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| Thin Gruel, Filer Style |
We decided to enjoy another day in Filer, which by now (after dinner) has proven to be a great choice. After a restful sleep last night in the Losser guest room, we joined Tom and Pat for their morning walk (three laps around the perimeter of their three acres). The four of us ventured out before sunup, which is their ritual. Pat starts the coffee, and by the time the laps are completed, so is the coffee. And that, my friends, is my first actual taste of Boot Camp. I mean, if exercise before dawn isn't Boot Camp, then I'm not G.I. Tim. From there it just got better. Pat made Dutch Baby Pancakes for breakfast accompanied by delicious local bacon. After breakfast, Tom and I went over to his son's place to fetch a twelve foot 1960 Hewescraft heirloom boat that Tom is restoring for his daughter-in-law. The boat has lived most of its life at Priest Lake at her family's cabin. Unfortunately, the family couldn't keep the cabin property under the new lease laws instituted by the state of Idaho. Tom's gift is to restore the boat, so his son, wife, and kids can enjoy it down here in Southern Idaho. Tom and I moved the boat to Gary Hooley's shop, which is not only warm, but is equipped with every tool necessary to strip the split wooden dashboard, the old control cables, the rotting transom, and the too well worn wooden bench seats. We accomplished this all before lunch, which again was a farm fresh meal prepared by Sarah and Loey Hooley with a little help from my Bunny. From there, Tom and I wheeled into Twin Falls to buy marine plywood for the transom and bench seats, a nice piece of poplar for the dash, and brand new hardware to reassemble the pieces after they've been milled. We managed to remove both the transom and the dashboard intact, which Tom will use as templates to fabricate the new pieces. It was a satisfying day. We got back to the Losser place just as dusk was spreading across the farmlands. It's unseasonably warm here this week, and the pastel winter sunset hung like Impressionist art on the horizon. Very peaceful. Pat made Manhattan Clam chowder for dinner, and Tom and I watched the college football championship feeling all the while like patriots. Judy and I will leave in the morning after saying our good byes. If we're blessed with traveling mercies once again, we'll arrive at my cousin's place in Park City, Utah sometime in mid afternoon. It's clear, especially when surrounded by good friends, that life is good, especially today.
Boot Camp report: No alcohol, three lively laps around the Losser spread, several gymnastic moves around the Hewescraft, and another plethora of farm fresh food.
Quit playing with your food, Timmy!
The Hewescraft in full refit mode.
Tom wisely taking pictures of things as we went BEFORE we took things apart.
This two piece transome was sandwiched over a thin piece of aluminum, and held together with thirty wood screws along with a brushing of epoxy. We kept at it until we coaxed the pieces off in one piece.
Whoo! Hoo! Now, off to town for the first of several trips to the hardware store.
Tom grows his own popcorn (Which is incredible). This is the stash we get to take with us!
The Bunny relaxing before dinner with seed catalogs; Tom in the background watching her in order to "practice" retirement.
Tom's man shed.
The back "yard" and the bulk of our walking route.
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