I wish that I was better a blogging. I think that it was a lot easier when I was travelling around the world, and didn't have a smartphone, a fledgeling career, or a house... So, I used to do an email blog of sorts when Becca and I travelled around the world for fun and profit. It was pretty popular so I am told. Where am I going here? Well, I set up the Ian McNair Decoys Instagram and Facebook accounts ,and that is perhaps how you got here, or maybe you didn't even get here because you didn't click past the gallery page. But I am not talking to "you" because "you" really aren't here. But I would like to thank the real you who is reading this. Thanks for liking the Instagram and Facebook (if you haven't do you now, so you can accept my thank you) that's where I am really going with this thought. It is really a lot easier to update through the new channels of an Instagram (photo still tells a thousand words) than the old (blogging is not really that old Ian.) But I am not going to lament the changes as so many generations before, I am embracing the future, I used a hashtag for the first time! But, I still like the blog, I still like word strings longer than 140 characters, I like stories. Lets see where this one goes.
This is the story of Summer 2015, it all started on June 22, or was it the 21st, I can never remember. I suppose it doesn't matter. I spent it getting ready for the Copley Summer Sale in Plymouth Mass. I was featured, with my father of course. We displayed with Copley at the Radisson and did a little carving demo. But first we had to get there. I was pretty excited because I purchased my first luxury car. 1986 BMW 735i, I wanted a 5 series but I found a real beauty, and I was pretty excited about taking it on its first real road trip. Only problem is that there are way too many people between Charlottesville and Plymouth, this turned the ride into something less enjoyable, Congesticutt (Connecticut), you gotta do something, we were east of NYC by 2:00 in the middle of the week. We made it fine, in one piece even though some overly "assertive" (I'm trying not to use aggressive language) drivers tried to thwart that idea.
I was a bit stressed, I get that way before most shows, possibly because the past month of my late nights in the shop is about to be critiqued, even though most of it turns out to be positive. You never know how people will react. Plenty of people can say that your work is nice, but if noone buys it, compliments don't pay bills. You are only a good as the last thing that you made, and I accept the situation, and hence I always try and do my best work.
So Papa and I did our carving demo. I never got the memo that it was only going to be an hour, I thought that we were on for a couple of hours. I was especially tense because there were about 30 plus people watching 10 minutes in. I wasn't sure how I was going to keep it up for the next couple hours. Luckily I handed the reigns to papa a little over half way trhough and he did his thing and it all worked out. We finished just before the bar opened (we were carving at the bar area) and it turned out just like so many McNair family events, not incredibly well planned out, but a success.
Auction good, you can read the stats online, rundown not necessary.
Went to Cape Cod for a couple of days with the family. Got an Air BnB. Lots of people out there too. Highlights were visiting the Elmer Crowell Museum, and going to my first bridal shower.
Then we got to go to Maine. Maine in July is awesome. We were in Harpswell staying with friends in the attic of their barn. It was the perfect Ian McNair summer getaway. No real schedule, badminton, great company, well stocked bar, lobsters, beaches, boat rides, cool nights, BMW rides, more lobsters. I started my first penguin carving. I think that we spent about 5 days, but I kind of lost count, when you lose count I suppose it is time to go (if you are guest). Losing count is good. After close to two weeks out it was time to head back south. The grass needed to get cut back in Charlottesville, and I had work to do.
Thanks for tuning in, stay posted to the Instagram and Facebooke feeds!
Ian