Kirk Lewellen - The Life and Times

The New Briefcase

2015-11-23T14:46:00.001-08:00

The New Briefcase

I needed a new briefcase... so I made one. With a little help from Instructables and YouTube I was able to complete my first leather project. Take a look.

Here is the completed case. It started with a vegetable tanned leather hide from Tandy leather. I purchased a very basic set of pricking irons, rivets, thread, needles and hardware along with the leather... that's it!

Double wrapped handle with a reinforced back bone. It should carry a load.

It took some time and some sore fingers but worth the effort. Thanks for taking a look please feel free to leave your comments below.

Kirk

The Craigslist Greenhouse

2014-04-23T11:17:00.005-07:00

The Craigslist Green House

4/23/2014

The latest addition is the new construction of a 12'X12' green house from mostly reclaimed and materials purchased from Craigslist.

The conceptual idea was started in Google/Tremble Sketchup. You can find the greenhouse in the Tremble SketchUp Warehouse.

Item procured through Craigslist.com sometimes were free althought there were some purchased Items an approximate breakdown goes something like this:
                Windows                               Free
                6 crank out windows             $250
                Doors                                     $100
                Stone for floor - from another project lying around - Free??
                Corrugated roofing clear       $350
                Screws / fasteners                  $150
                Fan and louvers                     X-Mas present
                Shelving and tables               Free wood and wire shelving
                2X4 and Misc Plywood        $500
                Paint                                      $80
                Electrical                               $200

Currently I am estimating the cost at less than $1,750 or there about... below are a series of construction photos... I am very pleased with the final results. I would also like to thank my Father, Robert Lewellen for all his assistance and encouragement in this project. If it weren't for him there would be no Craigslist Greenhouse!

Leave me comments and let me know what you think!

Sketchup Plans - Created from an idea of a south facing windows at a latitude of 35 degrees. the rule of thumb is to add 10-15 degrees to your latitude to get the optimal winter sun. EASY! 45 degrees ot there about. I think this one is closer to 50 but it works great. From winter sun up to winter sun down there is light entering the glass all day long!

Framing and construction starts... This is a "temporary structure" therefore the are no building codes or restrictions however, the building codes person I spoke with stated that is a $75 fee for permit with the city but that in my area it was not necessary unless we lived in a deed restricted area. There are other outbuildings in the area so...

Test fit of the glass framework - it luckily came out to amost excatally 12'!

All framed up!

Cold Cold days of construction work...

More Windows going in...

It is almost a structure....

all on the dry and when the sun hits it ....

Easy Back Yard Composting

2013-03-05T11:56:00.004-08:00

Compost Bin Construction

A Grassy Pile and the start of my composting effort.

Construction Begins

Potting table adjacent to the composter...

Completed compost bins...

2013-03-05T11:47:00.003-08:00

The Curtain Project

Curtains for an outdoor living space created from Canvas drop cloths. suspended from hardware store pipe fittings.

The tools and hardware needed for assembly...

Jane sewing away!

the finished panel...

The pipe fittings to support the panels.

Once completed and tied back.... They'll look great!

The Curtain Project - More to follow...

2012-02-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

Honey Bees on The Move

On a quick pass by the hives on this warm February day I noticed the bees were certainly on the move. They all seem to be moving about nicely. All of the hives here had plenty of activity and they were even bringing in pollen, some was white and some was yellow looking. Curious where they might be finding it. I have noticed a few dandelions blooming and there are some oak trees that have a few buds poking out but this is certainly unusual weather and I am sure the bees are as confused as we are.

In the Tennessee beekeepers hand book it is noted that starting in February that it is customary to start checking the hives and that February and March are the two biggest months to lose a hive due to starvation and critters...

It is also noted that it is this time when the Queen will start laying new brood for the comming season. We are hoping for a better bee year and a great honey flow with some healthy hives intact...

The Salad Table Experiance

2011-11-07T18:35:00.000-08:00

Earlier this summer I discoverd from the Maryland Agricurtrial department the idea for a salad table. Now Mind you my wife was not on board with the idea at first. but as the project developed she got on board real quick.

The Salad table is essentially a table that is about 3" to 4" deep that is filled with dirt in order to grow vegetables in. It is waist high with three compartments.

The bottom is covered with aluminum door screen from Lowes home improvement store and then lined with a sheet of newspaper and finnally filled with compost. This year we grew a loose leaf salad lettuce radishes and spinach.

The idea is that you can cut the greens and they will fill back in for some time to come. When they quit producing then you pull them out and replant. Lettuce Radishes and spinich only take about 30 days before you can start harvesting real food!

Tasty looking dont you think? This picture is about 15 days in or so. It is late in the season andwe have passed the extreme heat that has been thesummer of drought and opressive heat. On average during summermonths the salad table will consume about 2 gallons of water a day.

This is a great addition to a pation or pool deck in our case. It is right outside the kitched door, on a saturday morning it is nice to have a fresh spinach omlet straight from the salad table. Radishes, Spinich and lettuce makes a pretty mean salad too.

Top Bar Bee Hive Bee keeping

2011-04-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

Top bar bee hive - Bee keeping - 2012

March - 2011, This is the top bar hive I constructed for this season of bee keeping. Unfortunately this year the hive beetles got the best of all of us. The package I installed in March grew and expanded nicely and due to a very dry summer and lack of feeding the population of the hive started to decrease. the decrease in population, hive beetles and a very strong neighboring hive robbing was more than this family could take.

