What we have on hand

I really enjoy using wood that I can scrounge or gather locally. I do carry a saw and sometimes a hatchet in the car with me, because you never know when an opportunity will arise. Since I moved back to the desert, I have been getting aquainted with mesquite, citrus wood, arizona sycamore, arizona cypress, bottlebrush, olive, and various other native and transplanted woods. I was really missing the birch that I had almost unlimited access to before the move, and I still do, but I am really enjoying the process of discovery with these other woods. The differences in texture, grain patterns, hardness, toughness, and especially how they feel and smell is an experience that I really do savor.
When in a thoughtful mood, I see parallels between this hobby of mine and the rest of life. There really is value in working with the things and people that are already around us. So often, I want to import solutions to the problem at hand. The risk is that I miss out on and discard the things and people that are right here, in favor of something more exotic and perhaps less suited to my environment.