madshutterbug | Entries tagged with friends

Day started off damp and dreary again, though not as damp as yesterday. Good thing that. We may not of gotten as much sunlight as the Weather Channel said we would. We got enough dry to open out the two pavilions and let them air dry from yesterday. Did that right after feeding the Big Critters and before feeding the Birds. After that, hung out the new Display Walls so they too can air out and dry, as well as the wonderful Kuma's Playpen Ranch banner sign Herself got made for the Farmers Market.

But no sun.

As I wrapped up on filling water stations for the Birds, Herself came out of the House with the land-line phone; call from old and dear friends M & Y NotOnBlogNets (that I know of), and currently on the road near to us bringing Mom to Baja Jorja for the winter. So we wrapped up the morning chores, which involved moving the pavilions onto the roofed back porch of Studio 318 (they are mostly dry, at the time, and moreso now) and unloading tables from the back of the pickup.

Then we drove into town to meet M & Y and Mom for lunch. Nothing fancy. Y selected the Cracker Barrel because it is located right by the interstate. We learned while at dinner that they experienced overheating problems with the car yesterday, so not being in surface traffic where idling without the radiator fan working is a good idea. While on the road, running, enough air flow passes through the radiator anyway.

At any rate, lunch lasted about two and a half hours, seemed like a lot less it went by so fast, and we all enjoyed ourselves. Y is now several years retired from Major Pharmaceutical Firm where as an architect he was responsible for a lot of their facilities planning. Now he is happy helping some of their children rebuild a house, and driving to Auto Meets with their fully restored Volkswagen Bus and Karmen Ghia.

Shared one of our photography portfolios with them so we're all up to speed on what we've been doing for fun and potentially a bit of profit.

Back to the Ranch, started the laundry (still ongoing at this writing), which involved a short nap with Houdini during the first load. Then a bit of surfing the 'Net, before out for Evening Rounds. Those done, fed the Bros, checked the laundry (still ongoing at this writing) and thinking about dinner.

Restful. Good thing, too. No voice.

Current Mood: relaxed
Current Location: teh RanchNet
Current Music: Fleetwood Mac: The Chain

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: artistic
Current Location: teh Internet Place
Current Music: Allman Brothers: Dreams

Woke up to a thunderstorm this morning. Not one of the worst ever, but some intensity. Lots of wind yesterday, a few things blown about. I will be walking a fence line today, for sure. Probably a better idea than some of the other plans for the day.

Dinner with friends last night, good. Interesting visit and proposal as a photography project, something I've been working on in a similar vein. Only down side, one friend joined the club of people intolerant to the tomato family, and so one out of three of us could not enjoy the Sloppy Goats, since I'd used salsa as part of the recipe. Alas.

Sloppy Goats tasty. Om nom nom.

Progressing closer to the end of the stay-cation. Can't claim I've not done any photography as there was the Spring Garden Festival one week ago today, and the Pity Party. No photography in studio which had been planned. On the other hand there, a lot of preparatory work done plus re-arranging again for most economical use layout. I feel pretty good about it. Still need to work up a removable handle for the posing blocks cum transport carts for other posing blocks.

Studio could be a more efficient floor plan, I suppose, yet the fact that it is an existing structure and required little outlay to convert? Hard to argue with. Indeed. Though I've discovered I need to re-set two of the hooks from which hang the backdrops. The interval is 40.5cm/16"(plus-minus on the conversion), except I very carefully measured and marked one at 15". It's close to one end, and easier to move two than to move seven.

Posing blocks will help with that, actually. They will put me closer to the ceiling for drilling new holes and setting hooks. Since there needs to be at least two more rows of these hooks, I'm looking forward (now) to getting that done. Wasn't much fun at all to put in one, or two, then need to move a lot of stuff to put in the next two...

Time to wrap things up in House and head out for Morning Rounds. Part of which will include Houdini and I walking that fence line looking for branches down.

Current Mood: accomplished

We are now done with painting, de-caulking, re-caulking, and a few other odds and ends which I didn't help with because of the above.

