I spent the better part of the day gathering small branches and bark strewn all over the property, the remnants of the tree work we had done earlier this week. There was enough wood to keep our fire pit roaring for eight hours. The endeavor left me with a very sore back as I had to bend over to pick up thousands of branches (not an exaggeration) and haul them to the patio in a wheelbarrow.

In the evening, we hosted another First Friday gathering with a small group of friends. Jeanine prepared a tomato-peach burrata salad which made me forget all about my tired back.

Today, was also the closing date on our Road House sale. Even though we knew going in that it would be a temporary home, it is fair to say that we grew quite fond of it. Nonetheless, we are very pleased to be back to owning a single home.

Installing folding metal legs completed the construction of the table extension leaf I have been working on. All that remains now is to paint it to match our dining room table, the least enjoyable part of the project for me. With the legs folded, the leaf should be easy to transport and store although it is still unclear if that will be in the basement or the garage.

Jeanine and I love trees. Even so, ever since a huge white pine destroyed our neighbor’s sun porch, we have held our breath during every wind event. Today, we had every tree over 100 feet tall within striking distance of our house taken down. All that remains to be done is to haul away the trunks. Depending on the size and straightness, some will be milled for lumber, the rest are destined for the paper mill. Surprisingly, the views of and from our house have changed little. For every 100-footer, we have a second generation of 60-footers that now define the treescape. I know we are going to sleep better from here on out.

Jeanine and I enjoyed a glorious fall afternoon on a 3.5-mile hike through the conservation land directly across the river from our house. At the mid-point, we arrived at Fairhaven Bay. Along the path, we encountered several mushrooms but not the otters we had hoped to find at the Andromeda Pools. Later we got our Covid vaccine boosters as a precaution given our upcoming travel plans to Iowa and later down the Eastern seaboard to Charleston and Savannah.

Our round dining room table comfortably seats 8 people. Jeanine, already in planning mode for Thanksgiving and Christmas, asked if it would be possible to extend the seating for up to 12. Our table has a solid top with no provisions for an extension leaf so I decided to build one that mates along one half of the perimeter. I used 3/8″ thick Baltic Birch plywood in a three-layer stack-up. The top layer matches the existing table radius and extends the contour ~30″. The middle layer (pictured below) comprises the internal structure that create a torsion box when the bottom layer is glued to them. The result is a 1-1/8″ thick top that weighs the same as a 3/4″ top would and is substantially stiffer. I did not notice until just now, that the internal layer looks like a cat’s face. The squarish blocks are positioned to accept mounting screws for the legs and the curved pieces are leftovers from the cutouts. I will post another photo of the completed extension table when I have had a chance to mount the folding legs.

Using leftover bamboo from the River House cabinetry project, I completed the frames for two kayak carts per the design I came up with yesterday. I installed the axles and wheels for a test run using Jeanine as the operator. Even without the straps I plan to add, moving the kayaks was a breeze. I will add a suitable finish protectant tomorrow.

Our neighbors to the north have been kind enough to let us launch our kayaks from the river bank on their property. Our river frontage is steep enough to preclude launching safely. Although our kayaks are light enough for one person to carry, it is quite an arduous task. A friend loaned us a strap-on kayak cart which proved helpful but not well-suited to the rough terrain by virtue of its small wheels. I decided to design and build a pair of custom-fit kayak carts that will also serve as storage racks. The kayaks will be strapped to the carts upside down with the pegs used to locate the cockpit. This will prevent rain and snow from entering while the kayaks are not being used. Not shown is a “self-standing” feature that will keep the cart upright to facilitate loading.

As the sun was setting, this pair of swans gracefully swam past the house. It is the first time I have seen them in several months. Shortly after this sighting, Jeanine and I went out for a short walk and spotted a large barred owl silently gliding through the air. We watched it for several minutes as it flew from perch to perch, presumably in pursuit of dinner.

I spent a good part of the day researching and test-riding electric bikes. Having just sold my non-functioning one, I am in the market for a replacement. I have learned a great deal about the latest bike tech and also that Sept/Oct is the time of year when manufacturers introduce their new models. It may be prudent to wait a few weeks, either to get a good deal on last year’s models or to see what next year’s models have to offer.

While I am enjoying the process, I have to admit that it is sobering to realize this will probably be the last bike I purchase and that I need to consider what features will serve me best as I approach my 70s. Let’s just say that drop handlebars are out.

While sailing in Boston Harbor last weekend, I was struck by the unusual architecture of the pictured building. The slopes of the facades create an optical illusion suggesting the building is “falling down.” After a little research, I discovered that it is a +100 unit luxury condo. A 3 bedroom, 2,500 sqft floorplan will set you back $8.5M. It is little wonder that Boston was just named the 5th most expensive city in the world to live in.

I found myself at the West Concord Library today and noticed a lovely mural that has been added since my last visit. The mural’s design was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, A Child’s Garden of Verses, from 1885. The individual elements were created by some 100 community members under the direction of the Art for All project founded by our good friend Margot Kimball. Click on the image to view the finer details and read some of the verses.

Sadly, I put my Copenhagen Wheel-equipped bike up for sale today. The batteries will no longer take a charge, no doubt since it has been several years since I charged them. Lithium-ion batteries do not fare well if you allow them to fall into deep discharge. I had zero time for bike riding during the River House construction. Superpedestrian, the manufacturer of the wheel, and where I was head of engineering in 2017, has since discontinued the product and now sells e-scooters for city-wide fleet applications. I have listed the bike for a very low price and disclosed the non-working wheel. For a moment, I considered replacing the rear wheel and brake with the original equipment but when I priced it out, I decided it was not worth the time and effort.

I finished painting the side tables my brother and I built over the weekend and installed them in our home theater. I generally prefer to finish wood furniture I have built with a clear protective finish. Because these pieces were made with both bamboo and baltic birch and because they will share a room with a spalted maple entertainment center, I opted to paint them to match the walls so they do not compete with the other elements in the room. The top shelf will make for handy storage of remotes and headphones while the lower shelf is sized for books. When viewed from all but the lowest angle, these tables appear to float above the floor. This look is achieved by using a 10″ deep toe kick and adding 40 pounds of ballast to the back side of the table so it does not tip forward.

My fall soccer season started with an early morning scrimmage against a much younger Lexington team. Our manager feels that these “tune-up” matches against faster opponents force us to play better soccer. We managed to squeeze out a 3-2 win despite missing some of our better players. I played for 45 minutes of the game and the only thing that can be said of my effort is that I did not get injured.

Next on the birthday weekend agenda was a visit to the Old North Bridge and Visitor’s Center. Despite having lived in the Boston area for several years, neither Mark nor Marie had ever been there. Normally, after playing soccer, I spend the balance of the day on the couch but managed to find just enough energy to keep up during the walking tour.

Jeanine gets credit for planning the events of the weekend based on what she knew to be Marie’s wishes. High on that list was a sailing outing for which we rented three boats at the Piers Park Sailing Center. We were joined by our nephew, John, our niece, Rachel, and her boyfriend, Rob as well as Maya and Kyle. The winds were weaker than ideal necessitating some strategic paddling but being on the water was ever so relaxing. After returning to shore we were joined by Nicolai and Owen, Maya’s boyfriend, for dinner at the Tall Ships Warf.

Jeanine and Marie enjoyed a day at Crane’s Beach in Ipswich, a tour of the Crane Estate, and consumed a lot of seafood. Mark and I opted for a day in the shop. He is an even more experienced woodworker than I am. We built two side tables to flank the reclining chairs in our 2-person home theater. I will share a picture of the completed pieces once I have applied the finish.