# The Cats Meow Wine Cellar



## Waldo

I have been busy getting my storm cellar converted into a wine cellar. Will post some pictures on the project later. It is a pre fab concrete cellar and has always seeped a little water through the seam where it was manufactured from two pieces but I never worried about it too much because over the course of a year it never got much over 4-5 gallons of water and I would just vacum it out. Well, I bought some concrete sealer and have put two coats on the seam, will do the same to the to the floor seams as soon as the rain quits later this week. I have also put 1" blueboard insulation on the ceiling and have insulated the walls 24" down from the ceiling. I felt that since there was only about 4" of the walls above ground level that this would suffice for the walls. Time will tell. I am going to build somethe racks for my wine storage and am limited as to what size I can build by the restrictions of the door opening on the cellar which is 30" tallx 36" wide. Got my first rack finished yesterday evening. It is made of treated 2 x10 for the sides, cedar for the racks and the header and footer is pine. Will give at all a coat of clear poly before I move it into the cellar. I am no carpenter as you can tell but I was going for functional. Did add a personal touch to it by using my brand to put the cats meow logo on it. 







Also bought this rack on e-Bay and should get it about Friday.


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## Wade E

Very cool Waldo, where did you get the brand? Did someone make it for
you? That scalloped top looks like a template for building a scalloped
wine rack.


*Edited by: wade *


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## grapeman

Well now, that is the Cats Meow. When you get it done, you will be all stocked in case you ever need to stay along time in the Shelter. Love the burned logo. It looks like a tigered cat to me!


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## Waldo

wade said:


> Very cool Waldo, where did you get the brand? Did someone make it for you? That scalloped top looks like a template for building a scalloped wine rack.




A friend of mine at work made the brand for me wade. It is cut out of 1/4" Stainless plate so it should last forever.


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## AAASTINKIE

Waldo said:


> wade said:
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> Very cool Waldo, where did you get the brand? Did someone make it for you? That scalloped top looks like a template for building a scalloped wine rack.
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> A friend of mine at work made the brand for me wade. It is cut out of 1/4" Stainless plate so it should last forever.
Click to expand...



Great idea, I'll have to take the torches tomorrow and see if I can cut out a Lobster!!..lol...


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## bmorosco

*Waldo that looks Great!!! Super Job!!* Just a side thought if you are limited with the door opening you could build the rack in the wine cellar instead of outside.....


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## Waldo

I thought of that Benny but I wanted the option of taking them out if necessary.


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## JWMINNESOTA

I like functional, when my wife critiques my work, I tell her I was going after that rustic look.


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## Waldo

I'll have to remember that JW !!!


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## bmorosco

Thats Great!!!


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## masta

Looking good Waldo and make sure you still leave room to get in there to take shelter in case bad weather comes your way!


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## Wade E

Id make that extra room right next to your wine rack and have a spare corker there also!


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## NorthernWinos

Corker???? Make sure there is a cork screw.


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## Wade E

Oops, thats what I meant!


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## PolishWineP

Almost makes you look forward to a storm!


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## Waldo

masta said:


> Looking good Waldo and make sure you still leave room to get in there to take shelter in case bad weather comes your way!




Will definately do that Masta. We had a couple of benches and chairs in the cellar which I have removed andwill replace them with those fold up type chairs that come in the bags.


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## OldWino1

and i didnt take up wood crafts because the stuff would pile up about
the house. Well i decorate the house now with wire racks and of course
bottles.

and cases of empties to be refilled. fast approching 500 750ml and 50 1.5 ltrs.

well the wine sure goes better with food than the wood crafts would.

Thats a big plus for the Wine Hobby.


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## bmorosco

Waldo that is one storm cellar i would not mind being locked up in...


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## trashy

Waldo, now you can look forward to severe weather! Every time you hear thunder just head for the cellar. I mean, better to be safe than sorry, right?


