Gable Walls

Kevin & Arthur spent the past 2 days laying out the gable ends ……… this is why the stripped down  RV is full of milled wood and sitting under the carport…easy access for time efficient building.  This is also why we have the sawmill to begin with……to cut whatever lumber we need….and now Kevin needs about 7 more pieces to finish up the gables before setting…

~ Cheryl

After..........

After.....................Kevin........using no brakes mind you, using reverse when going forward and drive when backing up to slow to stop, never never put in park when in drive! Now the wood we milled for the new house is 'at' the 'house site'!  Not at the shop a block away....Yay!  


~ Cheryl

Before...........

On Tools - Straight from Kevin

Tools, Tools, Tools, Tools,

Power tools are such a scam.  You buy a name brand like Craftsman, you think you are buying a tool that will last a long time.   A friend brought me a Craftsman chain saw and asked me get it running. After breaking it down I bought Primary and secondary fuel lines, carb rebuild kit and clutch cover.

Upon further examination I discovered broken fuel lines inside the carburetor compartment and to save time I decided to contact Sears about the fuel system plumbing.

Sears told me that since the saw was not under warranty that they could not answer my question.  I was told I would have to take it to service center.

The way I see it these tools are made with given short comings that are known to fail.  A service center pays a fee to the manufacture to repair these items and is given support as needed.  So, if you want to fix you own tools don’t look for support from Sears for any tools you might have purchased

Ok I will go back to shop and figure out the plumbing without their help; it is not that difficult I was just trying to save a little time.

I bought a Stihl saw 1997 and have NO problem with it. They have an online manuals with exploded views of the products so if it does need some repair the answers are right there.

Be aware of where you shop and what you buy.

~ Kevin

Thanksgiving Morn on the Sub-Floor

LOL! If I am going to blog about building a house I need to get my jargon straight. True that the rafters are a future step; but they are not what I was standing beneath in my last post. Sub-floor boards over the basement/crawl space were what I was looking up at.

rafter raf·ter1 noun

any of the sloping supporting timbers, beams, or boards that run from the ridge beam of a roof to its edge (((Encarta® World English)))

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Onward! It was Thanksgiving morning when I came into write at 8.30. And the music I was writing to was the buzz of Arthur on the chop saw and Kevin on the skill saw with a few interludes on the compressor punctuated by the nail gun. Yes, the title of the tune was Sub-Floors.

I ran out to take a few pictures and as usual, am delighted with the progress.

~Cheryl

To the Rafters!

Now that the beams are in, Kevin immediately got busy. It took the better part of a day for he and a friend load the rafters stored at the shop into the dump truck and getting them to the foundation.

The next day the dump truck was half empty and he had these rafters set into place.

Underneath the rafters, I stand back to get a full view. A living space is coming together and I begin imagining what it will be like to live inside. Smiles and Goosebumps.

~Cheryl

1st beam conquered!

Behind the scenes boards continued to be cut and stacked for our house.

On stage now are the major crossbeams. Two 500 pound pieces of wood cut on the sawmill from discarded local trees.

I wanted to show the work in progress of how these beams were set because the progress truly was a test of patience and ingenuity.  The collage below gives you some highlights.....

This three-day moving process involved NO power tools, just Kevin, ladders, scaffolding and an overhead homemade ridge crane with straps holding the beam in place.

A tedious but fulfilling event. I must admit the precarious positions involved in Kevin’s maneuvering these huge chunks of wood kept me at bay. However, when the 2^nd one slipped into place and I realized how much closer we are to having our house and moving out of the trailer, proud excitement rushed through me.

Now on to the rafters and sub-floor joists!

~Cheryl 

Adirondack Chairs ~ More Playing with Sticks

Using Kevin’s shop yard as a backdrop obviously isn’t as appealing as our still green yard, unless you’re a fellow carpenter builder welder etc, but until he finds time to build the staging area I want this will do. But I was iPod armed and can’t wait to share these lovely new Adirondack chairs he’s been working on.

