Happy Valentines Day

It's almost Valentines Day, a time to make cool cookies and give them away to grandkids and their families.  These are samples that didn't last long at home but went to see the local grandkids and their folks-not sure how long they lasted there!
Wood is still in play as I started making these small hearts carved, sanded and finished that are given out as "I am giving you a piece of my heart for you to have with you all the time".  I also have given them to some of the young people I see with the advice that when things get too tough, just take this heart out, or in your pocket and rub it for good luck.

 St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her. (Wikipedia)

A little history lesson there for how we got to this holiday-for most, just another day at work but for those romantics in us, a special day of recognition for those we love.  So go for it, give you loved one(s) something special.  Much peace and love to you on Valentine's Day.

The Cardinal in Wood

I had cut out a cardinal from a piece of basswood several years ago but for some reason I never took it beyond the square block of wood; I did put the eyes in a year ago but again, not again, not much more follow up was done.  But now I have decided that I should try to get some of these half done projects finished before I cut out any new ones-unfortunately I do have plans to cut out some more.  But back to the Cardinal.

The male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird. They’re a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style: a shade of red you can’t take your eyes off. Even the brown females sport a sharp crest and warm red accents. Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they’re still breathtaking in winter’s snowy backyards. In summer, their sweet whistles are one of the first sounds of the morning. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Although these pictures don't do the male the color he displays, part of the courting ritual is for the male to feed the female seeds, often sun flower seeds from a local feeder. When the female agrees to be his mate they both sing to each other-just how romantic!  If the mating is successful the male will often continue to bring seeds to the female during the incubation period.  The male is very territorial, singing from the highest limbs and aggressively chasing off other males who fly into his territory.

After mating the female builds a cup nest in a well-concealed spot in dense shrub or a low tree one to three meters (three to ten ft) off the ground. The nest is made of thin twigs, bark strips, and grasses, lined with grasses or other plant fibers. Eggs are laid one to six days following the completion of the nest. The eggs are white, with a tint of green, blue or brown, and are marked with lavender, gray, or brown blotches which are thicker around the larger end. The shell is smooth and slightly glossy. Three or four eggs are laid in each clutch. the female usually incubates the eggs, rarely and for brief periods, the male assist. Two to three, and even four, broods are raised each year. The male cares for and feeds each brood as the female incubates the next clutch of eggs.(Cornell Lab of Ornithology)


So here you have everything you need to know about Cardinals.  The male defending his territory, sing to his make, feeding her during the incubation period fits right into this season of Valentines Day!!  So let me be the first to wish you a Very Happy Valentines Day!!!  We as the male have the ability to make February 14 special for the women in our lives-I remember that I had to provide 3 cards, 3 treats while the daughters were at home, so make sure you count correctly!  Flowers are good, candy OK but something very special is even better, especially if it is something that will last a long time.  Sometimes we all get way too busy with life and jobs to remember those who are most special to us.  As I sit here watching a Charlie Brown Valentines Day Special and just how disappointed he always is when he gets no Valentines Card, we need to work real hard at making sure that everyone has a great Valentines Day.

As for me I just need to remember to "Measure Twice and Cut Once".  Much peace in your life.

Papa Richter

The Shorebird Decoys

Temperatures in New Hampshire have been brutal the past few days but then we do live in the great Northeast!  Finished up my first two fish decoys-see pictures, looking for some wood to make up some new ones but right now looking to finish up some of the shorebirds that I cut out this summer.  They are  patterns out of the Hillman & Shourds Shore Bird Pattern book that I got a year ago; the book is autographed, one of the few that I have in my possession-but then collecting books is a whole new issue!

Autographed front page

 My goal is to go look for some bargains -decoys or books) as we get closer to spring-probably head over toward the coast-there is a road that has antique shops for 50 miles, maybe up into Maine on some back roads.  I have yet to see any trace of a fish decoy but surely  up in Maine there might be some to be found.

But I also want to mention about the passing of Stan Musial
in St. Louis; he was my hero growing up and made me learn
to bat from the left side and even try to adopt his stance but then I
could never learn to hit the curve ball so my career ended early!  Beyond baseball if there were ever a finer man to pattern my or any other kid's life after he was "the Man".  I remember at  Boy Scout camp getting sent to the sick bay so I could listen to the All Star game where Musial hit the home run to win the game.  I would recommend that you read the St. Louis Post Dispatch for some great memories about how he played and the number of people that he brought into his life.  He has set the standard for all of us, that go outside the rules of the game.


