What the cadets have been up to.

Here's Andy awaiting another O-flight, his fifth maybe?  Or he might just be looking cool standing in front of it.  But that yellow vest indicates he's been busy keeping the tarmac a safe place.

Abi with a couple of extras hanging out in our kitchen.  They are either done or getting ready to go present the colors at a truck pull.  Would somebody close those cupboard doors?

Abi is donning her dress blues here waiting in line to ride the farris wheel.

something must have been funny

Don't they look so sharp?

The Color guard has been able to perform for a crowd several times this summer.  Here's Andy taking a self portrait of his "gobsmackingly" good looks.  The celebrity status is going to their heads!  The practice in front of a crowd has been great though because they want to go to competition in the spring.

More hanging out in my kitchen with the doors open!

Mama's Tech Seargents

The boys were promoted recently.  They are now both Tech Seargents, which means they are the second highest ranking cadets now.  Wow.  Here's a picture.  Abi is standing by-all in uniform.

Last Saturday we toured Eppley Airport and got to go up into the control tower.  Then we went to another radar facility nearby that handles regional aircraft control.  It was very impressive!  Aircraft control is a big subject.

big accomplishments

After months (or was it years) of planning, working and collecting materials- Sam has finally finished his canvas canoe. Yesterday was the big launch. All the kids tried it out on the water and nobody sunk. It is truly quite an accomplishment. Bravo to Sam! Go HERE to see video clips, what I was able to take before the camera's batteries died on us. It was a big day and a testament to what can come out of one boy's dreams. (Mothers: despise not small beginnings)Now, if I can just get him in the driver's seat.

CANOE 2

A few days ago I did some more work on my canoe. As you can see from the pictures all I need to do is paint the wood and put on the canvas and paint it. Then I will be done.

MAKING A CANOE

This is the frame and half of the ribs to a canoe that I am making out at the new house. The frame is made of pine and the ribs are old barrels that I found out at the new house. I am going to cover the ribs with canvas.

KNIFE SHEATH

How do you like my bead work. The button on the strap is deer antler.

The leather is from an old moccasin.

BEST PAINTINGS

1

2

3

4

I would like to ask all of our blog viewers to say which of these paintings I painted is the best.

Lego guns

Here are my two helicopters and command center.

50 cal

155mm

40mm

30 cal

30 cal




Hey Evan here are my guns. I have 2 30 cals, 1 50 cal,
1 155mm gun, 1 40mm and 2 attack helicopters.

STRETCHING SQUIRREL

Taking a peek.

Looking around.

ready for the plunge.

stretch.

Yesterday I was doing my school and watching a squirrel outside the window, here are some pics. Watching a squirrel stretch is funny.

A KNIFE FOR JIM

This is what it will look like.

This is me grinding on the hand guard.
This is the blade and the two parts of the butt plate.

This is a knife that I am making for Jim C. The second picture up is the steel that I cut it out of and the last picture is the handle parts. So far I have been working on it for two weeks. If I wanted to do this right I would need a bench grinder but you do not have to have one. I wood burned my name in the handle parts.

LEGO THINGS

THE DIGGING DAY

The day before yesterday we were out at our farm, we were digging in the piles and sorting for metal. In the pile behind the garage I found a set of screw drivers still in the package and Andy found this painting. In the big pile I found the army bag. I also found a grinder that works but did not get a picture. We are going to cut the painting down so that it looks good. I am going to use the army bag for my tool bag and the screw drivers will go in it. I will have to fix the grinder because the switch does not work, you have to unplug it to turn it off.

FIVE BABY COONS

Yesterday we went out to the new house to do some work. I was up in the barn loft looking around. I moved a door that was up there and right behind it was a female coon. I yelled for Bryan and Andy to come and help me kill it. Bryan hit it with a shovel handle and it slipped down a hole. After Bryan and Andy had left I kept looking around I moved a piece of insulation and right in front of me were five baby coons.