I had some work events wrap up on September 1st so I was able to take the week after the Labor Day holiday off and it was a lot of outdoors yard work kind of stuff. Good fun – but really, really hot and humid all month so far. A couple of days ago, Hanscom Field weather station was recording 100% humidity. Just a bit more and you need a snorkel out there!
Harvest season is here though – when you go outside, you can smell the wild grapes ripening on the vines – wonderful!
Some stuff I was able to do the past couple of weeks – I got the anvil in my Dad’s blacksmith shop moved around using the chain hoist (it was at a really awkward angle in relation to the coal forge). I also took out my axe and took down a couple of trees and I have been working with the Carlisle Conservation Commission on permission to take out 2 dead trees near my house and two junk trees overhanging the roof – I have it mostly lined up and then will have some folks with a bucket truck come in and take care of things
Upcoming is working more on the forge – my Dad and I are going to build an exhaust hood to try and deal with the smoke better (right now it tends to blow in your face a lot!). We went to Vanderhoofs hardware and got stove pipe and also the electrical fittings for an exhaust fan I had previously purchased and we got that wired up as well. I am just waiting right now for an adapter to arrive – a part that will mate the 6″ round stove pipe to flat sheet metal as Scott Vanderhoof didn’t have anything in stock.
One side note, Nancy Shohet West and Scott Vanderhoof have published a book about the family store – it is super interesting and the story of a long held family store in a small town. I recommend it!
