Spring projects are under way.......

Well it is time again to get the spring/summer projects going. This last week I completed a minor one and started a medium size one that turned out to be kind of big. I started an outdoor fireplace that I had just planned on throwing some firebrick inside of a concrete mold and putting a chiminey on top of it, that would make an outdoor fireplace right?
Well, Dad brought me an article that had a step by step how to build a fireplace. The more I read the more I knew I wanted to do this project right, so after calling the Buckley Rumford company I determined I needed to buy more than just firebrick. The amazing thing is that even though I searched the internet for outdoor fireplaces I never came across the Rumford website. They have some AMAZING outdoor Rumfords on their site not to mention detailed instructions and a material list to boot! At least I found all of this before it was too late to do it right.
The base is still in the mold, as I want to get the whole thing completed before I take the forms off of the bottom. The base took 5 batches of concrete in my mixer, which can mix 2.5 to 3 cubic feet of concrete at a time. The hearth took 3 batches and thanks to my neighbor Ted loaning me his mixer the 16 or 18 batches the firebox took (I lost count as I was pretty beat)went twice as fast. I have to wait on a couple of pieces for the chiminey before I can finish it.
I had to finish something (as my next project after the fireplace is the timberframe for our barn)so I built a base for a bench that I cast a concrete top for last fall. One minor accomplishment is still a good feeling.

Here are a few pictures of my progress of the fireplace as well. Don't judge me by my masonry, this is the first time I've ever done any brick work and was pretty messy. It will look better when I finish.

Thane's multitude of careers.....

Last week my friend Eric came up for a few days from Denver to visit his dad; we got together for dinner and Thane added one more career to his list. Eric's dad (also Eric) and his wife Frieda live on a beautiful lake between Wasilla and Palmer that also happens to be right next to an airstrip. Attached to their house also happens to be a hanger that houses Eric's plane.

Thane has flying in his genetics; his Grandpa Kris was a career Navy Pilot and I had an uncle with a few planes as well as a few cousins who fly.

Eric showed Thane where the master switch was so he could turn on the lights and that was it, he was ready to fly! I have avoided taking up flying (even though I would really love to have a plane myself) mostly due to the fact that my family would starve to death if I took up flying. I never seem to get into anything just a little. My track record seems to prove that when I try anything new I jump in with both feet and never look back; despite the cost. From everything I've seen anything with the word "airplane" associated with it costs at least twice the normal cost of most things. I'd be in big trouble!

On the drive home Thane told us that he wants to be a Pilot, a Timber Framer, and a Veterinarian. We told him that would take a lot of schooling, he said that was OK and he was going to be a Timber Framer on Thursdays, a Vet on Fridays, a Pilot on Mondays and take some flying classes on Tuesday and Wednesdays. We were cracking up. Here are a few pictures:

Thane's new pony.....

His name is Alvesta Red Admiral and he is coming from Calgary to meet his new boy next month.

Pictures at http://www.alvestafarm.com/alvesta_red_admiral.htm

If you liked the videos of Thane falling off of his little red snow machine just wait until I post the ones of me falling off of his little red pony! I hope he is a little more talented than me when it comes to riding horses. Luckily he has the worlds best trainer.

April already....

Time sure flies these days. I figured out that if I slept the same number of hours when I'm at home as when I'm here (instead of sleeping in for the two weeks at home), I'd have 40 more hours every two weeks! Oh well, awake or asleep time still goes fast.

I posted some videos of Thane on youtube. Just click on the icons in the top right to view them. Sometimes it takes awhile to load on this page so if you go to www.youtube.com and search tysondesigns all of my postings should be there.

Here are a few pictures from today driving on the ice road out to our (normally roadless) remote drillsite.

Spring Riding

Who would have thought that after such a snow drought the last two months and only getting about six inches of fresh snow that the riding would be so good. We were riding in places that hadn't been touched all winter and the snow was perfect!

We headed out just Clay, Larry, Wes, and me. Then we caught up to the Spain clan on the way to their cabin so off we went, and what a great day it turned out to be. I'm so glad I got a new snomachine this year, I've gotten out so much just on short one and two hour trips from the house and have seen places I haven't been since I was a kid as well as exploring as many new places as possible. One of these days I'll get a gps so I don't have to come home and try to figure out where I've been using a topo map and Google Earth.

I wish Clay would get a camera so I could post pictures other than of him or my sled without me on it.


First tracks! In good powder my RMK can carve just as good as my snowboard, only I don't need a hill. About forty five minutes after I took this picture it looked like a superhighway with all the tracks in it.

Valet parking at the cabin.

The banks of Little Willow Creek, and Wes dissappearing into the trees.

This is what the snow was like all day as long as
we stayed below treeline.

The take off was a little more verticle than I anticipated,
time to start digging.

Clay taking in the view.

Talkeetna Mountains 3/17/07

On Saturday, TJ, Jeff, Clay and Myself headed out on a trek a few minutes from home. Here is where we ended up. By the end of the day I had 90 miles on my odometer and an empty gas tank and can. It was a spectacular day, but we sure could use a foot or six of fresh snow!

Clay with a nice backdrop.

TJ and Jeff enjoying the sun.

Jeff proving that he could get stuck too.

Beautiful untouched and untouchable terrain.

The valley making it untouchable.

Jeff coming over a pass.

My 600 RMK, I am very happy with this sled.

If you look real hard at the two specs on the valley floor you'll see TJ and Clay.

Clay highmarking.

A nice bowl; note Clay's tracks up the right side.

Cold Spring....

We haven't had any snow to speak of since the first week of January and the cold doesn't seem to be letting up much. I got a new snowmachine in January and have about 600 miles on it so far. It was time to start enjoying winter again instead of just working on projects. We have had a pretty good winter all in all. Here are a few pictures from today.

Global warming; good for us bad for America!

Here are some pictures of from December and January. In January Sandi volunteered to vet a mid distance dog race on the Denali highway, so we rode snowmachines 55 miles down the Denali Hwy and spent two nights. It was cold but we had a good time.




This is the tent we stayed in at our Checkpoint on the Denali Highway.




The cook tent




Sunrise on the Denali





Thane on his 120 in the yard



Thane on Christmas Morning





My new 600 on my unshoveled deck

A few more pictures....

Our first attempt at a family Christmas picture

Oops forgot the cat!

Our local reindeer.....

Thane throwing Sandi her 36th birthday picnic party

Post horseback ride on a cold November day..

Our highly intelligent llama whose name should be changed to Einstein

The boys (foreground) and mom in back

Barley helping decorate the Christmas Tree