Image for January 8, 2012 - The Dismal Swamp

It was a beautiful day in the fifties and the sun was shining. I got out for a fine nine mile hike with my friend David Simpson. He had always wanted to hike in the Dismal Swamp, but until today, had never been out there. We hit the Washington Ditch Trail at noon and made Lake Drummond before two o'clock. The trail is a dirt road that follows a canal straight into the swamp. It's flat and straight, so not very exciting terrain. The best you can hope for is a chance wildlife encounter and today we hit the jackpot with an all too brief glimpse (gone before I could get the camera out) of a pair of young black bears climbing down a tree and disappearing into the brush.

I was glad to point out the bears to David before they were gone. It's the second time I've seen black bear in the Dismal Swamp. Considering the healthy traffic on the trail today, we were especially luckily for our sighting.

Dave's not a regular hiker (not yet!), but he was  gung-ho for going the four and a half miles out to Lake Drummond, for a nine mile roundtrip. We stopped there for a lunch break and to enjoy the afternoon winter light playing across the glassy water. It was a good day.

OK HW

Image for January 2, 2012 - Farewell Christmas, Hello 2012!

...and so, the Holiday season has once more come to an end, unless you're one of those "twelve days of Christmas" people, then you're only halfway there. Our un-decorating event is as sad and joyless as the decorating part was festive and fun. I got the ladder out and took down the few strings of outside lights while Janet cleaned up the inside. After all the ornaments were removed from the tree, it was time to bring it to it's finally resting place. Lucky for us, we live right across from the beach, so it's an easy enough job to carry it down and find a dune. Note, the photo is staged, that's not where I actually left the tree. It wound up with three other trees grouped in a cavity carved out by Hurricane Irene and so the cycle continues. Better that the trees lives on helping to grow the dune, then grow some landfill.  Weirdly enough, I felt most of my Xmas spirit after the 25th this time. The holiday season came up way too fast for me.

Nothing says, "Happy New Year" to me then a living room empty of the tree. I am still thinking on my goals for 2012. I find it more helpful to make concrete goals, rather then "resolutions", which may be splitting hairs, but whatever works right? One goal I have committed too is increasing my hiking goal from 700 miles as I did in 2011 (actually finished with 717 miles) to add another fifty miles on for 750 miles. That's sixty-two and a half miles a month. No moss will be gathering on this stone. It's day two in 2012 and I already have fourteen miles, just 736 to go...

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Image for December 6, 2011 - Xmas Card Blast From the Past!

Way back in 1994, before the internets (well, before the net was available to "normal" people) and Facebook and all this new fangled crap that makes our lives so extra special these days, I would send out post cards to invite folks to art shows or, in this case, to celebrate a holiday. I made this card exactly seventeen years ago today. Made it by hand, no Photoshop kids, just me and an X-acto knife and a glue stick. That's not a photo of me, but an image that I found somewhere and added my style of facial hair. Funny thing is, re-reading this card all these years later, I'm still not ready for Xmas... OK HW

Note- click images to enlarge.

Image for December 3, 2011 - How These Things Get Done...

I have mentioned on here from time-to-time about a project I am working on to collect my old underground comic from the late 1980s called "Reluctant Sadist". Considering the glacial pace that I have been moving on this project, I should just call it "RELUCTANT" and turn it into a performance art piece. I was going great guns gathering materials and scanning all the art work and contacting folks from the past securing permissions to use their words and images and then I came to the hard part of the project; ACTUALLY WRITING THE DAMN THING. Through the years, I have grown lazy in my creative work habits and throw on top of that distractions like the internets and the sad result is not much to show. Part of my problem too is I haven't been able sustain the effort. Sure, I have been able to achieve little victories here and there, but then I'll have a gap of months with no work and I lose the flavor of the thing. Today, I decided to commit to half an hour a day to the project, even if it's just research or reading, I need to keep my ass in the chair with the materials in front of me for that thirty minutes. Now, that doesn't sound like a lot of time, but you'd be surprised at how much can be accomplished in those thirty minutes. I also find that I often work well beyond that period, as I did today, because the hardest part for me is often just getting started. Here's my work table, I need to spread out. I also have three different notebooks open for other notes because I usually get ideas for other projects; short movies, comix stories, this year's Xmas card, etc; and I make sure to capture them all.  I also took this photo to document how I work, as I enjoy seeing other people's work and studio spaces. What's your workspace look like?