Time now for Tacos/Burritos. ::nods:: Goat. Mmmmmmm.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: Rittersalle
Current Music: London Bridge is Falling Down

Saturday Recount: SP Trip

Left the Ranch around 12:00, topped off petrol in Williston, then down 41 rather than the Interstate. Just because. Added one hour to the trip; there are three spots along the drive for route change decisions. One shifts me over to heading down 19 along the coast. The other two allow me to run over to I-75 north of the I-275 interchange. Both of those would skip some of the slower areas on 41.

Arrived, stretched a bit, then we all loaded up into the White Bus and ran down to Maximo Park.

singingnettle should recall that spot, though today is both much less windy and less overcast. Made photos so there is something for comparison and discussion after dinner.
For dinner they are going to kidnap me and take me to a place where they will force me to eat sushi.

Sunday Morning

I’m the only one awake, which is normal I think. Listening to music, a gift from the Boss for Christmas, a five CD compilation titled ‘Classic Collection’ a veritable smorgasbord or mostly single pieces. As in, single movements from larger pieces. As in, could be called Top 50 Classic Hits. The music is good, well played, nice interpretations. As a ‘Top 50' compilation this could serve as a great introduction to ‘classical’ music, however, in the case of those single movements from a larger piece for anyone who knows the music, it leaves one ... lacking. Wanting the rest of those pieces. Though the single, stand-alone pieces, this is a very nice manner to add them to the music library.

After getting back from Maximo Park, we all uploaded our photos to our respective PC’s and chatted a bit, then headed out to Super Buffet for the aforementioned sushi feast. Good food, good meal, not perhaps outstanding sushi but far from bad. Back to the house, and some more comparing of photographs, then we watched a couple episodes of “Black Books” on DVD, a Brit comedy series which Skippy owns. Quite amusing, very bizarre (as Brit humour often seems to be), and I could see to trying to track these down, I could.

Soon: Breakfast. Going to look for another friend and pass some good fortune that way, if it works out.

Current Mood: hungry
Current Location: Fat Fred's
Current Music: various

Quite a full weekend, actually.

We received a phone call from the Dispatcher for County Sheriff on Saturday, about a black cow out on the highway nearby. Went out, counted heads (10, all present), and Houdini & I walked the fenceline (no holes or down stretches). Ergo, not our cow. I did drive the highway a short stretch, as the phone call implied the cow might not stay where she'd been chased off the road, the fence in that spot being broken.

No cow.

Then last night, right on about 21:45 another call from the Dispatcher for County Sheriff this time about a white bull, from the call fairly near where the previous sighting took place. Went out, head count (10, all present). Called Dispatcher back on both occasions to let them know there are no Unauthorised Absent Bovines from our herd. This is more important than it sounds, as those Dispatch logs may be subpoenaed for any case involving Bovine Vs. Automotive Vehicle, and even if the bovine wasn't owned by ourselves if there's no record of our responding to the call, could be dragged into the fracas as a consequence.

Solstice party on Saturday, saw all manner of friends and some whom I haven't seen in quite some time. Brought the Huge Whitman Sampler gift from Secret Santa. Skippy apparently thought I'd 'photoshopped' it into that photograph... or at least that's what I understand from comments in passing. Plus a visit on Sunday morning with a delivery of silicone chips in an array, and a hand-off of some goat and goat skulls.

Added some more to the Cheesy Piggie batch for another party on Sunday evening, however it seems the actual date got confused and that party took place on Friday evening. We missed it.

But there's plenty of Cheesy Piggie. Squrrl particularly seems to approve, since I drizzled some on their kibbles dinner Sunday.

A few other things, mostly kind of preparatory either for projects here or for posting various places. Some images I'll probably upload here as well, since the other sites I'm putting them on require specific membership. Still, progress overall. And a good time, right around the Solstice.

That, particularly, means a lot to me.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Derek & Dominos: Layla

Houdini and I started getting the kid milk ready for the Herd of 6 when the phone rang. I kept working; we screen calls when necessary through the simple expedient of leaving the answering machine on all the time. This call I picked up, even though it interrupted getting the milk ready. I'd been expecting one albeit probably next week. The call led to dinner with an old and dear friend.

She and her husband are driving her mother down to mother's winter home, another four hours or so further south in Baja Jorja, and timed their trip to stay overnight hereabouts. Her father died earlier this year, this is Mother's first winter (and holidays) without. She will not be alone, however.

