Another interesting day. I got home from the Arcata / Trinidad fishing trip yesterday. That went alright although Saturday the fishing was disappointing. Salmon wasn’t running, five rock fish and ten crabs to bring home, no ling cod. Oh well. Michael and I went out on the bay later in his little electric boat. We caught 5 small bait fish on the Japanese rig, then went out hoping for bigger game. No luck there, although the birds were amazing, Pelicans coming in vee formation, skimming just above the water, up and diving in for the bait fish, so graceful. The terns were following them in. Avocets on the shore. Home burnt by the sun.
Michael and I processed the twenty crabs, open and rinse, pulling the legs and claws to crack, then carefully removing the meat inside the shells for crab cakes. Connie came over for crab and (bought by April, pity that, we should have caught) salmon dinner. A tasty meal.
Yesterday I broke into my locker again, forgot the combination. A big cone and three pound hammer broke the lock. Once in I dug under the bench where I know the good wood is buried. I pulled out a bunch of rosewood one by ones, a hefty piece of oak, several pieces of mahogany, other miscellaneous good wood. Back to Michael’s, friend Tom showed up. We talked, as wood working friends walked by I passed out a couple pieces of rosewood from the stash gifted to me 20 years ago. Michael pulled out two huge pieces of walnut I think, from the rafters of the garage, thrown in the truck. Goodbyes as I drove home. Laundry done, to bed.
This morning as I drove to work the oil light flashing, CLUNK, oh no, my engine died. I pulled off and opened the hood to flames down by the exhaust, extinguished with a bottle of water. At least I’m on the off ramp, two exits from home, Litton Springs. Locked up, I walked home, a long ways, an hour and a half later. I called Luis, he’s working. I picked some pears. A message to friend Joe and sister Cathy. Of course work before that.
As I received the banjo strings I restrung the banjolele. Delicate tuning with steel strings. I made a batch of crab cakes, scavenging the supplies from what I have and the garden, plenty actually and very tasty indeed, six more for the lunch gang.
I harvested more garlic from the garden, some big ones, set aside for seed, and the little ones to eat.
I worked on the bass, installed two frets to get the process figured out, cut a piece of black plastic for the truss rod cover, sanded smooth, needs holes for the small screws.
I mounted a piece of the new rosewood into the four jaw chuck,centered it and turned it round. Drilled and reamed to a 1/4 inch with clearance for the potentiometer. Cut it off spinning. Sanded smooth, this is a perfect knob after I drill and thread an Allen screw to lock it down.
Luis showed up with a clean truck he has for sale, a Toyota with 99 K miles, plenty of room for more. Stick takes getting used to again, tows 3500 lbs, will carry the vardo. A fine machine, my new truck.
We drove the old one home on two cylinders smoking, but home, no tow.
8shotoflove8 