THE URGE TO WHITTLE is a strange compulsion that usually attacks at a very young age. I have been its victim since I was a little boy spending my summers on the beaches of San Juan Island in the Pacific Northwest. The driftwood on the beaches was and is abundant. Fine grain Western Red Cedar, redolent Yellow or Alaska Cedar, Doug fir and hemlock. With a sharp jack knife there was no end to what a kid could create. I have been whittling and carving ever since. Years ago when the great movie "Mary Poppins" came out I was intrigued by her magic umbrella with the parrot head handle that would fly her wherever she wanted to go. I promised myself that one day I would make myself one. Well that day is almost here. A little more carving, some careful painting and I am going to mount this bird on a big black umbrella and see where it will take me. What do you think, Will it fly?
