Well I'm Back to Building and Blogging Again!

Well I'm somewhat embarrassed that my last blog entry was in July 2022, but things took a momentary turn in another direction for a bit. For those who may have been followers of my blog in the past I feel like I owe some explanation for my absence.  In my last entry in 2022 I mention that we were busy doing site clearance for our new residence on Balsam Lake. This included dismantling my workshop and removing several other potential work areas on the property. I did mange to convert a boathouse into my new shop, but it quickly got loaded with many of my completed projects and a conglomeration of tools and bits from everywhere else on the property.

I recognized, reluctantly, that I would likely be heavily engaged in the building project on site and as such I was likely not going to accomplish much automata work. In the fall of 2023 I turned over my shop area to my general contractor so they could store tools and parts, and have a warm break area so construction could proceed through the coming winter. It was complete with a microwave, internet access,  a coffee maker, and a gas fireplace. What could be better.  But it was going to be crowded, so I limited myself to working on only one automata project during construction trying to stay out of the way the builder. (More on that project in the next blog!)

Well here we sit in February of 2024 having moved into our new house just prior to Christmas. January has been consumed recovering possessions from 3 separate storage locations and unloading furniture  and boxes into the new house. It should be no surprise that it still is a work in progress! Anyway life is returning to normal despite having to deal with an abnormal amount of snow this year. It seems like we have had to shovel a fresh dusting everyday. The Post Office phoned to say that they would not deliver our mail anymore because their delivery vehicle could not get close enough to our mailbox because of the snow bank! So much for that, "Through rain or snow or rain or......" thing. Yet another distraction from automata work!

Anyway I'm sure you are more interested in things automata that what I have been doing in my life, and believe me there is more, but  I am back working and will get back to sharing my work with you through this blog.

Al