Carving

Summering in Maine as a kid, the curmudgeon noticed that it could be really, really boring. By the way, it could have been way worse - my Dad had to do a tour of the relatives each year, and there being, like 3,000 or so, I don't understand why he just never bought a gun.  After all, each year, there would be a few less for the familial tour


But, in those days, kids found something to do.  The curmudgeon, Boy Scout training firmly in hand, decided to carve itty-bitty (1") replicas of his favorite wooden lobster buoys.


This involved cutting down an alder - carefully selected to be 1" around, cutting it up into the required 1 or 2 inch pieces, carving the thing, adding the buoy's handle (really tricky carving), painting it, and actually gluing on an even itty-bittier piece of rubber for the part that real buoys had that tied them to the warp down to the trap.


The curmudgeon is a saver - still has each.  And quite proud of himself.