[Colin_Partridge]

You know life is funny. This winter I went into a carving slump in the fall didnt carve anything except what I carved at Ridgway for about five months. Then spring came and I was talking with my wife. I contemplating getting out of the tree carving business all together. April rolled around and I had no commissions scheduled so I decided that this would be a good time for me to slip into retirement grab my converter and sit back and take it easy. That was a month an half ago. As of today I have twenty six commissions outstanding some of them in very large tree's. We had some sever weather here last week and a whole pile of tree's came down. My phone has been ringing off the hook with people wanting me to carve their damaged tree's. So I have this dilema all those tree's and so little summer to carve them in. I am now not taking anymore commissions because at this rate I will be carving in my snowmobile suit. I have a great tan already by the time the summer is over I will look like I live in Hawaii. I am not complaining I love to carve just dont seem to have enough time. So be careful what you wish for because it might just come true. I can remember saying I wish I had just one or two carvings to do. Well now in six weeks it is 26 so if I am not around much you know where I will be! Up a tree somewhere.BTW one of the carvings is in a fifteen foot Silver Maple stump and they want five faces it. It will be my most intense carving ever but boy what a challenge I will definatly start a thread when I start that one it will run for a while.
Colin

[Ron Davidson]

You be careful in that tall tree my friend. You don't bounce as well as you used too.
Ron

[dart]

Now you cannot retire. Great! Carving is also for those of us who are retired. I hit a "slump" too. I've had some vision problems that I'm trying to get resolved now but I have no intention of "retirement" as far as woodcarving goes. Good luck on the trees and stay safe.

[BobD]

Give me a hollar if you need a semi-trained pair of assistants <GRIN> Stephanie's still working on her carving, but I know I can help out <GRIN>

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Funny Bob would say that, I was just going to post that maybe you should see if you can find a young man or two that is willing to work and learn as your helpers? By the time they can go out on their own, you might be ready to hang it up and you will have suckered...errrr ooops.....helped a couple others into woodcarving!