Verdun Manor, 2001

This is one of the better photos Ysengrin took of Verdun Manor at Thrillvania. It was a slow night, as witnessed by the short line of patrons on the porch.

Location: 32° 41' 11" N, 96° 14' 42" W

Ohlone Grinding Stone

These mortar pits were made by Ohlone grinding acorns into flour. This particular set of pits overlooks a deep ravine and is a few hundred feet from good spings -- which are now at the bottom of a man made lake. The age of these particular grinding pits is unknown, though they certainly date to before the Ohlone population crashed due to epidemics in the last part of the 18th century.

Photos taken at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve (OSP), in the hills above Palo Alto. The "Ohlone grinding stone" is locally well known.

Approx. location: 37° 18' 46" N, 122° 11' 19" W

Kumejima's Kumesen

Thanks to two hyenas (Cro and Hyena Girl), Ysengrin now has a bottle of Kumejima's Kumesen Awamori -- with a foo dog on the label. This awamori isn't as potent here in the States as it is in it's native Japan (48 proof vs. up to 86 proof), but Ysengrin is looking forward to opening this bottle later today.

Approx. location: 37° 08' 06" N, 122° 08' 25" W

Aftermath of Fire

There are several hundred wildfires across northern California today; the air is hazy with fine ash and smells of smoke. This photo shows the aftermath of the Martin fire; so far it has been the closest of the fires to us. Eighty percent of the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve looks like this now. You can see the Moon Rocks in the background, where apparently the fire started.

The second photo is the same general area (with the Moon Rocks in the background) and was taken last August.

Location: 37° 03' 04.8" N, 122° 08' 15.0" W

Fursuiting for Fun

Someone (whose name ends in -Fang) wanted a toony-style suit some time ago, and this last weekend he got his wish. Fursuit by Hyena Girl.

Mountain Charlie McKiernan's Silver Skull

The main body of the text on this monument tells the story:

Near here in Mountain Charlie gulch on May 8, 1854, Charles Henry "Mountain Charlie" McKiernan and a friend named Taylor were attacked by a grizzly bear. The bear sprang from a thicket, both men fired, but the bear grabbed Mountain Charlie, biting him on the arms and face. A piece of skull about 4 inches square was bitten from over Mountain Charlie's left eye and nose by the bear.

Dr. T.J. Ingersoll of San Jose prepared a plate of silver and applied it to the area of the missing skull at McKiernan's request. In the ensuing week, the plate was not healing and it was removed against Mountain Charlie's protests. About a year later an operation to remove an abscess under the brain relieved his intolerable pain. Mountain Charlie was much disfigured from his wounds, but he survived another 38 years.

Thus began the legend and folklore about the man with the "silver skull."

Approx. location: 37° 07' 37" N, 121° 59' 20" W

Railroad Trestle in the Redwoods

This wooden trestle just north of Santa Cruz is still in use by the Roaring Camp Railroads (well, technically the Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway Company, but it's owned and operated by Roaring Camp). It's also mentioned in R.A. MacAvoy's Twisting the Rope -- the sequel to Tea With The Black Dragon -- and reading both books recently reminded Ysengrin that he wanted to photograph the location.

The image is digitally stitched together from several photos; Ysengrin was standing about twenty feet off of one end of the trestle and looking through an opening in the trees.

Approx. location: 37° 00' 25" N, 122° 02' 39" W

Ysengrin with Sake

Ysengrin cradles a (then unopened) bottle of Genbei San No Oni Koroshi ("Demon Slayer"). Originally the term was applied to sake so bad it would kill a demon, though in modern times it's used for sake so good it would kill a demon. In either case, werewolves drink it just fine.

DarkFang Playing

DarkFang is using a fallen redwood as a footbridge. No, he didn't fall in.

Approx. location: 37° 10' 10" N, 122° 13' 35" W

Flaming Lotus Girls -- Maker Faire

The Flaming Lotus Girls (a San Francisco based group of artists) created a piece for Burning Man 2008 called Mutopia, encompassing thirteen animated metal-and-flame "Seedpods" in various states of growth. One of the Seedpods was transplanted to the San Mateo Fairgrounds for the recent Maker Faire, and is seen surrounded by admirers in this image.

Location: 37° 32' 48.90" N, 122° 18' 12.76" W

Maker Faire

Here's two of the large metal sculptures set up at the San Mateo Fairgrounds for the recent Maker Faire. They are the creations of Karen Cusolito and Dan Das Mann (and their substantial crew) and were originally part of Crude Awakening, shown at Burning Man 2007.

