Sherri

Thanks, Joseph. That's a great new-year heads up. Kind of like changing the smoke detector batteries w/the time change.

That's cool, G! Great photos and details.

You've got a good eye, Sobo! But they'll pass all right...I couldn't get that small child's head to stick through anywhere I tried. Didn't help that it was crying and lubing up the rails, but, even so, I think we're good to go. Passing code is always an interesting challenge when going custom and "coloring outside the lines", but in both houses I've built and finished I have found that the inspectors like to see so much care and thought going into one's work. If I make a mistake, I want to know. I have nothing to gain trying to pull the wool over their eyes on something that's not up to snuff. Not my style. This is one I did out of log posts and electrical conduit for the stiles. I cannot begin to tell you the pains I went through to make sure those things were even and precisely to code, each and last every one of them. Inspector took one look at it from the ground and said it passed. I had to MAKE him go up and measure them. (I put too much work into them to NOT have them measured, DAMMIT. ).

"If wishes were horses, this beggar would ride." I'll be happy for anything I can get on this summer(last summer seemed like one rained out trip after another ), but especially so if I can get solid on my 5.8 leads and break into the .9's.

Ha, ha! You're welcome, Billcoe. We could say it's a Beckey 5.8. Yes, Alex, I sell 'em. This one's getting installed at our cabin; I did a maple branch railing that has some carved maple leaves in it, so it's as if the leaves blew off the winter trees, and landed on the railings...I'm artsy fartsy like that. Here's a shot of the railing(this section doesn't show the carved leaves though): : Just finished a design for a salmon stream mural next, which should be fun, doing all the hundreds of river rocks out of different woods. It's going to be a long winter.

Together we make the world a beautiful place. When do we get to see your next masterpiece? Thanks, DeC and MaryLou. Figured folks could use a little eye-candy to warm up a winter night.

Thanks, Zim Zam. I think there's more folk doing the intarsia on the east coast than on the west. (assuming your brother is back there?) Denali, I know the approach well enough to solo it most days, but I always keep the risk in mind(poopy shoes and ensuing anger at spouse for not scooping yard, tripping over dog toys, not knowing if I'll be back to the house by dinnertime, did I miss any good spray ...)Sometimes I use the porch railing as aid, though. I don't want to become yet another victim of complacency. Rmnc: not as beautiful as you. :kisss:

Burly man no need stinkin shoes.

While the rest of you core folks are out there bagging ice climbs and alpine summits, I've been toastily toiling away in my warm workshop. So, in lieu of a putting up any freshie-type TR's(which I guarantee you will NOT ever see from me, brrrr ), here's the fruit of my latest labors. It is a 3' x 4' mural/mosaic made entirely from wood(cedar, pine, and aspen.) I call it Winter Light. Approach: trail to workshop is about 30 feet long--level, grassy terrain easily navigated in tennis shoes(watch out for dog poop) Gear notes: scroll saw, band saw, inflatable sanders. Difficulty rating: felt like a 5.9 since it was new design, but probably closer to 5.8 in actuality

There goes the neighborhood.

I am happy to say that I have never smelled a turtle fart. Glad to hear Yoshi's getting back on his feed!

It's New Year's somewhere. Bottoms up!

Thanks, Sobo, I'll be careful. :kisss: I think the chlorine inhalation(and ingestion ) will get me before the skewed brainwaves do.

Unless you count the hangover.

New Year's is like a collective birthday--humankind pausing to account for the year past, anticipate the year ahead--but without the presents.

Kelly is a reluctant teetotaller, as well. Her special, once-a-year drink is a Black Butte Porter. Happy New Years, Feck!

I wish my wife would let me have a hot date. Lucky you!

Sometimes the worse part of an illness or set of symptoms is feeling like you are totally in the dark about what is going on with your own body...let alone how to begin to heal it. Now that you know what it is, you can kick it's ass! We're pulling for you, Muffy!

So, I didn't get any presents, but I DID get some $$. I used it to buy myself a waterproof MP3 player that I can wear while swimming laps. The cool part(aside from finally being able to listen to music to pass the boring time in the pool), is that it uses bone conduction for sound transmission--no earphones. The reviews on it have been pretty good; I can't wait til it arrives! Sexy, huh?

John, Welcome to the board. You and your wife were instrumental in helping my partner, Kelly, and I to become competent, safe climbers a few short years ago, and the degree of professionalism with which you provided that service was flawless. This whole LMS debate means little to me on a personal level(I haven't bought gear there), but I am still glad that you chimed in. I think your input is valuable, and I hope you stick around.

duck tape

I don't know if it has to do with one's palate(or lack thereof), but there are definitely some alcohols that you either love or want to put in the cleaning closet. I feel that way about gin. Might as well have a glass of Pine-sol as far as my taste for it goes. Blech.

Not meaning to poke fun at another's financial plight, but is there any other kind of rock climber? Seriously, though, that does sound like a cool way to get some mileage and knowledge under your belt. Keep us posted if anything comes of it for you. Internships opened doors for me to all sorts of adventures around the world(working at youth camps, etc), experiences and places I could have never afforded otherwise. It's definitely a route worth investigating if you aren't tied down with family and pets and an affinity for paychecks. Good luck, V!

the joy of giving

That's a lot of corn to wrap. Hope it doesn't give you a mi-grain.