Grizzlebear, trying to blend in with the winter grass We've had Grizz for one week, and he's learned a lot. I've learned more, given that this is my first genuine puppy (the few dogs I've had were adult rescues, so I've never really dealt with puppymonsters before). I've got a few tips for anyone considering the acquisition of [...]
Bringing the puppy home on my lap. Dave the Dog Guy said he'd be happier making the trip home in a blanket on my lap than in a carrier, so he maneuvered from lap to car console to lap all the way home. Hectic days: Nathan's in grueling, dawn-to-dusk training to become a home inspector, I'm working long [...]
For my very first blacksmith-shop-in-the-backyard job, I made a coathook of twisted steel. Ain't it just absolutely gorgeous? "Wanna learn how to forge a coathook?" asked The Resident Carpenter, "I thought you might like to try blacksmithing...?" "Sure!" I said eagerly, and we headed for the shop. When making a silver squirrel pendant, it's generally a good [...]
OK, well, not NAKED, exactly, but the next best thing. This is gonna take some explaining, so bare (heh-heh) with me. I started my professional life as a tech reporter, covering all kinds of events in different parts of the US. It was a great job I probably would have done for free: All the gadgets I wanted at no [...]
Current iteration, as of this writing--subtler ridges, whisker-like set of front nose indentation, and better ear integration. In THIS episode of Making a Silicone Mask: The Rules of Moldmaking #1: The simpler, the better. The fewer stages and components required to create your mold, the fewer opportunities for disaster. #2: The effort required to correct a casting [...]
Black walnut ice cream, chunky-full of nuts and smelling like heaven Most people wouldn't put black walnut and "delicious" together. Black walnuts may LOOK like English walnuts, but the very first bite mugs your mouth with a musky, who-died-on-my-tongue putrescence. Ugh... Eating ICE CREAM with those things? "Spit me out, NOW." Hush a minute. Ignore your yammering brain, close [...]
Tonight's version of Hungarian Mushroom soup included crimini, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms. Plus a LOT of sour cream. I hadn't lived in Portland long before my friends Joel and Jim flew in for a visit. They announced--two minutes after arrival--that "We're taking you for Hungarian Mushroom Soup." That was my introduction to an incredible soup at a place [...]
I was GONNA take a picture of the hominy casserole, fresh out of the oven in all its glory...but it didn't last that long. You couldn't say my ex-mother-in-law and I got along, exactly, but I'd be the last to criticize her cooking. She could make cardboard stew delicious...mostly because her three favorite ingredients were sour cream, butter, [...]
When they tell that old silicone might not set, they mean it. In this episode: There's many a slip twixt the yup and the ick. Here today, goo tomorrow. A moldmaker and her money are soon parted. Models are easy. Molds are hard. Masks, I was discovering, are even harder. I had a model for Kat's mask. Now [...]
Final maquette for Kaitlyn's mask After two decades--and a LOT of wasted silicone--I've gotten pretty good at building durable, well-engineered silicone molds for glass casting. I should be able to make a custom silicone mask, right? We'll see. My friend Kaitlyn (Kat) is making a Halloween costume depicting the probable offspring of Batman and Catwoman (who apparently met [...]
