Thanks again folks for your kind remarks. alador, not quite root handles. I guess I am fortunate in one respect. I live within a quarter mileof Moro Creek.... Less than that to the "bottoms". This seems to be prime ground to find saplings that had been damaged in some way, and had to send up another main trunk... The original rotting away. I actively look for these shapes and harvest them. The handle region of some is well larger than iI need and may take quite a bit of reduction.... Using an angle grinder with coarse sanding disks. I know it may sound stupid, but I'll start with something in mind, but the wood may start hinting at something altogether different. The squirrel, MJC4, is a trunk and limb section. I was just going to make a regular cane handle. But as I was grinding away at it, I realized that it was kinda resembling a squirrel. So, I have it a shot. I just hope I can finish the carving well, because now its getting down to the detail work, and I'm nervous about ruining it. I don't have a clue as to the wood type. It was given to me from a friend and was a couple of years cured when I received it. The snake is oak. And the regular handled cane is spalted gum. I used a golden Pecan stain first, just swatching around on it and not covering the whole stick. Then rubbing it off quickly, I then put on a diluted gun stock stain.... Wiping it off quickly. I just play around with different ideas.... Sometimes they work out...... Lol.