Wintertime activities for all ages

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Unfortunately, winter has arrived. How long it will last is anyone’s guess. Even the weatherman doesn’t know.
So, for at least 10 weeks or so, I am basically confined to the house.
We will get out to go to the grocery and drugstore, church on Sunday, maybe a hockey game to see our grandson play in either Fort Wayne or Fishers, depending on road conditions, and our usual lunch and dinner somewhere. That leaves a lot of time for other activities.
Since our garage is heated, I will spend time there making wooden pens.
I start with a large piece of (usually) exotic wood of some type and cut it down to size on my bandsaw. This means ¾x¾x5 inches long. I will cut about 30 to 40 pieces of these pen blanks, then reset my saw to cut these pieces to 2¼ inches long. It takes two of these to make a pen.
Next, I have to drill a 7 mm hole in each of these pieces on my drill press. I carry the box of these into the living room and set it on my card table, where I glue the metal tube that fits inside each of the soon-to-be pens. Back to the drill press, where a special tool squares each end of the piece so the metal pen parts fit properly.
On to the wood lathe, where I mount two of these blocks and turn them to pen size, sand them with 60-600 grit sandpaper, then put two coats of clear polish on. The last step is to use a special vice to press all the pen parts together. And, they are done.
When the card table is empty, I set up a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. I have stacks of these in my room. In my younger days, I would work one of these in two or three days. Occasionally, I would work a 2,000- or even 3,000-piece puzzle. Not anymore.
The last time our grandson visited, I took him to shop at all the local flea markets.
He really enjoys looking through all the old stuff. (I do too!) I picked up five or six hardback books to fill the time in my chair when there is no football on TV. I enjoy non-fiction stories (since that’s what I usually write). I do read some thrillers or murder mysteries if I know the author.
Some years ago, I took some classes on the Bob Ross painting technique. I haven’t done that for a while, but I still have some canvasses, brushes and other accessories. I know I have tubes of paint in the garage, but I’m sure they have since dried out.
The grandson has expressed an interest in doing this, so I may go buy some more paint and we can do it together.
It would make a fun wintertime activity.
For many years, I did a lot of leathercrafting. I would make purses every Christmas for my wife and daughter, wallets for me, moccasins for all of us, and assorted other projects.
I recently sold all of my leather working tools at one of our rummage sales. Of course, now, the grandson wants to get started.
I have a new woodburning kit, which I haven’t opened yet, and a flintknapping kit with instruction book.
I may begin doing that this winter. Check the computer for various places to purchase these type items.
I have several wooden skids I can dismantle and use the 1×4-inch runners to make bird houses and feeders if I run out of other projects.
The skids can often be found free in assorted places.
These are just a few ideas of how to make the winter go by faster.
Of course, I will also find time to work in the kitchen, making and baking things to keep friends and neighbors happy.

Rich Creason is an award-winning outdoors and travel writer whose work has appeared in local, regional, national and international publications for 40 years. Born in Anderson, he is a graduate of Markleville High School. He lives in South Madison County with his wife, Susie. He may be contacted at [email protected].

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