Thursday, May 5, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Working Dogs
Today's picture was taken in Alaska in the early 1900's. It shows a dog team being used to pull a laundry delivery cart. I guess that dogs that are trained to pull sleds can be used to pull other things in the warm season. I bet during the snowy season the laundry was delivered by dog sled instead.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Graffiti Street Art by Truly-Design
Design example of graffiti murals by Truly-Design. Graffiti on the wall with some characters
Graffiti art on the walls
Graffiti art on the walls
Dirty Dogs
I will admit that when I posted yesterday's Mystery Person contest I intended for this to be "Union Thug" week, where each day we would look at a Union Thug or examples of Union Thuggery. After looking through some pictures, I concluded that they were a bunch of Dirty Dogs, and then decided to make this "Dirty Dog" week instead. So, we start with the picture above, which was taken in Alaska in 1916. These are no doubt sled dogs, but in the off season they are being used to pull a cart. I like the picture, and I like studying the different ways people have used dogs as "workers".
Domestic Update:
OK, I am sorry I have not had a domestic update in a while. Things are very busy around here, and sometimes I just do not have time to pull it off. So, here goes . . .
First off, it looks like Handsome Jack is finishing up his project out behind Chickie Town. It looks like he has built a rather magnificent structure for himself.
We will keep our eyes on the construction project. Hopefully he is going to put some doors on those big openings.
Things continue to go well out in the Bean Barn. With the days getting longer things are growing very fast. The new lettuce system is really producing an abundance of lettuce . . . much more than we can eat, sell, or give away.
You can see we are growing Bib, Romain, and Purple lettuce. The trick is to plant in stages so every day you have heads that are ready to pick. In addition to the lettuce, we are getting lots of cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, and sweet peas. I really like having everything growing, so when Mrs. PJM is cooking, she just tells me what to go out and pick. It is like having a fresh vegetable market right in the back yard.
Now, I am in the process of trying to figure out what the project will be for this summer. I am thinking about putting in a corn and black eyed pea patch, expanding the orchard, or drilling for water, and putting in a wind mill. I have not exactly figured out what to do, but I will need a challenging summer project.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Guest Post: C.S. Harris talks about her research
Today I am pleased to bring you C.S. Harris, author of the newly released Where Shadows Dance
, as she gives us a glimpse into her world of research for the acclaimed St. Cyr Regency mystery series. Thank you, C.S. Harris, for being here with us today!
, as she gives us a glimpse into her world of research for the acclaimed St. Cyr Regency mystery series. Thank you, C.S. Harris, for being here with us today! 
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
"Sebastian St. Cyr proves his courage once again, with murder and marriage-in a brand new historical mystery.
Sebastian St. Cyr finds himself in the realm of international intrigue when he investigates the murder of a foreign office diplomat-a murder his reluctant bride-to-be, Hero Jarvis, knows something about. And when a second body is found, Sebastian must race to unmask a ruthless killer who is now threatening Hero's life-and the life of their unborn child."
And now I give you C.S. Harris:
"Because I have a PhD in nineteenth-century European history, people often think I don’t need to do much research for my Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series. But the truth is, I probably spend almost as much time on research as I do writing. My historical background gives me a good understanding of the zeitgeist of the day—the spirit or culture of the time in all its political, intellectual, philosophical, and artistic manifestations. But when you’re writing historical fiction, the devil is in the details. And sometimes those details can be very elusive.
I can spend hours searching for the kind of tiny facts that most readers breeze past without even noticing, whether it’s a description of the uniform and cadenettesof a French hussar officer or the price of a bunch of watercress in 1812. And that’s as it should be. It is very important to me for my books to be as accurate as possible, but I want those details to be subtle, to give a sense of the flavor and mood of the period without being boring or weighing down the story. I like a good, fast-paced read, so that’s what I try to deliver.
But what ends up as fast-paced can sometimes be excruciating to create. I have maps of London from 1747, 1810, 1811, and 1814, and I spend hours peering at them with a magnifying glass. I also have a wonderful thick six volume set from the nineteenth century on the history of London’s streets and buildings, from which I’ve gleaned all sorts of fascinating details and facts and even a few plot ideas.
Does this mean I never get things wrong? Unfortunately, no. Sometimes the mistakes come from simple forgetfulness: I once casually referred to a certain breed of dog without stopping to think that the breed might not have existed in 1811. It didn’t. Or sometimes I’ll think I know something when I actually don’t.
But I do own an eighteenth century double-barreled flintlock pistol similar to the one Sebastian carries; it hangs on the wall beside my computer. And I’ve a shot a flintlock rifle so that I know exactly what it looks, smells, and feels like. I do everything I can to bring the London of Sebastian St. Cyr to life in my books.
You can visit my website at http://www.csharris.net/, and my blog at http://csharris.blogspot.com/."
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Friday, March 4, 2011
Mosby Raiders
We wrap up Gentleman Raider week with this picture from the 1920's. It shows what was left of the Mosby Raiders. The picture was taken at a reunion of the raiders at Warrenton, Virginia. In the 20's, many Civil War veterans would have been in their 70's and 80's.
I will have to admit I am sad to see Gentleman Raider week come to an end. Now, off to figure out next week's theme.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Undergrowth Hat, Extra Leafy
I know I should have used colors with a stronger contrast but I wanted to use these yarns anyway. This is the Undergrowth Hat (in the current Knitty) and I used Wool of the Andes Sport in grass and amethyst. This yarn tends to be a bit fuzzy, especially if you end up ripping anything out. I knit the large and went up a needle size to fit my large head and it fits perfectly. The design is inspired by hosta leaves.
I channeled my inner Nicky Epstein and added some additional leaves (page 37, Knitted Embellishments).
The only other change I made is that I did a row of purl sts before the braids instead of a row of knit sts. I wanted to see if it would keep the braids from curling and it did. I wrote down in my knitting journal to do that all the time when knitting braided cuffs.
William T. Anderson
Blog comment opinion is continuing to run decidedly against my boys this week. Yet, we must persevere and finish Gentleman Raider week. Today we feature a picture of William T. Anderson. Mr. Anderson was one of Quantrill's raiders, and was a fairly important member of the group. He participated in the Raid on Lawrence Kansas. After the raid, his family was rounded up and imprisoned. They were housed in a three story building in town, and the building collapsed, killing his sister, and crippling another sister.
In 1864 he had a dispute with William Clark Quantrill, so he started his own raiding group. He was killed in an ambush in 1864, and his head was cut off and put on display on a telegraph pole in Richmond Missouri.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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