Happy Hallowe'en

We used these two figures one year for a Hallowe'en photokard. Carrie converted them from store bought figures to be us. She added glasses and hair, even giving me a ponytail. The dog on top didn't make it onto the kard though. It was intended to be Miriam, our dog at the time.

We definitely miss the Dia de los Muertos celebrations we got to see when we lived in Arizona.

WTF?*

It's not fair! We had over a month of fall creeping up on us. Does winter show the same restraint? No! In less than a week from my last post a nor'easter sends us

from this... ........................... ... to THIS!

Beauty spots still exist, but the peak has probably been cut short. Temperatures are predicted to be in the low 50's later this week so, really, this snow won't be hanging around. We'll shovel and sand the driveway and wait to see what autumn has left to show us.

In the meantime, Happy Hallowe'en, everybody!

*Wha'hap'n To Fall?

Leafing Home

Throughout September and into October fall was slowly sneaking up on us. You could see an overall color shift in the foliage: dark kelly green becoming more olive-toned, as if the trees were tarnishing. This is a view of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. There's an observatory at the top of the left tower.

Then: FWOOOM!!! Everything deciduous in our neighborhood turned color overnight! Red! Scarlet! Orange! Gold! Maroon! And the yellows especially abound, from the brassy maples to the butter-pale witch hazels. As for brown: we got 'em. And as Keith would say: who knew browns could be bright? Caramel, mahogany, and frequently multiples from above blending on the same leaf!

A lot of it faded pretty fast. Going...

...going...

...gone.

But there are still a lot of beauty spots to be found by just driving down almost any random street. These pictures were taken on the shores of Lake Auburn.

These trees are in Freeport, just a little way down from the When Pigs Fly bakeshop.

Some trees near Bates College are just getting started.

We will doubtlessly find more as we continue to explore Maine!

Samurai Slate

Many many years ago I came up with an idea for a 20 to 30 minute video I wanted to do featuring a private eye character called Samurai Slate. It was going to be filled with lots of word play and visual puns somewhat akin to the movie Airplane. Logistics to make this happen were just more than I could, or was willing, to undertake, so it never happened.

But I was making mini-comics around that time, so I decided to use the main character for one. I didn't use the same storyline as I'd planned for the film, and I don't have any notes about it in my files that I can find, so it is lost forever.

I do, however, still have the original art from the mini-comic. You can read it on Facebook here.

I realized recently that he was the perfect vehicle for the kind of comix I want to write right now, so my newest postkard, mailing out this weekend, brings him back for a new adventure. If you aren't on my mailing list and want to see the new comic, let me know your address.

Sam was named partially as a nod to famous fictional private eye, Sam Spade, and partially after my former roommate, Shannon Slate. Shannon even had a trench coat. And enjoyed odd adventures as seen in the photo of him below.