Tank birthday, 55+ years

[Paul B]

Thank you guys. I appreciate it.

The top of this table is a white oak slab from a tree that was cut down near here. It has red lights under it.



The fireplace and the entire steel wall is on rollers so I can move it to paint. I built it out of heavy srteel and brushed the steel to get those swirls. The "smoke stack" I built out of a copper gutter and the mantle was a bunch of 2x10"



This is a money machine. You put in old tools and paper and out comes gold and money.



This root washed up on my daughters beach on the Hudson river.



Now it's this table. I just love to build but I ran out of places to put stuff so my wife doesn't want me keeping steam punk things. I have to hide them.

 

[MikeyZo]

Between looking at everything you’ve built Paul, and the fact that it’s -15° wind chill…

I feel like less of a man than ever. In fact, I think I feel like a woman.

 

[TJ42]

Love the steampunk stuff you build! Really cool looking.



This piece of rock is stunning! I might need to make an order from them too! wow

Paul,
Your present winter storm was here last weekend. Yesterday, it was 84 degrees in the shade. I worked bare foot in my garden planting potatoes & snow peas.

Check out this diver collected live rock I got from GLR. There are 3 oysters on it along with orange barrel tunicates, orange bryozoans, red encrusting sponge and numerous cryptic sponges. In researching tunicates, I found out that their tunic, outer covering, is composed of cellulose, a type of carbohydrate associated with plants and their heart reverses flow every 50 beats, go figure.

 

[Freenow54]

I am not sure if I will sell this one because I don't really have any of that particular type as I sold a bunch of them. This larger one and a similar one sold for (I think) $3,000.00 This one is half the size but the labor is the same.

I am not allowed to sell anything on here even if it was for sale.



This one wasn't finished when I took this video.



This is a different type. I think it sold for about $2,400.00



The main part of this one was from a steam locomotive from the 1850s

This one was expensive because that part cost me about a grand



This one is not quite finished in this video and it is the only large one I still have.

I am not sure what I am going to do with it because it is too heavy to ship.



My favorites are the fish. Those sold for $900.00 and I don't make them any more because it isn't worth it for $900.00 as they take too long to build.





I kept this porcupine fish for myself.




I also kept this blimp

20,000 leagues under the Sea

 

[jsmkmavity]

Very cool Paul! I commented on that oak table a while back and now seeing it again i still am amazed at the figuring near the edge. I havent seen that in oak before, usually in maple.

 

[Paul B]

Very cool Paul! I commented on that oak table a while back and now seeing it again i still am amazed at the figuring near the edge. I havent seen that in oak before, usually in maple.

I don't know. The tree was growing near here and the guy who cut it told me it was white oak. For all I know it could have been bamboo.

It did have thick bark on the edges but I took it all off because it was loose. It would have looked better if I could have left the bark intact.

I still have 3 or 4 more of those tree slabs in my workshop but they are smaller and about half the thickness which is why I haven't built anything with them.

I don't think aesthetically they would look as nice.

 

[Paul B]

Unfortunately, I won't be walking this icy morning as I have a Sissy, Girly affliction.

Since the cold and snow started, I have been walking in snow Sorel boots.
They are great for the cold and snow, but they are not exactly hiking boots and my legs, especially my shins are worn out or inflamed from overuse, so I want to give them a day or two of rest. I'm not as young as I was 60 years ago.



I have been walking up and down hundreds of steep steps as we live on top of a 170' dune on the sea.

Here are the lower half of the stairs in the summer. Now they are covered in 10" of snow and ice. You can't see the top half here.



I think I may also have a stress fracture in my ankle. I hope I don't have to turn in my man card because Real Men don't get these girly things.

I have been walking through the pain but I have to keep myself in excellent condition so I can care for my wife who is practically pain free and has been in a great mood. It is really great to see her laughing again and we do a lot of laughing.

(this was Florida last year, They don't have Man weather there)



After over 50 years of marriage Dale and I are still best friends and have a lot of fun together and do a lot of laughing, especially when I were my Speedo.

