OR – To see the new page click here– You must do this extra click because my iPad and I had a disagreement – guess who won? Hope it taught me how to behave for next time and then we will be back to normal – or if we like the extra click we may use some form of it every day???
Love to see people enjoy their animals. If only none animal people knew how much work it takes to have animals.
As U know I am traveling and am writing to you from my iPad in club lounge in the hotel where breakfast is available as a hotel compliment – for free. well nothing is for free I already saw the bill for the hotel. Now I know how they can give me a free breakfast – this is a beautiful hotel in beautiful down town Ann Arbor. Near hospital and university of MI. The day is bright and in the 60’s. Wanted to send u pictures. I will see if the cloud in the sky sent them from my phone to my iPad and the I send them to you. Think grandpa understood than?
I hade 2 comments on last blog posting — one from Shannon and one from Marc – Marc, the stones are Drummond Pudding Stones Will research and tell u more later And I will bring u some next time I see u. Or get grandma to send some via snail mail! Or over night do u think grandpa would understand – he did carry rural mail with horse and buggy Shannon thanks for nice words about blog and we will drive with the best care I can and we are enjoying the trip so far.
Oh I do miss working, clowning, training, playing with Perla and I am so in debt to my friends for boarding, tending, caring, loving her. Only because of their care and generosity can I be here on the road and still live the animal life on Drummond. Thanks, Thanks. Some day I want to write to u about loving, enjoying, getting support from, and having a life with animals. I will also comment on my experience at the SPCAwell, what I wanted to show u did not get here yet so just be reminded by me to go out an cloud watch today and study this cloud – I see many things but I must get on the road now and eat a free breakfast snack finally got photos from the iCloud in the sky!classy hotels to me are those that have big enough letters on shampoo bottle for me to read while standing in shower with no contacts in!
Nice sun rise reflection , but ain’t Whitney Bay
Now – is this a nice breakfast – I added cream cheese Wow! – now we go !
Please bear with me for a while. I will be traveling and will try to find fun stuff to say via my iPad as I go from city to city.
This week-end we did many fun things – met with friends before we all dispersed to southern climates had dinner with some – went to coffee shop for pastries, did our regular breakfast Sunday, Did a special trail ride with 4 others.. Went to an anniversary dinner for friends 52 years together. Will not show photos of that event without permission – which I did not ask for — But, let me tell you it was fun!
This week end I saw many interesting things – I will show U just a few – Hope you could show me many fun things you did this week-end before you Grandkids start back to school!
This week end I saw a frog – actually maybe a 100 of these little guy’sThis weekend we went to get horses for trail ride – love this photo ’cause I wondered at first what the horses thought – “5 cowgirls/boys coming to get us lets run away” (4 plus me) — This horse farm takes such good care of the animals that the horses response was “Oh,boy, my people are coming – let’s go ride” and off we did
This week end I made Perla put up with my clowning around – actually I think she loves the attention See reins over her ears!
This week-end our neighbors, their kids and Grand kids sat by their campfire and set off fireworks – I caught this one in the skyThis week end I saw a hand full of stones our neighbor and her sister found — their hobby is hiking and looking for “Pretty” stones. Then, as stone artists, they arrange and display them everywhere in their homes, lawns, on tree trunks, and more!–Some are large, only moved via backhoe , other collections only have holes in them — I will show some of that in a later blog
This weekend I saw this. This is one of the sister’s stones – looks like a Panda bear to me
This weekend I was invited to view a 100 year old saw mill — Just like the one my Grandpa used in 1900 to begin cutting lumber for the house and barn he built – the one my Dad was born in — this one on Drummond is still in useThis week-end I saw mushrooms — Love this one Bright color and see the birch bark behind it — almost looks like a cat mask — well to me anyway – You already know that I see things that do not exist!!!!Are you ready to study — Sure wish I was going back to school — I always loved it!
Question 1. – now that it is around 9:00 in the eastern time zone — are there any homes in the world that have already moved into Sept? — If not, at what time eastern will they moved into September?
