Crafts Camp

Back when I was on that deserted island in the south pacific*, we used our spare time to make things (or in my case, attempt to make things). We called it Crafts Camp. While very little of what I worked on turned out to be cool, the process of sitting down and creating something semi-artistic felt good. I had occasion to pursue that semi-artistic creative spirit again recently, this time a little less primitive than coconuts and shells. I tried my hand at stained glass. I had most of the tools around from an attempt I made 10 or so years ago. With a few trips to the hardware store and a little reminding from the woman* who owns Green Frog Glass in Bellingham, the project turned out a success. The whole thing was a great reminder that self-created art isn't out of reach of the everyday man and it is worth the time and effort.

Wednesday June 24 2009

File under: misc

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on Wed 24th Jun, 2009 05:59 pm PDT dave said: Palmyra is in the north Pacific. (I will never tire of correcting you.) ************************ on Wed 24th Jun, 2009 06:01 pm PDT dave said: great stained glass! but it looks more like a dog than a gerbil. nevertheless, i wish i could do that. ************************ on Wed 24th Jun, 2009 06:01 pm PDT Wren said: And no matter how many times you correct me, I will keep saying "South Pacific" because I am trying to create a certain mental image that just isn't done with "North Pacific". So there. ************************ on Wed 24th Jun, 2009 07:22 pm PDT Juline said: Nice job! I've done several pieces of stained glass mosaic, but have never tried leaded stained glass. And I didn't know of Green Frog Glass, so thank you for that. You should check out Kline Glass in Portland while you're there -- there is one on SE Grand, and another at SE 117th and Stark. ************************

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PDX Pics Quickie Post

I've just started a couple week housesitting stint down here in Portland, and if the first few days are any indication, it is going to be a great time. I've greatly enjoyed Portland in the past and I look forward to getting to know it even better this time around. Included are a few of the interesting things I've seen around*. Click on each picture to get the mini-story.

Sunday June 21 2009

File under: Portland, misc

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on Tue 23rd Jun, 2009 02:38 pm PDT rus said: A great honor to have my own crossword. You're a good boy. ************************

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FC 72 - Walk the Plank

Huzzah! Huzzah! Today be Fridee! Nay only be that awesome, but today`s comic be about buccanneers. I haven`t been feelin' so hot about me comics o' late. They jus' haven`t been comin' together. This one, however, turned ou' much t' me likin'. I mean, how often do ye really get t' be seein' buccanneers doin' synchronized swimmin'? I know this: this buccanneer comic be better than me last attempt (although, truth be told, I still be havin' a fond place in me heart fer that one on accoun' o' I stole th' idee from an 8-voyage old boy. Like th' sayin' goes: "bad artists copy, great artists steal"*) (Oh, and English to Pirate translation provided by this site.)

Thursday June 18 2009

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on Fri 19th Jun, 2009 05:22 am PDT Sean said: Remember, he should start out with a a pencil ************************

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Stars And Stripes Forever

A couple of ridiculous beard posts ago, I hinted at wanting to attempt to "honor" Flag Day with an appropriate beard. Well, I tried. Here's my attempt at stars and stripes forever. It turns out that we had a much harder time using a sketchy beard as a canvas than ole Betsy Ross did with a bit of canvas. The star was a total failure and the stripes* are a little on the crooked side. But we tried. And it was fun. Maybe someday I will invest in one of those precision trimmers or maybe throw down on a barber (Wouldn't that be a hoot? Walk in to an old timey barber shop and ask them to turn your beard into a, say, sun and moon scape to commemorate summer solstice or something. I can see the look on old Lee's face now.) For now, I'll just make due with what I've got.

Wednesday June 17 2009

File under: beard

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on Fri 19th Jun, 2009 05:21 am PDT Sean said: Hopefully not forever ************************ on Fri 19th Jun, 2009 01:27 pm PDT Ryan said: Couldn't you have waited until July 4th? ************************ on Fri 19th Jun, 2009 11:07 pm PDT Mom said: Didn't I hear somewhere that "You will find love on flag day"? How was that? ************************ on Fri 19th Jun, 2009 11:23 pm PDT Wren said: Not so great. Who would have thought troothpicks could lead me wrong? ************************ on Mon 22nd Jun, 2009 12:19 pm PDT forever anon said: Thanks for neglecting to mention who put that hoorible design on your face. ************************

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Best Swimmin Hole in the County

Summer weather has started early and in full force. For those BdW readers from the Northwest, I know you know. Beautiful summer weather serves to make this place more spectacular than ever and you can't help but notice. For those of you not from the Northwest, just imagine: not too hot, but hot enough and green everywhere you look. With the just hot enough days of late, I've been hitting up my new favorite swimming spot frequently. I think anyone who has ever swam at the quarry will agree, it is hands down the best swimming spot in the county—cliffs for jumping, clear water, and, best of all, no chumps because it is on private land*. Throw in some good friends, inner tubes and a canoe, and the sense of possibility and inspiration that comes from the land and the project and you've got an afternoon that can't be beat. Oh, and if you're lucky, you might just come away with a dozen fresh* eggs.

