Index

Featuring information about Dick "Doc" Wightman and his activities, including: antique sewing machines, quilting, traditional archery, Howard Hill bows, kites, sailing, model railroading, and entertainment.

Welcome to my home page. My old home page, www.treadleon.net, became so large and so devoted to the collection and use of antique sewing machines, that it became necessary to reduce its size and simplify it. One way to help do this was to remove my personal activity pages and establish them as a separate site. The old site, TreadleOn.net, is still there, and is still one of the principal source sites for information on the collection, restoration and use of antique sewing machines.

This page is devoted to my personal hobby activities. It will still cover some of the things I used to do, like work as an entertainer, but I am pretty much truly retired now. Some folks do still seek out "Doc Wightman's Traveling Music, Madness and Medicine Show", and I do perform a few times a year, usually for charity.

This site is forever under construction as I re-format and reconstruct old pages, and create new ones to add based on new activities.

Dick quilting on treadle sewing machine.

Dick With Barney and Fred

Performing circa 1990-1995

Dick flying large (dangerously large, actually) fluted sled kite. In optimum conditions, this kite can lift you off the ground.

Sailing on "Isle of Wight" circa 1980

Dick wih vintage longbow.

At draw...

Antique Sewing Machines - A page where I show some of the more interesting machines I get from time to time.

Archery and Howard Hill Bow Shooters Web Site - This link takes you to a set of pages related to archery and particularly to Howard Hill bows. In the fall of 2005 I returned to an activity I had enjoyed back in the late 60's and early 70's. I have gotten pretty intense about traditional archery, particularly about Howard Hill bows, and this is now an index page with links to specific archery related activities, such as the Howard Hill Bows email list, other pages page on specific aspects of Howard Hill bows, and the "Passing the Buck" project, as well as a page where I can show any bows I have for sale or trade.

Bulletin Board - A convenient spot to post announcements and pictures that I want to share with interested parties. subject to frequent change.

Directions to My House - If you want to come by, here is a set of directions and maps that will get you here.

Harry Potter - I am quite addicted to reading about Harry Potter and the Wizard World, and have managed to collect a lot more volumes than have been published... you can, too!

Kites - I have been very active in kite making and design. Here are some of my better known ones

Kermit & The Old Geezer - Being the Being the Journal of a Small Green Motor Scooter and an Old Man Who is Trying to Recapture a Youth He Never Had...

Model Railroading - This is another of my long-time interests. It lanquished after our last move to a smaller house, but I finally built a layout in On30, learning much about that guage/scale. I am now working on a new On30 layout for a 14' x14' room. Both the old layout and the new one have pages from this link. This link will take you to the main railroading page, which discusses my past railroading, and provides a link tocurrent Ballard Southern Railroad projects. Also linked to these pages are some pages covering the Ballard Terminal Railroad, a local shortline railroad that is the basis of my model layouts.

My Shop and Basement Play Area - I recently completely reorganized my workshop and the whole area of the basement/garage that makes up my "play" area. Since a lot of folks on my email lists kind of follow along on many of my projects, I thought I would show the results so that they can picture the areas when I mention them.

Mountain Dulcimers - Not long ago, I developed a need for hand/finger therapy and couldn't handle guitar well any more, so I tried mountain dulcimers. I am completely enthralled with this wonderful instrument, and here are some pictures of the ones I play.

Performing - pictures from my past performing days and information on the last show I ran, "Doc" Wightman's Music, Madness and Medicine Show",

Sailing - This link will take you to a page covering some of my sailing history. I have been ashore for several years, but this page documents out boating experience.