Dangerously organic!

Firefly Primitive Skills Gathering 2011

Coyote tells us about the Firefly Primitive Skills Gathering:

"We just got back from Firefly Primitive Skills Gathering in Asheville, NC and this is a summary of what we got into there.

The people who put this on take good care of the instructors and we get good food while there.

On the first day of classes, I taught making figure "4" dead fall trap triggers. It's a type of trigger which can be used to catch game live or in a kill trap. These are some of the students and their triggers. They all seemed to be really excited about producing the triggers. The trap show is one I made for live trapping small animals. This first picture is of a trigger I made just breaking sticks with no cutting. The class involved carving another version. This looks like the figure "4" when viewed from the other side.

This young man is getting help setting up his trigger.

To test the trigger, a bunny was thrown into the trigger portion inside the trap. If it tripped, they had made a good trigger.

His worked.

The next day, I taught copper work and allowed the students to choose between several projects.

This little girl stole my heart making her copper fishing hook.

This man also made a fish hook.

People in my class busy at work with copper projects.

A copper blanket pin.

Another.

And, another.

A copper knife.

Another.

A copper spoon.

Our friend, Dawn, who used our camp as her home away from home.

Some of the friends we sat around with in the evenings. Roy, the guy in the pony tail, has used my CD music on a U-tube video I have not seen yet. He said he gets more response about people liking my music than about the content.

Raven at the primitive kitchen where she was firing her clay items. Raven is planning to make a five gallon pottery piece when we get to Idaho and felt she needed to brush up on her pottery skills. She has not worked a lot with clay but has made a few things. The large piece will be a challenge at best.

Raven discussing moving her clay piece in the fire with her pottery instructor, Keith.

A group making whistles from willow and tulip poplar.

This group had just finished making a debris shelter. The young gentleman to the right was getting ready to crawl inside to test the integrity of the roof.

With the young man inside, the instructor poured water over the entire shelter. According to the young man, only one leg got wet. Good job for these kids!

A drumming class underway