busy times/catch-all post

Just a little country decoration (weeds)

The past couple of weeks have been pretty busy. We started school on a small scale. Still painting the neighbors house, though we have had several days of rain. We have done a little more minor work on the COUNTRY PLACE, you'll have to check that out. Have done a little canning and cooking of special things, in other words, homeschool home-ec. I'll let Abigail tell you about that. It is feeling very fall like here, fall like with rain, if that could be a description of the weather. But the sun is coming out today and should be nice for a whole week! Andy finally got his remote control airplane replaced. It took us a while to get around to taking it back, clear to the big city you know. We are lucky they even took it back! whew! Bryan is making progress on his wheels and coincidentally talks a lot about tires and trucks and anything remotely related ALL THE TIME. Sam is continually honing his blacksmithing skills and researching about new ways and products to use in that. We have had way too many birthdays in August. Speaking of birthdays, happy birthday to Diane P., I tried to text you this morning but you must not have texting. We still need to get together you know. Just name the day, I can be pretty flexible. *grin. I think* Well, that wraps it up for now. catch ya later people.

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.

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.

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.

A REALLY NEAT SQUIRT GUN

The other day we went to our new house. We were digging through the trash. Then I saw some thing! I pulled it out and it was a homemade squirt gun! It has a wood handle with a hole drilled through it with a syringe through it. I tried it and it works!

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.

ANDY'S WILD LOOK

Let me explain this picture. We were working at the house and I had been wearing a stocking cap all day and I needed a haircut really bad! Plus, I needed a shower. I was burning lath and got soot around my eyes. I have since had a haircut and a shower!

AN ORIOLE NEST

I found his nest at the new house. It was a branch that had fallen off a tree in the ice storm. My brother told me it was an oriole nest , I have seen a few more out there. We have collected bird's nests and eggs for years.

DEMOLITION AT THE COUNTRY PLACE

Yesterday all of us Buckmasters went to our new house and we started to tear the entire upstairs apart. First we tore the pink room up, then we tore the wood paneled room up. Then we tore the hall up. There was a lot of lath. We tossed all of the lath out of the window and when we were done we had a pile of lath five feet tall. Now you can see from one end of the house to the other upstairs. It was fun. To follow the progress on our country house, click here.

PROGRESS AT OUR HOUSE

The top photo is at the beginning of the
day, the bottom is at the end of the day.
Dad tearing off the deck.

A dead mouse mom found under a bed
in the living room.

So far we have got quite a bit of work done. We cleaned up the main level, we got rid of the fence and the weeds in the front yard and dad pushed most of the trash into a pile with the trencher. While we were there a guy came by and asked if he could have that old van that was laying on its side and all the tires that have rims(he is going to sell them as scrap metal).The best thing was when dad ripped the back deck apart with the trencher.