mostly about hobbies...

Supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus! 

After sitting here for approximately 5 minutes trying to figure out how to start this post and drawing a complete blank, I thought I'd borrow a line from Mary and Bert {the movie Mary Poppins}. Once I get going it isn't so hard, but the beginning is usually difficult. This one is especially, because it has very little to do with gardening unless you consider that the wood used to create this contraption could be put to good use in a compost bin or as woodchips on a garden and will provide good stuff after 4 to 5 years of decomposition. 

Anyway, as a hobby, I like messing about with wood. Making this and that, and on occasion, that and this. It happens to be one of my nephews birthday. His name is George and he's a few days apart from Lucy, so we like to get him a birthday present. (Maybe some day he'll be rich and famous and have lots of money and remember that we used to give him presents) 

I won't say that this is a money saving venture  - although if you were to buy something custom like this it probably would cost more than this cost me to make. Since we usually shop at the dollar store for most of our birthday presents for nephews and nieces, this is equivalent to about 30 birthdays. Since I enjoy woodworking projects, and like the actual smell of wood, and feel soothed as the job starts looking like I want it, I think its a win-win-win situation. If anyone out there is actually interested let me know, and I'll go into the gory details of how I made Noah's Ark and some animals. For the rest of you who probably don't really care, I won't bore you with details, just say that with a good finish stapler, scroll saw, and table saw; you too could make this (and if you did I'm sure it would actually look nice too) This is the 4th one I've made. The first one had lots of flaws but it was for Lucy, so I like it. The next was for cousin Nathan and it was the best by far. The third (I tried to redesign and it was so-so) was for niece Eloise. This is the 4th edition and I think it will pass inspection.

I think it is always good to have a hobby that actually produces something for somebody - my hobbies happen to be wood stuff, piano, and gardening though not exactly in that order. XBOX and Playstation are good hobbies I'm sure, for some people, but it's hard to say that a high score really is worth the 48 hours put into it. I think I'm rambling now, though, so I'll just say "so long". Below are a few pictures of the final project.