Up to Lately

  The other day I picked up a couple of skids while coming home.  The skids were small but the wood looked to be fairly clear pine or spruce.

  As you can see below I got a pretty good pile of small wood pieces.  The thin boards are about 3/8 thick and 16 inches long.

  I figure I will plane the boards down and make a small box of some sort.  Taking a skid apart to get the maximum good wood is not as much a bull strength task as it would first appear.  Over time I have found that trying to pry the skid apart ends with split and broken boards and less usable material. I cut the skid apart and then pull the nails out which gives me more short boards but nothing is split.

                                                  

  The thing that has consumed the house hold for the last week or so was the 2018 Rockton Fair.  The Fair runs for 3 1/2 days over the long weekend, Eva was there for set up and take down as well as working and visiting so she was there four days out of 3 1/2 and I was there two days in 3 1/2. This year I entered a variety of categories.  The three on the top left are for bread baking, my multi-grain bread came first.  The single third in the middle was for spray of Roses. On the top right are three ribbons for painting. The red ribbon is for my winning still life. And the two on the bottom are First for Chip Carving and Second for Relief carving.  Not a bad haul it I do saw so myself.

  If there is a fall fair in your neighbourhood I urge you to enter some of your stuff.  When you delve into things there are many categories for Makers to enter.  Even if you don't win there are ideas to see and you are helping promote your local community.

  It is now time to settle into the routine of winding down the garden and putting the summer toys away.  We've already brought all the tropical plants into the basement and put them back under grow lights. It is moving toward inside activity season: art, music, knitting and wood working.

  cheers, ianw