Home from my Home Away from Home!

I'm home!

After a visit from their son, his wife, and their adorable baby, Rainey, my brother and sister in law headed to Maryland to see their new grandson, Braylin James!

So while they were gone, I had the honor of house, dog and chicken sitting! For 6 days, I enjoyed the retreat style life once again. When they returned, I stayed for 4 more days, loving every minute. While Cheryl and I worked together on sewing projects, Jay was busy filling orders for his business, Willow Winds.

Completing an order for 11 teepee poles, was first on his agenda. Cutting the tall saplings, then stripping the bark from each made beautiful poles. All the wood stacked behind him is from trees he cut down, stripped, and formed and will go for an addition he is building on his cabin.

He showed me the logs he has cut, split, and grooved for the outdoor sauna he is building on the property.

He is also working on a dug out canoe, for a museum.

Jay also finished an order for the Cranbrook Institute of Arts, a canoe built to scale. It's 3 ft. long, and complete with accessories, also to scale and created the same way our Native American ancestors did. If you double click the picture, you'll see the fish spear, paddle, pack basket, and a basket for the catches that would be made. It turned out amazingly beautiful!

There is a miniature birch bark basket, bow and arrow set, so tiny but right on detail! The lacing is done with dear sinew, he creates himself. The tar on the sides of the canoe, as with his lifesize canoe, is made with bear fat and pine sap. The bark is harvested from his property. I love the passion he puts into his works. He totally amazes me with his patience, attention to detail and accurate depictions in his finished works of art.
So back to the simple life, my husband,my dogs, cats, and my 13 beautiful chickens!