Campfire

When I used to camp with Andrew, we sat around the fire and shared thoughts and opinions about everything in the world. We talked about family and friends, ancestors and what brought us to the day. We were generally with a group of friends at the campfire sharing what was on our collective minds . Do you remember the season on NCIS when Gibbs was gone for a while and Tony was running the show? He'd call for a "campfire" which was his way of bringing the members of the team together to discuss the situation at hand.

These thoughts caused me to consider tribal councils of old. The elders of the group gathered to discuss issues and history, and to share the collective intelligence of the group with the next generation. Why don't we do this anymore? I don't mean exactly like the early tribal councils, but more like the "campfire" in NCIS. Why do we not gather to share things we know and have learned with the next generation to make their lives easier? As I thought about this, I came back to the family reunions my grandfather's side used to have. They were on the second Saturday in July (I think) and I looked forward to them like I look forward to going to the dentist. Even going to the event with such a mindset, I will tell you I always learned something. Sometimes it was very specific, but often it was just about being a part of something much bigger, a family.

So, in thinking about what I've provided for my children, and now for my grandchildren, I wonder if change caused me to miss some of this. Have I been so busy with the pieces of life that I wasn't good at showing my kids they were part of something bigger, and teaching them the way the universe connects, giving them power to reach out to friends, family, and acquaintances to solve problems or open opportunities? Some groups get this and it has always been part of who they are. But some of us get so busy with the day-to-day, we lose track of that bigger picture.

A week or so ago I was part of a conversation about how we balance work and life. I will tell you without question, I fell into the group thinking if I were home, even if I was working, I was there with my kids. From this perspective, I know I should have left work at work and gone home and rolled on the floor with the kids and told them how much I loved them. If you have an opportunity to change up how you are doing this at present, I would suggest you make every effort.

As for campfires, to circle back, I told you I would catch you up on the teardrop trailer. I'm including pictures so you know what I have created and how very proud I am of it. I know it will look good sitting in a campsite close, but not too close, to a campfire. I've been working on this project for about three years now, and it has been a labor of love.

I began with a Harbor Freight flat trailer.

The build started from there, adding walls and roof. Then I went to work on the rest of the structure.

From there I moved on to the inside and finishing the galley.

Finally, I learned a bunch about working with aluminum - shaping and sealing to ensure the trailer is watertight and will stand up to the unexpected bumps it will take. I also learned a lot about twelve volt direct current power and how to get it to work.

As I approach the end of this project, I am proud and a little surprised at what I have been able to accomplish. I have created a home to be taken with them when they travel, giving J & K more freedom than they had without it. I also caused them to add a larger vehicle to their fleet to be able to take care of pulling the teardrop. I hope I will remember to take pictures to share when they come to pick it up.

Over the next few weeks, I will add windows in the doors and a box to the tongue to hold what is needed for the electrical system. I don't know what else I will add, but I'm so close I can feel it. Also, the timing is perfect as it looks as though there may be another library project in the future and I suggested a way for Sara to make her sewing room work more effectively. She's still thinking about it. We will see.

I hope all is good for you today. Take care of yourself, and your family.

Hibernate

Iowa is fortunate to have four distinct weather seasons. I love this, but I know there are many in the state who would disagree with me. One of the great things about having all the seasons is that about the time you are tired of one, another appears, or as has been the case lately, a taste of the next season shows itself. We've had a nice break from severe winter weather this last week. In fact, the other day when the temperature was in the thirties one of the weather people reminded us that on the same day last year the windchill was fifty-one degrees below zero. What a contrast. It was fun to watch people walk their dogs and play with their children, like a nice Spring or Summer day. A little nice weather takes us a long way toward a much better overall outlook about the world.

As this was going on, I had occasion to be outside the city in rural Iowa which was what made me think about hibernation. As children, we learned about the bear's life cycle and that they spend several months in their dens in a state of hibernation. While this is interesting, as I traveled across the countryside, a completely different definition came to mind. Our row-crop agriculture shuts down at the end of the harvest season and as farmers come out of the field, they still have work to be accomplished.  Equipment is cleaned and serviced before being put away for the winter. But slowly, the work is completed, machine sheds and barns fill up, and doors are pulled closed. The farmstead begins to hibernate. There might still be work to be accomplished over the winter months, but in large part, things are shut up and put away. Then, much as is the case of the bear in the spring, when the time comes, machine sheds and barns open up and the period of waking occurs. I enjoy watching this part of the cycle of the state and when I lived other places; it was part of what I missed.

