Below are the 5 most recent journal entries recorded in Mulefoot's LiveJournal:

Saturday, November 14th, 2009
1:54 am	A Canine Spiritual Journey The term walkabout is generally used to refer to a kind of spiritual journey taken by Australian Aborigines. Hollywood and popular fiction has generally described it as wandering less as a rite of passage and more as just a journey to find one's self. I think dogs have their own version on this but rather than walking until they find themselves, they lay down. They go on layabout. A dog on layabout can lay there for hours and finally get up when they're done being lost in the dream. I thought I'd share some photos of my own dogs and the dog's of my friends on this mystical, yet relaxing trip. Here's Ginger beginning her journey into the secret places only a snoozing dog can go. And slowly she enters her trance... At last, she as crossed over into the place they go for layabout. Sometime later, she has completed her journey...and somehow ended up on the floor. Doesn't she look so much wiser now? Mary's sister Ginger is just as in-tune with the practice of layabout. Her eyes glow with the arcane power of this canine practice. And note how she doens't let the fact that anyone else is trying to sleep prevent her from trying to slip through the slumber veil. In short order, Ginger horizontal quest has begun. My two rottie/mastiff/dane molossoric mutts aren't the only dogs I know that are frequent lyers...er layers...er layabouts. Here's my best freind's dane girl, Mona, laying about with her eyes open. This is an advanced practice and takes some skill. His other dane girl, the beautiful black Butterfly has achieved the status of layabout guru. Notice how she manages to drift into her special place while being both horizontal and yet posed for flight. The true Lord of layabout has to be my best friend's big much molosso mastadane. He is the master of sprawl. He could fill up an entire loveseat. He's a big fellow, let me tell you. Here he is saying a combination of hello and "Would you rub my ears?" He's a big big fellow. After some ear rubs, he's prepared to resume the non-linear journey of layabout. So serene. I think there's something to be learned by the way dogs just don't live in the now, but find comfort in the quick nap. Every moment spent in layabout is a moment of clarity and oblivious bliss. Maybe I should give that a try. In fact, I think I will. Its late and I shall now join in with Ginger and Mary in the journey that's destination is the spot where you began. Its time to explore the forest of horizontal. Goodnight. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, November 9th, 2009
2:18 pm	Shard Party Through my own webcomic,SLOP at www.rustedtusks.com/, I met an artist and video game industry veteran by the name of Scott Jones.  He's worked on a lot of interesting projects and was the art director for some of the Ultima games.  So deeply was he enmeshed, I believe, in Ultima that's frequent's the court of Lord British himself.  *chuckle*   Through Scott's reaching out to share a song with me that reminded him of SLOP's protagonist, he and I began to talk and friendship grew.  Its hard not to become friends with him. He's just so darned colorful and upbeat with hints of deeper, more mystical shadows.  Whereas SLOP was my passion, Mr. Jones has been living and breathing the playing, creation and publishing of a pen and paper RPG.  Formally called Dardunah, Shard is an anthropomorphic role-playing game of high flying martial arts and mystic powers set amongst a background of majestic crystal mountains, deep alien jungles populated by giant insects, and other exotic locales.  These fantastic and sometimes frightening places are home to complex cultures respectfully derived from peoples of ancient India, Persia, and Asia.  The end result a game that feels like a cross between Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and the Ramayana of Vilmiki.  The game emphasizes storytelling and role-play over combat.  Character creation involves creating characters that are generally full members of society.  You have an occupation be it woodcarver, royal guard, merchant, physician or simple servant girl rather than the classic D&D model where there are professional adventurers.  In Shard, the cycles of life contain the story and adventure is the journey, not the destination.   To learn more about the Shard RPG, have a look at www.shardrpg.com.  The art is gorgeous. Last night was the official launch party for Shard, held by the game designers, Scott Jones and Aaron de Orive.  While I don't know Aaron, I've known Scott long enough to see him struggle and toil to bring this project to fruition. So much heart and so much hard work has gone into the creation, refinement of the game that the Basic Compendium alone, that I've never seen a finer RPG product..  The launch party was held in Austin, TX at a place called the Bombay Bistro.  Located on Research Blvd, I recommend to anyone who loves good Indian cuisine to try the place.   