Darren8306

Yeah, I am more surprised than anyone that I'm a runner lol. Maybe I should say jogger though, to be more honest. Three came running with me yesterday at 2. There wasn't one of them I can't beat in a footrace without cheating lol I needed cardio a few years ago, and on the treadmill, my heart rate wasn't getting high enough for my goals, so I reluctantly started running. Became unreasonably affectionate toward it. Before, I would have said (DID say) that runners look like they are in pain every time they run. Anyway, winter is a treat here. I used to live on the East Coast, and Ontario. Both of those have a much more brutal, intolerable cold. Here, the temp drops, then it's 'cold' (-20C and below) until spring. I call it 'poetically cold', since it sounds cold, looks cold on the thermostat, but really office workers will still take off a mitten and shake hands out in the street. I do try to xski now and then, but honestly I'm a bit lazy. It's easy to step into my runners, and go jog around trails for an hour. For skiing, I have to add the skis, and usually drive somewhere appropriate. I just so rarely bother. Also, I can run around Frame Lake faster than I can ski around. I don't think I'm a particularly fast runner, so I must be an abysmal skier. Actually, I can't really ski without going hard. Any time I ski I am soaked in sweat and exhausted, whereas with jogging I can moderate my effort better, and am more at ease. On a random leather note, I ended up with a bunch of chrome-tanned leather bits, and don't really enjoy that stuff. Have you, or other posters, got a simple thing a novice can try making? I enjoy your work, @chuck123wapati, and if you have a design to share, I wouldn't mind having a go. I've thought about using the big piece of weathered bison for a camera bag, but that's a complex and large project. I'm not even sure how to approach that. Got some latigo, couple smaller pieces of 'bag leather' etc.

It's kind of the opposite here. I have a trail network through and around town that I like running. It's sled trails, mixed with city trails. The winter arriving opens up SO much more trail. Every lake can be crossed, all the swamps are runnable. Even Truck Lake (where the trucking company stages their ice road loads) can be crossed, and it's fun to see the b-trains stretching the ice down, as they idle on the ice surface. For the last week or two, I've been avoiding bringing my dog on runs, because while good-looking, Ethyl isn't smart about ice, and would fall through somewhere. She doesn't mind being wet, but dogs can fall through in dangerous places. I know a few people who have lost dogs that way. Anyway, the ice is pretty much in now, at least around the edges. I'll wait til I see trucks rolling across the big lake, but for now, all my alternate trails are open! I may not describe it well enough. I strongly suggest joining me for a long run, sometime between late December and April. Headed out to the craft sales today. Going to look at it with an eye to possibly starting with that kind of venue myself. Wish me luck! Pic from years ago. Those sealhide overmitts are still in service as running mitts. Their 'patina' is nearly progressed enough to call it rot, but I still like them.

Yesterday, I was invited to run a short trail around my house. I call it the Fitsters Trail, since two very athletic sisters were the first to show it to me. It's not usable in warmer weather due to deep puddles, but now things are frozen! I only got the 4 lovely kilometers yesterday (with one of the sisters) but today I'm thinking I'll go around there again, and run the airport fence line all the way to the road. I've really missed winter (not to mention those sisters...been almost a year) Pic somewhat related. Ice road crossing back when we still had the 'Robertson Headframe' in our skyline.

THAT'S a good practice I didn't think to do. Thanks, @PastorBob

Tried a window/reveal/inside edge. Not sure I'm getting enough out of it to try again, though I do like the layered/windowed look (applique?)

Did a bit more practicing. Here are a few of my most recent ones. I'm waiting on a shipment of hardware. Should be here by the time I make a few more.

Looks like it's ready to serve another hundred years. Great job!

I have a bunch of hair-on sealhide, and a ready source of caribou (all I can tan, pretty much) but haven't found a way, that I like, to include it in leatherwork. Be cool to see how you do with it.

will this holster be hair-on? Be interesting to see that.

I usually make a mess of contact cement. These were better. By a lot. I have a syringe to fill them from a can (kept in the house) and bring one or two of these small glue pens out with me, into the sometimes-frozen leather shop (and radio lab) Anyway, cheap Temu find if anyone wants to try some.

There can be no accountability. At least I am not forced to pay for their production of 'news content'.

Whenever something upsetting, concerning or important happens in the world, I try to remember to look at what the severely TDS affected authors publishers and presstitutes have to say. Now that the BBC has fired those guys, my options are narrowing...

I tried tanning myself, with a haunch of caribou given by a neighbour (I have a GREAT neighbourhood) Egg yolks instead of brains (I lacked spare brains) and work, work, work. Then, do more work. After that, more work. It's ready now, to be a toboggan liner for an American friend who just made a baby. She's a caribou researcher, so hopefully I did a good job. Oh, and it isn't hard work, just there is a LOT of it, and it all needs attention.

I do have some latigo, could double it to get thick enough...Might be my next set. Also thinking of adding grips to my pullup bar, again and again over time, to make the bar harder and harder to grip.

This is amazing! Great job on every detail! did you make that frame? Do you think a novice could copy your design?