Edible art

Recently I started volunteering at the local (no-kill) animal shelter and naturally I bring my camera along whenever I'm walking with one of the dogs. Last Friday Cookie and I explored this stripped down, shot up, long abandoned jalopy. It's full of nests, one where the engine used to be, two or three on the floor inside, a small one tucked away in the glove box, and big ones under both rear fenders. Cookie ate an old spine she found in one of the nests. Big treat.

Found sculpture

Found art

Another view.

Up close, where the nests are, were. I doubt
the jalopy is a safe place to raise one's young
since humans moved into the neighborhood.

The jalopy smiles.

Not a good getaway car.

Cookie finds a spine.

Edible art. Crunch time.

Acolyte

Reality check

As we will be spending part of the summer in the so-called developing world, I found this snippet via Drongomala a timely reminder of the kinds of places we will be staying. I feel sorry for the tree. It was just having a nice morning then...




"Reality TV" from India

Metacafe

Wednesday outtakes

Yesterday I ate lunch in the Carson City cemetery. I don't know if it's a casino driven policy but Carson City doesn't have a park. I've been in funk lately and, other than the library, the graveyard is the only place in town where a person can sit undisturbed for free. But I like visiting graveyards whatever my mood, puts things back in perspective. Plus tombstones, in few words, tell some interesting tales. Seems, like me, ol' Asa Wilson loved elephants and I couldn't help smiling at his epitaph. His sense of humor transcends his death.

A sourdough's word to wise

Conveniently, the senior center is located just across the street. I imagine over-medicated walker and wheelchair assisted patrons lunching in a dreamy haze, gazing out at the graves. It's an end of the line cafeteria and bus depot to the beyond combined with a convenient thrift store where travelers can check their worldly goods before departure.

Rules for the living

These dogs made my day.

Six dogs in a car

TED

Looking for a little inspiration? Wisdom? Want to be amazed, fascinated, inspired, dazzled by beauty or looking for a laugh? Check out the TED archives. You're in for some fun ...

IQ - education - creativity
TED blog

and much, much more...

Simple truths

Hillary is a dick.

The day that doesn't exist

...or does it? Happy Leap Year Friday!

Black Bird's hat

Portals

St. Charles Hotel:
"the only hotel in Carson that is
lighted exclusively by electricity.
Best $1 a day house on the coast."

As I am not having a pajama day like some around here, know that I am doing this post to avoid doing what needs to be done, that I do not want to do that I, in fact, dread doing but will, after I post yesterday's outtakes.

Carson City alley

If you need more, go and read about the fascinating origin of the Game of Asha.



Okay. That's it folks. Now move along.

Head trip

I'm writing this in an effort to make the upcoming trip more real to myself. Here is the backpack I will be living out of when we tour those countries currently sitting benignly next to it on the table.

This is all M. Lee's doing. I am ashamed to admit the only thing I know about Guatemala and Nicaragua is that there were ... are? ... guys in the jungle with guns. Costa Rica? Next to nothing other than that a Norwegian friend of ours meets his family there every Christmas for a surf holiday. And let see... what's the name of the other book? Honduras. Crap! The thought of going to Honduras freaks me out even more than going to Guatemala or Nicaragua. Well, no. In order of dread, I guess I rank Nicaragua first, then Honduras, then Guatemala. I think my trouble dolls came from Guatemala. And maybe the cool bag I picked up at a second hand store recently. Nice colors. And I suppose bananas grow everywhere, which is nice, but there's still the problem of guys with guns. Hey, minus the bananas, sounds like
good ol' merika.

But I don't want to give the wrong impression. In the spirit of what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, I am looking forward to this although, for starters, I could rattle off about a million things that I might survive that would definitely not make me stronger. Dread. My ever-present shadow. But I also enjoy challenging and replacing brooding myths with new experience. And, for better or worse, M. Lee uses that to his own advantage. Of course, chances are the worst I will suffer is the pain of being back to school, the Spanish immersion classes but, for the moment, the Theatre of Doom is playing old Saturday matinée favorites and I am there, spell-bound, dropping half of every handful of popcorn onto my lap and the floor, fearing the worst for the heroine as she makes her was across the screen dodging bullets and alligators.