Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Fall, You have let me down.

Dear Fall 2015,
Let me begin by telling you how much I love you.  The colors you bring into my life; the cool, crisp mornings and warm afternoons; the lovely smells of autumn, all make you my favorite time of year.


You have one very important job, one at which you failed miserably in 2015.  It is you who conducts us gently from the humid warmth of summer to the harsh cold of winter.  You are suppose to be here as a buffer between summer and winter so everyone gets used to the idea that we are moving from suffocating in the heat of summer to freezing our tushes off in the depth winter.


What the heck happened here?  You have hung on for way too long, you keep showing up in the middle of what should be a cold snap and then disappear confusing everyone and everything from cherry trees to caterpillars.

It is cold and snowy today and I am freezing, freezing more than ever because you paid a visit last week.  I feel sorely let down by your lack of compassion.  Next year I'd really appreciate it if you'd do you job, guide us into winter, linger a little, then let go and wait your turn.

And if you could talk to Spring about arriving a little early or at least on time, I'd really be happy.

Your faithful friend,
Buddy


Thursday, January 3, 2013

I'm so FAB

So....
Let me start out by saying I don't like to shop.
There is nothing about the art of shopping that appeals to me.
I like hunting, I like digging, I like sniffing where other dogs pee, I do not like shopping.

The only brick and mortar stores I like are those that allow dogs and keep treats just for me under the counter (Gander Mountain and Rural King!!).  I am of two minds about on-line shopping...while I can do it in the privacy of my own home which I like, there are no treats to be had from the computer which I don't like.

So when I became a FAB fan, no one was more surprised than I. fab.com

http://www.skin-perfection.com


I came across it by accident.
An advertizement flitted across my computer screen for....get this...Glow-in-the-Dark Apple Skins.



 And I thought to myself....How cool is that?   I can go into the kitchen in the middle of the night and get an apple for a snack (a healthy snack at that) and I won't have to turn on the light.

Color me surprised when I clicked on the link (fab.com) and it was an advertizement for products for Apple Computer/Phone/iPod/iPad stuff.  It was a great disappointment when I realized my dream of glow-in-the-dark apples flew out the window.

The disappointment didn't last long once I began looking around (not shopping...just looking).  FAB has some fabulous stuff, fun stuff, colorful stuff, arty stuff.

Take a look...

EAT














DRINK














SLEEP














CULTURE














AND A LITTLE FUN














What more could a dog ask for? 
Well, maybe some apples that glowed in the dark.

Love,
Buddy

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

This Bud's For You!

Picture this scenario:
Ten o'clock Sunday morning.
OlderMale, wearing a ball cap and black shirt, sitting in a short lawn chair in a tent, waiting for the doors to open, on the second day of a two day art fair where he was trying (not entirely successfully) to sell his photography.
TallThinYoungGuy, stopping by to say hello and ask a question.

TallThinYoungGuy:
Um...this is going to sound funny....but...do you drink?

OlderMale:
Not really.  Why?

TallThinYoungGuy:
Um...I was looking for someone who had a beer or something.

OlderMale:
Well, I do have one beer.

TallThinYoungGuy:
Um...can I have it?  I mean, until the stores open and I can buy one for myself.

OlderGuy:
Why do you need a beer?

TallThinYoungGuy:
'Cause I need something to take the edge off.  I'm working at this stupid art fair, I'm not selling a damn thing (pottery), I don't even want to be here, I have two tests to study for and a paper to write, which is never gonna get done, 'cause I am stuck at this damn art fair, and I just need a beer. Please? I'll give you three beers when the stores open if you just give me your beer now.

For those who are curious, the legal drinking age in the state where this happened is 21.  TallThinGuy got his beer and I suppose he survived the day, though I don't know how he did on his tests or if his paper ever got done.  He did not trade three beers for one.  He did however trade for something else.


It is all about supply and demand.

Love,
Buddy




Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Quirky Point of View

 I love artists who look at the world from a different point of view.   Take a look.















Love,
Buddy

Monday, October 22, 2012

Thursday, October 18, 2012

What's In A Pinhole?

Pinhole cameras (or Camera Obscura) have been around for a really long time-especially if you are counting in dog years.

It is easy to build a pinhole camera for film out of household items.  While there are still places you can get film developed, unless you can do your own, it is getting more difficult to find really good film labs. 

The good news is that you can convert a digital camera into a pinhole camera.

This particular YouTube video is interesting, especially if you watch it without the sound on like I did.  Then there are a number of sites giving basically information with variations on the theme.
Here   and   Here  and  Here

You can take pictures like

This













and
This


















and
This














and
This











Now,
Go,
Make/Convert a camera,
Have fun.

Love,
Buddy

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Paper

Wipe your be-hind
Blow your nose
Print headlines
Write a thank-you note
Send a Christmas card
Clean up a mess
Wrap fish and chips
A drinking device
Make a hat
Fly an airplane
Pay for things
Wrap a birthday gift
Airplane ticket
Books
Magazines
Signs
Bills
Checks
Writing
Printing
Drawing
Packaging

AND
all this really, really cool stuff...
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/masters-of-paper-art-and-paper-sculptures/     
http://weburbanist.com/2008/12/02/papercraft-creative-paper-art-design-sculpture/
http://www.paper-sculpture.com/paper-sculpture-gallery-1.htm
http://www.squareinchdesign.com/beautiful-paper-sculptures-by-calvin-nicholls/  

What can you do with paper?  Personally, I like digging used tissues out of the trash can and decorate the floor with them.

