Not knot holes

Here's some interesting places where the bark went right through.

Angles

Another small step completed

This is the start to finishing the inside of the left hand side. In order to keep my own enthusiasm up I need to see new results regularly so I try to work small segments and get them oiled. The end result always encourages me to start on another section. I figure it takes an average 20 hours per spuare foot from start to finish but a lot of that is spread out over 6 years (so far). That's why the end result makes me smile.

Finishing the inside, a section at a time

I took a week off work to see if I could finish the toughest part of the inside and it worked out nicely.

The section I'm referring to is the big round burl on the right hand side

It turned out pretty nice, a lot of character and spectacular colour.

Canucks for Kids Fund

I've always thought in the back of my head that the burl has potential to raise money for charity. The organization that I like is Canucks Place. The reason my attention has been brought to CFKF is because I'm a die hard VancouverCanucks hockey fan. It's incredible what this organization does for terminally ill children and their families. It nearly always brings tears to my eyes and gives me a lump in my throat when I see the joy in the kids eyes when the team visits the hospice.

I will definitely need help to come up with a plan to show the burl at a location and in a setting where people would donate a few dollars to have their photo taken with the burl. It's not quite finished yet but I'm trying to be proactive and come up with a plan. I'm sure it will all come together eventually and until then I'll continue to sand and polish the inside until the day when I just say "That's good, I'm happy with that now."

2011 photos by Warren Lange

Warren Lange came around a few weeks ago with his cameras and took over 100 photos. He gave me a couple dvds and some beautiful blown up photos that we now have framed and hanging on the wall. Thanks again Warren, you're a good guy.

Lifting the burl

I have almost completed the outside of the burl except around the hard places to work, down around the bottom. My Buddy Allan freely offered his help to raise it, so I took him up on it. On July 6th he came over with 4 heavy duty barrel jacks and we lifted it to about three feet. This has made it so much nicer to work on the bottom as well as the inside. I'want to thank Allan for his unconditional help. Awesome!

Giving back to nature

The little maple tree in front of my shovel is a seedling from the original. On August 10th/2010 I planted it in the exact location where its parent (the burl) grew. I found it struggling to grow under a thick juniper. As a result of its struggles, the bottom of the stem is twisted and swollen making me think it may develop the same type of character as its parent.

The inside is coming along nicely now, the color and character is amazing.

It's time to get back at er.

Since the spring when the weather changed I really haven't done much to the burl other than clean it up occasionally. Most of my spare time has been spent in the yard, which is another thing I love to do. An American Kestrel family kept me entertained all summer. They are a very aggressive falcon (pigeon hawk) that will attack anything that could become a threat to their young.
   I witnessed one intercepting a raven that was flying into the area, the kestrel was kli kli kli ing violently as it flew above it. Then it would tuck its wings in and dive at a very high speed and repeat several times. At one point it appeared to actually have contact because the raven flipped right upside down. It looked shaken, and did not take long to get out of the area.
 The squirrels weren't nearly as cocky as they usually are, and there didn't even seem to be as many small song birds around as usual.
  We put a bird feeder up and a hummingbird feeder as well that helped attract the little fellas. I moved plants around in my yard all summer and added several new perenials, most of which attract hummingbirds. It will be interesting to see how it works out starting next spring.

  But, for now it's time to change my focus back to the burl  and that's what will be done. This picture is the area where I'm starting this season, working counter clockwise until the outside is finished, Then, the inside.

A few summer visitors

Family, friends, and a burlshack. What more can a guy want?

Maybe just a bigger barbeque.

Character shot

Now is that character? or what. Barry and Ken never walk past the burl shack without bringing our little Jack Russel terrier a treat.

Quadra Island

We found this beautiful maple tree at Quadra Island. It's much younger and still very healthy. But wow, what a beauty.

Visitor, canvassing for the blind

George was walking past my place when he spotted the burl, and called out to have a look. He's 91 years old and says he's never seen anything like it.

Around the burl shack

Love bowl

I made this bowl for my daughter, Becky

photos