TONGAN WAR SKIFF

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This is Pineapple Hill’s Tongan War Skiff: a Phil Bolger design made of wood. She mean to row as good as she sails—a concept very popular in the Pacific Northwest and up around Maine. Other places too. I bought her during my painting-primitive-fish-on-pallet-wood phase. She’s gaff-rigged and loaded with bronze fittings. Great for a quick sail on the Jonesville Reservoir (aka Jonesville Town Pond) out back of Pineapple Hill. “Be back in three hours, Hon!”

Phil Bolger design The Jonesville Reservoir Tongan war skiff

Bad things happened, an entire run of them that shut me down, caused me to withdraw from everything except my inner self.

One afternoon, in a hammock, I took a photo of myself. Just my legs. But there was no one to send it to. No one to understand.

I needed a sidekick so I sketched an armadillo because they’re crusty on the outside but not within. I made him my butler. Crusoe’s manservant Friday.

We began interacting—my hammock photo speaking to that critter, that critter speaking back.There’s a folder of cartoons somewhere. For now there’s just this one. (LINK)

Eventually after that I began writing novels.

I’m still a hermit, marooned you might say, but leaving my shell more and more—my inner self seeking its freedom through writing.