Design and then build 11.08.18

            As many of you have commented, the first photo of the wood butcher project was interesting. Let us review this project.

            First the idea was presented by the CEO, “Ms. Ford”, to me, “The senior Design artists and Wood Butcher”, here at the Ford Homestead. This project was to, “Expand one of the many storage areas”, here at the Homestead.

            I measured each and every part of the existing storage area in an effort to provide the needed details for my attempt at designing the addition to the storage area. Obviously, the addition would need to not only match the existing unit in color, but also fit snugly in place providing a safe storage area for these wonderful collectables.

            I then went to work preparing the plans for the project. I put in many hours at the drawing table, first making rough drawings, then re-drawing the CEOs idea of the project, until I finally received an approval! I have scanned the final art work in for your review, click to enjoy.

 

                                  

             Once the final drawings had been approved, I then began working on, “The Bill of Materials”. I listed everything I would need to complete the project, including the wood, screws and paint. Fortunately, I had various screws here at the homestead, our CEO had the paint and application utensils (aka paint brushes). All I needed to do was purchase the lumber for this project, haul it home, and unload it in the ole garage.

            All this accomplished I was ready to start the project. The first thing I needed to do was locate a saw. There is a table saw in the ole garage, but I would have needed to move several items to get to it. These items have not yet made it back into the Homestead after the remodel.

            I decided to get my saw from the shed. I had to move a lawnmower to get to it but that wasn’t too bad. This saw is on wheels so I pulled it to the drive way where I sat it up.

            Remembering the ole wood butcher rule, “cut twice measure once”, I began. I measured using the info from the very accurate drawing and cut one piece. Setting that piece aside I measured and cut the next piece. This work was exhausting and finally I had all four pieces cut.

            Being very careful and wanting to be sure I still had the CEOs approval, I took all four pieces of wood into the house. I placed each piece where they would be located when the project was complete.

            FAILURE: I was completely surprised, one piece was 1.5 inches too long. With tears in my eyes I returned to the drawings to see how this error could have happened. I had cut said board to fit inside the existing storage area, not allowing for the two additional boards that were .75 inch each (.75 + .75 = 1.5).

            I felt as if I should go sit in the corner with a dunce hat on after making such and error.

            Regaining my composure I went to the shed and brought the saw out again as I needed to make one more cut. Disgraced I was hoping no one would see me correcting this error.

            The next day I decided to attempt to put the project together. This part of the project went as expected. I even puttied the screw holes so they would not be visible after painting.

                                                           

   

            The CEO came out and reviewed the work. It was decided that the top might be better if there was a safety edge to keep items from slipping off. I had some quarter round stored in the shed so I procured it. I then needed to do some miter cuts so I dragged an ole miter box and saw out of storage and used it on this project.

            Obviously, the quarter round would need to be attached to the top of the unit, I decided to use glue. I retrieved several clamps from the Ford’s ole shed.  Click to learn more.

                                              

            Being successful at the gluing portion of the project, I then applied a coat of paint. Our CEO had decided that it would need many coats of paint, which I was willing to apply. In the photo below we see the project hopefully completed. I say hopefully because the CEO has not yet reviewed the final painting, as she is making Hot Tamales today.

                                              

            I did get to do some taste testing and I think she has a winner with these tamales!

May your projects not be as demanding!

Senior wood butcher; Don Ford

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A Meteor from Mars 11.07.18

A meteor from Mars  11.07.18

            Do you have any idea how valuable a meteor (aka Rock) from Mars is? Scientists would pay millions to have a meteor from Mars, if the meteor proved that there had been life on mars in the past. Would you believe, I have a meteor from Mars, and it proves that there had been life on Mars? Yes, I do have a photo, but I must ask that you not share this photo with others as I am in negotiations with Government officials on a price for this Meteor.

            We will no longer need to pick up aluminum cans and road kill, as we will be among the wealthy people. It will be nice to be able to purchase all our food from a store and not need to go through trash containers behind the store hoping for a meal. It is a rough life when you are on a fixed income.