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## Waldo

Come on down Benny &amp; trashyand we will weather out a storm together, or a heat wave, or cold snap, or whatever other reason we can find to go into the cellar. Worked on it a good bit more today, along with the yard. I am hopeful that by next weekend it will be serving its intended purpose.


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## trashy

it's a plan!

But ya gotta work on that door man - 30" x 36"? That's a doggie door.....


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## Waldo

May have to do that trashy..Well it has been a busy day for me and Im about ready to call it a day. My parting contribution for the day: 



Grabbed my camera this evening and took a few shots around my place I wanted to share with you. Everythng is so green and beautiful right now. This first picture is from my drive, looking South towards my neighbors. Old Glory waves proudly daily at my place. 









These next pictureis looking west towards the Cats Meow Wineyard.











The Elderberries are coming right along, not sure if they will produce anything this year but I am hoping.














After alll the cold spells and rain the Muscadines are growing again. 








As you can see, some are just about to wire height and will be ready to start training down the wire.








Blackberries are blooming now too.








Looking back east I see my ole fishing rig beckoning me to take her to the river for a while. I will sucumb to her call but not this weekend.








My buddy Cheyene hangs pretty close to me when I am outside. 








Such a beautiful day.........God is good........Life is good !!*Edited by: Waldo *


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## jobe05

AH Ha! I knew behind that gruff exterior spouting cats on all you do, There was a dog! What a sweet looking dog.
Plants look really good, the Elderberries look awesome and the vines look like they want to please their Master! You probably have a similar soil to ours here, I found that they like fertilizer and cow manure, they grow like weeds. 


Thanks for taking us on your walk this evening, it was nice.


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## JWMINNESOTA

Cheyene knows to guard the cellar?



I lost a grandmother couple years back ,lived in El Dorado, was just like being there for a minute or two, Thanks.


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## Wade E

Beautiful place their Waldo. It was like my day, I weed-wacked the
yard, mowed the lawn, plasticed and insulated the walls and finished
sheetrocking and taped and put 1st coat of compound on. Someone drank
too much coffee.


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## Coaster

Thanks for sharing Waldo,


"I weed-wacked the yard, mowed the lawn, plasticed and insulated the walls and finished sheetrocking and taped and put 1st coat of compound on"


Man I stopped after weed whacking and mowing, but I have to say you two have kept the imaginative juices flowing. I keep looking at the NE corner of the garage is a funny little way.


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## Wade E




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## bmorosco

Waldo I would love to Drink ..er I mean weather a storm down your way..The Cats Meow looks awsome....I too spent all day working the yard....I think you named it Cats Meow just to piss off the dog...haahaha


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## jsmahoney

I enjoyed the evening with you too Waldo, beautiful place you have there, and you are absolutely right. God is good and life is spectacular. *Edited by: jsmahoney *


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## NorthernWinos

Thanks for a walk in the park...


Are those the blackberries that you grew from cuttings???


Glad someone is getting rain...it is so dry here. Your soil looks like clay and will hold the moister. You sure have nice big trees...oaks???


I spent most of the day watering flowers and treed that were set out this spring....then I took out the lawn mower for the first time this year....usually the first mowing of the year is like making hay.....but....this year there were places where I couldn't tell if I had mowed or not.


Crops are getting planted in a timely way, but in a cloud of dust. Need rain...


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## grapeman

I'm with you there NW. Been real dry here for the last month. We got about 7 inches in early April and now haven't had much- like .25 inches so far this month. I still haven't bothered mowin the lawn yet and am actually sprinkling it now to try to get it to turn green and not look like mid-July.


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## Waldo

Thanks all..glad you enjoyed the stroll through the Cats meow Wineyard and nowto try and answer some of the questions posed..I hope I get them all. If not, holler at me again




NW The Blackberries are from the cuttings I did last year, The trees are Oak and maples, s&amp;^t...see I already forgot the others so going to have to go back and read the posts again...Oh yes NW...Our soil is primarily clay


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## Waldo

Hey folks. well first of all ole Waldo has been down with the "crud" for a few days now and still battling it. I had finished the cellar last week and had intended on having it stocked by now but that just hasn't happened. I did manage to muster enough energy to get a few cases moved in early this morning but just ran out of steam so will finish it as soon as I get to feeling better.Here are a couple of pictures of my progress thus far.


















