Welcome to the   September 2006 BLOG. Didn't see the end of last month?
Click here: August '06 BLOG

Sep 30, 2006 Sat

Took the pictures posted yesterday while out riding. Such a swell day - I even decided to work on the lawn. In particular, whack the weeds with the gas powered string trimmer, and run the gas mower. We're into fossil fuels.

This turned out to be a very poor idea. I've made my injured left wrist a seething cauldron of pain. As if it wasn't frustrating enough being on 'light' duty (which, I've discovered, does NOT include operating small gas powered lawn devices) now I'm on - 'do ZERO' duty. It's like only having one arm. Ann's liberal applications of ice packs got me through the day. I'm trying to see some improvement after resting the afflicted area all day - hmmmmm. Perhaps tomorrow will tell another story. I certainly hope it's a positive story, as any relief in terms of medical intervention is still weeks, if not months, away. And thus, another month winds to a close. See you in October!

Oh, yeah - my movie camera sold, my Epiphone guitar will stay in the family awhile longer.

Sep 29, 2006 Fri

Sep 28, 2006 Thu

This rather large vessel, one of a series  - Polar Explorer, Polar Adventure, etc. was being moved thru the Guemes channel by a couple Foss Tugs  this morning.

This happened to occur at the same time as the Guemes Ferry was about to make it's seven minute run from Anacortes.
The Ferry Captain never slacked off - merely swung around the rear of the tanker.

Then had to head nearly 'upstream' as it were, against the incoming tide, to get to his destination -
The ferry dock is to the right in this picture.

I took several pictures of this maneuver - so - just be glad that I didn't make them into another 'slide show'.

As you may be aware, work around the house has been at a standstill. Ann and I both suffering various aches and pains. Acupuncture and time and physical therapy seem to be doing the trick for Ann.

The results of an MRI are back for my wrist - torn ligament. Surgery looms.

Sep 27, 2006 Wed

Trying a new thing, sorta'. A narrated slideshow. Granted, this has a ways to go. . .

Sep 26, 2006 Tue

We hear from Richard today - he's selling his Harley:

He also sends along a couple more Oyster Run pictures - apparently I missed a few things. . .
Like these young ladies - Event Hostesses - (need I add that Richard is single?)

We saw these guys riding, but didn't get close enough for a great shot like this! Thanks, Richard.

Richard also saw this Paddle wheel boat in town, and I missed it altogether -
Thanks for some very lovely shots -

Richard is ready for a photo site!

Yours truly - a phone camera shot from our trip to Lincoln City. French horn is the first instrument I ever played - needless to say, I can't really play it anymore. But I can hold it!

Sep 25, 2006 Mon

What can we say about the Oyster run? It's a gas. Fun to walk around and see the bikes and the folks. Eat the food and look at the regalia for sale. Here is the bike with the weirdest front wheel(s)!

The rest of the pictures are on the Flickr site. Oh heck - here's a badge - what Flickr calls a link.

www.flickr.com CLICK THIS, you fool! kc_oms' oyster run photoset

There are MOVIES, TOO dontcha' know. . .

Evelyn, after doing some seamstress work on her dress.

Ann, power dressed!

Sep 24, 2006 Sun

Fae, taken by Ann, yesterday during their SPA experience.

Oyster Run, today - Evelyn

Sep 23, 2006 Sat

It's also time to try selling my Epiphone Guitar, again. This (Ebay) is a slow learning curve. If you use the categories that they suggest for the item you are trying to sell - which I did - TWO of them, woe to the unwary. Try to find those obscure dang categories just going onto Ebay as if you were a buyer trying to buy my guitar, or one like it. Even KNOWING what the categories were, I couldn't find my own listing. I'll know next time. This is only the second time I've tried to Ebay that guitar. There's a
new link at the top of this page to Ebay items I'm selling. Only two, so far - but I'm on a roll, now.

The guys at Vintage Guitars think a 1953 like mine is worth nearly ten grand. Whoa! That'd be nice.

