Wood is Good

Silver is my least favourite metal to work. I stopped making jewelry years ago. Stone and metal working tools are mostly packed away. Proof of Hardcore Procrastination. I forced myself to stop. I’m not writing because __________________. Too many reasons; some excuses, some annoyances, some serious big girl stuff, as someone not 1mportant to you said one possibly purple lemon orange haze smoky day.

I choked on what I was going to say.

Wait… lemme go check the title……

Something about wood………wood chips???

I’m going to give you a little in-process show of my current wood carving romance. This is something I really dislike doing; in-process documentation of a creation, never mind posting about it. Thanks to @kesityu.fashion for the inspiration and encouragement or this wouldn’t have happened. She has this unique way of showing her in-process work so that each image becomes its own work of art.

By now, you’re wondering, what is this thing the claws are carving? No, @dandays, before you fingerspeak, it’s not a human femur. I’m not carving bone.........this time.

One wood appendage just the right size, diameter, and as close to straight as a tree limb can grow, was lying on the ground. The arborist gave me the go head to take it. One less limb to haul to the dump to decay. Got it home, de-barked it, skipped using log sealer on the end grain and stored it. Removing all bark and sealing the end grain (prevents checking) are necessary for air curing green wood as evenly as possible.

That piece of maple has been sitting in my stockpile of woods, gathering dust, long dried out and no longer fresh juicy wet. I had forgotten all about it while riding life’s rollercoaster until the day of the dog walker with nine dogs (nine, ironic). I was surrounded, twice, by a pack of dogs off leash in the bowels of the ravine where I was tucked away in one of my off-trail hidey holes.

Dogs never seem to be my issue. Irresponsible self-centred humans are often an issue. It’s precisely why I was hidden away in the ravine getting a bit of respite from all that stuff.

I paused. Considered my response for a few minutes. Then I yelled, "The creek isn’t a fugging off leash dog park”. On it went. I’ll spare you those details. I left the area to seek solitude in another spot after the dog walker and his herd went by. Twenty-five minutes later, I’m surrounded a second time. I’m sitting low on a stone, drinking from a water bottle. I’m at a disadvantage if there’s an incident. Dog walker dude starts in on me with a verbal lashing.

He’s got the dogs between him and me. He’s about eight feet away. I stand up while putting the lid on my water bottle. Somehow that’s interpreted by him as me preparing to attack “his” dogs, not. Next thing I know he’s brandishing a big stick and the verbal threat, “You better watch yourself”. The guy is taller than me, is threatening me with a weapon, and has me surrounded with a nine pack of dogs. Who’s got the advantage here? Certainly not me but he’s scared for some reason I can’t fathom. I don’t look scary. Maybe it’s because I’m not backing down cowering on the ground. Sooo not my style.

Two city by-law violations and two criminal law violations later, he finally clues in that I’ll match him blow for blow if he wants to go, but he better be ready to go the distance if he starts some shite. It’s why I pack a knife. It’s why my key ring isn’t a ring. Do not offer me invitations.

Back home, next day, I’m thinking about sticks. I remember that chunk of oh so sweet sugar maple. I decide now is the time to carve that walking stick. No shots before I began the process. Wasn’t originally going to post about this at all.

I went at it with a large fishtail gouge and mallet. As I did, the phrase, “In times of war, carry a big stick and walk unseen”, dropped into my thoughts from nowhere.

I carved the bulk of wood off with the gouge after deciding my hatchet was unnecessary overkill for something this size. Original size of the maple tree limb was two thirds larger in diameter than what is in these photos and about five feet in length.

Typically, I limit use of power tools when I’m carving, with the exception of when I’m working with stone. I’m short on time though. Decided to pull out a fav babe, my angle grinder, the thing I know how to make dance on any project, name the material, I’ve ground it down since I was seventeen.

Best description I can give of the design in my mind right now is this…...

I’m undecided as to where in the top of the walking stick I’ll inlay it and exactly how I want to do that. It depends on the way the bird wants to perch/fly around on the top of the stick. I’ll know what that will be when I get there with my gouge.