I used to love the internet back in the days. It was the Wild West and open to all. Social media changed all that.
Our Night of Baseball
Our first baseball game of 2021 came on a warm night, and I went home with a prize!
Digital Painting Demo of Brooks
This digital painting demo was created way back in November for a Christmas pet portrait order. In this demo, I show the whole screen including the software palettes and my reference images. I use an older version of Corel Painter (from 2019). My current system is a bit slow for the latest versions. Typical of software these days, there’s a lot of feature bloat in the newer versions anyway. The final size of this portrait …
BLM: The New Fascists
It’s clear to anyone with eyes to see that BLM is the new fascists. If you think Black Lives Matter Burn Loot Murder are heroes, you need to read a little history. Current events have a way of reminding me of the past; history repeating and/or rhyming and all that. In the present insanity there have been many moments which reminded me of a scene in an old novel from the mid seventies. In truth …
The Year of the Porcupine
I don’t know what year it is on the Chinese calendar (let’s ask Chinese hostage John Cena), but for me it’s definitely the Year of the Porcupine. In what is rapidly becoming a fortnightly event, Hudson on Tuesday came home with porcupine quills in his face and mouth. There is a dispute on the count, with The Missus saying it’s the seventh time, and me saying it’s the sixth. What is indisputable is that the …
Viking Funerals, Chicago and Puppets Like Biden
I like the idea of a Viking Funeral. They’re considering legalizing them in Maine, and that’s great. We should do the same here in Washington. Out here on The Mountain (that’s what we we call our wooded compound), we have lots of bonfires in Fall, Winter and Spring. There’s always wood and slash to burn. Trees die and get cut down and if they are too rotten for firewood they get tossed into a pile …
Irrational Fear Is the New American Pastime
Irrational fear is driving America crazy. I don’t know why I keep posting about the Kung Flu. I don’t want to keep writing about it, but I can’t escape it. I’m like a midget in a crowded elevator: it’s constantly being thrust in my face and there’s nothing I can do. I’m sick of it. And clearly the government can’t find its ass with both hands, because the mixed messages are now beyond ridiculous. The …
Growing Old Gracefully
Am I growing old gracefully? Not sure. All I know is I’m feeling old today. I turned 59 a few months ago. Last night I realized I’m still telling people I’m 58. Not because I’m avoiding the truth. Not because I’m fooling myself. Because I forgot. It’s not dementia that made me forget. I’m still in full control of my faculties. Don’t believe me? Just ask The Missus, or as I like to call her, …
Porcupine Removal Part 2
Last week I conducted a porcupine removal operation because not two days after his encounter last week, Hudson did it again. The first time he came away with 49 quills. This time the count was a bit less, only 40 quills. We knew by the size of the quills that it was a baby porcupine, or at least not fully grown. The vet said these small quills are harder to remove. Easy for her to …
Hiking With Dogs
The Missus and I love to go hiking with dogs. Usually our hiking season is July – early September, but this year it will be scaled back a bit. Why? Beorn, our Bernese Mountain Dog, is recovering from his second knee surgery in two years. He needs time to build his strength back. Hudson looking forward to hiking and more porcupines Hudson, however is ready to go at any time. He loves getting out in …