April Showers - not!

New Hampshire is dry, no fires outside because of the threat of brush fires, but trees are turning green and forecast for continued temps above freezing, so carving has moved to the deck and going strong.  Right now just trying to finish projects of miniature ducks, some antique and some flying, shore birds and a couple of Santa's.  Going out to the storage unit to check out wood supply (but also to find Pat's summer and spring clothes-she is tricky!) but need to get better organized.  Trying to keep my Facebook page "Papa Richter Carvings" updated with some pictures included in this post.

Will Be Antique Goose Miniature 

Miniature Sleeping Black Duck

Big news is that I have been accepted into the "Arts Alive Program" in the Monadnock Region; you can check it out at http://monadnockartsalive.org/artists/craft.  I've also applied to participate in the Keene City Art Walk in June-will have to wait and see where this goes.  The Art Walk is pretty cool in that artists display their crafts in store windows on main street down town for several weeks; during the opening night artists stand in front of the window and answer questions about their work.  I am still preparing a shore bird piece to submit to the New Hampshire Craftsman Group.  This is a highly judged presentation which requires that everything on the work be extremely high quality for acceptance into their stores, plus you get to participate in a week long festival in mid August. Could be great fun.  But on a downer note read the following:

One of Keene's oldest homes will be razed today, as the cost of renovating it appeared to be too high.

The Winding Brook Farm on Maple Avenue, built in 1785 by John Colony and now owned by the Cheshire Family Funeral Chapel, is scheduled for demolition.

Colony moved to Keene with his wife, Melatiah, in 1761 and settled on the Maple Avenue property that would remain in the Colony family for 155 years, according to the city's historical archives."Josiah Colony was likely born in that house," said Anita Carroll-Weldon, a member of the Keene Historic District Commission and director of the Horatio Colony Museum on Main Street, referring to one of John Colony's grandsons.

Along with Francis Faulkner, Josiah Colony bought the Colony Mill in 1815, according to the Historical Society of Cheshire County.Sidney J. Wilder purchased the property in 1919, where he started a dairy business. That gave the farm its present name, Winding Brook, derived from nearby Black Brook, which meanders through a side field, according to "Historic Homes of Keene" by Marjorie Whalen Smith.

She said that while the home appears to be dilapidated from the outside, the structural integrity of the house remains strong, in part due to its use of old-growth heartwood."The construction and the materials can't be replicated," she said. "The house has lasted over 230 years. Once they're gone, you can never have them back again. It's very sad to see them go."

Carroll-Weldon went to the home Sunday to take pictures of the interior and exterior. She also removed the original hardware from the front door, including a Norfolk-style, 18th-century wrought iron decorative latch. It will be recorded and stored with other items at the Horatio Colony Museum.

The above article appeared in the local newspaper the Keene Sentinel.  The house was located a block west of where I live so I got to see up close the destruction of this home; it had been turned into a rental property and not maintained and fell into a state of disrepair.  I talked with the contractor who was tearing the building down and ask him what he intended to do with the wood, his answer, take it to the dump or take it home and burn it.  He didn't have time to sort the lumber or preserve any of it as he had to be done by a certain date. 
 I walked around the site, picked up some square nails and was amazed at the thought of what I was seeing was wood from the 1700's!  I asked him if I could buy a couple of 12" X 12" beams that were under the house, he said take them.  So my next set of decoys will come from these amazing pieces of wood that were hewn by an ax, pegged at the ends to support this house built in the 1700's!


Everything is gone now, grass is sown, some funky out of place trees have been planted and we have lost another piece of history.  Oh yes, the Colony Families were part of the founders of Keene, NH.

Maine Lobster Man

Santa 

Dunlin Shore Bird

Santa Ornaments

So there you have the day, rain expected tonight and for the next several days up to 4" expected so will get a lot of stuff done.  Thank you for taking the time to check in with me-if you have any ideas about something you would like carved drop me a note and I will see what I can do.  Until then

Measure Twice and Cut Once

End of Winter

As the North East returned to more like winter weather, the old time residents are still excited about the mild winter.  As we jump into Spring  and Easter Sunday coming up, I always think of renewal with the flowers coming  back up, trees budding and flowering, song birds singing in the mornings and the sound of the geese flying over.  On the farm, potatoes were already in the ground, lettuce was up, new chicks in the brooder house and plans being made as when to plant the corn or beans.  Dad always walked with a little more spring in his step and one of the jobs was to "re-stack" the wood pile, and check all the implements that would be needed for spring.