Another part of the hibernation seen in Iowa in the winter is the farmland itself. Again, as harvest ends, farmers prepare the land for winter. This may include fall tillage or chemical application, but whatever they do, it makes things ready for winter. For me, looking at snow-covered farmland makes me imagine the land is asleep, waiting for spring to wake it to a new season. From other blogs I have posted, you know I love crops in the late summer, moving and shimmering in the breeze, but this season is a close second.

Enough about all of this. You know I love the state and never want to live anywhere else. I just hope you see the beauty I see. My sister is picking up the teardrop sometime this summer. But she announced that she is coming out earlier to look things over and decide what they need as to initial provisions and equipment. She's also coming to spend time with the grand-kids. I just say "yeah" to all of this activity. We'll take the trailer out for a bit of a shakedown run to make sure it pulls right and all the gear works. I tried to convince her that Maine is an awfully long trip for the maiden voyage, and talked to her regarding the idea of shipping the trailer, but she is not to be deterred. She knows they can and will make the trip to take the trailer home. This is exciting as the first vehicle I have ever built is about to launch. Also, it is very exciting as I retrieve a large chunk of my shop. The space will let me make real progress on kitchen cabinets for the house.

In my next blog I'll show you pictures of the trailer and tell you about the challenges in building it. I am excited to show you what I have done and I will be interested in your thoughts. One thing I have yet to do is purchase initial equipment to help J & K out and get them started. Again, I look forward to your thoughts. Have a great weekend.

Hon

The Urban Dictionary tells us that this term of endearment is short for honey. It's good to have a definition, but more important to me, this word is capable of making my day.

Say I am in the drive through getting my “Ultimate Whopper” and when the person, most often a woman, comes to the window, they say something like, “Have a good day, hon.” This immediately brings a smile to my face and helps elevate the rest of the day. I hope there is something for you which accomplishes this feeling.

As the new year has come and gone, and we are under the specter of a twenty-four-hour, minute by minute news cycle I find myself thinking about this more and more. What is it in these words that is so powerful for me? And I think about a couple of completely unrelated things.

First, I think about Star Trek. Not the later versions, but the Star Trek I rushed home to watch when I was a kid and the series was on for the first time. I would love to tell you the name of the episode, but I can’t remember enough specifics to get there. The story was about an advanced lifeform, without a physical body, interacting with the crew of the Enterprise. To come to the solution for the episode, the lifeform had to take over the body of one of the crew. Okay, be patient, I'm getting to the important part. One of the observations the lifeform made about the “human condition” was how alone humans are. By alone, they meant separate from others, not interconnected.

On one of the Sunday morning news shows last week there was a piece about a psychologist from the 50s and 60s. After working with returning veterans, he proved that suicide rates could be cut in half in high-risk populations just by sending them post cards with personal notes of encouragement. Wow.

I'll bring this full circle back to my person in the drive-through. With no agenda and no hidden motive, they took the second needed to use a word which made me smile. Although I know this, they probably have no idea it had the impact.

And after taking you through the wander I just concluded, I ask how am I taking care of those I know and care about? With such a busy life and so much going on, I probably haven't taken care of those around me. I have friends who are absolutely great at this. They can know the right thing to say and the right time to say it.

For those of us this for which does not come naturally, we have to work harder at it. I intend to think more about people I interact with intermittently. Maybe I can be better about connecting with them. Time will tell, it always does.

Okay, shop news. A couple of updates. One thing I've wanted to do for a long time was to make a good conditioner for the cutting boards I've made, sold, and given away over the years. I combined mineral oil and beeswax to condition the wood and add lost luster to the item. If any of you have items you have gotten from me, finished with oil to be food safe, reach out and we will find a way to spiff them up.

Next, we are within months of finishing the Teardrop trailer. Then, J and K will come out and pick it up. I'm adding the final flourishes, like fans, windows, door locks, etc. The heavy lifting is done on this project. I look forward to it leaving the shop once and for all, and I really hope it is exactly what my sister wanted all those years ago we started talking about it. We will make some shakedown runs when we get good weather, which still may be awhile. And yes, I will take some pictures and post them here.

Finally, I am getting the hang of using the CNC router I added to the shop a year ago. One of the recommendations from an expert in the field was not to try to “fight outside your weight class” too soon. This is a good recommendation. Early on I had some failures when I tried to do projects too complex for my skill. Over time, I've learned a lot. The last real hurdle I have is to find a good/easy drafting software which will easily move to the language I need for the CNC. More to come on this front.

