I Promise, No More Dog Pictures For A While (Unless They're Really Cute. Which They All Are.)

He ain't nothing but a lawn dog.

Nature Boy
Yesterday
The Rock

•••

Sorry 'bout that. I just wanted to add this song to yesterday's selection.

•••

Hound Dog: Big Mama Thornton
(Buy: In Europe: Big Mama Thornton with Muddy Waters' Blues Band)

I Get The Same Old Feelin’, Every Time You’re Here

The Dark Overlord and his Minion
Planning World Domination (with unseen observer).
Camp David

April, 4, 2007

Ooops! After an extended, inexcusable, lapse of anti-posting, I tried to get some new writing and music up here. Instead, I seem to have deleted the post about Marcel and his Secret Ops Weekend.

As soon as I can remember half of what I wrote here 15 days ago, and post it back up, I'll be back. I'm hoping later this evening.

But there's still the music! Ahhhh, Barry White!

Love, Mushi

•••

You're The First, The Last, My Everything
Never, Never Gonna Give You Up
Can't Get Enough Of Your Love
(Buy: Barry White: Just For You)

Lymie, Am I Ticked!

Welcome to the Thunderdome (Photograph from a local cable program on Ixodes scapularis)

Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis)
Many enter. Few survive.
July 2006

I took Marcel to the vet the other day (for a pulled muscle in his neck which, after a week of doggie-profens and some mellow-down time, is doing much better — thank you for asking) — and after a routine check-up — the doctor asked if Marcel had had his Lyme Disease vaccinations yet.

"Lyme Disease?" I says, "We live out on The Rock, I didn't think we had that problem out there."

"It started to show up last year," she replied.

"Really? How did that happen?" I ask, now a little ooked out by the whole scenario of the upcoming warm weather and outdoor activities.

"The tourists brought them with them," chimes in the doctors assistant.

"Tourists!" I say, through clenched teeth (in a manner that can only be described as the worst imitation of somebody trying to sound like Jerry Seinfeld saying, "Newman!").

"Tourists," she repeats.

Damn you (as I will now refer to them), Lymies!

•••

Hell On Earth
(Buy: Deer Tick: War Elephant (When the album drops, in May.)


(Until then, check out Deer Tick on myspace, and get your pets their shots!)

The Rock Island Dog

Marcel Duchamp
The Rock
March 5, 2006

What else do I have to say?

•••

We're Going To Be Friends
(Buy: The White Stripes: White Blood Cells)

Burn, Baby, Burn

Photograph © Rich Entel

A boy, his dog, and a big, blazing bonfire.
Town Dump, The Rock
March 2006

Ahhhh, fire. The cold has returned with some kind of purpose. While walking Marcel this morning, my hair froze solid.

So, sitting in my warm kitchen, drinking coffee and doing work from home today — I'm just thinking about the warm weather — and fire.

(Oh, yeah, and the Town Dump? A great place to find everything I don't need to drag home — where I don't need it. Ask G, she'll tell you.)

•••

Ring of Fire
(Buy: Johnny Cash: Love & A .45: Original Soundtrack)

Fire
(Buy: Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection)

Burnin'
(Buy: Jersey Street Allstars: Disco Pogo For Punks In Pumps Vol. 13)

Disco Inferno
(Buy: The Trammps: Saturday Night Fever)

It Ain't Nothing But A Tree Thing, Baby

Brown's Head Light House
The Rock
February, 2005

•••

With a house full of little critters (Babette, Maneki Neko, and the newly welcomed Marcel Duchamp) — a tiny little tabletop tree seemed the appropriate decor this season. We figured that it would be easier then yelling — "Get out of there! Get down!" — at the 'kids' every 10 minutes. We put the leash on Marcel, hopped in the car, and drove out to the woods in search of the perfect specimen.

After a long walk through the wilderness (of The Rock) and a little beach-combing, we stumbled upon the little tree — about waist high, and ideally conical. With my trusty, rusty bowsaw in hand — I bent down and took care of business. A minute later, we were walking back to the car, tree perched over my shoulder.

When we returned home, I opened the trunk of the car to the unpleasant smell of, what can only be described as, cat urine. If you have never had the smell visit your olfactory receptors, consider yourself very fortunate — if you have, however, you know the smell I was smelling. The tree did not make it's way into the house.

I conveyed this story to a friend who, at the end of my telling, said, "Oh, you must have gotten a skunk spruce." Indeed, I had.

A little research, please, and yes, Picea glauca or, the White Spruce (also known as Canadian Spruce, Eastern Spruce, Black Hills Spruce, Skunk Spruce and, oh, yeah, the Cat Spruce) — it was the last two caught my interest (and attention). Apparently, the white spruce, as a defense mechanism has, not only, stiff and sharp needles — but when young and immature, a distinctive odor; foul (when young) — but pleasant when older. How very interesting. How very foul.

We will be out looking for a new (kinder, gentler, sweeter smelling) tree this weekend — or making one out of an old Readers Digest.

•••

The Klezmatics: Hanukah Tree (Hanukkah)
(Buy: The Klezmatics: Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah)

Vince Guaraldi Trio: O Tannenbaum
(Buy: Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas)

Radiohead: Fake Plastic Trees
(Buy: Radiohead: The Bends)

Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
(Buy: Brenda Lee: Jingle Bell Rock)

Belly: Feed The Tree
(Buy: Belly: Star)

Dr. Dre w/ Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang
(Buy: The Chronic)

Monsieur Marcel Duchamp Deutsche Hunde

Monsieur Marcel Duchamp Deutsche Hunde aka 'The Dude'
In the kitchen, at his new home on The Rock
December 8, 2006

•••

Ramones: I Don't Want to Grow Up
(Buy: Everything Ramones!)