 

[Paul B]

This week I received my tax forms from Amazon that tells me how much my two books earned. Not much because they have a limited audience and I wrote my fish book about 15 years ago and my Vietnam experience book a year ago.

Also, when a book sells as a Kindle book, I only get pennies for every page read, and they don't even make pennies anymore.

I can't figure out their website, so I don't know how much each book made and I am in a dilemma because I want to donate all the profits t what I feel is a good cause.

(OK, now don't tell me to donate it to you so you can buy a brand-new quarantine tank with a plethora of useless medications)

There are three places I donate to. MS Research, Wounded Warriors and Tunnels to Towers. I think I will just split it up 3 ways which won't give any of those organizations much but it is what it is. I will post the receipts when I get them, probably in a couple of months. I post the receipts, so people don't think I use it for Prizapro or Rogaine hair growing elixir.

 

[vlangel]

Unfortunately, I won't be walking this icy morning as I have a Sissy, Girly affliction.

Since the cold and snow started, I have been walking in snow Sorel boots.
They are great for the cold and snow, but they are not exactly hiking boots and my legs, especially my shins are worn out or inflamed from overuse, so I want to give them a day or two of rest. I'm not as young as I was 60 years ago.



I have been walking up and down hundreds of steep steps as we live on top of a 170' dune on the sea.

Here are the lower half of the stairs in the summer. Now they are covered in 10" of snow and ice. You can't see the top half here.



I think I may also have a stress fracture in my ankle. I hope I don't have to turn in my man card because Real Men don't get these girly things.

I have been walking through the pain but I have to keep myself in excellent condition so I can care for my wife who is practically pain free and has been in a great mood. It is really great to see her laughing again and we do a lot of laughing.

(this was Florida last year, They don't have Man weather there)



After over 50 years of marriage Dale and I are still best friends and have a lot of fun together and do a lot of laughing, especially when I were my Speedo.

There are few blessings in life better than getting to marry your best friend! God bless you and Dale.
Dave and I met working on a truck farm when I was barely 15 yrs. We also were good friends which was a hurdle for me when he asked me out. I felt it was weird and somehow not romantic to date a dear friend. I was very young and dumb in those days. Eventually I came to my senses and we dated almost 5 yrs and then married in 1981. This year we will be married 45 years and I feel lucky to have gotten such a good guy! We are the 2 on the right and he is the one who is amputated.

 

[Paul B]

Vlangel, Nice picture, I love it. Your story is similar to mine. I met Dale the first time when she was 12. Being I am not a Perv, I didn't date her because she was a kid and I wasn't interested. We just happened to be in a wedding party together. Also, her Dad was a combat Veteran of WW2 and he would have killed me, rightly so. I would have done the same thing if some dirtbag wanted to date my 12 year old Daughter.

A friend of mine since kindergarten, got married to Dale's cousin so we were both in the party. I went out with her cousin who was 17 at the time.

I got drafted in the Army just before my 19th birthday and left for basic training.
Before I was sent to Vietnam, I came home for a 30 day leave and I re-met Dale.
I didn't know how old she was because I have a lousy memory and everyone told me she was 17.

So we went out for those three of weeks. For our first date, I took her for a ride on the Stated Island Ferry as I had no money or car insurance. I went off to Nam for a year and in that time, our Mothers became very good friends so Dale and her Mom would visit my Mom all the time.

Me and Dale exchanged letters every week and I was thinking I would ask her to marry me when I came home not knowing she was like 14 or so.

For a year after I came home I still didn't know. (I'm not that bright and all her friends were 17 or 18) I would drive her home from high school and thought she was a senior. She wasn't.

We waited until she was 18 to get married. (we never lived together or anything like that as that wasn't done much in those days and I'm glad we didn't)

I also know that she wouldn't go for that "or anything like that".

I took this picture of her in a mirror when she was 18 and we just got married.



We just had our 52nd wedding anniversary but she was in terrible pain then so we didn't do anything.

