here is some interesting stuff

Click on these pictures for a full size view

Here is a Sundiro XDZ50QST that is for sale by the woman who owns the place where I am keeping my boats these days. It is new condition, probably had less than one tank of gas run through it. It works perfectly. The only problem is it needs a battery. I'm working on that. It has electric start, 50 cc, automatic trans, and rear disc brakes. She paid $1800 but it's for sale at $500 or best offer. It's a top of the line kids ATV. I've ridden it, no problems, starts right up, and goes.

For more information go to this website: http://www.extreme-scooters.com/atvsunray50.htm

normal day at the "office" for me. The office in this case is my Hughes 38, soon hopefully to not be mine anymore if eBay does it's job.

A couple sailboat shipping cradles I just bought.

This is the yanmar YSM8 engine I salvaged in Mobile. The caliper is set to 6 inches, and the wire sticking out the end too.

It surprized me when I stepped on the pulley and it turned, almost face first in the mud because it did. More on the salvage on another page. It's in Florida with me now.

I turn it every couple months, someday I'll do more.

Ibis in Norm's backyard

Norm feeding a rat

I guess I can sail two boats at once. People have asked me why I have so many boats, you can only sail one at a time... Proved them wrong, LOL. Moving the boats to a temporary safe anchorage while I'm back in Kansas.

The wind was up and the sail was on the boom, so might as well use it. Control was sometimes tricky, jumping from boat to boat to adjust both rudders. The 30 footer is headed to Puerto Rico, the 38 is still looking for a new home.

Beauty and the Beast, building the stage set. My first project was to make the short railing quickly removable but sturdy enough to sit on. The platform is used three different ways, the stairs in front also remove and a fountain can be added on top.

All the pieces are on wheels and rotate to become something different. Many of the stones are made of foam, hand painted, you would swear they are real till you hold one. Others are painted to look 3D on flat surfaces, with some of each, from the seats you often can't tell what is 3D and what is just made to look that way. The magic of painting realistic looking shadows and using color and prospective.

Early work on the Tavern.

The shingles on the houses are too perfect, they were done by a good carpenter that didn't understand that almost nothing on this type of set should look perfect. It's sometimes difficult to get that idea across, to build in mistakes and pre distress stuff.

Working on the village scene, you can see the fountain. The castle on the left is normally not in this, there is another house behind the left one, that would be pushed forward.

Friend Glen working on the Tavern, much more yet to be done.

Gaston's chair, this was one of my projects for yesterday. Many of the pieces are just found objects from the storeroom left over from past plays, modified slightly, sort of a 3D cut and paste thing.

Belle's house, this was done over three days, each day improving it. Mostly that's how all this is done, build it, step back and look at it, discuss possible improvements then making those changes, each time it could be declared done, but could be better if we changed this or that. It's very creative and I enjoy that.

We finished with hours to spare, actually we were back working behind the curtain 25 minutes before show time but only because we were waiting on an item to be delivered. Sure there is stuff that could be improved or added but it's good enough.