The construction for the hive is very straight forward and I was able to use reclaimed fence materials for the main structure of the hive body. One of the most fascinating things about top bar beekeeping to me is the utilization of materials, with a typical Langstroth hive and hive bodies with frames as a bee keeper we must build and store all the frames and "boxes" for future growth with our colonies. With the top bar hive the bees simply expand horizontally. There are no extra pieces to add to the colony as they expand.

The bars labeled with a B note brood frames with a specific spacing for rearing brood and the other label if an H for honey stores. All the bees have to do is look at my notes on the top of the bar and they know what to put there... OK, that might be a little silly all of my bees are a Russian strain they cant read English anyway. All kidding aside there is a dimension that is more suitable as Dr. Langstrough determined for brood 1 1/4" and although 1 1/4" works for honey too the preferred dimension for Honey stores is 1 3/8".

I cut a slot in the top bar and I melded the wax foundation into the grove giving the bees a natural start to their comb.

The window adds a nice view port to inspect the interior of the colony without disturbing them.

March 2012, Follow up note - this was completed in 2011 this experiment at the moment was not a success. the top bar colony died of starvation about half way through the season and were also subject to robbing from a neighboring more agreessive hive. I am still a fan of theTBH however the overall management of the hive and the honey production from it is certainly less than traditional hive construction. If I have an opportunity to capture a swarm this year I will add it to this TBH and start again.

Aqualand, Atlanta Marine and Monterey are a Hit!

2009-06-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a great success with a new Monterey Dealer, Atlanta Marine at their summer boat show event.

Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch GA. hosted a pre 4th of July customer appreciation party and Boat show. With temperatures reaching into the upper 90's customer enthusiasm was not hampered. With the current lake levels at Lake Lanier and gas prices hovering below $2.50 boaters and potential boaters were out in full force.

The day started slow on Saturday with temperatures rising quickly however, as the day progressed (and it got closer to party time) the crowd ensued! There were several boats contracted on

Saturday with the bulk sold later that day. On Sunday, the day started with two water test and and two more new customers of Atlanta Marine. Sunday ended with a bang and several more Monterey boats sold! Congratulations to Atlanta Marine and all the new Monterey boat owners!

Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch Ga. and is the worlds largest inland marina. Located on Lake Lanier provides 692 miles of winding shoreline and about 39,000 acres of water surface. Aqualand boast over 1700 wet slips and over 400 "dry slips".

Atlanta Marine in Buford Ga. on Holiday Rd. at Lake Lanier with locations at Lake Oconee and Aqualand Marina. Owned and Operated by Kurt and Lisa Backus since 1995. Monterey Boats woulds also like to welcome our newest partner and say congratulations on a job well done.

Kirk Lewellen

Regional Sales Manager

Monterey Boats

1918 Cliffview Ct.

Murfreesboro, TN 37128

Cell - 615.207.1108

Fax - 615-896-6635

http://www.montereyboats.com/

http://www.kirklewellen.com/

Atlanta Marine At Aqualand Marina Summer Boat Show Bash, June 27-28

2009-06-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Boat Show And Party Featuring Monterey, Supra, Moomba And More…
(Buford, GA) Leading Georgia boat dealer, Atlanta Marine, with locations on Lake Lanier in Buford and at Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch, as well as displaying boats on Lake Oconee, is joining the boat show and party hosted by Aqualand Marina on June 27-28. Details on the Monterey sport boats and cruisers available from Atlanta Marine can be found at http://www.montereyboats.com/

Atlanta Marine will have boats on display and available in the water for demos at Aqualand Marina. Beginning at 10AM on Saturday June 27, the Boat Show and demos will be available until 6:00PM and then again from Noon to 5PM on Sunday June 28.

An invitation only party begins at 6:00PM Saturday featuring beer and soft drinks, music by Audio Cage, and plenty of food available at Aqualand’s Dockside Grill. Guest invitations to this party are available from Atlanta Marine and Marine Max, and also to Aqualand customers.

The enthusiasm for the lake is back and families are ready to start enjoying the lake. The lake is at near full pool, fuel prices are down significantly and financing is beginning to stabilize again.

“Atlanta Marine is in a better position than ever,” says Kurt Backus, owner of Atlanta Marine. Atlanta Marine now has a great inventory of REPO/Bank owned boats we acquired at liquidation prices. This is the time to buy a boat and relax on the lake with family and friends. “We really appreciate the strong support offered by Aqualand Marina and their commitment to all boating on Lake Lanier. They are terrific partners and friends and this event is further proof of that,” he said.

Editors: Kurt Backus is available for comment and can be reached through the contact above or by email at kurt@atlantamarine.com .

Monterey Boats and Social Networking, its not just for Kids anymore.

2009-05-28T07:59:00.001-07:00

Monterey Boats is now embracing the latest media opportunities in social networking. If you are new to social networking DON’T BE ALARMED it is not as freighting as you may have been led to believe. If you can check your email, navigate to a web site and read English you will have no problems. Additionally, no one will sneak into your wallet or purse steal your identification and travel abroad on your credit cards because you signed to any one of these sites.

The great news is with the recent (exponential) growth in social networking Monterey has joined the ranks with such services as Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter and Flickr to name a few. This is just the beginning, let us take a look at social networking, where we are, where we are going, and what it all means.

