And a few things went off.

In a good way, you understand.

1) The whiskey plank is in! The wooden part of the hull is now complete.

2) I have the okay to post one of the songs I've been working on recently. Here it is:

[later edit] This song comes from a melody by Peter Alway that he sent me.  The original inspiration and the initiative were his, so this is not a new "Cat Faber song" it is a new "Cat Faber and Peter Alway song" (the lyricist's name is, as I understand it, traditionally written first)  Credit where credit is due--if it were not for Peter, this song would not exist.[/later edit]

Wise Hands        --mp3 is here----
lyrics by Catherine Faber
melody by Peter Alway

 Em     Am       Em     Am
Partly wood and mostly care
 Em        Am       Dm        G
Boats must ever be tight and fair
 Em        Am          Em      Am
Staunch to answer the storm's demands
     Em           Am      Dm     Em          E
The crew's first guardian ever stands--wise hands

        A                     D               E 
   The captain intrepid, the crew that would dare
          A                     E
   Shall heed the adventurer's call
        A                            D           E
   The boatbuilder's craftsmanship, born of her care
      A                   E
   Unseen is a partner in all
      F          C          F            C
   Beyond the horizon, new worlds to explore
        F             C            G
   New winds and new currents run free.
        F            C           F       C
   The skill of the builder runs ever before
        F            C            G           D          A
   The root and the heart of the tree, shall sail--the sea

Every plank must be true of grain
Fitted tightly with saw and plane.
To brace the hull I will sand and shave
Decks and gunwales to help her brave--the wave.

Run the rigging and step the mast.
Stays in tension will hold it fast.
Shape the rudder a course to hold
Bright at morning the sails unfold--dawn gold 

As you can see, Peter thought it was a song about sailing ships but it's really a song about boatbuilding.  I thought it was a song about building canoes, however and he was right that it was a song about building sailing ships.

3) I have been fairing the boat on and off.  Using the plane, especially at odd angles, is hard work and the spokeshave is even harder, so I've been having to take breaks.

4) I may get around to posting the other song but see above about being tired, and besides this leaves me with a song in reserve in case I don't get another done by next Alice day.*

*I promised my friend Alice a new song every two weeks so she would have new stuff to practice.  This is where I'm putting them.  I have been doing this for a while, actually but this is the first time I have mentioned the inspiration.  So, Happy Alice Day.