Sid Ames

A former neighbor. I stole this picture from his profile on a popular social networking site.

Flooded Truck

Maybe park with the tailgate on the downhill side next time.

Christmas

Two of my favorite Christmas presents: St. Labre Indian School Salt and Pepper Shakers. I can imagine Him walking around the Holy Land salting and peppering the poor people's fish (that He taught them to catch) with these handy, durable, and stylish shakers.

Good-bye Black Santa (Updated)

Yesterday I spent a few hours cutting, with inadequate scissors and shaving with a brave, hand-powered Gillete (even with three blades it was not meant for such a task), my two year old beard.

Beard when it was about 1 year old. Photo by Samuel Copeland

People no longer recognize me. Admittedly, I am in a town where no one knows me, but nevertheless these strangers do not recognize me. I feel like they should be saying, "Oh my God, you shaved." My face feels different. The skin is cold and clammy. My cheeks can now gauge wind velocity with impressive accuracy. The skin is red and bumpy like (fill in the blank with something red and bumpy).
I miss it.
It is a day later and it has already started to grow back.

I have since shaved the mustache (You should hear my version of Bohemian Rhapsody)

A note on the title: to some I was known as Black Santa. To some white people.

New Camera

This is the beautiful camera I got for Thanksgiving from Kate.

Winter

It is so cold lately that Diego has taken to wearing his sweater in the house,

when he would rather put on his trunks and go for a swim.

Bloggle bloggle

My brother made this beautiful berry pie for Thanksgiving.

Kate and I bought three cast iron frying pans and a giant pot (8 quarts) for 5 dollars from The Salvation Army.

We baked little apple pies in the pans.

Shaping Loaves

I found this helpful for my baking habit.

Stephen Eichorn

This hand drawn (ink on paper) work is based on the artist Stephen Eichorn from Chicago. There is a link to his work to the right. I am a big fan of his work.

Sadler Boise Idaho

The life preserver in this photograph was in my office when I got back from Chicago Yesterday.
It took a while to find out where it came from. A couple with the last name Sadler, donated a camera to the department and, inexplicably, they asked if anyone might want a life preserver that said Sadler on it. Turns out our department did have someone who fit that description. I could be described as someone who would want a life ring with the name Sadler on it.

Cooking Under Pressure

With radio and cockatiels in the background, and chicken in the pot.

I Love My Shirts

Bread

I was happy about the way this bread, from my starter, turned out. It was cooked in a cast iron frying pan in the oven.

Overlooked

I am not so much happy that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize as I am sad that I did not - again. How can some dude who is the leader of the most powerful armed forces in the world win while someone who does not even control a really, really, small army (not even a gang) lose -time and time again?

Cabins I LIke

These cabins were not only chosen because of their considerable charm but also because they were well lit and easy to photograph.

La Tarte Des Demosoielles Tatin

I watched Julia Child make something like this on tv so I tried it myself. It was delicious. It was made in a cast iron frying pan. I am pretty suer I overcooked mine which resulted in a soft apple filling.

Close up of flaky butter crust. This tart is meant to be served with creme fraiche. Whipped Cream would make an excellent substitute. I just ate it.

Is this your marijuana?

Someone left his/her weed at my righteous party palace. If you want to come and get it please do. No questions asked. The police will not be involved. Incidentally, it is mostly shake and smells like hay.

I did have a party recently but I did not realize it was that kind of party. Goodness.

Free Range Hobo Spider

This dangerous Hobo spider was in my bathroom sink. I have seen it or others just like it in my sink on other occasions but this time it was there all night. I caught it and released it into my back yard. It was a big spider but that's O.K. because I have a big back yard.

Warning: There is music (They Might Be Giants) to the video.

Art

This was my favorite painting at the Western Idaho Fair this year.

This was my second favorite painting at the fair. Both paintings were by the same artist. The frame was not curved, it just looks that way because of the wide angle lens.

Robin Red Breast

I was walking on the south shore of Echo Lake when a small hawk, either a sharp-shinned or a copper's hawk, flew in front of me, almost dropped but cought, and then actually dropped this poor robin a few feet in front of me.


Then a day or two later an associate and I were walking south of Lake Aloha and found several endangered Mountain yellow-legged frogs, blueberry bushes and a water shrew.

Did not manage to photograph the water shrew.

Thompson Bros Boat

Ellis Bros Boat

This is the boat I borrowed last week because the battery in our boat was dead. If you happen to know or be one of the owners of this boat please note that the boat was tied with both bow lines so it would not rub or bang on the dock. I am not one to look a borrowed boat in the mouth, but this boat has caused a problem. After driving this boat I have become obsessed with owning a charming wooden boat.

Julia and Julia

I had this idea: Cook every recipe in this book for a year and then blog about it. Then I realized I had just watched the trailer for a movie with exactly that premise. So that made me realize that I did not have an idea.

Grocery

I went to the grocery store and bought some food. I mean Fud. You will be happy to know that it tastes just like food.

Mouse Update

The trap was still set in the morning and there were no new droppings. I guess the mouse moved. If not, the mouse just got a free ride to Idaho.

