The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Wneighbor]

The first one. I like the waves in the second one.

[Wneighbor]

Oops.

Happy Easter everyone.

The first think I did in the Hobbit Hole on Easter morning was funkle. Oh well, it pretty much fits the rest of my beginning so far. Got just a few minutes before I leave for church. Thought I'd finish my morning tea and catch up.

[Wneighbor]

Was very partial to the half-fairing on my old CB-450,

Myranda has a 1974, CB-175. That was her 14th birthday gift so she could learn to ride. She makes it clear to everyone that's only till she gets a new Sportster. Yeah, she's going to be on that CB a few more years anyway.

I have a windshield on the bike I have now. I only have 1 right now. I do too many long trips not to have a windshield. When I used to have more bikes I kept one ironhead sportster and one 74 superglide pretty stripped, no windscreens, no saddle bags, no turn signals for fun riding within the home 100 miles. And I had another 86, 883 sportster and an 85 evo-Superglide with all the traveling stuff for long trips. That 85 was my favorite bike I ever owned and I'm still pining away for it. The next owner totaled it shortly after buying it. Real shame, they only made the Superglides for the last half of 85 with evolutions. They kept the frame and full set-up of the shovelheads and just put in the evolution engine so it still looked and was set up like the old shovelheads but it was an evo. That bike was incredible. I think I put about 200,000 miles on it.

now, i have a 98 softtail custom chopper. i'm looking to sell it and buy another superglide. There's a reason they have that name. Nothing rides the same.

[Wneighbor]

Did anyone but me notice the tiger?

wondering if the tiger eats horses HOTD?

[Wneighbor]

Well, I looked at a couple apartments today. One is definitely out of my price range. The other is OK, but has no AC. So now I have to decide if it is worth $1800 over the course of the year to have AC, which I would only use for a few months anyway. That money would greatly help my Digital Camera Fund. At least I have a couple more months to decide.

I think it was worth living without AC in Texas for 17 years because of a lot of the "other goodies." I was able to save for and purchase with my savings. Didn't you just move back up there from Arizona? I would think Minn. would be a piece of cake in summer after AZ.

[Sam Cree]

Yeah, the waves are pretty abstract, even symbolic in that. However, it has always been one of my favorite paintings.

You and your daughter both ride motorcycles?

[Wneighbor]

Well, off to church now. Once again, HAPPY EASTER!!!

[HairOfTheDog]

I think the tiger is about to eat our model!
egg
Good morning! - And Happy Easter everyone!

I have hidden an egg in this post.

[Wneighbor]

Well, then I read that you like those waves. Guess I'm just not into abstract. But, with the info that you like abstract, then they are interesting and unique from that standpoint. I can see how you would like the painting so much.

I'm really really fond of Renoir. I know, pretty normal. But, anytime there is an exhibit anywhere that I can get to I have to go. I'm very limited in art. But, Renoir really snatches my heart.

Yes, we both ride. Although Myranda isn't street legal yet. She keeps procrastinating on the driver's ed thing. She will be 18 in 6 weeks. I got the Texas home school drivers ed course when she was 14 because she was eligible for a hardship license. But, she kept not doing the assignments. For me, it was like pulling teeth to get her to do it. Finally, it dawned on me, either she decides to motivate herself to get this or not. No skin off my nose but if she doesn't get it I don't have to pay insurance. So, I told her it's up to her. I'm here, you can schedule this time, you must study to get your part done. If you don't do it I will not say anything else to you. That was a little over a year ago. We still have no license. My insurance is cheap. She can only ride her motorcycle when we are out in the country around the old place.

[HairOfTheDog]

What is the man blowing at?

I like the painting too, but he is gonna have to have to flap those wings pretty hard carryin' that babe along with him!

Good morning Sam!

egg

[Wneighbor]

Morning Hair. I'm off to church as soon as I hit post now. Don't want to be late, Myranda is in the presentation this morning.

[Sam Cree]

Hi, Hair, how are you this am?

Must go out for awhile, back later.

[300winmag]

Happy Easter, everyone.

I just realized, Iraq has turned into a giant Easter egg hunt. Weapons, cash, jewels, and all sorts of other big boy's toys.

Just give me a round-trip ticket, a weapon, and some body armor, and I'll help them poke around for the goodies. All I want is a handfull of whatever cash I find.

