"Native American
History"
For those
who want the real story about the
"Old West"
and how it was won (Stolen).
Try studying
it from the true side,
the "Native
American" side.
I am not
going to get on a soapbox on this issue,
but I have
furnished some very good links for
you to explore!
Go to the "LINKS " page
for more
information.
"Beading"
Although
any bead project I start takes me about
ten times
longer to finish than someone with two
good hands,
I do it because of the intricate detail
and attention
I have to pay to the project.
This keeps
me focused and teaches me patience.
I also use
it as therapy for my right hand so
I do not
lose any more dexterity than I already have.
I have made
bracelets, necklaces, earrings, chokers,
and wampum
belts.
"leather
work"
This I also
due for a type of hand therapy.
I do leather
braiding, sculpting, weaving, and have
made several
knife sheaths, holsters, belts, pouches,
and possibles
bags. My next project will be a
battle shirt
made from brain tanned deer hide,
adorned
with my own beadwork and leather lacing.
I also do
repairs to our own saddles and tack as well.
To do it
on a commercial basis would not be worth it
as it takes
me much longer to finish a project than normal.
It is just
a fun hobby I am trying to get good at
for my own
personal use.
...........
Handmade
Sheath.......................Pouches
& Bags
Decorated
Hawk Handle
"Digital
Photography"
I have always
enjoyed photography from my
first darkroom
back in my old college days,
to my present
day computer studio. Instead of using
just a 35
mm SLR camera, now I use two standard
35 mm cameras,
as well as a digital camcorder and
a digital
still camera to give me the photos and
graphics
I desire. All without the mess of mixing and
using caustic
chemicals. Living out here gives me
ample opportunity
to get shots of nature or just the
beauty of
the landscape. We also have some
pretty bizarre
characters out here that
make very
interesting subjects.
I.P.S.C. Competition
(international practical shooting
confederation)
I enjoyed
this hobby immensely, though I have not
been able
to compete for about 16 years now.
I still
keep my practice up when I can,
and I have
learned to shoot left handed in the process.
My competition
pistol was a 1911 Colt 45 ACP,
and was
produced by Springfield Armory.
My sighting
system was the old triple dot adjustable system,
which was
pretty much the standard back then.
I still
use the 45 from time to time,
but my main
firearms these days are
a Berretta
92-S, and my Glock 17.
I learned
to shoot without all of the fancy
sight gizmos
they use these days,
so that
is how I still shoot today, as I no longer compete.
Now it is
much more of a pleasure sport for me,
and I enjoy
it when I can.
"Black powder
Firearms"
Another
fun hobby, when I can do it, is shooting
black powder
firearms. I have a good collection of
firearms
as it is, but I have a lot more fun shooting my
45 caliber
"Hawken Plains Rifle", or my favorite...
my 50 caliber
"Hawken Hunter Buffalo Gun".
I love to
buy and refurbish antique firearms, as the
old black
powder guns had a lot of fancy metal
and woodwork
involved in their making.
I have been
a Gunsmith for about 18 years now so
I can do
all of the restoring, stock checkering,
engraving,
and metal finishing myself.
Nothing
pleases me more than to see a restored
antique
smoke pole hanging over the fireplace
with a fully
stocked possibles bag hanging nearby.
"Archery"
Needless
to say, I have had to hang up all of my bows
for awhile,
but I still make my own arrows and quivers
in hopes
of some day being able to enjoy the sport again.
I also learned
how to make my own flat bows, longbows,
and self
bows. I have six bows... from compound to recurve
and a few
in between. It is still quite an interesting hobby.
"Cowboy Action
Shooting"
My newest
craze and hobby is cowboy action shooting.
I am more
interested in the mounted aspect of this sport,
as it is
a real thrill doing anything from horseback.
I am not
yet ready for competition, as I have to train myself to shoot with my left
hand instead of my right, but so far I am just as accurate as I need to
be.
"Computer
Art & Web Design"
I have just
broken into the vast world of web design
and graphics.
I find this fascinating as it always has newer
and better
software to work with. I am learning to make
banners,
buttons, dividers, backgrounds, animated gifs,
and putting
them all together to make a web site.
I am now
getting into 3D art, and eventually I would
like to
do more in this area.
I use several
software programs to assist me
in making
my own graphics. A few in particular are
Paint Sop
Pro 6, ULead's Cool 3D, Corel 4, Corel 8,
Professor
Franklins Photo Lab, Photo Plus 4,
Photoworks
Darkroom, ULead Gif Animator,
and Snappy
Video Capture.
I use several
other programs to fill in the gaps
of the look
I am trying for.
I am also
amazed at all of the multi talented people
that are
on the internet. I love to spend hours surfing
and locating
the many different sites and viewing the
great selection
of artwork that is out there.
"Animal Interaction"
This goes
hand in hand with having any type of animal,
be it a
pet, companion, or just a riding buddy.
From our
Parakeet, dogs, cats, goats,
and up to
the horses, I enjoy training and working
with them
all as a way of communication.
It is as
fun to teach an animal to do tricks,
as it is
to watch them perform them.
It gives
them a sense of pleasure as well
as something
to be praised and rewarded for.
We all enjoy
the good pat on the back
every now
and then, and they are no different
than us
in that respect.
I also enjoy
any animal that will interact with
humans,
be it wild, a tame exotic, a stock animal,
or a companion
animal. To get any type of
critter
to trust in you and want your attention
is one of
the greatest feelings of friendship
that there
is. You can feel their spirit.
......
......
"Little
Buck"
"The Old
Ways"
My most
pleasurable pastime is to study the old ways of life that the Mountain
Men and Native Americans practiced. Life was hard, but much more rewarding
back then. At least that is another
opinion
of mine! For many years I have enjoyed taking off
and spending
some of my vacations out in the mountains or
desert areas
by myself. I have studied and practiced how to hunt,
fish, gather
and prepare wild vegetation, and use everything that
I procure
without any waste whatsoever. We have many people
in the area
that live that way to this day, and I have learned
a lot from
them. The area we live in is a great place
to learn
such skills, as we are right smack dab in the middle of
some of
the most beautiful wilderness area I have ever seen.
I am looking
forward to putting up a Tipi on our
property
one of these days, but will use canvas instead of hides,
the Buffalo
have enough problems these days just trying
to stay
alive and off the endangered species list!
If you want
a real thrill, and taste the lifestyle of the old west,
throw on
some buckskin and beads and head to your nearest Mountain Man Rendezvous.
You will
never meet a finer bunch of folks.
See ya at
the Rendezvous!
Breakin
in the Hawken!
