short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2006-02-08
tree houses
Back when I lived in the Adirondacks two guys moved north and attempted to build a treehouse. They were nice enough guys, but their efforts were laughable. Selecting a dying elm and a healthy growing maple to anchor their endeavor between, those of us nearby watched all summer as they pounded nails into 2x4's every couple of inches; and one time, allowed themselves to be treed by a cow. But their heart was in a good place.
Come summer's end, however, they ventured back to Brooklyn and I don't recall them ever coming back, except to sell the property.
For me, they provoked an interest in tree houses, long forgotten until recently. Some can get pretty classy. Here's some stuff about them.
Rule Number One" Check your local zoning regulations. ...and even if building one is legal, sometimes you can run against a cantankerous town elder hellbent on tearing that treehouse down. So plan accordingly.
Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Here's some sites that provide practical pointers.
• The Tree House Guide
• Out'n'About Tree Construction
• Treehouse Guide's plans for people with very basic building skills.
Getting it built by others. I'm not endorsing any of these folks. Don't know enough about them other than they've built impressive websites!
• Stile's Treehouse Design Books
• Treehouse Workshop
• Blue Forest Exclusive Treehouses
Peek at the accomplishments of others. Even if only by picture, you can get an idea what you can expect.
• From a simple rustic aerie like Ron & Michelle's Place
• to an upscale address [complete with pulleyed lifts] such as 
Charles Prowell's in California.
• More casually, there's Corbin's Treehouse.
Places to stay Perfect if you aren't sure you'd actually like to live in one.
• The Country Place Camp
• Grand Oaks Timber Frame Cottage
• Finally, in case you thought treehouse retreats were only for folks with all fours working there's also Trails' Edge built for people with disabilities to enjoy. ¶ 23:38 0 comments
Back when I lived in the Adirondacks two guys moved north and attempted to build a treehouse. They were nice enough guys, but their efforts were laughable. Selecting a dying elm and a healthy growing maple to anchor their endeavor between, those of us nearby watched all summer as they pounded nails into 2x4's every couple of inches; and one time, allowed themselves to be treed by a cow. But their heart was in a good place.Come summer's end, however, they ventured back to Brooklyn and I don't recall them ever coming back, except to sell the property.
For me, they provoked an interest in tree houses, long forgotten until recently. Some can get pretty classy. Here's some stuff about them. Rule Number One" Check your local zoning regulations. ...and even if building one is legal, sometimes you can run against a cantankerous town elder hellbent on tearing that treehouse down. So plan accordingly.Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Here's some sites that provide practical pointers.
• The Tree House Guide
• Out'n'About Tree Construction• Treehouse Guide's plans for people with very basic building skills.
Getting it built by others. I'm not endorsing any of these folks. Don't know enough about them other than they've built impressive websites!
• Stile's Treehouse Design Books
• Treehouse Workshop
• Blue Forest Exclusive Treehouses
Peek at the accomplishments of others. Even if only by picture, you can get an idea what you can expect.
• From a simple rustic aerie like Ron & Michelle's Place
• to an upscale address [complete with pulleyed lifts] such as Charles Prowell's in California.• More casually, there's Corbin's Treehouse.
Places to stay Perfect if you aren't sure you'd actually like to live in one.
• The Country Place Camp
• Grand Oaks Timber Frame Cottage
• Finally, in case you thought treehouse retreats were only for folks with all fours working there's also Trails' Edge built for people with disabilities to enjoy. ¶ 23:38 0 comments
life notes
I'll be going under the knife next week to correct a paresophageal hernia. That's where my stomach has, somehow, gotten lodged up in my chest, above the diaphragm and between the esophagus and the heart. I don't even want to think what might have caused it [Bruce would no doubt say from hauling too much firewood, but I'm not entertaining that possibility]
The surgeon says it may be treated laproscopically [least invasive], inserting chopstick-like devices [his words, not mine] and pulling
the stomach back into my lower portions. If this doesn't work, then it's time to shave off all my chest hairs. ...actually, I might want to do this in advance. The thought of a couple of prep nurses with dull bladed throw-away razors mowing my furry forefront does not seem appealing.
Anyways, now that I've probably given all of you way too much information, my purpose for writing is to alert you to the fact that I won't be posting or checking on my e-mails all that much next week.
Happy Abe Lincoln's Day in advance.
A late [posted 28 May 2007] attribution on the illustration rendering the paresophogeal hernia: Seward Hung, who tells me the last name [Hung] is pronounced more like "hoong," and is also Chinese for "flood". Mr. Hung is working on newer illustrations of medical disorders
I'll be going under the knife next week to correct a paresophageal hernia. That's where my stomach has, somehow, gotten lodged up in my chest, above the diaphragm and between the esophagus and the heart. I don't even want to think what might have caused it [Bruce would no doubt say from hauling too much firewood, but I'm not entertaining that possibility]The surgeon says it may be treated laproscopically [least invasive], inserting chopstick-like devices [his words, not mine] and pulling
the stomach back into my lower portions. If this doesn't work, then it's time to shave off all my chest hairs. ...actually, I might want to do this in advance. The thought of a couple of prep nurses with dull bladed throw-away razors mowing my furry forefront does not seem appealing.Anyways, now that I've probably given all of you way too much information, my purpose for writing is to alert you to the fact that I won't be posting or checking on my e-mails all that much next week.
Happy Abe Lincoln's Day in advance.
A late [posted 28 May 2007] attribution on the illustration rendering the paresophogeal hernia: Seward Hung, who tells me the last name [Hung] is pronounced more like "hoong," and is also Chinese for "flood". Mr. Hung is working on newer illustrations of medical disorders
Labels: health care, hernias, medical illustrations, paresophegeal hernia, Seward Hung
¶ 08:57 1 comments
2006-02-07
distractions
This is addictive: Falling Sand. Make certain you have adult supervision to pull you away from the allure of falling sand, water, salt and oil [so to speak].
Labels: Chirag Mehta, distractions, falling sand game
¶ 08:41 1 comments
