Random Stuff

This page will show things that are not framing, but illustrate our emphasis on craftsmanship, artistry, green building, and mountain life.

NOTE:  The material on making cloth diapers have been moved to the "How to DO It Yourself (DIY) section.

My House

We built our home in Easton, Washington about three years ago. Building a home can be tough on an owner-builder's family, but it helped to forge ours.  My daughter came into her own as a full on second man framer. Lifting one end of 115lb trusses up a ladder, behind her head at the top.  I knew those toddler gymnastic classes would pay off some day.  My wife kept our few subs in line and held them to an insanely tight schedule.  And our son, nine at the time, provided the comic commentary necessary to maintain an even keel.

Safety First

Ropes and harnesses are a critical part of safety.  Some people think that if your job site is remote, i.e. invisible to the OSHA or WSHA inspectors that safety is optional.  I feel just the opposite.  Safety is of paramount importance when working in remote locations.  If the nearest good hospital is over an hour a way, don't do anything your vet can't fix on a farm call.
Pardon our dust, page in development
One of our recent projects turned into the new company logo.  A little artistic twist eliminated my teacup from the windowsill and brought Mt Stuart closer.
Best sledding hill around is grandma's roof.

Old, grouchy, cold sensitive, but strong... are we still discussing the tractor? Below is a link to the tractor in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Dmc6OXQgE
You might be a redneck if your TV stand is a 1952 International Harvester.
The tractor is living history... old as hell but a nice way to lift the stove to the second floor.
Grilling in the snow... smells like victory.

Time to warm some old feet by the fire.
Even though she is a grown-up now, Kaleigh still has her braces, and every orthodontist will enjoy the following video link.  A perfect educational tool for the kids who whine that it is inconvenient to brush after every meal.





An awareness of foreign affairs is fostered at our house. (in June I took the FSOT test for the State Department, but didn't make the cut... I guess spanglish doesn't count as a critical language skill.) Kaleigh painted this picture after reading Greg Mortenson's book "Three cups of tea" about building schools in the mountains of Pakistan. If you look closely at the tea you can read the Arabic words for guest, friend, and family. It shows up better on the original 18X24 painting, which got a Best in Show, teen category, at a show at the Carpenter House museum and gallery in Cle Elum. www.highcountryartists.com

Glass Blowing... an addiction in the making.

A year ago my family took a series of glass blowing classes at Art By Fire in Issaquah.  It turned into an amazing collaborative team building exercise for us, and was more fun than I can put words to.

Mistakes in wood can be fixed, with glass it goes right or you crash and burn... at 2000 degrees.
Just like honey, only hotter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHmRzDzHoJU
Yes those are flames on the paddle... That cup is HOT. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCLonTnOCVM
Twisted guitar sculpture.

Here's another clip. Josh shot it, so it covers all the hot shop activities, but he moves the camera... lots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nOp1IIlMB4

Above is a union artillery uniform, the gun to the right is a disappearing carriage rifle. The design grew out of the Civil War and the problem of protecting gunnery crews.  This particular gun was used in WWII.  note the bullet impact craters on the side of the barrel.
Confederate cavalry uniform.

OLD SCHOOL CERAMICS

Saggar and pit firing ceramics is a bit more mountainy than going into some shop and painting a bisque.
You dig a hole, pack it with bisques (I'm pretty sure I would just bust greenware), surround them with combustibles of all sorts, and light it.  Sawdust, hay, and pine needles were our choice, with a bit of cordwood for heat and duration.  As the material burns off, carbon or other vaporized elements are left on the ceramics.
The effect is cool, but as I write, the pieces are still too toasty to take out and get pictures.
Pine needles left neat marks on the work. Some places they shielded the ceramic from the smoke, leaving a light print. In others they vaporized and left black carbon pine needle "pictures".  Often both results were visible side by side on one piece.

I have slightly scorched fingers after barrel and pit firing ceramics with the wife and kids on June 3rd. It would have been Keegan's first birthday, and Keegan means "little fiery one", so we went out and torched stuff. The barrel cooled quickly, but the pit was still hot a day and a half later. Both were more fun than blowing out the candle on the cake, but it was a surprisingly good day
  Well, usually, the moon comes up, the dog won't come in "sniff, sniff, ELK", and the kids put on glow in the dark necklaces and shoot each other with plastic pistols. At least that's what they did for Kaleigh's 18th birthday.  In a sign of great maturity she suggested that for her 21st, formal attire would be required for any guests attending that airsoft war.

What happens in Easton when the sun goes down?

 Well, usually, the moon comes up, the dog won't come in "sniff, sniff, ELK", and the kids put on glow in the dark necklaces and shoot each other with plastic pistols. At least that's what they did for Kaleigh's 18th birthday.  In a sign of great maturity she suggested that for her 21st, formal attire would be required for any guests attending that airsoft war.
What happens when the sun comes up?
Wow, you scrolled all the way down here.  Your reward is a picture of Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands.  I shot this on Christmas Eve one year.  There is a really cool B&B on a large sailboat there.