June - San Diego Woodturners

San Diego Woodturners Page 9 June 2013
SDWT Annual Picnic
by Pat Saunders
SDWT held its annual picnic at
Pat and Ken Roth’s lovely home
and garden on Saturday, May 11.
For those living near the coast,
the day started out very foggy,
causing consternation in some.
But by 9 a.m. when the first
volunteers arrived to start setting
up tents, tables, and liquid
refreshments, the sun was out
in full force. The multitude of
Pat’s flowers, looking lovely in
the glittering sunshine, watched
the humans start to wilt. Tents
for the diners and Hollow Form
Competition were erected. An
umbrella shaded the raffle donations
but as the sun shifted it
became obvious another was
needed to protect the wooden
objects. As true woodturners,
Jeff Neff and Leonard Badour
gave up their umbrella over the
lunch ticket & raffle ticket table
to protect the donated wooden
objects.
A multitude of Hollow Forms
were set up on two tables to
be judged. Most of us were
delighted not to be a judge and
have to decide whose was the
best turning of the morning. The
competition was quite close.
Oskar Kirsten, Phil Stivers and
Sally Ault came in 1st, 2nd, and
3rd, judged by Tom Edwards.
Tom Edwards explained the decision
making process. Oskar’s
entry was a very complicated
vessel displaying both handles
and feet turned from a single
piece of wood. Oskar assured
us it was a very limited edition,
unique in its class, a ‘one of a
kind’ and in the interest of his
mental health, would never be
attempted again. Phil’s Hollow
Form was of medium to large
size, thin walled and showing
both height and a centered maximum
diameter, balancing well
on its tiny foot. Sally’s vessel
was a lovely miniature hollow
form. A couple of centimeters
shorter and it could have been
a pendant in her jewelry collection.
As Tom commented, sometimes
it is more difficult to turn
an object in miniature than to
do a big piece. A hummingbird
would have found it impossible
to enter and crowded to occupy
her vessel.
Karen Freitas and Sally Ault
coordinated lunch from El Pollo
Loco. The food was delicious.
The desert table selections,
provided by enterprising individuals,
displayed an incredible,
bountiful collection of wonderful
confections. The only
healthy choice was a huge bowl
(turned, of course) filled with
ripe cherries. Many of us, attempting
to balance gluttony and
health piled plates with cookies,
brownies, pies, and candy which
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