Well, it is winter in Iowa. We've had horribly cold days and nights, and it is snowing again today. I hope you are safe and warm and having a great week. Be in touch with the important people in your life. It's as big a deal for you as it is for them.

White Charger

No, no, not that white Charger. I am talking about the white horse the hero rides when off to save the damsel in distress. You remember the fairy tale.

I don't often get the opportunity to be the person riding in to save the day, but last week, I got the chance to do it twice. I want to tell you about one of those. For all of my adult life, and most of the years I was learning to drive, one thing I was told again and again was not to pick up hitchhikers. It was an unsafe decision. So, I've stopped to give someone a ride twice, one of them last week.

I'd been in the Twin Cities and was heading back mid-morning on Wednesday. The temperature was four degrees there, and the wind was blowing. As I drove, I saw a car on the side of the road with its flashers blinking. No one was in the car and there were no other cars around it. Someone was having a bad day. About a quarter of a mile down the road, two people, wrapped in blankets were walking along the side of the interstate. Interestingly, all the training and all the words from the past were nowhere to be heard. I pulled over as quickly as I could, rolled down the windows on the passenger side of the truck and waited for the two to catch up to me.

Now comes the interesting part. Two young women approached my truck as though it was the “portal to hell.” Obviously, they'd received the same training and conversation about taking a ride from a stranger. Now, looking back on it, the whole thing was hilarious. I had already made the leap to this being okay, but they just weren't sure getting in a truck with a stranger was the safe, smart thing to do. So, I decided to break the ice. I told them I would be happy to take them the couple of miles to the truck stop to where they would be warm and safe. I also looked at them, smiled, and told them I was safe, adding there were two of them and only one of me.

Somewhere in the middle of the short conversation, I won them over. One of them jumped in the front seat and the other in the back. We started moving and I recognized how cold they already were. One could barely speak through shivering teeth. I asked about their situation and they had literally run out of gas about two miles sooner than needed. They'd already talked to family who lived about thirty minutes south and who were headed toward them to help. In less than five minutes, I had them snug in a warm truck stop, waiting for family to come and bail them out.

As I drove away, I found myself smiling and thinking, as my sister would have said when we were younger, “all at the same once.” The reason for the smile was obvious. I helped someone who was in a jam. The thinking takes a little more to get processed. I found myself taking a look at all the things we take for granted. The things we have learned, either intentionally, or unintentionally over a lifetime. One of mine was to never pick up hitchhikers. I could argue I didn't break that rule as these girls weren't hitchhiking, but were in trouble. But the other thing is that nobody else stopped to help them. Many of us have the same rule set. But, for the three of us involved in the five minutes where I gave them a ride, we will probably think differently about similar situations in the future. Heck, at the end of it, I don't even know their names. They were just people who needed help.

So, in this time of holiday cheer, thinking of friends and family, it again points out to me the need to think about ways we can help each other. This can be those we know intimately, or those barely known to us. I know for me this year, I am thinking more about how I can help others than I typically do, and it will be interesting to see where this leads.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Jim

Skinnin' Fish

Sometimes a family story comes to the top of your head, and until you get it told, it will not go away.

Grandma and Grandpa lived on the hill heading out of town going east for as long as I can remember. Throughout those years, the same family lived across the road. Our families were always friendly, but not what anyone would call friends. Over the years of sitting on the front steps and living in close proximity, there was a tendency to watch each other.

As the story goes, one afternoon, Grandma and Grandpa sat in front of their house and something was going on across the way. Grandma watched with rapt interest for some amount of time and then announced her thoughts.

They were skinnin’ fish over there.

As the story goes, this struck Grandpa in as  funny , and laughter erupted. At the end of all of the laughing and conversation, they both decided it didn't matter what was going on across the road. But that was the only the beginning of the story. From the moment that exchange happened until today, if the situation is similar - something is happening but you can’t tell what - a family member will say, "Well, I think they’re skinnin’ fish.” The rest of us still laugh.

I believe one reason this came to mind today is the current state of communication in the United States. I watch it happen with friends and family. There is so much intensity on everything being said it is impossible to recognize the important from the inane. Social media platforms feed into this. I remember a friend telling me the purpose of Twitter. He told me is was to let all of his friends know he ate a doughnut this morning. Although I think this may be a little overstated, I feel as though it is more right than wrong. People can get wound up about the most unimportant things, and honestly, they may be just skinnin’ fish.