OK HW

Image for November 23, 2011 - I Love Fall

I got out for a seven mile hike today. It rained in the early morning and stayed gray and a little gloomy even after the rains moved out. That was fine by me because I love fall. I love the gloomy weather, the leaves turning color and falling, blowing in the wind. Sometime I even love the shorter days. The long nights are good for curling up and reading or watching old movies. Fall always makes me nostalgic, and memories of old friends, some now gone from this world, play through my mind and remind me that our time here is short. I came across this leaf on the walking path and nearly passed it by as the heart-shape is over done, but then I turned around and snapped this shot. I did it because I needed a sign, something positive and hopeful. Another reminder that there is always love in the world, I just have to see it.

OK HW

Image for 11-17-11 - OZZY!

Quick, pop quiz, what four-letter word would you choose to immortalize in concrete? Whatever it is, I'd be surprised if it was "OZZY". This bit of sidewalk graffiti is on a driveway along one of my regular walking routes. I always look at it and wonder how old it is and who did it. My guess is it was a teen-aged male, probably a loner who wore glasses and didn't get along with his Dad. Oh yeah, and he was a virgin, which is telegraphed by the bold underlining. I'm curious if whom ever scrawled that tribute is still around and visits their handy work. Do they still listen to Ozzy? Are they are the "Crazy Train"?

OK HW

A Good Weekend It Was...

I have gotten out of the groove with posting. Plenty going on, I have just been lazy about getting anything on here. Let's catch up.

November 4, 2011

Friday was a blustery day with heavy winds coming right out of the north. It was almost like a Nor-easter, but no rain. The Chesapeake Bay was heaving with six foot waves that crashed right up to the seawall of the homes on the beach.

November 5, 2011

The winds were still blowing when I got up Saturday morning. The day started out good with a solid seven mile hike, but when I got home and took a shower, the water stopped going down the drain. Drag. I tried a few things to clear the line, but no joy, so I had to call in the big guns. We went with Roto-rooter and they sent a friendly guy named Robert out who worked hard to clear the drain and succeed after wrestling with getting that snake down the clean-out pipe. That wasn't how I meant to spend my day, but it had to be done. The joys of being a homeowner.

November 6, 2011

Today began with an extra hour courtesy of daylight savings. Newspaper in bed, then a big breakfast. With my hiking goal looming (I have 101 miles left on 700 miles by year's end), I laced up the boots and hit my usual seven mile route. The sun was shining and the winds had died down from the last couple of days. The trees around here are in full autumn blaze. I love me some fall.

OK HW

A Friend of a Monkey is a Friend of Mine...

I am an animal lover. I particularly love primates of all kinds. Monkeys, Gorillas, Chimpanzees, big, small, tail, no-tail, doesn't matter, I feel a special connection to our hairy little siblings. A couple of years ago, I stumbled across an article about the good folks at the Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in Florida. Their mission is to,

"...provide permanent, high-quality sanctuary care for abused or unwanted New World primates from around the United States who have been cast-off from the pet trade, retired from research, or confiscated by authorities."

Monkey's are highly intelligent and social beings, so it breaks my heart to read on the web site some of the sad, cruel experiences that they experienced before they found their way to the sanctuary. This year I decided to sponsor a monkey, Miki-Moo and have added Jungle Friends to my list of worthy causes. If you have read this far, then you know what's coming, I know times are tight, but consider throwing these folks a few bucks. They do good work and deserve the support.