A couple who had hoped to win the raffled off set of these chairs at the charity auction a few weeks ago requested these.

Simple armchairs and bench of wide pine slats of slanted backs and seats easily conjure up early fall suppers on the deck. It makes me think of Indian summers, tired scarecrows, late pumpkins and the leaves changing color.

They also bring me back memories of summer grilling, sunshine, cold beer and lemonade, water fights and lightening bugs.

Either way, they call us out of doors.

And of course, the pine, as always, is courtesy fall off from the Sawmill.

An unfinished set runs $175.00 

Single stained Finish – additional $20.00 charge

Blended Stain Finish – additional $50.00 charge

Pieces sold separately - $75.00 each

Dimensions:

Chair – 20 inches wide, front seat height 12 inches, 21 inch arm rest height, 20 inch seat depth

Bench – 48 inches wide – all other dimensions same as chairs

~ Cheryl

Available through Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85182946/adirondack-chair-and-bench-set

Victorian Rustic Lantern

The Rustic look applies to metal as much as it does wood. And in describing this lantern I am inclined to move away from the Cowboy genre towards what my poet’s sense calls ‘Victorian Rustic’.

I imagine this garden beacon hanging just outside a crocheted lace-curtained window. And this window hangs on an antebellum house designed by collaboration between Woody Allen (circa Annie Hall) and Tim Burton (circa Edward Scissorhands).

And what title do we hang on the craftsman? Sculptor / welder / artist? It matters not. When Kevin works the creative process, or any of us for that matter, we transfer energy into a set of components set by choice and release a new form.

Sculpture is any 3 dimensional work of art. Art is a thought-provoking piece produced through creative activity. Work is a composition of one’s creativity and time.

Discarded but not forgotten in the realms of StickStoneSteel ~ Kevin Reclaimes ~ ~ ~

Housing the candle is a fire damaged propane tank. Balancing like a jagged halo a used ban saw blade teeters. Welded sturdy chain reach upwards reminiscent of both dungeons and ships tethers. Securing that equilibrium is a simple saw blade.

~ Cheryl
Available on Etsy.com  :
http://www.etsy.com/listing/85180864/victorian-rustic-lantern?ref=pr_shop 

Benchables!

Jessica Daniels, owner operator of A Flair for Hair Salon in Milledgeville, Georgia whom is hosting the Charity auction at the Deep Roots Festival for two local ladies dealing with breast cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma called and asked for more benches for the food court/eating area of the festival.

Kevin took stock again of his supplies and tools and went to work. His engineering background in manufacturing and design he put together a method of building them quickly but efficiently.

Once again using fall off wood from the sawmill, he found and inspiration in a long slice of trunk.  Leveling the piece on the sawmill he drilled 2-inch holes of deliberate spacing into them.

Then using a pipe threader machine he absconded from the local dump not long ago, he built a bit out of 2-inch pipe with teeth ground out using his angle grinder.   Giant toothpicks skinned and whittled down from a tree that didn't make it through a recent storm would become the legs. 

Arthur coined the name Benchables because they are suited for use as both benches and tables on a picnic table theme.

They run 4 feet in average length and range from 11 to 16 inches wide.

~Cheryl

Check them out at the Festival..............possible auction items........... !

End of Trail - Line Shack Benches

Along the original Cowboy trails, Kevin revisits the old west, dropping in on his StickStoneSteel genre to bring to life some old standards.

These Line Shack Benches are reminiscent of what the Cowhands may have built for the months they spent away from the ranch tending to cattle in the high pastures.

Kevin’s great Uncle migrated from Prussia to homesteaded in the Dakota Territory. His sons completed such tasks including the fencing and furnishing of the bunkhouses and what not.

