I was standing at my new music stand practicing my ukulele lesson as the winter sun streamed in the window. I set my "Blonde" tenor down on the console beside me to use another uke. Suddenly I realized that the bright sun was featuring three items that I had created of wood over a long span of time. The itch to make things with my hands started in childhood , these three items represent passions that given me great pleasure for prolonged periods in my life. First a cedar bentwood box with carved designs borrowed from Haida indian bentwood boxes. A look at the inscription carved in the bottom reminded me that I had done that in 1962, one of many Northcoast designs and articles that I made at that time. Next to the box is a hollow pine "Horned Puffin" that I carved in 1983 in my bird carving period. I made lots of duck decoys, a few geese, maybe three loons, and half a dozen puffins. This puffin was actually made for laughs as I used to float it out behind our anchored sailboat tethered with a nylon fishing line maybe 80 feet behind the boat. It looked like Sucia Island had been visited by a rare east coast puffin and we had passing boaters scrambling for their binoculars.
And finally, my current passion, my ukulele # 36, a koa and spruce uke that has become my go-to favorite. Made just in 2013. Kind of a lifetime of whittling I guess. Funny how time passes and so do passions.
And finally, my current passion, my ukulele # 36, a koa and spruce uke that has become my go-to favorite. Made just in 2013. Kind of a lifetime of whittling I guess. Funny how time passes and so do passions.
