Dundee Cakes

The classic, buttery fruit cake from Dundee, Scotland, and long a family holiday tradition on this side of the pond.

Two batches, and a baker’s dozen, all told.

Molasses Cookies

Something to do in the holiday spirit. The old family semi-recipe. Semi-successful.

Snowed In…

…which is great when you’re not going anywhere.

‘Tis The Season…

..to trim the trees.

American Writers…

…Museum

Wait, Wait…

…Don’t Tell Me.

At Studebaker theatre, downtown Chicago. Show airs on NPR this Saturday morning.

Prairie…

…going to seed.

Leaves Mulched…

…bird feeders up.

No visitors to the feeders yet (all afternoon).

First Snow…

…of the season.

A found fragment, author unknown at present::

then when the trail
was no longer clear,

extinguished in
birdsong and thicket,

you noticed what dwelled
where you stood,

bellflower, carpet moss,
graze of shy deer,

did you think yourself lost?

now you are here.

Bulkheads…

…keel trunk, mast step … key parts assembled. Time to wrap hull around the framework.

Heavily Clamped…

…fin keel trunk glue-up.

The keel trunk requires at least 4 separate epoxy operations.

Delapidating…

…literally.

Old stone (cinder block, breeze block with stucco surfacing) halfway around the route of my regular morning walk. Crumbling but beautiful.

De-klutzifying

It’s hard not to be a klutz. In fact, klutziness comes natural for most of us. But it’s the sort of thing you want to leave behind when entering a workshop or maker-space.

Apparently, klutziness can be banished to the sidelines. I once saw a video of the building of a watch—a very fancy watch—being assembled by hand—a very steady hand—and it was astonishing. In the video perfection appears possible.

One of the reasons for spending as much time as I do over the winter months building RC sailboats (schooner Annie, cutter Flyer) from scratch is to practice de-klutzifying. To that end I’ve set myself  a number of tips or rules that, if followed, should make the job more enjoyable and more productive and bring the finished product a bit closer to the ideal. In theory, klutz reduction should also carry over to other walks of life.

Here are some of the tips:

1. Have lots of clamps, too many is not enough,

2. Mise tools en place,

3. Immediately put tools away—back in their proper places,

4. Wear supportive shoes,

5. Avoid stepping on shoelaces,

6. Wear appropriate clothing, but plan on being too hot anyway,

7. Have nothing under foot,

8. Keep the walkway clear,

9. Don’t knock stuff over,

10. Vacuum the workplace once in a while,

11. Don’t bang into things,

12. Practice being un-clumsy,

13. Keep things within reach,

14. Avoid dripping sweat on the work,

15. Find comfortable and effective ways to hold things,

16. If physical contortion is required, re-position the workpiece,

17. Have more light than would seem possible,

18. Have no urgent bathroom needs,

19. Find and use a logical order of processes,

20. Don’t just barge ahead willy-nilly hoping for the best. Try to think about what can go wrong so you’re ready when it does,

21. Take your time. Be willing to take lots of time. Whatever you’re doing is going to take much longer than it should,

22. Plan ahead. Plan at least three trips to the hardware store,

23. Plan on doing everything twice.

First Hard Frost…

…about 10 days late, from a phenological point of view.

That’s it for annoying bugs. And all the leaves will be turning now, though many already have, with some already down. Great biking weather, rolling through crackling leaves, on a magic carpet.

And So It Begins…

…this winter’s project. Another RC Yacht, this time not a schooner but a gaff rigged cutter.

No Kings

Walworth County

If That Don’t Beet All…

…twenty-two quarts cooked, pickled, and canned. (Just about one bushel)

A full day’s job.

Prairie and Woodland

Two nice places, adjacent to each other.

And staghorn sumac dressing up for fall…

White Pines

Si vous aimez
Le chant des oiseaux
N’achetez pas
De cage, plantez plutôt un arbre.

Also, “ICE NO ES BIENVENIDO AQUÍ.

Fun Exploring…

…a stretch of the Ice Age Trail on the back side of Janesville, from Kennedy Elementary to Rotary Botanic Garden, and right past Ellie’s racecourse and the associated park.

Interesting and pleasant, but with quite a few walnut hazards.