Location: 37° 32' 48.30" N, 122° 18' 07.84" W

Miss Monster's Werewolf

Ysengrin ran into the talented Miss Monster at the San Mateo Maker Faire yesterday and grabbed the chance to pose with her (the full size, linked image has both of us). Many details of how Miss Monster created her werewolf can be found on her costuming blog and her how-to on Instructables.

Location: 37° 32' 51.91" N, 122° 18' 07.38" W

Wolf Paw bottoms

Here's a detail of the bottoms of the previous week's sculpture. It was roughed in before the top half of the mold was done, then the whole assembly flipped over and the sculpture was finished and textured.

Wolf Paw version two

Here's a re-sculpt of our wolf paws, just finished.

New Sculpture

Here's a new sculpture from DarkFang. The nose is cast in a different material and incorporated into the Roma.

Pedal Power

DarkFang demonstrates how to ride a borrowed tandem bicycle while Ysengrin watches (sort-of). That's the Golden Gate bridge again in the background. Photo by Crocuta.

Location: 37° 48' 27.99" N, 122° 28' 28.18" W

Paw Pads

Foam-filled paw pads to go on the bottom of fursuit feet. Think of them as new soles for mascots.

Ferengi and Werewolf

Ysengrin poses with a random Ferengi at the Viva Haunt Vegas tour during the 13th Transworld Haunt & Attraction trade show -- Ysengrin is the pale one with more hair (but tiny lobes). I will not say who came out better in the dealing, but as the 284th Ferengi Rule of Acquisition says, "Deep down, everyone's a Ferengi."

A hearty thank you goes out to Haunted Enterprises for setting up three of their seasonal haunts for the tour.

Location: 36° 00' 59.29" N, 115° 14' 01.65" W

What About Our Little Cousins?

DarkFang and Ysengrin pose by an anti-Coyote roadside propaganda poster (actually, people feeding coyotes results in bolder, more aggressive coyotes). Photo by Crocuta, taken near Rodeo Beach, Marin County, California.

Location: 37° 49' 54.48" N, 122° 31' 54.75" W

Meanwhile, DarkFang Stalks Tourists

What was DarkFang doing while Ysengrin was posing with the bridge? Stalking a busload of tourists that had pulled up, naturally. Photo by Crocuta.

Location: 37° 49' 43.63" N, 122° 29' 09.00" W

The Golden Gate Bridge, take two

The Golden Gate Bridge again, stilll from the Marin county end, but this time on the Pacific side, looking back at San Francisco. Ysengrin poses, photo by Crocuta.

Location: 37° 49' 43.63" N, 122° 29' 09.00" W

The Golden Gate Bridge

DarkFang sitting on the railing with a strong sea breeze in his fur, deep in thought while gazing on the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin county (North) end. Photo by Crocuta.

Location: 37° 49' 52.59" N, 122° 28' 37.45" W

Ysengrin and Shishi

Ysengrin poses with the female Shishi at the San Francisco Chinatown gate. Ysengrin is the tall one.

Location: 37° 47' 26.17" N, 122° 24' 20.18" W

Life is Good

DarkFang and Hyena Girl, driving around Boulder Creek in California.

Location: 37° 08' 06.26" N, 122° 08' 24.59" W

DarkFang at FC2008

DarkFang poses with D.C. Simpson (in the linked photo), author/artist of the Ozy and Millie webcomic, at Further Confusion 2008.

Location: 37°22'18.5" N, 121°55'23.8" W

Werewolf and Dog

Ysengrin talks to an assistance dog in training, one of several that were around at Further Confusion 2008.

Location: 37°22'18.5" N, 121°55'23.8" W

Parade Werewolf

This week's photo goes back a few years - this is Ysengrin (in Lugaru) walking as part of the Haunted Verdun Manor crew in the 1992 Forney Homecoming Parade. The image is a frame capture from video of the parade, and the full size adds a zombie.

Approximate location: 32°44'41.2" N, 96°28'29.5" W

Rushing Floodwaters

We had some serious winter storms come off the Pacific the first week of this year; while we didn't have any significant damage a lot of folks around us did. The photo shows Boulder Creek's namesake about eight feet above it's normal level.

Location: 37°07'35.1" N, 122°07'21.6" W

Out of the Woods

Ysengrin, resting after coming out of the woods. A good way to start off the year.

Approximate location: 41°10' N, 79°25' W