BLOG POSTS – Page 2

My wooden signs

When it came time to rebuild our cabin (“tent”) at Pleasant Grove Campground, I told my family that I would like to make the sign. I’ve always enjoyed working with wood and saw this as an opportunity to try something different. The wood was taken from the original cabin and was sanded down to a smooth finish. The lettering was created with a special type of vinyl and was cut out by hand. After attaching the lettering, the wood was finished with several coats of polyurethane to protect everything from outdoor elements.

This second sign was for the back of the cabin. It didn’t need as much detail. Both really came out nicely. I was very pleased with the results and believe that my family was impressed too.

Husky Stained Glass

After a lot of procrastination, I’ve finally completed the siberian husky stained glass pattern. This is one that was promised to my niece, Emily a long time ago. She hasn’t let me forget about it so I’m sure she’ll be glad to know that it’s finished. I am posting a picture taken outside in the fading sunlight. Hope it shows the full effect.

Tomato Stained Glass piece

Probably seems a little strange to make a stained glass piece about tomatoes. Well, I have a family member that loves collecting all types of tomato knick-knacks. Yes, she loves to eat tomatoes and I guess the obsession started from that. Anyway, there are absolutely NO patterns out there for tomatoes so I had to design my own. Not very proud of the outcome but she still seemed to like it. I’ve learned that creating patterns w/ letters in them are my least favorite for sure.

Penguin cookies

During Thanksgiving, my mom and I made sugar cookies. Well, my mom actually made the cookie dough and I cut out the cookies using a penguin cookie cutter she had given me. We also made angels and christmas trees. It was a lot of fun…but was also a lot of work! Here are some photos for those of you who doubt my cookie decorating abilities.

Sandspitter fish is mad

My fish named “Sandspitter” is definitely a unique pet! He has some really strange behaviors. It’s usually hard to catch him being crazy on video but I was able to get a few quick examples. This first video shows him trying to pull on the flowers and then trying to bite the glass. I was able to use my regular camera so it’s bigger. The second video is very small because I had to use my phone and you might have to watch it a couple of times to see him pull on the flower.

Baby fish

I noticed something weird in the fish tank the other day. It appears that some of my new fish have had babies. I learned the hard way that they won’t last long if you don’t separate them. Apparently the adult fish ate them because they only lasted a few days. It’s sad but at least I was able to get a few pictures and a short video before they were gone.

This video eventually shows one of the baby fish (you have to watch until the end). He’s hiding in the log and you’ll see the adult fish swim around nearby (they give perspective for the size of the baby).

Crazy fish

I remember having goldfish at some point when I was growing up. They basically just swam lazily in the tank. When I decided to start an aquarium as an adult, I knew I wanted something different. I had no idea what I was getting into with these crazy fish…

This is “Sandspitter” doing what he does best – digging and spitting out sand-

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“Sandspitter” and “Catfish” fighting over the same hiding spot-

Here are 2 pictures to show how Sandspitter has dug holes and covered up the cave and log. Hope you are able to see it.

Fish tank stand

Definitely not one of my best woodworking projects but it’s kept my fish tank supported for over 6 years now.
Most of the photos are horrible quality and I did an awful job of documenting each step along the way. But, at least the project still turned out ok.

Wish I was kayaking…

Just adding a short video to watch when I can’t be on the water. It might not be the most pristine shoreline but it’s better than sitting behind a desk. It’s the area that was affected by a strong tornado which passed through in 2011 (caused major damage in nearby Sanford). Many of the trees ended up in the water. I’m sure that makes the local fishermen very happy.

My new KAYAK!

Yay!! I got my new kayak and I am so excited. I’ve had a kayak for a couple of years now (check out my “Hobbies” page to gain many great information and tips about boating). Anyway, the old one is considered a touring boat. That means it’s long and narrow and used for longer trips- usually cuts through the water a little easier. On the other hand, it’s hard to carry and not as stable as some of the wider boats. After a suggestion from my Dad (he made it over and over), I decided to sell the old one and buy a new one.

I researched for a crazy amount of time. I’m so particular when I buy something that is expensive. I also want to find the one I’ll be happiest with once I’ve made the purchase. First, I checked out the Old Town Vapor. Rented it, tested it out…thought I was convinced to go with that model. Then, after a trip to REI, I was introduced to the Perception Prodigy. Love at first sight. No hesitation. I ordered it online and waited with anticipation. It finally came in and I took it out for it’s maiden voyage on 7/7/11. It was everything I had hoped it would be. You can expect me to post lots of pictures from future trips.