Saturday, October 10, 2015

Never Give Up on a Good Picnic Table

Wayne writing at the picnic table with its winter enclosure.
When we purchased our cabin in 2001, it came with a bright red picnic table handmade by our good friend John.

Over the years it's had lots of use for meals, crafts, gardening chores, chainsaw sharpening, and Wayne's writing projects. In 2007, our table had it's first catastrophe. It lost two legs to wood rot (Leg Surgery for a Picnic Table). I guess it's termed dry rot, but in this case it was more like wet rot. John came to the rescue and gave it two new legs to stand on.

Over the years benches and tabletop slats have been replaced a few at a time, and Wayne has added multiple coats of paint to keep out the wet. Not much of the original table remains, but we don't want to give up on it. Like the Seven Million Dollar Man, "We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make [him] better than he was before," so to speak.


But it's happened again. Another leg has broken. I sure wish John had patented those picnic table socks to help prevent wood rot. Wayne searched through our supply of old shake blocks and found one that would provide a temporary fix until John can build us a new bionic one. -- Margy

18 comments:

  1. Love you picnic table - always good to repair and repair. It is like Abe Lincoln's axe - the same original one except for 5 new axe heads and the handle replaced 3 times. Loved the post.

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    1. Never heard that Abe Lincoln story. That's about it for our table. Like I said, I'm not sure anything original is left. But like a Timex, she takes a licking but keeping on ticking. - Margy

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  2. I really love your picnic table! Great post.

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    1. She's too much a part of the family to give up on. - Margy

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  3. I love the bright red and it stands out on the image. nice to see you kept it all these years.

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  4. First of all, I envy you living in a cabin. Secondly, having a special place in your hearts for the picnic table says so much about you two!! Lovin', devoted, and above all those who don't waste a good thing!!!

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    1. We have a saying, "Save that nail." You just never know when you will need something in the future. - Margy

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  5. Gotta love a oicnic table that lives on and on!

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  6. Hah! I love it. John is a peach!

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  7. Great photo and John is so creative too!

    Happy Weekend to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  8. laughing at your reference to steve austin. too funny! but i'd do much the same.

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    1. It was just one of those funny fleeting thoughts that crossed my mind when writing about the table. - Margy

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  9. seems like a cold day to work outdoors on a computer. Hope it did not take long :)

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    1. We keep a propane heater underneath so we can enjoy the outdoors in all weather. - Margy

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  10. That's a mighty special table there... all the memories it can share if it only could talk! :)

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  11. Love the bionic references — I may be showing my age there.

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  12. It is a very practical and useful picnic table. I am glad that you were able to keep the table by replacing certain parts.

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  13. Thanks everyone for stopping by to read my silly post and taking the time to comment. - Margy

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy