Here's the first vice I ever used- a Fuller brand. I was maybe 10 and it was mounted in the garage on a workbench. I broke it when I was maybe 17(?) and then few years later learned to weld cast iron and repaired it, then painted it with grey primer. Well yesterday I restored it with a coat of red paint and mounted it on another workbench.

The elderberry bushes are making getting ready for blooms and berries.

The blue potatoes are in bloom

I made a hinged awning/sort of thing from salvaged roof tin to protect the outdoor workbench from rain. Fortunately I picked up 2 sections of used cedar fencing and a gate for free the other day- as I needed 2 t-hinges... and the gate had them.

bags joined w/new green strap

Having found my sewing awl, I joined the 2 canvas knapsacks for use as saddle bags for the cb450.
Having a need to deal with too many carpenter bees, I made a trap to try and catch some before they drill more holes in my fence.

carpenter bee trap

I found some great used tin roofing/siding at Re-Store ($2/sheet) and am making doors for the lean-to I'm closing in for the motorbike.

one barn door installed

cedar fence pickets @ 45 degree angle used for siding

One end of the lean-to I'm keeping the CB450 in is now closed in- except for a door. Then there's the one grafted apple tree pushing out leaves.

firebrick the bottom plate will sit on

This week I started on closing in one end of the lean-to the CB450 is in. I made a brick "foundation" and framed a 38" opening in the center. I'll use old cedar fence slats to side left and right of the door.

wall/door opening framed in

I've been foraging the yard for lambs quarters greens to cook up.

new power board for the radio display

Let's see...I found the roof rack parts ($10)for the explorer at a junk yard- and a good spare stereo with working cd player ($11). I replaced the stereo display power board in the original radio with a new part I ordered on line. One stereo/radio will be a spare. Yesterday I finished making space in the breaker box and running wire/etc. for a 40 amp circuit that could be used for the mig welder.

receptacle in crawl space and 220v extension cord.

The chives are blooming. And my bucket mushroom chamber is sprouting fresh oyster mushrooms.

oyster mushrooms

I picked up an old porcelain top table the other day in a bit of barter and today painted over the ugly silver paint- it's now green...and in my kitchen.

blue potatoes on their way

The blue potatoes are doing well. I am adding ground leaf mulch around the stems as the plants grow and will eventually remove the bottomless pots. The elderberry is coming along nicely. I've dug up and transplanted several starts that came up.

some elderberries were on this property when I bought it

The '98 Explorer is now legally plated and has a new trailer plug wired.

I've been watching these 2 sparrows build a new nest in the bluebird box I built and mounted on the side of the shed last fall. In this picture one is bringing in a soft feather- what a find! One bird stands on the edge of the shed roof, holding an item to add to the nest, while waiting for the other to leave the nest after placing it's find in the new egg basket.

their house key is hidden in plain sight

in place of larger rear seat

Locking storage box for the explorer.

under construction- bottom shaped to floor

inside