I’ve been lying around, using a circulating ice machine for my operated-upon left knee (torn meniscus, thanks to dumb down-hill running during Dipsea Race). Walked out into living room a half hour ago and a little bird was flying around inside. I hobbled around after him, opening windows, but he kept flying into another room and banging into the glass on windows as he tried to escape. Finally I was able to pick him up. Took him outside and he made a few attempts to fly and just fluttered to the ground. I kept him a while, shot a few pics, then he looked at me and flew away. Looks like a baby sparrow.
Also from Robin Wood (robin-wood.co.uk):
“Video of the Japanese Tea house being put together, probably filmed over a period of around 4-5 hours. The Japanese carpenters are very precise and each part actually went together and was taken apart again several times until they were satisfied with the fit.”
Japanese tea house construction from Nicola Wood on Vimeo.
“It is difficult to estimate how long it took to prepare the timbers, but it was made entirely from trees that were felled on the worksite and converted using hand tools. The Japanese carpenters had done quite a bit of background work before we got there and then a mixed Japanese / European group of 15-20 people spent a solid seven days of work on it before this final construction.”
Robin found this at: https://nicolawood.typepad.co.uk/kesurokai/2010/09/tea-house-construction-video.html#
We just got a wonderful email from builder Robin Wood, of Edale, Derbeyshire, UK. Robin makes countryside furniture and other wooden items.
“Robin’s latest piece is a wooden footbridge, carved from a naturally-curved sweet chestnut tree growing just 200 yards from the site.
This beautiful bridge is in a special location; it is easily accessible but as you cross over it you come out onto open moorland and get a real sense of entering a wild and beautiful place.”
More links from Robin to follow.
robin-wood.co.uk
There are 15 green roofs shown on this treehugger posting: https://is.gd/fL729
I shot a bunch of photos around our house for my talk at the solar energy festival last weekend, but there was no electrical hookup, so I’ll post a few here now and then. I’ve made a number of tables out of used 2″ Douglas Fir floor joists. We eat meals at this table, and look out at the constantly-changing bird world on the ground, in the bushes, at the finch feeder, bathing in the bird bath.
Our friend Yogan just sent us this link to photos of a number of his projects in France: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=856784&id=1127561109
Yogan’s website: https://yocharpentier.ifrance.com
Nice looking paddleboard on Craig’s List, sent us by Brendan O’Connor.
“This is a Surftech produced 12 foot Stock Class Sprint Paddleboard designed by Dale Velzy. This board has the beautiful Mahogany wood deck inlay and an EVA rubber deck pad. It is a real rocket and is in great condition.
Paid $2000 new. $795. or reasonable offer.
Reply to waterman through this post: https://is.gd/fEFX6“
Thanks to harkinna for sending me this link, showing 8-year-old Reilly Johnson winning this year’s (100th anniversary) Dipsea race. The Dipsea is the oldest ross-country race in America, 7.2 miles from Mill Valley (Calif.), up 672 stairs, over a flank of Mt. Tamalpais, through canyons and fields to Stinson beach. It’s an age-handicapped race: the older you are (or the younger, in Reilly’s case), the more of a head start you get. I get the maximum head start of 23 minutes at my age (75), as did Melody Ann Schulz, a previous winner, and Reilly. (You can see me behind the 2 of them at the start.)
https://www.runnersworld.com/video?moreUrl=https://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1243502619/bclid1543289968/bctid608833829001?src=rss
Hot day yesterday. After I finished my rounds in San Rafael, headed over the mountain and jumped in my regular creekside swimming hole, then on to Stinson Beach, where there were pounding waves; too big for surfers to make it out through the shorebreak. Tail fin of small whale on sand, below:
There seem to be a bunch of dead whales washing up on local beaches of late.
I’ve been lying around, using a circulating ice machine for my operated-upon left knee (torn meniscus, thanks to dumb down-hill running during Dipsea Race). Walked out into living room a half hour ago and a little bird was flying around inside. I hobbled around after him, opening windows, but he kept flying into another room and banging into the glass on windows as he tried to escape. Finally I was able to pick him up. Took him outside and he made a few attempts to fly and just fluttered to the ground. I kept him a while, shot a few pics, then he looked at me and flew away. Looks like a baby sparrow.