Sunday June 14 2009

File under: misc

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on Sun 14th Jun, 2009 11:13 pm PDT Horge said: Freshly squeezed eggs are always good in the morning. Just be sure not to go swimming until 30 minutes after your omlette. ************************ on Mon 15th Jun, 2009 04:10 pm PDT Amiel Martin said: I can't believe you stole a picture that I took with a phone. That was fun, lets do more swimming (and projects) out there this summer. ************************ on Tue 16th Jun, 2009 12:24 pm PDT Saxtor said: Having visited this magical land, I can say that everything Wren says is true. This place defines "one-of-a-kind". ************************ on Tue 16th Jun, 2009 06:26 pm PDT dave said: are there fish in that water? or toxic metals? ************************ on Thu 18th Jun, 2009 09:14 am PDT Saxtor said: You can see fish jumping at the surface, and I was told they had it stocked. ************************

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FC 71 - The Hours Fly By

The amount one person can accomplish in a day is truly amazing and that's no joke. On a very few occasions in my life, I've ended a day with that appreciation, having accomplished something that I can stand back and say "now that is some good work". Unfortunately, "few and far between" hardly touches how often this happens. I'm hoping that maybe making this comic (and perpetually coming back to review it*) will remind me of the value of a day's work. As a side note, I drew this comic with my right hand! I'm sure the difference isn't apparent, but still, it is kind of an interesting fact. Another interesting fact: I was petting a nice kitty with my left hand for the majority of the time so I guess I should give co-creation credit to Tiny the cat. Her skillz with the mouse ain't so great, though.

Thursday June 11 2009

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on Fri 12th Jun, 2009 10:28 am PDT Mom said: Oh, Ya, now you got it. However more dirty clothes on the floor would add to the authenticity, don't you think? ************************ on Tue 23rd Jun, 2009 02:39 pm PDT rus said: I laughed at this one. ************************

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Salmonberries

Walking around in the woods recently, I was treated to a pleasant surprise: salmonberry season is in full swing and I happened upon a great patch. "What are salmonberries?" you ask. Similar to a raspberry in color and fruit structure, salmonberries are a sometimes slightly bitter wild-growing berry of the west coast. Every couple of years around this time, I usually seem to stumbled upon one or two berries, not quite remembering which of the lesser known edible but not awesome berries they are, but have a munch anyway. This time around, however, we found so many and engorged ourselves so much that I doubt I will be unsure in the future*. While the taste of the berries wasn't awesome* (I like my berries with a lot of flavor and sweet), there is just something about a wild growing fruit that always gets me. It is one of the reasons I am so fond of blackberries (even though they are horribly invasive and can tear up a short-pants wearing leg in no time). I guess it reminds me of what it would have been like before agriculture, grocery stores, and imported Chilean fruit became standard. You just go out for a hike, happen upon some berries, eat them right off the bush, and then head back to your wigwam to blog about it.

Tuesday June 9 2009

File under: misc, food

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on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 06:48 am PDT Saxtor said: If you give up refined sugars for several years, they become awesome, flavorful AND sweet!Where was this salmonberry stash found? They weren't even close a week ago at Whistle. ************************ on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 08:36 am PDT Mom said: Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry) is typically salmon colored--more orange-yellow than red-- when it's ripe. Could be that you jumped the gun on harvesting. They are juicy and, while not sugary sweet, they aren't bitter either when ripe. Your tummies will be the judge. ************************ on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 08:44 am PDT Wren said: Saxtor, the berries in question were found up in Sedro when I quickly popped in for a check on the Oats.Mom, these were definitely ripe. They fell off in our hands. Perhaps maybe overripe? ************************ on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 07:55 pm PDT dave said: nice wigwam comment. how are the oats doing? ************************ on Wed 10th Jun, 2009 01:42 am PDT Sean said: The schnozzberries taste like schnozzberries ************************ on Wed 10th Jun, 2009 02:06 pm PDT Jule said: they weren't thimble berries were they? They tend to fall off in your hand very easily. I have seen salmonberries of that color, but they are less common than the orange ones. just as good though. ************************ on Wed 10th Jun, 2009 04:40 pm PDT Juline said: Love salmonberries, for the same reasons you do. They were a nice snack on bike rides in Humboldt as a kid. Thimbleberries are another one. They're actually sweet, but are usually few and far between. ************************ on Thu 11th Jun, 2009 08:26 am PDT cardboard said: them salmonberrys are just spectacular....get it? I was mowing down last night at cornwall...the dirty huxley kids somehow missed a few. ************************

