One nifty trick I’ve learned…

…is that an empty oven doubles nicely as a drying kiln. As those of you who’ve been keeping up with me lately know, I’ve been having trouble sourcing nice dry wood in the off season. These cut pieces are especially moist, since they probably came fresh from a tree-felling to my garage. To hear the wood seller tell it, they’re the leftovers from Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge. But the telltale hiss they make in the oven speaks clearly enough…this stuff was swaying in the spring breeze not a week ago. No matter, 24 hours in a slowly cooling oven (with the door on, of course) will do the trick (and I’ll have a pre-measured stack all ready to go when I get back from New York next week).

Which reminds me: I’m going to New York. Tomorrow, for a few days of R&R with the wife. We haven’t had a night away together for about two years now, which is what parenthood will do for you. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself come the evenings. I’ll probably have to bring Clifford and the Big Red Barn along so I can read to the dope fiends in Washington Square Park. Sleep tight now, and I don’t want to hear any noise coming from in here!

Back on Monday with some new project or other. ‘Till then!