The plan was to spend tomorrow at a nearby, soon-to-be tiny farm, helping build a winterized seedling room in the barn. Day 1: a little demolition and clean-up. This didn’t work out because of a snow storm warning, so after an overnight visit to a nearby town, we returned and I unpacked. False start. Still, this was another mini milestone for me, a first, loading up my tools for an off-farm job! This is all gear assembled bit by bit while working on projects here on the farm, guided by the tools I’d borrowed from Bob. Every purchase, I knew exactly what it was for and how it would come in handy again. Although I’m far from an experienced rough carpenter/farm fixer, choosing tools yesterday made me realize how much I’ve learned. The feeling of place and context really struck me, how the little memories of using each tool tied into the overall tiny farming fabric. It may seem ODD to be celebrating such basic stuff, but it reminded me how unsettlingly disconnected things can get: the job you go to every day, the weekend shop project at home, the weekly grocery run, endless other routines that have no real connection to each other, except in your head. Not like on the tiny farm, where one thing leads another… Hmm. :)
I don’t think it is odd to have memories tied to some of our tools! I am definately a tool-guy with a good amount of mechanic tools and enought home/garden tools to be dangerous. I had all my tools in storage for 2 years while we lived with my in-laws during our house construction, and had to put many projects on hold. We are now in our new house and I have been setting up my workshop and was able to unpack most of my tools and begin putting them to use. Many of them triggered memories of past projects, but most importantly, they are now linked with each new project in our new house. Also, I almost forgot how important it was to keep them organized because it really makes the work easier.
Good luck on the off-site demo project, and many more safe projects on the Tiny Farm!
I get sentimental about all my tools too–so many memories of my years in landscape construction and of late with projects at home. One of my treasures is a red tool box, from Sears, that I got as an Xmas present in 1977–it has survived college, a hundred trips into the outback of Baja California, 20 years in landscaping, rain, blowing sand, salt water, and employees; two of three latches are broken, the handle is rusting but somehow that toolbox keeps on chugging along.
Have sledge hammer – will travel. Handy on the tiny farm! The tool box on the right caught my eye. It was my first, large plastic one. The great thing about the tiny farm is that there is always projects to do. And memories to accumulate.
It is always nice to get a bit of extra instruction for doing renovations (or dreaming about it). If you need some top notch tips, I would also check Masterrenovator.com, the guy has very good info on things that I never even thought of.