Sep 22, 2006 Fri

Yes , it's that time, again - the
25th Annual Oyster Run  is this weekend - well, Sunday, to be exact - but the bikes started coming into town today. It was at last years event that we saw the Honda Shadow that now sits in the shed.

Speaking of Blogs  - this one caught our eye -

Sep 21, 2006 Thu

Welcome to Fall!

Phone camera picture - what does it mean? Got out and about on two wheels this day, is what. I will rub this in more and more as it becomes impossible for our friends in the midwest to ride.

A site featuring some pretty funny videos is  HERE Thanks to Bill

We were looking at some of the 'scanned' stuff, and decided to add it to the
flickr site -  

Sep 20, 2006 Wed

A story in pictures:

Specifications:
~ The mover stands 311 feet tall and 705 feet long.
~ It weighs over 45,500 tons ~ Cost $100 million to build.
~ Took 5 years to design and manufacture.
~ 5 years to assemble.
~ Requires 5 people to operate it.
~ The Bucket Wheel is over 70 feet in diameter with 20 buckets each of which can hold over 530 cubic feet of material.
~ A 6-foot man can stand up inside one of the buckets.

Tizzy and Chico consented to be in another MOVIE today.

Sep 19, 2006 Tue

'Further' explanation. When the computer was stuck in a reboot loop yesterday, I e-mailed the symptoms to a couple fellows. Well, actually, that e-mail went to almost everyone. I was using the laptop computer and an older e-mail program and hit the wrong button. As it turned out, it was a fortunate thing, because one of the unintended recipients responded with a suggestion that worked. In fact, a lot of people replied with suggestions and several people were right on the money -- many heartfelt thanks to all of you. And apologies for cluttering up your mailbox with unwanted technical matters.

For those of you that prefer to use Mozilla as a browser and have had difficulty getting some webpages with embedded sound to play correctly -- here is a solution: go to this website  and download the codec pack. Voilą! Problem solved.

Someone we know is on the shuttle again - off to parts unknown. Well, off to France for a spell. They will be missed in these parts.

One is never too old for a teddy bear, or in some cases, a terrier dog.

Tizzy is still a puppy, after all - but not for much longer. She will probably become a mommy the next time she comes 'in season'. Ann has the daddy all lined up.

Sep 18, 2006 Mon

Strange computer problems this day, as some of you may already know. . .

Windows proclaims that there is/was a thread stuck in one of my device drivers. Hmmmm, now what do you think about that? I wonder who was sewing near my computer?

All I can tell you is that the computer would get to the windows start page and then reboot - over and over. A several hour search (Googling the problem) brought me to the conclusion that this was by no means a rare occurance. Also, that the only cure was to reformat the hard drive and reinstall windows. Yikes! Even though I'd backed up within the last month, the amount of work involved reformatting and reinstalling Windows and all the software, etc. - a very grim projection.

Fortunately several folks (Jeroen was the first) steered me to a 'fix'. By repeatedly hitting F8 during the boot process one enters the DOS area where it is possible to select 'SAFE MODE', and more to the point - 'Return to last known successful boot sequence', or some such. THAT solved the problem. Still, most of the day shot getting the machine back to normal.

A very relaxing weekend - Ann got one of the dressers refinished -

Tizzy, the 'Holy Terrier', unmakes the bed and trundles down under the blankets when she feels the need for a 'dognap'. She learned this from the cats, by the way, except they burrow up from the foot and sleep down there - not right on the pillows!

Sep 15, 2006 Fri

Made up for not riding yesterday by doing some backyard practice for the advanced motorcycle class. (thanks, Jarvee)

Walking the dogs after dinner - down by the docks.

Poor Evelyn - has had some electronic bad luck. Her cell phone got funny and we had to exchange it. The new one finally came yesterday. Below is her Pentax digital camera - the display screen, although of a very decent size, only displays what you see here - or, not much. Looks like it's going back to the factory. Evelyn reports that her Sony camcorder is also acting 'weird', so we'll have to see about that, next. Good thing she doesn't drive, yet.

