Not So Quick Project

The cedar chest is finished, or as finished as it's going to get at this point.  I had planned to just do the top lid to see how that turned out before I thought about doing the rest of the chest.  I ran into an issue I wasn't sure how to deal with.  I have a few pictures to show what I am talking about.  

The first two photos are the underside of the lid.

With that little information I found out this chest is about 70 years old.  They were made in the 40's and 50's.  I have some cedar oil I used on the inside trying to restore the 'smell' since sanding did very little.  After two coats there still is not much smell.

This is the lid and what I was starting with.  I had hoped not to have to sand, but I determined quickly that wasn't going to work.  The finish and wood was in too bad of condition.  

As you can see it had a very dull finish and was pretty marred up.  I had already hit it with the orbital sander lightly one time.  It just made it worse.  And the sander was getting some sort of buildup on the sand paper.  I was using a 220 grit.  Steel wool prior to this did nothing.

So out comes the belt sander.  I figured that it would handle the job a little faster along with taking care of that build up.  I used a 120 grit.  That buildup?

This is what happened then:

Apparently that black looking substance is something in the wood.  It just smeared it all over the lid and gummed up my brand new sanding belt.  I determined that is coming from all the dark knots in the wood.  Is it still seeping cedar sap after all these years?  No idea really.  So sanding stopped.  I was just making a mess.  I tried several things to get the residue off the wood and nothing at all worked, not even something the wifely unit had called Goo Gone.  Then I tried Goof Off, what did I have to lose at this point?  It worked, with some very vigorous rubbing.  

However, I just could not sand it anymore like this.  So the top is a lot rougher to the touch so it won't have that glass like surface I wanted.  Even with 10 coats of polyurethane with the last coast being poured on the wood so it would build up a nice surface.  Still not enough.  But it does have a great color now.  The rest of the chest will remain as it is for now.  I don't want to tackle that until I figure out what is going on with that wood 'leaking?'

Happy Trails

Quick Project

I have an old cedar chest that belonged to my Grandmother.  I got it when my Grandparents passed away.  They passed within a month of each other.  They hold a special place in my heart, probably like most of you.  I spent almost every day with them from birth until I entered school at age 6.  She pretty much raised me.  My Grandfather was a Firefighter (Fireman in those days) and was not there as much as she was.  She was my caretaker while my parents worked.  This was 1953-1959.  These were my Father's parents.  With so much time spent with her in those early formative years I became very attached to her.  I think it was a natural thing that happens when you spend so much time with someone at those ages.  My Mother recognized this attachment.  

I digress.  Anyway, that cedar chest was something I remembered along with several other objects that are strong connections to that time and to them.  The cedar chest to me was a treasure chest of sorts.  I remember her opening it and showing me things she had saved and were obviously important to her.  No I don't remember any specific items.  All these things just added to my memories and a desired to have them eventually.  I am way to sentimental for my own good.  More so than anyone in our family.  It was easy to have everyone agree that I could have them and I treasure them for what they mean to mean and not at all for their value. 

Over the years those things got little care and were more or less forgotten.  The finish on this piece is pretty bad.  It had been varnished and most of that is gone except for a few spots that are dried and crusty.  Not to mention when dust and dirt settles on something for years and years it almost becomes a finish of it's own.

So today I started trying to refinish the lid.  It is the most visible part of the chest and shows the most wear.  I hope not to have to sand it as I like the color that it is.  I am starting with cleaning and maybe some buffing with steel wool to remove and build up.  We will see how that goes before I go any further.  It shouldn't take too long to see results.  

Happy Trails

Weekend News

Well not really news more of an update.  The real news, to us, is at the end of this post.

'K's self imposed quarantine is over and she has survived not coming down with the Bat Flu.  We are thankful for that.  She actually lifted her isolation Thursday evening and we had Son#2 and his in laws out for supper.  His in laws were in town for a week to visit the baby.  We wanted to see them before they left and also we hadn't seen the baby in more than 2 weeks.  I had an extra large chicken that was given to us from a friend whose daughter raised a bunch of them for FFA at school.  Once they were judged they had to dispose of them and were asking everyone they knew to please take one.  They had 40.  When I say extra large I would guess this one weighed in around 10 lbs.  They are normally 3-4 lbs.  So we are still eating on that thing.

I have become a big fan of a man I found on You Tube.  He is a genuine cowboy and a chuck wagon cook.  He doesn't call himself a chef.  I have used several of his recipes and he also makes me smile every time I watch.  He has fun with his cooking and doesn't take himself real serious, but I can vouch for some of his recipes. There are a bunch more I am planning on trying.   There's nothing fancy at all, just good ole solid cooking.  He is a hoot.  I have even bought a few things off his website and I will get one of his cookbooks eventually.  If you're interested in learning some good cooking recipes (most are done outside with actual fire) look him up on the You Tube.  Kent Rollins-cowboy cooking.  

