Sunday, April 22, 2007

Bike Trip To Killarney Lake

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Birds chirped merrily. A light breeze tickled the earth into waking up. And there was that cautious hush around human activity, as though making the normal sounds of life would scare Spring away and the sky would open up and dump tons of snow onto earth like it did last week. But that didn't happen today. So I pumped up the tires on my mountian bike and headed out to Killarney Lake with my camera.

It was worth the trip.

Here's what the lake looked like as I came into it from the road ...

Not quite ready for swimming, but give it a week or two. The frog pond seems to be clearing off nicely.

This is the birthplace of the notorious Coleman Frog, believed to be the largest frog in the world. Its carcass now sits in a glass case in the York Sunbury Museum.

This is the brige that crosses the lake where it joins the frog pond.

People fish from here. Yes, there are fish in Killarney Lake ... bass, trout and gold fish the size of basketballs.

This is what the lake looks like through the woods. Notice its lake-ness.

There's a path around the lake. It's where people run in the Duncan Hadley Triathlon every July.

The path still has a few ice bars, but, like this one, they're cracking and melting.

At the far end of the lake, the path rises up for beautiful view of the lake (picture to come much later), but on the other side of the path, you can trek a short way into the woods where a stream runs through it.

You can even get right up close and take pictures and it won't bite you.

Or you can just stand back and get the whole thing.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Jamie Bishop, 1971 - 2007

Barry Hunter, creator of Baryon Online Magazine, sent this to his subscribers. With his permission, I've reprinted it here.

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Jamie Bishop, 1971 - 2007

As I watched the TV screen in silence as they reported the events that took place at Virginia Tech, I felt sorrow for all of the families that would ultimately be involved in the sorrow and the pain. Little did I know that it would affect me as well. I didn’t think I knew anyone there, but I found out I was wrong and the pain has hit and won’t go away. It’s not pain for me, but for a friend of mine who has enjoyed his accomplishments as a writer, but more so in the accomplishments and the success of his children.

I’ve known Michael (Mike) Bishop for over thirty years. I have enjoyed everything he has written including the glimpses of his family life on Christmas cards and emails about works in progress and how the children were growing and what they were doing. I’ve visited in his home and sat at his dinner table. But right now, I can’t come up with a single word to let him know I’m there for him and his family.

By now, the entire nation knows about Jamie and the way he left this world for a better one. Jamie was valedictorian of his class, received a Bachelors and Masters degree in German from the University of Georgia, went to Germany as a Fulbright Scholar, and spent several years in Germany where he worked as a translator, English teacher and other things. There he found the love of his life and brought her back as his wife. He spent five years at UNC Chapel Hill and moved to Virginia Tech two years ago to teach German.

Jamie was also an artist having done several book covers for his fathers’ books and other authors as well. His latest has just appeared on Aberrant Dreams 9. He also was into digital photography and had a terrific eye for what he wanted to accomplish.

Mike taught at the Air Force Academy and is currently Writer in Residence at Lagrange College. Jeri is a school counselor. Jamie’s wife Steffi (Stephanie Hofer) is also a German teacher at Virginia Tech. This made it hard for Jamie to go in any other direction.

From all accounts Jamie loved life and lived it to the fullest and he died doing what he loved best. His website is www.memory39.com.

My prayers and my love go out to Jamie’s family: his wife - Steffi , his parents – Mike and Jeri, and his sister – Stephanie her husband Joel and their two children. I have no words to express the pain in my heart or a way to help remove your pain. Just know that my prayers and my love are with you.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Silverfish on the Rocks

