Clearing the shed

is a slow process. 

My brother has been here for the last two days. He came from another state with a big trailer so he could transport some more of the Senior Cat's precious woodworking materials back to his home. 

Like the Senior Cat he now has a "workshop" and, again like the Senior Cat, he will be able to spend his "retirement" making things for other people. He has cleared most of the machinery. The last two days have been spent getting a big work bench ready.

The Senior Cat made this workbench when I was a very small kitten. Brother Cat was even smaller. Middle Cat and the Black Cat had been no more than thoughts about possible future children. 

I remember the Senior Cat working on it. He actually made the workbench for my maternal grandfather. My maternal grandfather worked making and repairing precision instruments. He could work in the smallest of measurements but he could not work with timber. The Senior Cat had to do that. 

The bench is about three metres long. It has twelve drawers - six on either side. It has been in constant use since it was made. It was used by my grandfather, my uncle, my brother, my father and many of their friends. It needs some attention now but it is still a solid piece of workmanship. My brother will go on using it. When my brother no longer needs it then it will likely go to his son-in-law - and yes, on one occasion here he used the top while he was repairing something for one of his children. My nephew on that side of the family does not woodwork. He is, much to his father's disappointment, not interested in practical pursuits - my great niece (age 11) has more idea how to mow the lawn.

Yesterday afternoon my brother and his partner managed to shift the bench and, somehow, get it on to the big trailer. They are now stacking the trailer with timber as well - Huon Pine, Blackheart Sassafras, Myrtle, Jarrah and other timber.  The Senior Cat used  lot of timber over the years but there is still some special timber there. He tried to buy naturally fallen timber where he could. Why cut down a tree if something had already fallen? My brother feels the same way. 

There is still much more in the shed. Brother Cat brought down the blue trunk I had at university. It still has the picture of Snoopy on the lid - Middle Cat painted that on. My mother had taken over the trunk when I returned home. I had no idea what was in it but my SIL and I opened it and found - yes, more yarn. It still looks as if it is in good condition. It isn't the sort of thing I am likely to use so I spent an hour yesterday sorting it and will deliver it to groups I know will use it well. 

The trunk was easy. It is the half finished toys, the timber cut ready to make  something - but what? It is the nails and screws and the bolts and the other little things in the endless drawers. In a way it is neater than it first appeared but Brother Cat will not be able to use it all. It needs to go somewhere but it needs to be sorted first. 

"I'll try and stay longer next time," Brother Cat told me, "But we need to get the trailer back this time." 

They will be off again today. It's hard to see it go. It's hard to know the Senior Cat won't ever use it again. It is also good to know that Brother Cat will be using some of it.

And sometime, in the future, other people will use it too. The Senior Cat says he is happy about that - and that has to be what counts.