We will return to our worship services this Sunday after an absence since the end of February.  We are truly looking forward to that.  It is not without some trepidation.  I will only say, the reason we feel comfortable enough to return, has upset some others.  Disappointing to say the least.  We will try our best to keep our Christian attitude in the forefront and and only have a kind heart toward them all.  

Happy Trails

Trying To Keep Busy

Admittedly I have more time on my hands these days with being quarantined and along with the hot weather.  We are half way through 'K's' self imposed 2 week quarantine due to her helping out at a memorial service.  The hot weather also keeps me inside more anyway so any outside chores just don't get done.  Well I did cut the grass a week or so ago.  It was at a critical stage.  It was high enough that it was tickling the thighs of our Granddaughter.  

With so much time I try to come up with some projects to keep me busy.  The cabinets in our kitchen were looking a little tired.  We had refinished them about 7-8 years ago and the 'shine' (polyurethane) had seen better days.  So I had a small can of and decided I would add a little to perk them up.  Then 'K' got involved.  I'm sure y'all can guess how that went.  She was cleaning them in preparation of me working on them and discovered the cabinet doors in front of the sink and nearest the dishwasher were in worse shape than I wanted to hear.  She said they needed more stain.  I didn't want to hear that and just wanted a quick touch up.  If she wanted more stain she could do it.  Well it turns out she was right.  The look a lot better and it really didn't take all that long since we didn't need to sand them down.  It wasn't that big of job but I felt like we accomplished something worthwhile.  Now all I have to do if figure out a project for this month....and not tell 'K' until I'm finished.

The hurricane (Hanna) we were hoping for some good rain was a bust for us.  Two quick showers with barely any measurable rain.  Was really hoping for some serious rain but it is not to be.  Generally July brings next to '0' rain, although we have had some serious storms in the past.  Sometimes August will be kinder and dump some on us toward the end of the month.  But it also generally brings even hotter temps.  Not complaining, it's just a fact of life here in this part of Texas.

Happy Trails

A Couple Photos I Promised

I had forgotten to post photos of the cover I made for my new tablet and also what is going on in the photo above.  

The new Fire HD, the tablet I got, is a little bit larger than my old one so a new cover was in order.  

back side, a facsimile of the Seal of the Republic of Texas

                      

                                       

Front side, the shape of the Republic of Texas, before we became a state.

If you're not familiar with Texas history you may not recognize this as Texas.

As you can see it included a large portion of new Mexico, a bit of Colorado and a small slice of Wyoming.  Those parts were given up with annexation.

As for the cover photo for the blog.  That is yours truly and my lovely 'K'.  We had gone downtown for some rare reason and came across this shop where you could dress up and they would take your picture.  This was 1977 and 'K' was 3 months along with our first child.  We have another we made with both boys but we are in politically incorrect attire for that one.  I'm sure you can guess what that was.  

We are currently re staining some kitchen cabinet doors and then a coat of polyurethane.  For some reason the finish had dulled considerably and there was no remaining polyurethane.  Hopefully they will get dry before that tropical weather hits here Saturday.

Happy Trails

Monday Catching Up

Even with this Hung Chow flu we find ourselves busy.  This week will be significantly slower.  I had a couple doctor appointments, the ophthalmologist and the dentist.  The eye doctor was just my regular diabetes check up and all was well.  The dentist was much more involved.  The tooth I cracked and had removed over a year ago is getting an implant.  Well the space where that tooth was.  It is a bit nerve wracking to endure but surprisingly less pain than the removal required.  I go back in 2 months to get it checked for healing and a mold to be made in order to get the crown made in preparation for final install.  I had no idea what this all entailed, but I had to laugh when he broke out a mini ratchet wrench to screw in the part that that the crown will attach too.  That torqued my jaw and so my joint in my jaw is a little sore.  

'K' went to the memorial service for our dear friend that passed away from cancer two months ago.  It was delayed due to the Rona.  I didn't feel it was prudent for me to attend and made an emotional call to her husband and my good friend to let him know I wouldn't attend.  He knew what I called about before I even mentioned it and was very gracious.  It made it no less hard and I hate having missed it.  'K' was there to serve the food, decorate and clean up.  She took precautions and didn't really interact with anyone in order to avoid exposure to the Kung flu.  Even then, she is 'quarantining' herself at home and we are not having any of the Grandkids over for two weeks just to be on the safe side.  

I have my 6 month visit with the doctor that found my prostate cancer as a regular follow up.  I have already seen the lab results and nothing has changed and I am still cancer free if I read it right.  I assume these visits will continue through the ten year mark and we are just past 5. He also regulates the 'T' I am injecting.  

