I Used To Love This Bar! - Artsy What?

Click the pic to zoom in.

Until the roof caved in. Not really, for you see it's mostly only in my imagination. I'll explain later... Stay tuned!

Which one do you like better?

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Redoing Our Old Samsonite Chairs from the Condo

We bought this patio set (they were not new) with the condo over 20 years ago. They worked out great there because they were tall enough that you could sit on the balcony and see over the railing. When we sold the condo we brought the (somewhat decrepit looking) set back to our home in London, Canada.

 The chairs took a beating from the elements including the intense sun over two or three decades. The colour (bright yellow) had faded to a dirty blonde and the fabric began to tear and disintegrate. The furniture was very well-built compared to the Chinese stuff we are seeing nowadays so we figured they were worth saving.

I was fortunate to find that a spin-off of the original Samsonite company still makes the exact covers in Murfreesboro TN. I phoned them, picked the colour "Sumba Java" and had them sent to my box in Port Huron. They weren't cheap at $367 USD but if they last nearly as long as the old ones they will be good value.

We took the old chairs apart and Wendy cleaned them ready to re-cover.

It was quite a job to stretch the covers over the frame but with the help of some silicone spray and a strap tensioner we were able to wrestle the new covers on.

With the tensioner removed the frames sprung back to tightly stretch the new covering material.

The chair frames cleaned up beautifully and the new covers look good enough to go another 20 years.

We can again see over the railing to the pool and the lovely views in our back yard.

They match the siding on the house look like brand new.

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Artsy Pics For Today - AutoCat

Headlights and cat's eyes are prominent features of both machinery and animal. Cars of the nineteen-twenties always looked cat-like to me.

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Real Boats and Model Boats - Algonac

On Saturday we drove to Algonac Michigan to attend the 32nd Annual "Where It All Began" Boat Show.

 One shoreside display featured incredible working model boats.

The man in the the picture explained how he reproduced the miniature boat hardware.

The tiny hardware pieces were first  drawn in 2D, then rendered in 3D.

The solid brass or bronze fittings were first "printed" in wax on a 3D printer. Then they were rough cast in brass, brushed and polished, then plated to mirror finish, just like the original parts.

The workmanship and attention to detail is truly amazing.

It all started here in Algonac.

The Chris Craft factory turned out boats at an affordable price which meant you didn't have to be rich to buy a boat anymore.

Drones are everywhere now. These incredible little helicopters can "film" from every angle.

Free boat rides in classic wooden boats. Wow!

Black Beauty was the only factory-made Chris Craft boat with a black hull.

All brands were present, not just Chris Carft.

These folks were not in the show but came by to see the action from the water.

Tough decisions.
 

I've never before seen this type of polished aluminum boat.

Three boats owned by Peter Beauregard and his wife Carol.

Peter Beauregard had at least 4 classic boats in this show. He proudly explains some of the details. Peter is the owner of Colony Marine, a prominent Michigan Sea Ray dealership located nearby.

The word "amazing" is heard everywhere and can't express the beauty of these remarkable boats.

The workmanship and countless hours spent on these restorations is beyond beautiful.

Some of the boats here are more modern reproductions, but they are built to the original specifications from original drawings.

This unique looking Hacker Craft was actually built in 1991 so it is really not as old as it looks.

Wendy liked the cottage across the canal. I agreed. Nice place to spend a summer.

This is yet another boat owned by Peter Beauregard of Colony Marine.

This 1929 beauty came all the way from Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Here's a deal for you! Only $7500 for a beautiful  35 foot 1965 Chris Craft Corinthian, lovingly maintained to it's original condition.

I was tempted! Alas, a lot of wood and a lot of maintenance. Too much for me.

A very talented musician had a seemingly endless playlist and provided great music as we ate our spectacular hamburger lunch in a great marina setting.
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