The above is the satellite photo for Western Washington pretty much until the fog lifts, only to be replaced by endless rain. And then fog. And then rain, and more of it. Finally it will be late June, and we will be back into Heat Dome Season followed by the above which will consist of wood smoke from massive forest fires instead of oversaturated moisture.
Well Freeze My Browsers!!! I am so ready for a normal Spring and Summer for once!
The ongoing Cherry Tree drama resolves in part on Friday when a wood turner from Vashon starts bucking the large 20” log into chunks to be rendered into bowl blanks. I think I will keep the bottom 3 or 4 feet of this and split it into halves and then quarters that will be sliceable on my band saw. I am no longer planning to render this into lumber that could be further processed into wood blocks for printing in the Japanese style. For that purpose I introduced McClain’s Printing Supplies to Edensaw Woods and suspect that will be an amazing partnership. For my own purposes, the harder and very consistent Cherry lumber that I can select and cut into blocks is dried to 5% and costs only $4 a board foot. I may head up there later today to see what they have in a wider width.
Some of this cherry will end up in my firewood pile after all. I am headed down to the pile to assess the condition of the smaller pieces that never got painted. These are still really heavy.
On the glass flute front it seems I am getting closer and closer. I will update more in a few weeks. The word on the street is that my wood supplier has more African Blackwood. Assuming the fog lifts in the afternoon today, I am assuming it will do the same tomorrow and I will go down to look at this wood. Afterwards, I’ll stop at Tails and Trotters for lunch and some charcuterie to bring home, and then spend some time at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge hanging with the Sandhill Cranes.
On the Pandemic front, Katelyn’s latest is excellent. See the link below. Nancy and I considered attending a French Tradition Music gathering in Napa earlier this month. We decided early on that we couldn’t afford it. Actually weather and work would have prevented travel. Several friends went all boosted and tested. Everyone stayed elsewhere and there were no communal meals. Playing music was outside.
Sunday evening a trio from this gathering hopped down to an Irish Session at a pub in Oakland where eventually the masks came off. On Wednesday they all started feeling ill. One reported intense muscle aches everywhere the first day, and then intense chest pain the 2nd day. The congestion (and tests returning positive results) hit Friday. But by the following Wednesday she was walking the Headlands - though still quarantining herself. The others have similarly recovered.
In the Flute Shop: I’ll resume beginning of next week working on the small Folk Flute batch that I am making for inventory, and the 3 or 4 other flutes that I have orders for that are well underway. The latter will include the metalwork and I am trying out some new rosettes for the end cap inlay engraving.
Check out this new bit of artwork: Still Life with Wheelbarrow
Tomorrow will be the first quick dash to Portland and back of the year. First I’ll check some new Blackwood at my wood supplier. Then I’ll grab some sandwiches for my friend DVZ and I at Tails and Trotters, return something to Bullseye and grab some gauntlet gloves for glass working, swing back up to T&T for stuff for the freezer, and have tea with my friend Mick. Then a long stop (hopefully with a nap) doing the 4.5 mile driving trail at Ridgefield NWR. Its supposed to be sunny which will be great for photography. This will be a fun day. Friday then I have a guest who will be cutting up and loading up his truck with Cherry wood bowl blanks. I am looking forward to the weekend!