| Blog series by Thos. Angle | updated 128 days ago | 18 parts | 9149 reads | 370 comments total |
Part 1: Another day another nickle
Well, I’m back. The computer burped and was in the shop for a few days. I took some photos of the shop and wanted to photograph my latest project but the camera went to Hawaii with daughter Julie, to photograph a wedding. Thanks to everyone who tryed to help me with the pictures in my computer. As it turned out I had to un-install the printer I was using so I just re-installed my old one and re-worked the photos the way they got that way in the first place. So I’ve posted some mo...
Part 2: Right Tilt Table Saw Blues
A couple years ago I bought a brand new Jet table saw. It is really great except it is right tilt. At the time I thought it really didn’t matter, just change a few ways of working and it would be fine. I mean, there are thousands of them out there. It is dandy to not have to change the scale when I change the blade. I moved the miter gauge to the right side of the blade. I learned to jump the fence over the blade to cut 45’s. I built sleds and fixed the tenon jig for right handed ...
Part 3: Cattle Drive
Now you are asking your self what that title has to do with wood working, right? Maybe it doesn’t but it may have to do with the mental health of the wood worker. I’ve spent a lot of my life outdoors and now I’m confined to a very small area in the shop. I seldom pass up a chance to return to my “Real” world and spend some time. A neighbor called up and asked my help getting his cows to fall pasture. Kirk owns a small ranch outside of town. His wife works as a...
Part 4: Horse Thief Moon
Out here in the ION country, life tends to revolve around two things, school and church. It has always been that way in the remote regions of the country. Here in the hinter lands of Malhuer County, Oregon, we have three schools and another in Idaho. The one at Rock Creek is the smallest with only 2 students but more are on the way, in a couple years we will be back up to about 4. Rock Creek is 38 miles from town. The school here in Jordan Valley is a 12 grade school with over 50 students in ...
Part 5: Merry Christmas
We would like to wish a very Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all Lumber Jocks everywhere. We are having a white Christmas here in the ION country. It’s been a while since we’ve had one. It brings us the blessing of moisture which in this desert country is the best Christmas present of all. It has been a very good year for us and discovering Lumber Jocks was one of the best parts. So, here’s to you Martin and all the rest of the Lumber Jock crew, may 2008 be even better...
Part 6: Winnemucca
As usual in this series, this blog has nothing to do with woodworking and everything to do with keeping your sanity. On Saturday, long before the sun came up, Carleen and I hit the road for Winnemucca, Nevada. We stopped at Arock on the way to pick up a granddaughter and a spare, kid that is. After about 3 hours of fighting a snow storm we dropped down into Winnemucca. The reason for the trip was the annual ranch rodeo. For a lot of years the people” in the know” have declar...
Part 7: Broke Down, again!!
Probably no one noticed, but I was not on this thing for about a week. The computin’ machine broke. I took it to the repair shop and the guy called and started out,” Well, the mother…” I cut him off and explained that we don’t talk that way around here. He then explained that my mother board took a dump. So I got a new mother board, a new mouse and a new key board. Boy, does this thing fly or what? Of course, I’ll never get caught up on all the projects an...
Part 8: Branding
As has been the case with most of this blog, it has nothing at all to do with wood working. In fact, my recent life, with the exception of Lumber Jocks, has had nothing to do with wood working. However, it seems that some of my friends here on LJ enjoy a short trip to a different world from time to time and so I tell an occasional story. Here in the ION country we have a different set of seasons. We have WINTER of course but then comes CALVING followed by BRANDING and then HAYING followed ...
Part 9: Summer Plans
Well, summer is just around the corner. The price of gas and diesel is at an all time high and the economy is in the tank and I don’t mean the gas tank. We probably had the best first quarter we ever had but then it was like some one slammed the door. The orders just stopped. The wood shop has been dead since the Flynn’s job and shows no sign of reviving. With no saddle orders and a 4 months wait to get saddle trees, Carleen and I decided we might as well have some fun and make so...
