Man, does THAT photo bring back memories!!! When your dad found out that "bonsai" was already taken, he came up with "4bonsai", which nobody had thought of yet. He also got a plate "4Saikei" for Melba Tucker to put on her big gray Caddie..... You're working in a rapidly diminishing tradition now, Kiddo.... Kay and Khan Komai both gone, Harry Hirao gone, John Naka gone, Melba gone--- so many of our old friends. Great to see Jim Barrett keeping active, and Lindsay Shiba riding strict herd on the wayward Baikoen gang. I have a son 28 yrs old ( Jesus!!) who's interested but, like you did, has bigger fish to swim with.
For the Forumites who can tolerate a little sentimentality, Thomas22's dad was one of the best demonstrators in L.A. during the 70's. He was fast and artistically very sound. He was also an extreme Man-of-Action. I liked to sit and think about stuff for a few hours before beginning work on trees--- he wanted to get with the work immediately. That was one reason Harry and he hit it off so perfectly, and became really close. It's always the complaint of the useless old geezer that so much history is being lost, but I'll make it anyway. We had a hell of a lot of fun in "them good old days"
john