Buster Brown Ad, 1908

Advertisement by Richard F. Outcault featuring Buster Brown, 1908.

Phone photo 2774

SR 8, Thurston County

Postcard - Steamboat Springs, Colorado

"Panorama of Steamboat Springs, Colo. Elev. 6683 ft. on Hwy U.S. 40 at the foot of Rabbit Ears Pass in the Yampa River Valley. This town is famed for its winter sports carnival in which practically the whole town participates."

Early 1960s

Phone photo 2773

Charlie and Dreamer check out the raccoon traces at the base of the black walnut tree

The Piece of Wood Who Wanted to Belong

So there was this lonely piece of wood named Billy. Somehow he was taken away from his main tree and he wandered the woods looking for other pieces of wood to hang out with, but never had any luck. No other piece of wood would have anything to do with him, apparently thinking his bark was as bad as his bite. He felt bad.

Then one day, next to a camping area, he saw a whole stack of wood. Nice pieces stacked up in a neat and orderly way. Wow! They looked so happy and as one. Billy was in awe.

As he headed their way to join them, an older and wiser piece of wood yelled out in warning, "No! Billy, stop! Don't be a fuel!"

Phone photo 2772

Peeling Madrona

(Hey, doesn't that sound like a good name for a band?)

Thurston County, Washington

Favorite Movie Quotes: Singin' in the Rain

"Make 'em laugh
Make 'em laugh
Don't you know everyone wants to laugh?
(Ha ha!)
My dad said 'Be an actor, my son
But be a comical one
They'll be standing in lines
For those old honky tonk monkeyshines'"

"Now you could study Shakespeare and be quite elite
And you can charm the critics and have nothin' to eat
Just slip on a banana peel
The world's at your feet
Make 'em laugh
Make 'em laugh
Make 'em laugh!"

Phone photo 2771

Mud Bay at low tide

Thurston County, Washington

Morty Comix # 2637

 Morty Comix # 2637 was left near the beautiful lighthouse at Westport, Washington

 

But before you arrive at this structure, you are greeted with an elegant sign. 

It states very plainly, "Dump Station."

 Notice the signpost has holes in it

 And one of them behind the sign itself is just right for a Morty Comix home.

The End.

Phone photo 2770

Mud Bay at low tide

Thurston County, Washington

Buster Brown Ad, 1908

Advertisement by Richard F. Outcault featuring Buster Brown, 1908.

Phone photo 2769

Mud Bay

Thurston County, Washington

The Magic Crow

A friend of mine had a pet crow. He claimed this bird possessed special powers. So I asked him to demonstrate.

This crow was very tame. It just sat on the table there in the kitchen, calmly regarding the world. It didn't make any noise. No caws for alarm.

My friend went to the freezer and brought a frozen macaroni package. He placed it on a plate and sat it next to the crow. The bird lifted a wing, fluttered it a bit up and down over the macaroni for a minute or so, and before my eyes the food was cooked!

"How did he DO that!?" I gasped.

My friend smugly said, "My crow waves."

Phone photo 2768

Tumwater, Washington

Postcard - Denver, Colorado

"The Civic Center is adjacent to the main business district and at the foot of Capitol Hill and the State Building. Here are the Public Library, the Greek Theatre, Voorhies Memorial, and many interesting statues. Across the Civic Center from the Capitol is the new City and County Building recently completed at an approximate cost of $5,000,000."

1930s

Phone photo 2767

Tumwater, Washington

Favorite Movie Quotes: Sea of Love

"People are a lot of work, Brother. A lot of work."

Phone photo 2766

The Demon Child, I am sorry to say, reigned supreme.

Morty Comix # 2636

Morty Comix # 2636 was part of performing a public service. Once in awhile I'll bring my lunch and drive Nadine down to this always deserted little park at the end of a dead end street in Tumwater, Washington. Recently I noticed the top bar of part of the cyclone fence had been knocked out. So before setting it back, I rolled up a Morty Comix and placed it in there.

Yes, my method of comix distribution is not really financially profitable, but it is more original and fun.

Phone photo 2765

Giant Peace Symbol over the former Olympia Brewing bottling plant

Tumwater, Washington

Knife Blades Found in "Human Ostrich"

From the Ellensburg Dawn, Apr. 7, 1908

This is the second character I found in Washington State who billed himself as the "Human Ostrich." The other man, who was around at the same time, was James Fitzgerald, who was said to have two sets of teeth. Like Harrison, Fitzgerald had to eventually undergo stomach surgery.

Phone photo 2764

No Shooting Resid. Area

McCleary, Washington

Postcard - Buena Vista, Colorado

"A Nice Place to Stay - 'Wright's Lodge', Buena Vista, Colorado"

1940s?

Looks like this place is now called Bunny Lane Cabins

Phone photo 2763

Close detail of the Demon Child in McCleary. That enigmatic grin cannot hide the malice deep within those eyes, those endless pools of black, those portals into Hell.

James Abbott, what did you unleash into the world?

The Problem With Being a Farmer

I grew up on a farm, and I know it is hard bein' a farmer. All dat criticism from others. But dat's just part of de game. All de farmers have de tractors.

Phone photo 2762

Of all the faces on all the work by James Abbott, none have so much power as the Demon Child on the mural on Gordon's Grocery in McCleary, Washington. This painting is actually sentient, and has the ability to sway us mere mortals to do his evil bidding.

Here he is instructing me to go in the store, buy some Pringles Potato Chips, go home and eat the whole package in one sitting while watching reruns of Petticoat Junction. Fortunately, his spell was broken but only after I exerted a tremendous amount of willpower.

What I want to know is how Mr. Abbott, who seemed like a nice enough fellow, could create such a little monster.

Buster Brown Ad, 1908

 Advertisement by Richard F. Outcault featuring Buster Brown, 1908.

Phone photo 2761

Restored James Abbott mural, Elma, Washington

Favorite Movie Quotes: Saint Joan

"Light your fire. Do you think I dread it as much as life as a rat in a hole? My voices were right!"

Phone photo 2760

James Abbott mural on a tavern front, Elma, Washington. Several of Abbott's works have already vanished or been wrecked by the elements, but this is one of the very few that was freshened up with a restoration effort by other artists in recent years.