I try to take stock of what is going on with carving and projects.  Speaking of projects, mom sent out some of her quilts to be "quilted" to a local woman who does machine quilting-takes way too long to hand quilt as mom has produced way too many projects this winter.  One of the quilts that she sent out was one that one of her grandmothers made some time around late 1800's or early 1900's-I have a hard time that material would still be good but the quilter said that it would be no problem.  Makes me think about the legacy that we leave for our generations to come-mom has numerous quilts that still are used by all the grand daughters and great grandkids.  Some of the quilts contain pieces that were left overs from PJ's, shorts or shirts that mom made for them-memory quilt?

Pat's 9 Patch

Mom's Flower Garden on the Diagonal 

I found the first decoy that I made, produced in the mid 1980's.  I hope that I am better now than I as then, but Pat has kept it  because it was #1 in my line of decoys!  Where will it be in 100 years?

Decoy #1 Pintail Drake

I also look at the leaves and feathers that I carved.  All the leaves are copies of leaves that have long returned to the soil but the wooden leaf will be here for a while.  I wish that I had kept a better record of the exact location of these leaves-the ones from hence forth will have this description.  The shoveler decoys seems to have hit a block-there are times when I just can't seem to match or make the colors that I want or expect and rather than screw it up, I just wait.  Glad it is not a commission.

A maple leaf from New Hampshire

Feathers and Leave

Shoveler Decoy

The Santa is carved from a piece of basswood from the Canaan Valley in the Ossippe Mountains; the tree was harvested by a Master Carver in the valley that I met at camp last summer.  He saw me carving in pine and brought me back this piece of wood-easy to carve and even more special I know where the wood came from.  A local house built by the Colony family in the 1700's is being torn down; these folks were part of the Keene history as they were connected to the Textile Mills that were important in Keene's history.  What I would give to get a piece of wood from that building to preserve a little Keene history.

Unfinished Santa

I wish that I had a "how to do" something in this writing but sometimes just too philosophical. Did go to the local library for their annual book sale with one of the grandsons today.  For $5 got a grocery bag plus a plastic bonus bag to fill with books-he hit the history, Star Wars and sports for his books, me I went for some sports books and some books that I can use for patterns to "make stuff".  Also picked up some books on dancing, horses and girl stuff for his history.  So much better than one of those electronic reader things, especially the smell, turning the pages and opening and closing the cover.  Life does get good.

Make sure that you measure twice and cut once; if you happen to be waist deep in some trout or bass water, keep a tight line.  Peace

St. Patrick's Day Plus

The following was written before St. Patrick's day, I got busy and didn't finish so now, will finish.  Today cleaned up a rocking chair that belonged to my aunt because Molly needed an exhibit for school.  I have included some pictures but I really don't know much about it, as we found it in her basement after she died.  It is in pretty good shape considering I assume it was built in the early 1900's-she was born in 1907.  It shows use on the arms, so I again have to assume that she used it rather than it being a doll's chair.  (Yes I know what happens when we assume stuff!)  It has a tag with a number on it but no company name or date.  Some of the wood appears to have some irregularities in it and I think it was turned by a lath but not a modern one.  The caning is original and does show some wear, there are also some small nails that look like they were put in later to hold the cane weaving.

A Number for nothing else  

I use a wax that I used on the old steamer trunk to both clean and preserve.  I also have a picture of the drawers in the antique dresser that belonged to my folks, just to show the workmanship that exists in handmade furniture.  I know we have craftsmen today that do this kind of work but when we compare tools of then and today, I find it amazing just how good there were.  Getting some much improved weather so able to get back outside and back to work-cut some small limbs into garden posts as I planted two rows of peas this past week.   Spring always makes me miss the farm as the smell of fresh turned earth behind the tractor plow was always cool, but today most of the farming is no till, so this smell is limited to the garden.  Still miss those days-but not the July heat and humidity!!