Bow Saws, 1 and 2 man saws, an ax, a forge and hammers were among the tools that made the initial trip along side food staples, cookware and clothing. Then using what wood was left over from building fences and their housing, they put together a few luxuries. Tables and benches which would remain on site long after the cattle tending tour of duty was complete, set up for seasons to follow.

Now Kevin’s tools are electric and more calculating, but he builds in their spirit of making use of what is available. Where the Cowhands most likely used an old horseshoe Kevin uses scrap iron and saw blades.

The benches seen here are made from pine slabs, scrap iron and used saw blades cut and forged to fit the design. They are a bit upscale from what their ancestors looked like, complemented with stain washes and readymade bolts from an old futon frame but they do inspire a campfire cookout.

Come sit a spell. 

These benches will be on site at the "Deep Roots Festival" in Milledgeville,  Georgia on Saturday October 22nd.   

We owe thanks for this opportunity to Jessica Danials, owner operator of A Flair for Hair Salon here in Milledgeville,  whom is hosting the Charity auction at this festival for two local ladies dealing with breast cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

~Cheryl

P.s. These are prototype pieces, 76 inches long, 17 inches in height with a bench width of 15 inches. What would you pay for something like this?

Possible options are cushioned, and different ranges of finishes, you tell us, and we’ll go from there…

Sunburst Table - StickStoneSteel 1st Appearance!

Recently one of our previous clients asked told us about a non-profit charity auction she is holding to benefit for two women; one dealing with breast cancer and the other hodgkin’s lymphoma. She asked Kevin if he would donate some of what she calls his ‘rustic’ hand made furniture for the cause. He happily complied. 

She then asked if he could supply benches and tables for the food court seating of the Deep Roots Festival, Milledgeville, Georgia where her auction will take place.

With less than a month to go, Kevin plunged into his "StickStoneSteel" mode.  Between the Saw Mill fall off and the collection of items collected and obtained over time his palate was already full.

He’d already been playing with forge bending steel for benches for our own deck so Naturally while his mind clicked away at designs for benches made out of fall off wood he came into the house and asked me for whatever poster paint Arthur had left over in the craft cupboard.

Within in minutes, under the carport he had a concrete garden walk paver balancing on a couple bags of concrete and was joyfully painting away like a happy kid. 

With limited colors, he went freewheeling; digging at the bottom of the bottles where the thick colored gook had accumulated. He managed to scrape more than enough yellow for the center.  I watched him artfully dash out orange and red rays from that yellow core.  I am pretty sure he was fighting the urge to unleash a wild splattering of paint at it but refrained.

Hours later, after the paint had dried he brought the stand to the house.  Chain welded together for the tripod legs with a used saw blade to secure the balance. What you can’t see from this picture is an old grinding wheel holding the concert paper in place with a heavy nut and bolt.

Arthur has made a request that Kevin build one like this for his room.  I want one too!   Guess we’ll have to get more poster paint.  :)

~Cheryl

Celtic Propane Tank Bell

"Made from an old Propane Tank,Gloss black paint and with the red I've garnished it with a hand designed Celtic Weave. I am unsure of the proper term, but the 'banger' is made of pine. Sounds nice." - KR

Check out Kevin's new Etsy page:

http://www.etsy.com/people/KevinGoingGreen

And, we're waiting to hear from you..........I know you've got DIY dreams.............

~ Cheryl

Your 'Going Green' Interests..............

Not that he ever runs out of ideas, but Kevin suggested I find out what ‘Going Green’ followers and enthusiasts have interests in.  Is there a specific project or handmade item you have imagined but not located?

Kevin is always up for a challenge.  He loves playing with new ideas and then giving them 3 dimensional life.

As you can see, he’s got a good supply of wood to play with…..

Send us your thoughts and ideas........

Email us or visit us on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Going-Green/154093554604155

 ~Cheryl

p.s. His latest brainstorm is an eagle made from retired saw blades!

Man Chair Moved In !

The Man Chair has moved in and is seldom vacant.  Who ever gets there first calls it the ‘Me” chair. So comfortable!

