ABOVE... Yep! Tha's me again trudging through the snow in another of Paul's paintings - his much-acclaimed "Something for the Pot" (see also Blacksmith) here reproduced on the back cover of Readers' Digest, November, 1984! (More info: drag cursor over picture). I'm wearing my Blanket Coat - or 'capote' as the French trappers knew them. I made it from a four-point, genuine scarlet pattern Hudson Bay blanket. On my head is my favorite 'coonskin, skinned out from a 'roadkill' (Merrit Parkway: a prolific source of 'skins for me at the time...!). Snow, those Canada Goose photo props, and me and my scarlet capote, became in time, favored themes in Paul's famous paintings...(as you will soon see!)
Click On The Address Lines Below For Some of the Activities Of Modern Day Re-Enactors of the Lives and Times of America's "Mountainmen": The Trappers Who First Penetrated The American West! One of the Most Intriguing Eras In Our Nation's History! See How We "Rediscovered" Ancient Skills and Woodlore; Made Our Own (authentic!) Reproduction 'Hawkens', Traps, Firesteels,
Tipis and "Skins" (clothing) - Learned to Skin and Tan, Build Flintlocks and Percussion Muzzleloaders, "Jerk" Meat, all with Emphasis on "Solitary" Accomplishment (i.e., No One to Tell You "How"...) Just as those Early 'Loners' in the Wilderness Did Likewise So Long Ago...
MODEL IN THIS GENRE...
And Whoa! No, that's not me! But it IS a three-foot high "Mountain Man" Collector doll (at left) handcrafted by Vonna Bahemn of Anchorage, Alaska - using, no less - wolverine, beaver, muskrat and "real" fur (PETA will be beside itself!) - and a replica Hudson Bay 4-striper just like the one I made and wore in our many activities and as you will see in the many Calle art prints coming up... And given to me today (06-22-07 as a present by Naomi on my (sh-h-h-h-h-h-h! 80th Birthday! And don' get wiseass you hear? You wanna arm-wrassle with me?) Valerie, my Web Mistress, has dubbed him "Yukon Cornelius," as she says it reminds her of that illustrious character in the celebrated "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Christmas-time film.... This model trapper features a real "possibles poke", a shooting pouch, a full hood on back of his capote, and "...genuine snowhoes of Alaskan willow!" LOL! Wow, Pilgrim..."Mah stick floats high!" More On The Way!... Recently, I came into possession again of a very old VHS tape I shot years ago at our Berkshire Mountains Rendezvous (1986). I copied it as a DVD - and hope to "mine" it for out-takes (i.e., stills) I might be able to ultimately post here. Meanwhile, enjoy the Graphics in the various Indices above - and let me know how you like them and any ideas for improvement in presentation.