Works of Art

I was secretly pinning funny cat photos on Pinterest.  O.K., I only hoped it was a secret.  But being that I have a board devoted to cats called Ditch Tigers, the cat is out of the bag.  So to speak. 

I was inspired by a cat pin with a cat waxing poetic about an owner that just didn't understand his art.  His......toilet paper art.  Sigh.

5 random artfully infuriating paper moments for Random 5 Friday

1) The grand dame of all moments.  Duh dum, duh dum, duhdumduhdumduhdum. I woke up and went downstairs and entered the bathroom.  The bath tub was completely filled with toilet paper scraps. The whole roll.

2) We came home from a trip and the basement bathroom was a crime scene of broken plastic and paper scraps.  They had annihilated the Kleenex dispenser and had a field day.

3) Hmmm.  Which time out of dozens shall I pick?  The paper towel saga.  Dupe de do.  I'll just go out into the kitchen and...Scream bloody murder!  The paper towels are raining down everywhere.  To this day we still can't leave the paper towels out. 

4)  It's 9:00 am central time.  And 9:30 am is the official designated brunch time.  It used to be called lunch.  But the shenanigans and complete chaos were so extreme that it had to be pushed back.  But I refuse to feed any earlier.  I mean, they get breakfast after all! Anyway, Hana starts chewing on any and all paper sitting around the house.  Bills, newspaper, letters, books, whatever.  But only if you are there.  Because she is trying to annoy you.  AAARRRGGGHH!

5) The Kleenex box sculpture (shown above)  Every piece of Kleenex was torn out and was blooming out like a rose.  How sweet.  Not.

Together Torture

Together.  The theme for www.illustrationfriday.com this week.  In this self portrait I'm reluctantly accepting an apple from a gorilla.  My worst nightmare.  I did this Snow White spoof for an Art House Co-op project.  I really, really hope this never happens.    

Squirreling Around

I took this photo through our screen door last week.  I had to laugh at this exhausted squirrel.  He didn't have the nuts to keep going...

5 random squirrel facts for Random 5 Friday

1) Squirrels never collect a dime when someone else discovers their hidden treasure. 

2) They are the most under appreciated Eco volunteers. They plant millions of trees and never get any thanks.

3)  They live on your lot before you move in.  But are treated like an unwanted guest.  

4)  Over hotdish and brownies we discovered some CSI worthy news at national night out.  One of our neighbors divulged that there was a little old lady on a block where he used to live. (Maybe near you)  And she used to drown squirrels in her basement. Then... Then I don't know.  But I hope the story ended there.  Yikes!

5) Do they ever catch each other's tail when playing tag around a tree?  I don't know.  But it is their favorite game. 

Green Heron

I got up close and personal with a Green Heron at Wood Lake this Summer.  He was so busy looking for dinner that he didn't pay any attention to me.  But just to be sure I get the shot I always take one right away at a distance and then slowly sneak up and take more.  As we all know sometimes the birds fly away as soon as you take the first step.  But sometimes you get lucky.

I'm also happy to hook up with Wild Bird Wednesday after a brief absence. I was out bird watching!

Local Flavor

It was Sunday night in Punta Gorda, Belize.  And we had driven by almost every restaurant in town.  And they were all closed.  Except for Gorimers.  We hadn't eaten there yet.  Even though the tourist book mentioned it as having some of the best food in P.G.  Well, it was now or never. 

 Nobody else was there.  But in Belize that doesn't mean anything.  The owner turned out to be an amazing character.  A Rastafarian originally from St. Lucia.  He had a huge pile of dread locks that he tried to keep coiled up in a big hat.  But it was so heavy he kept having to pull it up.  And he talked with us for a long time after our meal.  It turned out to be one of those vacation memories that you treasure.  He didn't serve alcohol. And we just happened to have Flor # 5 in our back pack.  Hmmm.  Strange?  Well, not for us.  It was all, "No problem man" for us to serve ourselves with our own liquor.  He brought out a weird juice concoction that he harvested from his own tree to mix it with.  He said he was one of the only people who had figured out how to make it palatable.  Ha!  He called it Blengie juice.  I think.   

The veggie lasagna

The Garlic Shrimp

The food wasn't my favorite taste from P.G.  But it was still very tasty.  And with the best kind of life seasoning, life enriching after taste.

Flor de Cana # 5 for Random 5 Friday

1) Flor # 5 keeps vacation memories alive.

2) Flor # 4.  Drink too much and you'll end up on the floor.

3) Flor # 7.  Do they make an eleven?

4) Flor # 18.  Savour it with ice and don't serve it to any teens.

5) Flor # 21.  You've eluded me.  But you sure sound fun! 

Hidden

Bedroom Buddies

click to enlarge

Can you find the hiding cat?  Can you spot the hidden cat?  Hidden is the theme over at www.illustrationfriday.com  this week.  

Minnesota Grown

5 great Minnesota Grown products for Random 5 Friday

1)  Dangerous Man Brewing, Indeed Brewing, Harriet Brewing, Liftbridge and yes, maybe even 612 Brew.  Even though they had a crappy food truck the other night.  Bloomys Booked.  Yuck.  And there are so many more local breweries popping up all over.  I guess Minnesotans like beer.

2)  Food Trucks that drive to Breweries.  See above.  Like Cajun 2 Gaux, Midnord Empanadas and World Street Kitchen.  To name a few.  Not Bloomys Booked.  Yuck.

3) Chocolate Mini Doughnuts!  Yes, it was pure Genius.  I had them at the Powderhorn Art Fair.  From a mystery mini doughnut vendor.  If it wasn't for the chocolate doughnut I got at Bogart Loves last weekend I might not survive my cravings.  Whew.

4)  Olive's pizza in Marine on St. Croix.  The Caprese drizzled with a sweet balsamic vinegar.  Heaven.

5) Well, how about some Minnesota Grown sweetcorn harvested from the field and brought home from the Nicollet Farmer's Market.  The only thing better might be the bag.  At least for some people. Like my Minnesota grown cat.

Lush Brush

click to enlarge

I scanned one of my fine art gouache and pastel pieces for the www.illustrationfriday.com theme lush.  Buy your print now!  I'm kidding.  But maybe it will be worth a lot of money someday.  Because I hardly ever paint flowers.  And I hardly ever use the color purple!