Waiting for Spring

The sun came out on Tuesday... then again on Thursday. Oh, welcome, welcome, friend! It's been too long. Yes, I'm starting to see a robin or two, geese have been flying overhead, sap is running, and even a couple brave flower sprouts have peeked up from the earth. But it's the sunshine that I crave the most.  Well, milder temps would be awfully nice also, but if the sun will just shine, my whole attitude brightens.

And so, I headed to the garage. It's time to make some progress on our greenhouse project. I bought stain to match the house; my plan is to stain all the pieces before construction. The first step was to arrange some staining stations in the garage. That meant moving a few things around. Two old sawhorses work great for long pieces. A couple large boxes could serve to hold small pieces. And finally, I moved the lawn wagon into the center and put part of the crating box across it to create another stain station.

Carry the pieces to their stations and wipe them clean of dust with an old sock. OK, now what? Turn on the radio, stir the stain, and get at it. I started with a disposable sponge brush. It worked fine, but disintegrated before too long. I then went to my own method of staining. I put disposable latex gloves on both hands, and an old sock on my right hand. I dip the sock lightly in the stain and rub it onto and into the wood.  This may seem strange to some, but it works for me. Good coverage, and no drips. 

I worked at this project for about 3 hours and felt pretty good until I really looked at how many pieces of wood there are.  It will take me a week or more of staining to get them all done. Oh well, the garage door was open, the sun was streaming in, the radio was playing...  I was soaking in the SPRING!

Staining in the sun - Felt Great!

Many more pieces to go... but at least it's started.