the river mule's front deck , the finish is traditional "boat soup" linseed oil , pine tar , and turpintine

a rare find

these two huge cedar trees had just been cut down . i contacted the property owner and was given permission to harvest the wood . it was about to go to the land fill ! freehand ripping with the chainsaw
my favorite moment as a woodworker , the first look inside . cutting into a log is a special moment , almost 100 years to grow , a creation of a seed , soil , rain , and sulight , no man has ever seen whats inside , most can walk past never knowing the potential of what is inside . i will track the progress of the cedar slabs from todays harvest to thier final forms

the bottom is tonge and groove 1 x 6
trimmed to fit
sanded

fresh cut mulberry is lemon yellow but ages to a honey color after a week or so

taking shape

my original concept models for the river mule

lillie seems to be adjusting quite well

our newest addition

lillie is from a litter of ferral kittens born under mclauren hall at winthrop university

this was taken on her first day

we love bon fires ... when its not to dry !

things i build

cedar garden bench

mulberry garden benches ...one of my favorite woods

carolina plantation river flat ... all southern yellow pine , very stable , shallow draft , great to fish and explore with , and built with traditional construction techniques with a pine tar/linseed oil/tupintine finish