I still remember my first time...

A resent trip town had us driving in on a cool spring day with the windows open and the sweet breeze blowing in. The air was wet and smelled  strongly of spring rot and  growing foliage. I was enjoying the ride, and the cool air since the air condition is shot in the pickup.  Then I smelled it. Honeysuckle, the bane of my existence. Boy does that bring back memories. Painful, itchy memories. I was about 5 years old when we first discovered I was allergic to poison ivy. I didn't just one itchy patch as a warning.  I had to go for the full body out break.
     We use to live in a little house in town (if you want to call the small collation  of houses and one church a town). It was up on a hill, with woods to the back and a road out front. There was a wall of shrubs along the road, providing some measure of privacy. There was tiger lilies in the ditch and a snowball tree down at the far end of the yard.  And out back there was the shallow puddled that existed over the septic  tank after  it got dug up one exciting month (Visiting family and freezing weather were involved.)
     I remember that spring was wet, and for some reason it cause a wall of  vine that hadn't done any thing for year to erupted in to the most intoxicating wall of honeysuckles I've ever seen. Me and my sister spent all day playing in the wall of flowers... Unfortunately that wasn't the only veining plant growing there.  The details of how fast it took for the blisters to form  are lost to me, but the next few weeks I was covered in chalky pink calamine and oozy sores. I'm sure there are photos of me a swollen up and blistered somewhere in a box.
After that I was banned from going anywhere near the honeysuckles, or anything that had three leaves and  grew on a vine.  Over the years I've had plenty of run ins with the horrid stuff,  some almost as bad as that first day.  Still, forever in my mind  honeysuckles  will be tied in with poison ivy. I haven't picked a honeysuckle since that day.

MacGyver made Kistkas

So, I had a idea a while ago, and haven't had a chance till now to try it... But today I made a few kistkas out of the tips of an old pen and a broken automatic pencil.  

I wanted to see if I could make this out of just stuff I had lying around, without spending any money.  Having a well equipped work shop makes that easier, I don't know how much of this stuff the average person will have lying around. 

Look at the tips of these, they look just like the real deal!

   

Ok, the tools,  Wire (no idea what gauge) wire cutters and pliers, wooden dowels, super glue, drill gun. 

So, first thing. I used the base of one of them to make the loop.

I made the first loop too small, but didn't get pics of the bigger loop.


then I superglued the tip to the loop (And tapped it hard on the table a few times to see if it would stay) and then drilled a hole at the end of the dowel and popped the tip in there
 

Ta Da!
 

Rince and repeat for the other.


Now, a couple of points.  These tips are the solid metal tips. You can't use chrome plated plastic tips and expect anything good when you heat them up to melt the wax.  I have no idea how the superglue is gonna behave when heated a few times. I might have to switch to something else if they  fall off. But this cost me nothing, and took less than an hour to make, so I thought it was worth the try. I will update this when I have  the chance to use them.

Thanks for the memory

2014 is gone, and I couldn't even be bothered to see it leave. 

I'm not gonna say 2014 was the worst year, ever, that isn't  true.  But it sure felt like all we did this year was break even or keep our heads above water.There were some good. my mom got the foot surgery she so badly needed to stay on her feet, we have two lovely healthy calves,  we got the new kitchen up and started.  But we setbacks. The one cow we've been trying to get bred won't bred, and the vet finally told us he thought she was a lost cause.  The rabbits are stressing me greatly with their healthy and breeding.  We need to get the shop cranking up more.  Ling to replace, here, there, unexpected expenses. The bull we bought died. It goes on and  on, little thing like that. 

 It was a depressing year death wise too (thankfully for me none close, but).  For artist and entertainers. For equality and right. And for death of the trust and respect some of those people commanded before their true self came to light. Death of the people my parents called friends growing up, 4 or 5 in a row.   One could argue this was the year of many little deaths.

I never really found a gear work wise with my craft this year, and that is depressing me. I haven't been as motivated to DO what I need to do, which is a poor excuse not to do it. But a covente one if you're looking for one.  

Perhaps it's fitting then that we spent the last month of 2014 locked in to clouds and sick.  Not the flu, but damn it, I hope this isn't going to be a tradition of  me spending Dec 26th in bed sick and puking.  Thankfully I was the only one who got that, everyone one else just got achy and tired and choughs. 

I will probably do my yearly "the year in photos" blog in a few days. 

Any way, 2015... Just be gentle. I'm not gonna ask for the moon, not for the stars, not richs.  Just enough to breath. 

I say we feed it Father Potts. Unless it eats shit, it'll choke to death.

Following the Halloween tradition, we watch a new horror every year on Halloween.  This year, my mom pick the movie.  It's called Grabbers.  Here is the synopsis and a trailer... 

