Travis Johnson

Wow, some nice old woodworking tools there. I really had to look at the photos of the Cresent Jointer as I have one almost identical to it, complete with hand wheels and the fence, but surprisingly mine is not a Cresent. I rebuilt mine a few years ago, but it really did not take much because it was really ready to go as it was. I lubed it all up, checked the babbitt bearings and gave it a fresh coat of paint. I did a bit of research on it and it seems with their short beds, they were used a lot in the wooden shipbuilding industry. As for the colors, because we see only black and white photos of that era, we often equate their world of being very bland and dreary, but that is not the case at all. They lived a very colorful life back then. Mine had green paint sloppily applied to it, but its deeper color revealed a reddish-orange. I painted mine an off-white but regret that now. Boy I sure hope those machines get resurrected at some point.

Oh by the way, one of the reasons why this is such a big deal to us is, I live in Maine and my fiance lives in New Hampshire...nearly in Vermont ,and is 174 miles away. So this is a huge change for us! No more 3-1/2 hour trips one way to see each other every other weekend or so.

I have always loved kids so that part is not a big deal, just going to change my rather quiet and low key lifestyle right now, that is all. My parents were foster parents so I grew up with 9 brothers and sisters, us three children were biological but they adopted 6 more kids. (41-14 years old) I look at the girls as being blessings, and just look forward to improving their life and loving their mother. Â As for Dexter, Maine...all I can tell you is that I am about 90 minutes south of that town by snowmobile. Not sure how far it is by car, probably about the same amount of time. Â As for farm life, we got the corn in the other day (a little late this year) and got the upper field bushogged so things are looking up. I need to get a pile of stuff done before the Honeymoon you know.

Thanks guys. Yes the sheep are a lot of work, but I really don't mind, we ultimately go back to the Mayflower before landing here in 1757, so sheep are really a family legacy. My Dad and I an both shear, but our backs won't allow us to shear many, so we hire it out to a 20 year old girl that loves the shearing. Â As for the new bride, yep she likes sheep to say the least. That is good as Lambing Season is pretty intense. Here are a few pictures you might enjoy. Â Â

Thanks for the warm welcome so far guys (and possibly gals).  As my title says, I am three weeks away from a major life change. My big house of two here in Maine (myself and my 5 year old daughter) is about to add a new wife, and her two daughters. For those that care about such things, that will be me and the wife, and three daughters 4,5, and 6. Now with ages like that...think 15,16,17 in 11 years....what guy worth his radial arm saw WOULD NOT think of such things!! I'll never get the bathroom!! :-)  I don't do a lot of woodworking as much anymore as I have since gotten into sheep farming in 2008 and that takes up much of my time now. My woodworking projects do not include wooden models anymore, nor train shaped cradles or that sort of thing, but instead revolve around sheep feeders, hovels and gates! Its okay though as I love the sheep, love watching the kids deal with the lambs, and how it connects this Christian family with the bible.  The woodworking aspect is about to change with the arrival of my bride Katie though. Deeply involved in architecture, she wants to gut the house, redo the kitchen and living room and feather her new nest in a plethora of ways. So in the coming months this house will see some major renovation. But I have always wanted to build a really nice crib, complete with lovetails, heart shaped spindles and the like, and just maybe our honeymoon will produce the inspiration for a new heirloom crib. Yep, despite 3 girls, Katie and I are really looking forward to having a baby boy; after all I need someone to help deed this farm over too, and for this family that is important because we have been here since 1757, 9 consecutive generations. Another generation would be nice.