Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

I’m the chuffed new owner of the one-of-a-kind Paddlelele built by master luthier Fred Casey (of C.F. Casey Guitars). This tenor ‘ukulele began as a child’s canoe paddle… by dent of imagination and practiced skill it evolved into Fred’s entry into the Lake, the WAVE/WINNBAC art show currently on exhibit at the New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli, Manitoba (I was attending the show with Ev, who’s entry was entitled On the surface all seemed normal…, and the Paddlelele called to me the moment I saw it on exhibit).

Lake Winnipeg (the world’s 11th-largest freshwater body) looms large for anyone living in these parts. Commenting on Paddlelele, Fred says: “To me, the lake means canoeing: slipping along in a sheltered cove or quiet backwater. Canoes and ‘ukuleles just seem to go together: a couple under a full moon, he paddling slowly as she serenades him with her ‘uke.”

Paddlelele, front, back, and side views. The original paddle is white poplar, back and sides are black walnut, as is the fingerboard. The tuning pegs are hand-carved black walnut, salvaged from one of Fred’s early dulcimers.