I'll leave you with a little monkey video from the Jungle Friends web site and a quote from the comedian Steven Wright:

"If you had a million Shakespeares, could they write like a monkey?"

OK HW

Double Rainbow!

This evening an intense storm rolled through the area setting off the severe weather robots on the radio and creating some groovy patterns on the Doppler radar. At one point the angry clouds parted and the sky took on a weird peachy hue. I looked out the front window and was greeted by the sight of a rainbow, so clear and vibrant that I pulled my shoes, grabbed the camera and ran outside. It was a full rainbow, with well-defined ends going to the horizon on both sides. Then I noticed the faint ghost of a second arc on the outside of the main rainbow. SCORE! DOUBLE RAINBOW!

I quickly took some pictures and then flipped the camera into video mode because I couldn't get the entire rainbow in one shot. My camera work leaves a little to be desired, but I think the video captures the moment much better then the still does. A few minutes after I shot this, the rainbow was completely gone, leaving only a small lesson behind. The magic doesn't last forever, so grab it when you can,

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A Monstrous Weekend

Little Eddie Commands!

Last Saturday I stopped in to MONSTER FEST, a one day monster movie gathering in Chesapeake, Va. It is a sweet, old-school event that is more interested in Frankenstein and Godzilla and Wolfman, then the latest torture porn crap that serves as a horror film these days. They have a costume contest for the kids, young and old and do an all-night movie marathon and of course panel discussions on everything from how to write a horror novel to documentaries on horror show hosts like Dr. Madblood and The Bowman Body. It always takes me back to my childhood of staying up late to watch the old Universal horror films and rainy afternoons pouring over Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine.

 One of my favorite things this year was getting to see a replica of the Munsters Koach! This full-size, street legal beauty was built by Rucker Posey out of Richmond, Va and he's also built the other Munster rides. Check out his web site for more info. Rob Floyd and the other folks who organize MONSTER FEST did a great job this year. It's a great way to kick-off October and the Halloween season.

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Munsters Koach

Image for September 26, 2011 - A Long, Soggy Hike

The Osprey Trail, First Landing State Park

I got out over the weekend for an extra long hike of twelve miles. It's been too long since I've challenged myself on the trail. All the two and five and seven mile hikes are fine, but the longer hikes are another game all together. Different pains can develop, this time the ankles are still sore. Mentally, twelve miles or more can be much more difficult as doubts creep in and can sap your energy. My strategy for handling long distances is to look at the map and break the trail into parts and create smaller, digestible chunks. There's an old saying, "When you eat an elephant, start with the tail." I like to design-in a series of little victories that I can swing from and build upon if the hike is more difficult then I expect.

Saturday's hike was a familiar one, though I had never done it from the Virginia Beach Ocean Front to home, always left from the house and headed east. It was a rainy, super humid day and I had the rain gear deployed for what good it did. I have yet to find rain gear that will keep the weather off of me, but will breath enough so that I'm not stewing in my own sweat ten minutes into the hike. One thing I've learned about hiking in the rain, is you can only get but so wet. No need to bitch about it, just pull up and the hood and start swinging your boots. The first part of the hike took me through First Landing State Park, or as we locals call it Seashore State Park. I took the Long Creek trail into the woods, then branched off for a bit on the Osprey trail to enjoy the shore line and to take in the biggest hill climb in the park, before rejoining the Long Creek Trail. One benefit of hiking in the rain is having the trail to myself and that was true except for one lone jogger and a couple of kayakers to break the solitude. Coming out of the park, I picked up the Cape Henry Bike Path and felt like a caveman shocked at the rush of traffic on Great Neck Rd. One aspect of this hike that I enjoy is the variety of environments that are traversed; from forest to suburbs and the option of a beach hike at the end. This time the rain and wind kept me off the beach, so when I came over the Lessner Bridge, I stayed along the road and picked up an extra mile or so detouring through Bayville Park. In a little over three hours, I had made it home. Soggier for my efforts, but with a renewed spirit and confidence that the next time I'm off for a hiking adventure in Scotland or wherever that I'll have what it takes to go the distance.

