Hearth.com meetup Party (lowel,ma) - Save the date!

[jpl1nh]

Looks like he has a really nice pool.

Thanks google.

Kind of scary isn't it?, what any of us can find on the web. Orwell almost had it right except it turns out that its Brother Bart that's watching, not Big Brother. :lol: Wish you could make it up this weekend!

 

[Gooserider]

The pool is nice, though a bit strange. It's a free-form shape, so it gets to be a challenge when trying to get a cover for it, or even figuring out the gallonage. (We are currently using 16,000 as a best estimate, seems to work...)

The plumbing is also a bit of a challenge - I'm now battling a couple of small leaks, replaced a cracked fitting on the inline clorinator by replacing it with a peice of pipe, but I didn't get enough glue on the joins or something as it still is giving me a slow drip. Guess I'll have to cut it apart again and reglue - AFTER the party!

We also have a robot, which is a major advantage, it cuts the work by about 90%

The other big problem we are looking at is the tile around the edge is starting to come off, and I haven't dared call the repair place to see what THAT will cost to get fixed, or how critical it is...

However it's quite swimmable the way it is - bring your suits and a towel...

Gooserider

 

[kellog]

Goose,

I'll be there about 2 pm. I'll bring a veggie platter. See ya tomorrow.

 

[Harley]

Wish I could make it... hope everyone takes some pictures! (one of those "we have to go... " type of weekends).

 

[Gooserider]

Wish I could make it... hope everyone takes some pictures! (one of those "we have to go... " type of weekends).

Sorry you can't make it, I know folks were looking forward to meeting you. However thanks for reminding me, I just plugged my camera into the charger :coolsmile:

Gooserider

 

[Gooserider]

Goose,

I'll be there about 2 pm. I'll bring a veggie platter. See ya tomorrow.

Sounds great, see you then.

Gooserider

 

[Gooserider]

It's COUNTDOWN to PARTY TIME

Remember that even if you didn't RSVP, You are still welcome!

Gooserider

 

[BrotherBart]

I hope everyone has a great time. Wish I could be up there for the festivities. Somebody eat a big chunk of turkey for me please. I like the dark meat. And wash it down with a tankard of mead.

Party on wood burners! I will be there in spirit. I am going to bust up some oak rounds around two o'clock this afternoon.

 

[webbie]

Looks like a wet one. Oh boy, am I looking forward to furnace cement and sawdust mixed with chain oil and rain.
See you soon!

As I write this, the thunder and lightning are crashing outside!

 

[BrotherBart]

Oh boy, am I looking forward to furnace cement and sawdust mixed with chain oil and rain.

Heck Craig, ya need to do that stuff every once and awhile to remind you why you sold the shops.

 

[webbie]

Does grinding ALUMINUM (Extendaflues) count?

 

[jpl1nh]

Goose, looks like the next 3-4 hours (up through 1-2PM) may be a bit dicey with the rain. I think the bulk of it will slide by just to your west, but daytime heating could expand it some into more eastern areas. Once we get past early afternoon, I think we should have less rain threats as a small surface disturbance pivots by (almost through) the central Mass area and keeps on heading north. There is so much moisture in this air mass that a psossibility of a pop up shower or t-storm can never be discounted, but, again, I think whatever, if anything, your area gets, should be out of there by early PM. See you then!

 

[Gooserider]

Well I have a shelter tent that I'm going to be putting over the cooking area, and a patio umbrella over one of the tables.

Also we have a fair bit of room in the garage - presumably we could work on stoves while waiting out the rain if need be...

Thus far we've had a barely noticeable "sun shower" which has stopped.

Sky is currently partly cloudy and looking good here.

Gooserider

 

[webbie]

Ha.....complete deluge here, and it is heading east. Just in time for me to drive through it the whole way, then it will pass. Well, at least the ride home should be clear.

 

[BrotherBart]

Roll call and festivities update time!

 

[Gooserider]

Roll call and festivities update time!

People came, we dodged raindrops intermittently, mostly didn't use the pool, had some brief looks at the funny cutting chainsaw, did some significant dissasembly of the donor stove and got it off the truck and into the garage. We played some with Elk's "most powerful electric splitter", my monster maul, and jpl1nh's supersplitter axe, and even with Web's "slap-hammer" spear splitter - (BTW, Web, did you intend to leave that here - I noticed it outside when I was picking things up tonight...) Each tool was impressive in it's own way. Elk had also brought along his old McCulloch yellow monster chainsaw, which he wanted to start for a demo - it almost worked, but wouldn't stay running - trouble shooting revealed a broken plug wire.

About this time I had to head to the kitchen where I injected the turkey with a fun high octane marinade - Lemon Juice, very local honey, hot sauces, garlic juice, some hot peppers and herbs from my garden patch, (yes, we achieved ignition :wow: :exclaim: ) Then we dropped the bird in 350* boiling oil for a 40 minute swim, while we fixed some burgers, popped some mead, (we killed about 3+ 750ml bottles - I'll let others report on the taste..) and enjoyed other goodies. I think a good time was had by all...

Attendance -

Elk

My friend Tim from NH, with his son Cody

Web and Webwidow

jpl1nh

BurningIsLove

Kellog

fbelec

keyman512us, arrived late, missed Web and Webwidow, but saw everyone else.

The weather was a bit iffy, and I think Cody was the only one that actually used the pool, but I think a good time was had by all...

I'm open to the idea of making it an annual event if everybody else is into it...

Gooserider

(I did take a few pics, but it will take me a day or two to pull them off the camera and format them for posting.)