 I think when one starts talking about collecting there needs to be some thought put in before one starts even thinking about filling shelves and mantles with "stuff".  Probably need to know that permission has been granted before one starts or there is a "man cave" that is totally decorated by you!  I have talked about knowing the history of anything old that comes into my home and I think that knowing what that decoy did, where it was done, who did it and when, make it more valuable-but then the same thing can apply to any piece of wood that you sit in or eat on!  Here are a couple of pictures of the Santa carvings.

Santa with a tree in his beard

If we take the time to find out what we are buying or building we can provide the folks that follow us down the road.  I hope that the things that I create can be passed on to those who might want them; if you look at some of the prices of those decoys 100+ years ago, maybe I am leaving a "legacy" to someone!

Rainbow Trout

Minnesota Decoy

Cardinal Ready for Finish

The "Box" in the Closet

Trim the Bill and Finish

So here are the pictures of the unfinished decoys, some hiding in the closet in a box, so as you can see I have my work cut out for me over the next couple of months.  I threw is a picture of a Cardinal that I need to detail and paint and get out of the closet.  So need to get down the road, have a busy week and time is wasting (actually the bed is calling).  Much peace to everyone, hope you are safe and your world is at peace.  Remember to "Measure Twice and Cut Once" or if you have a line threw the ice some place.... "keep a tight line"!  Until next time.

Nelson

Papa R

Fish Decoys

It's a windy crisp Sunday afternoon, hockey on the television, cleaning up some carving work-even did some laundry!  Now have some time to talk more about decoys.... but this time decoys for fish.  I think that I have  talked about and posted enough pictures that everyone is familiar with hand carved duck decoys some of which set on our mantles and some still reside in the garage ready to be put out for hunting.  Some carvers compete, others sell their works as art and others, well, we just carve, trying to get better every time we complete a piece.   But in the upper midwest there is another breed of carver-those who craft fish decoys.  Just like duck decoys, fish decoys are designed to attract fish into range of the hunter.

The history of fish decoys dates back thousands of years when native Americans used them to attract fish within range of their spears, mostly through holes cut in ice.  When Europeans settled into the area in the northern states they quickly learned to use fish decoys to attract fish that could be speared in the winter months.  As these decoys are created they are designed to swim in a circle as the fisherman uses a light jerk or movement up and down; usually these decoys have no hooks attached to the body.  The decoy is attached to a short stick with no reel and on a short line.

The decoys are fished under tents or shacks with no windows, so the only light is the light coming in through the hole cut in the ice.  This sets up the ability of the fisherman to see into the hole but the fish cannot see the fisherman.  While the fisherman moves the fish with one hand he holds the spear in the other hand ready to impale any unsuspecting fish who comes to investigate the decoy.  Originally any fish of any length was fair game; today the fisherman is restricted by length limits-this means the fisherman must be able to look into the water and determine length before spearing the fish!

These decoys are not made to imitate real fish but instead to attract fish.  Decoys are made from pine, basswood or any other easily carved wood. a cavity is carved into the underside of the wood, which is filled with poured lead or in my case, I used steel shot with poured glue holding them in place.  The fins can be either painted or kept plain using tin or copper and are there to allow the decoy to glide through the water in their little circles.  Here are a couple of pictures of a decoy that I have made looking to copy a Minnesota style decoy-I know there are no fish with a red nose, but remember these decoys are to make a fish come and look!

Just as with duck decoys there are different types of fish decoys-some are totally Folk Art reproductions, others are those that actually spent time in the water and are now hidden in some barn or shed, others are called whimsical creations, similar to that of that Budwieser Can Bass lure found in many tackle boxes (never saw or heard of a bass being caught on one).  The decoy below is patterned after a rainbow trout, will have copper fins, and has the gills carved and painted red.  These decoys are from pine, painted with acrylics and finished with a water proof clear coat.

So there you have it- a short history on another kind of decoy.  Most of the information I have found on these decoys indicate that they are better found in the upper midwest, so if you have family in Minnesota, Wisconsin Michigan,  go check out these sheds, garages and barns for those "mysterious" boxes under the steps.  If you find something perhaps we could make a deal.

These decoys are fun to make and as I always say, if we can't find the real thing then why not try to make a reproduction.  Not big money makers as most sell for some where between $50 and $75, unless they are old, then we are talking a little bit more money.  But either way, going to work on some shore birds and some of these cool decoys-next week some pictures of the shorebirds and the finished fish decoys.  Remember if you are working in wood, "measure twice, cut once" or if you are some place where there is open water-"Keep a tight line".

