I N T H E N I G H T K I T C H E N 6.14.2001
Boing The Flash class I taught last night was an overview of character animation and creating realistic life-forms. This is a somewhat-polished version of what I gave as a homework assignment. I thought you all might enjoy it. The Flash 3 plugin or higher should work. Please let me know if you find errors. 6.13.2001
Montana A picture entry.  My parents' place really is gorgeous. This is the view I have waking up in the morning.  My first day "home," I was alone so I took the dog, Lucky, for a walk. Here he is playing in the creek on the property.  Lucky took off running somewhere so I retreated into the woods and napped on this log.  View from the log.  I saw almost no wildlife when I was there. No moose. No deer. Nothing. Last fall when I visited I saw deer battling in the meadow, heard the call of the elk and saw a black bear. The only thing to see this time were these two birds nesting in the birdhouse.  I think that these are swallows. I can only imagine that it's a male/female pair as they were constantly together, one on top of the house and one inside. They'd chatter back and forth but didn't seem bothered that I came in close to get a picture.  The closest I came to a moose (fierce or not) was this hoofprint at the salt-lick.  My parents have a studio that they share. My Dad does paintings and drawings and my Mom works on stained glass. I brought some of my drawing class homework (charcoal) that I was having difficulty with so that Dad could help me out (you can see the beginning on the easel). It was wonderfully relaxing up there watching the wind ripple the meadow grasses.  Here's a watercolor my Dad did of a church in Moscow. + + + One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Bill Devine's horse-whispering ranch where Dad is taking lessons.  This colt was very nervous at first and did not want to stop running.  Eventually, he calmed down a bit and relinquished himself to a rope bridle.  Dad worked with him awhile to get the colt to trust and listen.  Bill Devine works with the colt on putting a rope over his back. Bill is quite a character. He was a horse rancher ever since he was a kid but sometime in his twenties (I believe) he broke his neck and could not longer do the tough "breaking" of the horses. He learned the "horse whispering" technique and now helps people to learn it or to train their own horses. He only rides two horses on his ranch -- horses that he trusts and are gentle enough that he doesn't risk another injury.  By the end of the session, the colt was very friendly.  The fam-damily. My parents on the right and grandparents on the left. 
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