Finally finished. It took over 400 years to make this bowl. Of coarse I only invested the last few hours. The white oak came out of Craig Co. VA. Tucked in the middle of a quaint valley between the Catawba and Fort Lewis mountain ranges. The tree fell mid-morning the same day as the V Tech shooting April, 2007 in a strong wind storm whipping up the valley. There are over 84 growth rings counted on this piece.
What's amazing is that it's actually just a branch from the upper part of the tree approximately 22"-26" in diameter. That's Dale a good friend and owner of the bowl. This picture should give you a visual idea of the enormity of the tree. The very base took up a 9' circle while at head height about a 5' girth. The inside heartwood had been consumed by ants leaving a 24"x5' space I could easily slip into and stand up in. The log in the lower left of the picture is the piece the bowl is made from.

It was a pleasure meeting 2 fellow woodworkers yesterday. Jim and Don your both always welcome to visit anytime.

The Boss is now liquidating our assets. She sold the couch and love seat! What's next our little doggy(I'll take $300 for an opening bid). There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works. Now she'll spend a month looking for 2 big armed chairs. It also means that a cheap purse is on the back burner and pricey chairs are in her sights. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.
I just made the mistake of reading this out loud and her reply was if you sell my dog I'll **** *** *** *** ** ***.