            I will also add a couple other photos to this almost unbelievable article. One photo will be of a fly on my knee, it is a pet fly. There is another photo of a Bee on my radio. The Bee is not a pet but he has been hanging around a lot. I may put another photo on this posting of a wood butcher project, I have going. Wow, your day couldn’t get much better!

            The Fly’s name is Flu, he does a few tricks, but mostly he eats from my plate.

The Bee doesn’t have a name, but if he did it would be “Busy”. Click to enhance.

            Above is the wood butcher project I have going for my spouse, of almost 5 decades. When, or if completed, it will be added to another shelf, providing a little extra storage.

            Now let’s get back to the meteor from Mars and proof that there was life on Mars in the past. What would be proof that life existed on another planet? What if there was something in the meteor from that planet that proved there was not only life but intelligent life? I believe MY meteor has that proof. Click to enhance and please do not share this photo!

            This meteor was found in the ditch behind our Homestead, and as you can see there is proof that some intelligent being, may I say very intelligent being, has at one time in the past, inserted a metal object into the meteor.

May your day be filled with exciting discoveries!

Senior Fellow and Head Rock-ologist; Don Ford

* The key would be the wording, “Would you believe”. Fiction starts there.

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Goose or not 11.06.18

            That unique title has nothing to do with the elections that are going on today, or does it? A neighbor has told me that geese are flying south for the winter, and that she has seen several flights go over. Being the nice neighbor I am and not knowing if she could tell the difference between a flight of geese and a flight of Cranes, I replied, well it is that time of year.

            Back in the olden days, when I was young and somewhat sillier than I am now, I was known to go goose hunting. My nephew Mike (he was a couple years younger than me) and I would brave the cold weather and hunt those geese. Mike had gotten permission from a farmer (at least I think we had permission) for us to hunt on the edge of one of his fields. This field was old river bottoms, the field was perfectly flat and was possibly four to five hundred acres. The East side of the field was the bank of the Mississippi river. We hunted on the west side of the field.

            I would get up about 3:00am and get everything together and drive to Mike’s house. We would then load all his things along with mine into his vehicle and drive through a couple country roads and then off the road onto a dirt road. We would then park his vehicle get everything we needed for the day and pack it all back over the hill down the other side through some woods where we would come to a ditch. This ditch had water in it and it was too large to jump over, although we could toss much of our supplies over the ditch.

            At this point we would put our rubber boots on and wade across the ditch. It was only a hundred yards or so to where we would hunt from.       

            What did we take with us? Understand that the temperatures were in the 20s. We dressed accordingly. We carried a tarp, the tarp was placed on the ground, we carried blankets, a gas heater (it was one of those that you could light and it would just glow as it put off heat), rubber boots, some goose decoys (that we had made), food (we would stay there all day), and shot guns.

            Goose hunters often hunt from a pit, especially if they are out in the open. We hunted from a brush pile. Actually it was a fallen tree and we were able to camouflage ourselves. We sat there on the ground, covered with our blankets and the heater was between us.

            The Mississippi river is a fly way for both geese and ducks. There were wildlife refuges north of where we hunted at Wolf Lake, and south around Horse Shoe lake.

            We would get the decoys set out and get ourselves into the so-called blind, and wait. We would see flights of geese going mostly south, although there would be flights going north. Occasionally a flight would come over our blind.

            One day we were sitting in the blind and one of us noticed something unusual. It was coming from the south going north. It looked like the swarms of locusts that I have seen on TV. There were literally thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of geese flying from the south going to Wolf Lake reserve. We watched in amazement, as this enormous flight of geese which must have been a mile long, flew up the river. It was even a little scary. The geese were flying high, as they got over the Wolf Lake Reserve they would begin to circle and they dropped down into the reserve. We assumed they knew there were hunters around the reserve and they were smart enough not to get close to them.  

            I tell you all that so that you would know that I can tell the difference between geese and large Cranes flying over. I have photos of the cranes flying over our house yesterday.

