When Temperatures Drop

The temperature finally significantly dropped along the Wasatch front bringing to the end of a more beautiful Indian summer. Last night we had clouds and rain there was even talk of snow and mountains possibly even coming down to the valley floor this morning but to my knowledge that did not happen. However temperatures preceding this low-pressure system of cold air was in the 70s. In mid-July I began moving my wood shop out onto the driveway of my garage. I don't know what instigated the Epiphany that even though I could not use my garage I could use my tools outside the garage and get back to making my hooks.

I keep my tools outside now on the driveway next to the garage door. The tools I have out on the driveway include attendance power tablesaw, one craftsman belt sander, the belt sander is pretty heavy takes and it takes nearly all my strength to move it from one place to another. When not in use I keep the belt sander hidden behind one of my big black garbage cans and pretty much the same I do with the table saw. I also have a couple of workbenches on which I have fixed a vice and I plan to put a couple more vices out there. I feel pretty secure in this neighborhood and I feel pretty comfortable people will leave my equipment alone. Since we live in the desert I am not too worried during the summer regarding rain in my equipment. I watch the news and the weather and if bad weather is forecast to cover the side the Sanders with big black garbage bags. I've access to the power I need to run all my power tools and I just wish I had found the solution earlier to my wood shop access problem. Oh, I still have access issues but much fewer that I had and I can ask folks to fix things I can't reach if need be.

Into beautiful weather this weekend preceding the day storm I was in the garage Friday getting ready to work work on some hooks. To do this I would need to get some scrap lumber that I use to make the book blanks. I have this lumber in the rafters of the garage and another place of buried under stuff that I can't get to. My daughter, Bridget and Asher, our three-year-old grandson, was over visiting and asked if she could help me get the wood. I was a little concerned because it would be a little difficult to get access to the wood and maybe a little harsh on the hands but Bridget was game and did not have to be asked twice. She asked what I was doing I figured what the heck so I shared with her by project. And before I knew it she was knee-deep in alligators with me helping me work on my wood project. Together we ripped a 12 inch boards into 12 inch one by one inch strips some of which would cut into two pieces and some of those two 6 foot pieces we then cut into 3 foot pieces. My little craftsman 10 inch saw cut heroically and soon we had enough blanks to keep me busy for days.

I was amazed at Bridge's interest in my hook project. We worked together all afternoon, she cut would with the table saw, she worked her pieces with the belt sander in the Palm Sander eventually drilling holes into the into the wood and twisting hook in the end. We talked, we laughed listen to some music on the garage radio. Bridget was generally excited to be working on the wood and to be working with me. She had a giant smile on her face. I sent her home of two hooks which she had made. I was mildly surprised on Saturday the next day when she called in one come over and do something else. Little family dropped her off about an hour later Bridget my spent the morning putting together a workbench I picked up somewhere and never had the courage or the resources our patients to put the thing together. However, we assembled the bench as a team effort and it's going to be wonderful.

It's amazing sometimes but we find in old grudges when temperatures drop.