Dad couldn't make it to our Thanksgiving dinner, he was feeling under the weather and the drive down the mountain would have been a tad precarious, as he was feeling dizzy from the medications he's on. So we told him not to fret, we'll bring him some Thanksgiving the next day. My wife packed up a nice care package of food for him, and my son and I headed up the mountain with his food. We like going up there, it's the mountains. I thought I'd share with you all my Dad's place, it's a neat home, situated up on a ridge over looking some wonderful scenery.

 

Dad showed us some of the bird houses he's been working on. These are his creations that he will sell locally at the gift shops and to individuals as well.

 

 

 

Here is pops, with my son, his grandson.

 

Dad lives a nice no nonsense life, he's been a bachelor for about 45 years, he doesn't have much room for the frilly stuff, he uses that stove to heat his home, and when the electricity goes out, he'll put a pot of stew up on that old stove. Since his appliances are all electrical, when the power goes out, it's the stove! He has some birdhouses sitting on the side waiting to be painted, he paints them in his home where it's nice and warm.

Don't worry, the stove aint on right now, the paint is fine!

 

Here is a view from the front of his home. This is looking out the window at the stove area.

 

He has birdhouses all over his property, he built this wind screen a few years back and put a bird house atop it. By the way, the dog is Suzy, his Beagle, best friend, and profound varmint hunter.

 

 

Dad standing in front of the shop he and I built back in 2005. This is where he'll hang most of the day, building, inventing, and just staying out of trouble. This day, I have never seen his shop look so clean, he typically has about a half foot of shavings and dust on the floor.

 

Here's a shot of his cutoff table and general work bench.

 

An ol Unisaw we picked up at a garage sale, and we outfitted it with a Biesmeyer.

 

His assembly table for the birdhouse and other crafts and woodworking.

 

His ol Delta scroll saw.

 

Old Craftsman band saw, I gotta tell ya guys, this ol saw has a ton of features on it, I can't name them right now, but I remember there were just some really cool things going on with this old saw.

 

Another shot of his work bench and wall.

 

He uses this PC belt sander to shape and smooth edges with.

 

Here is a neat view looking out of his shop to the front.

 

Dad's home, an ol single wide built in the 60's. We've had a ton of fun, in this old home. My dad and I lived in a trailer a third of the size of this one throughout my teens up to the point I joined the Army. After I ETS'd out of the Army, I returned to live for a while longer in our trailer till I was steadily on my feet. Dad was and is always there for me.

 

Some more of his birdhouses.

 

These stairs he made from leftovers he found around the neighborhood, they get us down to the lower level of his property. My dad does things like this, he'll build for minimum needs, and it works! He is a true minimalist.

 

Here is a nice image of his home, with the shop.

 

A couple more birdhouses he built

 

 

Thanks for following along my pictorial of my dad's place and his shop. There isn't much he can't do. He's from the old school of thought, and I love him dearly for it. His philosophy is "use only what I need, nothing more nothing less". I have seen him stretch a pot of stew over 5 days, and make a 20 dollar bill last a week. He was raised on the farm in New York and his family later moved into the city of Aurora ILL. where his dad blue-collared a life. My dad served in the Navy, he was a corpsman stationed in San Diego's Balboa Medical Hospital in the late 50's.

He's just a great ol soul, I love him.

 

 

 

He sounds like a great guy, John. Reading this kinda makes me miss MY dad. He's been gone twenty years now.

John

WWow, what a work shop!

 

One question- no guard on the radial arm saw??

17 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

He sounds like a great guy, John.

John

I'd like to second that...

and John.. you need to get the RA saw's guard back on...

Edited November 26, 20169 yr by Stick486

7 minutes ago, lew said:

WWow, what a work shop!

 

One question- no guard on the radial arm saw??

Yeah, I noticed that!

John

55 minutes ago, lew said:

WWow, what a work shop!

 

One question- no guard on the radial arm saw??

No guard guys. I've discussed it till I'm blue in the face. He's been doing it this way before I was born, we've had the talk, it's a non issue anymore. He knows, I know, it is what it is. 

He also rips sheet goods without a fence on his TS. 

As long as he doesn't rip on the radial arm....

6 minutes ago, lew said:

As long as he doesn't rip on the radial arm....

He does not Lew. At another time he always ripped with the RAS, but he has a TS.

Very cool story...and Dad.

Loved it ,John, thanks for posting, and a great looking boy you have.

Herb

John Thanks for the post . Makes me think of my Dad gone over 30 years now. He made do with what he had and was not a carpenter nor woodworker, but cobbled together some small things. I still have a shoe shine kit he made while he was in the TB wards during WWII. We think we will never want to know some things until they are gone so I encourage you to ask him questions now and write down the answers for your kids.....Both his answers and yours.

He sounds like a great guy and has a great son looking in on him.  I envy you.  I miss my dad.

Great Dad and son, super nice shop and birdhouses. Why weren't you in the photo. How "young" is Dad? Thanks for sharing a part of your life.

Great pics John, thanks for taking us along on the visit!

Hope your dad is doing better today.

You did not say how long the trip is to get there, I hope that you and your son get to see him often.

Cal

Great pictures. Really nice looking bird houses.

Great view !!

Thanks for sharing some of your life with us !! 

I want a workshop like that.

 

Love that old stove and birdhouses. We had an old stove very similar to that in FL, back in the late 60's early 70s. Those were fun times. The fishing hole was out back about 100ft

Sadly, progress took over after the place was sold, it's a marina now.

Great story, great pictures and really nice bird houses. 

I remember a couple earlier posts you made when you visited your dad. Always interesting and your love and admiration is always evident. He sounds like a swell guy.

 

Those bird houses put mine to shame.

Liked the pictures and story. 

It's always nice to go up on the mountain and get some fresh air.

On 11/26/2016 at 6:28 PM, Gerald said:

We think we will never want to know some things until they are gone so I encourage you to ask him questions now and write down the answers for your kids.....Both his answers and yours.

Gerald, that is an excellent idea, thanks for that.

On 11/27/2016 at 4:50 AM, Joeb41 said:

Great Dad and son, super nice shop and birdhouses. Why weren't you in the photo. How "young" is Dad? Thanks for sharing a part of your life.

Joeb, I have a ton of images of me and my dad at the old shop, I'll dig one up and get it up here. Thanks for asking. Dad is 83 years young! And thanks for sharing it all with me!