Month: November 2018

Sometimes, the metal from an aluminum can is just the right thickness. Here’s one of those times. More info HERE.

It’s the night before Thanksgiving, and I fired up a kerosene lantern which was given to me years ago, for the first time. It was given to me by the author of a children’s book that I illustrated. It’s a red glass signal lantern, because the story was about trains. It’s beautiful when lit, the picture below doesn’t show it well.This prompted me to look into the history of the lamps. It looks like a fun topic to learn about.

More information is here.

I was taking apart a wood shipping palette, and found an unusual board. It was very rough, but it looked to have visual potential. It’s turning out very nicely, better than the pictures show. I might make a sign from it.

1. Front side, no sanding.

2. Back side, no sanding. very rough, pits in the wood.

3. Front side, sanded.

4. Front side sanded and one coat of clear shellac.

5. Close up of 4.

My son was moving some sawdust today, and found this very large grub. It’s the biggest I’ve ever seen, and I’m not young. We live in East Tennessee.

Saving money is nice, but sometimes it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Or it’s not safe. For the latest exciting episode of The Scrounge Chronicles, CLICK HERE.

Here’s a picture of the display we made from free materials. Some how-to details are at THIS PAGE.

I used to make some signs for a nearby theme park. One of the specifications was that the back of the signs be painted brown. They said it makes the back of the sign less visible. I started doing that to some of the things around the yard, like sawhorses. It works well, but they often get overspray on them; and need more brown. I rebuilt an older airless paint sprayer, and decided to test it on the outdoor things, along with some wood birdhouses a friend gave us.

I haven’t tried selling birdhouses before, but my guess is that I have to make them as appealing to the buyer, as they are to the birds. Or more so. Besides, they need to stand up to the weather better than bare wood. So I coated the birdhouses also, the same brown. It would actually have been better to use a grey, but I can get away with brown. I need to come up with themes for the birdhouses; like mountain cabin, adobe cottage, or seashore bungalow. Some look like they would make a good store, with a place for a humorous sign.Is it a birdhouse subdivision? No, it’s painting day. Or basecoat, anyway.

A man I know offered me this trailer months ago for $800. I didn’t act swiftly, because people around me didn’t think it a spectacular deal. The man called me back, this time the price was $600. He lives in a mountainous area, and said some guy was driving way too fast on the hilly, winding road in front of his house. The car became briefly airborne, then landed on this trailer, damaging it. You can see in the picture that one of the ramps is broken off, and laying in the trailer, near the front. the back edge of the trailer is bent, and the axles may be skewed, but that’s all stuff I can fix. I figured that somebody else would buy it at that price, so I got it first. I recall seeing these starting (used) at about $1100, and going up from there.

As it turns out, I have realized a number of jobs this trailer can do. It can haul long logs to a saw mill. I now have access to one. I’ve already used it to get a bunch of free fall decorations, more about that soon. I’ll spare you the rest of the ideas, but suffice to say, this looks like it will be a great tool to have.

I helped my two youngest sons repair and paint their wood wagon, so they could use it to sell drinks at the nearby horse show. Here’s a page with more information:

I guess I think of flowers as a spring time occurrence; like blossoms that make fruit or seeds that mature in the summer. So I’m always pleased to see flowers this late in the year. Below are pictures of wild flowers I took today, 11/3/2018. It’s getting down in the 30’s at night, with ice on my truck and the tall weeds are turning brown.

The first picture isn’t of wildflowers, but a Tomato plant in the small garden. It’s a heritage variety, and it’s indeterminate, meaning it doesn’t grow fruit for a set time, but continues to grow them as long as weather permits. Notice it still has yellow flowers and small tomatoes starting.