pyrography ~

I've been sitting idle for too long ... time to get the creative juices flowing again.  Should I paint, nah.  Woodworking, make more bird houses, nah. Sewing, cooking, cleaning, get organized and have a garage sale, ... What to do?  What to do? 

It is springtime finally in my neck of the woods and I really do have a ton of outside projects and inside projects to get at ... but they all feel like work.  My gardening and raking up after the dog will just have to be put on the back burner for a bit.  I need something else.

There is something that I always had a bit of an interest in but have never tried before.  Pyrography a.k.a. Wood Burning.  Why not give it a try.

Here's my very first attempt ... a loon.

Not the best job ... but for a first attempt I was satisfied with it.  I sure do have a lot to learn about being a pyographer!!!  It's not as easy as it looks, that's for sure. 

One thing I have learned already though ... and this might be a hard lesson for me to grasp ... patience.  I need to slow it down and take my time. 

I can't begin to tell you how many times I was saying to myself under my breath and out loud, "Patience Grasshopper. Patience."

Until next time ...

so it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

slab wood ~

The rough cut lumber pieces cut off of a log to make it nice and smooth are often referred to as slab wood.  

 I'm a wanting me some slab wood.

I want to make a section of fence like this ... minus the leaning cowboy ... to put at the end of my driveway.  This particular fence is out by Hick's Landing (for those who are familiar with the area).

There's just something about the rough, uneven pieces that I find appealing.  What do you think??  I'm having a hard time convincing Dear Hubby on this one.
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Driving home from town this morning ~ beautiful weather we're having ...

... this is for you Sara ...  know where we're at ???

... are you still missing northern Wisconsin ???

Old Man Winter just refuses to quit with the snow.  Look at the size of these flakes ... they were more like snowballs falling instead of flakes!

 
Any time now Mother Nature ... you can switch us over to spring.

Until next time ...
so it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

contrasting moments ~

Hard to believe it's the first day of April already.  

Yesterday it was rain and snow ... and this morning the same ... only more snow than rain. 

My brother's place looked pretty neat through the wet raindrops on the truck window.

The sky was just black this morning with more threats of nasty weather ... but other than some stronger winds ... the sun did eventually come out and we didn't get anymore snow.  All the snow did was cover up the muddy roads we needed to traverse ... making them all the more slipperier than the day before.

Back to business ... the traps must be checked every 24 hours.

I'm thinkin' Trapperman put a hole in his shirt when he was breaking off some popple sticks that are used for baiting the beaver sets ..

 ~ hello there Mr. Mallard Duck with the pretty green head ~

~ oh oh ... a tail slapper ~

It's April ... Mother Nature and Old Man Winter pulled another one on us with this snow and the cold weather.  Enough of it already.

I'm ready to go back to Nashville to check out the Boot Barn.

Also.... walk the beautiful, warm and snow free walkways in the Gaylord Opry Land Hotel

 What a gorgeous place to visit ~

The water features and plants are amazing!

 I loved this courtyard ... and these tables ~ wonder if Trapperman could make me one ???

What a contrast.  A walk through the Gaylord and a walk through our every day life.

Until next time ...

so it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

that time again ~

This is my Dear Hubby in a nutshell ...

I rode along the last couple days with Dear Hubby, the trapperman.  It's that time of year again when he and my son are out there trapping nuisance beaver.  If not kept under control in these northern woods... they sure can raise some havoc on the roads and properties.

 ... a little washout from a plugged up culvert ...

how would you like to be driving along and hit that??

... assessing the situation ...

 ... a little clean up on the culvert ...

 The beaver have it packed full of chewed off twigs and sticks so they can flood the area and make a pond.  The beaver don't care that there's a road that runs right through this property. 

 Getting ready to put in another set ...

The roads in this area are closed to the public right now because of spring thawing ~ causing a lot of mud and ruts, plus parts are full of snow, and washouts from the beaver floodings ... but Slim has permission from the county to go through them for trapping

Believe me ... it's a long rough ride!

It rained on and off all morning ... blahhhhhhhhhh

Watch it Buddy ~ you're almost over your boot top!

Slim had to switch into a dryer jacket and another mode of transportation.

Another one.

They're stacking up ... I think the count is now 95.

Until next time ...
so it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel