Vampy

Detail of a larger drawing mostly in shades of gray except for the blood red lips. Hard to believe but according to my dashboard this is post 104. Going to have to go back and look at them sometime, not sure what I posted to reach that many.

Haven't seen the Baltimore Oriole again, too bad as it's a pretty bird. Today though I went out to fill the feeders and scared off a male Mallard who was browsing on the ground with the sparrows. the Mallards aren't that unusuall, we get them every year, normally a pair though, not sure where this guys mate was, mayber guarding the nest.

Another

Similar but different to my last post. I didn't like the last picture much (posted it anyway, I have no pride) so tried it again but with a female subject and so far like this one better.

We have had a new visitor to our backyard recently, a Baltimore Oriole had showed up a week ago one day and was back again yesterday. According to the bird info websites they are common to this area but I had not seen one before. There have been a few other so far unidentified birds this year along with the hawk. Something must be up in thier normal area that is making them stretch out?

This guy yesterday was so wierd. Me sitting in the backroom and heard something at the window and there he was on the ledge looking inside. He went back and forth, hoping more then flying and kept looking inside. The camera was across the room of course and usually if anything moves inside the birds anywhere in the yard fly off but I tried it and moving slowly made my way across the room figuring him gone when I got back but he was still there. I took a few pictures ( maybe post them soon) and he stayed, moving about out there but keeping close and still looking inside. He did finally leave but was back maybe ten mintutes later and we repeated the whole thing except this time I had the camera already. My guess he was begging. The feeders were full but we also put out peanuts and there were none of those so maybe that was what he wanted. The info sites don't list that as food for this guy but sparrows either and they pick at them, not eating them but after the shells I think, maybe for nesting?

Anyway I did put some out and through the day they dissapeared but didn't see who got them and haven't seen the Oriole again. It was all neat though, never seen this kind of behavior from a wild bird.

Black and White

Another detail portion of a larger unfinished drawing that will not get finished but started over instead.

Went with the wife shopping to Home Depot today. I hate shopping with my wife, usually refuse but I knew she was getting some heavy things that would be hard to get into the cart and even I can only be so much of a jerk. Watching my wife shop is like watching a dog wander through a forest. I don't get it but she has to touch everything in the store. Things she doesn't want, has no interest in at all but is driven to leave her scent and maybe check the scent of other women who have come along before. What should be a fifteen minute trip turns into a two hour ordeal and by the time its done I find myself turned into the spoiled little brat she has brought with her, scuffing my feet and muttering nasty things barely under my breath. I know its not just her, I have watched other women do the same thing. Maybe I could get some government grant to do a study on this, ought to be worth a few hundred thousand or so.

Molson

This a detail from a drawing, the full thing too large to post here. From a vintage photo in my collection. I think I remember seeing ads like this on barns when I was younger. I say " i think" because I've seen them so many times in pictures that I don't know if I remember or if it's one of those memories you make up. I do remember the old Burma Shave signs along the road. Those were neat and something I haven't seen in a long long time. Driving to Kansas City as a kid (passenger of course) those signs would make the trip so much shorter waiting for the next group to come up. They had some good ones but I don't remember any now, going to have to google it soon as this picture gets loaded.

A Little Color

Detail of a victorian lady sitting in the park. I have to crop these because they are just too big and using a dial up I would be growing cobwebs waiting for it to upload. Ink, watercolor pencil with brush and without.

I'm being the bad grandpa right now. The wife is off listening to a concert for school with my grandson in it while I sit home doing this. I know I'm bad but I can't sit through an hour and a half of cute kids I don't know singing to see my grandson in a group where I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to be for maybe two minutes. Probably another day in purgatory for that but I'll do the time. Good thing I don't know the running total or I would probably have to go to the school.

Abother pen and ink

Another drawing in pen and ink, my favorite thing to use, adding a little color ok but my pleasure comes mostly from just doing the drawing in ink.

Yesterday was one of my favorite type of days, the wife off to her moms for mothers day and me with the house to myself, all quiet and peaceful. I love my wife of course but those short times when she is away are precious to me. "absence makes the heart grow fonder" as they say. I did actually manage to get some little work done, washing down the deck so we can stain it if we get a day without rain so it can properly dry. We have a power washer but it only gets used for the deck and hadn't been used since last year if not maybe two years. It wouldn't start of course, has a little reset button that you have to use before powering it and I'm messing with that a good half hour, reseting it, trying different outlets, using my best cuss words and kicking it, looking for that special spot that fixes things like when we used to slap the side of the television to make it clear up and if your old enough you know what I mean and know it worked.

Anyway it finally did start, maybe the kicks or the cussing not sure but it was only short term, maybe four, five minutes of high pressure cleaning and it stopped. I tried a few more times but it wouldn't start and I couldn't face another half hour of cussing and kicking and besides with all the water I had spread around I was beginning to think about electrocution. With nobody home I could cook pretty well done by the time things shorted out.

Anyway I got as hot water I could from the tub and an old mop and used that to finish, probably as good as the power washer could do, nothing like old fashioned elbow grease. Now if mother nature can hold a few days we can finish and wife can get on with what she wants to do, this job holding everything up, not sure why but I don't ask too many questions.

Hope everyone elses mothers day was good and your appliances all are running fine for you.

pen and ink

pen and ink cartoon using Faber-Castell pens.

We had both a female and male cardinal plus a blue jay at the bird feeder today. Hadn't seen the female cardinal in awhile and not the blue jay in a long time. I like the jays because its pretty but I guess the other birds don't care for them, seems they like to steal eggs . Also have had a pair of Mallards around lately, common for this time of year. We have unfortunately a back yard thats like a small hill and a gully at the rear that fills with water, sucks for mosquitoes but I suppose the mallards like it.

We went to our grandsons ball game tonight, way too cold for that but they played better then I have seen them so far. He even got the game ball for "tapping the rally", a term I haven't heard before but I like it. Meaning he got a hit late in the game and following that other kids got hits also and they scored some runs. I suspect they look for a reason to give each kid a game ball during the season and it was his turn. The best hitter they have is the only girl on the team, a stocky little blonde girl who his made contact every time I've seen her at bat. She's a good fielder too, hooray for womens lib.

Television Drawing

I have been working on a couple of different drawings but nothing ready for anyone to see so I will post this, another drawing from a television show I was watching, just a watercolor pencil gone over with sepia ink.

Rained here today which cancelled my grandsons ball game, more have been postponed then they have played so far due to rain or muddy fields. Maybe if they waited a few weeks to start the season, same think happened every year he has played so far.

Also postponed my wifes plans on yardwork, got started but started raining so I reluctantly (lol) had to stop. Doesn't save me of course, still all has to be done but I'll take it a day at a time.

Apple Tree

In out back yard we have an apple tree, not that we get apples from it, just little green golf ball size wormy things. We never spray it which could be part of the problem. The apples would be good for whipping at things if you wanted but not for eating. Same with our grape vine ( not in the picture). We do get grapes but kind of bitter to eat. The neighbor to the back used to get them and make jam or something but he passed away so lately they go to waste.

Anyway, the apple tree is pretty for awhile, with the flowers it gets. My wife wanted me to knock all the flowers off so it wouldn't get fruit which of course I didn't and probably too late now.