Question 2. – What does the word “Transmogrify” mean? – How does it apply to your new hobby of cloud watching?
–Oops, I made an assumption that after all my blogs with clouds, you do look skyward more often – maybe, even enough to make cloud-watching an inexpensive hobby – inexpensive, if you do not run into a telephone pole while looking at the sky rather then watching where you are driving, riding, or walking!
Answer to question 2 – Transmogrify = to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect
Since Grandma is an artist there are many magazines on art around the house — she pointed out an article to me in the spring edition of The Drawing Magazine by a guy named Procter about a guy named Saltzman. Saltzman, it says, is a distingueshed artist – with accolades such as a North Carolina Award in fine arts, The Mahler Gallery In Raleigh, and is a faculty member at U of NC.
Salltzman likes to paint nature — and rather then do it from photographs or from his memory – he goes out into nature to do his painting. Here is what he says “Sketching en plain air (Artist talk different then us normal folks) is inspiring, exhilarating, and exasperating. Nature is a shape-shifter. Trees sway in the breeze. Streams roil and foam. Clouds transmogrify. Light changes by the hour, sometimes by the minute.; color changes with the light.”
The article goes on to say he sketches and or draws what he sees, than goes to the studio and creates a piece of abstract art. — for example
This one is of the Alps – Abstract for sure – pretty ? first grade? award winning? – But remember, the quality of art is in the EYES OF THE BEHOLDER. – I bet he really likes – therefore, it is great art!
Love it — I can do what ever I want — If I like it, it is good! –right? — I shoot with camera (Sketch in Saltzman’s terms) then go to studio and create says Saltzman. ( I go to the computer and Photoshop the h… out of it in my terms)
Maybe I should take an art class at the University of Florida this winter. — what you think?
One more transmogrify — saw family of deer by my garden on a foggy morning — then focused in on one of the fawns — went to studio (computer) and saw what nature can do to your eye — does not the fern look like the baby fawn is a macho-man (Deer terms) with a big rack!— Light, background, a little Photoshop shadowing, and of course the moment transmogrified the tiny fawn into macho-man. The moment was that the deer’s head just lined up with the fern when I hit the shutter button!
“THE FOG FAMILY”
“THE FERN FOG BUCK”
You are now a member of the CYA club “Create Your Art” club. Go forth into nature and enjoy!
The purpose of this photo is to show U how a retired Grandpa can spend so much time on the computer trying to become a “PhotoShop artist” that he has no time to construct a meaningful blog for today! What shall we name this Fying Cloud UFO?
The purpose of this photo is to show U how creative and proud my friend is of the weed-whip he made from wood found in nature — he would have to travel 300 miles to get to the nearest toys-R-us and I am sure his self pride would be nowhere as great as the “purchase” he made at toys-R-Island for $0.00 and a ride on the four wheeler with his Grandpa — folks here do have fun on their Island! See Grandpa’s hand on the four wheeler — he waited because I ask if I could first photograph the young man before they took off on the four wheeler adventure — to travel thru the woods to a rickety bridge and a lake with lots of Yellow Perch and a few wild berries along the way!
II. Growing up:
What do you think I will do when I grow up? What do you think you will do when you grow up. In addition to your real job — how about being an auctioneer? Remember, yesterday I told you that my Grandpa took a day off from his teaching job to go to an auction on December 19, 1900? Made me wonder who the auctioneer was.
I am going to do two things:
1. tell you what he bought and how much he paid for it:
Plow $4.75, Harrow $4.60, Lines $.55 (Think these were for horse harness), mower $14.75 (think I used this hay mower when I was a teenager– it was modified by my Dad to be pulled with the 1948 Ford tractor U saw me using to grade my driveway in yesterday’s blog), Half Bushel $.35 (Think that is a 1/2 tub), Feed cutter $.30, Barrels $.70, Buckets $.18, Tin $.12, Irons $.06, Oil can $.05,
2. I am going to give you 10 steps to becoming and auctioneer — Only as your fun second job remember — fun because you must learn about what you are selling — art, antiques, wine, special cars, cows, garden produce, what ever — would it not be fun to learn about a product well enough to auctioneer that product, when you are rich and retired — Again, be sure to read and re-read step 10.
