This weekend was both quite productive and quite relaxing. I was able to spend a lot of time outside and that has been something I have been missing quite a bit recently. My dad and I dedicated a few hours Saturday morning to cleaning and sorting one small section of one of the barns out back. His aim was to identify potential material to deliver to the scrap yard, my aim was far less productive. After getting the news that a few bike frames I had been saving had already been sold as scrap I was determined to filter the remainder of the material destined for the scrap heap. We processed overhead garage door tracks, stainless steel sink bowls, boat hoist assemblies, motors, pumps, metal storage cabinets, childhood toys, display racks salvaged from the once great Chase-Pitkin hardware store, and a number of unrecognizable artifacts from decades of accumulation. I was inspired again to strive to obtain a reasonable work space in which to incorporate many of these antiquities into stylish furniture or rustic artworks. It was a great way to start the day!
Then my wife and I broke out the newest additions to our outdoor enthusiasts arsenal, Snowshoes!
She loves the color! Mine are bright orange!
Neither one of us had held a pair of modern snowshoes in our hands so preparing for the expedition was a slow process, but once we strapped the colorful platforms to our feet the technique was not difficult to grasp. There were only a few minor errors that assisted the learning curve, such as the understanding that walking backwards is not advised and typically results in a wet backside.
The path I remembered is quite ovegrown.
This was one of our favorite sections of the creek, there was almost always deer on the lowlands between the forks.
Overall the experience was extremely enjoyable and enabled us to travel back into the woods where my brother and I played while we were growing up. I was able to revisit all the familiar landmarks and was both pained at the sight of some favorite climbing trees succumb to age and the powerful western winds, and glad to see evidence of beavers making an effort to return to the area.
Exhibit "A"
Exhibit "B"
Finally, I just have to mention that we also managed to get the brand new faucet installed in the new bathroom. The water runs and there is no bucket under the sink!
It works
see
