BELLY UP TO THE BAR

This is our bar or island that separates the kitchen from the living area. The posts and foot rest were an Apple tree growing in the driveway when we bought the property. I cut it down and through the pieces to side. When I got to building the bar I thought to take a look at them, but I didn't have much hope. They were knarlly, twisted, and full of nails from the boy who grew up here nailing steps to make climbing easier.
It took some doing, but there she is.
Now the tops. We search far and wide for log slaps that would work. Only ones I found were in southern Oregon, Redwood(too dark), and very expensive. Then we went to the beach one Sunday. We went to Taft, where there is a lot of drift wood. There on the beach was a huge Cedar tree that had had slabs cut from it, and they left one behind. It was too big for me to carry and you can't get a vehicle close there. How to find this guy?
My wife wanted to stop at some shops when we got back to the car. So being the perfect husband, I obliged. I came out from the chocolate store, looked across the road, and there stood the slabs cut from the beach. I'll be damned! We drove over and met Jon. He had been cutting slabs for a while. He had an Alaskan saw mill. That's a chain saw with a bar attachment allowing for straight cuts. His had a sixteen horse power motor on each end. Big power! But his real treasure was his son, who could bench press (lift) six hundred and fifty pounds. You cannot use any machine to remove driftwood from the beach, but this boy could do the job!
I told Jon what I was doing and what I needed. He said that he knew where there was just the tree, and that he could cut it the next morning and deliver it to me.
It was an Oregon Ash tree, a very hard, nicely grained, light colored wood. We settled on a very good price. I was happy. The next day Jon called. He and the boy had loaded up early in the morning, driven all the way down to Yachats, and found that somebody had cut the tree to pieces.
But he had found another tree, fiddle back Maple, worth way more money, that he would give me for the same price. What was I to do. I hadn't seen this wood. He had a sab of the Ash for me to look at in his shop. I told him that I'd take the gamble.
In a couple days he called me. It was after dinner, dark, and pouring buckets. He was here! So I came down to a dark garage to help unload and pay. When I returned in the morning and could see, I found that the two pieces for the bar top were great. But the one inch thick pieces I wanted for the kitchen counters were pretty rotten. Good reason for a night delivery. But you have to deal with the hand you are dealt. So, I kind of puzzle pieced the counters together. You will see them later.