Image for May 25, 2011 - Dinner Out

We went out for dinner tonight at a neighborhood favorite place, "Zia Maire's". My nephew Jake in Wisconsin sent us a big gift certificate for that restaurant for Christmas and we needed to use it up before it expired. Tonight was the night. These flowers were outside the front door and visual sum up what a wonderful evening we had.

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Things Fall Apart

Found this animation while surfing around on my lunch break:


Worn Out from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.

A beautiful piece that reminds me of the Brothers Quay's work.

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Image for 5-23-11 - Work in Progress

My first wood carving. I've had the tools for awhile, past time I used'em. This guy is almost done.

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Image for 5-22-11 - No Pregnant Women!

So what would have a "No Pregnant Women" icon on it? Anyone? Ah, come on, take a guess.

OK, here's a hint; I brought it back from Scotland.

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Image for 5-21-11 - Hamlet!

Yeah! I finally got to meet Hamlet the cat. Our friends Casey and Laura visited today and they brought their pets Hamlet and Bailey (the dog). I've been missing our old cat Thelma since she passed some months ago, so it was wonderful to have a little furry fool running around here for a little while. Might be time for us to get another cat...

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Image for 5-18-11 - Scotland Flashback: The Union Canal - Bridge 28

For today's photo, I'll dip back into the big pile of photos from the recent Scotland trip. This shot is from day two, our first day on the Union Canal hike. My friend Dave (pictured here) and I set off from Edinburgh and headed west covering the 32 miles to Flakirk in three days. There are sixty-two bridges along the route, here Dave is about to pass under bridge number twenty-eight. I like this shot because of the canal boat motoring by. We saw a lot of other canal boats, but they were usually docked and not "in action". I have posted on Flickr the better pictures from Day one of the trip. More photos from the trip soon.

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Inspiring Kinetic Sculpture

My friend Laura shared this video with me and I had to repost it. Fantastic to see these animal-like sculptures moving in the wind. Enjoy. OK HW

Image for 5-17-11 - The Perfect Stranger

This is one of my old sculptures called "The Perfect Stranger". It's a direct fabrication done with ultracal-30, a super hard industrial-grade plaster. I worked the material wet, then did some sanding and shaping with rasps and files after it hardened. The final touch was some acrylic paint. Now you might understand why I love textures and peeling paint.

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Image for 5-16-11 - Scotland Flashback: Punk Rocker

The first day of my trip to Scotland, I stumbled on a group of Scottish Socialist and Anarchist protesting the Royal Wedding. There was also a small group of British loyalist literally wrapped in the Union Jack taunting the protesters and singing "Hail Britannia" from across the street. The cops and journalist out numbered them all. I grabbed a few pics of this guy, an archetypal punk rocker, roving through the crowd drinking a beer and providing a perfect photo-op for the photojournalist and tourist. Good to see some people still flying the flag of punk rock.

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Image for 5-15-11 - Rain Barrel Time

Got the rain barrel deployed for the season. I like using rain water for watering our plants. Just makes good sense and saves some dough on the water bill. Trying to grow potatoes-in-a-bag again this year. Last year was a bit of a disaster with no growth or potatoes, but feeling more optimistic this year with some good, sprouting taters to start with. Now we just need some rain to fill the barrel and away we go!

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Back in the USA

My mystery friend enjoys a pint.

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Rainy Sunday in Edinburgh

Sorry for the lack of posting. I have been Twitting (@Weaverwerx) and posted a few updates on FB. Don't have an easy way to upload photos while on the road overseas. Nearly upgraded my iPod to the latest with the built in camera and wished I had. Next trip.

This has been a fantastic trip. Dave and I have covered alot of ground in the last week-and-a-half. Hiked the full length of the Union Canal. A couple of days on the coast visiting friends in Dunbar. And now back in Edinburgh for Dead by Dawn, a must viewing for any horror fan.

I hope to post a photo or two tomorrow before we fly back Tuesday. There will be much more to follow when I get back for the big catch up.

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Image for May 1, 2011 - Union Canal - Ratho to Linlithgow

Union Canal Aqueduct

The Union Canal features several aqueducts that carry the canal over roads, rivers and walkways, sometimes all at the same time. It's a strange feeling to be walking along the secluded path only to come out over a roadway with cars speeding underneath. I guess it's easier then building a bunch of locks to help the boats transverse the landscape.

I threw in an extra photo from this day of Dave and I in front of a field of rapeseed that a fellow walker took for us. The rapeseed fields were in full color and photos will never fully capture the intense vibrancy of the yellow flowers. For the first part of the walk, we'd see the yellow fields far off in the distance shimmering like the yellow brick road, seen but always out-of-reach. Finally at this point of the hike we came right alongside a field and had to use it as a backdrop. I've done a far bit of solo hiking, but I always prefer to have a good friend along. Anyone reading this would be fortunate to have a friend as good as Dave has been to me. He's a solid trail companion and I look forward to many more adventures in the future with him.

Hal and Dave along the Union Canal

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Image for 4-30-11 - Danger of Death!

I love that sign, saw while hiking the Union Canal. It's warning against the overhead power lines. Judging from the barbed wire wrapped around the pole, I guess they've had a few people try and climb it. I think that sign is applicable anytime though. The end can come anytime, so you better get out there and live your life. The samurai would "freshen their minds with death" every morning to remind themselves how short and fragile life is. I do the same.

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