Simpy put..........I have another Blog!
In the Spring of this year my wife was diagnosed with cancer. The big "C!"
Since then I've been updating a blog entitled "The Unwanted Visitor" a description of our journey. This is the link.
http://hilarymcl.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
MODELS AND WORKSHOP
Several people have asked me where I do my model building......amongst other things. Luckily being "empty nesters" we have bedrooms we don't even use, other than the dawg, so one has been converted into a mini-shop so to speak.
For any modellers that access this blog you can see that a Bluenose is the current project with HMS Surprise lurking under a bed as the next major project. You can also see in the pics that I build my own sanding blocks in different sizes and grits. The larger one's have very flexible bases for finishing off hulls without flattening any of the contours. The sanding unit is incredibly useful plus I have a selection of Dremel tools which certainly take some of the drudgery out of the work. I've found that expensive brushes are well worth the investment but much experimentation is required in the finishing on scrap wood before going anywhere near the model.
I'm anal about keeping everything clean and tidy and, just as on my boat, everything has a place and there is a place for everything. Can't abide having to look for anything.
I'll add to this particular segment of my blog if I see there is any interest.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
An update
Quite a while since I posted here......so here goes.
It's ridiculously warm here in Ontario for the month of April. We didn't have too much of a winter by historical standards which suits me just fine, hardly any snow at all which didn't help the golf course one little bit.
Speaking of the golf course, St Andrews Valley, just 700yds from our front door, I work there in the summer part time as a Starter enjoying all the benefits of a spectacular golf course and utilizing it in the winter as 176 acres of dog training facility. Life is good!! We started early this year although the grass is only just starting to grow.
I've been offered a couple of yacht deliveries for this year but I've turned them both down. One from Toronto down to Antigua......fine once you hit the Gulf but until then a bit of a pain. The other from the West Coast down to Cabo in the late Fall. Although I've turned this one down the opportunity is still there so I've time to think on it a little more.
Speaking of boats I'm in the middle of another model...the Bluenose....it'll keep me busy for a while.....beats the hell out of watching the TV. Later this year, for the Winter, I'm going to start the HMS Surprise which is about a two year project. "Surprise" was both an actual historical vessel but also features strongly in Patrick O'Brian's novels of Aubrey and Maturin fame. The movie Master and Commander was loosly based on Patrick O'Brian's novels and they used a replica of the Surprise named HMS Rose currently docked at the maritime museum in San Diego.
Personally I've lost a ton of weight in the last few months. I was getting definitely mature/portly. I've dumped about 25 pounds. Life is good. Getting out more on my mountain bike. Of course now the golf and outdoor tennis season is upon us which is a good thing.
The novel is at a bit of a standstill just now but that's choice on my part. I'll get back to it eventually. I found it can get engrossing to the extent that the characters can keep you awake at night.
I think my next little story will be "Four Years on the Left Bank." Just some anecdotes about living in Paris soon after Algeria got her independence....rough times but I was footloose and single.
Every day's a gift!!
It's ridiculously warm here in Ontario for the month of April. We didn't have too much of a winter by historical standards which suits me just fine, hardly any snow at all which didn't help the golf course one little bit.
Speaking of the golf course, St Andrews Valley, just 700yds from our front door, I work there in the summer part time as a Starter enjoying all the benefits of a spectacular golf course and utilizing it in the winter as 176 acres of dog training facility. Life is good!! We started early this year although the grass is only just starting to grow.
I've been offered a couple of yacht deliveries for this year but I've turned them both down. One from Toronto down to Antigua......fine once you hit the Gulf but until then a bit of a pain. The other from the West Coast down to Cabo in the late Fall. Although I've turned this one down the opportunity is still there so I've time to think on it a little more.
Speaking of boats I'm in the middle of another model...the Bluenose....it'll keep me busy for a while.....beats the hell out of watching the TV. Later this year, for the Winter, I'm going to start the HMS Surprise which is about a two year project. "Surprise" was both an actual historical vessel but also features strongly in Patrick O'Brian's novels of Aubrey and Maturin fame. The movie Master and Commander was loosly based on Patrick O'Brian's novels and they used a replica of the Surprise named HMS Rose currently docked at the maritime museum in San Diego.
Personally I've lost a ton of weight in the last few months. I was getting definitely mature/portly. I've dumped about 25 pounds. Life is good. Getting out more on my mountain bike. Of course now the golf and outdoor tennis season is upon us which is a good thing.
The novel is at a bit of a standstill just now but that's choice on my part. I'll get back to it eventually. I found it can get engrossing to the extent that the characters can keep you awake at night.
I think my next little story will be "Four Years on the Left Bank." Just some anecdotes about living in Paris soon after Algeria got her independence....rough times but I was footloose and single.
Every day's a gift!!
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