=BirdDog n Grouse=

[tnartist05]

Last Friday I got a phone call from a lady whom her and her husband are friends of my sister & bro in laws.

She said,I know you are busy with only a few wks to get ready for your show in NC but my fathers birthday is 21st this month.Would you Pleaseeeeee carve something for me. I will paid you any amount you ask.

Id didnt really want any consignment work so I could get more things carved for my last show. She told me,her father loves to hunt grouse and every each at Christmas or his bithdays we've bought him so many things and its hard to find anything that he doesnt have.

I asked does he still hunt? OHh yea,but I hope this fall he will stop gouse hunting. I ask why is that?? Last year he and his old dog went hunting near Roan Mtn at the ridge and a storm was coming in that afternoon up there. We went looking for him plus that rangers and emergency squad,every one in the area was looking for him. But couldnt find him. I walked back to our car to get a heavier coat and my cell phone rang.

Daddy where are you!! I screamed! Im here where is you at he ask me!! He said,with the hail and hard rains I couldnt even see the sky so I got in the creek Im played in as a boy and kelp walking. Where are you now?? He was in NC,one side of the Roan Mtn is in Tn and the back side is in NC.

He told her,Im sitting over here at John Mays house drinking some coffee.

I ask her how old will he be this year? 83 yrs old this year Forrest. I said and he still hunts in the high mtn? Yeaaa plus chops his own firewood. Re re did his house 12 years ago with gas but he ratter sit by his old stove for heat she told me.

I will do the carving but wont be cheap!!! How much,I dont care how much it cost she told me! I said ok,sit down so you want faint! For this carving I will charge you $ 3.25 a hrs plus for a max. of four hrs sir-charge of $ 2.00 for the rest of the hrs it takes to finish it!

She dropped the phone laughn! Plus the money theres one more thing I want from you! A pict of him with the carving I did for his 83 rd birthday. Dealllllllllllllll She said.

I called her back,hey what type of birddog does he have...a white long hair settler with a few black spots. Also I asked,what time of year do they hunt grouse.I dont know,In the fall and sometimes in the winter if its not too cold. Thanks for I didnt wont to paint the background in spring or summer.Plus I told her, I dont have any wood right now cleaned up,Use anything Forrest,for we love how beautifull your carving are in the old wood.

She told me just call me when its done.I promised,Id have her carving ready by the 20th,will call her in a min to have her come pick it up!

This isnt one of my stories. Its carved in a junk old pine board with some bore holes in it and one big one on the right side of the dog and one cut all the way through this board at the right of the flying grouse,so I just made them like little mtn caves with rocks stacked near by.

This carving is 9 X 9 1/2 inches and painted with acrylics and feelings.Its laying on another board while the stain is drying where I sanded off the old woren out gray wood around the sides in the picts Im posting.

Hope yall enjoy it as much as I did trying to carve it Your thoughts or comments are always welcome. Thk's Forrest

[markken5889]

Hi Forrest,

another great piece you've done there. If I didn't just read about it I'd swear you're a grouse hunter yourself, you nailed this one so well. Great likeness!

Mark

[tnartist05]

AWw I was a coon hunter as a you boy,Mark. I hope this carving brings a smile to the old gentleman on his birthday.
Thanks my friend for your nice comments,I appreciate them. Forrest

Have a good wk end~Football and carving for me.

[chpster90bu]

Forrest, my ol' friend....I know I say this a lot, but this is one of your BEST! That gentleman is gonna love this carving you did for him....so realistic! The scenery looks exactly like the edge of a field down in the old village where I live. I did a double take! The dog's eyes are so realistic looking, it was if he was staring right at me and it was so sensitive of you to paint the dog like the one he has. Looks like you got quite a bit of depth in this one, too. Your painting of the grouse is superb....again so very realistic! Hopefully, this gentleman will have a long time to enjoy this wonderful carving. He'll cherish it, I'm sure.....wonderful job, my friend~!....Bonnie

[Sharon of the Dell]

That's really neat Forrest! The gent sounds like my pop who will be 82 in a couple of months, be doesn't hunt anymore though. Nice work!

[tnartist05]

Bonnie my friend,The lady just picked it up a few mins ago,she loved it. Thats really beautifull she said,her father will enjoy this more than all of the birthday presents they have given him. This was well worth my time indeed! Im glad my ol friend you liked this carving and I hope I can keep carving some more good ones. Thanks as always for your nice thoughts and nice compliments! Its encouraging. Have a great wk end. Forrest

[tnartist05]

Sharon if we all would live that long! Im gald your father is still there even if he doesnt hunt any longer. Im gald you liked this carving and I more than appreciate you and your nice thoughts. Forrest

[Ron T]

My, oh, my Forrest. That's as beautiful a story as your carving. You're a master storyteller and an artist with paints.

[Merle Rice]

Forrest you put a Smile on this old Gentelmans face and it isn't my Birthday. That is simply a Great story and Heart warming. You should get a Great Warm feeling from this piece of ART. All I can say Ole Friend is you do Dam good work. Keep it up as long as you can. I'm still Smiling,THANKS , Merle

[Eddy-Smiles]

Forrest... Another outstanding piece of work! The old boy is going to love it!