Mouse

A mouse ( probably Peromyscus maniculatus or P. leucopus) has been living in my car for a while. Long enough to eat about 70% of an Odwalla bar, an airline-sized bag of peanuts (airline-sized makes it sound big. I mean the size served on an airplane and not the size of an airplane) and an undetermined amount of dog food. It has also been in the car long enough to leave a few hundred ant-sized poops in the car. Black ant-sized poops. I am going to try to kill the mouse. I do not relish the idea of killing this mouse or any animal but I do not know what else to do. If the mouse stays, it may start chewing wires, upholstery, old parking tickets, or cassette tapes. Or it may die in a hidden spot and leave only a rotten smell behind. So as I type there is a mousetrap bated with Skippy, America's favorite peanut butter, in the backseat of my car. Since this is assuredly an American mouse, I doubt he will be alive tomorrow. He already took a piece of dog food from the same set trap without injury but peanut butter cannot be lifted in one piece. Ideally it has left on its own accord. Or moved to a Honda Accord. Either way.

In America

In France

This is me in France on a mountain road called the Col du Platzerwasel. My jaunty hat was ruined the next day while I waited for hours in the rain to see a bunch of guys ride by on bikes for about 15 or 20 minutes.


The gentleman in the center is Alberto Contador from Spain and the gentleman on the left with no head is Lance Armstrong from Texas.
I cannot tell who these guys are while I am photographing them.

Thirst

My Life in Text

I'm reliving the last year by reading then erasing texts one at a time. Gems like: "R u here?," "Dude," "Yay, breakfast," "Sure," Ready for Pancakes," "Delayed," "M," "I'll check with Ted," "Hmmm?," "Look outside," "No," "Where are the grads?," "Be there in 15," and one of my favorites, "Want a cupcake?"

Dirty Laundry

I took my laundry home to my mom's house this summer. I had about 9 months of laundry to do. No problem, she had it done in a couple of days. But my mom seemed a bit disappointed that I had  also brought my dishes. Nine months of dirty dishes. But in my defense she has a dishwasher and I do not. 

Kitty

It is hard to remember your kitty's name when your kitty's name is Kitty.

Who Going Camping?

We going camping. In France. We being Luke and I. We are going to camp along mountain roads to watch people ride bicycles up hills.


I'll post my own photos after I take some but until then, this is Mont Ventoux.

Scofflaw

I flew all the way from Albuquerque to Chicago without buckling up. Also, I left my computer on.

Jackson Fawcett

Not a bad name.

Mom

My 80 year old, diabetic, heart diseased mother - I mean my beloved 80 year old, diabetic, heart diseased mother called me yesterday using her most pathetic sick person voice. You may be familiar with the voice if you ever were a kid trying to get out of school. When your beloved mother has had two heart attacks and has diabetes and leaves a pathetic sounding message on your phone you have to take it seriously. The message was something about being at home, being sick and imploring me to call as soon as convenient. Convenient in this case meant right away. It is illegal to talk on the phone while driving in California so I stopped every few miles to call her. Each time that she did not answer I pictured worse and worse scenarios. One scenario included a little dog (Diego) lying faithfully next to her prostrate body. Every traffic light and stop sign added to my anxiety. When I finally pulled up to her house my phone rang. She had left her phone in her bedroom and could not hear it ring. She wanted me to pick up fish tacos on my way home.

$1 Breakfast

All three flavors including yellow. And that is delicious Nescafe in the cup.

Not Swine Flu

This poor blog has been neglected. Maybe it’s sick like me. A couple Fridays ago I had symptoms that reminded me of Robert, the former star of this blog. For a few minutes, 30 maybe, I could not read or write. I felt fine but when I attempted to read I would get stuck at the bigger words, like those of four or more letters. Then I tried to write a few words on the computer but failed. I laughed nervously and tried to shake it off. I would look away from the computer, shake my head and try again. That did not work. Then I tried unsuccessfully to type “Alzheimer's” and “dementia” into the search box on my computer. When my right hand and tongue started to numb I decided to go to the doctor where I proceeded to have the worst headache of my life. My life or anybody else’s. Maybe not anybody else’s. Eventually I was given a shot of Demerol. I had ridden my bike to the doctor’s office so I had to call Ted for a ride home. Then I slept for a long time. Apparently it was a migraine.
I skipped a couple details like throwing up and crying.
Now I simply have a nagging cough.

Charlie White

Watch for the cabin reference in this video by Charlie White.

Ant Eater

This gal is slowly taking care of my ant problem. Note the shed exoskeleton in her web.

This is a music video so you might want to adjust you volume accordingly.

Arizona

This sandstorm hit us, or we hit it, hours after wind blew our bikes off the roof of my car. Luke and I were on our way to Tucson to do research - conduct research, excuse me - at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona.

Another Hound

Hounds

Luke and I were out on our deca-annual trip to the Owyhee Front and came across a group of gentleman training hounds. Here are the some of Luke's photos from the trip.

Diego

Left Behind Trilogy

Somewhere there are three right gloves and an organic onion trying to find their way home.