Day 58 CJSM

Bapa-Always crafting things from wood

 

Yeah! You can bet that I did just that including several homes! Just give me a “hammer”!

I love making things; even took up painting; you know, like with oil and canvas and such.

Like everything else in my time and space, not to “professional”-of-quality as adequately displayed on several “masterpieces” adorning our office walls, but, if the reader is curious, I direct you to Amazon books, search: Carl Schuler and view the cover design for “Creed of the Mountain Man”; that is a picture of my mountain oil painting attempt. (okay---so…laugh!)

I never claimed any “talent” at any endeavor, just child-like “innocence”-of-curiosity and not enough sense to be embarrassed by my “failings”. I’m okay with that. C’est la vie! Mon Amie!

Daughter Rachel picked up my “knack” at creativity and she was always making some “treasured” art project. She was about six, or so, when I constructed our house at Maeystown on the farm, at the end of the day, after the hired help had fled the scene, little Becky picked up my brick trowel and started “laying” bricks. Always there to lend a “helping” hand! Bravo!

She never let a scrap of wood go to waste; she would paint some “masterpiece” depicting a flower or horse or herself; we still hold these “treasures”, to this very day.

I built houses, barns, excavated for and installed swimming pools, constructed a bridge across a stream, did heavy equipment operations, built several ponds and did more than a bit of “real” farming; love those big old 150 hp tractors. I most enjoyed working the fields at night with the lights on and the stars and moon as my companions. Also, I planted a tree, or two, in my time!

The “fun” things I built include all the aforementioned and several others.

As a kid I constructed several “pigeon” coops; since I have built houses for doves, ducks, dogs, cats and other critters. We had sheep and horses for which I made shelters.

One of the dove cages I built turned out to be a two story project; the lower elevation for the captive birds, the top floor a “play” house for Becky complete with built-in ladder and a roof.

It was located on the other side of a small creek from our abode, so, I built an arched bridge over the stream for the kids (me, too) to utilize crossing the “raging” river! (Uh!---Um!...”poetic” license!) Some “kids” just seem incapable of ever “growing up”. I reckon that’s true enough!

Never a dull moment!? God! I pray---Not! I’m willing to do my part! Amen!

 

Ah! Sweet Cookie Jar “creative” Memories!