I have checked it twice daily a couple of times during the last week and the temp is staying right at 62 degrees so I think I will be ok there. I have 5 more cases of bottled wine to move into the cellar and have 28 gallons bulk aging that is ready to bottle. I am just wondering if it might not get a bit cooler if I block off the turbine vent on top of the cellar.


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## JWMINNESOTA

I thought the turbines let hot air out? Looking good though, just get her filled!


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## jsmahoney

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, Yet, the cellar is looking good Waldo.


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## jobe05

I would try it Waldo, although it may effect the temperature, it may also raise the humidity to a more acceptable level, if it isn't already. 














If not, you won't be guessing anymore!


Edit: Are you going to put like a small cot down there?.................


Is there a lock on the door?........................


That was Arkansas right?...........


Just wondering...........






*Edited by: jobe05 *


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## Country Vines

Waldo: Since I work for Emergency Management, maybe I should come over and inspect that cellar - and just to help you out. Is that 28 gallons bulk aging all the same flavor - or do I get to inspect more than one kind??? Sorry you've had the crud. I was in D.C. the first week in April, came home with something that really knocked me for a loop. Took five weeks to get over that - can you imagine five weeks without taking an SG or listening to the gentle blurps of air locks?? Oh well, feeling better now and I've started some new batches. Yes, life is grand ! Hope you're feeling better, too.


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## Waldo

jobe05 said:


> I would try it Waldo, although it may effect the temperature, it may also raise the humidity to a more acceptable level, if it isn't already.
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> If not, you won't be guessing anymore!
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> Edit: Are you going to put like a small cot down there?.................
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> Is there a lock on the door?........................
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> That was Arkansas right?...........
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> Just wondering...........


Decided to go with a recliner instead of a cot jobe, Also hung a 32" plasma tv on one wall and now I just go down there in the dark and wonder what is on tv as I have no electricty down there.




I did put a bucket over the vent to see what if any difference it will make but havent been back down to check yet. I gave in to my wife's wishes and went to the doctor yesterday.Dr. Pat just grinned real big when she saw me coming in. Got a death grip on my wallet and wouldn't turn loose until she had shot me full of steriods and wrote me enough prescriptions to cure half the ills of any 3rd world country. I hate doctors and medicine




Anyway, onne of the things on my to do list as soon as I kick this crud is to get me a good lock for the door. It already has a hasp for a lock and will have to give all the neighbors a key as I have always had an "open door" policy for the cellar to anyone when we were not home during any stormy weather.

*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Waldo

Country Vines said:


> Waldo: Since I work for Emergency Management, maybe I should come over and inspect that cellar - and just to help you out. Is that 28 gallons bulk aging all the same flavor - or do I get to inspect more than one kind??? Sorry you've had the crud. I was in D.C. the first week in April, came home with something that really knocked me for a loop. Took five weeks to get over that - can you imagine five weeks without taking an SG or listening to the gentle blurps of air locks?? Oh well, feeling better now and I've started some new batches. Yes, life is grand ! Hope you're feeling better, too.




Hey Country.....Come on over anytime. The 28 gallons bulk aging are a Spiced Mead, Muscadine, Black Currant-Muscadine , Plum and Port


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## chevyguy65

Nice work Waldo! Hope you feel better soon



. As far as your open door policy...If a bad storm was moving towards New Berlin at 35mph how long would it take for me to drink....er...I mean drive to your shelter for .....safety?


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## Waldo

Would only take a half a day..if you travel by.......dragonfly !!!!


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## Waldo

Work has continued on The Cats Meow Wine Cellar so I thought a few more pictures may be in order. First off, I found these ceramic scones, I believe they are called, at a yard sale a while back and for a buck apiece I figured they might fit in the scheme of the wine cellar somewhere









Yesterday evening I decided a good place for them would be on the cellar door.








