It's been a while...

I know it's been a while since I last posted, but we've been plodding through winter just like everyone else in the Northern Hemisphere. Because I've been feeling a wee pang of guilt at ignoring all of you, I undertook a small project both to occupy our time on Sunday and to provide blog-fodder for you.

I've been reading quite a bit of Eric Sloane's work about the tools, buildings and lifestyle of historical New England. I came across this illustration in one of the books and decided that it was time to make something.

So the Boy and I decided to make a small winter sledge (or sled, sleigh or scoot, whatever your dialect) for the tractor or horse.  To that end, we slapped some boards on a pair of road-shopping skis, strapped them together with a few other boards, put a chain on the front and called it good!

Step 1 - disassemble the skis and cut the runners.

Step 2: screw the skis onto the runner boards.

Step 3: screw cross boards onto the runners.

Step 4: strap entire contraption to bored horse.

Step 5: (no photo) watch bored horse go trotting, then cantering, off without you but still attached to said contraption and bewildered, albeit deliriously happy, six year-old son.

Crap.