Okay, forget that the black cushion doesn’t show up well against the background of the blue sun wall hanging, and forget that the lathe turned table with the basket on top and the lovely rustic Heart Pine side table to the left don’t match in any world.  What they do have in common though is the fact that Kevin built them all. Along with the 5’x3’ tablecloth covered coffee table in front.

Hey, it’s our living room, dining room and TV room.  Once the house is completed, I expect none of these four pieces of furniture will be wind up the same room.

In the history of Kevin and I and our furniture, with the exception of the bed and soon to be replaced couch, Kevin has built it all.  This includes my kitchen cabinets, bedroom armoire, breakfast bar and countertop, the 8-foot console our TV and Arthur’s Lego workspace rest on AND the desk I am currently working on. 

Granted much of it will be upgraded and or refinished for the new house, but I can always say my décor is one of a kind.  Along with that, all the wood etc that goes into the furniture has been salvaged either from old paid projects, or felled Trees from our land.

Of course, this in no way accounts for all the pieces he’s build for customers. Including the elegant 15-piece chair and dining room set (complete with upholstered back and seat cushions) for an upscale mansion in Eatonton, Georgia.  I have my designs set upon something similar for my new house, more rustic of course.  Or the country kitchen table for one of the weekend houses here on the lake.  If I can locate those pictures, I’ll be sharing those as well.

And!!!! I am very excited; I’ve learned that the boards have been cut for my matching love seat sofa!

~Cheryl

Wood Strip Canoe

Hi All,

The Man Chair is comlete and moved in, however the pictures I took did not come through with enough lighing, so we have a treat today........Canoes!!

When I met Kevin back in 1993 he was building Cedar Strip canoes in Columbia Falls, Montana. 

Back then Colombia Falls is a small logging town of 3000. They also had several yards that catered to woodworkers.  From the speciality wood fall off Kevin planed own many a board into strips his canoes much like the one you see above. 'NO' nails are used on the hull, each board is bead and cove cut cut for a perfect fit. Epoxy and Fibreglass add to the strong build.

Since we moved to Georgia in 1995, he's built and sold over a dozen of these white water rapid sturdy canoes. 

And I must admit, I was so impressed at his creation, I decided to stick around for the next 17 or so years to see what came next. And I'm still fascinated...

~Cheryl

Kevin’s Kiln R2D2

Part One – “The Frame”

I received a catalogue from “Delphi Glass’ two days ago. I vaguely remember ordering it, but we’ve always had an interest in glass works. I work with glass beads in my jewellery projects and would love to create my own. Kevin and Arthur both have played with ‘slump’ glass using beer bottles in the forge in the past.

Thursday when I returned home from picking Arthur up from school Kevin called me over to the shop. Lo and behold, there in the yard stood “The Kiln”, just a baby awaiting its castable refractory insulation and a strip of steel to complete the seal.

The base is a steal barrel, the swinging lid hinge is a trailer stand, the bottom rung is a spent saw blade from the “Green Mill” and the burner is simply a piece of 2 1/2 inch pipe.

Via the burner, the Kiln can reach 2000 degrees depending upon the fuel and air pressure. Propane will be the fuel.

After thumbing again through the Delphi Catalog, I am inspired and await the maiden burn test of the Kiln.

I am also awaiting the completion of the “Man Chair’ from the last post. Today, when I visited the shop, I found that it has been revamped, with a taller back.

Side Note: Both Kevin and Arthur are huge StarWars fans (me too kind of), hence my visual connection to R2D2 ;)

~ Cheryl

The Man Chair

The Man Chair - A Work In Progress

Sawmill fall off wood(bottom right insert) +plus+ well worn living room furniture =equals= New Man Chair!

And I do expect that there is a matching Love Seat next in line!

Kevin does upholstery work, hence the source for coils where the matching black seat cushion will rest. The black canvas came from a boat seat refinish project of summers past.

