the first of the season

With the first backed up line of cars in Wiscasset, we know that the tourist season is here. Despite some of the anti- tourist sentiment (bumper stickers like: "if its called tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em" and "I'm NOT on YOUR vacation" for the locals), people round here know that its money from Mass, Connecticut, NY and elsewhere that makes the Maine monkey dance. Without tourist dollars ( and in that, its mainly the second home folks ), Maine's economy would resemble upstate NY-not much going on other than casinos and logging.

The weather this Memorial day weekend has not disappointed so far. Except for the farmers among us, who would prefer maybe 1 or 2 days of rain per week.

I've spent the last 3 weeks building furniture with my buddy Paul at his shop, working on the Bluebird (our 26' Rhodes Meridian/Seafarer), and enjoying the nice weather. Starting tomorrow, I'm back cutting timbers for a big horse barn going to New Jersey for a couple of months.

I just bought a 3o year old or so, Delta Unisaw table saw. Powered by a 5HP single-phase 220v motor, it will be all the table saw I will ever need. It was collecting dust in an old mill building in Biddeford and I offered a few hundred bucks and got it. Now, where to put the thing when I go pick it up?