I'm back.... and I'm so ashamed......

I know, I know - where the hell have I been? Sorry guys, but sometimes life takes us in many different directions at once and it's hard to keep up with the refinements. I do have some excuses that you're welcome to take your pick from:

• The backyard stone patio project took way too long - still going, in fact.
• Obligations to my family have delayed progress.
• Work has been engulfing, finally concluding with a promotion last week.
• The new puppy still sucks all of the life and free time out of us.
• The fishing was just alright, but I was fulfilling an obligation to help my best friend de-stress.
• I was forced to take up golf by my nephews and future son in law.
  

If it's any consolation, I haven't kept up with my fishing/hiking blog either. So, here we go into Autumn when sunny thoughts give way to blustery mornings on the trail or the river. They give me a feeling of being alive, and my soul warms at the thought of coming home from a long day of hiking or fishing to be in the warmth of the house and savoring the smells of sawdust in my shop. So, as I put the finishing touches on the outside of my house, my mind is swimming with the plans for the basement and the shop, especially. I don't know exactly when I will be able to start posting consistently again but it's soon - even if it's just to complain at the slow progress. I do have some plans for the coming months, however:

• the shop redesigned and refined
• bench plane tune up redux - this time, less time, more content
• fun with block planes - fine points of tuning
• sharpening for the realistic, and financially frugal
• a comparison of bench plane vs. power tool stock milling
  
• back bevels - why you NEED 4 or more smoothing planes
• shooting board designs
• the workbench
• Why even Charger needs at least a couple working planes
• a strangely designed piece of living room furniture
• my favorite books, favorite tools, and favorite artists features
  

I was getting fired up like this around Autumn two years ago, and the result was a significant increase in my plane ownership as well as this blog, so I can say I'm getting back in the right frame of mind. Hopefully, my contributions will have some value among all of this online content. Until then, questions are always welcomed.

Muddler