The stain wash is a secret mix of colors only of Kevin knows. The tones are layered then wiped clean to achieve this look.

At first sight I fell I love with the chair. The wood and black is extremely striking. Sleek, and I would have to say elegant.

We usually go for a more rustic look, but Kevin calls this the cowboy appeal. After a hard day riding the range, you want something to lean into and let go.

Growing up in the Mountains of Colorado on a ranch, he’s had many a day of tired muscles. Come to think of it, even though we have no animals, Kevin always puts in a full day. Dawn to Dusk. Some would say, myself at times, that he is a workaholic, but the way I see it, and I can relate to this as well, creativity must be expressed ~ continuously.

So here’s to creativity in motion on a daily basis!

Have a great Labor Day weekend! And you can bet where I’ll find Kevin: ~ AT THE SHOP!

~ Cheryl

Homemade Trailer

With his engineering skills, a welder and mental blueprints, Kevin puzzle peiced this trailer to being.

Gate – industrial shelves from old warehouse
Frame and Winch – old Jet Ski trailer
Tongue stand – mobile home
Fenders - $10.00 pair used at metal shop in town
Black Paint – In shop leftover from previous jobs

~ Cheryl

Go Go Go Cart Arthur!

Here Arthur and Kevin discuss where to put the throttle cable on their new weekend project.

Parted out from old projects, new life is fitted around an old Go Cart frame that survived a customer’s extreme yard clean up.

Chosen for the engine is an old water pump motor and the throttle cable donated from a used up Jet Ski. The seat’s pervious life was that of a mold for Kevin’s fiberglass canoe seats. Scrap metal met with the welder for the steering column. (See picture insert)

Totally involved in the progress, Arthur meticulously toed in (aligned) the front ties with the back. Even at dinnertime after a long day of working in the heat and humidity, he wanted to stay and work. Oh, and for the first time that I can remember, dirt, sweat and grease are not an issue!

School nights have been difficult for him, first having to spend more time on his home work now that he’s in 6th grade, then topping it off with no time left over to work at the shop on the go cart.

I believe the next side project is to turn a the motor powered skateboard given to us by a friend who said it was more dangerous than it looked in the commercial into a second go cart for Kevin.

Now, you have to understand that even though I know where and how to check the oil, transmission and brake fluid in my Jeep, I’ve had all of the above translated into layman’s terms before I began this post!

~ Cheryl

AWOL Blade Keeper Bearings!

New board count!

Seems we’re currently on hold - the Blade Keeper Bearings on the Saw Mill decided they wanted to be come independent in multiple pieces. They are on order. Maybe UPS will arrive today........

All of or most of the lumber has been moved directly into the foundation for drying. Stickers cut from old plywood and fiberboard are laid between the layers to allow airflow for the drying process.

Total House Sub-Floor Package requires: 1376 Square Feet

Complete: 1015 Square Feet

In Progress: 361 Square Feet

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In the wait for UPS, Kevin has had some down time....

He’s been preparing the gardens for winter. We’ve going to have to hot-wire the wire in between our tinker toy conduit fencing. Not much will keep out a hungry deer when they’ve got a craving for pepper plants. They only eat the leaves, Jalapeño peppers doesn’t suit their palate, :0, but the plants do take offense and don't produce. I was so saddened that I dug up everything this year and now have my garden on the deck. Slower to produce, but ah, the green is so lovely!

From my friends at Olive Forge Herb Farm in Haddock, Georgia, I learned this year that Pepper plants can survive from one year to the next and produce again. I am tickled! Pickled Jalapeños are one of our favorites.

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Late breaking news:

Before the Keeper Bearing went AWOL, I learned that there is a good number of boards cut that haven't been counted. We may have already met our Sub-Flooring needs!

Next I believe we will be working on the Roof Package.

