Gamle Bilder: Bestum

Jeg lurer om det fins noen som kjenner igjen scenen hvor bildene ble tatt. Sannsynligvis er begge bilder tatt på samme sted - det ser jo ut som det er tilfellet. På baksida til det ene bildet står det skrevet "Bestum," så det fører meg til å tro at det kan være stedet hvor bildene ble tatt. Men det sier også Holmenkollen på kortet, vet ikke om Bestum ligger i nærheten.

Jeg vet ikke, derfor spør jeg...

Old Army Stuff - Addendum

I had put up this picture in a previous post, but I wanted to put it up against because I have some additional information. I found an old picture of my grandfather, ostensibly from the year 1914 (can't verify that date, but on the other hand, have no reason to doubt it), wearing some sort of uniform with the pin on the left on his hat and collar:



If you click on the picture, you can zoom in and see the pin. Now, according to census records, my grandfather was not a veteran. So, what's with the army-type getups?

RIP

Cheap Entertainment

It's too cold for watching grass grow or paint dry, so this is what passes for amusement at our household these days - waiting for paper to come out of the printer.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

(A bit late, but better than never):

Then:





and now:






Happy Birthday!!

Really Scary Pumpkins

Our pumpkins are ready to be retired. We actually carved them a couple of days after Halloween, so they're fresher than they might be otherwise. We lit the candles today, the first time in a few days. The pumpkins are really scary now - moldy on the inside, and producing some pumpkin juice wherever they sit.

Here are two glowing pumpkins:




The larger pumpkin:





Three glowing pumpkins:






This is Hannah's pumpkin:





You can see the mold growing on the inside of my pumpkin:





Hannah and Jacob looking into their pumpkins:







It's a good thing tomorrow is garbage day ;)

Look Who's Four!

Then:

Now:

Happy Birthday, Jacob!!

Old Army Stuff

Below are a couple of pins that I found a number of years ago among my grandfather's stuff. I have no clue as to their origin, or where or when my grandfather came to possess them. From what I've found on the internet:

• The item to the left is evidently an enlisted men's dress insignia for E troop, 2nd infantry - not unlike the ones found on this page. I assume that 1905 would be the first year that this design was used, but I have no idea when (if?) it was retired. Judging by the method of fastening, it looks like something that would go on a hat.

• The item to the right is a pin with the Latin motto, "NON SIBI SED CUNCTIS" (Not for himself, but for all). Apparently it is the motto for the Quatermaster Replacement Training Command Unit. Here is another site with this pin. Again, I have no idea as to where or when this insignia was used, etc.

If anyone knows about the history of these items, feel free to share your knowledge in the comments.




Below is a picture of my grandfather. There are no markings on the picture itself, and only the year (1912) on the backing, which year I have no reason to doubt, given how young my grandfather is in the picture. He is clearly dressed in some sort of uniform (reminds me of a mounty, with the jodhpur-type pants), and appears to be bivouacking somewhere.

I don't know if my grandfather was a citizen at the time this picture was taken - would it be possible for a non-citizen to enlist in the Army? If the year is indeed correct, this would be pre-WWI.



Again, comments (especially enlightening ones :) ) are welcome!

Back from the Wild

Spent a week camping in Michigan. We didn't see any bear this time, but we did see deer and either a fox or a coyote (it darted across the road, and I caught a glimpse of it too late to tell).

Here are a few pix of our trip.




Our campsite (lower Michigan - the "little finger").














Fun around the campfire.


















Playing among the rocky shoals.























Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.

















"Tree tunnel" north of Harbor Springs.
















Tahquamenon Falls - the upper falls.
















Tahquamenon Falls - the lower falls.

Well, He Didn't Fit in the Dishwasher...

Face it, sometimes the kitchen sink is the handiest thing!

Hyperliteralist

We took a couple of days off to visit some Lincoln sites in Springfield. At the hotel, I told the baby to put his shoes by the door. Here you see his interpretation of my command. I suppose when you're only two, everything is pretty clear-cut, and "by the door" means exactly that: by the door. :)

Later on this week I'll try to post some pix from our visit to the Lincoln sites. (We didn't see any ghosts, so I'll try and enlist Gimp to tweak a picture or two accordingly. :D )

More Gimping Around

Although I haven't been able to achieve exactly the effect I'm looking for, it seems like I'm at least heading in the right direction. Recent efforts:










Some pictures seem to lend themselves better to this type of treatment than do others. (Last picture: Edo Castle Wall.)

Gimping Around

I've been practicing some of the techniques as described in this tutorial. Here are a couple of my better efforts thus far:

Merry Christmas!

Snow Babies

Nothing like snow for some good, old-fashioned fun!

One Smart Cookie!

Twice within the past week or so, my 5-year-old has correctly used the subjunctive mood. On the first occasion, she spoke of a lady whom we knew, and remarked, "I wish she were our babysitter." Then, yesterday, she commented, "If I were a ...., I'd...."

Good job! I must admit that I am rather impressed, even if she is my own flesh and blood. How many adults do you know who would get either situation correct?

Speaking of cults...

...who needs blue oysters when you've got green froggies?

Baby High Priest of the Green Froggie Cult.

Testing...1...2...3...

Just trying something to see if it works....

Then and Now - II

Then...













...and now.



Happy birthday, Hannah!!

Then and Now

Then....













...and now.

Happy Birthday, Jacob!!