The Shard folks had the place for the night and provided a wonderful buffet of traditional modern Indian food at a discount to those attending the party.  I know I plan to return to this place. There was excellent entertainment in from of a belly-danver from the Sabaya Dance Troup and live music in the Indian Romany Gypsy tradition provided by Oliver Rajamani.  No word short of magical can describe the experience. Rajamani has a website. www.oliverrajamani.com/ The highlight of this gathering for me wasn't so much the food, the dance, or the music, but to see Scott Jones radiating with excitement, pride and affection as he interacted with the guests and showed off the current Shard products.  If I could bottle, it would be a nurturing tonic that could nurse me from the deepest blues.  You know...I think I did bottle a little bit of it in my memories.  Thank you for a great experience, for a great RPG and for your general awesomeness and friendship--especially over the past year and a half. Scott was one of the people that helped me clean when the police released dad's crime scene.  He is one of many great friends who supported me through a very hard time in my life.  I cannot place enough gratitude and thankfulness for the good people in my life. And now for some photos of the event.  I apologize for the quality of them. I had my flash turned off so I wouldn't blind the dozens and dozens of attendees, nor the host or entertainment. Here you can see Scott Jones manning the Shard display while Oliver Rajamani and his fellow musicians play. And here's Scott Jones and myself with me buying some copies of the basic rulebook to give out to friends. In the picture below you can see the devahs(deities) of Shard... Left to Right there's Krilarah, vixenlike goddess of Magic, Aaron de Orive, god of awseome mutton chops, Kramah the leonine Lord of Battle,  and Scott Jones, lord of Cakes(or so I'm told).  I'm at the very end, not a devah but merely the devoted, paying homage by purchasing rulebooks to spread the word of a great game. :) Thanks for an great party! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
3:47 pm	Tyto and Alba So the other day in my barn I found this neat looking lil pile of rodent bones laying on top of an old wooden palate. What could have created such a strange pile of bones?  Here's a clue! Who?  Who left this behind? I have two suspect.  They live in my old hayloft. That's Tyto Alba, the barn owl. Its two of them and I feel very blessed to have them in my barn.  I won't bother them with more pictures other than the few that were snapped today, though at some point, I will see about building them a nesting box and perhaps setting up a webcam.  Mostly, I don't want to bother them. I want them to stay and to continue to bless my ranch with their highly skilled mousing.  I've read a single barn owl can devour up to 1000 mice a year.   I think I'll nickname these two owls Tyto and Alba. That works, don't you think?  Alba is the lighter colored one. :) And now a close-up to end this entry. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
5:23 pm	And I shall call him... Last month, a foal was born here.  He's quite a cutey but I've had trouble deciding what to call him.  I went through a variety of names in my head and nothing really stuck.  The other day while riding with a friend I decided  maybe I'd have the Universe decide and so decided to take my cue from the first thing that caught my eye.  And what do I see but the sign for the town of Elmendorf.  Um...no.  I don't think I'm going to let the universe pic, even if Elmendorf is famous for a serial killer who ran a lil inn and fed a few women to his pet alligators.      Finally though I've decided on name though.  World, I give you Rhys. He's a friendly fellow, but slightly skittish. Today's been good.  I moved some hay about, got a bale and everyone's pen and a little in the barn.  Moving it one round bale or a time from the field is going to be a little time consuming.  I think I'm going to have to load some of it onto a trailer.  Time to enlist the help of others. For those of you who aren't really familiar with hay and the various ways hay is packaged;  the round bale. These bales take a tractor to move.  I have a spiked frame that mounts in place of the loader bucket on my tractor.  I stab the bale, lift it up and drive it to where I want it.  In the pic below, I have the bale lifted pretty high. I'm in a hard to maneuver space. Round bales are very handy if you have the equipment. I think they came about due to the dwindling amount of farm help available.  The smaller, easier to handle bales require someone to stack them onto a cart and then unload them into a barn.  There are some really neat machines that will stack them but, those can be costly and certainly complex.  Still, they're useful for individual controlled feedings.  Round bales aren't easily divided up. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
10:19 pm	The End of Summer ( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. ) (5 Comments |Comment on this)