            The cranes fly in a V formation like geese, and there is an occasional noise made by one of the cranes. Geese fly in a V, but they look different and they usually make a lot of noise as they fly.

            The last time I was in Missouri I drove by our old house, and one of the geese decoys that I had made probably 50 years ago is still leaning against the shed.

            I need to get to work, my present spouse has a project for me. I am making a shelf to attach to a shelf she already has. I hope I can do it.            

Look up and see the…

Senior decoy maker; Don Ford

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Almost there 11.05.18

            We are finally nearing the end of this political race. I, personally have not liked any of the political process in this midterm election. I am tired of seeing these ads on TV and the signs on buildings and in people’s yards.

            I assume, some people run for office with good intentions. They want to be a standup leader for the people. When they get into office most of them change into politicians. The definition of politician is, a person who thinks they are important, better than you or I.

            As I understand it, the President is going to Cape Girardeau, MO for a rally. I have no idea why he is going there, heck, can his plane even land at the Cape airport. I use to work just down the road from the Cape airport. Maybe he is going there because it is my home town, and he knows how influential I can be in these campaigns. Maybe because it is Rush Limbaugh’s home town, but is Rush as well-known as me? Rush and I went to the same high school.

May your day not be filled with election stuff, unless you like election stuff, then may your day be filled with election stuff!

Campaign enthusiast, NOT;   Don Ford              

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Always under foot 11.04.18

            When you were a child, assuming you are not still a child, did your mother ever comment to the effect that, “You were always under foot”? Ok, yes I know, you were the perfect child and you were never in the way, never leaving your toys out, never playing where your mother wanted to clean, and you were never under foot! You should stop reading now, being the perfect child, you will not understand the rest of this story.

            Well I had a slightly different upbringing and I was often under foot, or at least that is what I was told by my mother. Now I can see that a couple of you are thinking that I am probably still under foot. Actually I am, but that is not what this story is about.

            I think I may be getting paid back for all the times I was in the way, “Under foot”, as a child. Don’t start assuming you know where this article is going, I do not have a problem with the grand kids being under foot. NO, it is not the three neighbor kids that have a tendency to come to the Ford’s Homestead hoping to pet Charlie. They are not in the way as their mother or father usually follow them over.

            I am talking of a true, under foot problem! Now I see you making a face thinking, “He is about to talk about how a senior person’s feet stink, or that he has foot rot.” I will not validate that comment and I hope you keep your thoughts to yourself.

            My foot problem stems from sitting here at the desk and typing into this 10 year old computer. If you have ever worked at a desk for hours at a time, you will probably know that having room to move your feet around helps you stay comfortable and sometimes having something to put your feet on, raising them only a few inches, will help make your feet feel better and keep you more productive. There are times I do not have the room, but I can put my feet a few inches above the floor.

            I have decided to present a photo that should enlighten even the non-believers among you. You may click on the photo to produce a somewhat larger version.

            That is my desk. That is also the Tres sleeping under my desk. When you have a 90 pound pot hound under your desk, you have little or no room for your feet. Finding a comfortable spot for your feet is all but impossible.

            Think about this, if my feet do stink, is it because of a pot hound laying on or around them all day?

May you have a spacious area for your feet!

Space-ologist; Don Ford                       (they only stink after a hard day’s work)

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It did not work 11.03.18

            The title line says it all, the new light bulb did not work. I screwed the light bulb in and covered the photo eye with my hat and waited for a minute. The bulb did not come on. Possibly the hat did not block out all the light. I secured a black sweat shirt and used it to cover the photo eye. I waited. Nothing, the light did not work! Friday night, after it was dark and the street light was on, I again checked to see if the light had come on. The light did not come on. With a tear in my eye, (see below) I decided to retire to the Ford’s ole bed chamber and cry myself to sleep.

                                            

            Yep, a retired senior citizen purchased a light bulb that cost $16.00 and it did not work. Now I will need to purchase a new security light, take the old one down, and install the new light. Sounds like a lot of fun, not!

