Queen what? continued part two.

         

# 4

# 4      the photo above is of what will be a draw; the clamps are there to hold it together as I have not glued it yet. The face of this draw will be stained prior to final assembly.

 

 

# 5

# 5      in the photograph above you can see the beginnings of a desk.   There will be a lot of staining, gluing an occasional nail along with a few screws.

Yes there are instructions on the table. I really don’t need the instructions; I keep them for appearances only (@%$*&@^!).

 

# 6

# 6      in this photo you will see the pigeon holes for envelopes with the three drawers. This is assembled dry (no glue) to see if everything fits. This goes inside the body of the desk seen in photo # 5 above.

# 7

# 7      as you can see I am working very hard at sanding some of the wood pieces from the hutch. When this photo was taken it was 100 degrees, I had two fans directed at me. As long as I stayed seated in front of the fans the heat was bearable.

Shortly after the photo was taken, the plastic chair broke under me. It was not due to excessive weight, the chair was brittle from being outside in the sun for many years.

 

Thanks for reading this.

 

Don Ford

Multitasking

               In this day and age even an old retired person must be able to multitask. Obviously, I am not only able, but also willing to multitask. What tasks am I attempting to do simultaneously you ask. Listen Read and learn my friend.

               I am continuing to work on the Queens Anne style desk, the progress seems to have slowed as I have almost screwed up made an error in my work. At the same time I have started what was to be a tree house for the grand kids. You may have noticed that I stated, “What was to be a tree house,” that tree house has had several names but most recently has been called a fort (see photos below).

On the trailer one can see the wood that will be used in the construction of “the fort/tree house”. Have you priced weather treated wood lately, don’t.

All structures need to be on a good foundation so I have placed paving stones at the appropriate locations where the 4x4 posts will be placed.

As you may know, I am an expert at most things I do, setting stones for a fort foundation is no exception. The “average person” would have probably taken a couple hours to excavate and level these stones. It took me half of the day. Retired people (aka experts) take more breaks than the “average person”.

There is a tree near the spot where the Fort will be placed so it is kinda like a tree house.

 

On a totally different subject, my wife of 44 years and I plan to look for a new vehicle for her. I have in mind the smallest gas saving sports utility vehicle available and she wants something that seats 7 with a lot of room. I hope we can find something in the middle. I have no idea how we will pay for a new vehicle since we are on a fixed income. Donations may be sent to; “The Ford Homestead Foundation of Hewitt” please identify all donations to be directed to the new vehicle fund. 

               I did stipulate one requirement that I have in order for me to participate in this vehicle hunting event; my wife of 44 years must buy my lunch today.

 

               Last Saturday we attended the company picnic (Do it Best Corp) and I must say everyone seemed to have a good time. The kids were kept busy on the bouncy house and water slide. The weather even cooperated with what seemed to be cooler temps and a nice breeze.  They had drawing for prizes and as you know I am a winner in most of the things I do. Yep, I won a prize.

               Most companies do almost nothing for their employees; picnics and parties are almost a thing of the past. Those that work for Do it best Corp should take time occasionally to consider what their company does for them.

              

Have a good day and a gooder week! 

Don Ford

 

Queen, what?

 

          I thought I would show you a little bit of a project (aka puzzle) that will likely take me several weeks to complete if I have the patience. 

The first three photographs are of the parts and pieces of this puzzle (project).

My son Patrick gave me this project saying, “it might give you something to do”. Someone purchased this as a project and at some point they decided it was more than what they wanted to do, they gave it to Patrick.

Truthfully speaking, I am not real sure that it will ever be completed.

I found that most of the pieces were there although a couple things were missing. I can manufacturer or purchase those parts.

 

# 1

# 2

You are not supposed to be looking at the items in the back ground or the fact that there is a rug on the floor of the garage.

# 3

            I have been working on this project for several weeks now and I still am not done. Even though the project is not complete, I have decided to post some photos of the process and progress.

            I had originally thought there were some missing pieces but I eventually found all the items.

 

Have an good day, get outside and enjoy it. Less work, more play!

Thank You

 

An Overnight Surprise!

               It is true that there are often surprises here at the Ford Homestead, so we have decided to let you, “a non-Homesteader” in on what was a true overnight surprise to us all.

               This particular surprise was even a surprise to my constant companion, Tejas. He had indicated that he had lifted his leg at this particular area just the day before and had not noticed any change in the backdrop.