Part 10: Movin' On
Well, it seems there are no end to surprises. We were set to leave for Wyoming tomorrow. Then last week I got a phone call from a ranch owner. He needed a cow-boss. After 4 sessions of visiting we concluded last night. This morning I canceled the Wyoming job. It was only for three months and this job is full time. We had hoped that we would get some orders during the local rodeo. That didn’t happen. The price of fuel is too high and people just don’t have the money to spend. Other...
Part 11: Oh, well.........
Hi everyone. I’m back in JV for a few hours and thought I’d up-date all of you. The ranch job lasted all of 30 days before I did like everyone else has, I bagged the sucker. The guy can’t remember what he says from one day to the next. So…...... I called Yellowstone Outfitters and we went to Jackson Hole. We wound up with the wagon train. I drove teams on the wagons and Carleen wrangled dudes except for one week when she cooked. Slept in a tent and ate in the dirt. Jus...
Part 12: Home again, home again.
OK, Dennis and Peter, you called it. Hunting season ended on the 21rst of October. After we sent the last hunters out we began to take down camp and pack it up to make the 30 mile pack trip out to base camp. I left camp with another packer and 12 horse loads of camp on the 23rd. A little over 8 hours later we arrived at the base camp safe and sound. The other 28 mule loads arrived the next evening and hunting camp was all in the trailers to go home by dark. I left the next morning with the ca...
Part 13: It's Been an Interesting Journey
We’ve been away for a couple weeks. One to go to Wyoming and interview for a couple jobs and one because the danged computer took a dump. That was expensive and I’m still re-loading programs trying to get to my taxes. The real news is; we are selling out here in Jordan Valley and moving to Wyoming. Owyhee Design is no more. It died for want of interest from the buying public. On Sunday, two fellows will be by to look at my machinery with the intent of buying it. If they don&#...
Part 14: End of The Journey
Well, Tony Berrett just bought my shop machinery. I told him joining Lumber Jocks was a must. I hope everyone here will make him welcome as I know you will. I also told him that you would all be more than willing to help him out when he has questions. Since I won’t have the internet for a while, I took this liberty for all of my friends here on LJ. I wouldn’t do that but I know you’re good for it. LOL I still have custody to finish some things I need for the move. Good luc...
Part 15: When it's Spring Time in the Rockies(actually the Wolf Mountains)
Hello Folks,I got to the lodge tonight and got on the computer for a spell. Still no internet at our house, maybe next week. right now it is snowing straight down and 12 inches are expected. We have been slopping in mud ever since we got here. Yesterday was pretty nice with temps in the high 40’s. My projects are now fence and getting a feed manger in the new barn here at Ash Creek. They got it wired today and now it’s up to me. I think I’ll post it as a project just for kic...
Part 16: Mud, Cows and More Cows.
Well, here I am again. It has been a busy week. I hope Martin doesn’t get upset about me writing about this stuff instead of wood working. My friends here on LJ seem to enjoy hearing this drivel. On Wednesday, I got up at 3:30(AM) and saddled up and met the guys. We trucked about 30 miles east to the Forks division of the ranch. I had never been there so I had one of the cowboys riding shotgun to point the way. We got to a turn off about daylight and I was directed onto this road. I sai...
Part 17: Greetings from the land of the big sky
Hello everybody,I got home last night to find that I again had the internet. I have checked up on a few of you to see what you’ve been up to and I find it pretty impressive. I, on the other hand, ride around all day and watch cows make Guacamole. Ever wonder why cowboys don’t eat Guacamole? Think about it. We have had our first guests at the lodge. It’s sure been good to eat Carleen’s great cooking. I think maybe she’s over trying to impress me but she sure has...
Part 18: Branding, The Dust and The Smoke and The Noise
Well, it’s Sunday and I have a little time to let all my friends here at LJ know what we’ve been up too.As many of you know, my job description here at the Padlock is a little complicated. I’m supposed to take guests with me to work on the ranch but we have no guests. My title is Flying V unit manager. I am running about 750 cows which were supposed to be part of the guest operation if we had guests. ” if we had some eggs we could have ham and eggs if we had some ham&#...
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