Well it’s vardo day and Valentines, but Raven went to Esalen on a bucket wish, fair enough. My friend Joe said he’d stop by. I raked the sweet gum pods from the driveway so we don’t trip on them, started the truck and moved it to a slope to drain the bed of water then parked it. I jacked the vardo up and removed the blocks, she’s back on wheels again. I swept the leaves from the garage and found the reflectors for the fenders under the kiln, peeled and stuck the red ones back, yellow front on outer edge. It needs to be seen as these are extended and will help while backing the trailer as well.
I’ve been cutting more spokes for the wooden wheel, a few more done down to two fellows (wooden outer wheel sections) to go, 3/4 round. Getting hungry, I went in. A beef stew would be good, grass fed London broil thawing in hot water, red potatoes, celery, carrots, red onion, garlic, garden herbs of parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano, Scarborough plus, all organic. Beef broth and a glug of white wine, salt and Worcestershire. Joe called as it’s cooking, we’re on around 2:00. I cut more spokes as it cooked, thickened with flour water. Too hungry to wait, served with a slice of sour dough toast an butter adding the excess butter to the pot. Yum.
That small kids guitar I bought a couple weeks ago will be for Josie, Joe’s daughter. She’s been playing a ukulele, the two extra strings should help and it’s small enough for kid fingers. I cut a piece of soft leather for a strap, punched and cut for a button hole, then taper tied around the neck above the nut, simple effective. Tuned with my recorder and a Queen tune playing roughly close.
Another dowel cut and ready to turn as Joe arrived. We talked a while of possible improvements around the home and his new shop in progress. He had some stew and an orange for me. He brought me a hollyhock which we planted on Rosie the cat’s grave. I’ll need more hubs and Joe wants a couple rounds for whirligigs, so we broke out the hole saws and cut enough for two more wheels plus extensions and two rounds for him. I used a dome tool that fit in the holes as an axle held with pliers at an angle on the drum sander to spin and sand the parts true. In the process I had a thought.
“Hey Joe, you want to go to Salvation Army?”
“Yea sure.”
I closed the garage and we headed off in Joe’s car. Looking for tools, wow, a Ryobi bench top planer for $80, but some other guy just scored it. I helped him plug it in, it works, read the manual online first. We picked up some kitchen tools. Too bad we missed that planer, oh well.
Back home I cut another spoke as the neighbor’s kid Jamin showed up. We showed him the wood wheels I’m making. He asked for the scrap from the rounds, sure. Joe needs a hand plane, I have a duplicate, perfect. We pack his car with a vice I’ve been storing, a whole chicken partly frozen for his family, some grapefruits I scored from the tree at the park and ride in town, tart but tasty with sugar.
We walked to the river, it’s down still powerful, keeping an eye out for rattle snakes as I’ve seen one near the rocks. Time to go pick up Cat at her job in Healdsburg, Joe heads out. Oh no, he forgot the guitar, I jump in my car and head for town. I arrived at the mercantile before Joe, Cat is still working. I give her Josie’s guitar, “Happy Valentines Day!” and head out. Next door I pick up a Flying Goat coffee for tomorrow morning and head home.
This morning I mostly finished the wheel, at least the parts fit together, still need a steel tire.
Once assembled and painted they’ll look really good, three more to go, two smaller.
8shotoflove8 