Snow Grass

It snowed then rained today. These little blades of grass were trying to peek out so I snapped a picture for all to see.

So far from spring, but there is always hope.

A look back

Happy new year

Merry Christmas Everyone

Oh... and the treasure chest is done.

I went w/o the rope handles, but finished it in old English chestnut with a polyurethane coating.

It will go great with the reproduction peices of gold I bought him.

Not all mail boxes are created equal.

From the depths of the shop emerges complete a project I have been working on for a while. Barb G's Step-fathers old mail box that was ravaged by time and neglect now has a new lease on life.

This thing, that was originally built years ago had to have major chunks replaced and the whole thing refurbished. I ended up taking the whole thing apart, no small task, and actually replacing the metal mailbox inside went over each peace of wood replacing what was no longer viable (entire roof and all the little trim pieces).

Anyway, I cant take all the credit, Step dad Pete had the concept (this is modeled after the family’s barn and Barb G helped a lot, esp. with the painting.

Turned out good as new far as I am concerned.

My nephew's Christmas Present.

My brother told me that he wanted a treasure chest to hold all of his pirate toys.

So I whipped out this mini chest today in the shop. Complete with secret compartment and other authentic pirate amenities, I’m hoping it will be a big hit.

I still have to stain it, and add the rope handles, but I pretty much knocked this out in one day. With the replica gold doubloons, pieces of eight and Aztec gold replica coins I ordered, I cant wait to see his face when he gets this.

Those wackey Jib Jab Guys are at it again

If you do not know about or are not otherwise familiar with the guys at Jib Jab you have to check this out…



*** click on this link ***

http://www.jibjab.com/

*** click on this link ***

Maybe its just me, but these guys are way too funny. This is the kind of thing you have to watch about 15 times to see all the details that they manage to pack into this quick quip.

I hate to keep on harping about the snow but...

We have crazy amounts of snow. Here is a picture out the back office door showing the snow covered tree line. I am not sure you can get the depth from the camera phone but it feels more like Breckenridge around here than Michigan.

Last nights snow that they were calling 8 inches, was so heavy the ATV/Plow was having difficulty dealing with it. Remember this was on top of what was already on the ground.

I don’t remember it snowing this much this early since I was a kid and we would get feet of snow. The nutty thing is it is early in the year, not even the first day of winter yet so I could see it being one of those “big snow” years all over again.

Actually it is kind of fun, as I get to justify the 4x4 and the ATV but this much snow this early? It could be a little taxing, come Feb. if we are still dealing with this stuff.

Once again the Weather is on everybodys mind.

HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT/PONTIAC HAS ISSUED A HEAVY SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT. THE SNOW ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
SNOW WILL SPREAD NORTH THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...BECOMING HEAVY AT TIMES. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY THIS EVENING. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...GIVING WAY TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS FOR FRIDAY.
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. PERSONS SHOULD ONLY TRAVEL IF NECESSARY. IF YOU MUST...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

4500 MSL

Before the big snow, I had to fly BY to Soaring Eagle for a meeting.

Somewhere NE of Lansing I think I snapped this picture with the Phone. This was Thursday before the big snow so I bet its more white now, but you can really see up there how many fields we still have in MI.

Adventures in dog stitting: chapter two

This weekend, I am watching Wrigley, a 1 1/2 year old Jack Russell for a friend of a friend.

This little guy is cute, that’s for sure. He is also driving Tanner crazy. He is definitely hungry for attention, a runs faster and is sneakier than a crook at a cops convention. Tanner can out run the little guy though, especially in the deep snow. Poor little guy got stuck in a snow bank and I had to rescue him once. His little legs were flying and he just kept getting deeper and deeper.

100th posting

In a milestone of sorts, this is my 100th posting.
For all of those near and far that check out my blog every so often thanks for listening to my ramblings, looking at my pictures and generally putting up with my strange perspective.

Last night it Snowed like a "Mo Fo"

Ok you might have to click on the picture to get the full effect of this one.

Last night I was at Toledo Suburban airport by the MI/OH border checkin out the new XM satellite weather/ radio for the new plane (subject for another blog entry) when it started to snow.

By the time I made it out to my truck if was snowing so hard I could not find the road. I just ran along the indentation that I assumed was the ditch until I got back to the freeway.

Along with the other crazies that were out, I took my life into my hands and headed back home, it was nuts. I am not sure that this “camera phone” picture does it justice. The weather actually got better when I was closer to home.

And yes I took time to further endanger my life but taking this picture while driving but what else you gonna do when your driving along at 35 miles an hour.

It was not the amount of snow, although considerable, it was that it came down so fast. About an inch an hour.

Second pix, my drive way in the morn.

More snow brings out Tanners sporty side.

Nothing cranks Tanner up like a fresh 4 inches of morning snow.

One of Tanners favorite winter toys is a soccer ball. This one, that we found quite a while ago abandoned at a local soccer field, is her favorite. Just slightly under inflated for better “gription” she runs round in the snow like a mad dog chasing this thing.

Soccer, its just not for the Euros any more.