Not a wide board at 15" but very old pinyon pine

[jack forsberg]

On my moms side we have family with a ranch way up in the Uinta mountains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uinta_Mountains

The ranch is at 8000 feet and is really still very wild. most of the farms are free range. most of the land does't support farming anymore and now has oil that rigs have taken the land over. My last visit there was in the late 80s to see my grand dad who was close to 90 at the time. One thing i will never forget is the smell of the pinyon pine that grew in large groves there. the oil rigs crews where up rooting the pinyon tress around the oil pumps and they where just left to brush piles as waste. the pinyon pine is the tree the edible nuts come from and are closely related to the oldest trees in the world the bristle cone Pine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristlecone_pine

I may have read by then George Nakashims the soul of a tree as i did for many years collect odd trees for there wood after reading it. I was at the least sawing through and through by then.


Any way as i said there were these trees left in brush piles in the baking Deseret and so i cut what looked to be a trunk i could use, I ended up with a 36" long log that was placed in the trunk of the car until i returned to Ontario where my friend with a saw mill cut it into timber.


I remember one thing about the wood and that was that its scent was very strong when we cut it and the saw dust was fine and oily.

that was 25 years ago and i came across the wood today in my stash. I pick it up and gave it a smell and that scent was still there as i remember it. I knew the wood was old but how old i did not know. I cut a small piece off the end of the flinch to count the rings but i could not read them. I sanded to 600 until i could count the rings with a magnifying glass.




http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine006_zpsb193a54c.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine006_zpsb193a54c.jpg.html)


http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine007_zpsfa9ae0c3.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine007_zpsfa9ae0c3.jpg.html)

I could only count the rings in what i call the early growth (the first 150 years) as the rings were about as wide as that pin needle in that area of growth. I marked off my life of 52 years and mark it off in 10 years marks to get an idea of age.
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine012_zps77b11abe.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine012_zps77b11abe.jpg.html)

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine013_zpsd5676fe5.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine013_zpsd5676fe5.jpg.html)

My life was 17/16" of growth in it fast growth years.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine009_zps277b7324.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine009_zps277b7324.jpg.html)

my eyes went buggy and i could not count after.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine010_zps4474c913.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine010_zps4474c913.jpg.html)

slow growthhttp://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine011_zps17ee403a.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine011_zps17ee403a.jpg.html)

fast growth
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad111/tool613/tool613009/pinionpine013_zpsd5676fe5.jpg (http://s927.photobucket.com/user/tool613/media/tool613009/pinionpine013_zpsd5676fe5.jpg.html)

My best estimate is the tree is 350 to 400 years old.

[Jesse Busenitz]

That is a cool piece of history right there...

[Rick Potter]

That is one good sized pinion pine board. I have some on my high desert property (5,000'), and the largest board I could get is about 6-8" wide, and not too long. They don't get over about 15-20' high there.

Rick P

[Peter Kelly]

http://www.inscents.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/a/cabin2.jpg

http://www.inscents.com/incense/pinon-box-with-40-bricks.html

The smell of burning piñon is up there with cooking bacon, fresh bread and coffee.

Cool piece of wood.

[Earl McLain]

Made my first trip to Utah this week. Spent two days in Nephi on business but did take time to drive to the top of Mount Nebo. Beautiful place, and we had perfect weather. If I get to make that trip next year I'm taking a few extra days to hike.

Thanks for the story of your wood--it's as if the timing is some sort of sign.
Earl

[jack forsberg]

As is often the case with the wood we hold on to there comes a time when the wood speaks to you. Its becomes relevant to the moment and all its glory is opened up like storm clouds to a crystal clear vision of what it should be. This wood was not anything special looking but very old but only I knew what it was and it was import for me to respect its time on earth living. There are times when as a worker of wood we are asked or compelled to make something special . A monument with meaning. Its not a task i take lightly and only with reverence when i am asked.

This old wood found me again and reminded me why the world is what it is and that how we see and live in it is the most profound lesson in life. we must look for the beauty in things and smell the roses as they say.

I lost a sister a mother of twins this summer and her daughters my two nieces asked me to make them a box for there mothers ashes. Marit was a free living artist of eminence talent and with integrity i could only hope to have . there was no way the corners on this box could trap her and so i made the "Unbox" for her. I will miss her dearly as will all who knew her. A special thank you to Karin McBride for the moose hide and Camy for the osprey feather.


http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20010_zpsgzw3vaga.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20010_zpsgzw3vaga.jpg.html)

The "Unbox"

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20009_zpstcqars1x.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20009_zpstcqars1x.jpg.html)

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20008_zps25jx0cxs.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20008_zps25jx0cxs.jpg.html)

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20007_zpsp8pmqgo8.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20007_zpsp8pmqgo8.jpg.html)

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20006_zpszoo31hji.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20006_zpszoo31hji.jpg.html)

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20005_zpsaxku0r0y.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20005_zpsaxku0r0y.jpg.html)


http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20004_zpspxhy15zw.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20004_zpspxhy15zw.jpg.html)

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20003_zpshpphq8tn.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20003_zpshpphq8tn.jpg.html)

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll29/oldtool1/marit%20002_zpslsf3je1w.jpg (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/oldtool1/media/marit%20002_zpslsf3je1w.jpg.html)

[Andrew Hughes]

That's really nice Jack,I love the smoothness and roughness together as one.You really displayed your love for her well.Thanks for sharing.

[Jeff Monson]

That is such a cool and unique piece Jack. Love the pins through the corners!!

[Peter Quinn]

Beautiful work Jack, its a great tribute to your sister and the tree. Stunning, full of movement and life, energy.

[Justin Ludwig]

Beautiful work, Jack. Thanks for sharing the piece and the story.

[Bill Adamsen]

Jack, you are a master of the aesthetic! Beautiful.

[Andrew Joiner]

Unique and beautiful. True artistry in woodworking pushes the limits of conventional designs. You did it here Jack.

[michael langman]

Thank You Jack for a wonderful post. My love for the natural world is very great, and I feel wonderful when someone as you expresses it.

[Howard Pollack]

Jack, while I don't post too often, I read a lot of posts. The post about the loss of your sister is one of the very few I found to be emotionally moving and personally meaningful. Thank you very much for sharing this.
Respectfully,
Howawrd

[Rick Potter]

Never again try to tell us you are not artistically gifted, Jack. That is a beautiful, and thoughtful tribute to your sisters talent.

[jack forsberg]

Thank you everyone.

[Allan Dozier]

Very inspiring. You are also a gifted writer.

[Mel Fulks]

A fine tribute in wood and words and I hope your efforts have helped soothe your own grief.
P.S. If the wood is that old ...that ruler must be really ancient!