Another beautiful dawn
Spunk took the Duluth catalog ad literally
Wild clouds at sunset behind Christine’s tree on the right.
Tag: photography
Swan Dive @ 5:00
Morning clouds at dawn
Sandhill Crane doing a swan dive @ 5:00. “Banzai!”
Sunset
A look Back
What was left of my Yamaha 250cc Enduro after I crashed doing an Evel Knievel type jump in 1973.
While I was looking for some photos I had sneaked in the Sistine Chapel many years ago and did not find, I found the above photo I had been looking for for many years of my motorcycle after I had a spectacular crash doing high jumps. I thought the photo was lost. What happened is that after flying about 15 feet in the air, I landed on the front wheel first. Surprisingly the impact didn’t bend the front wheel, but it did torque the front forks, broke the frame under the gas tank, and bent the downtube on the frame by the engine. If I had collision insurance on it back then it would have been considered a total loss. What was even more surprising is that I was relatively unhurt by the incident. If I remember correctly, the impact split my helmet, which would have been my head if I wasn’t wearing a helmet. My friend, Mike Rhoades, who was watching from another vantage point rode his motorcycle over and said: “That was cool. I want to see you do that again!” There was no replay, as we had to find a few strands of baling wire to twist together so he could tow me home.
One of the first stories Joel Lewis will tell people about us is how I rode up the dunes with Joel on the back of my motorcycle at full throttle (about 70 mph) and how we flew through the air like madmen. The first story Mike would tell people was about my spectacular crash, also. My wild motorcycle riding gave people lasting memories.
After the crash, I took the motorcycle to Mr. Haagenson’s shop and he helped me bend the frame back into shape, line it up, and weld it back together. Then I took the engine apart, rebuilt it, souped it up, painted it black, got a tuned exhaust, a desert tank, new fenders, and made it into a really fast and cool-looking dirtbike for the time. It wasn’t long after that Yamaha introduced motocross bikes with mono shocks that we taller, faster, and much better at high jumping. A few years later I got a Yamaha 500cc Enduro and then graduated to a 750cc street bike.
The same motorcycle after I got the frame straightened out, and rebuilt it with new hardware.
I also found this self-portrait from 1979. I had a lot of muscle in those days.
Nora, the mama owl to the north, still sitting on her eggs, which should be hatching out soon. I did not see Osric, daddy owl to the north.
Moma Owl showing the top of her head and her ear tufts this morning.
Daddy Owl giving me a one-eyed look this evening.
Ghost Mousies In The Sky
Flaming clouds left by the ghost mousies flying by.
Put on your headphones, turn up your sound. Enjoy!
Ghost Mousies In The Sky
Parody lyrics: Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene. Vocals: Timothy Price. Music: Johnny Cash.
Spunk facing off with a mortal mousie.
A Touch of Red
Daddy Owl watching over Mama Owl.
Dumpster Burn
There was a dumpster burning when I walked to my car to head home.
The fireman aimed the water gun at the burning dumpster.
The water would not fire on the fire.
Down to a dribble. I sympathize with the poor old pumper.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the firetruck, the other firemen had hooked up a hose to a hydrant and started whizzing on the blaze.
Smoke billowed from the dumpster as the whizzing water doused the flames.
Policemen checked out the progress of the dumpster burn.
Dusk View
There are fewer cranes as they are starting to head north.
pTerodactyl at dusk.
More hangers-on
Daddy Owl is not perching for long at dusk. He is flying off in search of food for Mama Owl.
The pTerodactyl looking beautifully blue-gray in the twilight.
Are you there in the darkness Mama Owl?
Yes, she is there sitting on her eggs.
Through The Humidifier Stripely
Spunk: “It looks like Beaker got a new humidifier.”
Beaker: “I’m looking through it all stripely.”
Gwendolyn: “Quick change Spunk! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
Beaker: “Thanks for the new humidifier! I can breathe again.”
Spunk: “How did you do that you little brat?” Gwendolyn: “Ah ah ah ah…”
Gwendolyn: “Magic!”
Spunk: “I look great reflecting on the phone.” Gwendolyn: “I’m outta here.”
Beaker’s old humidifier started leaking, so I got him a new one. No sooner had I taken the humidifier out of the box, than Spunk jumped in it followed by Gwendolyn. Beaker gets his own private humidifier to help him breathe better. It’s so dry here that Beaker wheezes without the humidifier.
Persistence of Pigeons Parking
Every morning during the week I park my car in the same spot as I am usually first to arrive in the parking lot. Recently, when I get out of the car, pigeons fly in and gather around me. Last week three or four would gather, but this morning 14 pigeons flew in and stood in front of me. I assume they are expecting a handout like most people I encounter early in the morning downtown. Since I had nothing to offer them other than a few words of encouragement, like Saint Frances of Assisi, I gave them a short sermon. Then I gathered my things out of the trunk of my car and headed to the office.
Fourteen pigeons hoping for a handout got a short sermon instead.
Beaker Loves Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
“Where’s my blueberry buttermilk pancake PapaRATzo?”
Breaker, our 29-year-old Gold Cap Conure, goes nuts over blueberry buttermilk pancakes. He also loves Susan’s blueberry pound cake. I’m thinking that Beaker has genetic memory of his feathered forefathers going out to treetop IHOPs for Sunday breakfast or Sunday Brunch where they enjoyed blueberry buttermilk pancakes. Beaker also loves coffee, donuts, hamburgers, French fries, pizza, huevos rancheros, and similar fare, all of which he rarely gets. But still, the fact that he likes those various types of foods so much leads me to believe he has a genetic memory of a whole feathered fast food industry high in the tops of rainforest canopies.
Beaker’s pancake is the little one on the lower left side of the griddle.
“I’m still waiting!”
“About time you got my order off the griddle.”
“Yum!”
“Yum! Yum!”
“Yum! Yum! Yum! Yum!”
It’s been a few years since Laurie made blueberry buttermilk pancakes. Beaker thoroughly enjoyed his pancake as I did mine. The pancakes were delicious.
Glenda and Gwendolyn were not impressed with blueberry buttermilk pancakes. They were more interested in lying around and looking cute.
Off Center & Not Even 