August 19, 2008

Canson 3x5 sketchbook

Wild Dachshunds of Arizona find Nirvana

Wild Dachshunds of Arizona find Nirvana, it's just not open today.

August 18, 2008

Canson 3x5 sketchbook

August 17, 2008

August 16, 2008

Canson 3x5 sketchbook

Wild Dachshunds of Arizona take a break

While Sluggo and a few others do some advance scouting, the remainder of the pack take a much needed rest stop.

Is Pluto a Planet?

Completed a fun book today. Is Pluto A Planet?, by David Weintraub

Pluto was recently demoted from its previous status as a planet to a Plutino following the recent discoveries of numerous Kuiper Belt Objects (KPO) and Scattered Disc Objects (SDO). While the debate continues and may be reopened to further discussion, David Weintraub, a Professor of Astronomy at Vanderbilt University, has written a fairly short and easy to read history of discovery of the objects in our solar system. That history includes the various ways in which science has classified those objects.

What were considered planets has varied through history. Weintraub continues the survey by discussing various means in which to define what a planet is or should be. In the process he takes a look at other bodies that fall on the edges of definition. These include brown dwarfs, pulsar planets, orphaned planets, and free roving planets that seemed to have formed not in stellar discs but out of material insufficient to create enough mass to ignite and form interior nuclear reaction to burn as a star. None of the definitions Weintraub proposes are satisfactory to solving the question, reasons Weintraub. As a science nerd they do not satisfy me either.

Weintraub concludes that Pluto should be reclassified once again a planet as well as reclassifying other objects as planets as well, including recently discovered 2003 UB213, 2002 AW197, 2002 TC302, 2003 EL61, 2005 FY9, Sedna, Orcus, Quanoar, Ixion, Varuna, Cybele, Hygeia, Vesta, Palla, and Ceres. Granted, he concludes, that they are also parts of object types such as Ceres would be a planet and also a large member of the asteroid belt, Quanoar, Sedna are planets and Kuiper Belt Objects. Pluto is a planet and the premier Plutino.

If you want to know why he concludes such, you have to read the book. I happily agree that the solar system contains more than the currently recognized 8 planets. Good book.

August 15, 2008

A peak back at yesterday's journal entry, we see that Sluggo has definitely picked up the scent of nearby cookies. They must be close, very close.

ATC - TGIFishFriday "wienderdogfish"

Discovered just in time for TGIFishFriday and new subspecies of dogfish....the Wienerdogfish.

August 14, 2008

Canson 3x5 Sketchbook.

August 13, 2008

Canson 3x5 sketchbook

August 12, 2008

Canson 3x5 sketchbook

Dachshund-Spotter's Guide Book

From the Dachshund-Spotter's Guide Book

Holstein-Friesian Dachsund

The rarely seen Holstein-Friesian Dachshund.

Pilot G-2 Gel pen on 3x5 index card

August 11, 2008

While watching Antiques Roadshow on OPB.

August 10, 2008

Some events I would like to see on the Olympics.

August 9, 2008

Wild Dachshunds of Arizona at the edge of town

Arriving at the edge of town the wild dachshunds of Arizona pause before heading into Surprise in the search for cookies.

August 8, 2008

Have you ever wondered what sheep count to go to sleep?

Canson 3x5 Sketchbook

ATC - TGIFishFriday 08/08/08

TGIFishFriday for August 8, 2008

Set of 3 ATCs.

Prismacolor pencils and Micron pen

August 7, 2008

Canson 3x5 Sketchbook

August 6, 2008

Drawn while watching Nova Science Now. Along with Nova, one of my favorite PBS/OPB shows.

August 5, 2008

Another warm day. This is a stylized version of part of my back yard. Some details are missing as I am doing this somewhat from memory because it is dark outside. At some point shortly, I will do a more accurate rendering including the second tree by the pond and another further back by the fence. The pond is actually a bit larger than shown here.

EDM Card Swap Group 2

Cards are packaged up and on their way. It is still a mystery as to who gets which card.

Wild Dachshunds of Arizona cross the river.

With really hot temperatures crossing the river provides some relief from the heat. They also know that town is close by.

August 4, 2008

Happy Cactus Monday. It is a warm one today, in the mid-80s.

August 3, 2008

Weekend nearly over. The paper says it will be around 90 come midweek. So much for the cooler weather.

August 2, 2008

Completed a few tasks today.

Wild Dachshunds sense potential trouble outside Surprise

With 3 shadowy figures on the ridge the herd moves closer together. Coyotes. Cookie-thieving coyotes. Sluggo, unfazed, continues to track with more determiniation.

Time to shut down the work and take on the weekend

I am done with work for this week. Now it is my time and the weekend. Going to start my ATCs for the swap and just enjoy. We might even get a sunny day here in Oregon.

