Gracious Galoots,

I was meandering about the archives, trying to get a better grasp of how I
might provide the best Galootaclaus present for my match and went to that
old standby, the Bios list.  Upon reading my match's bio, I discovered that
it was a bit (ahem...) out of date.  Well, I'm fine, cause I'm sure I just
redid mine.  Really.  Okay, so 10 years ago only counts as recent when
we're on Galootish time.  Here, I shall attempt to concisely, tersely, and
lucidly recap the recent past.

2007 saw me pre-divorce and working out of a temporary basement shop,
building the pine workbench I continue to use today (Bob and Dave's Good,
Fast, and Cheap Bench), and acquiring and squirreling away tools of all
sorts and makes.  2017 finds me married and divorced again (sigh), living
the non-electric handtool life, and happily learning new and different
skills.

I've turned to building 17th-century chests and boxes, carving spoons and
other utensils from green wood, learning more and more about starting from
a log to make my project's stock (although haven't learned to fell a tree),
and just simply enjoying my work in the shop space I've been in for the
past 2+ years.

I've turned away from overly lustful tool acquisition, although I still
pine for the occasional saw.  Learning to go from rusted fleas market find
to sharp, straight-cutting, clean user saw has been a highlight of my tool
education.  I have way too many saws (stopped counting at 80+) and realize
that my go-to set is really only about four out of the group.  Have the
full complement of Stanley planes ('cept for the #2 and #1, which I doubt
I'd ever use), plus a growing herd of wooden planes.  Highlight of the
first chest build was making my own molding with an H&R set using Matt
Bickford's excellent book.  I have a serious weakness for block planes,
even making one of my own from a Ron Hock bubinga kit, back when it was
legal.

Lately, I've been buying spoon carving knives from Del Stubbs, Nic
Westermann, Robin Wood, and Mora; making sheaths (birch bark and leather),
buying hatchets and bush axes, and enjoying all that can be done in green
woodworking.  Mentioned recently that my last project was a hurdle
(portable piece of fencing) made following a splitting and riving class
with Plymouth Craft.  I've been fortunate to attend the 2016 and 2017
Greenwood Fests here in Massachusetts.  Absolutely the best experiences:
great people with incredible skills ready to share their knowledge with any
interested person.  Birch wood has got me by the neck.  I'm heading to
Vermont next weekend to learn birch bark basketry at the Roots School in
Corinth.  Really excited about this.

And I still recall with pleasure my brief encounter with the California
Galoots in 2006 that included a visit to the Alameda flea market.  Not so
many Galoots in this neck of the woods, although I've had the pleasure to
have met a few.  Perhaps another round of a CNEG gathering is in order,
especially now that my shop is bigger.

Anyway, beginning to babble I think, so I'll stop.  Can't say enough about
how glad I am to have this group of people to share my experiences with.
Wish we could somehow all get together.  The Porch is the best.

Regards to all!

Dwight