Two members of my family work around moving traffic. One of them work in road maintenance and repair, and one worked as a police officer. Both told stories of the bad things that happen when people aren't paying attention to the right things. In fact, for the police officer ,it was sometimes referred to as “gore gawkers.” For both family members, because people didn't pay attention to the responsibilities they had as drivers, they were not as safe.

These two things go together. If we did a better job of staying focused on what was truly important, and find a way to laugh at ourselves when what we are focused on is not really important, we might well be in a better place. This is something I've been working on. I will tell you that without exception, if you let the unimportant things roll of your back, it makes life easier to deal with.

Stop skinnin' fish ... unless of course, you just reeled in a fifteen-pound walleye. Have a great week and a very good Thanksgiving.

Nor'easter - Iowa style

There are times when people believe all Iowans talk about is the weather. We talk about it during planting time, during harvest and any day in between. Sit and listen in any small coffee shop in the state and you will hear weather as a conversation point. Oh, by the way, my first few sentences might indicate we don't talk about weather between fall and spring, and there is no truth to that. We talk about it then, too. We are an agricultural state and the weather is a good indicator of the health of the crop.

On top of this is the way that many Iowans deal with severe weather. When the National Weather Service tells you to take shelter, if you go outside to look at how bad the weather really is, chances are you'll be able to wave at neighbors who are doing the same thing. After all, how can you know how bad a storm is unless you look at it?

That is all preface for my story. This week, I've had the opportunity and delight to travel with my daughter to see my sister, who lives in Maine. As my daughter was planning this trip, one issue was a curling event on Cape Cod that Jaye had already scheduled. We decided (easily enough) that Meg and I would go to the curling event.

By the way, a complete aside, if you've never watched curling, you really should. I find the physics and the strategy of the game fascinating. Maybe you should watch it with someone who knows what's going on the first time to help you to develop a basic understanding. Or, of course you could always watch hours and hours on YouTube.

There are times when people believe all Iowans talk about is the weather. We talk about it during planting time, during harvest and any day in between. Sit and listen in any small coffee shop in the state and you will hear weather as a conversation point. Oh, by the way, my earlier conversation might indicate we don't talk about weather between fall and spring, and there is no truth to that. We talk about it then, too. We are an agricultural state and the weather is a good indicator of the health of the crop.

On top of this is the way that many Iowans deal with severe weather. When the National Weather Service tells you to take shelter, if you go outside to look at how bad the weather really is, chances are you'll be able to wave at your neighbors who are outside checking on the same thing. After all, how can you know how bad a storm is unless you go out and look at it?

That is all preface for my story. This week, I've had the opportunity and delight to travel with my daughter to see my sister, who lives in Maine. As my daughter was planning this trip, one issue was a curling event on Cape Cod that Jaye had already scheduled. We decided (easily enough) that Meg and I would go to the curling event.

By the way, a complete aside, if you've never watched curling, you really should. I find the physics and the strategy of the game fascinating. Maybe you should watch it with someone who knows what's going on the first time to help you to develop a basic understanding. Or, of course you could always watch hours and hours on YouTube.

When our flight landed in Maine, we were told a Nor'easter was hitting the Cape, but you know, probably not a big deal. So we decided to head that way, take our time, and everything would probably be fine by the time we arrived. During the drive down, we decided to take a side trip and tour the USS Albacore on the way and then stop and have a little snack.

While we were driving, we read an alert that the Cape had been hit with a "bomb" cyclone and travel wasn't recommended. We also received word that electricity at the curling club was out. Curling math - Ice without electricity plus time equals water. So, what was our decision? Hold up and find a place and wait for the next day? Hell no. We were meeting people for dinner, and Jaye's team had a curling match that evening if the electricity came back. FORWARD!

By the way, given my history, I agreed completely with every one of these decisions.

As we got closer, we all noted the wind was somewhat severe and when it rain, it was pretty significant. Did we stop or turn back? Of course not. We watched the sky, and it didn't look that bad. In the middle of this, Then we got the message that power was restored at the curling club, so obviously things were getting better.