A good dinner. It's been nigh on 15 years since we've seen each other. Much less for contacts, just time between seeing. A good visit. Their children are now grown, they are grandparents, and this year her husband A told his employer, 'It's been grand. Please pay me not to come here anymore.'

Ah, a good visit.

Oh, and the Herd of 6 did much better with the Bucket'ONipples, including Bigger B&W Buckling though he needed a bit of 1 on 1 time to catch the clue bus. Shiners seemed not to have, as he kept trying to climb on top of the bucket. Then it occurred to me, Shiners is used to a bit more touchy time since he is one of the smallest, and Herself always made sure he got his share. Well, so did I, eh? What he was looking for was that touchy time. He got quite enough nutrition on his own, what with there being 4 nipples to spare. At the least. Five in function, as Bigger B&W sort of hung out in the background sulking because the nipples weren't right (at first). We'll see if he's still got the clue bus ticket this morning.

Herself got home late from Parade, so I still don't know how things went, other than the quick report phoned in while I parboiled myself in the tub. Sorry, I'd just gotten in, wasn't going to get out again to go halfway across the house for the phone.

Current Mood: content
Current Location: Ranch

In Three Parts:
( Friday )

( Saturday )

( Sunday )

After that, another brief conversation with another Dealer in the Dealer Room looking for some resources to make some props I'm contemplating for Studio, plus brief visit with Skippy. Then out the door, across the road for a Subway lunch, and then back up the road to home. Got back to teh Ranch right about 16:00 to an enthusiastic greeting from the Border Collie Bros, and just in time to help Herself replace some of our broken screens. Now, more windows open, far fewer mosquitoes coming in for dinner while we sleep.

Hot, hot soak before bed and after a dinner of Herself's Fried Rice along with watching 'The Water Horse' which she'd recorded while I was gone. All in all, a good weekend followed by a great evening home.

But, yanno, I don't think we're in our 30's any more, Toto.

Current Mood: tired accomplished
Current Location: Leaving Hospital
Current Music: Nothing, Yet.

Pay no mind to the man behind the camera.

Quick recount of the Con so far. Two interesting panels. Quite a bit interesting in the Art Auction room. Some interesting things in the Dealers Room. One interesting video watched. Robert DeNiro as (well, I'm still not quite sure which of the two, so) either a gay, or a cross-dressing, pirate. Yes, I shall want to watch this one again (Stardust). Some outstanding costumes in the Costume Contest. And several old friends visited with.

And a lot of sketch-book photos made. Which means y'all will probably only see about 10% of them, but the rest are most excellent food for thought on some projects percolating away in the hind brain.

And Houdini, not to worry, I shall be home tomorrow.

Current Mood: tired

One of the people I read very, very regularly is the inestimable

tx_cronopio, who nearly every week posts a delightful Frivolous Friday Poll. However, this particular point in time is running a bit roughshod over the inestimable Cronopio, so several of us who are CronopioFanz are doing up Frivolous Friday for her. In keeping with my immediate prior post, I bring you a Poll.

Have fun!

[Poll #1233580]

Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Touch the Stars

After getting fairly to very good connections on teh Ranch's Old, Rural, North Central Baja Jorja phone network dial-up the past couple of days, today we are crawling at the somewhat more common 26.4 Kbps. It figures. This speed makes surfing the web a rather boring thing, actually, and would certainly not suffice for anyone with serious ADHD. So not much for the morning, I'm sure. Maybe again later.

Dinner last night was good, a nice visit with S&K as well as a couple other neighbors I don't see often. S, who is a blacksmith no he does not shoe horses he's not a farrier, is making a display stand for an acquaintences broomhandle Mauser. For reasons which will become apparent soon, this really tickled me. For those who may care, it's a Spanish copy of the 7.63 mm version of the C96. The broomhandle name came along because the original wooden stock would fit onto the grip to extend the piece and help with aiming; either that or because the wooden grip looks like a broom handle. Not sure totally, and it just isn't terribly important to me just now.

Most everyone has seen them different times, different movies. One features in the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Harrison Ford carried one with cosmetic modifications as Han Solo's blaster in the Star Wars films.

With such a slow connection, it's fairly easy to stop perusing the 'Net and head off to make morning Ranch rounds. Perhaps later. We'll see.

