FlyCatcher Has Flown...

Flycatcher is finished and we have parted ways... Since it has been raining sporadically for the past few days, I had to wait to apply a couple of very thin coats of finish over the carving. Zero came over and restrung her and played her a bit. He said that she didn’t sound any different than before and he believed that the carving had no ill effects on her tune. I wouldn’t know, because anything he plays sounds like heaven to me. Yes, I am his mom, but... the truth is simply that... the truth.

Working on FlyCatcher brought back many memories for me. I think a great deal... as my Billy usta say to me, “You think too much!” Memories of Oklahoma and happier days were very present during this carving. Being a Texas girl... I started to put mockingbirds on it and while contemplating which images would be appropriate, I did what I always do... I asked what would Billy say about this?

We had many discussions on the reason that I never saw a mockingbird in Enid. He said that the Scissortails would not allow them... I said that no self-respecting Texas mockingbird would fly up that far from the Republic. I had no choice but to choose the Oklahoma state bird. As hard as I tried not to, I loved Enid, Oklahoma... I love the people there.

FlyCatcher also made me think of my dad... There is something about the sound of an acoustic that takes me back to the days of sitting on the porch and listening to him play. There were not a lot of good times, but... Of course, Zero broke out in a bit of “I Walk the Line” and a portion of “Under the Double Eagle” (Daddy’s signature tune) just to make me laugh.