Happy Trails!

OK HW

Image for September 21, 2011 - Public Service Announcement

I was behind this truck while driving home and had to grab a photo of this gentlemen's message to the world that he has carefully spelled out in little metallic mailbox letters. The message reads:

#1
MESS WITH THE BEST
DIE LIKE THE REST

Now, I am puzzled. Is he "The Best" and if so, wouldn't he have a nicer truck if he were? Perhaps he's a minion for "The Best" and is required to communicate his master's philosophy to us all?

I occasionally see these kind of homespun mini-billboards on the backs of vehicles, usually very old, poorly maintained vans or trucks. The message topics generally are religious, but a few are of the macho variety like this one. They are always on men's vehicles, I have never seen a woman riding around with some odd quip sloppy applied to their ride, so a point for women.

OK HW

Image for September 6, 2011 - The Last Picture Show

Tonight I was out doing a little shopping and went by Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach and saw a demolition crew working hard on the back corner of the complex taking down the former Regal Cinema Eight movie theaters. There is another Regal cinema right across the street that gets all the first run films and blockbusters. The old Pembroke theaters would get the big movies after they had been out for a month and the crap horror movies and "urban" comedies and weird stuff that might play one week before disappearing.  I have no sentimental attachment to that particular movie house, it was just another charmless, corporate box, but I did see a lot of movies there. The most memorable was probably "28 Days Later", not so much because of the film itself (though it is a great film), but because some moron in the audience took a cell phone call in the middle of the movie and answered in a normal, full voiced volume that instantly drew the ire of the crowd, myself included. The clueless person kept talking, now defiant and the crowd piled on, with yells of "SHUT UP!" and "TAKE IT OUTSIDE!". The lady (I use the term loosely) finally finished her call and shouted back, "Y'all need to be shutting up!", prompting one more round of verbal abuse from the mob, before everyone quieted down and we all settled back into Danny Boyle's savage zombie epoch.

Here's an incomplete list of movies I saw at the now gone Regal Pembroke Eight:

• 28 Days Later
• Solaris
• Predators
• Inglorious Basterds
• The Mist

There were many more, but that's all that comes to mind right now.

OK HW

Image for 8-26-2011 - Hello Irene...

 Here's the current Weather Underground WunderMap of the approaching Hurricane, Irene. It's been a few years since we've had to ride out a storm threat like this. The last couple of big hits have been Nor-easters that can be every bit as bad as a hurricane. We are staying in our beach house across the street from the Chesapeake Bay. If the storm were a strong three or higher, we would be hightailing it to the mountains. As it is, we'll ride this one out; have all the supplies and are ready for whatever Irene can throw at us. I took a couple of "before the storm" photos of the beach and the houses across the street that will take the full fury of the storm. I'll get the "after" photos Sunday and post'em. We are all hoping for a few down branches to clean up on Sunday and a brief power outage, but know that it'll probably be worse then that. To any of my friends in the path of this monster, be safe, no surfing, stay away from the windows and keep that supply of SPAM and liquor handy (same plan as the zombie apocalypse). I'll check-in after the storm has moved on.

All the best!

OK HW

Happy Birthday Bukowski

Hank would have been 91 today. It's amazing he lasted as long as he did considering how hard he tried to end sooner. I stumbled on Bukowski through a great article about him in Film Comment magazine when "Barfly" was coming out and it made me curious enough to get one of his books, "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" and it branded my vision. The older I get, the more I understand what he laid down. There is a directness and truth to his writing that never fails to pierce my soul and help burn the bullshit away. Here's a little taste of Hank reading "dinosauria, we". Reminds me of Leonard Cohen's "The Future". Get a good jar of the red, close your eyes and listen to this:



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Goodbye Atlantis - July 8, 2011