Social Networking is one of the largest booms in internet media marketing reaching a greater targeted audience. Getting a mass of traffic to your web site is irrelevant if the consumer is not interested in your product. Social marketing attracts pertinent traffic, gives potential buyers the opportunity to interact with Monterey, our existing customers, and voice their preferences. More importantly, this allows buyers to interact with a related community, giving them the advantage of collective wisdom. Currently Facebook boasts over 150 million users around the world; almost half of them use Facebook every day! If Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth most populated in the world, just ahead of Japan, Russia and Nigeria.

With this latest medium we are able to build an interactive relationship with our customers and potential buyers. Friends of Monterey (as consumers) already have some interest in boating and Monterey as either a part of their boating experience or they have the interest to see what we are all about. A new Monterey customer for example can follow the latest news and information from Twitter our micro blogging site, watch videos on YouTube, or see the latest customers from some of Monterey’s Dealer Facebook pages. As an example, take a look at Chatlee Marines page on Facebook. Just like the "old days" when a dealer would make a customers picture and displayed them for all to see, Chatlee has taken that to a new level... Check it out!

So, what’s next for Monterey and the wide world of social networking? Keep your eyes peeled! Look for us now and in the future in some of these arenas…

Digg
LinkedIn
Wikipedia
Flickr
YouTube
Twitter
Facebook

and until then, will you be my friend?

Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager
Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Phone - 615-207-1108
Fax -615-896-6635
http://www.montereyboats.com/
http://www.kirklewellen.com/

Monterey Boats, Bills Marine and the 56th Annual Mid Atlantic Boat Show

2009-02-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

The 56th Annual Mid Atlantic Boat Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia kicked off this February 5th and continues through Sunday, February the 8th at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. This years show unlike others has the full complement of dealers and boat lines in attendance. In addition to a great boat sale there are fun things for the family to enjoy at the show.Bill's Marine, Bill and Judy Noel with their tenacious staff have brought Monterey to Virginia Beach in style. With an excellent show set up and great communications to the retail buyer. Bill's Marine and Monterey Boats are poised for a great weekend.

Bill's Marine Sales manager Steve Joyner said "we are prepared, organized, set up and ready to go". With unbelievable boat show pricing and a great family feel, Bills Marine is a strong service oriented dealership with outstanding customer service and great product lines like Monterey, Hydra Sports, Pioneer and Stingray Boats. This year Monterey Boats awarded Bill's Marine with a Top CSI award for 2008 and they certainly have a consumer following that supports what the industry numbers have reported. The newest customers at Bills are treated as well as the repeat customers that come back to Bill's time and time again. One of their newest additions is warranty mobile service to continue to support their consumers. At Bill's if your new boat is under warranty they will come to you for your service needs with an even greater flexibility to get your new boat back on the water. In addition, Volvo has extended warranties and Monterey Money is on hand as added consumer incentives.

The traffic at this years event has not appeared to exceed some however, the people I spoke with all seem interested, educated and trying to make a smart decision based on their needs. I feel confident the end result of this years show will be a great one! Good luck to all the folks at Bills Marine

This years Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show is owned by the Norfolk chapter of the the Izaak Walton League. The Izaak Walton League was formed in 1922 to save outdoor America for future Generations. Active in over 300 communities, chapters work hard to restore watersheds, reduce air pollution, fight litter, protect wildlife habitat and open spaces, and instill conservation ethics in all who enjoy the outdoors. Our commitment to communities has allowed us to endure for more than eight decades. Our optimism, spirit and vision for a better outdoor America guide our work. For more information visit us at http://www.iwla.org/.

The display....

Working on it!!!

The handsome Travis! Now... Go sell something!

The New Virginia Beach Convention Center

Inside the Convention hall - a great facility

Bill's Marine entry to a great display.

The "World Famous" Pioneer Henry! (in his normal vegetative state)

Kirk Lewellen

lewellenk@comcast.net

Regional Sales Manager

Monterey Boats

1918 Cliffview Ct.

Murfreesboro, TN 37128

615-207-1108

http://www.montereyboats.com/

http://www.kirklewellen.com/

Birmingham Boat Show Story - Showing a Monterey 214FS

2009-01-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

The Birmingham, AL Boat Show started Thursday January 29th 2009 at the Jefferson Civic Center and Buck's Island Marine with two separate areas has Monterey Boats proudly displayed. The traffic today although slow was quite entertaining!

Today there was a couple checking out the Monterey 214 FS on the display floor. I approached the gentleman to add a few tid-bits of information about Monterey Boats and the model he was interested in. While engaged in conversation he asked many intelligent questions regarding the features and operation of his potential new vessel. One question stood out above all. He inquired about the amount of water the boat would "draw" (how deep it sits in the water at rest). During the explanation he asked where the waterline would be on the hull. I showed him an approximate location of the water line. His next question floored me... Get this... "How much deeper will it sit when the water levels come up?"

???? HUH????

I thought I had heard it all!

Archimedes ran through the streets naked screaming eureka when he discovered displacement... I guess he had never been to the Birmingham Boat Show!

Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager
Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
615-207-1108
615-896-6635 - Fax
http://www.montereyboats.com/
http://www.kirklewellen.com/

17th Annual Raleigh Convention Center Boat Show

2009-01-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

The 17th annual Raleigh Convention Center Boat Show has delivered on its promise to be the biggest and most exciting edition yet of this fantastic annual event! The show features all boat models and types with all the amenities at incredible price points! Monterey Boats and Chatlee Marine are certainly one if the premier featured craft in the show. On display this year Chatlee is showing a Monterey 194FS and the 214 FS. With the many lines represented and limited space Monterey is please to be represented. As Monterey and Chatlee grow together I hope to see more models represented and a broader representation of the Monterey line up.