Sep 14, 2006 Thu

First day in many weeks that we didn't ride the motorcycle, at least to the grocery or bank. Dark clouds all day, thirty percent chance of rain. Got wet yesterday on a twenty percent chance. There have been several showers (brief) today.

More movie editing -

We haven't even been reminding you to check the Flickr site - S'ok, haven't added much there - a few.

Sep 13, 2006 Wed

Being on light duty is enabling us to spend more time learning the movie making business. We added more today. They eventually make their way to the

MOVIE Blog Page a link to which is also at the top of this page. I know - we say that a lot. . .

Whoa! Cool aerial view of Barb and Paul's house, over by the lake on an island that has its own island. Only one in the country, we're told.

And here, is that rarest of creatures - seldom seen in the living flesh - a Spotted Pink Belly Wet Nose.

Sep 12, 2006 Tue

New
Movies are posted. 
You may also use the link at the top of this page, of course. . . Evelyn's Motorcycle Movie, and that animal classic: Tizzy and the bear. Did you love Janet Drew, yesterday? They are so good!

Anna sends some shots she took with her new Pentax - a very nice camera and nice photos, too.

Cousin John B. has dyed his hair for charity - very brave fellow! There's more info

Ann relaxes with a relaxing dog

Sep 11, 2006 Mon

We took a ride up to Bellingham yesterday to listen to 'Janet Drew', the band in which Eric plays fiddle. Some of those pictures were posted late yesterday. Here is a short video of the band - sorry I was so far away - picked up the dog barking very well. . . They are very talented!

Sep 10, 2006 Sun

Actually, we're trying to decide why we need a Movie Blog  - when everything is already posted to Utube?

I guess because Utube  doesn't allow much room for comments or links.

Sep 09, 2006 Sat

The Old Time Antique Engine Show was in town, today. Steam and gas and electric engines and vehicles over a 100 years old. Some restored, some in original condition. I notice that file sizes are creeping upwards again, where I was trying to keep them under 100 KB, to facilitate loading times. If this is a problem, please let me know - otherwise who knows where it will end?

A video made today is here.

Or HERE -

Here's my darling wife - I turned her right around and we bought hot dogs. No hamburgers were offered, alas.

This 1933 restored Indian motorcycle is 1000 CC displacement, in a V-twin configuration. Maybe things haven't changed so much - our
Honda is an 1100 CC V-twin.

Here's an Indian Scout from the 40's, much like the one ridden by Burt Monroe to a world record in 1967 (over 200 MPH) that still stands today. The World's Fastest Indian is a movie about Burt that we highly recommend.

Hey - here's Bill - he showed us a miniature steam engine that he is fabricating from scratch.

There were steam powered boats from the 40's and 50's that were restored to perfection.

In grade school I lusted after Eric Sanderson's Cushman Eagle - just like this one, a vintage 1956.

Sep 08, 2006 Fri

If you'd like a jump on this Ebay item -
here it is 

It'll be on Ebay starting tomorrow - the reserve is 60 bucks. They've been going for up to 80. I don't have a link to the Ebay page yet. What'd'ya mean, who'd spend good money on junk like that?
EDIT: Here's the Ebay link -   Evelyn's Ebay ORC

Sep 07, 2006 Thu

The new video mentioned in the browser 'banner' at the top of the window is on the Railroaddave Website. Thanks to Keith Wood for sending it along. Here's a link to it:

This on a day when the headlines draw our attention to a local crossing 'incident', which is how the railroad views such matters. All railroad tracks are posted 'Private Property' - thus, anyone near or on the tracks is by definition, trespassing. Vehicles or folks that go around the crossing gates and get the living daylights smacked out of them are, in the railroad's view - victims of a 'trespassing incident'. In my working career as a railroad conductor it worked out to one crossing 'incident' every six months, for me personally. The national average is one crossing incident every five minutes. Of these, two thirds are fatalities. This fellow in the paper today, was, indeed, very lucky.

