Joiner's Musings

Whatever the breed, these were large dogs Sugar shack I decided to go with one lens today, the Panasonic 45-175X zoom, which basically makes my ILC a super-zoom because the top switch on my Panasonic G6 powers the zoom. I like this feature a lot and the zoom does not disappoint. I believe it is a good practice to go with one lens exclusivity so as to explore its limits and learn to use the lens properly. Admittedly all of the shots in this post could easily have been taken with a shorter zoom but because it was cold and icy the zoom enabled me to get close to my shot without having to physically move nearer and risk hurting myself in the process. Old International Harvester tractor I believe this is the logo for International Harvester We spent the afternoon at Sugar Moon Farm on Hwy 311 heading north from Truro towards the Tatamagouche area. The farm is beautiful in any season of the year and just as captivating on this cold January day. It was particularly bu...

Yes, this humble little blog has reached 20,000 page-views! So first of all thank you if you are a regular visitor to Joiner's Musings. Also thank you if you are one of those people who comes here to glimpse some of the events in my life. (You know who you are!) Let us also not forget the many people who have ended up here by "Googling" the many phrases associated with clocks, cars, photography, cottage life, traveling or just stumbling to get here (yes, there is even a website called www. stumbleupon.com). I started this blog on a whim while I experimented with the whole concept of recording my thoughts and ideas. I figured I would eventually loose interest and this place would fizzle out of existence like so many other blogs I have seen. Search and you will find a vast array of blogs where I assume people just gave up or ran out of original ideas.Were these sites failures? Not necessarily, but like anything else in life you've got to keep at it to make it...

 Is selecting and cutting down your own Christmas tree a lost tradition? A Christmas tree lot not far from us I know many families buy an artificial tree and those that do buy natural trees do so by visiting the many lots that are located in towns and cities during the Christmas season. It is simply a  matter of choosing your tree, agreeing on a price, putting it in the back of your vehicle and off you go to put it up. We have actually done that in the past and have been quite happy with our selection. But, for the past 5 years we have renewed the tradition of cutting down our own tree. Because we live in the country we could conceivably go into a nearby forest and find our own. Usually you spend a lot of time looking, all you can see are spindly little things and what you finally bring home often disappoints. No, our choice is to select a groomed tree that has been nurtured just for that purpose. decorating the tree Luckily for us there is a Christmas tree farm...

Ticking away and more quietly now  In a previous post I mentioned that when I bought this 80+ year old clock at an antique dealer in Great Village Nova Scotia, I immediately determined that it needed servicing. My first real clue was an almost imperceptible squeaking noise. It kept reasonably good time but the squeaking did not go away even after oiling the clock. Hanging in upper hallway However, upon opening the clock I discovered one very bad bushing and I knew right away that it had to be attended to as soon as possible. A trip to Doctor Clock in Halifax was the answer. So, in mid November I brought the clock into the service center and asked if it could be ready for Christmas. They said yes, although they had a number of other clocks in for servicing it would be ready they said. Had I come in one day later there would not have been a guarantee that it would be ready in time. They are that busy. In fact when I picked it up there were 3 other customers in picking up th...

Avondale Sky Winery  Our favorite winery in Nova Scotia is Avondale Sky located in Avondale, Nova Scotia. Apply named? Well, yes, because it is located in Avondale NS and it fits quite nicely into the surrounding farm community. Stopped at the entrance for a few shots On Saturday Loraine, the owner, greeted us at the door and gave both of us a big hug and welcomed us into the store. We chatted about different things and I asked if the winery had received any awards to which she replied, "yes, look over here" pointing to the medal wins in the last two years. However, we were there for our quarterly pick-up as wine club members. The pick-up get-together was on the next day (Sunday) but we were unable to be there for the pairing and the meet-and-greet with other club members and decided to go on Saturday instead to pick up our wine allocation (4 bottles). The main building and production section Here are some shots of the winery store, the home of the owners and ...

U M Muller in our kitchen dining area  After some discussion we have decided to replace our kitchen quartz clock with our new-to-us U M Muller German box clock. As those of you who are familiar with horological history, the German box clock effectively spelled the end of the so called Vienna regulator period because it was a cheaper to produce, less ostentatious and appealed to the business middle class consumer of that period. Our U M Muller clock (or Uhrenfabrik Mühlheim Müller & Co as the company is called) is  a special clock featuring wood carved inlays and beveled lead glass. The oak case is truly a sight to behold and it evident that considerable  craftsmanship went into the manufacture of this particular clock. Ours shows no obvious scratches or blemishes on the case but there is a poor attempt to repair the clock face resulting in an area between the 6 and 7 that is worn through to the metal beneath. The movement is typical for that period and I would...

U M Muller German clock Detail on clock front I bought this U M Muller clock recently. I was attracted by it's classic style and shape. I am not at all familiar with this clock company and would appreciate some information about the clock and its approximate age. I saw one other clock similar to mine when I did a search on NAWCC a forum site for clock collectors. Mine is chime (lovely sound) and time, a so-called two train clock. The oak case is in great shape with no obvious scratches or blemishes. There is carved detail between the lower glass panels and the face. One side is slightly differently carved than the other. The only obvious problem is the area between the 6 and the 7 on the clock face which appears to have been rubbed through to the brass(?) either by friction or chemical process. I am told that the pendulum is original yet it has an oak rod and the pendulum itself is a dull silver colour though I have some doubt. I have an update. The pendulum ...