Using a new Canson 3x5 sketchbook with 50lb paper. Prismacolor pencils and Micron pen.

TGIFishFriday for August 1, 2008

Happy TGIFishFriday!

The little guy on the bottom has reminded me to put a tickler to keep an eye out for next year's Chick-Fil-A calendars.

Prismacolor pencils and black Pilot G-2 in 07 Gel pen.

Wild Dachshunds of Arizona head for Surprise

The thought of the possible location of cookies overwhelms the herd so they head off to Surprise with Sluggo, the groups best tracker, in the lead. Sluggo is a bit slow, but if there is cookies out there, he'll find them.

New pet

Stopped in at Hallmark to get my son a birthday card and this guy demanded to go home with me.

ATC - Electronics theme

This one doesn't do much for me. Does it do anything for anyone else. I used recycled card stock from an old vhs tape box, a few items from a trade magazine, and a resistor from out of my parts box.

Music on my blog

Ok...here's the deal. I like my music. I have restored my player but it does not automatically play. If you would like to listen to my playlist while you are visiting you must click it on yourself, otherwise you may view my blog in quiet. However, on my Collected Bits blog the music will come on automatically since the things that I find interesting and add to the photo collection also includes music which I collect.

Packy at home in Montana

While never mistreated or abused, Packy somehow just felt that somehow he was just different from the rest of the family here at home in Montana.

Prismacolor pencils, Micron pen on 3x5 index card.

Wild Dachshunds of Arizona continued

Pausing at the side of the road, the leader, Sausage, has to decide whether to continue across the road, or take his hearty band into town in search of water. All else failing there would be plenty of opportunities for drink and food. they might get lucky and find some cookies. The problem with town is their rivals the Jack Russel Terrier. Not a particularly ferocious breed, just annoying as hell.

ATC - TGIFishFriday072508 2of3

While waiting for a rather complex building to run through my design software I pulled out a couple of my Strathmore precut ATC cards and added a couple more cards to the TGIFishFriday series for today. I am posting this one here on my blog. The other will go over on my flickr site. I recently sent a card off to Kathleen in a giveaway posting.

This card here is free to the x number of posted comment. Just a token of appreciation for all those that stop by and visit.

ATC - TGIFishFriday

It is Friday.....Back to an old theme that I got away from. This week has not been nearly as challenging as previous weeks but still TGIFishFriday. Prismacolor pencils and Micron pen as an ATC on precut Strathmore Bristol vellum surface cards.

Migration of Wild Dachshunds 2

Lifting his nose to the wind the alpha male does what any leader would do to locate water for his herd during the migration of the wild dachshunds of Arizona. Prismacolor pencils, micron pen in pocket moleskine sketchbook.

ATC - Baseball

I decided to try a second collage card utilizing again a bit of recycled cardstock from a vhs tape box and some pieces from the pocket schedule I used in my first attempt. Again I used a random piece of box score from the newspaper and a commemorative stamp to tie this card in with the previous.

ATC - Take Me Out To The Ballgame

I have never tried collage before and not sure I have the knack for it. Here it is regardless...

Take Me Out To The Ballgame. Recycled cardboard, Modesto Nuts pocket schedule, and a random box score from the newspaper.

ATC - Migration of the Wild Dachshunds of Arizona

For you Wild Kingdom fans here is a little drawing of the Migration of the Wild Dachshunds of Arizona. Prismacolor pencils and Micron pen

ATC - When Sheep Go Bad

Every mother's dread...when sheep go baaaaaaaaaaad.

Prismacolor pencils and Micron pen

ATC-On the Lam

Since leaving show business, Lambchop and gang have been on the lam.

Fantasy Sheep

Just felt inspired to do this fantasy piece with apologies to my friend David Mills.

And the winner of the Cape Sebastian ATC is.............

"Number nine......number nine..........."

the Beatles..

our winner of the Cape Sebastian Oregon ATC is

Kathleen

Email me your snail mail address and it is on its way to you..

Thanks all for playing..it was a ball for me too.

ATC Give Away

In the spirit of recent happenings on Anita Davies blog with the giving away of a piece of art to the X number poster with a comment, I have decided to do the same thing in thanks for all those that have dropped by either here or on my flickr page. I have done an ATC (2 1/1" x 3 1/2") variant of one of my Everyday in May offerings. I have a number written on my desk pad. Leave a comment even if just to say hello and the X number commentor will receive this card. Thank you for your support.

Burnt Rock on the John Day River in eastern Oregon

This is another entry into my Oregon landscape series. This is Burnt Rock on the John Day River in eastern Oregon. Burnt Rock is a volcanic vent. I am finding in my study of Oregon geology that there was much volcanic activity in the northwest long ago.