Cthulhu Rising!

Or . . . another shot from Chaz and M's Florida Christmas break.  On a canoe trip . . .

C and M Take a Well Deserved Christmas Break

Just enough distance from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Palm Beach, Florida . . .

A Mild Christmas Morning at the WSEAhurds

Spencer: Never Pass An Opportunity for a Good Scream

Lynne says: It is fun to be a little silly

They all dared me to try on the giant stockings, so I did.

Spencer's Adventure

So Spencer is trying to open his brand new kitchen knife, when it jumps out of the packaging and nearly severs his finger.  Blood is spurting around the kitchen.  He knows there's a hospital in the vicinity, so he runs out of his apartment and up the street.  Luckily, he meets a woman who points him in the right direction.  He gets 6 stitches as the bowl below his hand fills up with blood.  Then goes home to clean up the kitchen.

Gorgeous Christmas Trees from PAhurds - (Solstice #2)

Tim and Lynne send photos of their Christmas trees in Hanover, Pennsylvania.  A "his" and a "hers,"  I guess????

Lynne's tree is the top one with her handmade (and strikingly beautiful!) quilt.

Tim's is the bottom one looking  whimsical and c-o-l-d with the tinsel.

Back in the Day

Tim said:

I remember one day when both Charles and Melanie had their manual typewriters set up beside each other on our deck in the Garden Street house in B'ham . . . writing poetry as they enjoyed the sunny view over the bay.

That is a very fond memory of mine.

Charles said:

Here is a photo from the day at Garden Street that Tim was reminiscing about on the blog.

John said:

We were all poets, artists, photographers, dancers, song writers, musicians back then . . . and damn good, too . . . damn good

Happy Anniversary, Far-A-Way Charles and Melanie

Chaz Sez : It's 9 Degrees and Only December in Michigan

Two down vests on under the coat
I'm wearing my ski jacket
and it's not warm enough

 Sent from my iPhone   

Sceam

So Tim sends me this Munch inflatable doll -- the Scream -- complete with quotation from Edvard himself -- and wants to know my reaction.  Well, here's a hint . . .

 Click to enlarge . . . and look right in the center of the photo . . . thx bro'

Solstice1

Okay! the first of the solstice celebrations . . . Chaz and M's tree in Ann Arbor . . .

Down on the Farm

 

  
The mud hole at the trailer --  a broken water line --  after we succeeded in bailing and draining the lake . . .

 

Look closely and you will see Eliot peering in amusement?  disbelief?   at the rotted out sill, studs, posts . . .

 The new sill down and the stud replacement started in the distance . . . notice all the dirt that had piled against the wall, rotting it out . . .

The swans have been gathering in the Valley for a while now.  It was a treat to work down on the farm last week and see the next field white with them, and hear them flying overhead.

Of course, the ruptured waterline at the trailer was a surprise for Eliot, Lori and me, and not too much fun.  It had been gushing for at least three days before we found it.  At least we finally found the water shut-off and got the thing capped.  I have spared you photos of us wallowing in the mud lake that had formed.

But the rest of the week was spent rebuilding the old carport which had rotted out along the floor sills.  In fact, one entire 24 foot wall was left with not a single post to support it! They had all long rotted and only some fortunate shear bracing had kept the whole building from collapsing.


Since I had been meaning to repair this for about three years, it felt good to finally get it done.  And Eliot was a wiz -- what a great guy to work with.  He knew how to do everything, and quickly too.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Slavko Update in Milna

It' been raining constantly over here, for the whole week, and also turned colder.

Worked with paint stripper, and oil based paint today, so high whole day.

There's no much happening around, Milna is falling into the deep
winter sleep.  Jere's in bad mood which is very significant of the
coming days. He loves summer and days when can wander around.

For a few days we were amused with Stipe's (the recycle/bottle collector)
chimney, which exploded one morning, and the way they first aid it and
repaired it. . .

 Stipe . . . before the fire

Holiday Photos - 1

Picasso

had great taste in caps . . .

















WELL SOMETIMES it might have been a little questionable, like this Catalan hat:

Chaz Sings the Alger Blues

The wind is howling

And the room is cold

Winter is coming

And I lie in bed with untold

Stories of how I ended up running

Away from my pain and sold

Myself off until I was no longer cunning

Or clever or bold

But I still have the right to be sunning

Myself in Alger I'm told

And ride in John's new truck running

Down all the back roads

So let's get through the snowing

And the heavy winter load 

So we can go swimming and rowing

In Alger oh lord

Man Wheels

Parked my Honda girlie-car and jumped in my 'new' extended cab, 4x4 man-wheels.  Gotta haul STUFF, man!

Eliot's Photos from North Cascade Trip

Eliot writes:

Here is a cabin with dove tail corners @ Canyon Creek. 

Made in 1902 by 3 Seattle ship builders looking for gold.   

John and Eason: Making Beautiful Music

And . . . Happy Birthday, John!

(And look at that boat he's building . . . 20 feet long and over 9 feet wide . . .!)

Happy 34 th Birthday, ELIOT!!!!!!!!!

Squier's Lake Surprise

Half way around, by a lakeside bench . . .

Melanie Says: Good Times, Good Memories

Year of the Roofs

Man, I just can't seem to get away from this . . . my leaky roof in Milna, Slavko's new roof in Solin, and now . . . helping with Lori's new roof on her horse barn . . . the best news is after Slavko's and after Lori's, we had some spectacular barbeque . . .

Slavko Sends Haiku

The green frog 

In your water meter 

The blob is dripping slow  

(Ed.: Photos are not my leaking water meter! but of the paleolithic cave of Kopacina, that Slavko and Nada recently visited, now secure behind iron bars as yet another archaeological excavation is underway.)

PAhurds Say: A-h-h-h-

Tim and Lynne get away for a romantic weekend, Tim's birthday and mini-vacation at the Atlantic seashore.  They send these photos of sunset over the Atlantic and of their beach house.

Slavko Captures the REAL ME!

Clever guy, Slavko.

Emails these photos that he took last week in Solin.

Can't argue with them.

Dateline Milna: Nick of Time

In the nick of time (JIT), with only days before I leave, Jozo shows up
before I leave to make some repairs to my roof. Roof repair was the
single big reason that I came here this year. Hopefully, for $200 USD
this will hold things until I add another floor to my place and then
replace the whole back roof.

Ivo looks on and gives his tentative approval.

Dateline Milna: So Much to Do . . .

. . . so little time . . .

so . . .

I slip out the back way,
behind my house,
up the stony walled path,
through an olive grove,
down an abandoned cistern slope,
past the village ballote ball courts,
and up beyond the old village of Podhume . . .

I follow a flock of sheep
deep in to the hills

I find a hunter's stand for wild boar, high in a dead pine . . .

the next day I am on the mainland, in Solin,
helping Slavko roof his new house,
helping to drink his homemade wine and
eat his roasted lamb,
watching ballote at Greben,
matching Jako, the master mason,
drink for drink,
("Zivio!")
sleeping with geckos
showering outside the next morning
as the sun came up
and the bura blew,
in water as cold as snow-melt
beneath ruins of a 7th century
church and mausoleum.

Now, to work,
finish the roof repair,
clean the house,
wash the sheets,
thank the neighbors,
take a breath . . .
then . . .
another
and . . .
another . . .