Strutting in the Wood Shop

Well. Quite a lot has been going on around here, I must tell you. Gosh, I hardly know where to begin. How about with some pictures; that's always easy.

In the image below, I am enjoying the center of attention on the table at my dadda's wood shop.



Other big people are lazing about due to the "Company Holiday Party" situation. I don't know where momma was; dadda was in charge of me, which was super fun.



I got to wear dadda's icky old hat.



I got to play with, and drool upon, various tools.



I got to stare blankly at the camera. Fortunately, this shot allows the viewer to admire my chin rash. Drooling. It takes its toll.

Eventually, momma and auntie A. and Genevieve and baby Marguerite showed up, and we all posed for some sort of company promotional image. I'm rather blase about these photo-ops by this point.



After this shot, we smaller persons were deposited with some individuals I heard referred to as "babysitters"at Genevieve's house while the bigger persons went next door to the saloon. I was ok with this for a while. Maybe an hour. But I really hadn't napped appropriately that afternoon (too much going on! can't settle down!) so my congeniality was at a low. Eventually, one of the babysitters went to the saloon and told on me. Momma appeared to listen to my complaints. She was not that sympathetic, I have to say. What's so great about a saloon anyway? Why not hang out with me?

More on this whole Christmas event and the trip to Gramma's and Bappa's soon. Evidently, my producer is rounding up some images.

Jingles,
Buckaroo

Glorious Light

Momma and I were perched in the sunniest spot in the house the other day to take advantage of the solar gain. It was a terribly chilly day out - the first strong cold of the season - and this arthritic old house was not holding her heat, poor old girl. Momma and Dadda debuted a couple of space heater thingies which are incredibly alluring and call out to be grabbed and wrestled. But I am not allowed near them. Such indignities.

Anyway, this morning I woke very early and found a stunning situation in the living room, which Momma is calling the Christmas Tree. Absolutely gorgeous. I will do my investigations and report back post-haste.

Cozy with Momma,
Buckaroo

Blustery November

I must say, this whole autumn season is dramatic and delightful around here. October was a true charm of colors and crisp sunny days. November is proving to be quite tempestuous! The trees were glorious in all their colors, but now these windstorms are tossing all the leaves around. Today is a real howler. This rickety old house feels like its clinging desperately to its foundation.

Anyway, here is some sunshiny proof of my newest and most amazing skill to date:

I CAN CRAWL!!!!!






I'm coming to get you! And I'm planning on scouring every inch of this house so I can put EVERYTHING in my mouth! Yay!!!

Costume Buffoonery

So. Last Sunday was this Halloween situation. For some weeks, Momma and Dadda were clearly scheming, whispering closely while casting sidelong glances at me. I have little patience for mysteries. Each day is such an onslaught of newness that I don't need these two brewing up additional phenomena. Nevertheless, along comes Sunday and endless talk of "Old-Timey Strongman". That's me. Old-Timey Strongman. Padded and stuffed in some flesh-colored get-up, with a - gasp - loincloth and some, er, cosmetics applied to my face (I blanch.). And they hand me this dumbbell thing to swing around, which I rather liked.

They kept complaining that I was wiggling too much so they couldn't get a good shot of me. But whatever. They put me in this getup, I'm not gonna make it easy on them.

Then, all sorts of other absurd folks came to the door and yelled at us, for which they were rewarded. Weird. Then Momma and Dadda took ME to other people's houses and shoved me in their faces, causing ladies to squeal. What a strange tradition. Perhaps I will grow to understand it better. The best part was seeing Genevieve in her Winter Fairy Princess best-of-show. Such a beauty.

Trick or Treat!

Morning Stretches

Well, good morning. Do join me.

Rather early still, isn't it? Its a clear and crisp morn here in the Skagit Valley. I'm outside in the pure early sun to do some stretches - calisthenics, if you will. I must tell you, I'm on the verge of making some major locomotion advancements, I can just feel it. So I think that keeping ready and limber is of the utmost importance. Agility is crucial in this new world of mine.

And, as you can see, I'm joined by my faithful, if not saturnine, companions, the chickens. Some say they're temperamental; I say they're charming.

But enough of them. Lets STRETCH!!!! Oooo that feels good.

Nice along the back of the legs. And again!!! Hey lady, could you bring me a pad to sit on?! Sheesh. This deck is in dire need of repair. So splintery!

Ahh. Much better. Much more conducive to effective stretching. Annnnddd again!!!

I'll continue in silence, if you don't mind. Thank you for stopping by. Good day.

Oh Hi

Hmmmm. Evidently the yellow circle is attached to the blue circle...

...ok ok I'm getting it. The blue circle is attached to the red circle. Man, the psychedelic caterpillar is really up in my scene here...

