Okay, the snow stuck around a bit longer -- still a few traces left this evening -- never got much over freezing today. However, after looking at my sister's work trip, below -- it makes the wee bit of snow we got yesterday seem trifling~~ and they're expecting another 10 inches, back there north of Sutton's Bay in Michigan.
Thanks to Mardi for sending it along.

Thanks to Jack for steering us to this video animation~

We had occasion to dig out this picture earlier today. It was taken in the mid-60s at the airport in San Francisco. That's my trusty 1961 Oldsmobile convertible, that I drove from Michigan around '63 or '64. So, here's the question -- do you know who that handsome young man might be?

Some signage:

Making the best of a dirty situation...

Self-esteem - I am so beautiful, that I pierced my face a world record number of times~

Feb 25, 2009 Wed

Debra and Eric - borrowed from the Schwulst Family Blog

Thanks to Ron - Aggravate the Spider - try it

A recent picture of Tizzy~~

Ann found pictures of our dads in their college graduation regalia, and framed 'em up! Two Doctors Smock.

Rainbow, yesterday.

Followed by, oh no - snow, today... didn't stick.

Thanks to D. StAmant - pictures of the river landed US Airways plane being moved through a small town.

Feb 23, 2009 Mon

Graphs can often make something immediately understandable - at a glance, so to speak.

Here's one that reflects gasoline pricing - and makes a prediction about the future~

The Ethnic Dinner, mentioned yesterday, raises money for the church youth group - a good cause, to be sure. The youth themselves, are instrumental in making it a success - i.e. they put in a lot of effort and do most of the work. Here's Evelyn and Olivia, at the serving tables.

"What happened to Harry?" "I don't know - he was right here until I told him to make like a tree, and leave..."

Feb 22, 2009 Sun

Sunday evening, and the end of a very pleasant weekend. Warmest yet, getting to sixty. The weather inspired the first yard work of the season - repairing the raised beds. They were crushed by the paper delivery guy's truck, back during the big snow. He must have assumed that they were just large square snow mounds when he ran over them in his continuing effort to get close enough to the paper box so as not to exit the vehicle.

shirtsleeves!

Yesterday was the Ethnic dinner, at the church. Ann, Richard, Niomi and I played there last year, as, Auntie Vera's Uke Band. This year we were joined by members of S.U.E. (Senior Uke Ensemble) Bill, Caroline, Suzie and Nick. That's Nick in the back, playing washtub bass!

We wowed 'em with three numbers~

Nonsense, but fun department: Try it! Almost better than popping plastic bubbles~~

Comparing the current financial state with the previous worst depressions - looking at how long they lasted (in months) and how severe~ which makes it seem doubtful that the end is anywhere in sight...

Unpleasant Department, if not downright disturbing. Eye worms - can only be removed by slicing the eye and letting them wriggle out.

Flight Department; Pull up! category.

Signage - making little sense department -

Armed and Dangerous Department: Make my day!

Feb 20, 2009 Fri

Hiya.

More to come as time permits...
click

Progress on the new Candies vessel - soon the rear decks will be added.

A ferry we haven't seen before is in town, in the floating drydock. The Cathlamet - have to look it up.

Mardi is referring to a wine made locally, back there in the boonies of Traverse Bay - 'O', for Obama. Says they can't keep it in stock...
February Vintage - it was a very good month...

My old computer is back online with a new HD. Now to laplink the programs back into it...
Also, the linux computer is working. Trying to get it online wirelessly. It also has a version of windows on the same HD, that won't go online, either... working on this.
Saab gets oil change. Saturn now due...

Feb 16, 2009 Mon

A man and his dog...

This has been lost since May of '08, when I misfiled it in the folder above the 'blog' folder in my documents. It shows which devices use the most energy, even when in the so called 'off' position.

Thanks to sister Mardi, whose cats have been 'helping' her prepare the taxes, in the cat way.

OK, I'll pull right over here - or NOT.

Face planting - happens to the best...

Feb 15, 2009 Sun

Hope you are enjoying a quiet holiday weekend - or loud, if that is your 'thing'.

Ann is working from her chair, trying to shake a cold.

