Ending the silence

The summer has been busy around here.  I promised the kids more fun around the house, so we went wild: trampoline, slackline, zipline, and the platform for a treehouse!

The platform came together in about three days, and was a confidence builder for me.  I don't do much construction (well, any really), so I was happy to see this come together.  It was nice to build in a tree, where right angles don't count.  Sort of liberating.  A lot was figured out as I went, but the end result is solid! (2x8 joists, 2x6 decking on top, with some 2x8 when the span got over 36", all pressure-treated dimensional lumber).  I still want to get the railing and permanent stairs up before the end of summer, but there is still so much to do around the house (raised bed garden for one.)

I cleared a ton of trees around the house, letting in more light and air and filling up our woodpile for the winter.  It was hard to harvest so many birch at once, knowing I will just burn it rather than transform it into treen, but with acres more of the same, I don't need to worry.  Did save a few choice rounds and crooks for bowls and spoons though.

I have turned a few bowls this summer, but this week I need to get on it and bust out more.  I made one for my niece Camilla, who just turned 1.  Birch, flax/beeswax finish, two tone milk paint with green under blue.

Finishing up another for my daughter Hannah, who turns 9 in August.  And a third for the house.  Also finishing up a few spoons.  I have promised some bowls and spoons to the Natick Organic Community Farm folks for their fall auction.

Most of my spare time has been spent running in the mountains.  Way more to say about that, but not now.  Nothing like running across the tops of mountains...  Thanks to Eric Nguyen for the company and guidance.  It has been a blast.