Gooserider

 

[Shane]

With any luck and my growing a set o stones and actually going through with moving I'll be there next year. I think it's so cool how this online community actually extends into the "real world" with get togethers donor programs etc. It's really cool.

 

[kellog]

Goose,

Thanks for taking on the job of the hosting of this event. It was great to put faces to names. Also thank your wife for her contribution and conversation. Your mead (I like the cider flavor) was excellent.

If you do it again next year I promise to bring an impact splitter to show Elk what a real splitter (with half the hp of his) can do, lol. By the way I wish I had half the energy Elk has. If I did I would be a millionare.

It was especially good to meet Web and Webwidow who we hear from so often.

Great job.

 

[jpl1nh]

Hey Goose (and "Mrs Goose"!) thanks so much for hosting a really fun event. It was great to put faces to the names, and have a chance for the free flow of face to face conversation. Okay, so I have to say, the turkey was superb %-P and the meads were delicious, though hands down the "fire water" mead, is it jalapeno and ginger?, was the best :snake: :snake: !!. Memorable moments for me were Elk cajoling the Web Widow into the one finger operation of his very cool electric splitter, the Web Master's tale of his wife abuse incident from the day before, oggoling the yard dump of wood Goose has to cut up, and most of all, the connection with such a diverse and enjoyable group of people. You have to see the "goose" the totally unique motorcycle - sidecar rig that our gracious host takes his forum name from. I do believe it could hold a full 1/4 cord of wood though Goose claims he hasn't tried that yet. After the toy play and delicious food, with some mead in hand (and belly) just listening to the tales was a great time. Elk, greatly enjoyed our conversation and always respect your depth of knowledge and considered opinions. Craig, my utmost admiration for what you started years ago as Hearth.com came into being and a great story that is in itself, and my great appreciation for the forum that we all enjoy so much today. Kellog's got an impressive splitter close to fruition, worth keeping your eye out for, and Keyman's tree adventures are enlightening and entertaining. Burningislove has some interesting experiences with the run-away DutchWest burns, hmmm... Goose, sorry I didn't get to help with cutting any of your wood. Too bad, cause my saws running very well now. I know its cutting good when I get an ab workout just holding it back as it rips through wood. And now that I got the sharpening angles on each side even, it's cutting very straight. Getting to and into that big red oak "Daddy" log you got is gonna be an adventure! Again, thanks so much to you both. Annual event? Hell yeah!

 

[Harley]

Sorry to have missed it, sounds like it was a fun time. Didn't anyone else take some pictures besides Goose???

 

[jpl1nh]

Sorry to have missed it, sounds like it was a fun time. Didn't anyone else take some pictures besides Goose???

I have a feeling that no one else did. The rest of us were poorly prepared I guess. Then again, Goose had an advantage. Even though he actually forgot his camara too, he didn't have far to go to go get it! ;-P

 

[begreen]

I missed it too. Wish I could have attended but there was a minor matter of mountains and rivers in between. It's great that you all got to put some faces on the good folk here and to see the Goose. But I especially would have loved to see the hives and try some of that mead! Oh well, maybe next year.

 

[GVA]

As the official photographer for the east coast of Hearth.........I'm sorry I couldn't make it ;-P
I'm sorry like I said before it's a stressful time here right now, and It looks like I will indeed be headed South.......
Anyway It was too early to bring the Egg Nog but maybe I could have brought some 151 or............192 :ahhh: now that's a fire starter...
Sounds like we all missed out on the fun

 

[elkimmeg]

Gva and I were on some of the initial donor installations with Turner the burner I will really miss you if you go south. The work coddination between us just fell in place

Thanks we have Harley and now Keyman but others have expressed interest and Tom's tavern. Tom the actual Tavern owner, was impressed we all help another for free. He did not know

Says if any other gathering in the future happens we are welcome there and He will take care of us.

Keyman need a Pellet stove working on that angle mI have to check around to see if I can rebuild or refurbish some stoves.

BTW my wife thinks I nuts asked what I did I told here tqke a stove apart then she ask what in it for me she can't see its something I enjoy doing Then she said Don't I think I went a little overboard with my wood gathering? She just does not get it, if it is for the taking its mine.

Well Keyman that tree was bigger than I thought. The 18" bar did not make it threw the base. when i was cutting it today I evicted a chipmunk familly. The center was gone hollow,snapped that tree like a twig with the backhoe Then picked up to make cutting easy. Goose has a 3' diameter length in his pile really way toomuch for that Poulan and it is sitting on top the pile.
be real carefull cutting that one. Man I should have brought my 357 xp to goose's, that would have reduced that pile in no time Cut my 20 " here today is less than 1/2 hour in rounds wood chips everwhere All cut split ans staCKED ALMOST A FULL CORD OUT OF THAT TREE .

I HAVE A HARD TIME IMAGINING WHY AN OCCASIONAL CORD WOOD CUTTER WOULD NEED MORE SAW THAN THIS. Most of the time I use a 14" bar Craftsman/poulan nice to have only 6 lbs to lugg around.

 

[Gooserider]

Was really great to meet everyone, sorry the weather wasn't more cooperative. Haven't gotten to the camera yet as we had the Libertarian's over today, got a few questions about the BioBrick that Elk left - they were looking at it and trying to figure out what it was... :-S Had a good time with them, but two social events in one weekend is a fair bit of work, and so the camera is on hold for the moment - I didn't see anyone else taking pictures, so I'll have these up in a few days...

Hope we can pull it off again next year, hopefully bigger, better, and with more people and more toys! :coolgrin:

Gooserider