Halloween 2014 (retrospective)

I tried to keep things a little less complicated this year… I think I succeeded, at least I didn’t feel as stressed at sunset this year. Here are a few pics in more or less the order one would see things as they approached the house.

med_skel_2014med_front-house_2014sm_walkway_2014door_ghost_2014We had an OK number of trick-or-treaters, though I had hoped for more on a Friday night. It was threatening to rain so that might have kept the numbers down a bit. Here is a video taste of how I greeted them (got a fair amount of scares in):

Next year Halloween falls on a Saturday, so I am hopeful for a better showing then.

May the 4th be with you!

A personal message on this most auspicious day!

Playing Chess with Pigeons turns six years old today!

6th birthday pigeonWow, they grow up so fast! I can hardly believe it has been six whole years since I started this blog.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Of course it is probably about time it started pulling its own weight around here. Maybe it could get work as a carrier pigeon or something…

Every little bit helps (especially right now). Many Thanks!

Another new toy…eventually

After my friend Don gave me a microscope he had rescued from being throw away I wrote in a post about it and mentioned there about how I would like to also have a dissecting microscope (something more suitable for examining fossils & macroscopic critters etc.). Well upon reading this Gary Hurd, a long time colleague in the Creation/Evolution conflict, contacted me via Facebook and told me that if I really wanted a dissecting scope he had one I could have if I just came and got it.

So I went and got it…

d_micro_smIt is a Bausch & Lomb 0.7x – 3x with, from what Gary tells me, a storied history of archaeology fieldwork. The base was pretty rusted (which I imagine was due to Gary’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean) but some steel-wool and some WD40 took care of most of that (as you can see).

There is however one tiny little problem with the scope (for which Gary apologized profusely) and this is where the “eventually” comes in, it lacks eye-pieces! Unfortunately the eye-pieces apparently got misplaced, so until I have some extra cash (who knows when that will happen) it will remain a very cool looking (and very heavy) paper-weight in the corner of my office.

hurd_britain

Yours truly and Gary

Anyway, regardless of the missing bits, a big thank you to Gary Hurd for the microscope!

Soon I will have the makings of a genuine science laboratory! Bwahahahaha!!!

Also, Gary blogs over at Stones and Bones, give it a gander.

A new toy for Troy

My friend Don has given me a microscope! He salvaged it from his work where they were apparently just going to throw it away. It’s a bit old but still serviceable and a quantum leap above the even older toy one I had.

microscopeSomeday I would like a decent dissecting scope (since my interests run more towards the not quite microscopic but still sometimes small). Maybe something with a digital camera built into it…

Regardless, thank you Don!!! Much appreciated!

Happy Halloween!!!

A Happy Halloween to one and all!

front_window2010

Kathy and I are moved into our new (rented) home but still surrounded by boxes, some of which still contain much of my library. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I can get my stuff organized so I can start thinking about blogging again…

Avast Ye Scurvy Bilge Rats!

A merry Talk Like a Pirate Day to ye!

May yer seas be calm, yer rum flow freely and yer booty be bountiful!

[Aye, still among the living I be and meaning to sail back into blogging waters as soon as fair winds allow…]


Of Pandas and Pigeons

I have had the honor of being invited to join the crew over at Panda’s Thumb, the premier counter creationism blog on the interwebs and have gladly accepted.

Your truly with a Prof. Steve Steve impersonator.

Fear not my minions (all 5 or 6 of you), Playing Chess with Pigeons is not going anywhere! This is will remain the focus of my blogging. Little things here; big things here but cross posted to Panda’s Thumb as well (more traffic, more better!).

Thanks to the Panda’s people for having me, I hope to live up to the honor.

Julia Sweeney explaining the birds and the bees

Actress & comedian Julia Sweeney gives a very funny account of when her eight year old daughter asked her about the facts of sexual reproduction.

I’m on the Twitter…

I’ve broken down and opened a Twitter account. So now you can read some of my (short) jokes, quips, links or whatever, that I don’t deem worthy of blogging about! 

Soooo exciting, I know…

Follow me, NOW! I command you!!!

Image source: BBC Nature website.