It was a quiet day in Freddie Beach. Sun and summer seemed to have arrived with an undercurrent of permanence that had not been felt since the last time Freddies shook the webs from sandals and shorts, only to be walloped by another damn snowstorm. But I digress. It was a quiet day in Freddie Beach, a Friday, a beautiful sunny Friday, not a payday Friday, but a Friday nonetheless. And the sun was shining. Birds were chirping. Freddie Beachers were singing and dancing in the streets. They were dressed ribbons and bows and happiness. The sang of sprouting life and melting snow. They danced the dark dance of death to the Winter chill. They ... hmm ... I'm not doing a good job of getting to the point, am I? OK ... here's the scoop ... Silverfish, the Freddie Beach collective of the most talented photographers on the planet (and if you disagree ... take it up with my 250 pound psychotic gay cat Pico who's a big Silverfish fan) staged a photographic exploration iof geological forms, near and far, at the Charlotte Street Arts Center tonight. It was pretty damn impressive. But, not one to be an art critic (like Pico), I won't talk about the art. I'll talk about the event. It was cool. There was punch spiked with LSD and Manna from Heaven. There was roasted boar and Peking Duck. Lambs and Vestal Lady Bugs were sacrificed to Fred, God of Beach. The wine was fermented from the blood of a thousand sweating pine nuts. And there was ... WhiteFeather and Lori. Unfortunately, their heads were trapped in the staircase and they missed most of the exhibit, even though Lori had two excellent photos that made rock come alive with earth meaning. This is what Lori looked like after the staircase drained the color from her body ... Chris Giles, old friend who picked me up at the hospital after my brain transplant, stands before one of his works. Notice how the entire section of the Arts Center has been drained of color by the staircase? This is why I avoid stairs, and you should too. This is Marie ... She avoided the staircase but drank several glasses of the LSD-laced punch. She won't remember being at the exhibit, but three days from now, she will remember where she parked her car. Maybe.

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Thursday, April 19, 2007

A Walk With Li

I've worked with Li Wang (pronounced Wong) in there different companies for over a decade. They were all IT companies. This, some would say, is our curse. But today, the sun was shining, it was almost warm (except for the wind), and there was a Spring-like scent to the air. Li and I went for a walk around the campus of the University of New Brunswick and this is what we saw ... We saw a hill with almost no snow on it just days after a snow storm that all but crippled the city ... We saw Lori Morse at the UNB Arts Center just a day before her exhibition with Silverfish - a collective of Fredericton photographers - at the Charlotte Street Arts Center ... We saw an art exhibit in the making at the UNB Arts Center ... It's called ... We saw art by Keirstead Hall ... a very weird place indeed ... but good art from this angle ... ... and this angle ... ... even from this angle ... And then we went back to work.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Author Interview from Hell

By the way, did I mention this ...? It took me over a month to reply to these questions. Maybe next time I'll just tell the truth. Hmm ... no ... on second thought, don't think I will. You can read the interview here.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

The Murder Blog

Years and years and years after starting it, then struggling with it, taking a break from it, and almost giving up on it ... Murder by Burger is almost finished. Just a few more pages to go.

'Course, then I have to go through the grueling process of revision and rewriting and reafirming that it's all worth well and the book might actually be publishable. But that's par for the course. The first draft will be done.

In honor of the finishing of the first draft, I've started a blog for Murder by Burger. It's called ... Murder by Burger. What else?

The Murder by Burger blog will be full of lies about the book, tips for writing surreal mysteries, stuff about where to write, useless information about useless things, and lots of pictures.

To visit the blog, click Murder by Burger.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Too Late! BlackTop MotorCycle Gang Is Alive!

You thouGht it was just a rUmor. You thought, No nO nOO no Noo! They can't unleAsh THAT! Not tHAt! But thEy diD. It's aLiVe. And it'S on the prOWel. It's coMinG for YOU. It's comInG for yOUr bRain. To eAt it. AliVe. To swALLOw it aNd spiT it oUt iNTo soMEthiNg diFFerEnt and preSS it bAck into your hEAd. Don't boTHer ruNning. It's tOO latE. BlackTop MotorCycle Gang. A whOle New meaninG foR the woRd(s) TWIST. ED.