Woolly Mammoth

The hands above belong to James Morrow. James is crafting another of his fine pieces of jewelry from genuine woolly mammoth tusks. James obtains the tusks from the northern areas where the mammoths roamed up to about 10,000 years ago. Climate change at the end of the last ice age is thought to have caused their extinction and tusks are often recovered from the tundra, especially during gold mining operations when they are found clogging up the jaws of the mining machines. Occasionally entire frozen specimens have been found with much of the flesh preserved and scientists are busily decoding the DNA of these recently extinct creatures. Wikipedia has a very interesting article on the woolly mammoth. Their tusks, like those of modern elephants, are made from ivory, a very hard and durable substance. When shaped and polished as in the picture above its creamy color and delicate grain are beautiful. James carves designs into the pieces and inlays semi-precious stones and gold to produce unique and beautiful jewelry. The ring on his finger is a fine example of his work. More can be seen and purchased on the Inner Harbour Causeway. Just look for the Woolly Mammoth sign. You can find out more about James and woolly mammoths and also see many examples of his work on his website, by clicking here.

*In order to protect and preserve elephants, their ivory is a prohibited material and it is illegal to buy or sell it. However, since woolly mammoths are already extinct and their remains are not needed for scientific purposes, items made from woolly mammoth tusks are completely legal and are not prohibited by any national or international agreements or treaties.

The Craftsman Challenge

City Daily Photo Blogger Laurie Allee down in South Pasadena issued a challenge for photos of Craftsman style houses. Above is one of Victoria's finest. Here's what "This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Volume One" has to say about it:

This house was built in 1911...from plan 327 designed by architect Jud Yoho of Seattle. Massive stone pillars support the porch; more commonly in Craftsman houses the stone would extend only part way up as a pier, and wooden supports would rest on them. The open eaves, exposed raftertails, and beam-ends with brackets under the gales are typical.

The house has been joined to its neighbour and subdivided into small apartments but retains its outer form. It has an interesting location, being directly opposite the Mile Zero marker of the Trans-Canada Highway, where Victoria's main thoroughfare, Douglas Street, meets the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks, Laurie, for opening my eyes to the charms of this architectural style. The more I look at these Craftsman houses the more I like them and I expect to find more up north here over the coming months. I think ours may be a bit easier to photograph because, since we don't need cool shade as much, ours are less tree-enclosed than those in California.