We are celebrating St. Patrick's Day, wearing of the green, drinking beverages that are green, green eggs and ham and have spent the morning helping Molly and Harry design and build a leprechaun trap.

This trap has rock attached amid the sparkles to attract the little fellow into climbing to the top to get the gold coins.  The ribbons have jewels attached with a gold coin at the bottom-all to get the leprechaun to take notice then climb to the top.  Here the tricky part is that there is no top, the felt collapses and BAM, a leprechaun bites the dust.  For those of you worried about the little guy getting hurt when he falls into the trap, the Thomas children put soft balls in the bottom to cushion the fall!  Just how cool is that.

The 5 leaves left for their trip to India this afternoon-actually they won't leave until next Thursday but they left me today.  My wife wrote a piece about when someone touches the curves of the leaves or looks at the detail they think of the green hills and mountains of New Hampshire.  Hope the folks in India know about the trees of New Hampshire.  Totally off wood stuff, I went back to the Monadnock Trout Unlimited meeting last night, listened to guys tell stories while they tied flies, spoke of past fishing trips and trips yet to come.  If the sun ever shines again, next week, would like to get into the water.

Going to spend some time finishing some leaves that need to be sanded and finished; could use the space for other stuff.  I have as much extra wood as mom has knitting supplies.  The leaf on the left I am going to try to add an orange oil wash to highlight the wood grain with some color-more pictures will follow.  And with the warming temperatures should be able to get back to getting more projects done.

So not to confuse anyone, the leaves left for India last Thursday and have not heard anything so have to figure that they made it ok.  Getting back to work tomorrow!  Much peace to all, thank you for reading by blog and remember to measure twice and cut once!  and if you are fishing, always keep a tight line!

Thanks.

March in New Hampshire

Today the temperatures reached 68 degrees, snow disappearing, people in shorts but in New Hampshire just like Missouri, tomorrow will be something else.  But as the weather improves so will I be able to get back to carving; it is a shame that there is not someplace in town where carvers and woodworkers can get together to do their work.  But I imagine the insurance for liability would be huge, so tomorrow back to the deck and since the folks under neath us have moved maybe I won't get flack from some wood chips hitting their deck.  The flu has jumped up and got all of us, I was first, then mom and now Pat, each time the recovery period is longer-it sucks to get older!

Do have 5 leaves that will travel from New Hampshire to India.  They will travel with a friend that works for IBM and will spend a month providing and working service with the people in India.  He travels extensively in the far east and India for his job, but this is about helping people.  The leaves will go to 5 people who provide leadership for the group.  The leaves are wooden copies of actual leaves from the mountains that surround Camp Merrowvista, so they travel with love.  I know that some of the hearts and leaves from the apple trees in Missouri are in the middle east, now in possession of the Kids 4 Peace that were here last summer!  Perhaps they can be the leaders that will make the world safer.  Now if we could just get some kids to take the place of many of our politicians!

If you get a chance check out the Ward Museum in Maryland; it's 9 hours away but I hope to travel there some time.  They have a world championship show in late April that attracts carvers from all over the world, conduct work shops and seminars, plus competition for all levels.  During the year they work with local schools and groups to conduct exploration of the wetlands and the animals that live in the area.  Would be so much fun.      www.wardmuseum.org


Working on two leaves right now, finish with Tung Oil and so far I really like the  rich, finished look, thin coat, rub like "wax on, wax off", drying time is 10 hours before next coat so not real time efficient.  I guess when you are retired that time efficient thing does not make much difference!   I am excited to get back to carving and getting outside-temps for this week are in the 50's and  60's so could be a productive week. Also going to get the mountain bike out, trails still  have too much snow and ice but the streets are clear and the local grandson needs some "outside time".

The leaf on the right is red cedar wood from Missouri; it is a soft wood that doesn't take kindly to rough treatment but has great colors.  Can be used to line chests and closets with a bug resistant smell but this one will have no smell.  The leaf on the left is from a piece of wood I picked from a burn pile some place, think it might be poplar, a much harder wood.  No matter what the wood is, extensive sanding reducing the grit to a fine level plus the type of finish (varnish, oil, acrylic) makes all the difference.  This is one process that can't be rushed.

