Willow Winds

This week-end, my sister Marti and I went to my brother's for his fall Michigan Outdoor Survival Skills class. (M.O.S.S.)  Classes were offered in making cordage, edible plant walk, birch bark baskets, and bow drill to start a fire. The colors were amazing, as can be seen above, with my brother and other class members walking down the path from the cabin.

We met in the workshop to work on our baskets, and I took some pictures

 of the many things that are my brother.

This old pot belly stove came from the round house where my father worked on the railroad. When they tore down the building, he got the stove, then it went to Jay for his work shop. A perfect fit!

Deer, buffalo, and bear hides hand from the ceiling after being tanned.

A wooden bowl and spoon wait to be finished.

Paddles and snowshoes which he makes, and a hide hang in the doors.

Marti and I cutting out the patterns on birch to make our baskets.

She looks through the spruce roots for the perfect one to sew up the basket.  In the background 

is David, or as I called him, the Greek God.  Now I don't know if he is Greek or not, but

hey, it's my truth!

He was very proud to show off his completed basket, which really did turn out wonderful!

We had a fantastic time.  Even though it poured all week-end, the atmosphere and the company

more than made up for it.  I put my basket on the bookshelf that has my brother's picture, 

the two baskets he made for me, and the one I made.
If you haven't seen any posts about my brother, you can visit
his website, Willow Winds.