Chatlee marine has a rich history in this region, sporting over forty years in the Sanford/Raleigh market bringing boaters and boats together and building memories. Jeff and Robbie Yow are the mind as well as the muscle behind Chatlee Marine today. Daily you will see Jeff and Robbie driving an excellent force of forty-five employees to make boating fun and enjoyable! Their facility located in Sanford, NC is a boat shoppers dream. Multiple indoor showrooms to store and display your new boat and the six acre test lake get consumers up and running safe and comfortably. The service facility with certified techs on staff as well as fiberglass repair Chatlee has it all!

This is the first year this show has had an opportunity to present in the all new Raleigh Convention center and everyone is glad to be there. Clearly this facility brings to Raleigh a much needed venue for just such an event. Earlier in the week this area was hit with an amazing 6"-8" of snow. I am sure there were some difficulties with the dealers moving into their display space but everyone made it and it all looks great! The snow melted just in time and the weather has been perfect, a great time for the whole family.

This year the crowds have been excellent. The show opened Friday with good attendance and Chatlee was able to connect a few Monterey boats and their new owners. Saturday in my opinion had to have broken record in attendance. The day didn't stop and the sales team did an outstanding job. Sunday poses to be as strong as Saturday and consumers are still coming out in droves. The consumer base in Raleigh, like Atlanta, seem to be educated and asking excellent questions bringing them closer to their buying decisions. We would love to see them all in a new Monterey boat!

Thanks to all the staff at Chatlee and Monterey boats for making it all possible and a special thanks to Jeff and Robbie Yow, Matthew Mabe, Robert Faulk, Andy Kraft, Charlton Richardson, Kipp "K Dog" Thompson, Marc Zimmerman Jeff Osborne, Matt Wicker, Chris Martin, Logan Griffith & Scott Knuth

...

The Chatlee display you can't miss!

Another view of the display...

THE World famous Johnny Craig

Kirk Lewellen

Regional Sales Manager Monterey Boats

1918 Cliffview Ct.

Murfreesboro, TN 37128

Cell - 615.207.1108

Fax - 615-896-6635

http://www.montereyboats.com/

http://www.kirklewellen.com/

47th Annual Atlanta Boat Show

2009-01-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

The 47th annual Atlanta Boat Show held at the Georgia World Congress Center is a NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) supported regional boat show. This year there are several dealer and manufacturers missing from the display floor. JOA Marine and Monterey Boats is not one of them.

Set up for this display space started last week and JOA has done an amazing job. Monterey Boats sent their corporate display and signage making for a great looking display. The team from Monterey to assist with the setup (John and Dave) did a great job and certainly went the extra mile. The long drive from Williston, Fl didn't slow the guys down, we worked until about 9:00pm on Monday! Thanks again!

Today (Wednesday/opening day) is typically a very slow day on the boat show scene. This year, it seems that everyone was expecting the worst and to our surprise the retail traffic was quite good. From the on set of my arrival I was able to stay busy discussing Monterey Boats and JOA Marine from the time I walked in the door to about thirty minuets before the show closed. There are several boat enthusiast and potential new boat owners in attendance.

On Day two the crowd seemingly was a bit lighter but the quality of the crowd was excellent. Customer are asking intelligent questions, I am enthused about the opening results this year. The weekend officially starts Friday and I feel confident that there will be larger crowds and Monterey along with JOA Marine will have a great show. Fridays show was a hit, the turn out was excellent and everyone that came through the Monterey display got an opportunity to view the Montery Flagship 400 Sport Yacht. The 400 is an incredible machine and we stand head and shoulder against anyone else in its class!

Saturdays crowd was INSANE, there were record numbers in attendance. The consumers on the Cruiser/Sport Yacht docks were all very patient with the long lines and actual wait times to get a glimpse of Monterey's amazing line up this year! With the three new sport curisers introduced this year the 260, 280 and 320 Monterey has allot to offer and the buzz is out. There were several customers that decided to take advantage of all the incentives that Montery, Volvo, JOA Marine and the Atlanta Boat Show had to offer. Congratulations to those consumers and JOA for an outstanding job.

This years show adds some interesting things to visitors to the World Congress Center this year including the Mrs. Geico team and race boat on display. Their display came rolling in on a color matched and logoed semi that is quite impressive. Another unusual display this year is what is called the Stinger, Hornet. It looks akin to the old Robert Q Riley Tri-Magnum with some modifications. The builder appears to have done a nice job but I guess the Detroit auto show was too much of a stretch for this manufacturer...

Here are a few other interesting pictures of Atlanta and the boat show....

The Monterey Cruiser display

The World Famous Darren Matthews

The Monterey Sport Boat display

The Atlanta Skyline at night

Another Atlanta skyline at night

And during the day

The life of a boat Rep during show season... Glamorous huh?

Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Cell - 615.207.1108
Fax - 615-896-6635
http://www.montereyboats.com/
http://www.kirklewellen.com/

The Dodge Truck Rebuild

2009-01-06T20:04:00.001-08:00

Well here we go again, This will (I hope) chronicle the rebuild of a 1994 Dodge Ram 1500, 5.2L V-8 now owned by my stepson Nick Balsbaugh. This truck has come to us as a family "hand me down" and I have hopes that we can do the repairs justice and Nick can carry on a love with this truck just as its previous owner did.

