Hunter's Safety, night three

Tonight I passed my Hunter's Safety course. I got my certificate and card which allows me to obtain a Maine hunting license. I don't really want to kill anything, but I did learn some excellent tips for surviving in the woods. Whoo-hoo! hehehe

Now, all I need to do is learn how to use a gun. :)

Hunter's Safety, night two

Well, I just got home from night two of Hunter's Safety and it was interesting. We had to put together our survival kit. It had to be small and in a watertight container. I did quite well and they said it was a good one. We had a list of items that we needed and I picked everything up today. I got a heat blanket, fire starter, waterproof matches, rope, flashlight, razor blade, knife, band-aids, fish hook & wire, sewing kit, lighter, compass, electrical tape and some other stuff. I'm actually going to keep it in my glove compartment in my car for any situation where I may become stranded or even stuck in a snowbank. Tomorrow night we have our test and get our certificate. I hate taking tests!

Hunter's Safety

Tonight from 4:30 to 9:00 pm, I attended the Hunter's Safety course given for anyone who wants to get a hunting license. In Maine we're required to take the course in order to get a license to shoot birds, bear, deer or moose. I'm taking the course because my co-worker, Melissa, asked me if I'd go with her. She wants to go hunting. So, the course lasts for three nights and on Friday night we get our certificate and are then able to go and pay for a license. The course is free, the license is $21.00. It was interesting tonight and I didn't know there were so many rules that go along with hunting. I don't plan on shooting anything, I just like the option.

Studio Friday: Outside

This week's topic is about on the outside of your studio. Well, my view outside right now (and for the past 14 years) is nice, with the front tree still green and the top turning.


This bottom photo is from back in April, kind of a dreary day then.

Sunday

I worked from 1 to 9 today. My feet are hurting, which is normal after a long day. I have tomorrow off. The weather the past few days has been amazingly warm and sunny. In the 70-80s. I got a little sunburn on my face and arms earlier today, but that little bit of color this late in the season is kinda nice. There isn't really much to report on today so I'm heading to bed.

Night all. :)

Another Saturday.

Not much going on today, other than my brother, David's 53rd birthday. His wife of 29 years, Trudy, threw him a surprise birthday party at Burger King in the caboose. When she called to arrange the party, the person asked how old the child was that was having the party and she said "53" and they laughed. It was interesting getting him there too. His friend Aaron called to tell him his van broke down and he needed to come help him. David left with Trudy (she said she might as well tag along and stop at the grocery store) and when they arrived at BK he thought it looked a little suspicious with a couple familiar cars in the parking lot. Anyway, he was surprised but had a really fun time. After that little surprise we all went back to their house for the real party. It was very nice. David really enjoyed his surprise and his Elmo cake. As you can see, he wore his crown proudly! :)

Studio Friday: Floral Treat

My floral treat is something that resides in my dining room "studio" on a daily basis. It's my glass flower bouquet that my mother started for me several years ago. The flowers are quite heavy and are about 12 inches high. I have them in a heavy vase that belonged to my grandmother. The vase is weighted enough to hold the flowers. I like having them in my work area because they're a touch of spring all year 'round. ( and i wish i knew how to make them!)

What type of car am I?

I'm a Dodge Viper!

You're all about raw power. You're tough, you're loud, and you don't take crap from anyone. Leave finesse to the other cars, the ones eating your dust.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Lucas for Supernova? NO Way!

Okay, how disappointing is it that Dilana didn't win?! I can't believe they picked Lucas! You can't even understand the words coming out of his mouth. I'm disappointed. Dilana will do a hell of a lot better with her own band than Supernova! Men are so scared of having a woman front their band. Oh well.

Oh, Debbie and I went and visited Lori this afternoon. Debbie hadn't seen their new house and wanted to know where she moved. The house is huge and Lori and Dwain are really enjoying all the space, so are their three cats. :)

Gritty Pictures!

A friend of mine sent me these pictures of a sand sculpture competition in Harrison Lake, B.C. How extraordinary are the people/artists who have the patience to do this! I wish I could have seen these in person.


Amazing!

A White Moose?

This was a rare sight near Bathurst, New Brunswick. These were sent to me by a friend.

September 11th

This is the only picture I have of the World Trade Center from a visit to New York in 1986. The pictures were taken at dusk so they aren't very clear but I'm glad I actually took them. The bottom picture of the Marine Cpl. reading an inscription from a giant American flag at Kandahar Intl. Airport in Afghanistan is from a newspaper article I clipped shortly after the attack. The flag was raised near the ruins of the WTC after the 9-11 attack and was given to the Marines by the New York Police Department.

Fall is coming!

This is the big tree behind my house. See, the leaves around the bottom are changing. Soon it will be yellow, red, even pink. It actually started changing early this year.

Linda update.

Well, I received an e-mail from Linda last night and her ex has cancer in his lung and it spread to his brain, both are inoperable. On top of that, when they were doing the biopsy of his lung, both lungs collapsed. He is doing okay at the moment but I feel so sad for him. He and Linda had two daughters together. Their oldest daughter just got married and is starting her new life and the youngest is in college. This is going to be so hard for them, they are very close to their father. He and Linda had a bad relationship for a very long time but they have put that in the past now.

They plan to start chemo and possibly radiation as soon as his lungs get a bit stronger.

Daily grind.

I worked all day today and my feet are killing me. I bought some epsom salts and will try to relieve the aches in my tootsies later.

I have four days off next week so I'm going to do a lot of exercising and trying to get back in shape. What a pain in the ass! Literally!

Studio Friday: Tools

My tools have been published in a previous post but they remain the same, just more and more of them! I love buying new things. My primary "tools" are my sketchbooks and pencils & paints. Oh, and a subject of course...;)

Early meeting

I had to go to a meeting at work today which was at 6:45 am! Usually I get up in the morning around 6:15 but when there is something going on like that, it's just harder to get out of bed for some reason. After the meeting, I came back home and watched The Pink Panther and fell asleep on the couch for an hour and a half. I had to be at work at 12:00 so I picked up around the house and ran a few errands.

Just another random day in the life of ME. :)

Linda's life at the moment.

My friend, Linda, found out her ex-husband has tumors in his lung and his brain this week. When I arrived at her house yesterday, she was in tears and I asked her what was the matter. She told me what happened and asked me if I'd go to the hospital with her to visit him. We went to visit and it calmed her nerves a bit and she is dealing with it as best she can. He was having seizures and trouble breathing when he was taken to the hospital. He's had several tests and is waiting on the results to know if the tumors are cancer. We're all saying our prayers for him.

Artist Block

I have a funny e-mail picture to share that sort of sums up peoples impression of Maine life. It's called "Maine has Cowboys too!"

I think this is one of the ways to unblock any type of creativity block. Seeing or hearing something funny or off the wall that inspires you to do something different. I have so many funny pictures I've received in e-mails and some of them have inspired me, at times, for certain scrapbook pages or just going out and taking my own "inspiring" pictures. :)