Peace officer Lisa Nolan comes to Erin Island, Ireland, to take charge during a colleague's two-week holiday. Simultaneously, blood-thirsty, sea-dwelling aliens arrive at the quiet island to propagate. As dead whales wash up on shore and people start mysteriously disappearing, officers and a few locals slowly discover their peril along with one sure defense - high blood alcohol levels, which the aliens can't stomach. As a storm approaches, enabling hungry hatchlings access to the locals, an open bar kicks off a desperate bid for survival as inebriated police and friends stagger to remain cognizant long enough to thwart the alien invasion.

Care for a sip? 

Stone Rabbits

Many years ago, when we would go to town, we'd drive past a little low stone house, and on two stone pillars in front of the house were two stone rabbits. For years, they were there, facing the road, just sitting there.I never saw who lived there, never saw how many there were....

One day,  while driving to town, mom pointed out the rabbits. "Look!, Look at tbe Rabbits!"  Instead of both facing the road, one rabbit faced the house, another faced the road.  The unmoving stone rabbit had moved. It continued like that for months. Every time we drove past, mom would slow down the car and we'd look at the stone rabbits.  They were always moving now. Sometimes they both faced the house... Sometimes the were staring at each other across the driveway, and once they were both back to back. It was fascinating. The stone rabbits were alive, after years of sleeping.  Then one day.... They were gone. There was a moving van, and the house was striped bare. The house sold, and the new owners have a wind chime out front. There is nothing on the stone pillars.

I'd like to think the stone rabbits, one night after being moved around after years of sleep, woke up. And they stretched their legs, and they ran. And ran, and ran. And in the morning, when the homeowners woke and found the rabbits gone, they went looking for them. Hence why they moved.
    Of course I'll never know the story, but I'm sure it not as interesting as that one.. It probably involves a new job, or family, or kids going to college. But when my mind wanders, and I think of that house, I hope, somewhere out there, there are two stone rabbits on pillars,  and that they never face the same way each morning. And that somewhere out there there is someone who notices. 

tell me a story to keep me form thinking.

Not been around much.  Lots to say, not sure where to start. So, a random post to break the ice.

Decide to o a list of the online comics I've been reading

El Goonish Shive  This one   really has gotten better as it's gone along. But if you are uncomfortable with gender fluid characters, this might not be for you.

Girls With Slingshots  I kinda wanna beat the main character with a broom sometimes, but I keep coming back. Lots of side character that are interesting on their own.  This comic talk a lot about drinking, sex, gay and straight relationships, and BMS...  It also has a talking cactus and a ghost kitty.

Questionable Content  I wish I had Fey's sass. Because.

Skin Deep This one is neat because it is set in my area!  Plus I love the idea of "not normal" live next to the "normal"

Run Freak Run I'm really in love with  the style and story.

Zombie Roomie just what the title says.... Life living with a zombie, his live girlfriend and his roommate and his werewolf girlfriend.

Grrl Power I like the official write up, can't sum it up better than this.  Grrl Power is a comic about a crazy nerdette that becomes a superheroine. Humor, action, cheesecake, beefcake, 'splosions, and maybe some drama. Possibly ninjas.

My Blacks Don't Match!  I really hope this one start updating again, I'm hook on the creepy story. What going on in  Autumn Grove?  What real, what madness?


I'm sure there are a some I've missed, I'll add them as I remember them.... so, what are you reading?

The arrogance of men is thinking nature is in their control and not the other way around. Godzilla doesn't care..

So, I got talked in to see the latest update of Godzilla Saturday. My littler bro has been a huge Godzilla fan since he was... 6?  24 year a fan of the big green guy, stuck through it even with the horrid 1998 version.  He been talking about it since the first trailer aired  in 2012.

Anyway, I tagged along and here's my thoughts on how the big guys up date was.


HERE BE MONST...... er... SPOILERS.

So.  So much has happened.  We've blast straight into spring, and are racing off towards summer at a breakneck speed, with barely a chance to settle in.  I'm still choking on the fact that the year is almost half over.  We just got half the garden in, had the tiller blow up, slaughtered about 20 pigs and one goat, had 7 more baby goats since I last posted. To top the stress off, tomorrow mom goes to surgery to fix her terribly arthritic feet. She'll be in bed rest for two weeks, then she'll get the other foot done in six weeks. Just another layer of stress to throw in there. mom will be off her feet, which means one less hand to help on the farm, which is madding right now, but if she doesn't get it don't she'll be in constant pain, so it's a must do.  I know, I'm whining.

 In the good news, my buns started having babies. Thank god. anyway, I hope to get a real update here, it's been a bit.