Mwahahaha...just call the fire department right now

 So I've been learning farriery for about a year or so. My mentor traded a couple of shoeings for a forge for me so I can practice fitting shoes on my days off. And if I make a bottle opener or a steak flipper now and then, well,that's just part of the fun!

Took the wife fishing...and caught something odd!

So I finally convinced my wife to try fishing again. She used to a lot when she was younger, but hasn't in years. In the interim she changed to an all vegetarian diet for health reasons. Anyway, we have been looking for something we can do together that doesn't cost a ton of money, so I found a spincast rod for $5 at a thrift store, gave her an old tackle box I had lying around, and filled it up. We went to the in-laws place and paddled around their pond for awhile, and she caught about 12 bluegill.

She even did some "vegan fishing!"

I caught a handful of 'gills, a couple bass, and this weird looking dude.

Body and coloring of a bluegill, but a huge mouth like a bass. This fish was about 8" long and you could have fit a golf ball in that yapper.

I posted this over on Bushcraft USA, and the general consensus was that it is a warmouth, or goggle-eye.

Made a friend.

I think I made a friend! 

 

 For a few weeks, this red-shouldered hawk has been following me around the property every time I weed whack. 

The weedeater must sound like a dinner bell.

Fatwood

Went for a walk with the father in law the other day. Came back with this:

Overall about 6 feet of 3" diameter prime ponderosa fatwood, once all the rot gets scraped off. By far my biggest find, and there's a lot more where this came from if I just look!