21st April 2026
It was supposed to be maple. We agreed that the next project should be maple. We went downstairs to John’s wood store, it the rack where he stored the maple lumber. We picked out four lengths of the width we needed and carried them upstairs. Laid them out on the bench where I marked out the various lengths with a piece of chalk. I did think at the time it looked a bit dark for maple, but John knew where his lumber was stacked, so I just carried on.
I cut the pieces to the various lengths and passed them to John who flattened each piece on the jointer.
We did a final thickness and then cut them to width.
Once I laid them out on the bench, and the sunlight lit them up it was evident that it wasn’t maple, it was bloody cherry.
Not that cherry isn’t a beautiful wood, but I thought for this project maple would have been perfect.
So we started to glue up four sections of two planks, trying to do it all in one lay up would have been a bit ambitious. I was rushing about getting clamps and John was struggling to remember how to use them.
Finally we got everything clamped up and had another cup of coffee and a biscuit.
On the was down to pick up John, there was an example of an empty headed American. I was on the highway, I was overtaking a row of Lorries, there were other vehicles in front of me, when a black truck came up behind flashing his lights as if to say “get outta the way”. He was gesticulating wildly, I smiled when I looked in my mirror, “Where can I go dumb ass?” I mouthed.
He was obviously late for his lunch, so I pulled over as soon as I could, and stared at him as he passed. These big truck drivers think they own the road.
Kelli had me pick up a couple of things, a secretary, from Byron Centre and a quilt from Zeeland, my day was now complete.
Another Lifetime to go 