Happy Thanksgiving!

Finished

Today Zachary finished the photo album project. He used a oil finish to bring out the natural colors in the maple and cherry.
This is the finished product. The picture in the front is just a placeholder.
The book has twenty inserts with room to expand. We bought some baby themed starter pages for fun.
A final vanity shot, just to show the beautiful variations found in the wood.

Before the Snow Flies

More of the same around the farm lately. My Dad has been busy with making bales for beading from dry corn stalks. Zachary is still working on winterizing the farm. We had a low of 9F the other night.
While walking around today, I had a large flock of pigeons swirling overhead.

Crafts and Hints

From some odds and ends of floral decorative stuff my Mom and I had, I made a fall floral arrangement for a gift. We put in two small ceramic turkeys in the basket for a Thanksgiving touch. I enjoy being crafty, I wish I had more time for it.
My parents also found a cat bed for our cat Queequeg. It is her Christmas present. They still need to find a gift for our dog, Maggie. It is a bit strange that they buy our pets Christmas presents. I guess it is a subtle hint to get going on those grandchildren... :-)

Cat Plant

Just add daily head scratches and your Cat Plant will provide years of shedding and early morning whisker tickles for your enjoyment.

Photo Album

Here is Zachary cutting up some Maple and Cherry for a special project.
All there is left to do is stain and assemble the binding for the photo album. When it is finished, it will be a gift for Zachary's sister, as she recently gave birth to a son. We'll post a final photo when it is complete.

"Rough" Kitchen Layout

This is a rough concept of our new kitchen will look like. We made this model in SketchUp, a free downloadable software from Google. The cabinet details need to be decided still, but the placement is about right.

Once On This Island

I recently went to a musical called, Once On This Island. Zachary was planning on going too, but he caught a stomach bug right before the show and could not make it. My cousin Kelsey had a large role, she played Mama Euralie, an elderly foster mother of the main character. She and the rest of the cast did a wonderful job. The singing and costumes were beautiful. Kelsey (in costume at left) is pictured with her older sister Brooke and her parents, Bob and Becky (my uncle and aunt), after the show.

Weekend Carpentry

This weekend we started to build the first part of the cabinetry for our kitchen remodel. We decided to go with birch for our woodwork. This is a bench that will have under seat storage for shoes. Above the bench we'll have a coat rack and shelf.
Despite a messy shop work continues.
A successful test fit means finish sanding can begin while the three boards that make up the lid are edge joined together.

Farm Update

On Friday we had the last of our corn harvested. It was about 80 acres worth, with about 170 bushels per acre.
We also got our official first snow this past week. I think it hung around for a hour or so before it melted. On the farm lately, the priorities have been getting the farm ready for winter, like servicing equipment and maintaining buildings. The cows are getting shaggy with the change in weather. We've had a few calves born in past two weeks and it is funny it seems like they are born with thicker coats and are "born ready" for the cold weather.

And it was Zachary's Birthday on the 5th. Happy Birthday Z!

Last of the Garden Bounty

This weekend we dug up the carrots, taking advantage of the last warm days before winter comes. I froze a few bags of chopped carrots and the rest we will put in underground storage for the winter. The 2008 garden cycle is now complete, and we can start scheming for 2009.