Continuing his search, he came across a couple of models with bone handles, and a few white sticks for blind people. He was glad he didn't need one of those, even though he was technically disabled. He realized he could file an insurance claim for the cost of the cane.



Finally, Sam decided on one particular model. It didn't have anything fancy, but it did have a handle. When he got it home, he got out his trusty carving knife and went to work. He had decided that he would carve his own designs into the cane. He started at the top and began carving, carefully. He carved a special animal for every injury that he had received in his life. There was a turtle for the sprang ankle he had when he was in 4th grade. Then he carved a dove for the injured knee he got playing high school football. He then made a snake winding around the cane to represent the broken leg that happened while he was in the military. It was a wonder that he wasn't more disabled than he was, other than from the hip and limp that it caused.

When he was done carving, he looked at his work and was very proud. He tried out the cane and walked up to the corner drug store, showing it to a couple of neighbor women he met along the way. Then he returned home, glad that he had purchased it. It helped take some of the weight off his hip as he walked, and he apparently had not weakened it with the carving. He limped out to the shed and got a can of stain and returned to the garage, where he stained the stick a nice brown color. He let it dry for a day or two and got out a can of spray polyurethane. He then carefully coated it from top to bottom to protect it from dirt, oil, and water. It was looking pretty good at this point.



Over the next few days, Sam got so many compliments that he decided to start a part time business making hand carved walking canes. Business was slow at first, but as word got around, business became very brisk and kept him busy all the time. Everyone loved his hand carvings, and they were all quite pleased that they could get assistance with their walking with his beautiful canes.