Woodcarving show was entertaining

March certainly came in like a lion at our house. We had a water leak that the local plumber fixed for us. This was followed by heavy rains, flood warnings and a trash can that decided it didn’t want to live where we put it. After the weather calmed down, I put it back where it belonged.

The mail brought a late birthday present in the form of pictures of the grandchildren. The granddaughter looked like a 1940s movie star. The next photo was of the youngest with some kind of lizard on his face. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I happened upon a picture of the middle child holding a snake. The following photo showed a closeup of his hand where the snake had bitten him.

The weekend wrapped up with a visit to a woodcarving show in Ohio. We missed a turn and it took awhile to find the place but we finally made it. Our friends had been there for at least a half hour.

We hadn’t seen them in several years, mostly because of the pandemic. They asked me about my hair. I said that the color was all God’s doing. I quit having it “restored” to its proper color several years ago. Now most of it is much lighter in color than it used to be. My friend’s husband lifted his hat to show me that his hair had also changed. There is much less of it than there used to be. Even my friend displayed a change of hair color. She blamed it on her husband.

We did have a good visit while we walked through the aisles. As usual, I was amazed at the talent on display. One lady did a portrait of her dad. It looked as realistic as a photograph. Even the grain of the wood enhanced her carving.

Another display was of driftwood that the artist had found. He had cleaned it up, applied a shiny finish and priced it at well over a thousand dollars. Granted, it was beautiful but it would take a special person to spend that kind of cash.

As usual, the only thing woodcarvers like more than creating art out of wood is talking. They were more than happy to talk about their hobby. One guy got tired of people asking what kind of wood was used for the intricate bowls he made so he wrote the answers on the bottom of each of the pieces he created.

I have found that most carving shows have a few artists who create realistic pieces. Not this time. Most of the displays featured at least one realistic piece. I had chosen a portrait of a female face as my favorite. The hair was as perfect as could be. I decided that was the most impressive one I had seen.

Then I happened upon a booth that had a small hollowed out log with a tiny carved nude female face down in the top of the log. Her legs and feet were positioned so that it looked like she had fallen into the log and couldn’t get out. That became my favorite because it had exquisite carving and a delightful sense of humor.

I bought a few supplies and took advantage of all the free chocolate that people were giving away. We said goodbye to our friends and went on our way. The trip home took much less time that it took to get to the show.

It was a good, if busy weekend. I am so grateful we don’t live in the path of the tornados and snow storms that some parts of the country are experiencing. A water leak is nothing compared to what others are dealing with.

Experience tells me that March delights in causing trouble. Even so, every day that passes brings us closer to spring.