As we drove into Falmouth, MA, where the club was, we came across a gas station that had been pretty well destroyed by the storm. Several bucket trucks were out and about. We got to our rental and to our surprise; we had no electricity. Who could have possibly foreseen this? The sky hadn't looked bad at all. We gathered with the people we were to have dinner with, and then headed to the curling match that started a few hours late, finishing shortly after midnight. Fortunately, our power back the next morning in time for coffee, and the rest of the trip was very smooth. I'll tell you, it makes me wonder if my approach to weather has been flawed all of these years. The next time we have severe weather I will still say hello to my neighbors, as we stand outside watching storms roll in.

On a final note, my sister and her team won the final. This is a big deal and I am so proud of them.  When your copy of the United States Curling News comes in the mail next month, look for their picture for winning the Cape Cod Bog Spiel.

Okay, back to work next week.

Bucket List - Revisited

 If you are like me, there are several conversations which happen periodically, yet have very little real consequence. One is what you would do if you won a lottery, a big lottery. The second of these is often sandwiched right in with the first - what is on your bucket list? 

I'd never thought much about a bucket list before the 2007 movie by the same name, but since then I've been in several conversations about it. I have a group I eat breakfast with most Fridays and it came up even there in the last couple of weeks.

According to one source on the Internet, here are the top 10 in the United States:
1. Walk the Freedom Trail in Boston
2. Compare Philly cheesesteaks at Geno's and Pat's in Philly
3. Catch a Broadway Show
4. Drive Cape Cod to Provincetown in the summer
5. Eat Buffalo wings in the Anchor Bar in Buffalo
6. Bike the National Mall in DC
7. Feel the mist of Niagara Falls
8. Eat blue crabs on the water in Maryland
9. See the fall foliage in New England
10. See a show at the Grand Ole Opry

Interestingly, none of these have ever been on my bucket list, but I can certainly see why they would be. As I've thought about it over the years, mine have been much more mundane and involve a lot less travel. But you just never know when something will pop up at you and let you know you missed something and your list needs to be revised.

I had the opportunity to travel to the Detroit area earlier this month. Although there were several very interesting things and opportunities which will probably never be repeated in my life, I feel driven to tell you about a couple and recommend you consider these as possible target locations to add to your list.

The Henry Ford Museum

Although I was under the impression this museum was all about the history of Ford, I was amazed to discover it was about a much broader piece of the USA. In discussion with a docent, I found the goal of the museum has been to acquire and preserve pieces of the American experience, particularly those there was fear of losing, or having them used in less than appropriate, respectful manner. Of course there are many Ford vehicles displayed, but I also saw everything from pop culture icons (original Holiday Inn and restaurant signs) to trains and planes.

I saw wonderful things, such as:

Rocking chair used by Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater. This artifact was purchased by Henry Ford in 1929 and it has been on display in the museum since then. This, and the next couple of items fill the same bill, making you stop and think about how different the country would have been if that event wouldn't have happened. It also makes you consider all that Lincoln did for the country and the way we have had to take two steps forward and one back since then.

One of the surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence. I did not expect find this to be in Dearborn, Michigan.

The bus on which Rosa Parks took a stand for civil rights in 1955. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Pearl Harbor and tour the harbor and the USS Arizona. It is amazing how similar the feeling was at the Rosa Parks bus. This was a place and a moment in time when things changed. Thanks to the museum for finding the bus in a pasture and restoring it to the look as it had in the day.

The limousine John F Kennedy was assassinated in. Not only was this limo on display but so were vehicles tasked to transport our Presidents clear back to the time of Roosevelt. Kennedy's car served another 13 years after the shooting, going through several iterations of itself. I can't tell you strongly enough how much you should go to the museum. I am a museum lover, so I am sure that is part of the enjoyment I had there, but when you can see so much in one place, you just have to consider it. https://www.thehenryford.org/

The other thing we did was take the public tour of the Ford River Rouge plant. This plant builds F-150 trucks in Dearborn. It is incredibly well set up for a tour with the walkways well above the factory floor so there is no inadvertent contact between guests and process. The plant builds 1250 trucks a day, rolling off the line once every 53 seconds. It is amazing to see how much automation is used, but honestly it is also amazing to see the amount of handwork still being done. The other interesting thing is how the trucks are built. I had assumed the line would build trucks in batches, based on color and accessory packages. The way it is really done is one truck at a time, sequenced by when the order hit the system. So, they may be building a green truck and will go to Alabama followed by the beautiful gunmetal grey fully loaded truck going to Jim Martin in Iowa ... someday.

I hope you consider updating your bucket list and adding these places to the list.

Have a great week..