On a lighter note, here is a photo of a famous personage, doing some community service in N.Y. Photo by John Marx Smock, AP

A shot of Cassady, taken this evening, by Ann

And one of yours truly about to go back up on the roof for another 'moon shot'.

Ann also took this of Roma

Sep 06, 2006 Wed

The Mountain (Baker) was trying to 'come out' today. The top is obscured by a band of fog/mist/smog. Reminds me of how it will look after it erupts the next time. The mountain is about 40 miles off to the east, and slightly north.

This fuel oil carrying barge with its attendant Crowley Tug was tied up at the end of the street. But it was facing west instead of east, as it usually does. This allowed a better glimpse of how the Tug is actually 'embedded', fitting nicely into a slot in the rear of the barge. At least a third of the Tug fits into this slot. The barge is mostly empty and riding about forty feet higher in the water than usual - one sees why the pilot house is where it is.

The full moon got me up on the roof to try out my recent understanding of aperture vs. shutter.


The moon hanging over the refinery lights - none of these are photoshopped in any way.

Turned the camera on Ann, standing by the back door - the camera was still half way zoomed.

Sep 05, 2006 Tue

This motley crew helped us celebrate Memorial Day, AND survived my Firehouse Chili. Heidi, John, Ann, Linda, Evie, Dick, Laura and David. And Chico and Tizzy.

We played a game called 'Washers', where one tosses a three inch metal washer at a tin can. Here's a washer -

The can is buried flush with the ground, and the game is scored like horseshoes. Dick got a 'ringer' (washer goes in the can) right off the bat, and was the overall winner. Each turn one gets to toss three washers. When Jake  was in town awhile back, he amazed us by tossing three ringers in a row!
Here's Ann's technique - everyone developes their own 'style' - there is no correct way to toss. A ringer counts three points, a leaner (touching the can) is two points, and if none of the above, then whoever got closest to the can gets a point, so the game moves along. First to eleven wins, must win by two.

The all important 'follow through'!

Concentration

Dick's winning toss -

and follow through!

Some chose to spectate - and try some of Ann's award winning Cherry Pie.

There are additional pictures posted on Flickr - click here

Our neighbors were married over the long weekend! Congratulations, to Matt and Tara

Sep 03, 2006 Sun

Oh look! Ann is so happy to have her closet rod assembly back. Nowhere to hang her clothes for the last few weeks, since I started to remove the wall between the two bedrooms. Which is actually two walls, because the old closet is between them. Then father time stepped in and told me to slow down my endeavors, by making my wrist sore. This problem is still not diagnosed after three office visits - but the Dr's advice has been the same - light duty until it gets better. Ann is on light duty too, (shoulder/elbow pain) but tends to ignore that fact. I've been pretty well sticking to it. Except for today. I can't get back far enough to get any perspective, but this area is in the new 'walk in closet' part of the room, in what was once our old bedroom.

Taking pictures early this morning -
And again at sunset

The north tip of the island - downtown

And again when the moon came out

Sep 02, 2006 Sat

We walked up to the highschool to see the football team in action. They were winning 21 to 14 in the third quarter when we left, but lost the game. We saw Evelyn with her friends - she's a frosh, this year.

Today Ann finished painting the outside - and then we rode the scooter to Edison - about fifteen miles - and had dinner at the Longhorn saloon with friends Tracy and Mick. They live walking distance from the eatery, so we went over to see the results of their kitchen remodeling - very nice. It was a nice day for scootering - forgot to take any pictures.

Sep 01, 2006 Fri

Welcome to the September Blog~~

Oh oh, summer is winding down, perhaps? Evelyn thinks it's over, since she must go back to school. Ann knows it isn't over - she's painting the side of the house, where the scaffolding was, until a few days ago.

This is how the Van will look in the Ebay ads.

Refresh page from top

Return to TOP of PAGE