               My spouse of 44 years and both grandkids was standing near the surprise, more or less in awe of the beauty, when they were cruelly attack by fire ants. This seemed odd to me as I had earlier in the day spread fire ant killer (over & out) on the front and back yards. I actually purchased the product from the local Lowes as they had a better price than Do it Best Corp.

               The grandkids wanted to swim and that is why we were in the back yard and near the surprise. I have a photo that I will post below of the surprise in all its glory.

               I find it interesting that these plants which are known as, “Surprise Lilly’s”, are truly a surprise when you see them.

How can something this tall and pretty just pop up overnight. I assume it has something to do with the 4 inches of rain we had over a several day period of time.

For that one unusual person that is looking to see where Tejas had lifted his leg, you are a weird duck for even thinking about that.  

The heavy rain, afore mentioned in this article, has had a negative effect on our 4-oclocks (aka “O’clocks” as they bloom at various times daily) have become too heavy and are bending over into our walk way.

               I thought you might enjoy the below photo. These flowers bloom in the morning and the blooms are gone by late afternoon.

 

I am still working on the Queen Anne Desk and I have completed 2/3s of the project. The bottom and the mid-section that has the drawers and desk are now complete. I have stained the top portion which is the Hutch and have begun the varnishing of the hutch. Varnishing is very difficult as it dries so quickly. I will post photos of the process if I am able to complete the project and if it isn’t too embarrassing.

 

I hope you have an excellent and healthy day!

 

Don Ford

 

It Never Fails.

            First, allow me to start by saying I was opposed to it from the beginning. I knew this would happen and it has. I can’t understand why others do not listen to me.

            For those of you who are fortunate enough to live in Texas, you should already know that it has been hot. When I say hot I mean, “Hotter than Hell”, with day time temperatures exceeding 100 on a regular basis. It would often cool down to 80 at night, obviously not providing any relief. 

            My wife of 44 years who has a birthday tomorrow wanted me to get the kids swimming pool out of the shed and put it in the back yard so the kids could swim.

            To the person that doesn’t have to get the pool out of the shed, put air in it then fill it with expensive water (you know I am on a fixed income) you don’t understand all the effort it takes to erect the “kids pool”.

            It was Saturday about noon; I had just finished my sandwich and was sitting in the house watching TCM (Turner Classic Movies) when my youngest son arrived. Dave had come over to help get the pool out and install it in the back yard. I commented on the fact that it was already 100 degrees and we would have to move items around in the shed to get to the pool. I could not discourage Dave so we went outdoors into the sweltering heat. I was happy that we have a few trees in the back yard to provide some shelter from the sun (AKA shade). 

            We removed some items from the shed including three saws that we had been storing for Dave. The pool, pump and tarps were all in a hamper; we did not need to search for anything. I took the air compressor and an extension cord from the shed to inflate the pool ring. All in all it only took about 30 minutes to get it ready to insert the water.

            Dave began picking up the tools and we returned everything to its proper resting place in the shed, except for Dave saws which we loaded onto my pick up. Removal of the table saw provides needed room in the shed. Now “I don’t have to go outside the shed to change my mind”. (That was a joke just in case you didn’t get it and if you need me to explain you can send me a comment and I will be happy to explain the so called joke.)

            I finished filling the pool later in the day and at about 9:00pm after the sun had gone down and most of the neighbors would not be watching I proceeded to the pool and got in. The water was just the right temp. I would have stayed in the pool longer but I finished my drink.

            What? You want to know what the above has to do with the heading “It Never Fails”?  Don’t be so impatient; I can’t believe how rude some people are interrupting a senior citizen telling a story.

            All the above occurred on Saturday:

A little back ground for those of you who are meteorology challenged; the summer solstice occurred June 21^st and the days are getting shorter indicating that Fall and Winter are on their way. That also indicates cool temperatures that are not conducive to swimming. 

            Sunday, (the first full day for the pool to be in operation) it began to rain. There was light rain all day with a total of ¼ inch of rain. The day time high temperature was 75.

Sunday night it rained all night accumulating and extra 2.75 inches of precipitation for a total of 3 inches.  

Monday morning it is still raining and the high today is expected to be in the mid-70s.

It never fails, you try to have an outdoor activity for the grandkids which involved hot weather and the cold front arrives with rain.