 

[Subsea]

Vlangel, Nice picture, I love it. Your story is similar to mine. I met Dale the first time when she was 12. Being I am not a Perv, I didn't date her because she was a kid and I wasn't interested. We just happened to be in a wedding party together. Also, her Dad was a combat Veteran of WW2 and he would have killed me, rightly so. I would have done the same thing if some dirtbag wanted to date my 12 year old Daughter.

A friend of mine since kindergarten, got married to Dale's cousin so we were both in the party. I went out with her cousin who was 17 at the time.

I got drafted in the Army just before my 19th birthday and left for basic training.
Before I was sent to Vietnam, I came home for a 30 day leave and I re-met Dale.
I didn't know how old she was because I have a lousy memory and everyone told me she was 17.

So we went out for those three of weeks. For our first date, I took her for a ride on the Stated Island Ferry as I had no money or car insurance. I went off to Nam for a year and in that time, our Mothers became very good friends so Dale and her Mom would visit my Mom all the time.

Me and Dale exchanged letters every week and I was thinking I would ask her to marry me when I came home not knowing she was like 14 or so.

For a year after I came home I still didn't know. (I'm not that bright and all her friends were 17 or 18) I would drive her home from high school and thought she was a senior. She wasn't.

We waited until she was 18 to get married. (we never lived together or anything like that as that wasn't done much in those days and I'm glad we didn't)

I also know that she wouldn't go for that "or anything like that".

I took this picture of her in a mirror when she was 18 and we just got married.



We just had our 52nd wedding anniversary but she was in terrible pain then so we didn't do anything.

Paul,
I am blessed to have meant you & Dale at your home on Long Island and two years ago to have meant Dawn (vlangel) & Dave in Pittsburg. It’s encouraging to me to hear good times and memories.

Your mirror picture of Dale is too hot to touch. However, you in your Speedo is too frightening.
Your friend indeed.
SUB

 

[Paul B]

I havent seen that in oak before, usually in maple.

Jsmkmav, here is that slab when bought it. I put a 1/4" X 4" X 14" steel piece below that thin part on the top because I knew my Grand Son would sit on it.

 

[Paul B]

 

[MikeyZo]

Vlangel, Nice picture, I love it. Your story is similar to mine. I met Dale the first time when she was 12. Being I am not a Perv, I didn't date her because she was a kid and I wasn't interested. We just happened to be in a wedding party together. Also, her Dad was a combat Veteran of WW2 and he would have killed me, rightly so. I would have done the same thing if some dirtbag wanted to date my 12 year old Daughter.

A friend of mine since kindergarten, got married to Dale's cousin so we were both in the party. I went out with her cousin who was 17 at the time.

I got drafted in the Army just before my 19th birthday and left for basic training.
Before I was sent to Vietnam, I came home for a 30 day leave and I re-met Dale.
I didn't know how old she was because I have a lousy memory and everyone told me she was 17.

So we went out for those three of weeks. For our first date, I took her for a ride on the Stated Island Ferry as I had no money or car insurance. I went off to Nam for a year and in that time, our Mothers became very good friends so Dale and her Mom would visit my Mom all the time.

Me and Dale exchanged letters every week and I was thinking I would ask her to marry me when I came home not knowing she was like 14 or so.

For a year after I came home I still didn't know. (I'm not that bright and all her friends were 17 or 18) I would drive her home from high school and thought she was a senior. She wasn't.

We waited until she was 18 to get married. (we never lived together or anything like that as that wasn't done much in those days and I'm glad we didn't)

I also know that she wouldn't go for that "or anything like that".

I took this picture of her in a mirror when she was 18 and we just got married.



We just had our 52nd wedding anniversary but she was in terrible pain then so we didn't do anythin

They should make a movie about your life. I want to play 50 year old you.

 

[Paul B]

They should make a movie about your life. I want to play 50 year old you.

I don't remember when I was 50.
I may have been 50 here. We were diving at Execution Light house in the Long Island Sound.

We dove there one night and went inside with our dive lights because the door, that was boarded up was smashed in. Not by us. There was WW2 radar equipment and all sorts of historical things all over the first floor.