The outdoors is calling so need to stop the rambling.  Thank you for reading this and I hope that your days, and weeks are good. Daylight Savings time starts today, so we have more daylight hours-use it wisely because once it is gone, it is gone forever.  Much peace to you.  And remember to "measure twice and cut once"!

Christmas Season and Magic

This is the season of magic, traditions, joy, memories and peace.  There is much to be said that when winter comes we follow a star, or go to the woods to talk with the animals; we reflect on a new year to come and the past year to see if our balance sheet really balances out.  Retirement has changed how I look forward and backward-fixed incomes seem to do that to me.  I have always had a job, a steady pay check and knew that tomorrow would bring a routine or at least as much of a routine that education can provide, but now each day brings different challenges.  Whether it is a doctor's appointment for mom, fixing lunch or doing the laundry there is no routine.  Pat has gone back to work in her field of economic development and although the job is labeled as part time, her hours and her dedication is full time and she is really really happy.  I have looked at some part time work but now have an opportunity to unload trucks and stock shelves at a local store starting at 2:00 a.m.-I am sure that this will bring a routine but can I function with the "day duties" after an early morning start!  But the extra money will be nice!

The Santa Claus carving season has been fun, even though the money brought in was down, several Santa's and decoys found new homes and that is always my goal-everyone needs a good home.  Perhaps after I am gone they will be very valuable!  The carving is always fun and looking for new projects is good; Pat evaluates my new work with a very critical eye, which is good!  Of course I listen to her!

One of the things that I try to do is to be a student of wood;  there are many traditions that must be followed if one is going to be a successful wood worker so I have attached the Legend/Mythology of Wood for your enjoyment plus some pictures of wood spirits!

The mythology is very simple. In what are now referred to as Pagan cultures, those that preceeded Christianity in many of the Western countries today as the Germanic States and the British Isles, Mother Nature was the major diety. She was the creator of life and from her everything both mankind, animals, and nature were born.

In some of the earliest stories Mother Nature is the Sun and her consort was the Moon. She would look upon him with her loving nature and that is why the Moon sometimes is full and bright, reflecting her love. But, being a female spirit she would become moody and jealous because her consort, the Moon, would light the earth with the light that she gave him, his reflected (full moon) light. So she would turn her back to him, scorning him, and therefore with hold her love and light. Which is why the moon becomes dark during an old moon. But he would be patient and he would wait because he loved her so very much. Because of his patience she would soon relent and again smile gloriously upon him.

So it was that Mother Nature wanted to come to earth and enjoy the beautiful world that she had created for us, to walk the fields and forests. But she became lonely. To ease her loneliness her consort also came to earth and he did so by inhabiting the trees of both the meadows and the forests. He stands as the single old apple tree that graces the grass lands giving shade to the cattle and goats. And he stands as the gardian of the forest, the large tree right at the forest margin. And he is the oldest twisted tree deep within the black woods. But one of his favorite trees was the evergreen.

Now it was the humans knew that the evergreen was special for even during the coldest and harshest of winters it remained forever green. Other trees around him suffered the 'small death' of winter, losing their leaves and going bare. The people realized that there must be something very special about the evergreen so the story arose that the Wood Spirit of God that walked the earth during the warm seasons went into the evergreen to live during the winter. There he slept until the warmth of spring returned.

Because the people were frightened that the 'small death' might one day not give way to spring they decided that they would go to the forest and bring into their homes an evergreen. They would tend the evergreen giving it water and protecting it from the deeps snows and harsh winds. Therefore they were protecting the Wood Spirit God. When the time came that the 'small death' of winter should be passing they would return the evergreen to it's place within the forest so that the God would awaken and once again bring spring to the earth.

That's why wood spirits are male. They are the consort to the Goddess - Mother Nature.

Thanksgiving, December and Christmas

Thanksgiving has gone, the kick off of big shopping and now December is here.  Have had a hard time getting stuff started as mom was back in the hospital for a couple of days right before Thanksgiving-had low hemoglobin count and took 3 units of blood to raise count back up.  We had thought that maybe her time was about done but after the latest stay and a good doctor visit we have put all those thoughts aside and now turn back to making Santa Claus and the season joyful!