Love,
Buddy



Thursday, September 13, 2012

Monday, September 10, 2012

Tongue Tied

I saw this picture on FaceBook...
Which I thought was totally amazing...
Especially when I found out it is the picture...
Of a hummingbird's tongue.

Wow!

Then someone posted this link.

Wow, Wow!!

Go...
Watch the video...
Listen to the music (and explanation)...
Become enlightened...
Find out about hummingbird tongues

AND

Find out why Spencer makes such a mess when he gets a drink of water...
You'll be amazed.

Love,
Buddy







Monday, September 3, 2012

Odd Socks, Odd Shoes, Odd People

Bank accounts, family heirlooms, eye color...
all things we can inherit from our parents.
I'm pretty sure some personality traits get passed on too.



Like father.....
(Dad)
 








...like son.
(David)
 





Love,
Buddy

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Home Alone!

When the humans are away, the dogs will play.

I've been known to explore the contents of a trashcan, and it is well known that Spencer has experienced some epic house-trashing episodes, but I think we could learn a thing or two from these dogs.  

Stolen Borrowed Taken
Discovered (along with others) on the Ellen  Degerenes Show website:

































 
Don't they look innocent?
Me?  I would place the blame on Spencer, right where it belongs.

Love,
Buddy

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Touchdown Jesus

This can't be true..
but it is funny,


June 2010 the King of Kings statue in front of the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio was struck by lighting and burnt to a crisp.
(This is not the funny part)



I am sure the church members were very upset, and I can empathize with their loss.  However, even before its demise, this icon of the Interstate was the butt of jokes.

Also known as:
Big Butter Jesus
Big J
Goalpost Jesus
Touchdown Jesus
Quicksand Jesus


What did they expect, it was just asking to get struck by lightening!

However, the church persevered and a new Jesus is on its way. 
(still not the funny part)


Someone with a delicious sense of humor decided to give the new Jesus a proper comedic christening.

Funny story reported here:
(this is the funny part)

While being hauled to its new home at the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, the 50 foot tall statue of Jesus was trapped as it was being driven through a McDonalds drive-thru. One outstretched arm of the statue caught on a statue of Ronald McDonald causing it to shift, stand semi-upright and lodge between a drive thru window and a McDonaldland Playland.

“It was the loudest, craziest, most disturbing thing I have ever seen,” said McDonald’s employee Darren Bick. “One minute I’m typing an order into the computer, the next minute there is a thunderous noise, the building shakes, and the face of Jesus is pressed staring at me through my drive thru window. I’m going to have nightmares. If I ever sleep again.”

The driver of the truck had attempted to maneuver the vehicle through, despite turns that were obviously too tight and a warning sign indicating that he did not have enough clearance. “I know I should have just parked and gone inside,” said driver Fred Holland. “But I truly thought I was going to make it. I don’t know what it was. I think that I just had this feeling that, with him, all things are possible.”

Local authorities said that extracting the enormous statue will be a very difficult task. “This is too big to just get out the jaws of life,” said city contractor Raymond Moore. “And it is too delicate to just try to ram it through with a bulldozer. We may have to break it into nuggets.  However, I am certain if we left him alone Jesus will ascend from this predicament in a few days.”

Love,
Buddy
(it would have been even more funny if it had really happened)
 



Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Joy of Painting

Painting the town...but not red.
Ohio widower paints the town to make it a brighter place.


Everyone deals with depression or grief differently.


This man chose to get up and paint the town.


He started the ball rolling and things started to happen.
If I could clap my paws, I would applaud.
You don't have to be an artist to paint a house.  Pick up a paintbrush and make your own magic happen.
Love,
Buddy

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Redheads Rule!

True Story:
Once upon a time Ronnie was traveling with her family.  As they sat in their motel breakfast bar enjoying their Continental Breakfast of juice and waffles, a woman carrying a baby walked in followed by three girls.

The woman sat the girls at a table and still holding the baby began filling glasses of juice and placing them on the table.  Moments later two more older girls came ambling in and it was obvious they belonged to the group because every last one of them had red hair ranging from the mother"s deep auburn to the baby's strawberry blonde.  They made a stunning group, especially when the father joined them.  He was bald - obviously a side effect from living with so many redheaded women.  Ruadh gu brath!!

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/tag/redhead-facts/

I love redheads.

I don't think they are evil.

I do think they are special.

Some redheads are famous.

Not every redhead is born that way.

"Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but it takes a real man to handle a redhead."

"A trucker will slow down for a blonde, stop for a brunette, but he'll back up 500 yards for a redhead!" 

Some of my hairs are red.


Love,
Buddy







Vita cum rubeo nunquam est odiosis

Monday, August 20, 2012

Snowflakes Up Close And Personal

I am so not ready for snow...but...WOW!

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/incredible-close-up-view-of-snowflakes-slideshow/snowflakes-photo-1345479761.html












http://emu.arsusda.gov/snowsite/default.html














http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/






Wanna try this for your self?







http://jpgmag.com/stories/9720


I think it is conceivable that....
maybe....
perhaps....
I could be looking forward to winter this year....
one day....
weather permitting.

Love,
Buddy