Years ago my cousin Tricia White purchased this new 1994 Dodge Truck. At the time this thing was the vehicle to have! To Tricia this was her "baby" and it was a beloved member of her family. This was the first year that Dodge had produced this retro body style and she, along with allot of others, loved it. Unfortunately several years ago Tricia crashed her truck and was subsequently heart broken by the mishap. Due to other issues the truck had been sitting for quite sometime until recently her brother Bill White had some transportation issues. Tricia generously allowed Bill to take her child (broken bones and all) as a replacement means of transportation until a time as he could make a decision on other transportation... WELL..... The accident that Tricia had crunched the driver side front fender as shown to the left, Bill's accident unfortunately creamed the passenger side... Needless to say there was not much hope for the truck at this point without a real investment in either time or money. With that in mind I showed Nick the truck and asked if he was ready to tackle this challenge? He agreed he was up for it ready to hit it head on, he now owns the truck. Just after Christmas 2008 (December 28th to be exact) we started to work on the beast. On that day we were able to (in a matter of about three to four hours of tinkering) able to get all of the body panels removed. From that point I really felt like we were making progress. Since that time, Nick secured two fenders from a local junk yard at a reasonable price. The passenger fender has a small "ding" in the well, center line of the wheel arch and will require some minor body work. As for the drivers fender everything at the moment looks OK, even the color matches! As of January 6th 2009 we now have both left and right fenders installed and aligned. The passenger fender was white in color and we had to paint the interior before installing it.... So far so good. The new front bumper has arrived along with the new front billet grill assembly. We are still waiting on all the final hardware to finish assembling the truck. You can check out more pictures here.

Well its Friday January 9, 2009 and we made some nice progress tonight. The Headlight buckets, headlight assemblies, bottom bumper trim, and lower bumper inserts have still not arrived. Tonight the Front main bumper assembly was installed with only minor issues. On initial installation the main attach brackets appeared to "sag". After some inspection and a little brogan maintenance we found that there is quite a bit of adjustment in the attachment of the main bumper supports. The secondary side supports were mangled during both crashes but Terah and I were able to "make like new"! It did involve a torch, a hammer and some umph, but after some gentle persuasion it all came together. Bren stopped by for his two cents worth and he informed us that we had installed to bumper too high. So

again, Nick is ob his back with a wrench in his hand... Even after this discovery we have opted to wait on all the additional bumper trim until we receive the new light buckets. There is some minor concerns that when the headlights are installed that we may have some clearance issues. I think some is this is simply due to our inexperience.

The next part of the project to tackle was installing what on initial inspection is a cheeze piece of chromed plastic. The new grill was installed without any real problems. The original grill had certainly taken it toll during its mishaps but the new grill from LMC Trucks looks great! Luckily all the necessary hardware was still on the original grill support and it was undamaged! The installation took some time but after the process was over with it really wasn't that bad and it looks great. Nick has ordered new lower bumper inserts to replace the factory original grey plastic inserts. These new inserts will have the same look as the new grill. The ole girl is really starting to come together.

Here's Nick feeling pretty good about himself! Great job Nick!

Terah looks to be happy cleaning up 15 years of grime! Terah is a pretty good sport and great help around the shop!

She's coming together nicely! New Chrome bumper and grill. There will soon be some euro headlights, chrome top bumper cover and lower valance to complete the rebuilt front end!

This truck is over 14 years old and looks like new inside!

Notice the new Airtex intake - installed by Terah Cash (with some guidance from Mr. Miyagi...

Mr. Miyagi say "Make like new"! Thanks for the Shades Tricia they make a nice addition at no extra charge!

Again, thanks for stoppiong by and taking a look at our progress. We are hopeful that we could be complete with this project inside a week. Nick should be able to transfer tags and pay his taxes on this truck next week and he has contracted a local paint and body shop to do the final color matched factory colored pait job.

You can check out more pictures here.

Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager
Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Cell - 615.207.1108
Fax - 615-896-6635
http://www.montereyboats.com/
http://www.kirklewellen.com/

Dad's Potato Leak Soup with Nana's "Souper" Cornbread

2009-01-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Well it seems the potato leak soup has been a hit. I thought I would share it whomever might like to know what it contains and how to put it together. The Soup reicipe came from my father from years gone by. This soup is always a hit and not difficult to make. I don't really think you can screw it up. The cornbread recipe came from my mother in law that scavenged it from somewhere. She and I made it for the first time during Thanksgiving it seems to now be the preferred bread accent to several of our meals lately. It is hearty with some yummy goodness inside! Check them both out you won't be disappointed!

Potato Leak soup

1 Bunch of Leaks
3 Carrots
2 Med. Onions
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 16 oz. Cans of Chicken Broth
6-8 Med. Potatoes
3-4 Stalks of Celery
12 Oz. Country Ham
8 oz. Sour Cream
1 pt. Heavy cream

Cook onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and Leaks in olive oil (just a little). While that is cooking, cook and chop the country ham and add it to the Onions and carrots. Add one can of Chicken Broth and continue cooking. Peel and grate more than half of the potatoes (if you use 6 potatoes grate 4) chop the other two into bite size pieces. Add the grated and chopped potatoes with the second can of broth to the pot. After all that gets “rollin’” turn down the heat to a simmer and add the sour Cream and Heavy cream to the mix and that’s about it…

The Cornbread is not hard either….

