9th Annual Ridgway Rendevous
Chainsaw Carving Event
This year we hosted a guest from Israel for the Ridgway Rendevous Chainsaw Carving.  Our guest,
Maly lives in Jersulam and creates a variety of different art forms.  She paints on silk fabric,
making stunning tunics, scarves, necklaces and framed art. Last July she and her husband came to
Pennslyvania to see the Elk and drove by the Appalachian Arts Studio. She noticed the carvings
and told her husband she wanted to find out more about them.  She stayed in Ridgway for a week
and took carving lessons from Rick Boni.  Her first creation was a carving of the word Shalom,
which means Peace in Jewish.  The Boni's invited her back to Ridgway for the 9th annual
rendezvous.  I told Liz that I had a couple of extra beds, if anyone needed a room.  She was happy to
have a place for Maly to stay and sensed we would enjoy each other's company, which we did.
While here Maly taught us much about Israel and the conflict in her country. She taught us about
her culture and customs.  We thoroughly enjoyed her visit.  It was a hard week for her with all the
snow and frigid weather, but she worked hard to finish her carving for the event.  
The flags on the left represent
the 11 different countries that
were represented at the Ridgway
Rendezous. Maly's flag from Israel
is on the far right.  Cliff and I
were amazed how this down to
earth event brought people from
different countries together for a
common purpose.  We met carvers,
from Japan, England, Germany,
Australia, Canada peacefully  
working together, eating together,
singing together and partying
together.  This is something
corporate America strives to do,
but seldom accomplishes.  Hat's
off to the Boni's for
accomplishing excellence
Shalom in Hebrew means "peace".  This is very important to the people
of Jerusalem because they have been at war with other countries for centuries. At
present there is a conflict between them and the Palestians, which live in an area
called Gaza.  The conflict is mostly over territory.   Hebrew reads from right to left.  The
photo on the left with the dove is the "m" in shalom. The bird is waiting for peace.  
Below Maly is making tahini. She brought a plastic jar of the sesame seed paste from
Jersalum and added garlic, lemon and parsley.  It was delicious with whole grain pita
bread.  On the left Maly is beginning to carve a butterfly.  Chainsaw carving is very
hard work as it requires a lot of upper body muscles to hold the chainsaw steady while
carving.
Maly was here for a week and it snowed and was cold most of the time.  On Sunday
the sun was shining and we went to see the ice carvings at the Chamber of
Commerce's Visitor Center in Ridgway.  We also took a ride to James City so Maly
could buy a new chainsaw to send back to Israel. She was very surprised that James
City was such a small town.   When we got home we had a delicious supper of
vegetarian lasagna, eggplant , salad and garlic bread.  Maly explained to  us how they
celebrate the Sabbath every Saturday in Israel.  It's a sacred time of restoration
celebrated with family.     
The individualism of the carvers was vividly expressed through their carvings. Each of
the carvers donated one of their carvings to be auctioned off the last day of the
Rendezvous.  One of the carvings sold for over three thousand dollars.  Over fourty
thousand dollars was raised which set off costs for the carvers meals, rooming and the
organizational planning. .   
Cliff and I set up a stand on the day of the auction.  I sold quite a few cinnamon rolls,
pepperoni bread, hot pepper mustard and jelly.  Visitors and carvers enjoyed watching
Cliff carve wood spoons on his schniztelbach (german shaving horse).  A carver from
Germany took a particular interest in Cliff's antique tools.  He said it reminded him of
home.