You need to go back to the post, crafting-camp-09 from Thursday, September 17, 2009 to make sense from this one. Before that date I had talked our son Jeff out of an oak wood chunk sitting by his driveway because I wanted to carve a goose or swan or such and saw that bird in that log. He gave it to me and it sat drying in our garage for more than a year before all the stars aligned to begin the project. That post describes the beginning...... and near end of the project. For obvious reasons, I put the project aside for a while after that day. In the meantime, Jude had become quite adept at carving and I gave him the job of finishing the head. This year for Christmas, the carved head was presented to me. Before this nasty weather hit, we had enough nice days that I got the head mounted. So now awaiting a decision for finish coating, he/she/it sits by our fireplace. Is it a goose? Is it a swan? It is apparently not quite what some folks had in mind, but it is what it is. Now, do we paint it white or try to simulate a Canadian goose, or whitewash it, stain it, or simply give it a clear coat, or even leave it raw as it is? Decisions, decisions. I wonder how many years it will take to actually "finish" this project.... and where it will eventually reside. Whatever remains, it represents a fantastic day with 2 of our grandsons along with a great lesson in safety.
