Dave Smith Visits Bakersfield

And a good time was had by all!

Dave Smith, Longview, WA

>Thanks to Steve for putting together a BBQ and being so gracious when we showed up an hour early. Steve cooks a great tri-tip on the grill. Steve also does wonderful spiral and segmenting work. And the mesquite piece on the lathe is going to be a beauty when finished.

I have corresponded with Les Robinson and even shipped him some wood so it was nice to meet him face to face. Next time I will make it over to his shop and get some olive he said he had if he has any left when I get there.

I expect Martin to visit me during his summer travels. He was already heading down the slippery sloop of turning and I think my pieces he saw has completely hooked him. I hope he gets his new shop stuccoed soon so his wife can put her car back in the garage.

What a wonderful time I had talking about people we knew from post on Wood Central. When I mentioned Dominic, Steve got a big smile and said, "I built the ballast box for my lathe from his plans." Isn't the internet, and Wood Central in particular, a wonderful place?

I left a pile of wood and took only a couple signatures and a picture of Andrew Jackson. I already had acquired wood from Ruth Harding on Saturday and Sandy insisted the volume of wood returning be less than the volume leaving.

We spent too much time gabbing and I paid for it driving late Sunday night but it was worth ever minute.

Dave Smith

Finally recovering from the trip in Longview, WA.