Current Mood: chipper
Current Location: teh Ranch

In Anno Societie XII 'Murieann Deora-de, called Strider, founded the Shire of Starhaven'... 'alas, poor Yorrick...' I knew her well. It's been quite some time since I paid much attention to specific dating regarding the Society for Creative Anachronism. Ran across this bit skimming through Herself's Tailwinds (the Trimaris newsletter) this morning. It's now A.S. XXXXII, and it's been 30 years since Strider founded Starhaven.

People have been born to parents who played in the Current Middle Ages, and now are playing themselves with children of their own.

The mind boggles.

Today I set off for points north. Thanks to those who've offered comments and support in response to my cryptic postings. It is not something needing venting, it is simply part of life. It is simply a deal with it kind of thing.

Current Mood: thoughtful

The Cabin is stirring. People are watering themselves. I made coffee. One hopes it meets the standards of the Major Coffee Mavin living here. *G* We are slowly getting moving for Golden Dragon! More sumptuous food than I can shake chopsticks at! And the meeting of

jehannamama et al. This is going to be another good day.

We probably didn't sleep enough again, though.

zompus and

goth_huntress Kick Major Ass at Guitar Hero. It's fun, but if one actually plays guitar that can interfere. I did... OK. On Easy. And Slow.

I am being stalked. Tam stalked me earlier. I think this time it's Neko because I've only caught glimpses of her...

Current Mood: waking up
Current Location: The Cabin, Other West Coast

There's a friend of mine. I'm stealing this from her. Because, yanno, I'm so glad to see this coming from her. And, yanno, I like it.

( I think you will too... )

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: Allman Bros: Stand Back

Woke up much earlier than usual, couldn't go back to sleep. Not so bad, not a 'white night' kind of thing. Just an hour or so earlier than usual. Sort of freaked out the cats.

Is payday. Paycheck is larger than normal. Until New Position I probably wouldn't notice at first, but now I'm salaried. Paycheck is the same each time. What? Oh yes. Third payday of the month. Joy; is also the Pay Mortgage payday. Done.

We ordered lunch delivery today because it is both Leap Day and Third Payday. Chinese, from a local ~~pun~~ place Wok-n-Roll. I got won ton soup, shrimp eggroll, and curry chicken with white rice. Yum! Good curry, left very pleasant linger taste for a good duration.

Still pondering upon a couple of the image meme items... good puzzlers! Oh, it is so onerous to have such clever friends! Yes, indeed.

Current Mood: full

It's been a few years since I've attended a St. Benet's Feast; even longer since I've been 'active' in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism for those who don't recognise the acronym). The last time to a St. Benet's in fact, is like three, maybe four years back. Most probably three, as it resulted later in the year in a wonderful studio session with

alienorade and

ichthyus and contrasting sari.

( So, Why St Benet's if I'm No Longer SCA? )

Following the gift exchange, we started clearing the hall and straightening up. We got back to the Ranch just before midnight.

Current Mood: relaxed
Current Location: teh Ranch

Nicked from

salamet and

jehannamama, Go to your calendar and find the first entry for each month in 2007.Post the first line/sentence of it in your journal, and that's your "Year in Review."

I've done this one before, and I tend to do it a bit differently from other folk. Each sentence is from teh first posting, starting in January. Makes for an ... interesting ... paragraph.

And a fine time was enjoyed by all. General Musings - Which despite the militaristic sound of the two words is not about Federally Subsidised Tourists. I am moving office locations today. Herself is home from SCA (Trimaris Coronation), safe and sound. Wondering why today the iShuffle is playing all the quiet, somber pieces? What a day. Today is Monday. Tired. Brought Houdini into the house yesterday evening because of severe thunderstorms. Yes, as the subject line says, it's an autopost. It's definitely that time of year. We are home now; mostly unpacked, laundry started, catching up. I thought (too late) about figuring out how to show this text 180 degrees, because it's the end of faxon's Hippo Birdies Down Under.

Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Sheep May Safely Graze

Well, looks like

popperaussie put up pics from the Sushi Bash before I did, here. Though curiously enough they're all pics I took of him... I'm starting to wonder if that otter had film in that camera.

