the creek was rising yesterday

apple computer proposed campus

Apple's proposed campus

Looks like Steve's not done yet.  This weekend, on the way to the Apple store for cpu repair, I enjoyed hearing Steve sharing his new campus vision with the Cupertino council.  If he pulls it off, it may just be the largest, and most amazing, and most beautiful, and maybe even greenest (as in sustainable) office building in the world. 

The plan will be to house 13,000 employees in one building.  This is in addition to their nearby existing complex at one infinite loop (which is where we mailed montly checks way back when we were in the computer business).

Parking undergound, only using the grid as backup power (so cool), and he hired Stanford's top arborist to plan all the green spaces at Apple's proposed campus. 

Steve just isn't looking so good lately.  I hope he's able to hang around long enough to see this one.  - Me too!

Apple's proposed campus

I didn't know - alabama boy running Apple computer??

I'm usually the last to know, but here's another biggee that I was clueless about.  Tim Cook, from Orange Beach Alabama, seems to the be running Apple Computer.  Well, as COO, I guess he's working directly under Master of all things cool, Steve Jobs.  But during Steve's medical leave, it looks like Tim's been at the helm.

I've been having problems mith my Mac lately.  Sent it in for repair a few weeks ago.  They didn't find the problem.  It just froze up on me again this weekend, so I took it to the closest Apple store for repair.  They were able to fix it over night, so I returned to Huntsville again Sunday.  Ends up the little receptacle that the mag safe adaptor fits in was pretty fried.  All is working now.  Whew.

All that to say that during the Saturday trip, I had time to visit a bunch of sites that I typically don't have time for.  Linda drove, and I was able to use the Ipad2's 3g features to browse the web and have fun.  I was even able to catch Tim's talk at the Auburn commencement ceremony last year.  Those are typically such boring speeches, but this one was quite amazing.  He talked about using your engineering/business brain to prepare yourself for the future.  AND to use your intuition to make the most important decisions of your life.  He said he would have never made the decision to come to Apple computer if he used the methodical, rational side of his brain.  Very interesting.

Ed Bridges - The museum of Alabama

Ed Bridges with the Museum of Alabama

I thoroughly enjoy my second visit with master Alabama historian Ed Bridges with the Museum of Alabama.  I'm afraid he wanted to talk more about furniture, but I was hitting him from all sides with intriguing, and possibly controversial Alabama history questions.  He is the most knowledgeable local (Alabama) historian I've ever spoken with.  Quite amazing depth of understanding.

And, I'm so honored to have some some of my work showcased in this new Museum as well as used functionally, to allow visitors to enjoy the museum's other works and voices.

I'm looking forward to attending the grand opening ceremonies on August 26th and 27th, as well has sharing this off the wall furniture maker's story.

Ed Bridges with the Museum of Alabama

solid walnut daybed

Walnut daybed

Walnut daybed

We just completed the hand rubbed oil finish on this walnut daybed and brought it into the gallery area of the studio for some photography.  I performed just a bit of silhouette work in photoshop and here it is.  This is the first of several planned iterations of this daybed.  The next couple in line will use the same base design.  We should have plenty of time to complete a couple more, and select which will be featured in our booth in High Point.  Unfortunately, it didn't get completed in time for the upcoming Atlanta or Las Vegas markets.

Oh, if it looks like we just tucked a sheet in around the mattress on the pic on the right, that's because that's all we did.  Just wanted to show how it should look with a standard 11" thick mattress.  I don't do fabric.  Not that I'm against it really, just have my hands full with wood.

Walnut daybed

museum benches

Museum benches

From the start of this little business, as I considered bench designs, I've always envisioned them used as  museum benches.  Heavy, low to the ground, unadorned so the bench doesn't distract from the "other" art in the room.

Well, I can't tell you how pleased I was when Ed Bridges, the director of the Alabama department of archives and history started planning the benches for his new museum - the Museum of Alabama.  The museum will be opening in stages, with the grand opening in August.  And, for the first stage, we worked with Ed and his design consultants in the design of these first benches.  It was really a simple matter of taking a standard bench design, customizing the length, adding a couple inches to the height, adding some width for extra stability, and adding a low stretcher to plan for lots of heavy use.  I think they turned out just great, and look forward to seeing them in action during the grand opening ceremony in August.

museum benches

I can't get enough of this wild oak console

This wild oak console for shaw ooozes something that I can't seem to get enough of.  It's the piece that each time I walk by, I slow down and really appreciate.  Maybe because this partially rotten oak lumber is something I haven't used much in the past.  We just received a truckload from the kiln, and there are a few slabs that have this wild partially rotten effect.

Rot is just another area that is completely absorbing my attention.  We seem to get more of this organically distressed effect with oak than any other species.  You see, is the toughest hardwood species (at least for me) to dry.  It is very slow drying.  Even when most of it is dry, there may be (usually are) small pockets of moisture cells.  But the more obvious problem is that oak just rots faster, and easier than any other hardwood species - at least that I deal with.  So, over a period of a few years of air drying, if one slab sticks out in the weather a bit, or if moisture gets in for one reason or another when it rains, we start getting some rot.  I don't think I've had so much that I can't use the entire piece.  So far, there's a much better chance that we don't get enough of this magical organic discoloration.  Well, that's at least my opinion.