1 – Can cream corn
1 Med. Onion
1 cup of Sour Cream
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese (more or less)
1/8 – ¼ cup of milk
2 Cups Cornmeal
1 cup Flour
Pinch of salt
2 – Eggs
½ stick butter

Heat oven to 400 deg. Place your cornbread pan in the oven with about ¼ cup of oil. Mix Cornmeal, flour, salt, with the onion, cream corn and milk enough to make cornbread consistency. Pour that mixture in a heated and oiled cornbread pan. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour the butter over that mixture. Over that layer 1 cup of sour cream (more or less, I have found it easier to thin the sour cream with a little milk to spread easier) I have also found that too much sour cream can be over powering, more is not better in this instance. Over THAT layer the Cheddar cheese and bake for about 45 minutes! Yummy Goodness!

Hope you enjoy

Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager
Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Cell - 615.207.1108
Fax - 615-896-6635
http://www.montereyboats.com/

http://www.kirklewellen.com/

I have had an inspiration

2009-01-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

1-3-2009

With my recent loathing of any television programming as of late, I have to admit that for what ever reason I have been inspired! The DVR taped the latest New Yankee Workshop program I watch occasionally. This program started almost elementary in discussion but I too was made again aware of things we get sloppy and sometimes impatient doing. The explanation was excellent and not too "dumbed down" to remember the basics. I can envision a total novice with a band saw and a teaspoon of gumption completing this project with no problem!

As a wood worker I "grew up" with my father in his shop. I learned wood working by osmosis I enjoy it, I can do it, it's creative and I find it entertaining and fun! I too have a small shop in my garage that I occasionally "play" in. This most recent program went back to the roots or at least to me, seemed that way. Some of the first things I remember my father creating were tables, parson benches, pie safes and the like. This program reminded me of those times. So with that, I have been inspired to build some desperately needed Adirondack chairs for the yard.

I can't say at the moment I have fully examined this project but I'm thinking.... Mahogany or teak?

Well I found a chair that I think will work nicely for a pattern. It will involve disassembly, that won't be an issue considering there was no glue used in its original construction just a few screws and bolts. After disassembly and a light sanding to cleanup the parts I should be ready to start production. this chair was purchased from Harbor Freight and is constructed from a light weight Fir (I think). It has been somewhat maintained over the years but it is starting to show its signs of wear. This chair is about three years old. It is stained with a simple, old, cheap, red wood stain which worked very nicely. For the new chairs I am still leaning toward a Teak or Mahogany and a more natural finish... Well, something else to think about...

Keep your eyes peeled and see if anything develops, spring is right around the corner.

Kirk Lewellen
Selling fun and lifestyle
Monterey Boats
615-207-1108
http://www.kirklewellen.com/
lewellenk@comcast.net

Building a Bicycle with a Gas Engine

2008-12-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

This idea started a whimsical idea after running across a YouTube video of someone in Franklin Tennessee with an electric bicycle. I found the 80CC engine on ebay and started the process. After initially losing the bid on EBay the seller send me another offer and I took it! The MSRP on these engines can run $200 +. Needless to say I didn't give that much for this one... After a week or so waiting anxiously on UPS, the package arrived from BC Canada!

Now, with an engine and no bicycle I had to "go on a hunt"! A friend had told me of a used bicycle shop on the outskirts of town that also doubled as a tack shop. You gotta love Tennessee... The proprietor was fully aware of the bicycle conversion and made a suggestion of the cruiser pictured here. Ironically enough it is called an Earth Cruiser. All things considered I thought this would probably work very well for what I had intended to do. Contrary to that however, This was not a project for the complete idiot. It did involve some modification to the kit as well as some modification to the Bike itself.

The first issue is the sprocket that mounts to the rear wheel.... The hole is not large enough to accommodate the coaster brake or the diameter of the hub. After "enlarging" the hole things went smoothly until attempting to mount the motor... The Motor mount was not designed for such a large frame and there was some minor modifications there also. All in all, nothing was a "big issue" but again, this is not an installation for the complete idiot!

Finally after two nights of tinkering, modifying, beating, banging and with a few choice words I was ready for a test. I really thought this was going to be more difficult and cantankerous that than it turned out to be. I primed the carb, engaged the clutch and peddled away. at about 8-10 mph I released the clutch and it roared to life and I was cruising! Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the adventure... It seems that the back sprocket was considerable out of round with the wheel and took some work to finally get it lined up... Another night or two later the subsequent test went flawlessly! To date I have only about 50 or 60 miles on it but it purrs right along the weather herein Tennessee has gotten too cold to enjoy riding but I am anxiously waiting for warmer days!

The Preverbial First Post

2008-12-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

Well, here we go! OK, seems like the thing to do... Blog... This is my first attempt and I am really not sure what might be some things to come. I am not a writer, I tend to have a conversational tone in general. So, wish me luck and I hope you enjoy it!

Here might be a few things I could write about in the life and times...

My experiences in boating, boat sales, the boat industry in general or Monterey boats? My creative side has a greater tendency to be a bit more "tactile" in nature i.e. I like to build stuff... Cars, like the Bradley GT, Bren's Volkswagen, the Long EZ, the newest gas powered bicycle, RC airplanes, Boats and more. In short, this verbal creation is a new thing although, I did take creative writing in High School...

Kirk Lewellen

The New Job!