My garden is pretty much a bust.  No tomatoes harvested.  There is one green tomato on one vine, it's taking it's sweet time.  The bell peppers have stopped growing and are very small and thin walled.  No meat at all.  The late planting and severe heat we have had stopped it from developing.  However our good friends that live in Bandera came into town for some things stopped by and brought us a bag of fresh tomatoes.  Much appreciated and oh so tasty.  It was great to visit with them awhile even though we sat outside in the heat to avoid close contact.  I had n't seen him in over a year I'm thinking, maybe two.  He is just super busy in the medical field and over worked.  I can see that it has physically affected him.  He is still short of retirement by about 5 years.  He needs a break.  He is a true American Hero, and if I could tell you the little he has told me...  He was a 'special operator' is all I will say.

I finished a leather project I was working on.  This was for myself.  I upgraded my Amazon Fire tablet to the Fire HD.  It needed a cover since it's a different size than my old Fire.  My old Fire was out of storage and adding a memory card offered no help as it had slowed considerably due to the storage issue.  It was already pretty slow.  The HD was on sale for 30 off and I had gotten a gift card for Father's day so I treated myself.  It is significantly faster and doesn't have the issues I was experiencing with the old Fire.  I am pretty happy with it.  Sorry, I didn't remember to take photos.  I will and post them here.  It has a 'Texas 1836' theme and I wanted it to look rugged and used.  I am pretty happy with it as I was struggling with ideas.  I am weak in the creative thought process coming up with original designs, but I gathered a couple things I would see elsewhere and put my interpretation in it.  

Happy Trails

More Craziness

I hope this finds you well and safe from the Hung Flu.  We are doing our best to stay healthy.  At this point in our lives health is pretty much the main goal, although we never expected to have to deal with something like this.  

I know that opinions are strong and emotions high in regard to how to deal with this virus.  I see so much information out there and it all conflicts with everything else.  So it makes it hard to get a good read on what's true and what's not.  I have had to 'sleep' close friends on the book of faces because of their continued arguments about this virus.  While I agree with much of what they believe, some of it is just out there baiting others into an online debate.  I don't know why they do this, I can surmise but in the end all their posturing and arguments serve no purpose but to alienate and demean other that don't see it exactly as they do.  I know they have lost friends over this stupid issue.  What's the point, what does it matter if someone has a different opinion.  I think they really are not real sure about what they believe and they are doing the same as others, saying something long enough and loud enough to make others think it's the truth.  A lot of their opinions are internet memes they repost and take for fact.  It's just nuts.  So now even the little time I spend enjoying a few things on FB has been curtailed.  I don't need the insanity.   Who knows when this will all end.  Maybe November after the election, unless the one 'they' hate like no other gets re-elected.  Them we will have even more problems like we have never seen IMO.

I attended a meeting yesterday that I was conflicted about attending.  Let's just say my fears were confirmed and I find myself at a crossroads.  It may be time to relinquish my position and leave room for younger faces.  

We have been having issues with our WiFi.  Intermittent connections and maddeningly slow have been going on for a while.  I called the ISP and got them to send me a new modem and router as mine is pretty old.  That was three weeks ago or more.  I haven't even gotten the tracking number they said I would get.  We are two weeks past the date they said it would be here.  This morning, we have NO WiFi at all.  As soon as I finish this I will reset the modem and hope it gets it back in service.  I am currently on a wired connection, that is why I am still able to connect to the www.  This issue today is something new.  Maybe the WiFi had been going out and has now bit the big one.  There is a local office where I can exchange my equipment.  But if you have ever done that, you know lines are extremely long and I doubt the social distancing guidelines are followed, so I am avoiding doing that.

Anyway, I now have the Nugget in my lap wanting me to take her outside.  Her demands take precedence.  

OK, I'm back.  Just one more thing.  It is crazy hot here.  Yes, we live on the edge of a desert and we can expect it to get hot.  But this is rather unusual.  I live just at the Southern edge of what is known as the Texas Hill Country.  We are about  3-4 hundred feet higher than the highest spots in the big city to the South of us.  So our temps can be a  little different than what is recorded there.  Generally we are 4-5 degrees cooler in all seasons.  This Summer at our place, we have experienced almost identical temps of the city.  For the last 3 days we have hit 103 when we rarely ever hit 100.  Today it is supposed to be even hotter with predictions of 105-107.  OK, I know, it's not Arizona hot or even Dallas hot with their crazy highs and even higher humidity.  The one  thing that makes this a little more bearable is the humidity has been uncharacteristically low.  It has been in the 20-30% range during the hottest times.  Although in the mornings it is generally 80% making my morning walks take a break for a while, not to mention the Africa dust is still here and making me have issues when I stay out too long. 

What a crazy freaking year with still half of it left to go.  I expect even more crazy before this is all over.  Keep your powder dry come November.

Happy Trails