Zephaniah W Nash

Whatever holiday or holidays you may observe this time of year, I hope it's a happy season for you all...

I haven't updated on this little critter lately: She's rapidly growing up and we now often go for the whole day without seeing her -- though she checks in for the evening snack, of course. We see adult deer tracks around all the time, so we know she's socializing with others. She should be going back to the wild almost any time now, as soon as she decides to...

Michael-- Not discouraged at all -- just saving for the more correct ones, as you rightly surmised. Well, that, and all that moving into a new house and stuff... I actually do have a bit of discretionary funding over the next few weeks, and unless the unexpected bill comes along, it really is somewhere between shoes and hat. Or, perhaps, setting aside for shoes or hat, if said funding doesn't stretch as far as I'd like...

I've already talked myself out of these particular shoes -- I'll set the $50 aside toward a better, more correct set (and/or that Captain Jack hat). Since the Museum Replica shoes are off a bit, I might as well get by with my converted dress shoes which are, really, off about the same way. But if anyone does go for these, please let us know what you think...

I don't recall seeing this linked here, and if it has been, my apologies for repeat. They're calling these latchet-style shoes a closeout -- I haven't made up my own mind on it just yet. From the picture, they're clearly not straight-lasted... I've had good dealing with Museum Replicas before, but has anyone tried these particular shoes? MRL latchet shoes.

Here's mine: My MySpace page.

Got mine, and supplies for the making...

Looks like we'll be going for Thanksgiving weekend as well -- assuming nothing explodes between now and then. Three day weekend at the Faire, how can you lose...?

GoF-- I'll have to do some looking about, but that buckle you posted looks quite a bit like some I've seen in saddle and tack stores. If I'm remembering correctly, the buckle I'm thinking of was somewhat bigger, maybe two-and-a-half or three inches. Would that still be a reasonable size to be correct, if it is a similar construction...? If I can find it again, I'll post pics. I've used salvaged tack buckles and the like now and then, even if they may not be completely correct, they sometimes make striking pieces...

It ain't for farmers, so much. We all work from when the sun comes up 'til it goes down, no matter what time the clock says. It's so the bankers can get their money from the farmers, without having to work on our schedules. Damn 'em.

Hey, I'm just mightily proud of the Shiner bottlecap... Something you don't see nearly enough, in my estimation.

Hmmm... Apart from pyrate, there's: Renaissance general look, plus the duellist variant. Old West (both realistic and Hollywood) Partial Civil War officer (still piecing it together) Firefly-inspired Shepherd (preacher, for those who don't know the show) (yeah, the last three share some costuming pieces, I know) Redneck -- wait, those are work clothes. I've done many others, but mostly stuff with makeup, not what you'd call a permanent costume (I've played many a zombie, a couple of werewolves, and Satan, etc.).

That's pretty much what's paying for the place, so far. Cheaper than a lawn-mower, and tasty to boot.

I think it's about a four or five hour drive. Haven't been to Austin in ages, but that should be a good guess... I haven't been on horseback in fifteen years or more, so for me it would be less riding and more just hoping I don't fall.

Only eighty-six acres, love. They might find enough room to move about a bit...

Not to worry, Syren. I think by the time we're done, there's not a pyrate here that would be ashamed to be seen on our deck. My parents and sister and such could be a different story...

I'm in again, as well. I have the same address as last year, Rumba...

When concrete starts rippling, I believe that's when I start looking for lodging in other states... I've been through thunder storms of every possible variety -- including them that spawn tornados and sheet hail and straight-line winds of a hundred miles an hour, but when it comes to the ground moving (apart from maybe a mudslide) I think I'll just stay right here in Texas. You that live through the earthquakes are of higher fiber or something than me. Give me the rattlers and floods and drouths any day...

We never really had anything against mobile homes either -- they just weren't our first choice, if we had a choice. A lot of the ones they make now (including ours) are as well-built as most houses. We got to see it in a lot of detail when it was pulled apart to move, it's in nice shape. We have a lot to do, not because of the house itself, but because of how the house was treated by those that came before us (it was a rental property, which is often very rough on 'em). We sprayed it down today in the next salvo in the war on the roaches. Not too much danger of hurricanes here (with the obvious exception of a certain pyrate of that name ) and a tornado will take out pretty much whatever it hits. I suppose if the dam at Possum Kingdom lake ever gave completely out, our feet might get wet, but aside from that, not too much danger of the Brazos messing us up too badly. Thanks to all for the good wishes! As soon as we have it good to go, we'll begin the extended house-warming party (a day or three of it whenever somebody makes it to our area). Cheers, and thanks again!

So we now have us a house. The deal almost fell through... oh... six times? (Price changing, cost of moving changing, wanted cash dollars up-front, etc. etc.) But, it is ours now and in-place on the family land. Plus, it cost us less than our last car did. Granted, it needs tons of time and work and likely money invested to make it habitable, much less welcoming, but that's all stuff we can do as we do it. It's a double-wide mobile home, which was not our first choice, but again, the price was well worth it. And, it will be a fine home once we're done. Just wait a bit on that house-warming invite, though...

My next will definitely be from a blank. Where might one find that aforementioned $25 blank...? Most I see are a bit higher than that...

Aye, that is a nice piece -- not only weapon, but piece of art...

Not too much on mine, Eye (though I'd wager there's much more invested in Pat's). Maybe $12 or $13 on the felt and interfacing, and already had needles and thread and such. As far as time, I couldn't say, I just picked it up and worked on it for an hour or so when I was otherwise sitting still. Maybe five or six evenings for an hour or three at each sitting...?

Ah, Pat, ye've read my mind... I've been working on exactly that, just been having a bit more trouble with it than the felt was. I seriously mis-measured my wife's head (yeah, there's gotta be a good joke or two in there) and need to pull the crown off and start it over. That's why I moved on to the slops, was getting frustrated with the hat and needed to work on something else to clear my head...

Will definitely be going with blanks from now on -- but did want to see if I could make the thing in the first place. I call it a partial success, it's at least hat-like.