Kid Sized Picnic Table with A Story
Sometime in the mid 1980’s when the Co-op was uptown where the land trust is now I noticed a children’s picnic table someone had donated was getting lower and lower. The day it collapsed I grabbed it up and took it home. Using it as a pattern I made one for our kids, Danny and Amanda and one for the Co-op. Perhaps a week later while I was shopping at the Co-op a 7’ young man approached who asked if I needed some wood carving done? He introduced himself as a long-distance bicyclist who was supporting himself while traveling by carving wood for people. He called himself Schloit which he said translated to “carving chisel” in English. and said that due to his hyperactive pituitary his bones were going to continue to get bigger as he grew older so he was bicycling in order to help his heart be strong. Just peddling through, soon to leave for California. Wow, serendipitous! A bicycling giant skilled in wood carving?
“Yes, please come with me now!” I said.
He followed me to our home on his bike. Showing him the two tiny picnic tables I had just about finished he agreed to carve something kids would like. In an hour or so he carved a dolphin on one and a clown on the other. What a treat for my kids and for the Co-op kids.
The table was there at the old store for years but didn’t make the move when the store moved to where it is now. When he was finished Schloit said I was the first person to ever hire him without looking at his portfolio which he then pulled out of his bicycle bag. Wow, what a treat. Yes, a Maestro! I hired him to carve the timber we walked under after entering the southeast corner of our remodeled kitchen. The windows there, the skylight, always filled with the easterly first sunlight. Using no power tools on a difficult knotty Doug Fir beam he created a beautiful carving we call Dawn Greeter. Just for fun I paid him in Eisenhower dollars, big round dollar coins you hardly ever see any more. He laughed -and thanked me for helping him keep in shape by adding 5 pounds of coins to his pack. He wrote us from Eugene where he spent the last of them. May he still be strong!
When our Co-op’s 50th anniversary was coming up I thought yes! The co-op needs another kids table! Before you go into the store next time you go shopping walk around to the south side of the building. The kids table is tucked among the outdoor tables. Bring your kids and a snack to enjoy. Several people have told me they remember the old table. Let me know if you do too.
Warm regards,
Doug Milholland