Much Peace in Your Life
Papa Richter

Examples of Some Antique Fish Decoys

A Michigan Style Decoy

An Old Perch Decoy

A Brook Trout Decoy

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.

End of the Year or Start of the New Year

So here we are at the end of the year 2012 and the start of 2013-I have a hard time believing how quickly this year has gone by and how much has happened. But I am not going to write about politics, education, family or fishing, but going to talk about leaves. Laura has been instrumental in helping me or actually setting up my "store" that will contain(or contains things right now). So I thought that I should talk about some of the projects that are completed-leaves!

I started doing these leaves because I was carving feathers and couldn't come up with a way to display the feathers that might show them in a natural setting. Pat and I were walking the trails at Rock Bridge State Park near Columbia, Missouri when she picked up a leaf and said "Why not copy this leaf into wood and put the feather on the leaf?" We picked up several leaves, in full color, I took some pictures then traced the leaf into a note book that Pat always carried; when we got home I traced the outline onto a piece of basswood, cut it out on my band saw, then carved and sanded into the final form. I painted with acrylic paint to match the picture and..... I had the leaf preserved in wood. Since the first leaf was flat, trimmed to a thin layer and painted I felt the leaf was too fragile to be enjoyed so the next leaf was carved into a thicker piece with the edges turned up or turned down or putting more of the imperfections found in the original leaf into the copy, including holes. It may not be the same as pressing the leaf between the pages of a book, but these wooden leaves in wood can be touched, rubbed or displayed on coffee tables or desks. The feathers work just fine mixed with several finished leaves.

 Most recently I had a friend send me oak leaves from her farm that she wanted to have copies made-I made two leaves from Oak and the other two from Cherry. I had a man from a paint department in a local lumber yard that helped me come up with an "antique type of stain/finish". I applied six coats with light sanding and buffing after each coat with the final coat only being buffed showing a deep and rich finish. She displays the leaves in a wooden bowl. I have an oak leaf from the family farm that I keep in the china cabinet.

As you have heard me write about the importance of preserving our history through a variety of media-whether is be verbal, written or in pictures, what better way to save a piece of our first home, the family farm, our favorite fishing/hunting spot, that special place where an important life event occurred or just a pretty leaf-that can become a piece of art. Each of my leaves contains the description of the spot where I found the leaf and I can immediately recall what was going on when I or Pat found this leaf.

If you have a leaf out there that you would like to remember for a long time or one that you might like to give as a gift (wedding, anniversaries) drop me a line or send me the leaves and we will go from there. I started finishing two leaves tonight, still have several more coats to go but one leaf comes from the Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, docks, picked up this summer, an early morning bagel and coffee with Pat sitting on the a bench; the other comes from the Mt. Monadnock State Park area on a short hike. Both are special.



So the hour is late, and time to close, had some more recent pictures to add but for some reason can't get them to down load to the computer so- "remember to measure twice and cut once".
 Much peace in the new year.

 Nelson "Papa Richter"

The Holiday Season

We are currently in the "let down" after Christmas mode; as one of my friends said that it is hard to understand how one minute the house is full of laughter, joy and excitement and the next day too quiet! The days were wonderful, with all the family together and when we look back at the last 6 months we are lucky to have everyone still here.  My mom will celebrate her 98th birthday next week and she continues to "fight the good fight" daily; Pat is still recovering from her triple by pass back in September.  I have never had a more emotional time than these moments this fall-needless to say carving and posting were far from my mind so there are few pictures of completed pieces; the several craft fairs that I did do were pretty much unsuccessful in selling but the opportunity to talk with people did make the time valuable.  I even had one parent tell me that Santa was bringing a "soap carving kit' to their child after she had talked with me about carving.

Sam post game

Harry Boarding

Spenc Reading

John Night Fishing

Heather and Pat at the pool

Laura with her smile

Molly and her board

Mom and a Story

Sam & Doug

Mom and Her Quilt

Pat at the Beach

Pat & her New Heart

Pat & Her cookies

As we approach the end of the year we all reflect on the past year, sometimes we get melancholy and nostalgic about holidays gone by especially those that include those family folks that are no longer with us.  This post will not have much about wood but has pictures of all those that we consider important to us.  Things never seem to always be how or what we may want them to be, some times the stress and worry seems to pile up to the point that we simply can't make it any longer.   Then we go to the hospital and see those much worse off than we are, so here are the pictures.  I promise that this site will improve even to the possibility of getting pictures and prices of pieces that I plan to sell.  Much peace and Love for the New Year!