~ Cheryl

Summer Helper Goes Back To School

Arthur bought a new Nintendo DS this summer from the money he made working with Kevin. He says working the Backhoe is just like another one of his games. He has also decided that manual labor is NOT his future career (Yay!, but he is learning and will keep these skills to enhance his pool of talents.)

He begins 6th grade to day and Kevin will miss his summer helper. It has been a busy summer!

Board cut count has been updated!

Framing Package: COMPLETE!

Board 

Count:                Size:

93                        2x6x10

7                          2x6x12

97                        2x6x8

20                        2x6x16

52                        2x12x17

3                          2x8x16

Sub-Floor Package: Requires 1376 Square Feet ~ 1X6x Random Lengths

Complete: 576 Square Feet

In Progress: 800 Square Feet

~ Cheryl

Marigolds!

Greetings from the heart of summer in the heart of Georgia, 94 degrees humid!

Kevin and Arthur have been hard at work cutting lumber. The board count rises daily and I have yet to get a solid number from either of them. I expect an update this afternoon.

In the mean time, I am a dedicated ‘Un-sweet’ tea drinker, both iced and hot.

Over the years I’ve grown and tried many a dry herb for tea. Outside of Rosemary which grows abundantly at CherylWood Forest, I am very fond of Marigold for my tea.

The deer do not find Marigold plants a delicacy like our pepper and blueberries. 

Early mornings I pick the blossoms and let them naturally air dry in the house, either on a plate or in the turned off dehydrator.

The tea is somewhat pungent and I like it steeped alone or added to Lipton’s when brewing large amounts. Come lately I make a gallon at a time using the coffee maker. Recently I tried adding some Mint (also from the garden) and a hint of Hibiscus.  A most agreeable combination.

Cheers!

~Cheryl

Slabs From The Past

Hi All,

Kevin has been busy back at cutting lumber for the house, not sure of the board count but he is up to the 17 plus foot longs.

In the mean time I am sharing a picture of a few slab tables he's built in the past.  These have both sold.  The  current tables he has on the drawing board are more refined, but still have a wonderful rustic appeal.

~Cheryl

Tables and Benches - The First Cut

Kevin is back to building tables and benches.

Like the Native Americans who saw the spirit inside the tree before carving their totems, and the artist who sees the sculpture hidden inside the slab of granite, each new log that makes its way to the Mill is a piece of art in the making.

Whether it is to become a foundation wall, a planter box, a cupboard or a treasured piece of furniture, each piece of lumber with their natural unique knots and grains inspire and a vision is born.

The first step has been taken.

Immediate future posts will preserve the next steps.

~Cheryl

Repositioning Mill

The backhoe pushed its limit moving the heaviest log to date; this 17-foot log also came with a natural curve The saw blade did not clear this monster’s height so the blade could be pulled into place for sawing.

The log challenged Kevin’s maneuvering abilities with the Cant Hook, not to mention safety issues.

Arthur and I came up with the brilliant idea to remove the blade so the Mill could pass back to the cutting position. Eureka. Sometimes 3 heads are better than one on a 100 degree day in July in Georgia.

~ Cheryl

Burn Time!

Fortunate for us we do not live within the city limits and have the opportunity for natural burns. With a simple burn permit we make further use of the fall off wood, this time generated by us.

Living out in the country, 25 miles from town, we do not have ‘garbage’ pick up. You would be amazed at the amount of brush and weekender fall out that makes it way to our 5 dumpster dump, located on the only road into our sub-division. (Don’t get me started on what it looked like after the July 4th holiday!)

Arthur is in charge of cutting the fall off into manageable pieces with the skill saw. They are then were placed into the backhoe front loader and transported to our campfire site. A slow fire dries out the wood and the ash goes into the gardens.

~Cheryl

P.s. Arthur is in charge of the marshmallows, dark chocolate and graham crackers in stock! More S'mores!

P.s.s.  The Pesto I made is already eaten!  Its amazing what it can do for meatloaf!  :)  While waiting for the basil to grow back, I guess it time to start thinking about harvesting a horseradish plant or two....

