...and as I drive by and say to the wife "I am not sure what that tree is. Rather big but cant make out the leaves they are kind of rolled up and the bark looked really odd. I says after the grocery store lets go back and get a better look" and she says " sure what ever you say you hot stud I am here to serve you" 
ok she didn't say that. After the store I was about half way home and hit the brakes. Forgot about that unknown tree. "You really going back to look?" ya that's sounds more like her. Why yes I am. I pull up to the tree from the other direction this time and see the owner had been cutting on it a bit. " Yep that's a good size tree alright but look at that bark it looks like the skin of a toad and there is vines all over it, I am not sure what it is" as I slowly roll forward then back then forward then back. Then I see the owner on the porch back behind this mess of a tree that had been growing right up against the porch. He's been watching me so I may as well get out and talk to him. Once out of the grocery get'r, aka van, I see another cut off limb and this time know right off its a box elder. I say hi to the guy and tell him I was checking out his tree. He says ya I just want to get ride of it. I am coming up to the tree now and see some more cuts showing some real heavy color and the toad skin bark is small burls next to burls.. and tell him I think I can help you with that. For a northern Minnesota box elder is a good size tree but has lots of rot in the trunk and midsection of the trunk came down on a rock wall and the limbs then made it to the sidewalk so I can see a lot of the tree is junk and ring separation is going to be a problem in parts but not all of it. 4 truck loads later I had helped him clean the majority of it up and we were both happy. This bowl has been done for awhile but just got around to taking some pictures. I had posted a pen made from this tree and I think I mention a bit of the story then. I don't know if its more common on larger trees (have not seen it on smaller) but there is a grain closer to the outer parts of the tree that I think is best described as a water drop look. And that's the stuff I find to be really neat. Its not every where in the tree so maybe its has some thing to do with those warts
bowl is 14" x 4.5
![Bowl Wood Rock]()
![Bowl Pottery Wood Ceramic Tableware]()
![Flesh]()
![Wood Sphere]()
![Red Skin Orange Close-up Peach]()
ok she didn't say that. After the store I was about half way home and hit the brakes. Forgot about that unknown tree. "You really going back to look?" ya that's sounds more like her. Why yes I am. I pull up to the tree from the other direction this time and see the owner had been cutting on it a bit. " Yep that's a good size tree alright but look at that bark it looks like the skin of a toad and there is vines all over it, I am not sure what it is" as I slowly roll forward then back then forward then back. Then I see the owner on the porch back behind this mess of a tree that had been growing right up against the porch. He's been watching me so I may as well get out and talk to him. Once out of the grocery get'r, aka van, I see another cut off limb and this time know right off its a box elder. I say hi to the guy and tell him I was checking out his tree. He says ya I just want to get ride of it. I am coming up to the tree now and see some more cuts showing some real heavy color and the toad skin bark is small burls next to burls.. and tell him I think I can help you with that. For a northern Minnesota box elder is a good size tree but has lots of rot in the trunk and midsection of the trunk came down on a rock wall and the limbs then made it to the sidewalk so I can see a lot of the tree is junk and ring separation is going to be a problem in parts but not all of it. 4 truck loads later I had helped him clean the majority of it up and we were both happy. This bowl has been done for awhile but just got around to taking some pictures. I had posted a pen made from this tree and I think I mention a bit of the story then. I don't know if its more common on larger trees (have not seen it on smaller) but there is a grain closer to the outer parts of the tree that I think is best described as a water drop look. And that's the stuff I find to be really neat. Its not every where in the tree so maybe its has some thing to do with those warts bowl is 14" x 4.5
