Progress in Paradise...

Progress in Paradise...  Had Michelle H. over again this morning (and she'll be here this evening as well) for final training on how to take care of our animals.  Tim and I moved a couple strings of his hand line, to water the last bit of his alfalfa field.  I got a second topcoat on my trailer bed, and tomorrow morning Tim will come over and help me mount it on the chassis.  I mowed the rest of our lawn, about an acre.

Then I found a dry branch in our woodpile, about 3 1/2" in diameter, from one of our box elder (a kind of maple) trees.  I sawed off a 6" long piece, put it in the lathe, and went to work making a cup.  My brother Scott asked me to bring an example home on my visit, so this little cup is what he's going to get :)  Here it is in progress (photos in order):

Note that I did the rough-in using a drive center and live center, for stability, then switched to a chuck for the fine work.  I cut a fairly thin lip around the top of the cup, around 1/20th of an inch – first time I've done that.  I made it thicken as I went down into the cup; didn't want to ruin this one as I don't have time before I leave to make another.  I've got a foot or so left on that branch; when I come back home I might try making a thin-walled bowl or two from it...