MADDOGS

THE ADVENTURE CREW: Master, The Nomad, Sweet Bird of Freedom (aka Freeta Roam), Pixie & Pod, Miss Cycle, Ivan the writing muse, Jude, and the brains of the crew--Croc. DOUBLE-CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

MADDOG LEARNS A NEW TRICK

OK, OK, I admit it; I was fooling around. I tweaked the photo below with a watercolor treatment, and the result is the picture above. Does that make me an artist or what? By the way, the title is MOONRISE AT SUNSET.

*post by Jude.

posted by crow # 12:05 AM 1 comments

Monday, February 20, 2006

Leaving for Hollywood Tomorrow Morning

Story of the day:
So Jude gets over to Louise's and Louise checks the oil in her car. Lo and behold, there is antifreeze on the ground.

Jude says, "That looks like it's coming from your car."

Louise says, "My neighbors were working on their truck in the street the other day. It could've come from theirs."

Jude, now down on her knees and looking under the car says, "That looks like it's coming from your car. Take a look in the radiator."

Louise says, "Where's the radiator. Oh, there it is." She undoes the cap and guess what? No antifreeze.

Jude checks the reservoir. Empty.

Louise says, "I'll get some water and put it in."

She does, while Jude looks under the car. Drips all over the place. But since Louise missed the hole a lot, she wasn't sure.

Jude says, "Start the car and don't run me over."

Louise does (start the car, that is). More water and antifreeze chugs to the ground.

Jude says, "Either your radiator is bad or a hose is."

We go to Quality Tune Up on Arden and after a test drive and pressure check, the verdict is: "You need a new radiator."

$400 later, we are ready to fly the coop to Hollywood with Bucky as navigator.

posted by crow # 10:17 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

IN THE WILD AT 0-DARK:30

post by Jude
LJ had me get him up at 0-dark:30 this morning so he could go fishing. He and another guy ended up trout fishing on a river bank somewhere around Amador Lake. When the guy's fishing pole took a dive (with trout attached), LJ went after it, at first mid-thighs, but then into a deep hole. What started out as a quick splash, ended up as an underwater adventure. But LJ came back with the pole AND the fish.

Since LJ has been here, I've eaten:

TROUT

ELK

CANADIAN GOOSE

DEER

CRAB (fresh from Bodega Bay)

and ANTELOPE

Has any grocery store beat hands down.

posted by crow # 5:03 PM 0 comments

Monday, February 13, 2006

MADDOG ADVENTURE -- HOWLING

Yesterday after screenplay writing, The Crew picked up Jude's oldest son -- LJ -- and we went fishing down the Sacramento River, just short of Hood. Jude dropped LJ, the fishing equipment, and firewood off at the Pump, then parked The Nomad about a quarter mile away (NOT SO FAR) in a place where the road widens. Then she hoofed it (knee brace included) to the fishing spot. Of course, LJ already had the rod baited with ghost shrimp and in the water. The plan was to catch a 5-6ft sturgeon and wrestle it to shore Crocodile Dundee style.

Jude hobbled down the bank and LJ built a fire, using Boy Scout water. After 3 hours of watching the river by the light of an almost full moon, listening to hoot owls, screech owls, and sturgeon jump and slap the water, Jude decided to turn in because she had to get Robin baby-not to school in the morning. So she climbed the bank and started back to The Nomad.

After about 10 yards, she heard a coyote howl. Then a second one. A third. An entire symphony. The sound was beautiful, but also SCARY because the coyotes were following Jude, angling toward her.

She tried not to be afraid because:
1. Her knee was sore and she could only walk so fast.
2. They wouldn't attack a human. Right?
3. They're like dogs.
4. Wild dogs.
5. Wild dogs with teeth that can chew through bones.
6. Her bones.

OK, Jude's getting afraid.
A quarter mile IS A LONG WAY!
She gets out her only weapon. Pepper spray.
And keeps going.
Don't look. Don't look.
Look. Look.
The keys are out. The keys are ready.
And into The Nomad.

The coyotes pass by The Nomad, and a while later, we hear a cow moo-ing. Then moo-ing frantically. Then nothing. We come to our own conclusions.

Jude crawls into the bed in the back of The Nomad. LJ comes a-knocking at 3am. He'd watched Jude, all the way to The Nomad and was aware of the coyotes following. If they would've gotten too close, he would've done some coyote wrestling.

We on The Crew are thinking Jude should buy some Bear Spray. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

posted by crow # 2:27 PM 0 comments

Coyote on the prowl.

Canis latrans, native to Western North America. The coyote resembles a medium-size dog with a narrow pointed face, long tawny fur, and a black-tipped bushy tail. Adult males are about 35 inches long, 21 inches high, a 14 inch tail, and weigh about 30 pounds. They live in pairs, make their dens in roots of trees, rock crevices, or ground burrows made by other animals. They are largely nocturnal. They hunt alone, in pairs, or in packs. Omnivorous, they prey on a variety of small animals, sometimes cooperating to attack larger animals. They can maintain speeds of 35 mph while chasing prey.

posted by crow # 9:58 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Shhh - it's the shifty H

After Jude's physical therapy this morning, the Crew decided to do a little wandering down some off-the-beaten-track roads. We ran across (not in the literal sense) these turkey vultures sunning themselves.

View of the Sierras in the distance. So far this winter, this is as close as we've gotten to snow. Not for lack of trying though. Every time the Crew wanted a snow adventure, Jude balked, thinking she couldn't get the snow chains on with her bum knee.

Sierra reflection.

So here we are, driving down the road, when Jude sees a sign that says: Soothing Retreat - Public Welcome. She thinks it must be a yoga practice place, or park, or something like that because there's this nice, modern looking building on the hilltop.

So we take the road, and drive it until it ends at a firing range. We watch (and listen to) some police/sheriff type trainee people fire at human-shaped targets. And Jude says to us, "Well, I guess if you live in the country, firing guns must be a pretty soothing activity. They've got this nice park and all with lovely gazebos overlooking a pond."

So when we get back to the main road, we make Jude stop so we can read the sign for ourselves. SHOOTING Retreat - Public Welcome. Darn that shifty H, it will get you every time.

posted by crow # 11:17 PM 0 comments

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Saturday Get-Away

Sunrise on the road.

The Crew has been cooped up way too long, and it all has to do with Jude and her bum knee. But today we said, "Phooey on all of this!" and had a great get-away.

Headed south and checked out this slough. Hoped to see a flock of pelicans...but no such luck. We did manage to get Jude strapped in her knee brace, and tramped up and down the muddy banks.

And this is what we found--a broken piece of concrete featuring a bee that had been propped against a broken concrete pillar, with a sprig of fern twining around. We thought it was quite artistic. (And yes, Jude did survive the hike.)