It’s been a long and busy few weeks.

I managed to finish my huge writing project – God be praised! – and now I am working to finish a carpentry job I took on for a local resort.

I’m taking roughly milled local teak, like this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp4iP4eFS9H/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet

And turning it into fifteen of these mats:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp-BlHvlVBH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Difficulty: I’m cutting all the slats with a Skilsaw, as I don’t have a tablesaw (or the space for one).

Further Difficulty: I’m really allergic to teak dust. Every time I work with it, I get painful red rashes and welts on my arms, legs and stomach. It doesn’t seem like there’s any way for me to cover up enough to avoid it. I’m already wearing two shirts, long sleeves, gloves and everything, but after working with it, I spend the subsequent few days with stinging and itching rashes. I think I need a hazmat suit.

I’ve cut all the slats now and I need to sand and assemble these things, then I’ll have all my deadlines out of the way again.

On Saturday we cleaned up the garden lot and harvested our grain corn. I also got a Weed Dragon flame torch up and running, which we used to roast invasive Cuscuta vines. We also discovered it worked really well for roasting corn, so the children took turns roasting ears for themselves and their younger siblings.

It was a good break from teak. Today, however, I have to enter the teak mines again and get this project done. I’m almost over the mountain and on the other side.

Additionally, the gal that was running Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram for me got swamped with other work and has quit. I don’t know if I’ll do anything with the new accounts or not. I’ll probably keep Instagram up for now, and I’ve been on Pinterest for years. Facebook, however…

See you tomorrow.