Tom, beautiful man, you are so much more then "just a roofer". Much respect for both your fish work and your craft as a roofer.
Pat
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Tom, beautiful man, you are so much more then "just a roofer". Much respect for both your fish work and your craft as a roofer.
Pat
Thanks Pat !
It is funny how we all have so many different professions but still share common ground with the fish .
I had the same experience when I went to the dog park always .People who would never have talked to me on the street became close friends just because of one common thing ..Dogs !
I am not a social butterfly and usually uncomfortable in crowds to say the least but when I am around others who I share interest with I always feel like I am at home .
For me that is something not easily achieved .
You should all know which of those two activities [ fish and copper work ] I enjoy the most and also which one pays better ..
Funny they are not the same ! It is not always about money thankfully ..
Thanks to all for the kind words they are much appreciated .
:p
On a fish note I have a nice batch of ram fry hovering around their Pitch Black mother and Gold Long finned father ! This excites me since I do not often have the same success when I have to work ..The fish demand a lot of time .
I also lost the angel fry from the dantums before but have a fresh batch of wigglers I think are from the albinos .
I watched the silver dantums lay eggs on the HOB intake tube and remain all the way to wigglers in a 65g tank with 20+ angels !:eek:
That is not what I expected at all .
The discus have laid eggs probably 6+ times now since I took the last group of juvis who are 3+ months old now but they just keep eating the eggs at different phases ..They are testing my patience but I do not know much I can do but learn how to artificially hatch ...I really enjoy watching the parents with fry so that will remain on the back burner and I will hope they " get it right next time ' !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuCj-_TIGdw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_4T0czSPrg
Thanks again Tom.
I have engineering background and my favorite time was working the old mills and lathes. I watched them evolve and being run by computers...wasn't the same. Writing a programme at my desk to run them didnt cut it like turning the dials to make things happen....I'm sure you get it. Its good seeing that some crafts are still being used and hopefully passed on to future generations. Once again thanks for sharing your amazing craft......and no no roof is never the same ;)
The Santarems tried to sneak eggs in yesterday without me noticing ..
I quickly fashioned a rabbit wire cone protector so we will see if they can't eat them if they do better when the time comes ..
Both seem to be fine fanning the eggs now but they looked at the cage and me like we were criminals !
Tom, please forgive me for not responding to your roofing posts until now. I saw them right away but I was so impressed I was without words to express myself. I thought the words would have come, but they never have...You are one of an endangered breed, Tom. I've known very few true craftsmen in my life. Real craftsmen are gold.
You're all good Liz .I just thought you gave the perfect lead in and didn't want you to have ever regret saying something nice or good about me !
I like your last sentence but would remove the G !
Real craftsmen are old !! :p
The discus are still fanning the eggs .Like they have a choice with the cage up.
It seemed like the next step and the type of help I don't mind offering .
I really want to see the pair with fry again so fins crossed ..
Real craftsmen are old but they're gold as well. I've tried to teach good grooming techniques that help you get the best out of the dog, but all I've ever had was young people who learned the basics and then went on to open their own shops which never lasted long. If they'd been interested they'd have been taught how to put themselves in the position where they would have to turn customers away. They could have made top dollar for their work. It's not what they wanted. Has your experience with younger roofers been the same?
Oh...Good luck with the Discus spawn.
Many of the younger crowd love to do the metal but fail to learn it .
I admit I was not probably even good when I started ,but I stuck with it .
I like to refer back to bugs bunny cartoons ; the road runner and coyote and ACME.
The coyote always tried to build a better trap .You have to always try to improve on your methods and techniques .
That is what fish have in common with my trade.I was not good when I started..I needed lots of help and many ,many tries..
That is how you gain experience ..
We say if you didn't mess up anything ,you probably didn't do anything !
Back to ' Get it right next time ' !
You just have to keep trying with fish and other things that are difficult ..
One should never pass up a lesson from a more skilled person IMO.
It requires some stubbornness to keep trying when we want to get better. With my trade I drove many miles to continuing education seminars. I competed in grooming competitions. I wasn't near as good as I thought I was when I started, but my eyes were opened and the yearning to be better became my focus in life. I was never in the creme de la creme but I was pretty darned good. I only have a few customers that drive a good way to come to me. Just 2 Bichons and a Scotty. I make my main living "stacking and wacking" because that's what the owner wants. Even with those I try my best to enhance the expression or at least to give the dog a short but still attractive head. At least there is some satisfaction in that.
Is most of your worm humdrum? Surely your skills are in high demand.
The preparing to install is often dirty and tedious .Nobody sees the mass before it is finished ,or at least I don't take pictures of garbage around.
All the wood decking and rafters had to be replaced on the domes and it took as long as doing the copper .
Many jobs are not special but demand some skill or special process.90% of my company is union and they do much of the common and grunt work.
I get to finish and do the specialty stuff which is a welcome change after 25 years of doing it all ..I am not union which means I get the supplemental pay that would otherwise go to the union .That is good !
I will go now to solder on snow guards on little overhangs at a college ..900 of them placed every 16 inches !
That will be a couple weeks in a lift 30-40 feet up wire wheeling old dirty copper clean and then soldering on a new snow guard to keep the ice and snow from falling on people and their cars ..
I am actually looking forward to them also .I am all good working alone and life is repetition so this won't be so bad ..The pay is good which makes less miserable .
I am grateful to have learned and stuck with it .There are not many who really do what I do so I am appreciated most places I go ..
Slacker check in 'Lazy man style '....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TckvaYCJPk4
Loving summer in upstate NY !
My new fish ;
https://i.imgur.com/jP4P1CWl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sa64yfql.jpg
Not to shabby for a 13 year old Stingray !
Hope you all are enjoying summer !
Lol, good one!!
Your fish room is looking fantastic as well mate...every tank looks in pristine condition and all your fish are socialized well and so happy to see you even with the camera. Your santeram grow outs look amazing, and the fish from Hans getting big & are coming along beautifully as well. I love the bright swords too. You have great taste in fish Tom, and are a masterful hobbyist!
Blessings mate :thumbsup:
Tom, your Chebby has a nice roof.