Olympic Natl. PK.,WA - Linda Silvas Art Work

One day out driving around seeing things, we stopped at a wonderful store that was part of a Indian Reservation. There we saw a beautiful coffee table like we had never seen. It had a drum in it under glass so you could see it, yet use it. We knew by now we were going to keep doing this traveling awhile yet. I had lots of places I wanted to see. So we walked out declaring if we ever got back in that area we were going to have one of those. Well, years later when we went to Alaska (you'll be hearing about that trip too, one of these days) we made sure we came back through that area to visit Lake Crescent Lodge again, see Smokey, but most of all to now buy that coffee table. We walked in and asked where they were and were told the man that made those went to Arizona. They didn't have any. Disappointment!!!!! "BUT there is a lady that has a shop close by at Sequim, WA, and she makes drums". How often does one statement or being in the right place at the right time change your life?? That trip to Linda Silvas drum shop was not only the right place but we have a friend now for life. She makes the most beautiful drums, has acted in a movie, raised her grandson and knows how drugs can affect parents so travels all over the world talking to "Grandparents raising their Grandchildren" groups, teaching how to make drums, as well as running her own business making true Indian leather drums. She has written a Native American folk lore book called "Mama Bear Baby Bear" that every parent should have and read to their children. You will find that animals have a tree with forbidden fruit like the (should be) forbidden things our young are getting. It is written so well with Mama actually being (grandma bear) and her art work is beautiful on & in the book as well as on her drums she makes. A truly talented nice person. She even came to see us Kansan's when she spoke to a group in Kansas City. I could go on & on about Linda but the best thing you could do is just go to her web sight. http://www.mamabearbabybear.com/. I would like to finish with telling about the 20" drum we bought. Since we had spent the summer before at Yellowstone with the buffalo, bears, elk; she had a drum with all. The leather of the drum was buffalo hide, a soft leather drape of deer hide across it, & the drum beater (real name?) & under the drum where you hold to beat the drum is beautiful black bear fur. We brought it back to Kansas and had a friend that has made cabinets all his life design & make an oak stand to hold the drum & a glass covering several inches above to set things on. We can still take the glass off and get the drum out and beat it like a drum is supposed to be used. I was told by a fellow employee when we worked at Yellowstone and had some drums hanging behind our jewelry counter (that I would get down and beat once in awhile when I was bored). The beat I was using was the movies Indian beat and that is NOT how they beat their drums. Anyway thanks for letting me rattle on and do take a look at Linda's web sight. Jeanette