Sunday, April 29, 2012

Block Plane




This is a good little video explaining and proclaiming the virtues of the block plane.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Good Neighbours, make for Happy Happy


  Eva and I moved into this house 3 1/2 years ago and every day there is another reason to be pleased to have moved here.


  We have created new gardens from nothing but clay and building debris, my work in finishing the basement is very nearly complete and the work shop down stairs is my sanctuary and playroom.  We have space for the kids to visit, a great view of the conservation area from your deck and more than enough room for all they luxuries that have been gathered.


  Aside from the material advantages we have realized in moving here there is an intangible advantage we had not expected, but appreciate, and can not begin to place a value upon. 


  
   The intangible resource and source of pleasure is our neighbours.  We are surrounded on all sides by excellent neighbours, they are good and helpful folks and today was a further demonstration of our good fortune.


  That photo is 2 cubic yards of river rock spread between our's and our neighbour's home.  That area between the houses does not get enough good light to grow grass and so last year we planted some low light plants and our neighbours had a stepped walk way put in.  Today the stone arrived to fill in that space and I set to work moving it the length of the house two buckets full at a time, it was slow, heavy and muscle grinding work.  When my next door neighbours arrived home at lunch time and saw what I was doing they joined in without hesitation and helped.  Their help meant that the job was done in less than half the time and without me breaking  my back.


  We are so lucky to live in a neighbourhood where neighbours with snow blowers help clean driveways and there are people to look after pets when you travel and people jump in and help with plain old hard work, it is hard to express how happy we are.




Thursday, April 12, 2012

Kieran in the Garden

Last weekend Kieran was down to the family farm for a visit with his Great Grandmother, Aunts and the dogs.  Kieran likes to dig in the dirt and this video shows his desire to develop innovative  new crops in Ontario