Getting ready

I seems as if summer has slipped by.  As always, the rhythm of the seasons progress as we do our dance around the sun.

Most of the days are filled with getting things ready for winter.  We have the pool drained, cleaned, and packed away now.  A job that takes about 3 days to do to our satisfaction.  Sally has been getting her flower gardens prepared and cleaned up too.  I have been picking away on this little project here and there, and getting some footage of it.  I hope I can make a decent video out of all the clips.

Battery life is a big restraint.  Seems that I just get going and they go dead and need recharging.  The few times I have been able to get out to do anything eats them up in no time.  I keep looking at proper cameras, but I just can not justify the expense with so many other priorities.

The new shop is a joy to be in.  I must admit that most of the time I am confused in there though.  I don't know where everything is and I hesitate trying to think it out.  It is almost like working with your non-dominant hand.  I am also really rusty.  I have not done any real wood working projects for almost a year and my meagre skills have withered.  Still, it is time I enjoy and it is only a matter of time before I get things sorted out and start moving around the shop in a more natural feeling way.

 You can tell in the footage I have that there is a lot of hesitation and stopping to try and think things through.  I am not one of those folks that take to the camera naturally.  There is so much to getting a shot right, but I am learning as I go along.  Perhaps it is skill in editing that makes it look good.  All the folks that influence me seem to either have a knack for the camera, or have the resources to do multiple takes.  Of course, they could have outside help too.  A good producer/camera person could make a difference.  I will continue on though and learn as I go.  The inspiration I get from all the You Tube channels I watch is still keeping me going.  Speaking of which.  If you go to my channel on You Tube (just look up "Jim Dockrell") and click on the little tab marked "channels", you can find links to all the folks I watch.  Most are folks who are creating something.  Not all are on a schedule, but all put out stuff I find interesting and entertaining.

I still have not got the new cord for the shop yet.  I just have not gotten around to making the trip yet.  I do, however, need to get a big storage unit built in one corner soon.  The window air conditioner in the house needs to come out and I need a place to put it, along with a bunch of other stuff already in the shop.  So that is coming up soon.  I am going to insulate the wall first and this build I plan on doing some pictures for this blog.  So stay tuned for that.

I have been a bit slack in posting here lately.  There was a week of extreme humidity that made me feel a bit under the weather and there was not much going on to speak of, so not much to write about.  Now that it has cooled a bit I hope to get at it a bit more.  I am not sure what the dead of winter is going to be like in an uninsulated shop.  I have my eyes open and looking around for some sort of kerosene or propane heater for while I am in there.  It also means I have to gather up all my finishing material and drag them into the house again this year.

I did meet up with a guy interested in doing some of the electrical work I need done.  He is working with the neighbour I hired to do the roof.  The two of them also know a heating/gas guy they may be able to connect me with to get a permanent heating solution in there.  They also handed me some nice boards.  2 of ash, and one of cherry.  All of them are about 10' long and 6 to 8 inches wide and just over 1/2" thick.  I already have some plans for some of it.  We found a nice piece of art work that needs a frame, I thought a cherry one would look nice.  The wood is sitting on my shop floor in the way right now.  I need to find a spot for it.  Another reason to get that storage unit built.

Well, I guess I have blathered on enough for now.  I am hoping things are going well for you all and that you are doing things you like with people you love.  Until next time...

Thanks for dropping by.