10 Steps
1
Obtain your high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D). Take speech, marketing, history, business and agriculture classes while in school. These courses will help prepare you for the various roles required as an auctioneer.
2
Attend auctions. Watch the roles the auctioneer fills during a typical auction day. Observe his actions, decisions and skill.
3
Work part-time for an auction company.
Serve as a ring-side helper that hands items to an auctioneer and aids in crowd control.
Work as a bid watcher. The auctioneer needs help to identify everyone making bids, especially during busy and well-attended auctions. A bid watcher identifies bidders whom the auctioneer doesn’t see.
Help set up auctions prior to bidding. Auctioneers rely on help to unpack, set out and arrange auction items for viewing and bidding. Learn more about the business by working on a set-up crew.
4
Attend auctioneer school.
Choose between an on-site school or a virtual program. Auctioneer schools are located across the globe, and many programs are offered online.
Select a school that meets your time requirements. Schools educate prospective auctioneers through programs that last a few weeks to several months.
Take classes in bid calling, marketing and basic business management.
5
Join a professional organization. Nearly every U.S. state has a professional organization for auctioneers. National organizations exist, too, and offer continuing education and other resources to members.
6
Achieve certification or accreditation as a professional auctioneer. Many organizations provide testing opportunities for auctioneers to prove their expertise. Becoming certified or accredited improves your credibility and professionalism as an auctioneer.
7
Research state and local laws regarding licensing requirements. Many states and municipalities require auctioneers to become licensed. Proceed with licensing guidelines as your state requires.
8
Become an expert in various topics. Auctioneers are often sought due to their expertise in certain areas.
Learn about livestock and agriculture. Many auctions sell livestock and agricultural equipment.
Acquire knowledge about antiques. Auctions regularly include antique items, and it helps to know information about eras of history and historical items.
Auction off vehicles as an expert. Learn about makes, models, years, engines and unique trivia about vehicles.
9
Practice. Use a mirror, record yourself, make bid calls aloud and use your skills in public. Bid calling is an art, as are describing auction items and dealing with customers. Improve your skills by practicing them regularly.
10
Maintain another career. It’s difficult to become an overnight success as an auctioneer. Keep a regular job or stay with your current career until you have managed enough success to replace a regular salary.
Got a mower – my bid is $10.00, do I now have 11? Come-on gentlemen – In 50 years – you can pull this mower with your tractor — it is worth more then $14.75 – SOLD! Thanks Charles!
1. Horses are crazy why u ask? Because they think and act a lot different then us humans that is why!
Question 1: do we think folks that do a lot of things different then us are — well you know — a little crazy.
Crazy Horse
Question 2: How did the legend Crazy Horse get his name and who was he anyway?
literally “His-Horse-Is-Crazy” or “His-Horse-Is-Spirited” was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the U.S. Federal government to fight against encroachments on the territories and way of life of the Lakota people, including leading a war party to victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876.
In 1877, Crazy Horse was fatally wounded by a military guard. On the evening of his son’s death, the elder Crazy Horse told Lieutenant H. R. Lemly that his son “would soon have been thirty-seven.
Crazy Horse was named at birth Cha-O-Ha (“In the Wilderness” or “Among the Trees”, meaning he was one with nature.) His mother’s nickname for him was “Curly” or “Light Hair”; as his light curly hair resembled that of his mother.
Crazy Horse was born to parents from two tribes of the Lakota division of the Sioux, his father was an Oglala and his mother was a Miniconjou. His father was also named Crazy Horse. One account said that after the son had reached maturity and shown his strength, his father gave him his name and took a new one, Waglula (Worm).
My question 3: We now know who the winner was at the battle of Little Bighorn – who was the loser?