My plans are now to maybe dress them up a little with some paint, paint the cellar door and carve out a large piece of grapevine to fit between them with "The Cats Meow Wine Cellar" carved into the grape vine. The next couple of pictures are my rendition in Adobe of how that might possibly look. I am definately open for suggestions as artistic, I am not.














I got all of my currently bottled wines moved into the cellar except for 20 bottles I am leaving in the rack in the dining room.


Went down into the cellar this evening to take these pictures to share with you and it was a nice cool 64 degrees. I am still going to close off the turbine vent this weekend and see how it does. 




















Added a little finishing touch to my home made rack too by glueing some old corks along the top edge





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Wade E

Very cool Waldo, 64* is a nice temp.


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## NorthernWinos

Waldo,I like the corks...I have been saving some...hope to do something with them.
Nice score on the corbels......






My opinion....If you are going to paint the door and those beautiful corbels..maybe do them all the same color...maybe an antique finish...and put a sign between the corbels...Maybe paint a fresco style...like sponge painting...to give it depth and an antique look....just my opinion...No matter what you do they will be beautiful....



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## Wade E

Maybe some crackle paint.


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## Waldo

Northern Winos said:


> Waldo,I like the corks...I have been saving some...hope to do something with them.
> Nice score on the corbels......
> 
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> My opinion....If you are going to paint the door and those beautiful corbels..maybe do them all the same color...maybe an antique finish...and put a sign between the corbels...Maybe paint a fresco style...like sponge painting...to give it depth and an antique look....just my opinion...No matter what you do they will be beautiful....




I like that idea NW...THANKS !!!


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## Waldo

wade said:


> Maybe some crackle paint.




What is crackle paint? Not familiar with that one wade.


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## grapeman

It's a special paint that when it dries gives an antiqued look. I leaves small cracks in it. Used on woodwork. 
Here is a link to DIY to show you an example(but I don't like their color choice)


http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_faux_finishes/article/0,2025,DIY_13754_2268370,00.html*Edited by: appleman *


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## NorthernWinos

Crackle paint kits might only be for interior...you paint on a substance, then paint over it and the cracks like it looks on old furniture, like when someone paints over a varnish and it looks so aged.......it's nice on tables and ornamental/craft items...It's a faux finish... 


http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cda/article_print/0,1983,DIY_13754_2268370_ARTICLE-DETAIL-PRINT,00.html




It would be nice on your door if you could get an exterior quality.I would love to see something like that on your door. 


But you can get an aged look by using two colors of paint [in your case exterior] that are very close to the same shade, they sell a roller tray with two compartments and a roller that is divided, you roll on the two colors at the same time then use a sponge and daub them together to create the faux look...it's very nice....
Or you can paint on one of the colors and just daub a sponge in the other color...blob some ofthe paintoff the sponge on a board to dry the sponge a bit...and then randomly sponge over your base coat....Practice on some boards or cardboard.here are many techniques to sponge painting. Use a very neutral color for greatest effect....tans, grays, etc.


http://www.doityourself.com/stry/spongepainting


A grape vine draped between the corbels would finish*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## Wade E

Crackle paint is not only for interior. They sell it to put on motors
too as thats where I seen it first. My friend restored an old pan head
and used that paint on his whole motor except where he chromed the
accessories. Looked awesome.


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## NorthernWinos

That would for sure work on a door...


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## Waldo

Thanks all for the hints and tips. Will do some looking at Home Depot tomorrow and see what I can com up with, Went down to water my Muscadines this morning and "viola" , my Elderberries are blooming nicely.

WoooooooooooHooooooooooooooooooooooo!!


















Any tips on what to use to spary for insect control and when it should be done would be much appreciated.


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## Wade E

Looking good Waldo!


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## NorthernWinos

Awesome flowers.....Cracked Cork is our resident ElderBerry man....check out his WebPage...


