Still here

A rare snuggle between Gadjo and Fennec.

Not to worry, we're all still alive.  Just having never-ending technological problems here, involving transferring things to a different computer, and also to a new external hard drive, and some things (like most of my photos) won't transfer at all and I don't know why, and the fact that I can no longer use my photo editing software on the new computer... still haven't figured out a work-around yet for several issues.

In the meantime, the software used to build my website was discontinued, and it took forever to figure out what was going on. It would've been nice to have been informed that my website was going to die, and why. I've done a basic website rebuild with a different free program. I don't like it aesthetically or functionally as much as the last one, but at least I have a website again.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Just photos today (and Mojito baby pics!)

Here's the problem with a really nice (digital) camera: the instruction manual is a book. That's what happens when cameras are more like computers these days. And it's a book I never have time to read, not that it will make for pleasant reading in the first place. All the photos I've been taking lately of my artwork are coming out terrible, and it's surely because neither I nor The Husband (much as he would like to think so) really have a clue what we're doing with all the settings and such on the camera. My goal is now to try to find the time to learn enough from the manual to at least remove all current (mostly inadvertent) settings and get it back to tabula rasa.

So, in lieu of artwork today, I bring you some photos...

After nearly two feet of snow, the sun came out for two days and started meltin' with a mission. My friend Ann and I went for a hike...and our shoes will never be the same.

And now for something completely different (say in Monty Python voice): The Husband finally found our dog Mojito's baby pics! I've been wanting to have them for some time now. When I look at Mojito now, four years old, very noble-looking and almost wolf-like sometimes, it's hard to believe he was ever that little wooly bear cub. He came to us as one of our foster dogs (we used to foster rescued Goldens) at the tender age of about 3 months (with the name of Biscuit, ha ha) and the moment we saw him (he gave us a skeptical look, which he still sports frequently) there was no question we'd be keeping him. He came from a bad situation and still has a few phobias, but he's mostly just fine now.

*****PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET, LEARN ABOUT AND BOYCOTT PLACES THAT SELL PUPPY-MILL PUPPIES AS "PRODUCTS" (TO CEASE DEMAND), AND PLEASE ADOPT INSTEAD OF BUYING...UNTIL THERE ARE NO MORE COMPANION ANIMALS SUFFERING AND BEING EUTHANIZED FOR MERE LACK OF A HOME. THANK YOU.*****

Mojito's on the left here, supervising Jazz's ripping up of the dog bed:

*****INTERMISSION*****

And now, take a deep breath, and...

Prepare thyself for the killer cuteness!:

Didn't I warn you?

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Door under the stairs

Can I just kvetch for a moment and say how snowy and bitterly cold it's been...And how much I hate having to walk dogs in this weather...? Okay, thank you. Now, on to other things...like doors under stairs.

Nothing to do in this cold but stay indoors and admire your own yoga moves on blogs...

$115.00 - Door under the stairs (Ready to Frame)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Sometimes older brothers are OK

When you're growing up, older brothers can be a real pain...but then when they get older, sometimes they can help fix your computer! (The computer that The Husband kinda screwed up...) :)  Thank you, bro!  Are these not the two cutest computer geeks ever?