My daughter Lindsey and I hooked up for an early morning SUP session with Gary Stone.  We put the SUP in the water at Olin Park and paddled across Lake Monona to see the start of the 2009 version of the Ironman here in Madison.

Hand Tools and Slow Wood make nice things together

Each paddle is different, whether from the wood, the tools, or the mood.  Patience is part of this game too.  If you go too fast “tear out” or chatter marks happen and either one can be a show stopper.  A little bit at a time followed by a rub of the hand to check progress is the order of the day.  Reality TV is full of food shows now, many of which show and tell about the wonders of enjoying the journey rather than the destination.  In other words, enjoy making the meal as much as you enjoy eating it. Here in our shop, the order of the day is to enjoy the feel of the tools, enjoy the sound of the wood as it curls off the shaft under the spokeshave. There’s a balance between churning out one more paddle to meet the deadline and allowing the time to feel the paddle take its final shape under the drawknife or spokeshave.