The Think Tank

Well, as always we are a little behind the curve on getting the Halloween preparations started, but at last they have begun!  We started putting up lights and what-not last night, and we should have that finished by tomorrow.   My goal is to get the lights and smaller, easier stuff up by the first of October.  Then I can start putting out the yard decorations and working on the projects I have for this year, namely:

• I need to fix the voice box for the Grave Jumper, since it kept flaking out last year.  I may even change how he works a little bit, so he works in better concert with the crypt I would like to make
• Make a crypt.  I’m thinking it will go at the end of the yard under the apple tree and will hopefully accommodate a floating ghost in the doorway and a perhaps a new and improved Grave Jumper.  I’m thinking maybe he will jump up off a chair or something.
• I want to build a number of poseable PVC skeletons to serve as the base of some props
• Gauntlets and Boots for my costume.
• New and Improved fog chiller for front yard with at least one constant fog machine (possibly requiring the creation of a constant fogger)

That’s probably all I can manage.  We’ll see.  Hopefully I will have enough time to make some more corpsfied hands and faces for some of this stuff as well.  We’ll just have to see how everything pans out.  I’ll try to keep the Halloween page updated as things come together.

I finally got a few of the panorama pictures created and added to the Gallery for my trip to Yosemite this summer. I used a program called Hugin, which is free and does a really great job of automatically stitching and creating panoramas from a series of separate photos. If you ever need to make panorama shots, I highly recommend it.

Joel @ Tour de Lab 2009

Joel, Tim and myself joined 1,500 other riders and took part in the 2nd annual Tour de Lab this weekend.

The day didn’t start out on a very good note when, on the way to the event Sunday morning, I inadvertently cut Tim off and caused a collision.  Me and my big ol’ tank of a bike skated through without a scratch, but poor Tim hit the deck and his front wheel was damaged.  Not an auspicious start to the day.  I feel really bad about that, and I told him I was sorry, but that I just couldn’t have him riding his fancy carbon fiber bike and leaving me in the dust, so I had to take his ass out.  🙂

Fortunately he was able to have Aleks bring him his mountain bike so he could still do the ride, although he did miss the first 3 mile leg.  He met up with me and Joel at the first rest stop and we did the remainder of the ride together.

Chris @ Tour de Lab 2009

The route had us ride from one Lucky Lab brewery to the next until you have hit all three.  There were two routes, the “Puppy”, an 18 mile

ride with moderate climbing (when we referred to this one we substituted a couple S’s for some of the P’s) and the Big Dog, a 30 mile ride with what they described as “extreme climbing” up to council crest before descending back into downtown.

Naturally, we signed up for the Pus… I mean the Puppy.

It was a great day and a great ride – the whole crash bit not withstanding – and as it turned out, we probably could have done the Big Dog, though none of were sorry with our decision.  It just meant we got to the finish line sooner and therefore could start drinking our reward quicker.

Tim @ Tour de Lab 2009

At each of the rest stops along the way we were greated with people biscuits, PB&J sandwiches, dog tail breadsticks, Gatorade,  and of course any of the treats available from the various pubs.  We were good and avoided the beer while we were riding, although after climbing up Terwilliger and Barber to Capitol Highway I was really thinking of snagging a brew.

At each stop we gathered up some fancy headwear which we were required to show upon the completion of the ride in order to get our official Tour de Lab pint glass.  It was a great ride and great day.  I will definitely be doing it again next year.

Swiftwatch 2009

Every year in September thousands upon thousands of Vaux swifts descend on Portland to feast on insects by day and roost in the chimney at Chapman School by night.  They have earned a lot of popularity among the citizenry and support from the local Audubon Society and many local businesses who financed a new furnace system to ensure the swifts continued safety in their chosen roost.

Mom and I had heard about them for a long time, but we hadn’t ever gone to see the birds until this week.  It was a great experience and one I would highly recommend to everyone.  The birds typically hang around until around mid October,  and the weatherman is saying that we will have several perfect evenings to pull up a blanket and enjoy this uniquely Portland event.

To see all the pictures we took, you can click on the image or check out Think Tank Gallery.

For more information about the swifts and their temporary home, you can check out these links: http://www.hollywoodpet.com/swifts.htm and http://www.audubonportland.org/local-birding/swiftwatch

East African Crowned Crane

Hey all!

We rented a big ass lens over the weekend and took it down to Wildlife Safari in Winston (Roseburg area) to play with it.  We got some pretty good pics of the animals, so be sure to check out the Gallery to get a peek at ’em!