Sep
13
2007
I wanted a bowed string instrument, and decided upon the Psaltery. It is a fairly ancient instrument, with lots of character and charm. I found an instrument maker by the name of James Jones. His specialty is the hammered dulcimer, but he also makes harps, thumb pianos (kalimba), slit drums, and even guitars. He was very patient with me, and allowed me to choose the woods I wanted from his rather extensive collection. Here’s a photo:
The woods are as follows: Top & bottom are Stripy Mahogany, sides and bridge are Cocobolo, and the pin block is Rock Maple.
Aug
26
2007
Lauren, and her good friend Sierra, went with Shari and I to Little Tokyo’s Nissei Week celebration where they were hosting an Anime Festival. Although it turned out to be rather modest, we had fun, and the girls wore their costumes.
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Aug
20
2007
He loves to play with the furry thing on the end of the string:
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Aug
18
2007
Niko feeling feisty!
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Aug
14
2007
Ok, so I admit it. I may be a bit over-zealous with the camera since Niko’s arrival, but I just can’t help it. He’s so darn cute, and really very rambunctious!
Our cat, Violet, has always been fascinated with our various residential aquatic environments and has been known to drink from fish bowls directly or, when that’s not an option, dipping her paw into the water and licking the yummy fish-flavored water off. Mmm. Well, Niko is an avid student, here learning from the Master:
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Aug
12
2007
Niko is exploring and, sometimes, finds a spot he likes:
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Aug
04
2007
It has been nearly one year since the passing of our beloved cats, Shogi and Barney. Our remaining cat, Violet, has become very affectionate since then and, although we really enjoy her attention, we felt that it was time to find a comrade for her. To that end, we paid a visit to the LA County Animal Shelter in Downey and found an adorable, young, black cat who we subsequently named Niko Niko, which means “smile” in Japanese.
He’s a snuggle-muffin, head-butts us, plays with the dogs, and is generally a good egg. Violet was fairly peeved at first but, now, she’s taken a liking to the little fellow and was seen frolicking with him. It seems that, so far anyway, we’ve picked a winner.
Here are some early pictures:
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Jun
25
2007
Our dear friends Luke and Melanie were away for about 10 days and, while we were gone, we had the pleasure of playing host to their two dogs, Mabel and Stella. Last Friday, they were joined by Shadow, our friend DonnaJean’s dog. So, with our two dogs we had a pack of 5 furry beasties running wild in the house. Truthfully, it was a pleasure. All the dogs got along well, and there were very few altercations. I felt moved to try and take a pic with all 5 dogs, so here are my best efforts:
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Jun
18
2007
Our dear and good friends Luke and Melanie (currently with child) have jetted off to the paradise of Hawaii for a week of much needed and well deserved tranquility and bliss. We are pleased and proud to be hosting their beloved pets and family members, Stella and Mabel. The two have a strange and wonderful relationship. While no single picture can encapsulate the complex and subtle dynamics between to souls, I hope that these few images will help to shed some light on theirs. [note: Mabel is the blond]
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