Having a Ball!

Hoist the Colours!

Yo ho ho!


It's a Special Kind of Night!

My dear friend Tess at Willow Manor is giving a Ball this Sunday, October 28! More details on this annual cyber-soiree may be found here. It is a masked affair this year, as intimated by this luscious painting she featured on her blog:

Masked Ball, 1945, by Rafal Olbinski

I went to last year's Willow Manor Ball in costume as a Civil War general, and that was fun, but this year I have decided to embrace the theme, so to speak, and go forth masked. Being a sometime pirate myself, I naturally gravitated toward that most infamous and dashing of pirates:

Guessed yet?

How about now?

Surely this will jog your memory!

Yes, indeedy! I am going to the Ball as The Dread Pirate Roberts! While I will not be there for your souls, I may try to steal a heart or two as I take my turns around the dance floor ;-)

Frankly, I think I'll make a fine Dread Pirate Roberts!

I think I have charm(s) enough

Now where did I put that mask...

Hey, look who showed up! The Bug! You can see why she gets the last dance...

I've arranged transportation

Refreshments

Mojito, anyone?

And entertainment!

See you at the Ball!

I have NO idea...ahem...

Spanish Ladies!

Shiver My Timbers!

Bonny Ship, The Diamond!

Ballad of Captain Kidd!

Maggie May!

For more on The Dread Pirate Roberts, I invite you to read the fabulous fantasy novel: The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, The "Good Parts" Version, abridged by William Goldman

Or watch the movie (again and again)!

Thanks, as well, to the sketch artists whose work is presented above. The Dread Pirate Roberts is, indeed, alive and well on the World Wide Web!

And now I'll be Rolling Home!

Wide Angle October

I know, I know...

Usually this is what you get.

 But today I decided to widen it out a little...

Give you an expanded view

 Of our beautiful Ohio!

 The colors have been stunning

 The farms and fields spectacular

 Leaves are falling like rain

 Covering the landscape

 Greens are in retreat

 But still bright...

 Autumn splendor

 Framed

 Fading

 But far

 Far

 From done

 Golden Ginkgo

 Blazing in brief flame

 Underbrush and overstory

 Resplendent

Trees

 Pastures

Sky

All speak boldly!

October in the Heartland!

And still cows stare at me...

Squirrels Galore!!!

It's Squirrelpalooza at Urbana!

 They are nuts for acorns

 We have lots of oaks

 Shagbark hickories

Towering hardwoods

 Pines

And nuts!

 Easy on the bark, there, buddy

It is also a most beautiful campus in autumn!

 Love the gum tree at the library!

Just watch your step...

 Squirrel's eye view...

 A squirrelly Eden

 We even have ivy!

 Oh, yeah,

 We have lots

 And lots

Of very

 Silly

 Squirrels!