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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The End of Summer.

Molly - Harry -Spencer
School has started in the East, the nights are cooler, the New Hampshire sky as become that very special blue that Pat loves and the down comforter is on the bed-Indian Summer is here.  The leaf peepers can't be far away so time to start back up the blog.  It is hard in the summer to get much writing done because the days are so long and there is just too much to do-hope that you who read Wood and Words will come back; if not, then I will just write for myself!  But-had a great time with the Thomas kids as they tried to extend their days as much as possible, even got the cousin Spencer in on the action, so nothing to do with wood but grandkids are important.


Funny that on "Facebook" you wind up with "friends" that you have never met but after reading their blog you feel that you know them well.  Sharon Wright ties beautiful streamers that are art but practical because they do catch fish but can be hung on the wall just as well.  She talks about fishing and tying and recently posted that she no longer wants political posts or comments to her page because she wants to talk about her art!  I agree so let's talk about wood and what is projected for the up coming winter.

We have several art and craft fairs coming up so been cutting, carving and sanding various pieces any thing from leaves to nativity scenes.  Have carved several Santas from my own designs but also have several requests for skiing Santas and the looking to the sky Santas, so have some work to do.  Since it is Fall in New England it is hard to keep from carving leaves-just completed a set of oak leaves for a special friend in Missouri.  All the leaves are copies of real leaves collected from the area, or in the case of the Missouri leaves, they come from 100 year old oak trees on their farm.


Leaf peeping in the Northeast is a huge business as tourists come from all over the world to see the leaves change into brilliant colors-the states have web sites entirely devoted to give up dates on the changing colors starting from the north and working down.   It is such a special event that nature produces every year-last year a hurricane came thru and changed much of the landscape.
















The Missouri leaves are made from oak and cherry with a special stain and finished with an oil rub that I put together (all us artists talk about our "special" mixes) but I was especially pleased with the cherry and how it finished.  So  much so that I cut out a nativity scene from the scraps-don't think I will paint anything, just finish-may be hard to tell the wise men apart but then don't think anyone will object.


Sorry about the newspaper background and the "skills gap" head line, still working on that part of my "art".  But these are both cherry pieces with great grain.


This is from oak, great grain in the picture but don't like it as much as the cherry.






Currently I am also working on two leaves from cherry, one from the Monadnock Mountain area in Dublin, New Hampshire and the other from a maple tree at the docks in Wolfeboro, on Lake Winnipesaukee-both are big leaves and look really good (at least in my opinion).  Hamshaw Lumber in Keene, has been a huge help in not only getting good boards but in teaching me how to finish-if you are a local and want the best, skip the box stores and head to south Keene!
From the Wolfeboro Docks

From Mt Monadnock










Fall has always been a special season for me-on the farm, the harvest always meant football practice and unloading grain when I got home.  It always brought home the end of summer and how the cold of winter was not that far away but with the knowledge that the renewal of spring was always coming.  I think, as we get older that fall also carries a significance of looking back and seeing where we have been, reflecting on old friends and looking to make new ones; we count our blessings because there is always the person out there who "has no feet"!  I take time to check the stars in the morning, set at a  pond and watch the sun set in the evening, hold someone's hand and tell them I love them and always try to remember that I need to enjoy the journey because the destination is always there.

Fishing season ends out here the middle of October so we "need to always keep a tight line" and if fishing is not your thing, just remember to "measure twice and cut once"!
 Much peace in your life.

Papa Richter