Rennovating the Canopus

Today's balmy sun saw Dad and I engaged in a systematic refurbishment of the Society's heirloom chest. After stripping the deeply offensive rosy wallpaper from the interior, we decided that repapering would only replace the stupid look with something only a little less dumb. The wood inside the Canopus is rather attractive and covered here and there by glue, cheesecloth, and 100 year-old brown paper. We decided that a sanded down and finished version of this vintage surfacing would be far more attractive than a contrived papering. I will, however, still be including framed portraits of our founders inside upon the upturned lid. We are also replacing the handles, and have found that the previous proprietor of this noble box had the bad taste to use imitation leather belts to replace the original handles - a move congruent with the scads of Grandma-barf bouquet wallpaper we unceremoniously (and rather laboriously) purged from the innards of this vessel. New chains have been acquired to secure the lid and support its cavernous open gape. The new shelving upon the upper reaches of the Canopian innards was constructed with care by C.R. Padgett, Senior, Society Craftsman. Materials include: American Cherry and New Zealand heart Remu woods, the latter imported from the South Pacific in the early 80's by C.R.P. This particular assembly is ideal for the storage of a) Digital Versatile Discs b) Small field guides c) endangered rodents. This is an update, the process is ongoing. Pictures of the final product are forthcoming.

A Merry Yule's Eve to you and yours.

B.L. Padgett, esq., Patrician

P-a-L R: The Natural History of my Backyard

Salutations on this Eve of Christmas. While for most of you, thoughts of the holiday season include leafless trees and bitter cold, Christmas in my town involves 80 degree weather, flying kites at the beach, and flip flops. While I already miss the colder climate of the cumberland plateau, the green foliage here gave me the opportunity to experiment with my new camera. If anyone is interested, here are some sample pics of plants from my backyard (this is easier than trying to email them).