#bergen_county

Dagmar has been working hard , her mind fresh with energy and inspiration, the wood smoothed , the colors drawn out

Her hands are not the most graceful, but they are steady. She has switched to the finest sandpaper, patiently working circles over the carving.

Dagmar feels something in her soul rejoice at this.

Connor sits nearby, trying not to fidget or distract her as he watches. Finally he can't help it, "Whatcha making?"

She shows him. It is a swan, mid-launch, its wings spread.

“A bird!” He admires. “I didn’t know there was a bird in that stick. How’d you see it?”

"I dunno. I felt it. Do you want to carve, too? I have some bass wood..."

“Bass wood? Is that like a fish stick?” Goofy grin.

"Well, it's a stick and you could make a fish..."

“I DO like fish sticks...” he looks unsure but is game to try, taking the chuck of wood and holding it gingerly. “Like this?” Knife held inward towards the palm holding the wood.

"Like this..." Gentle correction, showing how to place his thumb.

Dag puts her hands over his, and guides him through a cut. "See? You pull it in, so you don' get hurt."

He carefully follows and is rewarded with a crooked curl of wood. “Oh!”

"And then you cut away what isn't a fish. Sometimes I draw it on in pencil. It helps."

He holds up the stick towards the sunlight and squints at it. “Heeeerre, fishy fishy fishy...”

A soft chuff and a grin.

And he gives it a couple more swipes, turning it in his hands and ‘hmmm’ing and ‘aha’ing. “Today Spark was jumping around more. He flutters his wings a bit but they don’t do anything yet. He tried a jump over a hay bale... and he got stuck in the hay. “

"Did he figure out how to get out, or did he need help?"

“I thought his Ma was gonna help him, but then she just ate some of it. It was a ‘tol you so’. I helped though. Maybe he should learn to hop scotch.”

“I never get stuck in the hay bales. I jump clean over them, but I do like them there when I’m on the way back down.”

"I'm glad you helped."

"Star doesn't hold much for nonsense, and babies have a lot of nonsense."