living the dream

Living The Dream 

My Old Time Santa

      Anyhow we have a local person who i admire much as he is a real go-getter and the one who told me that phrase above one day  He is crippled and works as a hardware clerk . He knows his job and knows me  as i really don't claim to be a good plumber or an electrician and usually know enough to be dangerous at best but i am inclined to still do the work myself . I will walk through the door of the hardware and if he is there he will always say 'Hi',and then it seems as if he has to drag himself to the aisle ,always refusing to go the easy route and just telling you where the part is, yet instead he has to show you as he grimaces with pain and begins a conversation with you as he walks along. A variety of movements always accompany him and make me shudder to think how painful his life must be but I always enjoy talking to him and though i may know where the part  is that  I should look for instead i just tell him to enjoy his company for a moment.  

     Just when you think you have it tough, just look around and you can always find someone having it a bit tougher. This is the guy in the hardware i am telling you about . I have a bad back but he has been crippled a long time. Can't say when it happened and won't ask anyone because the last thing i want to do is embarrass him . I am embarrassed, as in a good day, i still don't work half as hard as he does and yet he always does look like he is living a dream . He is content, He understands his limitations and is happy with them. I envy him for his peace of mind,  but instead appreciate what i have at the same time. understanding that the life we live is always a gamble when fate is in question. Sometimes it is just a matter of time and all things shall be equal .  

My Echo 16 inch Chainsaw- stock model 345

     He is something you wont find at Lowes . This guy knows everyone that walks through the door, or just acts like he does. If he is acting then he should get an Oscar.  He is the only reason i really patronize the place. They are overpriced but still they are local , half an hour i am back in the house installing what i need or ready to run back to the hardware to get another part, and have him kid me as again we head down the aisles. My hat is off to him.

     Above is my old fashioned Santa . He was carved out with just my regular chainsaw so far. and actually i a quite pleased with the results. Although he kinda looks more like a Santa Gnome than anything. I used the same techniques I use with  my carving saw that i used with  my regular chainsaw and cut everything you see here. It is possible to carve a good carving with a regular chainsaw. you just  need to have a smaller sprocket on the end of the bar and using  a hard nosed bar  would be better. You should always be safe idle down and hold the saw firmly. Sometimes its a light touch on the throttle and sometimes it is high revving. it just depends on what you need .

     In the end you just have to remember you can always take it off but it is another to put it back on . Also how many toothpicks does a man really need ? Do it long enough to have fun at it, and you will be hooked.

     Tomorrow I will be starting to finish this and a few other carvings like the eagle and the guy in the background of the other pics and i will be finishing and  painting them . Also have some repair on the statue i did today.