Behind the scenes, Random

He’s no Flying Wallenda.

DaysRiver

Things have been a little, well, hampered around here. At the end of July we had a storm roll through with what I would say is the craziest amount of lightning I’ve seen in years. And coincidentally, our internet quit working.

Our EAN antenna has been at 26 feet up, on top of our house, since we installed it almost a year ago. Recommended minimum height was 40 feet and while it wasn’t the fastest at so much lower a height, it was far and away faster and more reliable than Hughes Net. And we didn’t have to rent a bucket truck to install it on a tree or spend $500 (minimum) on a telescoping pole.

But when I called after the storm rolled through. all that tech support would focus on is that we were too low. It couldn’t possibly have been the storm. It couldn’t possibly be their equipment.

So we upped the antenna to 32 feet. No change.

And I bought a new Wi-Fi router. No change.

And I exchanged that Wi-Fi router for another one because “it probably is defective”.

Since their receiver was still talking to their tower, it had to be the height.

Not one tech would address this as being a problem after a storm rolled through. They just keep telling me we weren’t at their optimum height. No kidding. But why did we have suddenly have a problem? Trees don’t grow that fast. And no one out here in the sticks is putting up a high rise. But rather than continue to argue (a pointless venture) we succumbed to the pressure and spent a small fortune for the 50′ telescoping pole.

Well, they badgered us enough, so new, should-be-made-of-gold telescoping pole it is.

This pole did NOT go up without a fight. The second to last section was corroded and a complete pain to pull out. Until the Old Man pulled it out too far and was suddenly holding a free pole, balancing the antenna on the end of it 40 feet up like those Circus of the Stars acts where actors balance spinning plates on tall, thin sticks.

He yelled for help. I ran out and asked what I could do (he said “nothing”). Well then why’d you yell for help? In the end he had me grab one of the guy lines and gently pull the almost completely bent over pole back up straight and he finally got that section to drop back into the one below it.

And did I mention he was standing on a ladder when this all went down?

And after all that, still no internet.

Finally, after call to tech support number FIVE and telling them the antenna was now at the top of a 50 foot pole, all cords have been replaced and I’ve tried two brand new Wi-Fi routers, it suddenly “must be their antenna”. 🙄 Gee, ya think?

Which is now 50 feet up and has to come back down to be replaced.

Supervising daddy’s hard work.
This man deserves a medal.

And finally, a month after the infamous storm, we again have internet.

And I owe my husband a box of wine after all he had to deal with.

Company mascot, Random

It’s a good thing he’s cute.

DaysRiver

We have a dog. He just turned one. He is the nosiest dog I’ve ever met and has this inherent need to be right in the thick of things. All things.

If I’m cleaning the shower floor, he’s leaning over my back to make sure I don’t miss any spots.

If I’m watering the flowers, all the water from the hose MUST pass through his mouth first.

Why yes, this water is sufficient for these plants. Good choice, mom.

If I’m washing his slobber off the patio door, he stands on the other side bobbing his head up and down like he’s showing me the proper way to clean the glass.

If I’m cooking, he keeps a close eye on the progress to make sure I’m following the recipe precisely.

Whatchou doin’ with those graham crackers, mom?

If I’m loading the dishwasher, he’s making sure my pre-rinsing skills are on point.

And when we are out in the shop working, we’ve got to watch this little bugger like a hawk. He’s got a thing for sticks and all our wood stock is like a giant candy store to him.

Woohoo. I found a stick of barn wood here on the floor.
Uhh, okay people, unless you need my assistance I’ll just be on the porch making mulch out of this stick.

He really is lucky he’s cute.

cedar, Custom project, Paint, Woodworking

Ooh, I’m painting my life away…

DaysRiver

On the off chance that craft shows will begin again in 2021, we have decided to do a little preparation for them now. Leave it to us to start a business where we plan to travel to craft shows the year a pandemic cancelled uh, well, everything.

In the end it might work out okay because we’ll be able to make Christmas things during the winter, summer goods in the summer and Halloween/Thanksgiving items as the weather begins to cool in the fall and be ahead of the game for 2021. For some reason the thought of diving into a crochet pattern for a toasty hat and scarf set when it’s 80 degrees outside isn’t particularly appealing to me. Weird.

In between some trials and prep for next year, the Old Man made a cedar wood spinner. I liked it. And we sold a few. But then while sitting on the porch watching our trial run one spin in the breeze I began to wonder what it would look like painted.

So I painted it.

And I was quite pleased with it.

As were others.

The grass green really pops!
Cranberry paint.
Red, white and blue. I’m glad I put the white on the edges. It wouldn’t have popped as a letter color like the red and blue did.
Navy blue looks great on the cedar even in the gloom of a rainy day.

I have a few other ideas I’m itching to try on these spinners as soon as I get a chance. Hopefully they’ll be a success and I’ll have a follow up post to this in the near future.

And as always, I’m sure my best friend will be doing everything he can to help me.

Guess which of us is doing the work… Zzz.
cedar, Custom project, Customer love, Finished project

Darling, you look fabulous!

