Well, if we were to start the drive home today, this would go down as a very good trip. Staying with our oldest friends (ever) is always great. Today is the “beach”. Yesterday was the Bonitas Fairways Golf Course with my “new golfer”  friend Don. He did very well, achieving several “personal bests”.  We will be back there Thursday morning for more of the same. Weather is excellent and we are getting some sun. June’s nearly “pink” by now. Not much to add at this point but can assure everyone we’re eating well and mellowing out. My thoughts are on our return and getting on to my preparations for the Miami Valley Woodcarver’s Show , the first weekend of March. That’s our annual kick-off for our new carving/teaching and Carving Shows season. I’ll be a judge of the competition at this show, along with two other judges. I’m sure this will be an interesting and challenging  new experience for me.  Unfortunately, our new Bald Eagle carving will not be eligible for the competition for obvious reasons.  Maybe, next year; maybe not!  When we get home next week, I’ll have to complete the final stages of carving the twelve Shorebird Stick Decoys (American Avocets) to pass-on to “the paint department”, which I affectionately sometimes refer to my wife June as. They (at least three of them) will be painted. One (actually, #1) will go into our home’s built-in curio as a new addition to our own shorebird stick-decoy collection. Two will go with us to the Middletown, OH show. One of those two, will be donated to the Carver’s Banquet as a door-prize at the  carver’s banquet. We get a kick out of a carver recieving one of these at each banquet we attend. Our 4th year in this series to do this. The previous three years included the Killdeer, the Golden Plover and the Sanderling. If “you” happened to be a lucky recipient of on the these, please respond with a comment below and mention your name and the # of your piece which is on the bottom of the base. See some of you soon. Now, to get to the beach. 

Happy birding and carving,  Bill