[Sam Cree]

I much prefer representational art myself. The artist who can see accurately and then put reproduce what he sees is, IMO, the one who has reached the highest level. But I keep in mind that much of the beauty of "realistic" paintings lies not just in the accuracy of the rendering, but in the abstract qualities that are actually the components of even "realistic" art: composition, abstract shapes and their arrangement, the manipulation of lights and darks, motion and eye direction, color manipulation, etc. Paintings, when you break them down, are made up of nothing but abstract shapes that have been combined to "represent" reality, it's up to the artist to make this happen in a pleasing way. Just as reality is made up of shapes and forms.

The problem with "abstract" art is that most of it is crap, just like most realistic art. But it's alot harder to tell good abstract art from crap than it is with representational, since with representational, you can at least tell if the artist can draw (if he's a good draftsman, they say).

Anyway, if you are out in the woods and look down at some dead leaves, they can be truly beautiful, not just because they are leaves and everything that means, but also because of the patterns and shapes they make and because of their shapes and the shadows they cast, the light and dark values they create.

I think that anybody who has ever picked up a camera knows that there is more to a beautiful image than just accuracy of representation.

One of my personal definitions of good art is that it must have, through its beauty, the ability to "evoke" strong feelings in the viewer.

Many apologies for this incoherent exercise in pedantry, I am not exactly knowledgable at all, just that it is something that excites me these days.

[ecurbh]

I would think Minn. would be a piece of cake in summer after AZ.

True, its just the humidity that can be an adjustment. If it was only $25-50/month difference, it would be more tempting, but at $150/month (even all those months I wouldn't use AC anyway) I just can't justify the extra expense. I really really want to use that money to get a digital camera in the near future. I figure with a couple of fans and plenty of cold drinks, I can make it through the hot spells.

[Sam Cree]

Yeah, that was amazing about all that money.

Iraq is a country with real natural resources, totalitarianism has made it 3rd world, though.

[Sam Cree]

I had mixed feelings when my kids learned to drive, mostly I was terrified though.

[ecurbh]

Anyway, if you are out in the woods and look down at some dead leaves, they can be truly beautiful, not just because they are leaves and everything that means, but also because of the patterns and shapes they make and because of their shapes and the shadows they cast, the light and dark values they create.

I think that anybody who has ever picked up a camera knows that there is more to a beautiful image than just accuracy of representation.

I agree wholeheartedly. What I love most about photography is more than just snapping the picture, it is the whole experience of being in a place, and trying to capture that which creates the the emotional response in me. It can be the quality of the light, the patterns and textures, the color, etc. And when I see a great photograph, it creates an emotional response.

I have always like the paintings of of the Hudson River School, and find their representation of light inspiring in my own work.

[Wneighbor]

I figure with a couple of fans and plenty of cold drinks, I can make it through the hot spells.

Of course, I had the advantage of a yard where I could put a $16 WalMart pool to jump in anytime the heat was unbearable. As you said, it is usually the humidity that bites the most. And the only way I could live in the hot humid times was with the WalMart pool.

[Wneighbor]

I had mixed feelings when my kids learned to drive, mostly I was terrified though.

Definitely.

One conclusion I've reached after raising 2 kids (too late) is that some of the old fashioned ways of teaching driving are definitely better than what we do now. I was stuck behind the wheel to "steer" on gravel roads when I was still barely potty trained. I was sitting in a lap and they were in control of everything, I just had the steering wheel. Then, when I would get out of hand the grandparent holding me would either grab the steering wheel, brake or take whatever corrective action was appropriate. If a car came down the road toward us or behind us I had their hands on the wheel with mine. I still remember first having no one else's hands on the wheel when a car was coming toward us. That was an awesome resposibility and trust in me. I was probably 6 or 7 then. Then, when I was tall enough to see over the wheel I was sit in the drivers seat with a grandparent right beside me to go down that same old gravel road. Learning to drive a manual shift was started at 8 in an army jeep in a pasture. I'm an okay driver now. I have had no accidents and only one speeding ticket when I was 18. I also have raced a stock car for a bit as well as drag raced my bike. No accidents. However, both my kids are atrocious drivers. But, they were in car seats still when I was in a lap. And imagine now what kind of ticket one would get for even putting an 8 or 10 year old in a position where they could practice way out in the country. Perish the thought. Okay, that's another IMHO speech. Back to the real world.