Oh No.

Bear trap 1

This showed up near my house this weekend. Someone's got a garbage/bird feeder/outdoor bbq/open kitchen window problem in the neighbourhood again. Despite a good berry season this year the bears get ravenously hungry by nature prior to first snow fall and they are absolutely desperate to fatten up.

Bear trap 4

In a perfect world i'd like to round up all the local black bears for a fireside chat on the facts of bear life; "See that guys... you don't want to go there and to do avoid it, stay on the mountain. Don't come down to the subdivisions, okay? Those tasty bits of trash will kill you like a hot load of china white."

It's Firewood Season Once Again

Ol' Nibbles 1

It is definitly convenient to have an F250 truck to haul big ass stuff with. Dave bought it to his delight last week; even came with a 14,000 lb winch and wide custom bumpers which is skookum (local lingo for 'perfect') for dragging logs out of the bush. The previous owner loved it like a child and we plan to continue the tradition.

Ol' Nibbles 2

The first thing I did upon Nibbles arrival to Whistler was repaint the tailgate logo in white tremclad. Underneath the truck is Dave's first log haul of the season.

Ol' Nibbles 3

Poor hula girl didn't make it through her first 4 x 4 trip up to the 17km point of Soo Valley yesterday. She was knocking back and forth hard enough on the windshield to amputate herself at the ankles.

Weekend Redo

guest room shelves

This is the third time I've hung these shelves in the guest room. As time goes on our needs change, hence the remodelling. The brackets and shelf lumber came from Ikea, the rest came from a 1" x 8" x 8' board from Home Depot.

guest room bookcase

I modified this old ikea pine bookcase with some scroll work on top and a kicker at the bottom. I use Minwax stain in 'puritan pine' to keep most of the house furniture more or less matching. Many thanks to Dave for surprising me with the Ryobi table saw last month. It's my pay bonus for the wedding videos I shot for him this summer season.

For you inquisitive readers, there indeed is a beefcake pinup near the upper left corner (with his bits photoshopped out). I spend 15x more time in the garage than the kitchen and with our wedding clients making periodic visits to the house it's way more practical to have them hanging there than say, all over the kitchen cabinets.

Bears are Obviously not Sleep Deprived

sleep apnea bear
Originally uploaded by somebody in Flickr, I forget who. Sorry.

Sweet Lady fatigue takes another victim by surprise. My Dad used to sleep like that. He'd lie on the couch and all of a sudden his arm would shoot up in the air, hover a minute and slowly rest upon his head. I'm not in rest mode today however. More about my weekend later...

At Fives, Sixes and Sevens

from K-Bear

Most people I know would rip open a parcel with glee as soon it arrives. My print from K-Bear came a good week and a half ago and I'm holding out till she gets her end of our swap. The parcel to her bounced back to me nearly a month after I sent it, the error being the difference of a '5' and a '6' on the address. Oh well, kudos for USPS for not losing it all together. Double kudos to Katy for waiting so long. Y'all won't see it here till she gives me a shout that everything's arrived on her side. I think I'd like to do a diptych of the envelope and print side by side in the same frame. It'll remind me of the long journey to creativity and just how worthwhile it is to put up with it all.

To find out what the post title means, click here.

What the Ass Fairy Left Under My Pillow

Ass Candies

One of the things that occupied my mind last week was my sigmoidoscopy appointment at a hospital south of Whistler. Colorectal cancer figures prominently in my family and we're all well versed in the various purging procedures prior to a rectal exam. You know, I never get used to this stuff. Starlets and celebrities swear by it to lose weight in a hurry. I can tell you crapping your heart out on a toilet is not a desirable weight loss regime.

Shakin' My Money Maker

damn tripod

No, the laxatives aren't kicking in while I'm working at the four Seasons yesterday... Dave has a habit of tightening the tripod legs way too much and it's a struggle for me to unloosen them. He did deign to help me; after taking this pic that is.

Got Bear?

Sugarfoot

Here's Sugarfoot, sans hat and star. My bear production has slowed some... I hope to branch out into smaller bear pieces this winter.