Jake seems to have been enjoying himself - by aggravating others. Pulling on ears...

And here, with Sylvia, just before that fast trip to the ER~~

I've been getting things re organized in the office - and paying some attention to Tizzy, during breaks.

The backup computer in under my desk, where the old/failed one lived. These two, the Linux computer on the left, and my old one on the right, we're keeping.

These two, older models that have been scavenged for parts - are going to the recycle place. So hard to let them go!

Here are two amazing photo sites - that allow one to move about in the picture - zoom in and out , etc. Click to go there and try it out.

Here is the first one:

This one is equally amazing, you can zoom in on individual faces - From the inauguration:

Feb 14, 2009 Sat

Part of Ann's Valentine page - Happy Valentine's Day~

Cell phone, I'm your father...
Perhaps you recall Great Grandad - Bagphone?

Thanks, Amy - here's Hogan!

Moved the backup (Ann's) computer into the office, where it will stay - though we are still going to build another machine, one of these days...

We decided that this Valentine's Bear, though cute, wasn't PC for this blog. See it uncut, HERE.

Feb 12, 2009 Thu

Maybe, sometimes, it's money well spent...

What were we doing five years ago this day? Enjoying a heat wave - maybe not quite THAT much heat, but better than the 45 degrees we had today. The blog archive at the top of the page will take you back...

Odd news of moment, the 'How Does She Manage Day to Day Tasks' department?
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Salt Lake City woman who was in the Guinness Book of World Records for her long fingernails has had them broken off in a car accident. Lee Redmond sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries in the Tuesday accident.

Redmond was the current Guinness record holder, with nails that hadn't been cut since 1979. Her nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches, according to the Guinness Web site.

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson says she was ejected from an SUV in the crash and taken to the hospital in serious condition, the Deseret News reported Thursday on its Web site.

So, what is the 'correct' way to dispense toilet tissue? Please vote on the tagboard/cbox thingy.

Cats adopted this day.

Feb 11, 2009 Wed

How about YOU send me some recent pictures?

For the last week or so we've been working from Ann's computer, which is set up in her walk-in closet. This is about to change.

At first I didn't realize what she meant about being isolated in here. Now, I do. I sure miss sitting in my office with a view of the street. So, it seems we'll be moving this operation.

But, not today.

The local paper picked up that plane Richard photographed -- in fact, they seem to have taken their picture from the same place. The pilot (minor injuries) said that the plane suddenly began to lose power and he opted for landing in the field. An investigation will ensue...

As unemployment nears levels not seen since early last century, and we read of food riots in European cities -- we can't help but wonder how long it will be until we turn to other foodstuffs for our protein? We have recommended that you prepare yourself for the notion of noodles and bugs. Insect helper, and worm burgers. Bottled bugs and other assorted critters are already a delicacy in parts of the world.
Seen here, your bug bottled along with a snake -- adds a little something to your liquor. And you thought a small worm at the bottom of your tequila bottle was really something...

How hot are the fires that have been raging in Australia? Hot enough to melt the wheels off your car~

Thanks to Nancy - today's word

You may want to rethink that mail-order Russian bride...

Feb 09, 2009 Mon

Thanks to Amy - a couple recent pictures of Brett and Hogan. Ann hasn't seen Hogan since he was a babe in arms, and that's about when I last saw my other grandson, Malcom. This is a situation we are trying to remedy!

Richard sends along this iphoto - an iplane 'oops' - that he captured on his iPhone while driving near the local town of iEdison. Maybe we'll hear on the inews tonight what in the ihappened?

Ann took this on Super Bowl Sunday as I was settling in to watch the big game... OK, the chips were added as props...

Pretty nice day today, lots of sun even though it never quite made 50. No T-shirts and shorts for us quite yet. Dick's Comcast mail still giving him grief.
Trying to get over a cough cough.

Without wishing to cause undue alarm - it is good to be aware of how close we might be to the collapse of social order, or -- life as we know it. Food riots -- already occurring in some European cities -- are ugly and scary.

