Once there was an apple tree. It belonged to our neighbours, who generously shared their harvest with us. One day the apple tree stopped giving fruit. Insects burrowing into the trunk had cut short its life. It was time to chop the apple tree down.
As a thank you for sharing the apples, I was happy to cut down the tree.
As a thank you for cutting down the tree, I was happy to share in the wood.
There wasn’t a lot of usable wood left but what was salvageable made beautiful turning wood. Applewood is so nice to hold with its dark-light grain providing a gorgeous contrast.
As a thank you for the wood, I turned a little something for Mr. Neighbour. He happens to be the president of the local beekeepers association, so to keep order at his bee meetings, he now has a honey-dipper themed gavel with a hint of apple to hand:
While Mrs. Neighbour scored a turned and carved butter knife:
And I scooped the best of all – the pleasure of turning this little fellow:
NANOTRAY 
Max, such nice work and what a great gifting back to your neighbors. These are the things that add so much to our lives. Bob Hedges West Bay Wood Turners
Thanks, it makes woodturning all the more fun.
I love how that apple tree didn’t die in vain. My, what beautiful work you do!
Thank you, Marianna, I tried to rescue some prune wood recently that was equally nibbled to death. It seemed like every turn on the lathe uncovered more insect burrowings. What goes round comes round!