for current monkey biz go HERE
h a p p y f e s t i v u s ! 
ahhh yessss, the festivus for the rest of us...
so the dumbmonkey's holidaze have held a few surprises,
some of you who know us well know we are deeply en famille in EPT,
that the good news is young brother Dave is recovering very nicely
from his heart bypass surgery, thank the goddess, & although
our usual habit is to "Bah, Humbug!" our way into the New Year,
we have managed to wring some enjoyment from our visit here.
the other news?,
well, we'll attempt an End of Year wrap-up, but it looks like
el chango tonto be an occasional thing, ohhhh,
mebbe 'til springtime.
in the meantime, go hang w/Riley Dog
& then check out some Dubya art
courtesy the magnificent Firda
dates? juwan' dates?
Ahh haah haah haah! we don' need no steenkin' dates...
dumbmonkey's recently returned from brief road excursion, little trip up the north coast,
then across the state thru the Shasta-Trinity Nat'l forests. Weather was rainy & cool
on the initial day of the trip, but Friday morn dawned spectacularly clear, which made
our relaxed drive up the coast a truly memorable experience.
we were able to catch up w/pal Garth H., who's been able to continue putting bread
& beer on the table thru his work in photography, alongside the occasional odd-job
to make make ends meet, & keeping himself busy w/add'l responsibilities at the
Mendocino Theatre Company, where he'll be directing a play this summer. Enjoyed
conversation over a leisurely dinner on a rainy Thursday nite in what was likely the
only Thai restaurant in Fort Bragg, so it not be hard to find if you ever up that way,
& we gives it a hearty recommendation. Off-season rates certainly makes a trip up the coast
easier to contemplate, & there are plenty of motels, B & B's, & larger hotels all w/vacancy
signs alit. We'd recommend taking one's time in selecting a place to stay, right in Ft. Bragg,
most are right along the highway & one can find the proximity to traffic noise a hindrance to a
peaceful night's rest, but if you get out of town just a little further, you can find some
reasonable lodging right on the coast, w/some magnificent scenery only steps away (actually,
that wonderful scenery is only steps away from you no matter where you are in Fort Bragg).
We must say though, to be truthful (& we always attempt to be truthful, if nothing else) we had a
very enjoyable initial 48-60 hours, & it wasn't that we were miserable the rest of the trip,
but we think rather more that we wearied of our own company a bit, & the faithful poochster isn't a
very good conversationalist ('tho she's an excellent listener). So as this excursion was launched on
sort of a whim/response to growth of a particular wild hair, it was good practice for any future road
trips we may be indulging in, & believe me, we contemplating a number of them in the coming year.
how else we going to be able to live w/the fact that there's a certifiable moron as president?
Here & Now though, if you'll indulge us, we're just gonna post a couple of links we came across
recently, & maybe have more to say about the trip (& include some of our spectacularly amateurish
photos) in a later post as we still have to conserve enough psychological energy to weather the
impending "major" holidaze, so, hie theyselves to the locations linked to below,
& remember that it is really the thought that counts...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
for the tale of an extraordinary road trip, try Chasing the Lizard's Tail,
& you'll find more by this writer here, altho you'll have to forgive that damned pop-up...
dumbmonkey's enjoyed coming across Conspire, & this poem in particular,
we'll make a point of linking to this one, 'cause you may miss it if you be carelessly perusing...
this link provides the fez-topped silverback w/plenty of reason to contemplate trip East
"Ha!" he laughs to hisowndamnself, as if he didn't already have enough reason for 'dat...
& lastly, well, for now at least, we tippin' our ol'red fez to Shiny Blue Grasshopper,
for pointing the way to the story of curious george w.
hoooo boy, itzawetannachillyouta heah...
dumbmonkey on leg 1 of brief road trip, currently in Fort Bragg, after a nice drive thru misty
mountains, raining steadily at the moment but expected to clear as the afternoon turns to evening.
Be hooking up w/amigo of many years, Garth H., catch up w/his photographic work, then likely
we kill a few pints watching some hoops & reminiscing about playing full-court one-on-one.
If weather & tides allow we want to get down to Glass Beach & pick up some souvenirs.
This post is coming to you courtesy of the Public Library in Fort Bragg, one hour access
costs you nothing and there are eight well maintained computers for public use. You can find
the library on Laurel Street, mere blocks from the main highway.
oh, the best thing about traveling in the off season (besides the magnificent
"moodiness" of the scenery in winter) is NO TOURISTS!
road trip coming up, the dumbmonkey doing a little research & has come across
a few things of interest, coming under the general headings of abandoned cars,
ghost towns, and photography...
ghost towns in N. America
ghost town gallery
(link cadged from GMT+9)
Bodie photo gallery
abandoned car from Tranquility Images;
abandoned car, Bodie from Nick Hacking's gallery
abandoned car, front by S. McCleave
old abandoned car from SLR Photography On-line
Lastly, some boxcar art courtesy bindlestiff
sure ya can't come along?
okay, now that you've come this far, go here