the best laid plans ...

as it turns out
we were not the only people
with a desire for creamery ice cream
on this sunny sunday summer afternoon

not being a big fan of lingering in lines
we opted for plan B
and continued our campus perambulations

in an effort to enjoy some free air-conditioning
and because it is never too early to begin
generating one's short list of mba programs
we stumbled into the business building

after checking out the hip, minimal furniture
there was only one thing left to do
only one thing that this vacant, cavernous edifice
cried out to me to do ...

RUN !

alas ... while our squeals of joy filled the atrium
no amount of careless cardio could fill the voids
in our stomachs and souls

thus ... plan B / part 2
meyer dairy

mmmm ... raspberry milk-shake
you can't get that at the berkey creamery

pooh indeed ...

have you seen the new movie
about the crew from the hundred acre wood

i read the screenplay
but it makes no sense to me

just a joke ...

on the plus side ...
i just found out that my cousin
is going to be A BOY !


unfortunately ...

sorry bahrs ...
i tried to find a 'sconsin-themed image
but no such luck

later that same evening ...

after the compulsory warm-up round
of primal screaming ...

... it was time for some airplane rides

good times ... good times

with a capital "h" ...

quarter after five ... in the shade !

in such conditions one's focus quickly turns to
activities of the low-impact, indoor variety

and so it happened that
inspired by the recent [and magnificent!] work of ryan parr
and the phunky jams of morris day and the time
thank you pandora - prince station
dad and i got a little creative ...

we titled this pair of images "ball play"

after abandoning the long-exposure technique
we turned our efforts to the tried and true
arm's length self portrait method ...

i will leave the evaluating to the art historians
but i feel that our stronger medium
might be crayon and stickers

i will give you three guesses ...

what

did

we

have

for

dinner ?

it's all uphill from here ...

yes sir, you in the front row
you have a question ...
what shall we do on a sunny, 91 degree summer day ?

how about we go for a little walk
next stop ... 600 feet up

anyone care for a trail-side raisin ?

i am not exactly sure what dad was saying here
something about comparing and contrasting
oak leaves and mountain moss

at some point you have to
take your education into your own hands

and a bag of kettle corn ...

saturday afternoon we made our way to boalsburg
to check out what the peoples' choice festival had to offer
aside from the standard artsy-craftsy festival fare
we also saw a granola band/drum circle that was fueled by
earth rhythms and the energy of some other nonsense

mom and dad were intent on not leaving before
they were able to purchase an artisanal children's broom
i guess they were not joking about the free labor thing

the day was hotter than a three dollar pistol
but the petting zoo was worth the price of admission ...

after a little instruction from dad ...

... i was ready to give petting the horse a try

while her eyes suggest a blasé attitude
about the whole exchange
i believe the hair on top of the mare's head
displays her true excitement

speaking of excitement and tasty drum jams ...
dad and i tried our hand at a ping-pong paddle powered
pvc piped rainbow drum/organ thingee
i expect the blue man group to call at any time

last but not least ...
mom took hop-hop* and me for a ride on A TRAIN !
i am not sure which matchbook
the conductor ordered his license from
but let's just say ...
i am happy that the vehicle was seat-belt equipped

* hop-hop the rabbit ... not to be confused with hopkins the frog

better late than never ...

on the 4th of july
mom and i went to campus
to support dad & the other runners
of the firecracker 4k

as the racers stretched i gathered acorn tops

then i sat and waited for the boom of the starting firework
yeah ... it was about as exciting as it looks

as the runners came by
i attempted to dispense my stockpile of oak nut lids
but i had no takers
i may have been misled regarding their nutritional value

where's waldo-daddy ?

coming to a runway near you ...

high-top chucks and no pants ...

... it's the new big thing
you heard it here first

not suitable for work ...

just wanted to give you a heads up ...
in case you are viewing this at the office
on a designated break period i am sure

... that these shots are a little racy
some readers may deem them risque
or even piquant if one had a thesaurus lying around

enough catering to the logophiles
let's get to the dirty pictures ...

dinner date ...

please ... don't tell bert

final product not pictured ...

some artists are secretive about their methods
they prefer to let their work speak for them
& choose not to let their audience peek behind the curtain

in my artistic endeavors i prefer to be an open book
freely sharing my tools and techniques
my focus in creating art is less on the product
and more on the process ...

... if you asked me to pinpoint exactly
which part of the process i prefer the most
i would say without hesitation ...

... cleaning up !

definitely cleaning up

steve irwin, how we miss you ...

it is important to be extra stealthy
when you are stalking the north american
bald-headed, hairy-faced ape
it is best to approach while he is sleeping

if by chance your quarry should awaken ...

... one must be prepared with a wild-eyed stare

while a charming look may placate many wild beasts
it will prove useless against this primate

trust me ... stick with the deranged stare
it will serve you well