As the Crow Flys: Black Bear

As The Crow Flys:

Where did this black bear take pause?

In front of Tonys's Trail Camera only 35 miles away from here (as the crow flys).

  This bear carving has been sitting in my shop,  unfinished,  for about 15 years ~  since Montana days.   We lived at the base of Hollowtop Mountain and so did a bear or two.

  I did carve a few realistic grizzlies in Montana, but this will be a totem black bear covered mostly with Montana wildlife.        

 

 

                           Have a happy Thanksgiving.

This morning,  I dusted off some of my spearing prints:  This one is a  look into the past of John Jensen's spear fishing environment - His dark house, his decoys, and even a corner of his red clad house where he carved and painted a lot of decoys, and served many a cup of coffee to folks interested in fish decoys.   

Winter Ritual 

by Carol Tappe 1998 

   

 The ice continues to form on the lake today, and  the geese are flying South with  a North West wind that's blowing 30 miles an hour.

   Any self respecting goose should be able to fly 50 miles an hour, so combined with the  North West wind speed  -  that's 80 miles an hour,  so it shouldn't take them long to get to where they're going !

Two in my trap line this morning.  Mice that is.  Here's a good give away - one of my mice catching secrets: Wedge a sunflower seed in the trap pan. The mouse has to pull and work to get at the seed triggering the jaws!

     

                                    First Ice

   Most every morning I go out and take a walk around the house. 

  There's a sciff of ice forming along the lake shore,   it's covered with a dusting of last night's snow.  

   The crows fly over, and that's what I'm inspired to carve,  a flying crow.  (This was a few days ago.)  Click on photos to enlarge.  

Crow carving hanging from a string.  

      The Flying Crow has a 10" wing span.

      High gloss finish for easy dusting.