"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
— Anaïs Nin

Word of the Day

Modalities; in this example, modes of transport

Mom came up with this one.
She got the riding mower stuck, two days after getting her car stuck. (We have recently had an overabundance of rain)
I told her i couldn't unstick it as she had surpassed her quota for the week.
She said it didn't count, as the stuckness ocurred in different modalities.

Blew my freakin' hair back.

I reminded her it's not best to mow dalities; hedge clippers are the preferred implement.

In Situ Repair & Embellishment

 A table given to me by a friend. I have shifted the shelf that was leaning on it to the pile of vhs at the far left.

Paint the exposed weathered wood...

Add insect parts and random shiny things according to personal taste...

 Pour on a thick layer of THE STUFF, which is...

...cycloaliphatic non-blushing epoxy resin (marine grade) used for the fiberglass part of making boats. There isn't really any in this picture, this is just the thing i mixed it in.

I didn't set out to do this specific project today but i had some of The Stuff mixed up & left over from the other thing i was doing and didn't want to waste it. It was just enough, serendipitously. Must be because i'm such a good planner.



Radonitsa

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. It is a day of remembrance for the world's first permanent nuclear refugees.

For them, and for the struggling people in Japan, I dedicate this:

Our Lady of  Unintended Consequences

I'm unsure what to think of nuclear technology. I like the vast amounts of non-polluting energy it can provide, but the stakes seem unbearably high in case of human error or natural disaster.

My native New Zealand doesn't allow nuclear powered vessels within some distance, which i think is wise, though perhaps not practical for all countries, except landlocked ones.

As far as weaponry, i consider it an abomination for any person, group, or nation to have sufficient capability to destroy all life on Earth or even any sizable portion of it. I further hope that Japan may be somewhat better equipped to deal with radiation victims by reason of being the only nation ever to have suffered a direct nuclear attack, referring of course to the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If any good can come of such things, let it come now.

Along that line of thought, here's a butchered excerpt from a book which a friend was kind enough to find again for me.  A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M Miller, who in my opinion got it right:

And the prince smote the cities of his enemies, and for three days did his wrath rain upon them. Over each city a sun appeared, brighter than the sun of heaven, and immediately that city withered and melted as wax under the torch, and the people thereof did stop in the streets and thier skins smoked and they became as sticks thrown on the coals. and when the fury of the sun had faded, the city was in flames; and a great thunder came out of the sky to crush it utterly. Poisonous fumes fell over all the land, and the land was aglow by night with the afterfire and the curse of the afterfire which caused a scurf on the skin and made the hair to fall and the blood to die in the veins

"And a great stink went up from the Earth even unto Heaven. The stink of the carnage was exceedingly offensive unto the Lord, Who spoke unto the prince, Name, saying: "WHAT BURNT OFFERING IS THIS THAT YOU HAVE PREPARED BEFORE ME?"

(God had his caps lock on because He was really pissed off)

But the prince answered him not, most likely because he was all charred and crispy, and God said: "YOU HAVE MADE ME A HOLOCAUST OF MY SONS!"

more on Hiroshima's aftermath on youtube, a documentary of present day survivors.



New Painting

I have acquired a pineapple for contemplative purposes.

I painted this one in Lily's room a few years back as part of the undersea theme. BUT the grid effect isn't a very accurate pineapple surface.

Painting in Progress. It's not Fibonacci but i'm pleased with it thus far.

Birds & Beasts

William Blake was kind enough to write a poem for my birth announcement, but also This:

Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright,

In the forests of the Night,

What Immortal Hand or Eye

Could frame thy fearful Symmetry?

(capitalization haphazard as always)

This guy was made in MS Paint back when it was called Paintbrush, mostly one pixel at a time. He's an Iguana.

Kiwi's Egg

This Guy was a Wolf hybrid who came to the shelter. We can't adopt out wolf hybrids because they can't be reliably vaccinated for Rabies, but they can be placed with rescue groups or individuals w the necessary permits. I gave him a peppermint every day that I worked. Eventually I got to drive him to a family in Texas, where I hope he is living happily to this day.

The Dandelion

the Softest Sea. These were Great Pyrenees puppies. They came like the tides, back in the old days. All our pets are fixed now.

the Angel of Dog

Tea Party! The big Torti in the middle was one of two that were given up by their owner. The reason listed on their intake: "too much". They were in fact quite large. I called them my Cats of a Muchness.

Stuff i did a long time ago

Detail; this is a painted bunting (male). We actually have a nesting pair near the house.

Autumn Lady

Reinga's Road. At the top is Cape Reinga Lighthouse, located at the northernmost point of New Zealand's North Island. Reinga means "Soul's Leap" as this was in the Maori tradition the point at which souls embarked to return to Hawai'iki, their ancestral homeland. As told to me by an informative pamphlet i found someplace touristy.

Summer Lady. I think this one got lost in a friend's unclaimed storage unit. I hope not, but maybe someone will find her & enjoy.

I miss making my big Lady Paintings! These are all 3x5 feet so I can't really keep them around, and of course nobody ever buys them. But there are plenty more inside my head, PLENTY MORE I TELL YA! There's a Dawn Lady and Midnight Lady, and you should see Spring Lady, she's AWWWESOME. I would very much like to paint her. I will barter & trade for useful things btw.