How Much Wood? 

Wood. I love it. You love it. As I type, I have my feet propped up on some of it. Great stuff. Bless you, trees.

But as much as I dig wood, I can't hold a candle to the folks at the Humboldt Woodworking Society -- nor would I want to, since its members are probably standing near some wood and that would create a fire hazard.

Anyway. As proof of their woody devotion, HWS is once again hosting their Annual Wood Fair this weekend, July 9 and 10 at Almquist Lumber Co. There you'll see pieces from some of the finest woodworkers in Humboldt. Do you wood well? You can submit your wooden masterpieces as late as June 8 in different skill levels and categories ranging from furniture, cabinetry, woodturning, sculptures and more. Wait, sorry, you missed the deadline.

If your own creations are not quite ready for primetime. Fear not. The week following the fair, College of the Redwoods is hosting a woody week's worth of workshops to get you ready to submit next year. Roll call:

Luthiers School International: Harry Fleishman teaches youthe fine art of building guitars, basses, mandolins or other stringed instruments. Held Mon.-Wed., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. $240.

Hand Tooled Furniture: Greg Zall delves into the fundamentals of making fine furniture using basic hand tools. Held Mon.-Fri., 4:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. $250.

Basic Carpentry for Women I & II:  Designed for women to build confidence in their skills. Course I held on Thursday, Course II (meant for students who've completed Course I) held on Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $50.

Dovetails: Greg Zall gives tips on how to craft some of the most admired joints in woodworking. Held Sat.-Sun. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. $140.

Check out humboldtwoodfair.org for more details.