Rain, rain go away, come again some other day, little Donnie wants to play. 

 

In all honesty we have needed this rain and we are thankful for the rain and cool temps.

 

We hope you have an outstanding day and wonderful week.

 

Don Ford

I am taking a break.

               Taking a break from what, you asked? Due to the excessive heat and the fact that I have been working my tail off, I called a conference with my adviser Tejas and my wife of 44 years. During the discussion it was noted that I was tired of working on the desk and I wanted to take a break.

My present wife noted that she thought it was a good idea. If I took a break, which would include returning my tools to the appropriate locations, then remove the three tables that I have been using as work benches, she would be able to move and rearrange some items in the garage.

It was agreed and the process begun. Tools were put away and items moved. The garage actually looked better and I could walk through the garage without having to move anything. This will give me three days of break and the weather should be cooler next week “less than 100 plus degrees”.

Donna has a birthday next week but I am not allowed to say the number of years (64).

I was encouraged to purchase some different chairs for sitting outside. No, I have not replaced my old rocker but I did get a couple wicker rockers. Being on a fixed income I did have to wait until they had marked them down (about $30 per chair less than original price). These rockers were approved for use at the Ford Homestead by my first wife.

Below we see Gabi after her recent visit to the dentists. For that one person that believed that statement, the teeth are plastic vampire teeth.

 

As some of you know, I am a “Flowerologists” and I want to show you some examples of the flora here at the Homestead.

It takes hours of work continually feeding and talking to the plants. They say cow manure is a good fertilizer so; me talking to the flowers (a lot of BS) should be even better fertilizer.

I hope you have a bright flowery day.

Don Ford

 

                 

 

What a Night

               Hello from the Ford Homestead, we are doing well and hope you are also. We made it through the Holiday week and have settled down to our normal daily routine. Now that I think about it we were settled into our normal daily routine during the holiday week.

               Retired people on a fixed income are often unable to enjoy the holidays like those of you that are game fully employed. It is bad when you don’t have enough funding to purchase a brisket for the holiday meal. I know what you are thinking; why didn’t I check for road kill. A nice young deer lying in the bar ditch could have possibly made a nice substitute for a brisket.

               For the non-Texans who might read this article; the term “Bar Ditch” is in reference to a ditch alongside any road. It gets the name because many people have ended up in the ditch alongside a road after an evening at the bar.

               How did you sleep last night? My night’s sleep was interrupted as usual by my companion and confidant “Tejas” wanting to go outside.  It was 1:29am when I felt the wet nose of Tejas on my back. He was informing me that he needed to go outside and see what the other dogs were barking at. I obligingly got up and let him out the door. This happens every night at least once but at different times. While Tejas is outside I usually get in my recliner and kick back for a few minutes. After some period of time I get out of the recliner and go to the door to let him back into the house.

               Last night when I opened the door to let him back in Molly T ran out the door and disappeared into the dark. Molly’s gray color makes it impossible to see her at night. I waited a few minutes and went back to the door to see if she was there and would she come in. Molly was near the door but when I went out to see if I could catch her she disappeared into the flowers.

               I thought about just leaving her outside all night but soon decided I would catch hell from my wife of 44 years in the morning if I did.

Even though I am retired and considered an elderly citizen, I am occasionally able to out think the cat. I stood there in the back yard cloaked in darkness deciding my approach to apprehending the aforementioned cat.

My plan was simple; I would turn the water on just a small amount and use the hose without a nozzle to make a stream of water. I would place my thumb over the end of the hose and direct a very small stream (about the size of a pencil) into the flowers. Molly has a fascination with running water if it is not directed at her. I expected her to come and investigate the water stream and if she did I would direct it closer to me. If she came close enough I would swoop down and catch the cat.

What do you think happened?  I stood there watering the flowers for a couple minutes wondering where she was. There was a slight breeze and the wind chime to my right was sound off very quietly as if to say, “I know everyone is sleeping and I will not be too loud.”

Out of the darkness I could see the dark gray body of Molly T sneaking up on the water stream. When she was within a few inches of the water I moved the stream closer to me and as expected she followed. She was just below me and I now needed to swoop down on her or possibly I could slowly bend over and catch her.

I decided on slowly bending as swooping might have startled her and I would need to begin the capture process again. With one hand under her belly I picked the wayward cat up and proceeded to tell her she was a bad cat. Cats need to be verbally punished and I was willing to provide the punishment.

