Tom Huntington 
EDITOR'S COLUMN
Fowl Weather
by Tom Huntington
I just returned from my annual pilgrimage to the Easton Waterfowl Festival on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The festival’s always an enjoyable event in a beautiful part of the world. I didn’t get down until Friday night, following a couple days of wet and dreary weather. Saturday proved to be cloudy but largely rain free, and Sunday was the kind of day that makes event organizers drool. It was sunny and warm with a blue sky that perfectly set off the brilliant fall foliage. Occasionally, as if on cue, large Vs of geese flew over town, adding their honks to the fall atmosphere. It was, in a word, gorgeous.
There were carvers galore at the show and I managed to talk to quite a few of them, including Pat Godin, Al Jordan, Richard Finch, Del Herbert, Gary Eigenberger, Rich Smoker, Bill Kennedy, R.D. Wilson, and many more. Part of my job is to twist arms and get these top carvers to write articles for the magazine, so future issues will show you how successful I was. One of the show’s highlights every year is the Masterpiece Carving, and this year was no exception, with Glenn McMurdo displaying a magnificent life-size heron named “Heathrow.” Anyone familiar with Glenn’s work will know it is a beauty.
On Sunday I managed to sneak down to nearby St. Michael’s to visit the Maritime Museum, specifically to see its large exhibit on waterfowling. They had decoys from all over the Chesapeake Bay area and a mockup of a decoy maker’s shop. The rest of the museum was quite interesting too, especially for anyone who likes boats. I took the time to climb to the top of the former Hooper Strait lighthouse, moved to the museum from its former position in the bay, and take in the view. It is especially breathtaking on a beautiful fall day.
It will be winter by the time you read this, but spring won’t be too far away. That means something special for Wildfowl Carving Magazine: With the Spring 2010 issue we will celebrate our 25th anniversary. We made our debut, as Wildfowl Carving and Collecting, in the spring of 1985. Any charter members out there? Drop us a line and tell us about your experiences with the magazine. And don’t forget to wish us a happy silver anniversary
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