The workshop is cleaned up. There is still much to do but walking in and being intimidated by the array of tools, materials, glues and such, all higgle-de-piggeldy everywhere is over. Sal hit it like the HER-icane of order that she is. I helped, of course, but Sal seems to have an inner software program when it comes to tidying up. God, it feels good!
I confess that, after we had cleaned up and stopped for the day to drink wine, I got up and wondered back out just to gaze on the sheer beauty of a tidy workshop one more time. “You should forbid me from ever going in there again, ya know…..I make an unholy mess….”
“Can’t do that. It is your workshop! You make stuff. You fix stuff and I now know where all the crap is….knowing you, you’ll claim you don’t know where anything is and will try to make me do it!”
She’s smart, That Sal. That thought had already crossed my mind…..
In most ways, we did OK this summer. A ton of guests. Got all the wood in, did some much needed maintenance, built a new shed and put everything away. Water system is great! I have a whole tool maintenance regime to get going on; a slew of sawblades to sharpen, a few things to fix, more logs….you know, an OTG’ers work is never done. Except for the naps and wine-drinking, of course.
But, in a few ways, we did badly. Lost John. Didn’t see the grandkids. Living a Covid life. Gettin’ old. There have been some ‘downs’. There have been some ‘ups’. But losing John coloured the whole year black and it still weighs heavily on us both.
UAE’s J & H visiting was a great treat, however. So were all the old gang that usually come to visit – and did. My grandsons are reportedly going gangbusters – growing and happening and doing it all happily and with joy on their face. There was huge loss but there was positive gain, too. It was NOT a typical year but ‘typical’ might not come along much anymore. I cannot see a path-to-normal anytime soon.
I guess you could summarize the year with that old refrain, ‘take your victories where you can’.
Our Off the Grid Home 
Beautiful. It’ll never last beyond Sunday. . I thought of organizing my shop today but fortunately found other OTG chores. Burnt at water line all year’s ground cover, leaves and trash on hold for last 4 months due to fire evac alert and evac order. Back now recovering from age and from work. You know about that just as I know OTG keeps us young? . Steve
stevehbarnes@gmail.com 135-2960 Tranquille Rd. Kamloops, BC, Canada, V2B 8B6 778 220 6324
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I am not so sure OTG’in’ is keeping me young but I am pretty sure it is slowing down my getting old. I had already messed it up by fixing some table legs (glue, clamps, screws) but pulled that assembly out and placed it outside so as to take the pictures of the shop being clean. Then, of course, after the pics were taken, I lifted the table and legs back in and re-established the ‘mess’. That was Wednesday, four days short of Sunday!
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What a team! The workshop looks great and the organizational system looks just like Sally’s skills were at work. Everything has a place and is accessible – it will just take periodic updates to keep it that way after you fix and construct and renovate and design, mess up and redesign…way to go!!
Lots of love being sent your way! Jude
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The Workshop is a thing of Beauty.
I give it two hours of “Dave time” during an emergency repair and a 3rd shed may be required
😉
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Oh, I do not need two full hours to make an incredible mess. More like 15 minutes. Then I need two hours to clean up after the 15 minute mess. But I do like your idea of not a third but a 7th shed (I have six now if you count all the stand-alone buildings – not counting the house). There is the genset shed, the boatshed, the greenhouse, the workshop, the storage shed, the food shed with a wood shed attached (I still count those last two as one, tho).
Weird, eh? I get a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from building a shed…..
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What a great show. You can tell that your place is your home. Our cabin is part-time and it shows. Plus there’s limited space living in a floating place. – Margy
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Well, Sal has a real knack. She can make a dumpster look and feel like home. Mind you, I did grow up poor……..
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nice work from both of you, OK so Sal maybe did 90% and you did 10% of the cleaning, but al least it is a team effort!
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You underestimate Sal and overestimate me. But I did an amazing 5% I am sure.
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you sure know how to build a shed, I’ll give you that!
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Thank you WDG. Appreciated.
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