brings the urge to prepare to survive the winter. I miss those times and the people I knew then. Sitting here pecking away on my laptop, it doesn't seem possible that things were that different then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top