This rotten oak podium will be on display in the ShawFlooring Atlanta showroom this upcoming market.  And will be showcasing Shaw's catalog of beautiful, sustainable products.

Brooklyn Phil in Phil Campbell Alabama

Real food

Real Food in Russellville, Alabama

Why is it that a little trailer on a back street of a small north alabama town can consistently serve MUCH better food than 95% of (larger) restaurants?

I'm really not sure what the answer is to this quite perplexing question.  I do understand that not all dives or trailers can do it.  Some could probably kill you. 

But I LOVE finding out of the way dives that have amazing food.  I typically enjoy doing this when out of town, but yesterday, we were driving thru Russellville on the way home from Phil Campbell.  And, being Saturday, Linda's favorite real (southern country) food spot around - Taylors - was closed, so we had a chance to explore a bit.  We had heard of a little spot we've been wanting to try - El Pollo Loco (not the really good Mexican and west coast franchise) but a little local spot.  But before we found it we saw this dive, and I knew we had to try it. And oh man was it good.  Home made corn tortillas smell so good from blocks away.  And the tacos were more like real Mexican.  Meaning kinda heavy of the beef and light on the veggies - which isn't usually my thing.  They asked gringo if we wanted the traditional cilantro and onion topping or (American) lettuce and tomato.  I jumped at the cilantro and onion.  Of course they had home made tomatillo salsa.  So simple.  So real.  So perfect.  And so much better than 95% of restaurants. 

Real Food in Russellville, Alabama

meet Phil Campbell

phil campbells support phil campbell alabama

Phil Campbell Alabama

This morning, Linda and I (and the pups) took the short 40 minute drive due south to the tornado devastated town of Phil Campbell.  Today the town, took a break from survival mode, and celebrated it's 100th anniversary.   The celebration took, like the town, wasn't fancy, but it was wonderful.  Lots of laughing, children, music, marching, and a whole bunch of phil C's everywhere you looked.

What a treat it was to visit with the town and many of the citizens that survived the storm.  Among those that we visited with were Mayor Mays, to councilmen, to the girl scouts, FEMA workers, rescue squad members, along with over 20 folks named Phil Campbell that arrived from all parts of globe to help.  Quite an amazing cross section that, all with a single goal to try to help.  There was an amazing positive energy in the air - It seemed like this might have been the first time many of them have been able to slow down and take a deep breath.

I didn't realize that the Mayor had been in the furniture business throughout his life.  I'm commited to doing what I can to help.  Seems like building a table from one of the downed trees and auctioning it off for the town would be appropriate.  I'm thinking that their may be others in our industry that might also want to help.  It's going to take years to get this little town back on it's feet, if it ever is able to.  Maybe something like furnishings for phil?  If you have any thoughts, please share.

I've got a good bit of video from today's remarkable event, and hope to put it together soon.  Stay tuned.

headed to ShawLiving's Atlanta showroom

ShawLiving's Atlanta Showroom

Kevin, the showroom designer with Shaw Living visited this afternoon, to do a final inspectiion of these two custom pieces for their showroom, as well as choose the pieces that'll be on display at the upcoming Atlanta and Las Vegas markets.

This catalog stand with matching vertical slab was a collaboration, and I think we both couldn't be more pleased with the result.  The coloration of this partially rotten oak is mesmerrizing.  I'm going to be looking for more rotten lumber around here - really.

If you will be attending the upcoming Atlanta or Las Vegas markets, be sure to visit the ShawLiving space and let us know how you feel about "rot".

Can't wait to see them again, sitting in their new home in Shaw's beautiful Atlanta showroom next month.

modern walnut daybed

modern walnut daybed

We've been working on the walnut daybed on and off for the past couple of weeks.  Just like our tables, the legs and structure have been cut clean and straight, leaving the back (typically the table top) natural, twisted, and wonderfully just like God made it (previously in the form of a tree).

I can't make trees (although I can plant them), but I think I made a beautiful first attempt at a daybed.

This modern walnut daybed has been built to a standard size.  We make and sell the wood parts, the rest (including the mattress and fabric) will be left to the designer.  Note the standard mattress that will fit is readily available at any Sams, Costco, etc.  One more note;  I don't know of an American manufacturer of these mattresses.  I'm thinking there probably are a few left.  Maybe in Mississippi or ??  If you are a manufacturer of standard daybed size mattresses, please let me know.

