The making of a tree

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I went with a lighter board as a test, we will see how it holds up. It was hard to cut because it was so big and I don't have a jigsaw. Tried to use the scroll saw but just snapped blades. End up using tin snips and then the magic sander to shape the rough edges out - best purchase I ever made. Next project will be better, I now have the router!
Well, not too bad, I think it will pass as a tree.
Ah, add a black border, ok, NOW it looks like a tree!
Yes, there we go. I can't lie, I was quite surprised that it came out so well, even at this point. I am not even sure what I did there with the trunk, yet it seemed to work. Sometimes you get the best results when you have no clue what you are trying to pull off.
Holy cow, by the third iteration, I finally decided on a configuration for a stand. I kind of laugh at this picture as it looks like the board on the right is smiling. ha! leave it to me. My idea was to make something that could sit on the barrels. As well, make something that fit together with wing nuts, thus it could be dismantled easily.
Measure, think, measure, cut, think, glue, hope you did that right.
The idea was to have the side brace where the game attaches set at 5.5 feet. You can't see in the photo my "test" board that is attached to my workbench where I can check heights. Holes drilled, height tested, all seems good!
I don't have a water barrel, yet I have a barrel and that lets me check my diameter measurements. The idea of the stand is that you can have 2 games set up on one stand. The water barrels have solid tops, so the stand will lie across the lid and have the "edges" so there is no slipping.
Tree check, stand check, need some apples. Sketch, sketch, sketch, ah yes, that looks good. And I think that a file folder is the perfect material.
Yup, folder is perfect, and let's add some duct tape to the back to give it just a little more stability and that will be a better material to connect to the wood.
Two inch velcro works perfect. Red and green sharpies will save the day. This will be a mindfulness project that may turn into a project that will require a distress tolerance skill.
Kind of makes you think of Snow White, eh?
Hmm, well, the ball is going to take some thinking.
There we go! See, brain works even for a whiffle ball.
Original thought on layout.
In its new home at the ranch. Added an extra apple this morning. Dorey LOVED it! Larissa will be there tomorrow and I can't wait to hear what she thinks of it. This is what she was originally describing and hopefully I was able to bring her idea to life. Dorey said she was talking to a friend who also does Equine Therapy and was talking about me. Her friend said, where did you find her? Dorey said, we didn't, she found us.

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