Current Mood: amused

S & K, our friends and neighbors from up the road, stopped by at 09:30 to pick us up for the road trip to

fatfred's Sushi Bash in Tampa. We were the first to arrive in the parking lot after an uneventful ride down, but only by about 10 minutes. By a bit after noon we were seated and commenced to eat. Skippy & MK, S & K, myself and Herself,

marjai with Sadie,

annieguen,

kalilove, shortly after we started the man with no name

kenshusei, and a couple other friends all dug in and made a sizable hole in the buffet of SUSHI. And SASHIMI. And there was much rejoicing.

Even

popperaussie (who stowed away in my camera bag, but at least he brought his own camera) was very happy, since

mini_fred managed to bring back at least a wee bit of his shopping list from Oz. But I'll no doubt let Popper tell his one part of the story. All I will say is,

kenshusei shouldn't of turned his back on his plate, leaving that much sushi on it and Popper sitting right there...

So there you San Diego Dim Sum-mers, eh?

Following the storging of our appetites with SUSHI, we repaired to

fatfred's place across Tampa Bay for a bit more of a visit and captivating tales of The Lucky Country from Skippy. MK, still very much jet-lagged (they only arrived home on Friday) adjourned to his place to crash.

Tomorrow, when I've a better connection to the Internet Place, I'll post a few photos from Teh Par-tay. Specifically, I got a couple good shots of the opal pendant MK gave to Skippy. And I 'spect

popperaussie will post a few pics of himself and the gang, too.

Meanwhile, though, it's time to sit back and digest. I am experiencing Fat Ole Hound-Dawg Syndrome...

Current Mood: full

I am a day late for Canada Day; then again I didn't turn a computer on yesterday at all. Woken up by Herself in the wee hours, problems out with the goat herd. One of our goats is rather torn up, multiple bite marks, udder is torn. We moved her and the transport pen (having broken down the Maternity Pen/Hosptial up close to the house. By which I mean Herself moved the doe, I moved the pen. It's small enough to fit into the back of Forrest NissanPickup, still it's not all that easy to move, particularly in the dark.

Goat is doing OK so far; wounds cleaned up, nothing that needs sutures, keeping an eye on her. Since I'd been up Friday since 05:darkhundred and worked long day at Hospital, once the moveing part was done I collapsed in bed again. Herself pulled a "night shift" taking care of doe and checking on the rest of the herd.

Morning, and Herself rolled into bed about the time I got up. I headed out to feed everyone and do my own rounds after the first cup of coffee and while it was still relatively cool. Knew it would be a day for feed runs (Saturday usually is), and took inventory. Houdini helped me with all of this, though Mamma Mudge crashed with Herself (having been up all night helping). Smudge and Squrrl also cast about, and based on their reactions and following some scent trail, well, we still aren't sure. The opinion leans toward coyote. It could be dogs belonging to neighbors across the road in the next county, but no definitive evidence. You'd think someone might learn after having to replace their dogs on a periodic basis...

Feed run included gasoline run, and I'm glad I didn't bring Houdini with me this time even if he did express some disapointment that he wasn't coming. Temp climbed up into the 90's before I finished, and I was hot even with wind movement while driving. Still, we are now replentished with corn, cow, horse, and custom bird. No worries getting through the long holiday weekend.

Finished up with that around 13:00, did a bit of housekeeping, then started getting ready for party. My friend S (of S & K) celebrated the occasion of University now paying him not to come in and work anymore. Plenty of beer, a lot of good food including 'buffalobergers' from ground water buffalo, Herself made pate (Recipe: First, raise the hog), and great visits with

fatfred and

chaosloki and

leonthalasios. Andros isn't on my Flist but I bounce through his place periodically via several links who are.

chaosloki, I'm supposed to remind you about some things...

Yeah, actually I do remember some of it. Firefly (in relation to trades) and music, though I'm a bit fuzzier on exactly which music. And of course I'm supposed to remind you about

fatfred.

Today will be a different division of labour. I'm to run into G'ville to acquire plywood to finish up the mat board storage in Studio 318. Herself will take care of feeding the critters, because we want the town run to be done by noon, since it's still the 3/50 AC in Forrest NissanPickup.

Current Mood: chipper

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Close Meditations of a Visual Kind

Refractions of a Photographer

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