Chloe paddles upstream

Yesterday Tanya went to run some errands and I stayed home feeling blah with allergies. Chloe was off at a Dragon Dance performance. 

She returned determined to build an oar.

I just wanted to take a nap, but I had Chloe coming up to me every five minutes. 

'Can I use this plastic container for my oar?' 'Can I use this metal rod'?

She knew she was going to swim at her grandfather's apartment the next day, she had a new inflatable raft, and she wanted an oar to propel it.

I decided I could either yell at her until she cried, or get up out of my chair and help her out. I found a piece of thin plywood, she drew an oval shape on it, and I cut it out with the scroll saw. Then we cut a broom handle down and nailed the wood to it.

I wanted to cut a slit in the broom handle to hold the ply, drill holes, and bolt through that, but neither of us had the patience for it and my hand saw wouldn't cut a thick enough slit, so we just nailed it on. I dunno whether it'll hold. 

We spray painted it silver, because silver and black were the only spray colors I could find.

This reminds me of the many things I made as a kid from scrap wood I found around the house, and how firmly I believed all such scraps were free for the taking. Now when my kids go hunting, I have to fight my own proprietary feelings for my scraps.