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## grapeman

Around my parts Wado there aren't really insects that bother them enough to bother with. If they get after the berries, there are so many in a clump that a few can fall off and you would never know it.


Here is a fact sheet
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/95-005.htm#Pests


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## Waldo

Thanks NW &amp; appleman


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## jsmahoney

Hey, keep the pictures coming Waldo, I think I have some of these in our pasture! I didn't know what they were.


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## Waldo

Well lucky you js....How many do you have?


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## jsmahoney

I'm going to have to take a close look at these, we have them along the creek ditches. I have been told the deer love to eat them, but they were poisonous to us. I'll have to check it out! *Edited by: jsmahoney *


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## NorthernWinos

There are some that grow near here...they have red berries....some say they are poisonous....the birds always beat you to them....






I have read up on them and still haven't come to any conclusion as to whether they are really poisonous or not.


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## rgecaprock

Waldo, Just getting around to catching up on reading the forum. Great cellar, great grapes and berries!!!!!!


Ramona


By now you must be feeling better




Ramona


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## Waldo

I am feeling much better Ramona...Thanks




Decided to get a few updated pictures of the elderberries and Muscadines so I grabbed my camera and headed out and decided to take this shot of Cheyenne who has decided she wants to be an inside "puppy" in this hot weather






I now have elder flowers and they are truly very aromatic












The Muscadines have finally reached the wire and I have started training them down it. They sure know how to grab a hold and hang on


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## NorthernWinos

Is that cat hanging off the stereo??? 


Those flowers are awesome.*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## grapeman

A couple weeks ago the elderberries here were blooming and they truly have a very aromatic smell. Now we have the locusts floweing and it smell like a perfume factory exploded. The white pines are about to pollinate also soon. It's hard to breathe when you have allergies this time of year! 


Your elderberry flowers are gorgeous- nice and puffy and full. Your vines are certainly getting taller. How long does it take muscadines to start bearing? Thanks for the updates Waldo.


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## Wade E

Looks great Waldo! Thats a pretty dog and a crazy cat!


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## rgecaprock

Great Pics Waldo, 


Cats are the craziest animals!!!


Pretty, pretty blossoms!!!!


I think I see elderberries on the way to work. Not sure, I need to pull over for a closer look....



..do they grow wild in Tx????*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## Waldo

Thanks all and that "crazy cat" by the tv is actually a mount of a Bobcat that was hanging on the wall in the hallway and Kat took him down for a good cleaning.


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## Wade E

Like we sais, that crazy Kat!


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## paubin

All is look'in great there Waldo!!! I am actually a little jealious. I think the bobcat looks great right where it is. As I am reading this a bit late, it's to bad that you didnt harvset the flowers on those elder berries for wine.


Pete


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## Waldo

I would love some tips on doing that Pete.They are still blooming


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## Waldo

My friends in our welding shop &amp; cad department drew me up my logo and cut it out of 1/4" stainless plate on our plasma tableand it now adorns my storm cellar door. 
I guess the Cats Meow Wine Cellar is now official

























*Edited by: Waldo *


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## grapeman

Looks great Waldo. Now fill those racks up!


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## rgecaprock

Waldo,


Very Cool Cat!!!


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## NorthernWinos

Very nicely done.....
How about more photos of that 'wine/storm cellar'.....


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## Wade E

Youre a cool cat Waldo!


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## Waldo

Thanks all, my annual family reunion really depletes my stock of wines but by next spring all the racks should be full again. The only reason I have as much now as I do is because I had several carboys still bulk aging when the hordes came through pilliging and plundering my cellar




I actually enjoy sharing my wines as much as I do making them*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Waldo

*Edited by: Waldo *


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## moto-girl

The cellar sign is great!


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## Waldo

Thanks moto...I am quite proud of it.


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## Bert

That is a very cool looking sign.....A very nice addition to your wine room..


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## Waldo

Thanks bert...


I think they may be going to do me another one that will read, "Wine Cellar"


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