Monthly Archives: November 2009

Thanksgiving at the ranch

Our friends Mike and Kristi invited us to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with them at their ranch in Ranger, TX.  We’ve visited there the past two years on my birthday, and I went up there with Mike back in September.  … Continue reading

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Maple and Squite

Last week I thought I’d see if I could get a little more detail in my dog carvings.  Maple (on the left) was the first experiment, carved from a piece of maple (at least, I think it’s maple) that I … Continue reading

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Oak Reindeer

As I mentioned the other day, I have a lot of oak to carve.  I typically carve small things, so those whiskey barrels are going to last me a really long time.  A few months ago, somebody posted a neat … Continue reading

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Risk of death

I sometimes wonder if newspaper reporters and editors actually think about their use of language.  I’m not talking about obscure grammar or punctuation rules, but larger issues like what words actually mean.  Nowhere is this more evident than in newspaper … Continue reading

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Gingerbread haka

The New Zealand national rugby team, called the All Blacks, performs a traditional Maori war dance (a haka) prior to international matches.  They first did this in 1884 during the team’s first trip overseas, and they’ve been doing it ever since.  … Continue reading

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Whiskey Dog

Debra got a bunch of whiskey barrels for the garden a few years back.  They smelled strongly of alcohol when I set them out.  But wood rots over time, especially when it’s sitting out in the open and filled with … Continue reading

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Soccer Bear

Today is my niece Maggie’s 17th birthday. Soccer Bear is carved from a basswood block, three inches tall and one inch square.

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Rugby!

I’m not a big sports fan.  I enjoyed watching football when I was younger, but I stopped watching even that about 25 years ago.  I like playing sports, but watching them generally leaves me cold.  That said, I do enjoy … Continue reading

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Budget neutral?

In a speech before a joint session of Congress in September, the President said that his “preferred” package for health care finance reform legislation would carry a price tag of around $900 billion. He also said that he will not … Continue reading

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Debugging a water heater

About a month ago, Debra and I started noticing that hot water pressure was lower than normal.  At first I thought it was my imagination, but it steadily got worse.  My first hypothesis was sediment in the tank, which fit … Continue reading

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