DaysRiver

Almost two weeks ago we delivered a custom order of unfinished cedar planters and window boxes. The customers have a beautiful house with a breathtaking view and, just like us, are busy with the finishing touches on their home.

It was very nice to see where the Old Man’s hard work will end up, but it’s even better seeing everything stained and installed and planted with brightly colored flowers.

I just can’t get over how phenomenal these turned out. Thank you, Mark and Sharon, for the updated pictures. Great job finishing them. Your home looks fabulous!

cedar, Custom project, Woodworking

We are going on vacation…a working vacation

DaysRiver

The Old Man has been working really hard on several custom cedar orders. Some have been for planters of various sizes similar to the ones he for made for me for Mother’s Day, but he also branched out into flower boxes and curved corbels to mount them.  In fact, this gorgeous order is getting delivered tomorrow.

I can’t wait to see how these end up looking once they are stained and installed by the homeowner.

cedar, Custom project

It’s awesome being married to such talent

DaysRiver

Even though our new house has been finished for a couple years, it’s really probably never going to be finished finished. Yes, we wrapped up the major construction and the construction loan, but there’s still lots of small (and some not so small) details that need to get done.

One of these not so small projects is getting the finishing touches on the porch. We have a fabulous 12′ x 40′ covered porch that we splurged on composite deck boards. (By the way, these are most definitely worth the added expense.) And for the ceiling we went tongue and groove cedar.

We’ve already put up white lattice around the porch to keep any animals out and next up is wrapping the posts and beams with cedar to complete the look.

And today, for Mother’s Day, the Old Man went over and above by creating a dozen custom cedar planters for the lemon balm, lavender and mint plants he bought me.

The plan is to line place them on either side of each of the posts and utilize their natural bug repellant properties to help keep the few mosquitoes we do get at bay. I’m so excited to really rock this porch and make it a serene place to kick back and enjoy some down time.

krakens and quackens

Krakens and quackens (aka chickens and ducks)

DaysRiver

Sorry it’s been a while since my last post, but after delivering the custom table, my new chickens and ducks came in.

And all our time seems to have been consumed by getting the permanent coop ready for them to be able to go outside while still being protected.

The new chickens are Buff Brahma Chickens (with a couple freebie Speckled Sussex thrown in by the breeder) and Cayuga Ducks.

The last time we had chickens we had Icelandics. Although they were great chickens with phenomenal eggs, they were a smaller breed and very much susceptible to the random hawks and owls we have lurking about the property. Over the course of a year and a half, we lost all 18 chickens to predators.

This time around I wanted something bigger and decided on Buff Brahmas. They should be about twice the weight which will hopefully make them too heavy to carry off. Hopefully.

And the Cayuga Ducks will be close to the same size even though, right now they are head and shoulders above the chickens.

You’d never guess that the chickens are 10 days older. Luckily everyone seems to be getting along and enjoying their new abode.

As soon as they are fully grown they will be let loose to free range and knock down the serious insect problem we have this year.

Grasshoppers beware, your time is limited.

Barnwood, Custom project, Furniture

The Big Reveal

DaysRiver

Last weekend the day finally came for us to reveal the custom barnwood table and bench as a finished product and deliver it to its new home. So without further adieu, here it is after a month of hard work and painstaking finishing.

Personally I think it looks fabulous. Not that I’m biased or anything.

It’s really going to be stunning when its new owner picks out the chairs to complement the other sides.

Doesn’t this look like a happy customer?

And now the process begins all over again with the next order.

Crochet, Eco-friendly, Kids

Crocheted whats?!

DaysRiver

Our recent weekends have been rather hectic. Memorial day was a small, much needed break for us, but it was followed by a very long mini trip to Ohio to attend our youngest son’s college graduation. Ten hours in a vehicle (one way) is a long time.

But while I was a captive in the co-pilot seat, I managed to work on a new product…crocheted water balloons.

If you are wondering just how these work, no, you don’t fill them. You fill a bucket with water, toss them in to get them wet, then throw them at the nearest unsuspecting target. If they get dry, dip them again and go.

It’s not a great quality video, but our nieces and nephews love them.

They had an absolute blast!

Their mom was stoked because clean up was a breeze. No balloons to take a ton of time filling. No little pieces littering the yard. No worries about latex allergies or the family pet(s) eating any bits missed in the aftermath.

And the fun goes as long as the kids have the energy.

Once the fun is over, just let them dry out. Or, if you prefer (or if they get dirty), toss them in the wash with the beach towels and they’ll be ready to go for the next epic battle.

This pattern from Left in Knots was a great find.

And yes, they are available for purchase from our Etsy store.

Barnwood, Custom project, Furniture

The last sneak peek

DaysRiver

We watch way too much HGTV. How do I know this? Well, besides seeing all sorts of great ideas that we put into our new house, I’ve shopped Magnolia Market.

I’ve been known to say, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

And most recently the Old Man told his sister and niece that they weren’t going to get anymore peeks at the dining table until it’s done because he wants to do his own “great reveal”.

So these are the last few pictures until it’s done.

The next time you’ll see this table it will be done and hopefully sitting in its permanent home surrounded by the family that loves it.