Spirit of the Desert Gourd Patch members have had a busy month. Spring is a great time to take classes and many of our members have taken several lately. It makes our Thursday work groups especially fun, seeing new products and techniques.

Learning from others is the best part of joining a patch, or club. We are one of eight sanctioned patches of the Arizona Gourd Society. We have 45 members, mostly from Sun Lakes. We also have members from Casa Grande, Maricopa, Tempe, Mesa and Apache Junction.

Over half of us are snowbirds so spring also brings up the usual question – what to pack and take? Gourders do NOT travel lite! In fact, some might say, “gourders are hoarders.” Not true; it’s just that you can do anything on a gourd. Paint and dyes, wood burning, carvings, beading, coiling rims, decorative cuts, weaving, making musical instruments – and that takes a lot of stuff! And we’ve all got that special gourd that we might finally have time to do. It seems most of us will head north with supplies by the tote-load and more than a few gourds.

In the summer the Thursday work group still meets. We will have a very small business meeting on May 19 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in the Arts and Crafts Room. Then regular monthly meetings are postponed until September 15.

To learn more about our group, check out our website at spiritdesertgourds.com or call President Vicki McKenna at 480-296-3778.