Clover Buttercups And A Break In The Clouds

While watching the weather for a break in the black clouds on Saturday, I convinced myself it would rain with clouds the colour of bruises. So I put the bike back in the shed, no rain came though some weatherman !!
So come Sunday I gave up on my weather watch, and pedaled off a few drops of rain fell when I closed the gate, but I was moving towards clearer skies and no threat of rain would stop me today . This seemed to work for me and I was rain free for my cycle. I stopped to look at a recently born skewbald colt, he didn't move far from his mother side what a lovely little guy he is in his field of clover and buttercups :)

Waxing Swallows

I finished my chair today its all waxed up and ready to find a home. Up in the sawmill this week some of our swallows are on their second brood. Every year they come back and take over for a few months.
In the morning when I open the door then put the lights on, they greet me with their alarm call and dart around until they see me going about my business.When they see that I'm no threat to my ariel invaders they settle down and come and go as they please, here's some that live beside the control room :)

:)

Pulling Weeds And Peeling Ash

Sunday today Fathers day, Matthew gave me the new true grit DVD I love the original. So I look forward to watching this, popped in to see my Dad in the morning.
Then I pulled all my lovely lush green weeds that have been thriving lately with all our summer rain. After the weeds, I worked on the ash parts of my chair shaping the rails and braces with a drawknife then spokeshaves being careful to follow the grain as the fibres in the ash can tear easily if you get carried away.
After a dry run I got all the parts glued up. Now I will leave it for a couple of days to let the glue dry fully before sanding and waxing. I have tried out a few new ideas with this chair and I think they worked out alright:)

Chair Parts

Here are the first 2 parts of a chair that I'm working on at the moment. The seat and back are in oak and the legs and rails will be ash.
Loads of spokeshave work has shaped out the seat for comfort. And the back is a warped board that smoothed out into a good backrest, on the rear of this I've carved in a cluster of oak leaves and acorns .
Peeled ash legs will hold this chair up more to come:)

A New Path

Every Friday I finish early, so after lunch I pedaled away along the canal towards falkirk. Some cycle path signs pointed me into an area of Callender Estate.
Ive never been around here before, many new stone dust paths meander through the woods,and bridges and drainage help to keep feet dry. Signs are around pointing you to different parts, and showing what wildlife there is to look out for. I found a sign at the end of the path where it joins the road this was a community woodland and very nice it is too !
A little further on, then your in Callender Woods where lots of burry oak grow all knobbly and gnarled I bet theres some cracking timber hidden under the bark. These woods then merge into Callender park on the edge of the town of Falkirk ,then I headed home for a little shed time before tea:)

The Roof And The Owl Box

Gutters on, new roof sheets fastened down with tec screws ,flashing's and ridge caps top it off. I also attached an owl box under a overhang,I hope we get an owl but it might be too noisy for them. Our swallows don't mind the machine noise so we may be lucky ,but any bird setting up home there would be of interest. I have really enjoyed this job replacing the sawmill roof but now its done. So roofer will turn back into sawyer and get back to normal:)