As an Industrial Engineer often focusing on ergonomics. I know a goal of vehicle designers is to make them be dummy-proof — they are designed to behaved in a predictable fashion and make them easy to drive (with power steering, navigation systems, etc) – it does not take much effort. You do not need to know a lot about how they work. – just turn on the ignition and go.
But now take a horse — to be safe you need to know a lot about them — they are not predictable — well they are — you can predict that they will do the unpredictable. One day they will run away from you – the next they come right up to you. One day you can not scare them if you try, the next day a sparrow landing near by will cause the horse to go ballistic. — and when that happens, get out of their way or hang on. Thus I say, horses are crazy!
However, this summer I learned more about horses then I ever thought there was to learn. for example, all books on horse training say you must first do ground-work in a round pen, I hated it — I did not even like the idea — My friend, in his subtle way, said “You must do it, you dummy” — so I started working in the round pen with Perla –
One round pen exercise is to chase a horse around a 50 foot pen that is round — then you say “OK All Done” and the horse will come to you while you standing in the center of the round pen — the horse “hooks onto you” so to speak and it will follow you where ever you walk in the round pen. The explanation that I just gave you is the simple version — it takes many pages of lessons to teach me to do things right — you would be bored if I gave you all the details.– But it works on horses when you do it right!
Tonight while doing the pooper-scoop chore Perla hooked on to me in the barn — like a puppy dog she wanted to follow me where ever I went — all a result of many things I did right in the round pen — thanks friend for your subtle guidance. It is really fun to have a better understanding of the horse and I commit to keep learning. I hope CRAZY HORSE PERLA will continue to put up with me and help me learn more!
Hey — just thought of this – I chased Grandma, she hooked onto me – Now, I follow her — seems backward?
2. Michigan loves lots of things: (OR is it Michigander’s love lots of things?)
In Michigan we love to fish – even in the sky!In Michigan we love to see photos sent to us — this is from Heather in NY but it looks to me like Scotland — or ? — Very PrettyIn Michigan, I love to see, again, a photo I saved from a Florida Photo Club shoot — It is pretty?In Michigan we brag of our maple trees — just bring your pancakes — turn the handle — and you have syrup for breakfast – Do you believe everything you see?
3. My Grandpa wrote on Christmas day 1900:
Snowing a little. Was at Scalp Level several times. Paid 10 cents for candy and 10 cents for candy bucket. Mrs Mary Small here for dinner. Dec 26 W.A. Weaver and and Daniel Heckman visited school. Paid W.A.Weaver $1.90 for teaching on 19th December. Can of oil 12 cents.
(I went back to the 19th and saw Grandpa went to a sale and bought about a dozen items so guess he hired Weaver as a sub teacher for that day — note, seems there was no Christmas week vacation.)
1. STORM Hey guys – it was a quiet night after that fun storm — as you know, I love weather –and I had a great hour of outstanding weather around 5:00 in the morning yesterday – rain, wind, lightening , and better BOOMS! then the Overture of 1812 or any of Soussa (Spelling?) Marches — we have electricity back – and all is well except my driveway is rutted to the point I think we need a four wheel drive vehicle to get up it — and my four wheel truck is in the garage getting a new transfer box installed — for the winter!
It was pitch black, then a lightening started – here is what I saw.A second or so later, full lightening and this is what I saw.In the morning this is what I saw — a big ditch in my driveway.The this is what Grandma saw — Me (little farm boy) having a lot of fun with the 1948 Ford — No ditch in driveway now!
2. Trail Ride: I had a great comment on posted to the Blog — here it is : “Your Blog is great Jim. Your MT (MONTANA) trail rider is safely back in MI & looking forward to seeing everyone especially the horses.”
QUESTION: How can you tell that Perla and I are bringing up the rear of the trail riding group?