Feb 07, 2009 Sat

Happy birthday to my youngest son, Jacob, into his 30s by a year. Seen here about five years ago when we were down in his neck of the woods. Also pictured, my oldest son, Brett and grandson Hogan.

The dogs detect that Ann has a cookie - not that they are allowed people food, they're just reading the situation for its potential to deliver up a doggie treat. Ann is, coincidentally, wearing a souvenir T-shirt from the above-mentioned trip to Florida...

We managed to get ourselves outdoors and walking about -- this is a good thing. And promptly followed that up with a ride about -- two good things within the space of a few hours. The weather was very cooperative.

Feb 06, 2009 Fri

Around the world this day~~

The following ratios were compiled using data from 2004 National Safety Council (NSC) Estimates, a report based on data from The National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, 2003 mortality data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was used.

You are 13 times more likely to die in a railway accident than from a terrorist attack

You are 12,571 times more likely to die from cancer than from a terrorist attack

You are six times more likely to die from hot weather than from a terrorist attack

You are eight times more likely to die from accidental electrocution than from a terrorist attack

You are 11,000 times more likely to die in an airplane accident than from a terrorist plot involving an airplane

You are 87 times more likely to drown than die in a terrorist attack

You are 404 times more likely to die in a fall than from a terrorist attack

You are 17,600 times more likely to die from heart disease than from a terrorist attack

You are 1048 times more likely to die from a car accident than from a terrorist attack

You are 12 times more likely to die from accidental suffocation in bed than from a terrorist attack

You are nine times more likely to choke to death on your own vomit than die in a terrorist attack

You are eight times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist

That doesn't mean it couldn't happen -- it just means that it's rather unlikely.

What's more likely, is that the personal information you've given Facebook will be sold to the highest bidder.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

On a slightly less serious note - our hearts go out to the color blind boy...

As well as to this learning curve challenged Tabby -
'Now, this is right about where I was yesterday when something bad happened...'

Before you ask, this truck belongs to a taxidermist -- and the coyote hanging off the rear end is stuffed.

Signage, of the story telling sort~ poor grammar notwithstanding.

Thanks to Dick and Laura, who alerted us that the folks down at the shipyard were placing the pilot house onto Grant Candies new vessel.

Feb 05, 2009 Thu

Ann noticed these crows in a tree on her way to work this morning ~
Ann gets up a tad earlier than some of us - like Tizzy and I...

Richard's ukulele class got a late start today, so that we could listen to the Orchid Ensemble.

A goodly part of the audience was made up of our class members~

An interesting search engine for people - try it!

Feb 04, 2009 Wed

Very pleasant day - sunny and in the fifties - warm enough to ride.

It's all about the priorities...
Ann suggested that this woman was perhaps not being vain, but trying to get glass out of her hair...

There were leaves up here when I started climbing, I swear...

A low blow... signage of the sarcastic variety.

Happy to spend a bit of quality time with this fellow, today. We're up to about seven or eight songs that we can crank out with some degree of confidence.

Feb 03, 2009 Tue

Off to a slow start in February. Too many irons in the fire. Not enough computers in the house. I really need to make a decision about replacing my old computer. Not enough money in the bank, always a factor.

In my daughter's neck of the woods, back there in Kentucky -- they had a huge ice storm. The power was out for days and days. It's still out in some parts of the state, but she was fortunate enough to get hers back. Not before the kids missed several days of school, they got cabin fever, and everything in the fridge thawed. Here are a few of the pictures she sent~~

I recognize my grandson Malcom in this picture~

and Ambie's Derek on the left in this one~

Needless to say, this was pretty strange weather for Kentucky -- where a light sprinkling of snow that melts overnight is more the norm.

Our winter has been much like the past summer -- temperatures running about 10 degrees below normal. We are hoping that this is a temporary aberration.

We received an e-mail from a fellow named Damon, in Australia. He was kind enough to include some photographs -- in spite of the cracks I'd been making about Australia last month. Here's what he had to say:

"Thought you might like these for your site. Derailment on Tom Price main line on 29th January 2009. No injuries. Photos take near Possum siding, Tom Price, Western Australia."

TJ has added a chat box to his Wildwood website. You could be a sport - drop in and say hello!

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