Eddie

We lost Edgar last night.  Edgar, or Eddie as we called him, was one of our livestock guardian dogs.   He was a Maramma and before we got him we lost 10 sheep in 3 weeks to coyotes.  After he arrived we never lost another one.  A few years ago he went blind and could not be out in the fields anymore so we moved him to the front yard, put him on a long chain so he could get around and gave him some "lawn lambs" to look after.  He was about 15 when he passed last night, a long life for such a big dog.  Edgar and my dog Moss, who we lost to liver cancer earlier this year ( he was also getting old ),  literally kept the farm going during our early years here, they are greatly missed but they set us on a good path and their understudies are now running the farm in their stead.

I didn't wok on sticks today, but i promised a picture of my bending jig so here it is.  Basically its 4 pieces of 1 inch pvc pipe in a 2 by 8 fastened to a post.  After heating the stick i slide it between them horizontally, put the part to be bent on one of the lower PVC pieces and push down on the bit sticking out. Maybe ill put up a video soon of the process.

While im posting pics here is one of another commissioned stick i am starting on. Its a maple burl head market stick with a dog's head to be carved on the outer curve.  Guess i also need to do a post on terminology, either that or you could read that section of my web site at www.wolston.com/crooks