It's January-The Birthday Month

So here we are in New Hampshire with 8" of snow on the ground...and a forecast of 50's this weekend!  I am trying to wrap up the Christmas 2012 carvings with some Santa and nativity scene about done.  The nativity scene is done in Cherry and I think it looks good not painted but in the natural look with my "special" finish that brings out the grain.  The Santa projects were the last to be carved and didn't get finished in time for any viewing before Christmas-we seemed to have some "things' that got in the way of carving and painting!  I've got one that is a "squatty body" holding a Christmas tree that has gotten stuck in his beard, another has a beard that is so long he has to wrap it around his body,  you can also see the "Moses Santa" with his arms outspread-one hand will hold a lantern and the other will hold his walking staff.  Next in line is a box of shorebirds that need to be carved and painted so the change will be fun; they were cut out last summer and are patterned after some very respected carvers.  Look for those to come out in a week or two.

The Last Gaggle of Santa's

This is a big birthday month for the family-mom turned 98, Spencer and I turned ???? on the same day-he made it to 11,  and the youngest daughter has a birthday later in the month.  Our celebrations were muted partly because of the closeness to Christmas-you know, those gifts that say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Birthday"!  The daughter is far enough away from  Christmas that her expectations are higher!  Having birthdays in January allow one to project what the new year will bring and have a some reflection on the year past-me, I am happy that I am still healthy and that the Richter family is still all together!  We also start getting the garden catalogues and there is something comforting about knowing that it is time to plan for spring planting and summer/fall harvesting.  I walked out to our plot last weekend when the snow has everything covered; Tuesday I laid out the plans for the new garden.

Back to some wood and carving stuff-have a ice fishing decoy finished and another ready for the fins to be attached.

A Minnesota style fish decoy

 Both are copies of decoys used in the 50's in the upper mid west, when fishermen cut holes in the ice, dropped the decoys into the water and speared the fish that were attracted to the decoys!  The decoys have a cavity in which lead was poured to help keep the decoy down-I use steel shot instead of the lead.  Both are painted with acrylics and finished with a matte spray.  One has fins made of tin while the other has fins of copper.

Unfinished trout decoy, will have copper fins

Busy weekend, taking the Christmas stuff down and put into storage, always sad in the fact that Christmas is done until next year.  As one gets older we never know what the year will bring; but as mom always says when she wakes up each morning-"happy for the day and intend to make the most of it"  (although you never start a new project on Friday, bad luck according to her grandmother) so we will look forward to celebrating the daughter's birthday in a couple of weeks, then look forward to tomorrow and intend to make the most of it.

So if you are building something, measure twice and cut once or if you are waist deep in water some place "keep a tight line".  Peace and Love from the snowy mountains of New Hampshire.