Sparky was being very patient as I worked on the bridge wall. Well, that’s what I thought.
Category: Projects (Page 11 of 12)
There is a project I’ve been dreading for three or four years. The land bridge over the creek has been eroding, and there are too many options for a solution. Also, there is a chance that the culvert pipes are too small, and would need to be replaced.
Sparky is a sap for love, so he wanted me to take a photo.
Look, I don’t spend all my time screwing around with Sparky, but I’m not going to post about cutting the grass, changing the oil or doing the laundry. Nobody cares about politics because our current president has dementia, and Trump will be elected or the deep state will cheat sufficiently to elect a diversity candidate. No new movies or TV shows seem worthy of comment and I’m deep into a science fiction book series that isn’t boring enough to quit or interesting enough to care too much.
Rather than open my mail or pay bills, Sparky and I went for a long walk that included a visit to the tree fort. Joe and I built it 20 years ago as a deer blind and it seems to be holding up well.
When I was a kid, we used to roam around in the woods and play at the old boy scout camp. We called it that, but who knows if that’s what it was. Now, at some point, neighborhood kids were sneaking up into my deer blind. They didn’t leave any trash laying around, so I don’t care. Plus, that must have been years ago.
The ongoing battle of wits with Sparky doesn’t take all of my time. I am occasionally productive.
A friend had a maple tree taken down, so we diced it up. Now is a good time of year for putting up firewood because the weather has been mild. Even with a good system, it can be strenuous work.
I’ve got a good system, so can handle 24″ diameter logs without busting a nut. Big rounds like that take some muscling, but yield a better wood to bark ratio. My best trick is to elevate the trailer ramp so it’s at about the same height as the splitter rails. The trailer, towed by the quad, is positioned on the other side of the splitter.
If the logs are close to round, I can roll them up the ramp, muscle them onto the splitter, chunk them up and toss the firewood into the trailer. If it works right, I never have to lift a round, and only touch the firewood to put it in or take it out of the trailer.
That trailer-load yielded a half-cord of firewood. Next summer, I will move that into the wood shed, and burn it the following winter. That half-cord will heat my house for about a month.
Sparky isn’t being exploited, he is part of the reason the camper seats needed to be updated to version 2.
Last year, I re-imagined the seats in the camper and posted about it. Camper seating version 1.
The design was flawed. Seats are more comfortable when they slope down a bit. These were horizontal. The seat backs tilted back, but weren’t very sturdy. In bed mode, the sleeping area was bigger than it needed to be, but there were too many steps to get to bed mode.
I could have lived with it, but Sparky wasn’t satisfied.
It’s 10o F and windy, so the wind chill is -9o F. The wood stove is going full blast. To get the fire going in the morning, there is a bin of scrap wood to throw on the hot embers. That gave me an idea for inside fun.
My IKEA computer desk was looking pretty haggard. The finish was wearing off around the keyboard. The computer mouse wasn’t tracking well, and there were other spots that were worn. It needed to be replaced or refinished.
Sparky has a Carhartt jacket for Winter.
I’ve had to use a Martingale collar for him because his head is so small, he slips out of a regular collar. He’s a good pup, so a little tug is enough to get him back on track. The big problem was when he is up against his instincts. When he sees a new dog, he’s excited to go investigate.
My nephew just called about the shed he intends to build. After my own shed experience, I am well-acquainted with shed design and build.
Prior to getting the retaining wall and garage built, I knew the shed would be in the way. This shed has been in this spot since about 1971, when the solarium was built and the driveway was moved to this side of the house. Rather than tear it down, I decided to move it.
The support structure went together as planned. Later on, I will add a hatch to the lower storage.
