she had a great run of almost 15 years, and fought cancer bravely for the last five, far exceeding the 6 moth prognosis
She saw us through many a hard time,  and even gave us the gift of a fine Christmas holiday where she played like she did when she was young.
Her life's work completed, she left us peacefully on Friday, and was laid to rest where she can keep an eye on us, as well as the deer in the forest.

" One bright morning, when my work is over I will fly away home"
-the Wailers, "rastaman chant"

My saw guru has one of these inexpensive saws in his shop for $50, so I thought I would toss the word out.

Saw has been rebuilt and runs great.
18" bar, auto oiler. A decent saw for light duty, homeowner type stuff.

$50, pick up in Santa Cruz. PM me if interested.

So, it being almost September  I'm planning out my 2015 artwork schedule. I've got the AOTY/DOTY on tap, as well as a couple other award-type projects in the pipline. I plan to have an open studio show in July 2015 to coincide with a new website and a renewed push to focus on the artwork.

I thought it might be interesting to throw out an open thread for some other ideas, just to see what folks might be interested in seeing.
My pieces are done on painted wood panels, and are usually modeled after Pacific Northwest house screens and burial markers. My avatar is an example of a large outdoor piece with a white shark that is 4'x8' on 2" redwood.

Currently I'm trying to work out a combination/mash up of orcas and wolves together, which was suggested by a friend. I'm also experimenting with big stencils.

Post up any ideas, descriptions are fine, nothing is too big or crazy (you should see my shed door) It may just become a reality................

I am currently building a Husky 353 saw with a 12" carving bar to try carving some stuff.
The saw was a burned up junker and the bar was wrecked, so my chainsaw guy is procuring all the necessary parts to rebuild it for a great price (I just have to do the assembly).

Just got the bar & sprocket etc in the mail today. Uses a dime tip and a narrow chain. Crazy looking little thing compared to a standard bar.

Anyone out there dabble in this kind of carving?
 I've done some rough tikis and such with a standard saw, but this will be my first time using an actual "carving" setup.
Any tips, advice would be appreciated.

Finished the second of two gaff & bonker sets.
 This one will be part of the PIF/HOW silent auction at GS8. Take a look at that thread for more pics.

Calling out a huge favor  . . .

 

Trustworthy bro needed to move precious cargo from Napa Valley Marina to a BART station on MLK Day, January 20th, 2014, approximately 1:00pm.

My wife Laura works on the Team O’Neill Catamaran in Santa Cruz Harbor. On January 20th, she and the crew will be sailing the 70ft boat from Santa Cruz to Napa Valley Marina for its annual Coast Guard inspection and haul out.
 Laura, and her  crewmate, Nikki Brooks (the internationally known surf photographer), need a ride from Napa Valley Marina to a BART station, where that they can make their way on BART to Caltrain in SF and then to San Jose, where they will be will picked up.

Unfortunately I do not get the day off.  We don't want them getting stranded, as the Napa marina is apparently kinda "boondocky". 

Is there anyone out there who can give these two sailors a ride to BART at around 1:00pm on Monday, January 20th?
willing to pay some gas money and beer, just name the brewery !
-Sean

The Mrs & I had a grand adventure in Greece. 6 days on Naxos and 5 on Crete. We used Air BnB for the rentals and stayed in both a brand new classic style villa apartment and a 300 year old stone cottage.
I didn't fish, but hovered at a few markets and talked at length with a semi-retired English fisherman who gave me some intel for next time.
The seafood was fantastic, as was the rabbit,beef, and chicken. Most meals were amazing. Hilights were fried calamari, boiled ray salad, rabbit stew, baked perch, wood fired pizza with whole bacon strips, pan fried snapper, and our last night I had a plate of fresh made pasta and that day caught shellfish and ate it overlooking the boat that had brought the fish in.
Naxos is known for their potatoes and olives, both were incredible. The Ouzo was a hit with Laura, but I preferred the Raki on Crete . Cold mythos and Fixx beer were just the thing for the warm salty afternoons.
We spent on night in Athens, and had just 1 free hour to see the Acropolis and Parthenon. We did it, and caught the sunset over Athens. Standing on a stone patio that was carved 5000 years ago is humbling.
As Americans traveling in September, we were semi celebrities. Drivng was a bit of a challenge (greeks don't like road names and the young ruffians make a concerted effort to paint and sticker over all highway signs) but even in the remote mountain villages everyone spoke decent English. Knowing a few greek words was a huge help, and got us confused as locals more than once.

The Albion Open 2013 Largest Abalone award will be ready at the end of next week.

I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to transport it up there? Especially anyone leaving from Santa Cruz.