            Maybe I should just use the porch light next to the garage door. It don’t make as much light, but I can reach it from the ground and used regular bulbs. It is tough being on a fixed income, and needing to spend more money, there is always something taking away from the Fords food budget.

            Maybe we will find a dead deer on the side of the road that hasn’t been eaten on by the wild animals yet. That kind of road kill could offset the cost of the light bulb and provide food for a week or more.

            NOTICE: a higher authority must have taken petty on this ole senior citizen. This morning I popped out of bed as usual, prior to sun up. I always let the two cats out into the garage each morning. I open the garage door about 6 inches, which allows the cats to go and come at will, but keeps the bigger dogs and people out. As the door raised I expected to see the light from the small porch type light, but there was more light than expected. I turned off the porch light and there was still light. The security light was on! Could a higher authority have had mercy on this ole senior citizen, and influenced the light to GLOW!         

 

I couldn’t make it glow, but it glows!   Who’s blessed?

A blessed ole senior citizen; Don Ford

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It's Friday 11.02.19

            Finally, Friday is here and I may get to rest a little. “Senior retired people work from sun to sun, and their work is never done.”  That surely applies to me. Yesterday I only got to take one nap, yes only one nap!

            Today I have to go out to the old work site to pick up my retired person order. I had to order the light bulb from them as I could not find it locally at any of the big box stores. Yep, I have to change a light bulb. Changing this light bulb requires me to climb a ladder as it is and outside security light, and while standing on the small step I must focus overhead and try to screw this 70 watt bulb into the socket. Then I must get down from the ladder and carry it back to the Ford’s ole shed.

            No I do not need to carry it from the shed first, I have the ladder here in the garage! Please stop interrupting me!

            I raked acorns for a while yesterday, I may do the same today. I have tried to develop a raking stork that removes many of the acorns, without pulling at the grass, too much. It works most of the time. Raking is kind of tiring work, and the cooler than normal weather helps keep me from sweating but my ears get a little cold. If we weren’t on a fixed income I could get some ear muffs.

            I can only write as long as I have some coffee in my cup and it is getting close to the bottom. I will say so long for now, hope you have a safe and fun weekend.

May my day be filled with relaxation!

Senior Nap-ologist; Don Ford            (Nap-ologist, an expert napper)

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Noviembre 1, 2018 11.01.18

            I have never been good at spelling, I occasionally get a word right, and then I get one wrong. Even though I can’t spell worth a darn, that does not mean I can’t see when others make mistakes.

            There is a house which is located a couple blocks away from the Ford Homestead, that has been undergoing a remodel. I assume the remodel is a total remodel, inside and outside. I can’t see the inside but if it is like the outside, the property will only sell to someone who has unusual taste.

            The house is brick and they have painted all the brick white. All the trim is also painted white. There is a detached garage, it is painted white. The roof is black. The windows stand out as they either have a very dark screen or the glass may be tinted a dark color. Forgetting all that, someone has done some landscaping. There are two large areas in the front yard where they have laid black rock as a ground cover. In this black rock area they have no plants but they do have a couple medium sized brown rocks. I assume these brown rocks are considered as accent pieces.

            At first I thought the black rocks may have been a fair idea, since the house and out building are totally white. I don’t think that now. There are trees in the yard and they are live oak trees. Oak trees have acorns. The black rock areas are now turning brown as the acorns are falling. It is difficult enough to get acorns picked up from a grass covered yard, try it in rocks. One can’t rake in the rocks, there is no smooth surface. One would need to pick each one up by hand. You better have good knee pads if you are going to crawl around in these rock areas.

            I guess they could pick them up with a vacuum, I have done that in the past.

            Speaking of acorns, my yard is covered with acorns. The grass is thick which hide the acorns, but you know they are there when you walk on them. I may attempt to get some of them out of the yard today.

           

            It rained yesterday, we received a half inch. Along with the rain there was wind as the cold front came through. I now have a lot of small twigs and small dead limbs in the yard to be picked up. I hope I don’t freeze when laboring in the yard.

 

May the squirrels eat all the acorns!

 

Senior critic of others work; Don Ford

 

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