Good morning! Guess what I did, yesterday? Yep. Kept workin' on her big ol' bottom! She's still getting flatter, and the shape is showing a little more. Bruce and Aaron, from We Are Change Colorado, swung by with a camera. By the time I got home... late... Bruce already had a video posted! I really appreciate the interest, guys. Canoe Camp just happens to be "spitting distance" from their place. Synchronicity.
It looked like rain was coming, all day long, but it never came. I kept chopping away, losing my sense of "time." There was no way to guage where the sun was. That's okay. I'm at my best, when I let go of "time." All that mattered was Tess. This is how it should be.
She is starting to show signs of drying, now. I'll be picking up epoxy and linseed oil, on my way to the tree, today. The weather is weird, but I think it will be dry enough to plug her checks. Then, I'll give her a heavy coat of oil on the ends. When I have the bottom more or less flat, I will coat it, as well. She'll look a little different, with her oil applied. I think she'll drink it up!
Anyway... gotta get ready. I use mass transit, and it takes a while to go shopping. Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! The chips are flying, again! The rest did my body good. Paced myself well, yesterday, and got some good choppin' in. Full moon, with a lunar eclipse, the night before... maybe that helped? Who knows? I'm just happy to be back with Tess!
On a sad note... unfortunately, we were getting bombarded by chemtrails, again. The sky was covered with them, yesterday. You might wonder WHY I keep bringing this up. It's part of the atmosphere (pun intended) at Wheat Ridge Canoe Camp. It's part of YOUR atmosphere, as well, if you're outside in the Denver metro area! A Native American brother once told me, "White men don't look up." How true! Well, THIS man DOES. I've also researched it, and find it most disturbing. Google "geoengineering," or "weather warfare." Educate yourself. Aluminum is a big problem. That's all I'll say on that, here.
Back to the GOOD STUFF! I worked on the bow, mostly, bringing the sides in, and starting to define the lines better. Then, Tess lured me to her port-side. In one of the "Great Moments In Canoe Camp," I finally ripped her extra baggage off the port! Her lines are more easily seen, now. "Sexy canoe! LOOK at you!"
Anyway... eventually, my back and wrist hurt enough, that I couldn't go on. My buddy Bruce gave me something to ease my pain. While I visited, I picked up a petition that I'll get signatures for. I'm with We Are Change Colorado, an activist group who is leading the way to get GMO labeling in Colorado! Coloradans are into their health, and many of my friends eat organic, as much as possible. It's all about choice! If they label the food properly, you can decide what you put into your body. It's so simple, you would think the FDA would mandate it. I don't want to go on a rant, here, so... I'll stop. I encourage my Colorado peeps to at least SIGN THE PETITION, and do something to take charge of your health! I love you!
Well, now you know me a little better, if you didn't, before! I'm a passionate man. When I get "into" something, I go all-out! My trees know this. I'm very passionate about LIVING LIFE! I'm not talking your everyday, 9-5, fast-food and television enhanced illusion, that's been sold to us. Think "outside the box," and dream your OWN dream! Then... go follow it! I can't tell you how rewarding it is. You may find out for yourself, if you wish. If you dream it, you can do it. Trust me. Love is here.
Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! Beautiful, full moon, last night! I wasn't able to watch the lunar eclipse, as it was happening at around 1:30 this morning. After two days off, I am "jonesing" for my canoe! I just GOTTA CHOP! Not much else to share, today. April is flying by, and my mind is constantly on two beautiful cottonwoods... Knotty and Tesla.
I've never carved like this. My focus has always been on the canoe I'm working on. I feel the need to concentrate more, on Tess. The thing is, Knotty and I have had this date in the works for a while, now. She was made for the Mo'. I'm more than a little excited to get back out there! I can't let that take away from Tess. I'm excited about this one, too! Canoe Camp has been a little quiet, and my back has been bothering me a lot. It's a tough combination. This morning, I'm rested, a little less sore, and a lot more motivated. Let's see what happens... Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! Well, I took yesterday off, thanks to the snow. My body needed the rest! I'm taking today off, as well, since it's rather cold, and the snow has yet to melt. It should melt, today, and I'll be choppin', tomorrow. The extra day of rest will do my body good!
