[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Or a big ol' stogie ha ha

[Ashbys]

Well Colin ,
You know I never follow a normal path in commin up with ideas. You say the tree is very healty, it could live for years before it comes down for the rot, and well a tree spirit is to be the guardian of the forest, so what about putting a cover on it and making it a bird house ?

Protected the birds would use it until the tree comes down , and you could hide the discoloration with the front.

Anyway what ever you chose will be perfect, it always is.

Garry

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I think HiHo has the best idea. The back end of a squirrel with it's tail up in the air.

[Wolf Kiessling]

I'll just say flat out I don't like the tongue. Makes it look like half man/half dog. Not sure what to subsitute, however. If you have to stick something in there, maybe one of those little beards that grow separate under the lower lip, possibly called a "soul patch"?

I'm gonna be doing the same thing later on this summer. Last year, the drought finished off one of my maple trees and one of the sycamores. I'm gonna have them taken down but plan on telling them to leave me about seven or eight feet off the ground instead of a normal stump. I will then carve them into something, probably wood spirits like you are doing......

[Claude]

Nice work, Colin. I like the second one just as it is - not to be obnoxious or anything, but it even looks a bit like the spirit is sick with the way things are going, or maybe sick with the "pine bark bettle flu"

Claude

[GeorgiaCarver]

Great job my northern friend! I like how you handled the hole, good to see a woodspirit with a tounge. Thanks for sharing.

Greg

[Colin_Partridge]

Just a quick update on the carvings. I took Mel's advice and carved a pipe out of a piece of cedar. It is not in there permanent so it can be changed. I thought about the squirrel but not sure that would look the best. I can also change it to a tongue or a stogie. I have the eyes in the one carving now looking at him he looks a little cross eyed maybe he is looking at the end of his pipe. Never the less the pipe seems to have covered most of that rot area. What do you guys think? I will be staining the pipe a little darker than the rest of the face with some cat litter mixed with white glue and red paint to put in the bowl of the pipe. Again any suggestions will not be completely discarded but I kind of like the pipe what do you guys think?
Colin

[Ron Davidson]

I like the pipe idea Colin. Sounds like you have your old creativity back. How about the bear? Have you started him yet?
Ron

[Ashbys]

Colin,

I like pipes .

I was talking to an old wood shop teacher who told me that I needed to cut a "v" into the area of a tree we have like that. He said the rot continued because of the ability to hold water. Cutting a v allows the water to dain and the tree will fill in the rot area with time . Not sure if it is true , but he said he's seen it work on other trees.

Just a thought.

Ash

[Joy]

I like the pipe!!!!