We went back a few days later, bringing a small "blow-up boat" to bring some artifacts home. Sadly, the entire Island was circled by a fence and barbed wire so we couldn't get anything



That Lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington. I was hired to go there because the guy who bought it for one dollar wanted to build a B&B out of it. There is no electricity, gas, water or sewage and it is a National Landmark so you can't change the outside so the guy couldn't do it.

Here we are on top of it when my wife was healthy.

The place was featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters

 

[Subsea]

Paul,
Few will ever ride the landing skid of a Huey helicopter traveling at 140mph in river valleys below tree tops. Or smuggle Air Force beer on Army 2.5 ton truck causing loss of military vehicle in a rice field requiring you to hire coolies and remove beer evidence from combat zone. I am still laughing thinking about it. At the time, you were probably 20 years old and couldn’t legally buy alcohol in many states.

 

[atoll]

Love all your lamps steampunks and all. Worth every penny or is that dime of the sale prices.

 

[Paul B]

Few will ever ride the landing skid of a Huey helicopter traveling at 140mph in river valleys below tree tops. Or smuggle Air Force beer on Army 2.5 ton truck causing loss of military vehicle in a rice field requiring you to hire coolies and remove beer evidence from combat zone.

Sub. Most people today just don't know how to have fun.

We dropped that truck filled with beer from a Schnook. Maybe this one, I'm not sure.

We did crash in a rice paddy but me and my Capt. friend who flew this bird, spent the night rescuing the hot, 3.2 beer. I think I only had a 45 with me as I was probably more concerned that they would make me pay for that helicopter than getting shot.

That story is in my book; I don't remember if you read it.

 

[jsmkmavity]

Jsmkmav, here is that slab when bought it. I put a 1/4" X 4" X 14" steel piece below that thin part on the top because I knew my Grand Son would sit on it.

I can see the figuring in the top right third of the slab even without the finish. It is a great piece of wood. More great pictures too, i like that lighthouse.
We go to every lighthouse we can find on trips. Most have been on the oregon coast. Unfortunately a lot of them we cant go into anymore because some "poorly trained" youngsters vandalized them in the last couple decades so they got boarded up. A few have had enough interest to reopen with tour guides and gift shops that help pay for them to be open.
Diving the lighthouse with you would have been amazing! We explore everywhere we go and seldom get a tour unless necessary or very helpful. I got to dive the Odyssey shipwreck in 110 feet of water in Roatan last year and drifted the wall on the other side of the island that goes almost straight down to 1000'

 

[atoll]

I have 9 grandchildren one of them Olive who is 8 started a buy a broach in aid of charity cancer research yesterday. She asks for £1 UK pound about $1.25 donation for a broach to buy one ( it costs her more than 1 pound for the materials) She will get her brownies charity badge for her efforts.

Most people give her a lot more. Here target was to raise £100 Within just one day she has raised £750 about $1025 of your funny money. Olive has had to rope her mum in to help make them to meet the demand. She is making them in lots of different colours to represent the different cancers. Every penny made is going to cancer research.

To say am very proud of my 8 year old granddaughters is an understatement.

If your on Facebook you can watch her talk about her quest to raise money for the charity here.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17wbZQENgv/
If your not on Facebook here is what she says.

Hello everyone!

My name is Olive, I’m 8 yrs old and I’m a Brownie!
Today I want to tell you about something cool I’ve been working on.

I decided I want to help raise money for cancer research, because helping people is important and I like doing kind things.

So… I’ve been busy making macramé cancer awareness ribbons!
They come in lots of different colours, and each colour stands for a different type of cancer —
like black for skin cancer , grey for brain tumours , and pink for breast cancer. Pink

I’m doing this as part of my Brownies charity badge, and for this badge the suggested donation is just £1 — and the best part is that 100% of the money goes to cancer research!

If you’d like a ribbon, you can order one by commenting below, and you can donate using the link here.

Thank you so much for supporting me and helping make a difference!

Black- skin Grey- brain Pink - breast Cancer blue- prostate
Yellow- bone Lilac- testicular
Red - blood Green -Liver cancer gold - childhood cancer

Donate to my page today and help bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/olives-macrame-ribbon-fundraiser