2008-04-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

WILLISTON, FL – Monterey Boats recently added Kirk Lewellen to its corporate roster. Effective immediately, Lewellen is the new regional sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes TN, VA, NC, SC, GA and AL. Lewellen brings plenty of RSM experience to Monterey. He worked seven years as an RSM for Wellcraft Marine, as well as13 years prior to that as a sales manager and RSM for Hydra-Sports. Lewellen attended the Nashville State Technical Institute. His duties will include overseeing the dealer network in his area and establishing new dealer prospects.“Kirk has vast experience at the RSM position, and we feel he will be a true asset to not only our sales force, but also our growing dealer network,” said Monterey Boats Director of Marketing & Dealer Development Lou Vazquez. Monterey Boats, a leading independent boat manufacturer, has specialized in manufacturing premier quality sport boats, deck boats, sport yachts and cruisers for more than two decades and currently features 24 models ranging from 18’ to 41’. Monterey has a growing worldwide dealer/partner network, a dedicated staff of more than 600 skilled boatbuilders, and is an industry leader in designing and building superior pleasure boats. Every Monterey boat is NMMA certified and backed by a Lifetime Limited Warranty to assure continued customer confidence and satisfaction.For more information on Monterey Boats, visit www.montereyboats.com, or contact Mark Jerkins at Higher Advertising, Inc.: phone - 407.447.1340 or email - Mark@higheradvertising.com.

Tournament Time - FLW Outdoors - Morehead City, NC Team Reel Krazy

2005-11-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

FLW Outdoors - Morehead City, NC

Team Reel Krazy

Sunday Oct, 9 2005 - Arrival in Atlantic Beach - Condo rental from Spectrum Properties a huge benefit for the team. Splashed boat and moored at Portside Marina / Miramar Boats in Morehead City, NC. Thanks to the great folks (Denhard and Kay) at Portside/ Miramar.

Monday Oct. 10, 2005 - Tournament day one, boat number 40 and a 7:30am checkout. Cold and Rainy. We bought bait from Capt. Stacy before checkout and initially they looked BIG and strong. Straight to the Dead Tree hole and trolled without a strike. A 13 mile run at 11:30 to the Little Ten yielded big seas and strong winds. Once we arrived at the little ten it was difficult to even get baits in the water. After about thirty minuets, we made the agonizing run back to calmer waters. Special Thanks to Pat with ESEA RIDER his beanbag chair came in handy!!! Late day reports from Team Extreme (Wellcraft Capt. Mike Everhart) broughtus to the Rock Jetty "parking lot" where we latched on to several fish with one weighing 20lbs 09oz. This fish put us in 13th at the end of the first day. Special thanks to Genmar for putting on a great spread for all the Wellcraft and Hydra Sports owners, the food was excellent! Thanks

Tuesday Oct 11, 2005 - Day two, cold and rainy, back to the Rock Jetty "parking lot" for a string of teenagers. Seas were easy but the wind continued to blow. Final fish to the scales was only 15lbs 15oz. Bumping us to 34th… we still managed a $1500 check for our efforts and we secured our spot in the championship event! Congratulations to Marcia-D Perry Johnston in his new Hydra Sports on the win… it's a shame he left $30,000 in Yamaha's money on the table…

Wednesday Oct 12, 2005 - Thought we had a day off and the FLW had scheduled the Wellcraft Kellogg's team for a 7:00am photo shoot. Delays in the shoot proved fruitful… We found plenty of bait on the backside of Shackleford Island and floated the net in one throw. More delays found us searching the chart for options… We ran three miles East to AR315 and within 5 minuets and only two baits in the water we had a 25+ on and on its way to the boat… Prospects for the championship were looking better.

Thursday Oct 13, 2005 - Championship day one, boat number 37 and another 7:30am checkout. . Bought bait from Capt. Stacy before checkout again and decided to only buy 2 doz and put them in one baitwell and catch another baitwell full before checkout. After checkout we found bait on the beach at the Atlantic Beach water tower we didn't manage to get it before checkout… Straight to AR315 we caught 7 - 8 fish all day the biggest coming in at 23lbs 13oz. Team Kellogg's, Wellcraft and Carolina Boat and Yacht were in 8th place after day one!!! Needless to say, we were excited but we knew our fish was not likely to hold…

Friday Oct. 14, 2005 - Reports from My Turn (Hydra Sports - Capt. Steve Venable) in second place after day one put us in the ship channel. We brought two fish to the boat and watched as Reel Culture (Wellcraft - Capt. Shane Hollar) boated a good fish and left the area!!! Questions arose with Team Kellogg's and at about 11:00am we returned to the beach for a tough time of catching bait and returned to AR315 for the remainder of the day. We caught plenty of fish, the sun came out (Thanks Solar Bat Sunglasses) but nothing to beat the 23-13 we had at the scales. There was an FLW camera on the boat with us and we had a great time. We took Tony to the scales but unfortunately we came up a little short finishing 14th in the Championship event.
Saturday Oct. 15, 2005 - Congratulations to Early Riser - Capt. John Parks - A Wellcraft and Yamaha owner on winning the first FLW Kingfish Championship and $150,000. Congratulations also have to go to Team Reel Culture, Rebecca Ann, Double Shot, Team Chevy, Sea Rat, My Turn, Capt. Dan, East Coast Sports and Team Snickers! And all that just go to go fishing!

