I’ve been thinking about this wood for a long time:
One thing keeps coming to mind–Mordor. Anyone else feel it? The volcano palisander in previous posts does too.
Yes? Mt Doom perhaps?
And this:
Orcs painted for battle (…work with me here).
Admittedly, I re-read the Lord of the Rings this year, but I don’t see Sauron’s eye in the clouds or orcs in the grills of cars (think Target commercials). Nonetheless, these bring to mind Mt. Doom, Barad-Dur, the Misty Mountains, Cirith Ungol, Frodo’s troubled dreams. Orthanc too, so I guess it’s not just Mordor.
It’s an odd association for ukuleles, but one that’s been calling. Running with the idea, though at the risk of trauma to LOTR fans, I freely adapt Tolkien’s ring inscription to my own sensibilities about life and music:
One love to rule them all,
One love to find them,
One love to bring them all,
and in the music bind them.
I feel that love is the core “energy” of life in all its fantastic diversity. Music (also amazingly diverse) springs out of love as a powerful force to join (bind) us; to catalyze connections, community, gratitude, and, in a great circle–or ring, if I may–love.
No doubt this is ripe for psychoanalysis, as well as accusations of extreme sappiness and fuzzy-headed thinking; but sappiness seems quite fitting for a woodworker, while fuzzy-headed is merely accurate;-).
Pat Megowan Stringed Instruments 