Had an interesting post from the American Youth Foundation asking "What have you done today to make your community a better place (yes I did paraphrase it) but did make me think about my daily activities since I have retired.  The AYF also has a saying about "at your very best all the time"; how great it would be if we all followed that creed; maybe at this season it could be come our daily thought for the day.  Think how productive we would be and how we would make a difference in the lives of those around us.  OK, done with the philosophical stuff.

Opened up the stored Santa Claus box and found all sorts of things that I had forgotten-took some down to the local art vendor and have been to a couple of craft fairs.

Also found some of the "flat" one dimensional Santa's that I started with several year ago.  The daughters have received a Santa carving, either flat or carved, every Christmas over the past 15(?) years. Check these out, the arms even move!

A new friend from Tuftenboro, NH, saw me carving with pine and gave me a piece of basswood that he had cut from his local forest-I have never worked with a better piece of wood than this piece.  Also read about a new Santa design with the jolly gent looking up at the skies, trying to figure out if the time was right for flying.  Hope you like it.

Also did a new Nativity Scene, one dimensional but have some carving in to separate the colors.  I would probably call it a piece of Folk Art as the characters are pretty funky.  Found the design in an old craft book from a used book store.  For next year also bought a book on how to do a fully carved set-will probably be a "long term" project!

Weather here has been really strange-October snow of 12+" but last month temps in the 60's.  Local ski places are bumming as too warm to make snow.  But most folks feel that a day in the 60's is one less day with cold and snow-let's just hope that spring comes on time.  A good friend told me that over the next 20-30 years that the NE will become more like the NW United States, less snow, more rain and moderate temps so  maybe we are on the way!

Selling some of the  Santa's-most of the bigger ones (6" ) are around $50, smaller ones (4") $35 or so.  Ornaments run $10-$15 depending upon the size (no pictures of them).  Sold the Loon decoy to a good friend who will give it a great home; have a Cardinal in the works too.  Staying busy but still having fun.

Hope that this holiday season is going well for all-let me be among the first to wish you a Merry Christmas.  And much peace in your life.

And don't forget to measure twice and cut once.

PS-Christmas at the Richter's version 2011.

Loons

My first attempt at carving a loon decoy is done (pictures are attached).  It seems like starting a new carving scares the heck out of me and I just go so slowly that I don't ever seem to get it done, but-it is done.  It is 1/2 size-I think that my next one will be a full size with more detail in the feathers but for now I will be proud of this one.  It is that time of year when the Santa's seem to start popping up again-had a decent summer with carving, now the painting begins (pictures will follow).

The weather in New Hampshire has been off the chart, ranges from hurricanes to early snow storms so who knows what to expect this winter to be.  Guess will get a lot of carving done, but back to the loon.

Did you know that loons are large birds weighting in at 9 pounds with wingspan up to 4 feet.  In the water they have a low profile with a curved neck, summer their neck and head are a glossy black with a green sheen.  They range from Canada and the Northern States n the summer and in the fall they migrate  along the coasts of North America and the Gulf of Mexico.    Loons preferred diet is fish and  occasional crustaceans such as crayfish.  Loons locate fish by sight, underwater diving as deep as 60 feet to chase down their prey.  The female lays two brown eggs, the first one larger than the second and are incubated for 30 days by either the male or the female depending upon the time of day.  Once they hatch the chicks leave the nest almost at once to avoid predators.


 One of the biggest threats to the loon populations is man as we drive our boats too close to nesting sites and continue to use lead in our fishing equipment.  The first eliminates the nest while the second takes the life of the loon from lead poisoning.  I have fished in my float tube while these birds swam within 10 feet plus I have laid in bed and listened to their mournful calls at night. In short all water fowl is pretty cool but loons may be the coolest of all.


Remember to keep those lines tight and to measure twice and cut once.  Much peace

Wood burned feathers head and neck

Base coats-trying to get sheen on head

Starting to Add Details

Side view finished product

Top View finished product

Nelson (papa)