A friend shared something on Facecrook, this morning. A DUGOUT CANOE that was found in Minnesota, years ago, has been shown to be over 1000 years old! Coincidentally, it is close to the same size as Tesla, only narrower! It's also rather thick, judging from the picture. Tess is going to be much lighter.
Not much else, this morning... just waiting to be reunited with my tree! Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! Late start, yesterday... left the house much later than normal, waited for second bus for over an hour, somehow. Finally got there, and helped Miss Ellie around the property, for a while. Eventually, I got choppin'.
I dug out the corners some more. Got closer to the actual lines, on the ends of the canoe, little-by-little. I'm still pretty sure that this is her hull. The scars on the other side will show her character. I MUST remember how much tree there IS, here! If I flatten the hull, entirely, I don't really take away my options. There's so much tree here, that I could dig down into it, and still have my wave-breakers on the ends. I've been too cautious, as I was with Knotty The Dugout Canoe. It felt good to make 'er lines a little clearer. I think other people might even see a canoe being unveiled!
It's supposed to rain and/or snow, today. It's already wet, and very cloudy. I've decided to take a day off, here. My back needs it, more than anything. Chopping on the trees is pretty rough on your bod! I'll probably rough them out with chainsaws, from now on. It just makes good sense! Of course, if someone commissions me to carve them a CUSTOM DUGOUT CANOE, and they want me to only use hand tools, I'm game.
That said, my "company" is in total disarray! Knotty, my "flagship," is waiting for me, in Twin Bridges, Montana. Ol' Red needs about a week of work, and is waiting for me in Index, Washington. The 2013 Barter Faire Canoe is sitting where I left her, in Curlew Lake, waiting to be moved into Republic, Washington, where I can finish her... in about two weeks. The Big Pine has been deemed "inaccessible." All that work... for naught! And then... there's Tesla...
Tess hasn't given me a clue, as to where our journey is headed. I have to pay attention to her, as I chop. She called me, and I came. We're on our way... somewhere! If you think these things through, you have the chance of MISSING the opportunity. I've learned to "go with the flow!" Once again, this isn't for everybody. I know that what I do isn't most people's "cup of tea." I guess that's why I am here. Actually... I KNOW that's why I'm here. We all have something to GIVE to this world. I've got some Dugout Canoe Love! Canoe! Canoe!
Good morning! I chopped away at her bottom, again, yesterday. I'm down to the point where I have to decide if it is, in fact, her bottom... or the top of the canoe. I'm pretty sure of my original lines, now. I'm likely to start lopping off the corners, today.
Joe came to the tree, today. He was kind enough to get a few pics of me with her. Indio came down, as well, with his playful pit bull. It was somewhere near 80 degrees! Clouding up, this morning, and snowing tomorrow, in theory. That's Colorado for ya!
My sleep patterns have been messed-up for a while, now. It's really taking it's toll. The "chopping pains" are something you always have to work-through, and I'm doing that. My back, however, is... my back. It always hurts. Not being able to sleep, though I'm TOTALLY exhausted, is driving me nutty! I've researched this, a bit, and believe it has something to do with RF radiation, locally. Let's just say... I can't WAIT to get out on the Mighty Mo'! I'm better off, out there. Canoe! Canoe!
Can YOU see a canoe???
Good morning! Good day choppin' yesterday! My Mom was heading to the West side, so I caught a ride, and got there a little earlier than usual. She couldn't believe how wide Tesla is. I got to work, digging a little more around the bow. Then, I decided to start flattening 'er bottom a little more.
Her lines are becoming a little clearer. The bottom MAY just be the top of the canoe! We'll see. The checks are continuing to spread, and I'll have to do something to stop it, soon. I've all but committed to the original lines, now. A little more choppin', and there's no changing-up. Today, I'm likely to keep flattening the bottom, but we'll have to see what Tess says...
My back had been getting "tore-up," and I haven't been able to put in many long days. Numbness in my arms, this morning. My hands are blistering, again. I'm trying to push-through this, and stay a little longer, today. The days are getting warmer, here, and the Platte is flowing well enough to paddle! Knotty's waiting by the Beaverhead, ready to go. I love my trees! I'm just anxious to get out there, on the Missouri!!! Knotty and I have waited for this journey for a long time. It's almost time! Canoe! Canoe!
Can YOU see a canoe???
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