Quail pulls cart

Another gem from the journals of Aldo Leopold.

finding myself.

I had created a blog years ago. The problem was, after I created it, I couldn't find myself. I just couldn't find my blog to add to it. I just now found it. Apparently, in August of 2006, I thought an entertaining name for a blog would be "kyla zoe, art to know" (zoe rhymes with toe). Here's the link, but don't expect anything: http://kylazoe.blogspot.com/

That explains why I couldn't get that address for this blog.

Too bad I can't remember what user name I signed that account with--that means that I can neither edit it, or delete it. Sigh, an forever stagnant ode to the wonder that is internet culture.

Purple Rain

Yesterday I was driving from Madison to Des Moines and Purple Rain by Prince came on the radio. They love Prince out here. Anyway, I was reminded about a specifically bazaar event that occurred in the summer of 2001. I had been living in St. Paul with my sister Samara for the summer and my father came out in August to help us both move, Samara to Keene, NH, and myself to RISD for my senior year. Everything would have been normal except my father showed up with his hair dyed bright purple. My father was 61 at the time. In a typical manner, my father simply explained that he had "run into some teenage ruffians in Indiana" friends of a cousin's kid, who had asked to dye his hair, and he said yes.

We were all very proud of my father's brilliant purple hair. It was thrill for all of us, there were confused youngon's "mommy, that man has poo-poo hayah", there were photo ops...but it got better there was Prince...

The day after my dad arrived in town we went to downtown Saint Paul to go the the local children's science museum to see an exhibit on germs. My father went to find a parking space while Samara and I idled outside of the museum. After a considerable amount of time, our father returned and we asked him why the delay.

As it turns out, Prince, a native of Minneapolis, and purple enthusiast was in town for a concert. As my father was returning from the car, he was stopped my a news crew, and they, probably mistaking him for a Prince fan, requested that he sing Purple Rain for the camera. My father then responded with "Who's Prince?". Eventually they convinced him to just "sing after them". So that's how my father ended up on the Minneapolis evening news, with bright purple hair, singing Purple Rain for all the world to see.

Is that a Wisconsin thing?

I was also mystified by a shop at Wisconsin Dells advertising "Cheesecake on a Stick"

The Greatest Show Without H20

A couple of days ago, Thomas and I decided to take a trip to the Wisconsin Dells, and on that trip, we decided to check out the Tommy Bartlett Watershow that (unfortunately for them) takes place on Lake Delton, a lake that several weeks ago, due to heavy rain, breached it's banks and drained. Here's a picture. Note the folks in the background who are walking on what used to be water.

As it turns out, the show is not quite what it was without the water. Nonetheless, we had a great time, my favorite was this old sound effects guy who came back from retirement to help support the show. The death-defying acts of any show are always a joy...

I love my job

This summer I got a job at the library scanning Aldo Leopold's journals. I didn't realize what a big whoop that was. Apparently, according to my father and my sister, Samara, that's fantastic. Aldo Leopold was a very important naturalist, and a pioneer in the field.

For me, in addition to the honor of handling his personal journals, the bonuses are numerous. To list a few perks.

1. I can make my own hours
2. I can check my e-mail while scanning
3. I can listen to the radio, watch things on the internet, etc...

But above all the greatest bonus is the dearth of interesting, and oft times curious imagery I come across. For example, take a look at this image:


Need I say more?

I will. This "duck" has a preternaturally sized head and seems stunned to be featured in such a way, just look at those eyes... I am especially pleased with the small tag pointing out the location of its anus. Nice touch.

Rainbow Brite and our carpet.

I just used this deodorizer on our carpet. My husband describes it as smelling "like Rainbow Brite's Vagina". He always has had a way with words...

Kyla, Lyla Zoe

Turns out their is another Kyla Zoe in the world. I nearly shit a brick! Thank god she's in Australia, or, as my sister Samara put it, I'd have to "take that Australian bitch down". Poetic, truly poetic. I tried to friend The Other Kyla Zoe (facebook), but she hasn't responded, in fact, it seems that she may have even blocked me. Does she think I'm making this up? I want to know how she got her name, and if my parents beat her parents to the punch, in other words, how old is she? Hopefully this will all be resolved soon... But just as I was calming down, get this, when Thomas was looking for my brand new blog (this one) he came across a blog by a certain someone named Lyla Zoe. In other words, if you type my blog's address, and then switch the K with an L, bingo! You've got Lyla Zoe's blog! SHIVER ME TIMBERS! Has this whole world gone mad? My delusions of individualism are fading fast. Egad, what will I do?

Halo (hello) Thomas!

Here's my hubby, Thomas. Thankfully, he doesn't play Halo too much, but it is a short, yet daily ritual. He has been bored of it for a long time, but for some mysterious reason, continues to play, even if sometimes by 'playing', this really only means that his character stands, unmoving, and obediently shoots unrelentingly into the air until some gremlin-type thing kills his character. It's all very fascinating.

Several of Thomas' brothers (he has 7) collaborated on a video parody of the trailer for Halo 3 which somehow was picked up by bungee and became a minor youtube hit. Here's a link to the video.
As of now it has 208,546 views and 868 comments. Not bad...

Grow baby, grow! My first garden

I have been spending many an hour procrastinating from other things by occupying myself with a lil' garden on our 4'x5' porch. I'm growing basil, early girl tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, oregano, snow peas, parsley, mesclun mix lettuce, buttercrunch lettuce, and red-leaf lettuce all from seed. I am delighted to watch the things grow. Nothing's gone wrong yet, and fruits are starting to develop. I'm very proud, hopefully nothing will go wrong with my crops, they will ripen fully and be enjoyed without delay. Like an idiot, I forgot that I'd be out of town for three weeks late in summer.... let's just say, thank god they're in containers! Here are some pictures.

Sorry kid, party's over.

My husband pointed out this hilariously pathetic image to me this morning while we were eating a waffle breakfast. Its amazing that such utter futility can be expressed in a single image, and equally amazing that this image no doubt passed numerous editors, none of whom cared to wonder what the hell a child is doing in the middle of a field of wind turbines, or how he could possibly manage to fly a kite there.