I watched the Shuttle launch for the last time today. It was a flawless launch, though there was a brief delay at the :31 second mark for one last bit of reflection. I work at NASA Langley, so this milestone means a lot to me. I've always been a fan of the space program and it's been a true honor to get to work with the people who make the Shuttle possible. To share this historic moment with my such a good group of people is an honor. There are two theaters here on center and the main viewing event was set-up at the Pearl Young Theater, I opted for the back-up location as it is across the street from my office and it was also not as packed. There was no cheering when the spacecraft cleared the launch pad, we all have learned the hard way to wait a bit now until that brilliant sliver of light reaches high enough to be safely in orbit. It was a somber, sad affair for the people watching in the room many of whom have spent their entire career working on the Shuttle. The USA will officially have no way to put humans into space after this mission. NASA's limited budget ($19 Billion this year, less then one sixteenth of one percent of the overall budget, less then two months worth of what we spend just on the Afghanistan war) forces the choice between maintaining a fleet of low orbit vehicles like the Shuttle or going for deep space goals like the Moon, Mars and beyond. They are choosing the later leaving the low orbit work to the private sector and Elon Musk's Space X Falcon System which is scheduled to have it's first manned launch in 2014. That seems like a long way off. Godspeed Atlantis!

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Image for 7-6-11 - The Speed of Life

Time is going by too fast for me right now. Once we get past the Fourth of July, it feels like a quick jump from Labor Day to Halloween and Christmas. I've been spending a lot of time on the road lately between the trips to Mississippi and Nags Head, not to mention my daily commute to work of fifty-four miles (roundtrip). Life becomes a blur at times, my own version of "Groundhog Day", wake-up-work-home-sleep-repeat. All we can do is make the time we have count for something.

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Image for 7-4-11 - Happy Birthday America!

I spent the weekend down in Nags Head, NC with friends. It was a classic Fourth of July weekend; hot, hazy and lazy. The beach was covered in tourist. The pelicans glided through the hot air. Occasionally, a pod of dolphins cut through the waves. We ate, we drank and we napped. It was a fine time. Unfortunately, we had to drive back today,  so no fireworks at the beach, which was a slight drag. Any hope to catch some here at home was dampened by a heavy storm front. Happy 235th Birthday America.

OK HW

Image for 6-19-11 - My First Haircut

I am down in Mississippi visiting my Dad and Step Mom. It's always strange for me to be down here because, despite the fact that my Father is from here, I feel no connection. The Weaver side of the family has lived in Eastern Mississippi for generations. My Dad broke that chain when he went into the Navy and left the sweltering, kudzoo-covered life down here to see the world. He eventually came back home, but none of his children have ever followed him here.

My Dad's living room is filled with pictures of his kids, grandkids and Betty, my Step Mom's children. I found this photo of my older sister and me taken when I was about one or so. My Dad told me that it was taken shortly after I had my first haircut given to me by a barber that had cut my Dad's hair, his Dad's hair and his Dad's hair. Four generations of Weaver hair had fallen under this guy's scissors. I wish I had a photo of him.

OK HW

Image for June 17, 2011 - Making a Mark

This leaf is long gone, but it left it's mark on the world. It's shape endures for now etched into this strip of white crosswalk paint. Whenever I walk over to the mailbox here at work, I pass this leaf silhouette and it always brings my mind around to how brief our time is on this planet and how will anyone know we were here. Leaving one's mark has been a motivator to people in all walks of life since cave people took up a charred stick and drew on a cave wall. Some people leave their mark through their children and families, some through their creative pursuits. Some people don't care or feel it's out of their reach to make any meaningful impact on the world. Whether we chose to or not, we are all affecting the world and the people around us for good or for ill, mostly in ways that we'll never know or understand. I've been making a conscious effort to bring art into my life more, both in reality and online. I've also been trying to encourage people, friends and strangers to create art, write, make music, exercise that creative passion too. Make that mark. You never know who will eventually see it and what it will mean to their life.

OK HW