Basil Harvest

I have 7 flower pots of basil on our deck.  Kevin and I both snip leaves in passing just for a quick pick me up. This morning, I harvested them and made a pint of Pesto! Yum!  Also from the garden I picked marigold heads for drying…love this tea either hot or iced!  Ought to have saved some basil leaves for tea............

~Cheryl

P.s. Picture is aftermath of harvest.

Green Mill Extension

The steel came in yesterday. This morning the transformation began. The additional ten-foot is in place. Ready now to cut the rafters, top and bottom plates for the walls.

The rainbow of colors you see are simply for protection from the weather. It seems no full cans of spray paint were found in the shop.

~Cheryl

P.s. Yes, Kevin wears blue shirts a lot. He is a volunteer fire fighter for our community this is one of his multiple VFD shirts.

The Cant Hook

Our son Arthur demonstrates our latest tool.

From the scrap iron collection using his welder Kevin built this “Cant Hook”.

This is used to move the logs and turn them into position for the ‘Green Mill’.

~Cheryl

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Cant—"A square-edged timber or a squared log."

Cant Hook—"A form of lever for canting over, or turning, timber, consisting of a wooden bar with an iron catch, or hooked arm near its lower end which passes over the log, grips it, and so affords a hold by which it may be pulled over. Also called a cant dog."

Peavey—"A lumberman's cant hook having a spike at the end of the lever."

From: Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition

Courtesy: http://www.ruralheritage.com

Board Cut Update

Good Morning!!

Kevin cannot seem to stay away from his new toy!  The 'Green Mill' continues to amaze and work for us.

When I caught up with Kevin around 4.30 this is what I found.

Framing Count Down Board Cut Update is now valued at $250.00

~Cheryl

Framing Package Countdown Commences

Using logs from local fall off our Count Down begins.

Framing package $3000.00

Boards cut to date:  $138.00

It has always been our dream to design and build our own home.

With the foundation poured and cinder blocks laid to form the back 2 walls, the framing package has taken us on a different journey.

We’d had trees milled into boards in the past. Now we have the capacity to do it ourselves.

Our ‘Green’ mill.

The chunk of wood on the mill is called a cant.  The boards are cut from this.

Also note the red and gray swing set frame behind the mill covered with a tarp that keeps freshly cut lumber weather safe until it is transported to the drying stacks.

Kevin is currently enhancing the mill to accommodate cutting board lengths up to 20 feet.

~ Cheryl
Kevin is also going to make some modifications such as a power travel and power up and down, pushing that thing all is quite the chore...

~Kevin

Conduit Tinker Toys

My husband Kevin was inspired to communicate the page/blog over a year ago and I’ve decided to take over as narrator.

We’ve been ‘going green’ for some time now, consciously working to stay aware of our resources.   From our own land, as well as those in the community, we gather up the fall off, from logs, mulch, used lumber to reclaiming surplus plants, stones, machinery and building materials.  Reclaiming.  Re-Creating.

I’ll start with a project that became art built out of necessity. 

We’ve had our gardens for years, trying to live in peace with the deer that occasionally gobble up of vegetables and fruit plants starving gourmet style. Early this spring  we took action,

Some years ago, Kevin had cleared several lots for the family of a deceased community neighbor.  During the clean up many a treasure was bought home and stored for future use.

Among those spoils were pre-bent conduit meant for construing a greenhouse that never materialized.

So after setting posts of re-claimed 4x4’s from a torn down dock, Kevin inserted the bent conduit like tinker toys, giving our garden a rustic yet sculptured feel.

Since this photo, we’ve had to add a few strands of fence wire to keep the younger deer from slipping through.

Blueberries, tomatoes and peppers alike thrive happily, safe from the gourmet nibblers.

Cheryl

P.s. Notice the backhoe in the background; it will be making future appearances…