ANSWER: Both her ears are pointed back — The front horse points the ears forward, those in the middle – one each way – back and forth, the rear horse – points ears back . Each have an assigned role – watch for loins to the front – to the sides, to the rear – The assignment is to tell others if the assigned horse thinks we all are about to be eaten by a loin hiding in the woods!
3. Some of the things we love in Michigan:
In Michigan we love spiders — PrettyIn Michigan we love dandylions — PrettyIn Michigan we love thistles with bugs stuck in the dew — PrettyIn Michigan we love weeds/flowers — PrettyIn Michigan we love weeds/flowers — Pretty tooWe love Michigan and You! Have a fun day
This is tomorrow’s blog — I have been very busy doing so many things with family — Taking photos is one — Other things include a failed attempt at a boat ride to a restaurant for lunch — Nav system lock-up and I will not go out without my digital view of where the rocks are not — a friend of mine marveled to an elderly native of the Island — about his going out fishing at night “You must know where every rock in the bay is?” — the reply “Nope, only where they ain’t”
Anyway, the ladies packed the boat with enough snacks to feed a large crew and many passengers on the 1 hour ride to the restaurant — drinks, sun-lotion, life vests, sunglasses, walking shoes, cell phones, ship-to-shore radio, …………. Half mile out the bay — on the GPS map, the boat image never moved — The captain said “It is just a computer, I can fix it.” — after applying all his computer knowledge — You know he did everything an expert could do — checked the on/off switch, checked the plug, hit the unit on the top, hit it on the side, swore at it, caressed it. NOTHING! DEFEAT!
Someone suggested “let’s he use the Nav Charts” — the Captain replayed “Great idea — what is a Nav Chart?” Within the next few minutes all crew and passengers abandoned ship with an air of calmness — well a few did stumble over each other — To the kitchen the ladies went and created a lunch of home made pizza that exceeded anything you could find in Chicago , NY or wherever! — THANKYOU ladies — With the poise of a defeated high school football team we men pulled the boat out of the bay – stored it in the the barn for future Nav system repairs.
Had a great lunch – to add to the fun we had on our 1/2 mile ride out and back — These adventures are the foundation of family stories — Sort of Like Cutty Shark — only the family knows that story — yet — but just you wait — I know how they all polk fun at this Elder Statesman. From our fun though, I have material for a week of Blogs.
But for now, let me show you some results from the photo shooting fun Sue and I had.
First, Heather sent me this photo from a 1,000 miles away — I think it is Outstanding
Heather from 1000 mile away — Great photo!
Now — please enjoy this gallery:
Outstanding couple – but was I photographing them or the freighter in the backgroundWe walked and bragged of the size of Michigan lobsters
Turn your eyes west and see sunsets unsurpassed — If you prefer looking east — it is still a western sunset in Michigan
Look at all those fish in the clear water of Michigan’s Lake Huron! The cup, I see, is from a Raptor Rescue Trust in NJ and the sweatshirt is from Block Island, RI and the dock post looks like the Tin man or ?? Not a lion tiger or bear anywayThe photographer is photographed — in Michigan of course! I will show you later — the cup is designed by a special artist, named Grandma, right here in Michigan.
Hit the books, OK? I’ll tell you why in a later blog.
Been busy — think I will just show you a few photos of day on Drummond just hanging around.
We walked, we look at nature, we looked at horses, we had dinner with friends, we say photos of a trip to Russia – maybe boat today — here are some photos for you to see:
Third, I saw this cute deerBucky just getting out of watersun is out in full forceDog in the skyWe all walkingHearts in the skyFrog by the waterLet’s dance Russia 10:30 pm
Yesterday — Jim and Sue arrived save and sound. I went off Island for a hair cut. A neighbor stopped by to borrow a cowboy hat to play a joke on a friend of theirs who was arriving on the same boat Jim and Sue came on. Helped muck out the barn and fill the hay feeders for the horses — Of course while doing that work, my friend and I talked of horse training methods. Rathe, since he is the expert – I pumped him for advise.
From my horse training experience, I think there is a lot that applies to life in general and human to human relationships in specific. Body language is very important in all relationships for sure. I want to give you two examples of body language – no words required!
