Friday Horse Blogging, Baby Nik

Because there is entirely too much cat blogging...

Nikster the Wonder Horse as a child. Scanned from an old photo. Somewhere I have a wobbly newborn picture of him, but I can't find it.

Here he is with his equine family, from left-- Daddy, Momma and Nik. His silly parrot lip, donkey ears and ridiculous long neck are already apparent.






Eight years later, the adult version, waiting by the fence, pawing because pictures are stoopid. "Where's my lunch?"

Nik is overreactive, prone to bouts of hyperactivity followed by crushing laziness, moody and hates being told what to do.

In short, he's me, if I were a horse.

For those frittering away time in a boring job, the latest cartoon reads:
*Reveiller--charming drawings and a cute story line. A changeling tries to get home to the land of Fairy.
*The Curious Adventures of Aldus Maycombe--A very new webcomic, so great for those who don't want to do a lot of catchup. Lovely black and white drawings and graceful linework. So new, I'm not sure what it's about, but it has a vague steampunk look.
*Sentimental Horde--A kobold chef/magician who cooks fairy cake (Now with more fairies!), a womanizing hobgoblin, and a disgruntled goblin. Spare, effective linework, lots of LOL humor.

Happy long weekend!
P.K.

Well, Nuts

Picture a can of mixed nuts.

Do you grab a handful or pick your favorites? Do you reach for the mighty Brazil nut or the humble peanut?

If you're expecting me to draw some parallel between nuts and...anything...fugettaboutit. I'm just askin'. I guess you could argue that people who take a handful are more apt to be adventurous, trying a bit of everything. Or perhaps, that pickers (Me!) are people of discriminating taste.

Or not. I love almonds and the nut that is glorified filler material, the peanut. Hate pecans. Pecans are brown chalk. When I was in college, the little house I rented had two pecan trees. In the late fall they'd produce hundreds of pecans. I collect them in piles and stomp them open in the driveway for the Mourning doves. Sometimes, the driveway was covered in squabbling birds. Apparently, times 'o plenty brings out the worst in the bird of peace.

The Rat Dog gets some screen time because my mother requested more photos. She is doing what canines do best--napping in the sun. On a hot day, she likes to cook herself into a state of stinky on the brick pathways. Ah, it's a dog's life. (I think she wishes she was the dog--Vincent--on "Lost." That dog gets more obese every episode.)

Thursday...whew.
P.K.

Mother's Day Flowers

Ah, the good old days.

When Mother's Day rolled around, you could get yourself a box of macaroni, some Elmer's Glue and gold paint. Slap the ingredients together for a lovely ashtray for dear Mum, even if she didn't smoke. Mother would look at your objec d'art and stammer, "It's a beautiful...er...shade of gold."

(Years later, when she's cleaning out the garage, you'll catch her tossing the masterpiece in the trash. "But that was your Mother's Day gift. You don't need a gold, macaroni ashtray anymore?" Mom will cringe and say, "Oh, an ashtray. I thought it was a paperweight.")

Or there was the breakfast in bed option. Mix enough batter for three dozen pancakes. Make about four pancakes. Leave the mess for Mom to clean up.

(Okay, so I never progressed beyond the artwork phase. To this day, I still don't cook.)

The point is, after a few...ahem...decades, I'm fresh out of Mother's Day ideas. My mother lives in another state, so ye ole wine and dine'r option is out. I did get a gift--last week--but it just went in the mail Friday. So, er, your gift is on the way, Mom. But it'll be a tad late.

Think of it as extra early for Mother's Day 2007!

In lieu of a timely gift here are some photos. First, the flower bed where the wind-beaten irises live. Yesterday, I jammed a metal stake in the ground--and the ground screamed--and roped them all together. Now they're leaning against each other like drunken lacrosse players in search of a hooker to assault. Other plantlife (flowering) includes: May Night Salvia (dark purple), Jupiter Beard (red), Moonshine Yarrow (yellow), and Blue Catmint (blue, duh).



Up next is a view of the rock garden looking south. The pink flowers are Persian Stonecress. The little yellow mounds are Dwarf Sundrops. The color red is contributed by a volunteer Jupiter's Beard that sprang up between the rocks. Not flowering--I don't think it does--is a Dragon's Blood sedum. Natalie, the world's ugliest plant is also in the shot, but looking more like dead sticks than a plant, is hard to find in the shot. One of the J-Man's iron butterflies gets some screen time.



Finally, the rock garden from the opposite side, looking north. The tiles are part of the banco (bench) that makes up part of the structure. Again, Persian Stonecress and Dwarf Sundrops are present. In the background, is another flower bed, with Chocolate Flower (yellow), Mat Daisy (yellow), Salvia Plumarosa (purple) and Spanish Broom(yellow, bush) flowering.



Happy Day all you Mums!
P.K.