If you have to ask how much it costs, you probably can't afford it.

big ass gummy bear
Original Photo at Demonbaby.

I've got to show you guys this gummi bear I found while surfing ... reminds me of the 'Gummi de Milo' skit a while ago on The Simpsons. There are indeed people who take their chewy candy very, very seriously.

Larry Burrows: Dave's Hero

Dave's early b-day gift

Ebay is a great place to find oddball items like this book for Dave, Larry Burrows Vietnam. I wish the catholic church would make Burrows the patron saint of photojournalists. He certainly was an influence in Dave's decision to be a photographer.

Life is Distracting

Chief-Ten-Bears @ Work

...to my efforts at blogging more regularly. This is me at work last week, in a helicopter with a wedding party going to a local glacier (near Whistler) to get married. Seal brough Heidi Klum up here a while back for an engagement ceremony, not that it's a big deal or anything. Other people go to their jobs in cars or buses. I gotta get there in 4 X 4's, sleighs pulled by farting horses and A-Star choppers. Work is keeping me on my toes but I will get back to the exciting world of blogging very soon.

I love Photoshop

Bad Bears II

I made this shortly after Bad Boys II was released. I've gotten a lot of compliments for the bear theme.

Hungry Flickr Bears

Hungry Polar Bear
Originally uploaded by bikeracer.

Polar bears love to bob for marshmallows in their tubs of hot chocolate.

Polar bear Snack 2
Originally uploaded by The Gryphon.

Inside the meat and cartilage jawbreaker Bruno's chowing down on is a delicious bubble gum candy centre.

Grizzly Bear
Originally uploaded by ohbrustin.

This guy has already gotten to the bubble gum centre!

Bear Sandwich
Originally uploaded by moriza.

Ugh, I never liked pickles.

Brown bears
Originally uploaded by Fine Cars.

Looks like the bean burrito day at the bear enclosure didn't go down too well.

Flickr Fun, Part I

Warsaw Zoo
Originally uploaded by Mr. Photocapy.

I just like looking at pics of peacefully sleeping bears. This time, it's a snoozing bear collection of the polar kind.

Siesta
Originally uploaded by Penguinista.

Polar Bear at Bronx Zoo
Originally uploaded by David Minnen.

Polar Bear - Nap Time
Originally uploaded by Cem.

つかれたシロクマ
Originally uploaded by itayan.

おひるねシロクマ
Originally uploaded by itayan.

Its soo hot today
Originally uploaded by hdt.

Flickr Fun, Part II

bear paw
Originally uploaded by mylakent.

A Chief-Ten-Bears exclusive! NASA has given us first dibs to blog an extremely rare 60's photo of the first polar bear in outer space. Ursa Astronaut P. Bear got momentarily distracted from a space walk upon sighting a seal-shaped meteor.

DSC03651
Originally uploaded by fishindy.

Yeah, gimme two crullers, a honey glazed and.... are those bear claws? A half dozen claws to go.

Polar Bear Paws
Originally uploaded by bshort.

You'd look like this too if someone pushed you in while dressed in fleece pyjamas and fuzzy slippers.

おしりと後ろ足
Originally uploaded by mariiii!.

Chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga... i'm a fur covered outboard motor!

Polar Bear
Originally uploaded by spyzter.

What you don't see is the shark fin attached to Clyde's back. Ha haa. That bear kills me!

Other People's Junk

Thingamagig

... is my reward. I found this at the neighbourhood compactor site on the recycling side. The locals in Whistler have to dump their own trash at two locations in town as door-to-door pick up isn't logistically feasible. The little guy goes round and round when the yellow ladder is squeezed. I'm going to use it someday as a pattern with a twirling bear instead of a dude.

Tulle-ling Along

Tulle-like Organdy

This is actually organdy with a slight moire sheen and for a client of mine that needs the edges serged for use as a chuppah this weekend. There's enough here for a half dozen poufy wedding gowns. The word chuppah is pronounced 'hoopa' and I'm often staggering in my mind trying to remember this fact. I've blurted out everything from hoopla to chalupa. I do fancy the image of a couple getting married under a deep fried taco stuffed with cheese. Funny.