Friday, January 31, 2014

Friday Shootout - Lines, Space, etc.

Last week, Ginger posted a picture that reminded me of a similar one I took awhile ago.  Since it fits with the theme, I decided to lead off with it here.  



It's a shame that Bagman and Butler aren't here to help me add entertainment value this morning because I'm brain-dead from three days snowed in with grandchildren who have drained all my creativity and left me today with blankets and sheets to be removed from tents and pirate ships and turned back into beds.  Cookie crumbs, popcorn, and pieces of race cars that lost control at the top of the stairs.  And sore knees from being a horse in too many rodeos. 

So...just a post from the archives.














Until next week...

Friday, January 24, 2014

Friday Hometown Shootout -- Open Space

As soon as I entered my studio -- I stopped calling it the Bagman and Butler studio about a year ago when I began to accept that they were wandering the world and probably never coming back -- but as soon as I entered the studio, I realized something was amiss.

The computers were on, humming, and my blog was on the screen.  It didn't take a second for me to realize that somebody had been messing with my header. 

I hit the button to check my email and sure enough:

1/23/2014 - 7:04 PM
TO:       Riverwatcher
FROM:     Bagster456
SUBJECT:  Thought I was dead, I bet 

Hey, Boss, you old fart. You didn't think you could start posting again without me finding out about it, did you? They have WiFi at the cafes here in Amsterdam as well as the best pot in Europe. And I still remember how to log in to our old computers even if I don't always remember my name. I saw your last post and it was lame.  You didn't even fool around with your header so I thought I'd give you some help. You can thank me later.  Who knows, I might visit you sometime although you're a real bore, you know.  PS: I heard from Butler awhile ago.  Who knows why.  Maybe he was lonely. Anyhow, I'm about to fall asleep.

Not wanting to risk what Bagman might do next, I decided to leave it although I didn't like it much.  And I didn't have time to mess with it anyhow.  But I did want to put in a post this week, so I went to work on it. 

Once again, I can't think of much to say, so I'll mostly just post pictures.



 

Lots of space around this house
but apparently no buyers...
 
 
 
Heading out to even more open space
 


 


 


 
 
I was just about to close off this blog and post it when, lo and behold (whatever lo and behold means), I noticed an email had just hit my inbox.
 
1/23/214 - 8:03 p.m.
 
TO:       Riverwatcher
FROM:     Chef Butler III
SUBJECT:  Greetings
 
Dear Mark,
    It is with the greatest pleasure that I reconnect with you over the fine medium of the Internet.  I am on a long weekend break from the Academy of Cheffing in Paris. I am enjoying Italy although I have noticed that the restaurants don't always know how to set a proper table.  But since I learned that you are attempting to blog again without my assistance, and, of course, the pseudo-assistance of our dubiously attired friend, I would send you some photographs to add to your blog.  You really shouldn't be attempting to blog again without us, you know. 
 
Yours truly,
Butler
 
 Now I am totally speechless   It is like a visit from the Ghosts of Blogspot Past.  I sit helplessly while Butler posts some pictures from Italy.  Time has lost meaning since I know he took these pictures over 6 years ago. 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 Lots of space above,
below, not so much...
 


 
 
And so I end my post, wondering what comes next.  I have promised myself that I won't spend more time than I have to post things, and yet what do I do if Bagman and Butler actually show up in the studio.  I can't let them have run of the place without supervision.  On the one hand, I'd love to see them again. On the other hand, they can be more time consuming and nuttier than my grandchildren. 
 
I'll just have to take it a day at a time and see how things play out. 



Friday, January 17, 2014

Shootout - Rustic

I had planned to take on this one with a little more thought and time - but



 

Just a few picture to proove I'm still around.