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Anacortes Sail Boat Racing

For all the experience I have with sailboats (staying on one in the Caribbean, sailing 2200 miles to Tahiti, our family having owned one, etc.), I know surprisingly little about sailing. Yeah, if you tell me to pull the jib sheet, I know what to do. Or if you yell "Jibe Ho!", I'll duck. But if anyone looked to me for what to do, we'd find ourselves up against the rocky shore in no time. Despite all that, I still found my way onto a boat for Wednesday night Anacortes Sail Boat Racing. The weather couldn't have been better (from my perspective. True sailors would have wanted a good bit more wind.) with a cloudless sky above and a calm sea below. We tacked and jibed our way to 3rd place and had a great time. My job started out as ballast* but was promoted to running-back stay switcher* guy once the captain got tired of me asking too many questions. Anyway, I had a wonderful time. The whole experience (complete with BBQ at the yacht club afterward) led me to think that maybe I have boat life in me yearning to get out. Sure I don't know how to sail, occasionally get seasick, and am not inclined to perfection, preemption, or patience (all valuable inclinations in the boating world), but the spirit of it all lives within me. Here's hoping for an upcoming adventure involving boat life!*

Saturday June 6 2009

File under: Anacortes

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on Sat 06th Jun, 2009 11:16 am PDT Sean said: At least they didn't make you the keel! ************************ on Sun 07th Jun, 2009 08:56 pm PDT Jule said: watch out, boats are just holes in the water where you throw your money ************************ on Mon 08th Jun, 2009 01:30 pm PDT Sean said: That's not a schooner ************************

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FC 70 - Sound Investing

Wishing wells have been on my mind recently. I have high aspirations of building one in the near future. Not that any of my wishes have ever come true (that I can remember), but I guess I do wish for some pretty far fetched stuff*. Anyway, this comic idea found its way into my brain recently probably because of the ever presence of the wishing well. Astute readers might recognize the person from a previous comic. I thought I would go ahead an be efficient and reuse instead of attempted to create one myself. Thanks go to Gabriella for Robert. And not that anyone besides Michelle noticed, but sorry for the late post. I try to have the comic up before my Eastern European reader* gets to work on Friday. Last night I was kayak camping on Saddlebag Island, which is glaringly lacking an internet cafe (or electricity for that matter). Anyway, if I got fancy, I could institute an auto-posting mechanism to my custom blog software, but I don't think the Friday Comic will be around long enough to ever make use of it again. Anyhoo, as always, I hope you enjoy and happy Friday!

Friday June 5 2009

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on Fri 05th Jun, 2009 06:07 pm PDT Nesbitt said: Friday comics aren't going to be around??? ************************ on Fri 05th Jun, 2009 11:28 pm PDT Wren said: Nesbitt, all good things must come to an end. Also, I figure the comic series will peter out at some point. But don't worry. I'm sure there is at least 4 more weeks in me. (Oh, hey, do you want to do a comic?) ************************ on Sat 06th Jun, 2009 08:52 am PDT Horge said: And your Eastern European reader appreciates it :) Though, I should point out that this EER usually has Fridays off, and so doesn't see it until the weekend. But I think I may be switched to full-time again, so will in fact be appreciating it Friday mornings, hopefully for a long time to come. If you've got joke ideas/concepts for how it'd look, I could try my hand at it at least once :) ************************

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Random Pictures of Life These Days

Here are a few shots from life the past couple weeks. Nothing ground breaking, but a fun diversion nonetheless on these hot lazy days of summer. (Click each picture for a larger version and caption.)

Tuesday June 2 2009

File under: pictures

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on Tue 02nd Jun, 2009 10:36 am PDT Saxtor said: A bit of context on that horseshoes photo since Wren failed to offer it. Two horseshoes were thrown and landed as shown. It was impossible to determine which was closer using a rudimentary ruler (a stick) so the big guns were brought out. Using a 1/16 measure on the tape, it was determined too close to call (w/in 1/32 or smaller!) and a do-over was granted*. I've never seen such suspense! ************************

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