A Bowl that I Owe

Some time ago I was watching a tree removal company take down a large old maple in my neighbor’s yard. And a thought came to me ... I could grab a couple pieces of that lumber and turn a couple of bowls and give them to my neighbors. 

A bit of back story, when Mary and I moved into our house about 8 years ago I brought my hunting dog, Leeroy, with me. He’d been raised at my place in the country and was not used to the limits of a kennel and run. So, he started barking. This was truly annoying to my neighbors and while I have finally broken Leeroy’s barking habit, it took a while. Which left me feeling very guilty. 

Perhaps these bowls could be a way to demonstrate that I am still sorry for the uproar. 

With that goal in mind, I trotted over and chatted with the fellow who was cutting down the maple tree – Spencer. I asked him if I could have a couple of crotch sections from the tree and he was more than happy to hand them over. He also mentioned that he regularly cut down trees that would provide some wonderful woodturning stock and would I be interested in some of that? I eagerly said yes, and we exchanged numbers. 

A week or so later, Spencer called and said he was taking down an 80-year-old black walnut tree near my house and would I be interested in some crotch pieces. I was in my truck and on my way in just minutes.  

A truckload of black walnut cut from a local tree.

After helping me load my truck, Spencer mentioned that he would love a black walnut bowl, and I said I would make one for him. Now, maybe a year later, I have his bowl ready to deliver. (I belong to Procrastinator’s A`nonymous, a 12-step program that has grown to 121 steps.) 

Next up, the maple bowls that started this whole series of events. Surely that will happen in the next week or two ... it seems time! 

In addition to the bowl turning stock, I used the black walnut for Christmas gifts last year. Here is a band sawn box shaped like a loon.