Workshop Updates

Jeff Gottlieb emailed to say, "Don't forget to tell people about the Trade Blanket: bring stuff of interest to a primitive skills person such as tools, books, crafts, raw materials, foods, etc." Trade Blanket will be on Saturday at 4pm. This is a really fun event.

Bob Berg has graciously offered- "I would like to contribute by doing a class on primitive fishing. It would include fish line making, hook making from bone, thorn and bamboo, and also simple fish traps. I would like to also cover making and using harpoons and harpoon throwers. It is a long class so it could be broken up into sections. It would be good if people who take the class could get a fishing license but it is not necessary. If we catch anything we can eat it. I will bring a modern canoe and extra life jackets if its OK." Thanks Bob! We don't have the Salmon Falls River anymore, but we do have two farm ponds if we are allowed to use them and a small stream with native brook trout in it a short walk away. If it is alright with Bob, we will run his class starting Sunday morning.

I made mistake with Jeff Neuman's class. It is supposed to be Bow Tuning & Hunting not Bow Making & Hunting. This is what he sent me "Looking forward to this!! The only thing... I'd be happy to do a bow-tuning workshop, but putting me down for bow making is a baaaaaad idea!! Hahahaha!! I've only made 2 and the second one snapped and shattered into a zillion pieces!! Hahahah!! Can't wait...." -Jeff

Will Sampson wanted to clarify about his forging Class- "Primitive Forging (working with metal in the field)." I wonder if people might be misled by that description. What I had intended to do was a traditional blacksmithing demonstration. That's certainly primitive by 21st century standards, but the techniques and equipment I use are closer to 1850 than they are to early primitive people. I had planned on bringing my forge, which has a hand-cranked Champion blower, and my anvil, forging vise and various hammers and tongs. It would be forging in the field, so to speak, but not completely divorced from the industrial world.

Arthur Haines will be running ongoing primitive foraging and cooking demonstrations at the cooking fire pit all weekend. If you do not know Arthur and his knowledge of plants, you are in for a treat.

I'm asking everyone who is a primitive skills practitioner to bring their handcrafted items to layout as a display during lunch on Saturday. We will leave them out for everyone to see until the Trade Blanket at 4pm. Please bring hides and blankets to put your stuff on.