So this is Chistmas

Well it is now December. For those who have not yet heard I did something stupid and lost my ups gig. So for the last two months. I have been living off of bit jobs and ebay and patch sales. But I have some ideas for what to do and the down time has allowed me to get some things done that have been on the back burner for way too long. So onward and upward. Ya Right!!!!

If nothing else then it is the first holiday season I have been able to enjoy for years. And I feel nothing I have been involved with jobs that were so concentrated during the holidays for so many years I have lost the ability to get excited about Christmas.

Tempus Fugit

Man it has been over a month since I last posted. When I started this blog I meant to post every couple of weeks. So here is a update on the last month

Pocatello Trade O Ree was good. After not going last year due to being on Woodbadge Staff. It was fun to be back. I was a bit rushed due to not getting the day off. So I had the truck packed on Thursday night and when I got done at work I headed straight for Idaho. Attendance was slow but it has been that way the last few years. But I still had about $300 in sales on Friday night. The auction on Satuday was brisk bespite the attendance. And I spent way too much money. But I got almost all of the new csps from the council for this year.

Tooele Rendezvous was slow as well but that is expected. But I did sell about $200 of goods. Most of which was one blanket sale. One nice surprise was when James and I got there to set up. TC had moved me from the spot I have been in for the last 2 years. And had assigned me Wiatt's old spot. Apparently Wiatt decided that Tooele Rendezvous didn't bring in enough sales to make it worth the expense of driving down and setting up anymore. Which it is understandable because it is not a big rendezvous. I go mostly to support Blair. If I sell enough to break even it is a plus. So I got his spot. Which will be nice because I can park the truck right behind the camp.

The culvert project is coming to a close for this year. The week after Tooele I took a trailer load of dirt up and finished covering the pipes. It will have to settle for a while. But they are covered. Next year I will redo the rocks I put at the ends and set them in mortar so they won't go any where. I also cut out the cottonwood thicket that was growing by the stream. and pulled a bunch of deadwood out of the stream. Now to attack the forest of willows. And get back to planting fence posts.

Last weekend Dad and I took the jeep and camper up to put away for the winter. There was about a foot of snow by the shed were it had slid off the roof. Which was annoying but no big deal. I made it there about an hour before dad arrived and had most of it done before his arrival so it didn't take to long.

I have the Grand Teton University of Scouting coming this weekend we will see how that goes.

Sorry no pics. The camera on my phone is not cooperating 

Of Rendezvous and Culverts

Well Fort Bridger Rendezvous went well. James went up on Thursday and sent up the Trading Post. I got there Friday night and James and I set up the dining fly by Lantern and Moon light. Nolan wandered in about midnight. And since he had the tent, slept in the cab of his truck. I slept under the fly. Saturday we finished setting up camp and finally settled in. Sunday morning mom n dad, with Joanne's, and Charlynn's familys showed up in time for church and breakfast. Then wandered all over the rendezvous until early afternoon. Then headed back to Paris for the rest of the weekend. All in all it was a good weekend. I sold about 30 blankets. James only sold one firepit but got lots of solid strikes. And Nolan sold most of the furs he had.

This last weekend I went to a OA overnight camp up at Camp Tracy. Then drove to Paris and planted the two additional pipes for the culvert project. I still need to get enough material to finish covering them but they are in the ground.

Now to get ready for the Pocetello Trade-O-Ree next weekend

Trying not to look into the rising sun but still enjoying the warmth at the Church services at the Ft. Bridger Rendezvous. Church can be so much more enjoyable when you don't have to wear a tie.

 This is how to eat 2 dozen eggs, 1 lbs of sausage, a couple of lbs of cheese, and 30 tortillas, by 16 people. Yes next year we will remember the paper plates and cups.

 Just a cautionary tale of what rendezvous can do the your kids.

 Just hanging out in the Trading post.

 Family Pic

My shiny new old beads. 7 layer green and red Chevrons and prototype reproduction Lewis and Clark beads

 Results from first weekends work. One wet 3 foot pipe

 Finished excavation for additional pipes. Note large lump on top of pipe is chunk of wood pulled out of excavation about 2 and a half feet long by about 16 inches wide and a foot thick.

Additional pipes in and partially covered. Note other view of chuck of wood.

Culvert Project Underway

Saturday morning I dug out the stream where the culvert had washed out several years ago. And put the pipe back in. I haven't back filled yet because I will be putting smaller accessory pipes on each side of it to help handle spring runoff. Pictures forthcoming in a couple of weeks when I get back up there.