Team Kelloggs - Reel Krazy - FLW Team is comprised of: Captain Bryan Edwards, Mike Glover, Kirk Lewellen and Shelly Lewellen. Consistency was the key we finished 9th in the points overall for the year and the first Genmar / Wellcraft / Yamaha as well as the top finishing sponsored boat. Thanks to Wellcraft and Kelloggs!!!
See ya Next Year!!!

AJ's Win Falls to Venice Marine - Tounament Win

2000-09-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Southern Kingfish Association
September 18, 2000

Destin, FL— Destin is dubbed as one of the top fishing destinations in the South, and despite rainy weather and tough fishing conditions during the weekend the reputation stood as such. The Venice Marine fishing team of Brent, Deborah, and Brandon Ballay, along with Jerry Franks and Kirk Lewellen emerged as the winners of the tournament with a 42.8 pound kingfish.
Newcomers to the SKA Mercury Tournament Trail, they fished over 120 miles from the scales to find their winner. “Everyone else ran the ditch,” according to team captain Brent Ballay, “while I think we were one of the only teams to head out the jetties.”
After running their OMC-powered HydraSports center console hard in the six foot seas, they finally arrived at their numbers by 10:30 in the morning. “We had only a couple sharks there,” Ballay reported, “so we picked up and ran to the nearest rig.” The kings quickly responded, with a double-header right off the bat, followed by a triple hookup once the baits had been redeployed. Their biggest fish of the day hit a jumbo hardtail down 50 feet on the downrigger at 1:10 PM. Deborah grabbed the rod and proceeded to angle the fish to the boat in just 15 minutes.
“We use about 10 pounds of drag on 30 pound test line in the Gulf, so it usually doesn’t take us very long to get them to the boat,” Ballay said. The team then made the long journey to the scales, and would remain in the lead for the remainder of the tournament. For their efforts, the team won not only the event’s top prize of $10,000 but a beautiful hand-carved kingfish trophy.
Neal Foster and the Intense team came to the scales near the end of the day on the first day of the tournament, after having made the same long run as most of the fleet with the tournament’s second place fish aboard their Yamaha-powered Contender. Unfortunately, the team weighed in right in the middle of an intense downpour (pardon the pun), so there wasn’t an opportunity for any photos to be taken of their fish.
“We ran a total of 370 miles today,” Foster reported, “all the way to Dauphin Island and then 55 miles offshore.” Foster said there was a hot bite in progress most of the day, as the team caught and released nearly 40 kingfish during the first day. Their kingfish hit a hardtail on the topline for Robbie Montgomery in 115 feet of water.
“He only fought the fish for about 10 minutes--we saw that he was hooked really well in the jaw, so he put the pressure to him,” said the happy captain. “I’d like to thank both Contender and Yamaha, though--the boat holds the fuel that gave us the range to fish that far from the dock, and the motors had the fuel economy and reliability to let us run. In fact, there were only a couple boats at the spot that weren’t Contenders. It’s just a great ride in the ocean.” The Intense’s 42.5 pounder would put them in second place overall, just three-tenths of a pound behind Venice Marine.
Third place in the tournament went to the Triple Action team of Mark McDonald, Chad Pierce and Jimmy Duke, fishing aboard a triple-Mercury powered Donzi 35. They were first to the scales on Day One with a very nice fish aboard. Their 40.9 pounder would eventually be dropped down to the tournament’s third spot after leading for a short while. “We only had about 5 or 10 gallons of fuel left in the tanks,” McDonald reported. “We ran hard and burned a lot of gas today!” The team ran 20 miles from Dauphin Island to 100 feet of water. At 10 AM, their number was called when their biggest fish of the day came calling. “We had a double on the flatlines, then about five minutes later the big boy hit deep,” Pierce reported. The big king proved to be a stubborn adversary, however, dogging deep and refusing to come to the surface.
The tournament’s fourth place finisher is certainly one of the most consistent teams in the upper Gulf--Mark Kennedy, his son Tyler, Steve Ennis, Max Williams and Jeff McKoy on the Kwazar. The team also elected to make the long run off Dauphin Island in their Contender to find the fish, coming to the scales shortly after the Intense and also in the rainstorm during Day One. Their fish weighed forty pounds even, earning Tyler yet another SKA First Place Junior Angler plaque for his efforts with the team during the day.
The Rag Tag, captained by Creighton Parker with Robert Merritt, Geoff Persell and Hal Hudson aboard, is usually one of the top boats at AJs. This year would be no exception as they rounded out the top five. They chose to run the ICW to Fort Morgan before heading out to the rigs in 100 feet of water. “We could barely keep the lines in, that’s how strong the bite was today,” Parker reported. Their biggest, a 39.8 pounder, hit a Better Baits ribbonfish that was being let out on the downrigger. “We were trying to put it down, and he just smoked it. Robert [Merritt] fought the fish for 15 minutes or so before we could boat him,” Parker said later. “We ran the boat extremely hard today in the ocean--I need to thank both Yamaha and Contender for making our day today. We had the range and fuel efficiency to find the fish and get back in time.”
The staff and volunteers at AJ’s deserve a hearty pat on the back for their hard work during the weekend. Gary Jennings from CCA-Florida pitched in as tournament weighmaster, and he did an outstanding job. Although the weather was not good, everyone enjoyed the weekend and all said they would return next year.

Final Standings
1. VENICE MARINA’S TEAM HYDRASPORT......................42.8
HydraSport/Evinrude
Brent Ballay
Deborah Ballay
Brandon Ballay
Jerry Franks
Kirk Lewellen