We'll have this modern walnut daybed oiled and finished next week, and hopefully have some pics as well.

modern walnut daybed

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life (and these wood slabs) really is like a box of chocolates

So much time whirls by (counting by years) between the time that we cut the tree/log into flitch sawn lumber, and when we get it back from the kiln, and we never really know what's "inside the chocolate covered cherry" until we finally get it planed down.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the movie Forest Gump (actually, I think it's time to add it to my Netflix queue).  So many interesting life scenes and analysis.  But this morning, we placed a unusually thick, dining table sized oak slab on the planer.  I was remembering where the tree came from and just how long it's been since we began working on this eventual dining table - well, it's been years, at least three.  And, before the carbide teeth of the planer get to it, I still don't have a clue just what we've got there.  Will it have dark blue metal stain like many of the urban oaks trees?  Will there be know holes?  Did it get wet and rot a bit (this can be either catastropic or amazingly glorious)?  Did it warp too much to be able to level it back and still have some thickness?  What condition will the edges be in??? What color and texture will the grain be once it has been oiled and finished.  Since we never used stain, the answer to this question is particularly interesting and important.

Well, for this particular slab, we will be finding out in a few minutes.  I'm heading outside when I complete this sentence, to see what's under the "chocolate cover".

June issue of monoLOG just needs proofing

The june issue of our monthly newsletter, the monoLOG will be published in the morning.  Lots of excitment around here with introductions of a new team member, a discussion of "organic architecture and furniture", as well as the introduction of Nicole, a skinny bench.  If you aren't receiving our monthly newsletter, you can sign up right here.

planing walnut slabs this morning

Along with a truckload of beautiful organic oak slabs, these walnut slabs arrived yesterday.  They've been air drying for just over two years and just came out of the kiln last week.  I'm looking forward to getting them all planed this week and seeing just what we have.

southern cicada close up and personal

The Southern Cicada

For the past couple of months, there's been an eery buzz ringing in many Southerners' ears.  The eery sound od the cicada, added to the summer nature sounds of the frogs, grasshoppers at times is almost deafening.

I don't really understand the lifecycle of these extra large insects, but I can recognize their call from blocks away.  They must be good protein, because my dogs gobble them up after they die off and fall out of the trees around here.  They drive Linda nuts, but I enjoy their unique addition to the neighborhood as stop by and visit every few years (seems like more often than seen!)

Southern cicada

oak timber slabs just arrived

Oak Timber Slabs

For anyone that likes wood as much as we do, it's beginning to feel a little like Christmas around here.  After years of planning, sawmilling, stacking, air drying, these beauties just completed their final cure in the kiln and just arrived back at the studio.

Can't wait to get 'em in the studio and start planing a few down to see just what we have inside the beautiful wrappings and bows.  Now all I need is some mistle toe and cider.  -- Yikes - did I say that?

Most of these are way oversized and won't fit in our inside planer.  So, just like the earlier processes, this next step is going to take some time.  We will have to plane them outside, where the width limitation is a whopping 60".  And typically only come complete (the planing process) of three or four a day.

Stay tuned for all the action.  I'll try to get some pics as the progress.

oak timber slabs

Three way collaboration

Yesterday I took this pic of this super cool catalog stand that we are building for our American made, very "green" friends over at Shaw Living.  This piece will be comfortably housed in Shaw's beautiful Atlanta showroom for the upcoming market next month.  And, it's a great example of a super smooth collaboration effort that seems to have worked flawlessly between Shaw's showroom designer Kevin C, a healthy dose of nature's natural rotting efforts and mua'.

Kevin dropped by  a few weeks ago for a tour of the studio and to pick out some slabs for the project.  I kept showing him walnut and cherry, and seemed to be drawn to these beautifully organic, somewhat "spoiled" oak slabs. 

And, now that it's all coming together, I have to say his instincts were spot on. This organic, three way collaboration worked, and now every time I see another of these "organic slabs" I'm looking for the perfect place for it.  I'll be sure to take more pics when the piece is completed.

a collaboration with a few of god's little "artists"

Just like what must have been a mistake by first  vintners - with sour grapes, some of the most wonderful advances must have been derived from pure flukes and "mistakes".  Here's a simple example, that's quite close to home.

We are a small shop.  Just like most, we have a lot to do with not enough time or folks to do it.  By completing every step of the furniture making process in house, starting with the log (with the exception of kiln drying) is more than a little time consuming.  And, it seems like the saw milling operation is the one that gets pushed back.  The result has been some beautiful, massive logs (in our parking log) have been all ready for milling for a few years.  But, just as untreated wood outdoors is supposed to do, it has been rotting and decaying.  And has been a thorn in my side many mornings as I drive past, seeing the decay, but without the time or man power to get back to it.

(I just took this pic this morning of some of the freshly revealed "collaborators" that have been hard at work here at RWF).

We recently, received another truckload of freshly kiln dried lumber.  Much of it had received the same (in)attention.  And, it is becoming some of our most saught after lumber.  It is quite amazing.  The added colors of the formation of the early rot process is nothing short of amazing.  And every once in a while a few or god's artists -worms - "collaborate" on the project as you see here.

On the other hand, there is a fine line between beautiful early rot, and total loss of structural integrity.

If you or your client is looking for a truely one of a kind piece for your home, we have a fresh shipment of locally sourced naturally "aged" oak slabs to choose from.

Next, I'll post a pic of a piece that's presently in the works that's made from one of these slabs.