Jill read a article yesterday morning that they best thing to do today(yesterday) was to grab your cat, snuggle up in bed and just stay there. Everyone here has been saying that it’s been a very mild winter but with the radio warning everyone of the weekend and next week, it truly is here now.
It was cold, granted it isn’t as cold as it gets in PA in the winter/spring. I think it’s more of the wild temperature swings. If the sun is out it’s probably great! if the sun is out and it’s a northerly then it’s cold. If the clouds are out then it might be ok during the day but if the clouds are out and it windy, bundle up.
Ned does have plenty of insulation but most of these Kiwis are tough cookies. They will be out in t-shirts and shorts and I’m fighting the urge to wear my Dr.Who scarf.
That said, I do miss snow. Seeing it on the mountain tops is really a treat and next weekend we are going skiing!
I love to fish, most any type of fishing. I think it’s because I like standing in streams. I grew up next to a stream, not one that supported fish but crayfish and salamanders. My sister and I were in it daily provided the weather was ok.
Nick and Todd got me into fly fishing and Nick was the one who brought up Tenkara rods when he saw a guy using one on, I believe it was Yellow Creek in Pennsylvania. I really like the thought of it, simple as you can get. Since, chest bags had always gave me a headache from resting on my neck and so I had moved to just a lanyard. The next thing was to get the simple rod set up too!
It’ll take about 10 clicks into researching Tenkara before you read the name, Dr. Ishigaki. He’s world renowned for this style of fishing and thus everyone who knows of Tenkara knows his fly box. I’ve always wanted to make one and this is a good time to do it in New Zealand as it is winter here.
Well this one was never meant for the stream, my wife tends to leave earings around the house in places that make me nervous. I can’t take myself out of this since I have a few rings, including my wedding ring, which I tend to forget here or there. This box will be the place lost items go, hopefully. Either way it’s a prototype for when I attempt a ‘good’ fly box.
I wanted to add this image in since it is without a doubt the best end grain work I’ve ever done. Granted, I used a shooting board so 90 degrees is no issue (*cough). What this does show is that I made that plane blade super sharp. I really do believe the best kept secret to loving woodworking with hand tools is loving to sharping metal. Otherwise frustration will break you quickly.
I used a coping saw with zona blades, a brace and auger bit (5/16ths), some rasps and files as well as sand paper to shape the insides of the top and bottom. It took less than 50 minutes to do this so this is easy and anyone could easily try this. I would just warn that stock coping saw blades will make you pull you’re hair out. In this day and age good blades are two days away via the internet and not anywhere near as expensive as you think. Boy do they make a huge difference.
I book matched the top and bottoms and glued them on. I still have issues with hinges but I’m much better. I also used a neo. magnet as the clasp. This wasn’t enough. If you do intend to make this a fly box you’ll need at least 6 like Dr.I’s has or some physical latch on it. This is the part I need to figure out before I make my real fly box like this. Also, Three coats of shellac is good for my purpose. If this was going to used on the water I’d probably go with a poly instead.
I’m pretty pleased with this, I could really stare at the end grain all day. Since I moved to New Zealand last fall, I really haven’t fly fished in almost a full year. This really gives me cabin fever.
It’s time to plan the next fly fishing related project for sure!
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Jill travels for her work. Ned and I miss her on her long trips and we know she misses us. So when she had a Friday trip to Napier Ned and I joined in. Thankfully we found the Fern Motel, which allows dogs. Rather nice place too.
I need to go out next week and photo all the lambs that were born in the past week and a half. It really is adorable to see. Since we were in a car getting to her destinations as fast as is allowed I couldn’t take those photos. Somewhere in Central Hawkes Bay, which so far has the best 2nd hand/antique stores I’ve run into, I snapped this from the passengers seat.
I really want to head back out to this spot on a clear night and set up for some night sky photography. One can easily see the Milky Way from our house near Wellington, out where this old house is it has to be stunning!
I woke one morning, walked to my computer and saw two plants on my bookcase… I cringed a little. ‘We don’t need no stinking rings! ‘, I though.
I don’t know why that was my reaction. I mean, I really like that bookcase but it’s made from some cheap — wood. Still, I knew it was time to make a plant stand.
Roy Underhill has an episode where he makes a tabouret. It’s from a book for youth boys and learning carpentry crafts. Perfect solve, eh? Well, I have no clue of his dimensions and like a fool I decided not to go watch that episode on PBS’s website (yes donate/pledge please). So, it turns out that I designed mine a bit different than his. Mine is a bit less stable and we’ll see how it holds up in an earthquake. It already has had a ball hit it that my wife tossed for the pup in the house, so there is a bit of hope.
When I became an adult, giving flowers, dead, plucked flowers, just seemed wrong. Still, everyone will give you a look when you say you didn’t give your mother flowers on mothers day. I’ll give her flowers, live ones in a pot, and I think that this would be perfect to give to her to hold that pot.
It’s simple and the tools can be easily bought at a flea market or antique store, or harbor freight if you really couldn’t be bothered (though I’d suggest a decent hand plane as the cheap ones are just a massive pain to tune up — trust me I’ve tried — multiple times). You and your kids could spend an afternoon building it together. I do think it does look a bit lonely, so maybe make a second one.
Once I get the previous projects on blog entries I’ll start posting updates of the current projects I’m working on. Thanks for checking it out and please Subscribe to the channel, comment and like. If you have things you want me to try let me know!
Oh and yes I know I was a bit of a fool with that intro. Hey, I’m getting close to 40 (38.5), I gotta stop caring about some things at some point in my life!
So, most days I take Ned up to the dog park to get his socializing in. If the weather is ok and the tide out I’ll take him to the beach just a block away. This day I parked, walked Ned up and threw the ball, And as Ned ran out ahead of the second ball a little black head popped out the water. He was coming straight in and to the beach and looked at me and then at Ned, did a backflip and was out of there! This photo is from about 20 seconds after that when he kept popping up and looking at us with a, ‘what in the world are they!’, look. I watched him swim south (where he needs to go). The odd thing was no one else on the beach, which their were a good number of people that day, even noticed. So I’m glad I got a few photos and a few seconds of video I need to post. The video shows Ned FINALLY noticing him.
That night he was reported a bit further south but still not near where he should be. I guess the young male pups will leave their parents and swim north on their own while the females stay close to mom. I don’t know if this is true but it is what I was told by locals. He had plenty of energy when I saw him (in my opinion at least) so I’m sure the little fellow is ok but what a sweet experience.
