27 February 2006, 02:19
DigitalDanMy friend Bill
This is not a crat story, except in a proriferal sense. My friend Bill lives up near Jacksonville, and was a co-worker when I did gainful things for a living. He does have three crats, one is a Maine Coon, and it is the biggest damn crat I ever saw. Ever. His name is Murray. He weighs 26# and is about 4' long...none of which has anything to do with this story. Suffice it to say, Bill is forgiven his trespass. 
Not long after I retired so did Bill, although it was medically related and unexpected for him and his family.
Starting in August of 2004 Florida got jumped by a bunch of Whirly Girls, and as a result ol' Dan wound up with all but one of his great big ol' southern red cedars laying in a heap here and there in the yard.
Well, me and the chainsaw had a grand ol' time, and for the next year the logs cured on the banks of the Withlacoochee River. Last October they took a ride to the mill and got the slice and dice treatment, leaving me with about 2000 board feet of prime red cedar and 200 board feet of ideas. 
Two weeks back in an email to Bill I mentioned I was working with red cedar and it made me sneeze(true), and jokingly asked if he knew anybody that needed some. Turns out he wanted some to build a canoe. One of his life's ambitions, and his oldest son wanted to help with the project. "Welllll now!" sez me, "Let's talk about this!"
I didn't know red cedar was good for that, but Bill sez yes, and that's good enough for me. He had been deterred on this project due to the cost of wood from the money grubbin' retail whoores... 
we drink to their loss.So, Bill is coming down in a few days to pick up the wood. I'll sort thru it to find the clearest grain for him to work with, knots and such are a no-no
. I dunno how much he'll need, but it probably won't be a helluva lot as the hull will only be a 1/4" thick or maybe less after milling...plus a skin coat of dynel and epoxy. Don't matter. Now the reason I'm telling you all about this is that Bill is a helluva nice guy. He was a very good Controller, and he's not all that old, maybe 40 by now. He only has the use of one arm after the surgery, and a little weakness on the same side too. It's what happens when they pluck a malignant tumor out of your noggin. So Bill and his son are going to launch a project I would not try myself, and I'm bettin' he'll get'r done too. I have to admire his optimism. In the middle of this darkness hanging over his life he has a chance to do something most would not contemplate doing for themselves, or with a son. God's speed to ya Bill.
The moral to this is real simple fellas. If you got something you want to do, do it now. Tomorrow is a very uncertain thing.
