Not cooking per se` but interesting none the less

Hi everyone.... While it isn't really cooking I wanted to post some pics of a project I (as well as others) have been working on.  We recently had our kitchen floors refinished and sold our table we have had for 11-12 years so my sister in law Jan gave us the idea of using some old lumber from a machine shed we tore down at least 15 years ago we had saved in our barn..   So we did just that I found some old Ponderosa Pine (cue theme from Bonanza here) and had a person from Sandy's company that makes furniture in his spare time agree to make the table...  He did a Fabulous Job!!
Here are some pics from beginning to end of the making of the table top!!


Here is the old wood before power washing

Same board after washing

Tabletop after cutting to size and planing

 

Now it's looking like a table - double biscuit and cleated together... HEAVY

BEAUTIFUL

 Now comes the frame!! Sandy had seen an example of many frames on the web and I liked the pipe base... So off to Home Depot and Menards we go.. We proceeded to buy out all of the flanges, nipples and elbows they had and Friday night I got started....  It is kind of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle - you have to remember when you tighten one, you may loosen another so you had to think through the steps in the right order..  Well what do you think?  Thanks to all that helped (even Ike that helped me assemble the chairs too!)

Dry fitting the frame

Engineering all the placements

Fitting it on the table 

Finished Product

New addition to the family

Now that I have your attention.... It isn't what you think... It is a new grill to Ike's Grill Team... (It's the Big Weber Ranch Kettle Grill on the right....

Check out the fleet...    Some are old, some are new... But they all have a purpose....

Note the Boss down in front!

It's Cherry Time

Happy Fouth of July to all!!
First of all a note out to all our Veterans - both current as well as from years past.  Thank you for your service - without which we would not be celebrating today or enjoying our freedoms (we sometimes take for granted) every day!

Well it is moving from Strawberry to Cherry season and is now Red Raspberry Season at the farm too.

I got some very nice strawberries from my Aunt Georgianna a couple of weeks ago and stemmed and IFF (individually flash froze) them and then stored them in airtight containers for future use.  They were very nice.

My Father-In-Law Ken, has had Cherry trees at his various houses and my wife has fond (and sometimes not so fond) of memories picking cherries growing up.  So when we were told Cherries are ready - come and pick 'em - I was excited - Sandy, notsomuch..... :)..

Anyway I picked enough for a pie -and a couple of attempts at some cherry turnovers.  So here is the story in pictures..


That doesn't look like very many but trust me!

After washing, pitting and addding about 3 cups of sugar, 3Tbsp of Corn Starch and some Lemon juice and Vanilla
Cooked them down to remove some of the liquid

Example of my Little Cherry Turnovers

Pie Before

Pie After

 Oh and by the way.. First Tomato    Not too big but vine ripened and very tasty..