Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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The Making of a Stone Carver. My first trip with Nora, my late wife, to Ireland and Scotland, Unfolded some adumbrations of my past ancestry. I had done some genealogy before the trip for Nora's paper presentation. I knew I went back to the Picts and the first Scottish king, Kenneth MasCalpine. By actually being in these countries, it solidified my whole ancestry. I attended seminars on the Pict's stone carving and woad tattooing. (Woad is a European herb related to the mustards. Woad is also a blue dye made from its leaves.) When I returned home, I concentrated on learning to carve stones. I found Mr. Rukala, the mason for the Sacramento Cemetery. I and a young friend drove across the valley from Davis to Rockland. Rukala met us, said he had twenty minutes for the lesson, When he immediately began demonstrating with mallet and chisel. As he proceeded, the main point became ever-clear-- Carve 'always away from the weak point or line'. With this principle constantly in mind, one can rarely go wrong. He presented me with a few old, huge chisels--never used-- And invited me to grab some stones on which to practice. Then, he departed and we were left alone! We drove home, picked out a large sandstone piece, Originally found at Lake Berryessa and started in. This first and quite well done carving, if I do say so myself, Was of the Rhynie standing stone, Depicting the fourth century salmon and Pictish Beast. The instructions were perfect and the carving remains in my home. To reach out with my craft; I left examples in several craft stores. This was not a huge success, because I could not Match the price of the laser-made items. I decided to participate in a local Scottish Games festival. People began purchasing--everything went to my QR Land Trust. An artisan came by and said, "I have not seen you before", And invited me to another festival farther up north. That started things off, developing to 15 festivals, Which I attended each year. The festivals covered Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington-- A large commitment, but all a labor of love and fun. I was showered in fliers, newscasts, brochures, and invitations. A slow, but incredible fulfillment of reputation and devotion. And so it went for many years and several hundred stones! Frank Maurer 20 December 2025 0235 Hours.