My Father-In-Law's Snowshoes

My father-in-law, Bill, shows off a pair of snowshoes.

Congratulations to my father-in-law, Bill Mackowski. The Portland Press Herald in Portland, Maine--the state's largest newspaper--ran a wonderful article about him this weekend.

Among his many talents, Bill makes traditional Maine snowshoes and pack baskets. He's done specially commissioned work for Orvis outfitters, and he's twice been named a Master Artist by the Maine Arts Commission. He has amassed a collection of traditional Native American snowshoes from across Canada and the northern United States--work so impressive that the Smithsonian Institution has liken him to a "national hero."