Honestly, there's a lot going on right here. If stimulation could make you rich, I swear...
Ech, all of it, its too much sometimes! Hah!
Oh Hi!!!

Heh, I didn't see you there. Heh.


Could you hear what I was saying?

Old Growth and New Growth

We're reaching back several months here with this batch of photos. Some time in, oh I dunno, late June or early July, there was talk about folks taking a camping trip. It seems Momma was a bit uneasy about this "camping" activity what with my constant demands. So, in order to determine Momma's maternal instincts vis a vis the great outdoors, we took a preliminary day trip up the Mt. Baker Highway for a hike and other possible adventures.

I was, what, 4 months old? Somewhere in there. I do recall that I was still not so keen on spending much time in my car seat. Its been slow to grow on me, frankly, the car seat experience. Otherwise, I enjoyed the scenery immensely. Momma and Dadda had some interpersonal considerations that were amusing to watch. Generally, this Dadda guy is more adventurous while Momma has every muscle tense; sometimes this results in humor for me.

So, on to the photos:
We started by driving to the very end of the road, through the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie Forest to the Mt. Baker Ski Area. As you can see, there was still snow on the ground from the '09/'10 season. And I am evidently delighted by the scene.

We wandered around admiring the top-of-the-world view. Momma muttered something about the altitude and I-hope-its-ok-for-an-infant something or other. I felt fine, rest assured.

Onward, we searched for a simple hike, somewhere with easy access just off the highway. So, we headed back down the mountain. Dadda wanted to show us a great old-growth-forest grove that he'd hiked through several years back. We wandered through a thickly forested area, where there really was no apparent trail at all. This involved quite a bit of scurrying and shimmying, which I didn't mind too much - I was in the apparatus that had me mounted to the front of Dadda. But Momma was not liking the situation. Lots of statements about how this was not what she was talking about when she talked about a simple hike, and just be careful because that spot doesn't look stable, and is that poison ivy???

Here are Dadda and myself with our Tron outfits on, standing next to a massive tree - cedar, I think. I don't know what the deal is with the ashen condition on the bark there; lichen perhaps.

And here we are posed in front of a fallen tree. Note the massive root base. Dramatic!


Aaaand here is Dadda felling the tree for our winter wood supply. Juuuust kidding. (Courtesy of Darius Kinsey Photograph Collection 126, UW.)

Finally, we headed to Glacier to eat at Graham's for the best fish tacos. Momma and Dadda proclaimed that it was the first time I was able to comport myself in a restaurant. The conditions were good, at any rate - middle of the afternoon, nobody there, lots to look at. Here is a series of photos of myself with Dadda.

[My producer (Momma) would like you to note the strikingly similar hairlines shared by the two of us.]


This last one you can see I am hopeful that I will get to partake in the grown-up food. No such luck, let me assure you.

All in all, it was an interesting day. We did go camping with other folks a few weeks later. That too was interesting and downright enjoyable as there were many ladies to dote on me, including Genevieve.

I hope you enjoyed the look back.
Adios,
Buckaroo

Momma in a Tizzy

Somebody help my momma, please. She is spinning in circles, talking about some woman named AmyW that is coming to visit. And I suspect we are going somewhere because all of my stuff is being rearranged and crowded around the door. She says I'm going to love this AmyW. The suspense is thrilling, I admit. I think I'll shake things up a bit by refusing to nap well.

kisses, Buckaroo

p.s. this shirt is brought to you from the talented Miss Yuki. Again, another allegedly fabulous woman I've yet to meet.

Retrospective

Well, today is the 2nd wedding anniversary for Momma and Dadda. They left me in the delightful company of my paternal grandparents (whom I understand are called "Grandma" and "Grandpa"), and stepped out for a short bit last night. I spent some time being nonplussed about the situation, but the grandparents seemed willing to put up with me nonetheless.

Anyway, today I can see that Momma is feeling reflective, and full of musings. So, I thought she'd like to see this little set of pics from my very early days. Dadda took the pics, which I personally think are darling. Enjoy.


Til later,
Buckaroo

Avant Garde

So, my producer here is feeling rather artsy this morning, thus we are presenting you with some more impressionistic images of me. We intend to impress upon you how movement permeates my reality.
I'm here but I'm not still. I stay in motion to keep the viewer nimble. Perhaps my movements are seemingly not in proper relation to my environment, defiant of physics.

Do you feel uncomfortable?

And yet, I don't want to alienate the viewer; I want to remain an attractive spectacle - one that is, somehow, relate-able, canny and sympathetic for the viewer. Pleasant colors, adorable human form.
But, ultimately, as the artist and performer, it is my own personal expression that remains sacrosanct, whether that be at the cost of the viewer or not. True, I need you - the viewer- to validate the creation, but I need me more.

Plus, I'm super cute and I know you'll come back.

Cheerio,
Buckaroo