I had now been awake for an hour, and I knew I would be tired today.

 

Someone asked how the puzzle project was going (Queen Anne Desk). The project has slowed as I have been consulting with a varnish specialist (my first wife).  I have varnished a couple pieces and they did not look good. There were streaks on the wood after the varnish was applied. My consultant attempted to show me how to apply a second coat of varnish, which may have been better than what I had done, but there were still streaks.

After careful consultation it was decided to use a different brush with finer bristles (hair). The new brush made a big difference and the project seems to be back on course.

I had purchased 4 clamps from my past employer, they were 36 inches long. The first one I took from the box was broken. I have asked if they will replace the broken one.

 

The weather has been very hot and we are expecting 100 plus temperatures all this week. That makes it difficult to work in the garage. I have three fans which help make the work tolerable.

 

Have a nice week; give someone a nice complement. Say “thank you” to those around you, don’t take them for granted (family and co-workers). 

 

Don Ford

 

Up to no good.

               Someone asked what I have been up to lately and my reply was, “no good”. Although that statement is possibly true, I have a project going on in the “Ford Homestead Garage”.

My oldest son had been given a bunch of wood pieces and some hardware parts that when properly put together would create a “Queen Anne Secretary Desk”.   He had it in his garage for a couple years and decided to unload it on re-gift it to me.  If I remember his comment, “it will give you something to do”. I am retired and as a retired person I am supposed to sit around and occasionally take a nap.

This project lay in the floor of our garage for at least 6 months. After the recent and I might say, “successful” garage sale there is now room in the family garage to do some work.

I have just been interrupted my Molly T, who thinks she should be able to get a free belly rub any time I am sitting at the computer. She is not a lap cat, but she is a key board cat. Molly T will lie on the key board as long as she is getting her body rubbed.

Back to the project;

This project has been difficult thus far to say the least. The instructions must have been written by someone that did not need to follow instructions. If you remember I am a visual and audible learner, so reading instructions and then understanding them can be difficult for me. The fact that the instructions to this project have incorrect information, make it difficult for me to understand. As an example, item 6a should be attached to item 22 with glue and two wood screws. There is an item 6a in the drawing but there is “NO” item 22 to attach it to.

As a last resort I ask my wife of 44 years to read the instructions, she could not find item 22 either.  Although there is no item 22 I have decided where I will attach 6a. I do need to give credit to my present wife; she has help a when I get stumped by the so called instructions.

I have taken a few photos and will post them with photos of the finished project if it ever comes to a state of completion.

               On another subject; this past Saturday I rode my motorcycle and went to Grandview Texas. This was a 90 mile trip one way and the purpose was to allow Glen to trade some parts with another motorcycle owner. We left Hewitt, TX a little after 7:00am and the temp was 81 degrees. I knew it was going to be a hot ride on the way home so I packed 6 bottles of water, some ice and a Bush’s cup. For the non-Texans, Bush’s is a fast food place that specialize in chicken. They also sell a large glass of ice tea for 32 cents and everyone I know drinks there tea. 

               Once we were out in the country I rechecked the temp and at one point it was 77 degrees, which is just about perfect riding temp. Glen was the lead rider and we only made one miss turn before arriving. The trade was made and the fellow offered to install the rear windshield for Glen. This rear windshield is supposed to keep some of the wind from buffeting the passenger.

               We spent a couple hours at this person’s residence while he installed the item. (Note; Glen took the windshield off and reinstalled it after returning home) It was a little after 11:00am when we started the ride home. Our plan was to stop in Glen Rose, Texas for lunch at the BBQ restaurant. They were closed for vacation! I can’t believe anyone would place their vacation time ahead of my eating pleasure!

               The decision was made to ride to Clifton, TX for lunch since it was on our way home. I loaded my Bush’s cup with water and Ice for the 50 mile ride. The temperature was at 100 when we arrived at the Bunk House in Clifton. I believe we may have enjoyed the air conditioning and ice tea more than the BBQ.

               When we started the last leg of this journey I checked the temperature again and it was indicating 102. I would like to point out that riding a motorcycle in the summer while in Texas is kinda dumb. I was sitting in the sun with a helmet on, long sleeved shirt behind a tall windshield which keeps almost all the wind off me. I was literally baking myself.

               Well that is it for now;

I hope you have a good day and better week.

 

 

Don Ford