keeping warm in Stringerland

Well the cold front may have looked threatening on the synoptic chart, and the rain did belt down from time to time, and the temperature was below 10 degrees C, but I had a magic morning in the hills, allowing myself a little time off and stopping in our little forest on the way. The little pond (or dam as we optimistically call them in Aus) is surrounded by about 4000 trees that we put in about eight years ago to bring our patch of remnant native vegetation up to our boundary. The new trees are behind the camera in the picture above. These new plants (trees and indigenous understory) were propagated from seed taken from our existing plants by a local business "Otway Greening" that specialises in such projects. Mike emigrated from North America some decades ago and has probably been responsible for the propagation of more trees in our district than anyone else ever has. It is wonderful to stand beneath these things now, and feel small in comparison.

Despite the cold, the fast cure epoxy allowed me to fit the inner stringers that define the side decks, the combing and the seat backs. I was also able to attend to some of those niggles referred to in the previous post. The sheer is staring to look more elegant. I am quite taken by this design as I build it. The shapes are very attractive in a way that can't be captured in a single photo- I guess it is in the way they interact as you move around them.