Gringos in the TCI Photo Blog

[Gringo]

you know...we are in the midst of one of the most annoying parts of the move. Unpacking things we haven't seen for two and a half years. And constantly asking ourselves "WHAT were we THINKING!?!?!?" as we unpack sweatshirts, boots, and ( in my case) even shoes. Delbert McClinton has a song..."Too Much Stuff"...and it sure seems appropriate right now. Stuff is an anchor. Stuff owns you, and prevents you from being able to move. Stuff.....that's what we are dealing with here.

And just when I was growling about unwrapping yet another crystal wine goblet that was triple wrapped in paper...I looked up to see an Osprey swoop down our driveway about five feet above the ground. Right at eye level, and he and I were looking directly at each other. He was maybe fifteen feet from me. And he swooped up and circled the house...

I went up to take a break from unpacking and tell La Gringa that I had just been closer to a wild Osprey than I have ever been in my life, by a considerable factor. And we sat in some recliners on the patio sipping ice tea and watching the Trade Winds whipping up the Caribbean to the South. And I thought of what I read on CNN today about Ohio getting a foot of snow this morning, and Dallas getting snow yesterday....and I thought to myself, I thought " Self..( thats what I call myself when thinking sometimes) Self....it could friggen be a whole lot worse..."

Taken at about 3:40....i.e. ten minutes ago..

[randall r]

just rainin here today...which is good ...i need to work a lot before my two week time out.

personally i really enjoy the words....i told a few people about your description of my work and everyone thought it was both apt, clever and original

ospreys are the official bird of my little hamlet...theres one on the school uniforms...nests all over the place...love watching them catch fish..

[La Gringa]

Gringo has a wonderful way with words - and it truly IS entertaining and, without question, how he got my attention early on and way back when...

Perhaps he should evolve beyond forums and the blog???

[Gringo]

Yeah Randall? That's pretty cool.

Which of the many good things I have written about your work did you like?



Oh, last week, the "cabinet maker" doing our kitchen was telling me he is also a wood carver. "Oh, yes?" I politely asked.( I say 'politely' because he sure as hell is pretty rough at cabinetry) And he jibbered on a bit about some mask or something he was working on.

Then I said " well, then, you will really appreciate this..." and I handed him this one:


His mouth fell open. He handled it with both hands, like he was receiving communion from the Pope hisself. (who could NOT save his ass if he dropped it)..... But he was suitably impressed.

and I showed him the postcard photo of the "New York Times crossword" from your website, and the cutting board piece. Oh.., and a photo I had of "$ 5,000",


(I dont think this one is on your web site)

and after a few moments, this little Hispanic guy with his droopy moustache, britches, and tank top said "I am 'umbled, I do not think I will say I am a wood carver any more...."

[Capt_John]

Yeah Randall? That's pretty cool.

Which of the many good things I have written about your work did you like?



Oh, last week, the "cabinet maker" doing our kitchen was telling me he is also a wood carver. "Oh, yes?" I politely asked.( I say 'politely' because he sure as hell is pretty rough at cabinetry) And he jibbered on a bit about some mask or something he was working on.

Then I said " well, then, you will really appreciate this..." and I handed him this one:


His mouth fell open. He handled it with both hands, like he was receiving communion from the Pope hisself. ( Of course, he knows if he dropped it not even the Pope could save his ass)..... But he was suitably impressed.

and I showed him the postcard photo of the "New York Times crossword" from your website, and the cutting board piece. Oh.., and a photo I had of "$ 5,000",


(I dont think this one is on your web site)

and after a few moments, this little Hispanic guy with his droopy moustache, britches, and tank top said "I am 'umbled, I do not think I will say I am a wood carver any more...."

Ok....that's just sick!!...Awesome work.

[randall r]

thanks for posting that amigo, you once said "some people can draw a sculpture, but how many people can sculpt a drawing" or words to that effect....gonna put it on the web site at the next up date.

i liked the 100 dollar bill sculptures so much im now doing a cardboard box with about 15 rubber banded stacks thrown in haphazardly....working title..........."lunch money".....next one i might try euros...the're more colorful

thanks capt john...appreciate it

[GALAZIO]

Hey Randall... I need to show you a picture of a log I carved from a log, and I have be chiseling a rock sculpture from a rock..

Just kiddin', I think your work is AMAZING! I have shown it to many people that do not believe it is a carving from wood. Great Work Amigo!

Gringo, how deep does the little 770SW go? I'm doing a quick dive in the morning and don't want to push the envelope too much.

[Gringo]

Prolly too late to answer you about the 770 now...since its after 10:00. Of course this had nothing to do with us hanging out with our new neighbors til 04:00 this morning. Kinda neat that we can walk home.

The 770SW is rated to 33 feet. I have read reviews in which they have gone deeper, one diver said he had his at 80 ft. The camera didn't flood, but the buttons wouldn't work under that pressure. So, if your little sealing doors are clean I suspect you are plenty good to 30-40 ft.

Deepest I have been free-diving with ours is probably right at 20 ft. plus or minus a couple.

[Gringo]

thanks for posting that amigo, you once said "some people can draw a sculpture, but how many people can sculpt a drawing" or words to that effect....gonna put it on the web site at the next up date.

You got me to wondering what it was I wrote that struck a chord...I rarely remember what I write, because basically I don't read it. If I start to read it, I start to edit it. If I start to edit it, I chop it back to about three words and La Gringa gets pissed off at me so I just go ratatatatat on the keyboard and walk away from it...thats why I write so many stupid and asinine things....cause I don't pay attention but anyhow I did a search and is this the one you were thinking of?"

"I was trying to think of a way to describe the combination of sculpture with paint...
In the case of the "Panga" piece, and many others, its a sculpture of a sketch ...
(as opposed to a sketch of a sculpture...)"

anyhow I am a big fuzzy today. Our new neighbors invited us to a dinner party last night. I tried like hell to weasel my way out of it, because I spent the day yesterday unpacking boxes in the garage, driving stuff up the driveway from the garage to the house ( I now refer to the garage as "base camp", and the Suzuki Samurai has been re-christened "Sherpa") and then just before sundown we found out that La Gringa's future stepmother-to-be's flight had arrived from Dallas too late for her to take a puddle jumper over to Pine Cay ( they wont fly after dark) so we took her over in the Andros in the dark, out by the reef,( you guys know what the wind is doing down here lately, right??) and came back in the dark, and then went to this dinner party....

Which became a "watch changing party" at 2:00 AM ( Spring ahead, fall back, or just fall down, in this case), and then an all night party until we stumbled up the hill and home at 04:00.....so anything I say today is likely to be even more stupid than usual.

YES, that can be done.

[randall r]

yeah that must be it.(quote about sculpture)

....moving is tough...maybe thats why i havent attempted it in 30 years. last time i backed the truck up to the house and told caren "if you want to take it put it in the truck" when we got here 2500 miles and a truck (first one died) later the house was smaller than the truck. so i put the extra in my next door neighbors garage. a few weeks later when he came out for the summer we shook hands and i told him all that sh!t in his garage was mine. his reaction to that statement cemented a friendship that has lasted 30 years.