Well... here is a mini Goldeneye that I made for a show in California... the bird is 6" and floats just like a normal decoy... the class is a trade class, looking foreward to the bird that I will get back...
now onto other items...

Well... I didn't think anyone read this... but I got a request to up date the blog.. (Rich)..Here is a Red Breasted Merganser that I finished.... made to look old .. simple carved bird and simple paint.. eyes are tacks... and there a dowel rod to support the bill...
This one is getting shipped out to a contest... we will see how we do...

Well... here is a sleeping Brant that I made... cork with a bottom board and a pine head...
came home from worlds and rerpainted this bird... the colors were not right... don't know why I didn't see that before...

Well.. here it is.. the fished project.. Kingfisher coming out of the water in Red cedar... what a challenge to carve this...
learned alot and got some ideas for the next one... going to the World carving competition next week... when we come back will start some simpler projects....

Well... here is what I have been working on... a Kingfisher in Red Cedar...
It is suppose to look lie the Kingfisher is coming out of the water... need some more sanding... then off to finishing... this has been alot of wood removal... too much red dust...
the plan is to be done by the end of this week...

Well.. here is a Brant that I finshed... this bird is hollowed out cork body with abottom board and a pine head..
have not made many Brant in my carving time... think I may make some more...

Well.. another weekend over... here is the results of this weekend... had a seminar at the shop and we made Cinnamon Teal Drakes... had some good students and they carved very well...
everyone still has to finish their birds with some sort of stain... but they all painted and said they had a good time...
Now onto other things...

Well.. here are a pair of Red-winged Blackbird that I made ... they both are on the same base and I model this after Audubon style birds.... fun project.. now I'll box them up and send them out...
and onto the next project...

Well ... DU was last night and we had a good banquet... had 60 pieces in the contest.. with some great looking birds...made some money for the ducks, had a few laughs, had a good meal, saw friends from all over..
The mini Booby took first in the miniature contest.. and the other photo is a antique style Pintail that I made... learn some stuff with that project...

Well... Here are a few shots of a Blue-Winged Teal...that I finished for DU this coming weekend...
we are going to raffel this and two other birds off...Somebody is going to win a three bird rig...working on some other stuff for DU... starting worlds stuff right after DU...

Well.. here are some photos of some stylized Heron that I finished... These started as doodles on a sheet of paper and with the power of modern technology.. they turned into pattern and then cut outs and then Herons... the second one has copper feathers... one of my carvers did that and I thought it looked unique enough to try...
So now onto to other projects... DU is two weeks away and I should be down painting not up here writing this crap...

Well... here are some shots of a Coot that I finished... hollow wood and a piece of stained leather in the mouth to look like grass....fun bird to make...
now DU is just around the corner and got some project for that down on the paint table...
have most of the ideas and sketches done for a Worlds project...

Well... duck season is over for this season... now it is carving season...
Here is a Ruddy that I finished.. this was going to be a antique..but I spilled glue over the bird.. that it turn sealed the wood.. so I painted it fancy...Ruddy are fun projects...
Back to the shop to finish some more....

Well... here it is the duck season in PA is over.. ended with not much fan fair... so not we are headed to Chincoteague, VA... get to hunt with my brother and Capt. Artie...
starting to work on DU stuff and Worlds items... also going to hunt Crow when I get back... repaited several plastic Crows and now I got a pretty good full body rig...
Wish us luck... well at least we will get to see some bird in the refugee....

Well.. welcome to the new year... here is a shot of Ben and his first Black Duck... we were hunting the last day of 2012 and we got this bird to commit to the decoys...
We hunted today... and missed on some geese... don't know where my head was on that shot...

Now.. back to the holiday festivities... and going to try and finish some birds up this evening...

Well... Here is  a photo of a mini Loon that I just finished... put this bird on a cherry base with waves carved in...
it is about 6" long and a fun project...

Well... here it is the day before Christmas... been making a few items for the big day...
here is a photo of the news guys at shop doing a little carving...
Also a photo of a Red-Headed woodpecker that I did... this one is carved coming down the tree...
Next week will be time to tie up loose ends and then get carving for the upcoming competition season... have several ideas for our local DU and for Worlds...
Want to wish everyone a great hoilday... enjoy the time with family and friends...

Well.. I guess you all been woundering what I have been up too... here are some shots of  us finishing the 1st Hometown Marathon... Mark Sullivan, Robin Sullivan and I were the only competitors on this run... we had help along the way from our pit crew of Sue Smoker, Jeri Smoker and
 Ben Drumheller...   we trained with several long run and when the day came the weather was good and we ran 26.2 mile around the local area...
Also had several folks from the local running club tag along in sections... want to thank Rose, Dan,
Mark and Doug for giving up part of their Sunday to run along and all the encouragement...

Now back to carving and running shorter distances...

Well... here is a mini Can that I carved awhile ago... been hunting ducks and carving alittle... doing the basement over...working on some mini for Pepper's Art Store... and helping others with their projects....
Will post pictures of the stuff I'm working on now...

Well.. here is what it looked like out our window the other day... the big storm has not been fun...
some damage here.. but are problems are minor compared to alot of folks that we know...
Duck season is just around the corner... getting the decoys together, the boat, and looking foreward...
Carving a bunch of little items... going to start my contest stuff shortly...