I'm home now, reflecting on my trip.

Skedfest...I'm constantly in awe that folks around the world are rallying around wooden spoons. There is something about spoons that brings folks together. Although our numbers may be small in the big picture I still think that it's something special. My friend Fred says it's like a gateway drug into greenwoodworking! I think he may be right. The event was great! Folks teaching workshops, offering and lectures, and the best thing I enjoy is sitting around visiting while carving in the evenings. Sharing some good stories over ale or aged home brewed elderflower mead. Human things all around.

I wish I took more photos.

I also am coming to realize some of the back story of this genre of woodworking and the stories I've been hearing revolve around the late Bill Copperthwaite, Wille Sundqvist, Drew Langsner, and Del Stubbs. There are more players but these guys are some of the first, generation are some of the first to promote this type of woodwork and this was all before internet. I call them them Grandfathers...

It's always interesting to reflect on the cause and effect of things. Drew's book County Woodcraft was the first woodworking book I bought. If you have it take a few minutes to read the the forward and introduction. It will be worth it even if you have read it in the past. It shaped me.

I can't help but reflect on my story as well. How did I come to be traveling in Sweden researching turned the turned bowls and boxes of Borås, teaching spoon carving at Skedfest, visiting with hand craft consultants and craftsmen and craftswomen, talking about craft and it's many organizations, giving lectures on canoe building, my Nordic and Native American craft inspirations and the use of internet and production methods to bring craft into the norm. I can't help but pause to give credit to these Grandfathers and the cause and effect played out over 20 plus years, since I've owned the book.

So where will we be in another 20 years? Time will tell...but it's also our actions that contribute to that future.

I'll write more in a few days