We trainers often want to give out a carrot to get the horse to do what we want — Do horses in the wild have treats they hand out to other horses to get them to do what they want? — like move out of my way — or move over ’cause I get to eat first? Does the stallion or alpha mare hand out carrots when they want a horse to do something? Of course not — The use body language!!
Did you ever watch a herd of horses decide to move from one pasture to another? Every horse follows the direction of alpha mare — Being a herd animal — they do a lot of communicating all the time — at least one horse is always watching for the bear in the woods that is going to jump out and eat them so that he/she can tell the rest of the herd — “Look out” — All by body language.
I spend much time doing what is called ground work. That is where, me a human, tries to learn the horses language – horse body language – I know if I am successful I will the be able to talk to Perla – I can ask her to do what I want her to do — That does not mean she will do it — Gaining her confidence and creating a good working team is another subject — but for now, think about body language you use – you & your friends, you & your dog, you & your parents —
Just for fun– do a count for your old Grandpa.
Count the number of times you knew what your Mom wanted you to do/not do today — maybe you could count the times you could tell tell if she was happy, sad, frustrated, over worked — relaxed, entertained — mad — pleased, proud of you — not by her words — but just by the look on her face — the way she held or placed her body
If you found even one time — that is what I call communication! I am going to go watch Perla – and see if I can communicate with out saying a word — maybe I will try it on Grandma – or worse yet — I bet she will communicate to me some time today – with out a word being said — and she knows I will respond!
Forget all this serious stuff, Grandpa has been playing with clouds again:
Angel looking at us over the trees — kept me save all dayTwristed storm cloud art showing eye, nose, teeth of the stormPainted airplanes cloud art
Today, I plan to have a fun day, Jim and Sue arrive.
I am going to feed you some of my thoughts on horse training — Just in case you have a horse in your closet that needs to be trained — I think the same training techniques can apply to dogs, spouses, kids, — and Grandkids — you can apply it to train your parents.
My friend is a great horse trainer – key he says are: consistence, tolerance, patience, persistence, and be sure you know the thing you are trying to accomplish
I know I lack tolerance — I think I am as consistent as most amateur trainers and I have lots of persistence, lots of patience (I do not display anger), but I do not allow for small steps and small successes – My friend often say “Do what you can and don’t do what you can’t – do not take it to the point of a fight” — or something like that. When, I go beyond where “what I Can” — I just keep trying – often getting into a fight with the horse. I lack the tolerance to accept only little successes today.
Reinforce the things you can accomplish and try to move that thing forward a little — just to the point before failure — then move on to the next thing. Keep coming back to the first thing and do it for success again and try for just a little more. A thing is something you want the horse to do – like back-up on command. His guidance to me is just be satisfied with one step back. keep doing it – soon you will get 3, then 4 and so on. Soon, you and the horse will have it – smoothly.
Oh , Hey Grandkids, try this technique on your parents – you might be surprised with the things you can train them to accept! Just have confidence that you are right, and go a little step at a time — do not take it to the point of a fight – strive to be a smooth team. Just keep-on a tryin!
Here are my Perla things for the next days:
1. backing-up
2. side stepping out of my way
3. riding forward – where for some reason she does not want to go
4. riding at my selected pace when going toward the barn – or anywhere for that matter
Now, I want to show you sights I saw within the last day or so:
First, I saw a happy seahorse – or something – Natural wood stickThen, I saw a Gull hiding behind the grass – I like Gulls – Do you?
Third, I saw this cute deer
Fourth, I saw he was one of three boys plotting how to get into my garden to eat it again – they did once already
well, what I wanted to show u did not get here yet so just be reminded by me to go out an cloud watch today and study this cloud – I see many things but I must get on the road now and eat a free breakfast snack finally got photos from the iCloud in the sky!
classy hotels to me are those that have big enough letters on shampoo bottle for me to read while standing in shower with no contacts in!
