View across the river, looking towards U of M East bank from West River Blvd.

The rest of the story: While I was sketching this from my car, a homeless transvestite collecting pop-cans came up to me and asked me what time it was. He had a strapless party dress, black stockings, tennis shoes and quite sizeable silicone breast implants. It looked like he hadn't taken a bath in awhile.

I told him it was 11:45.

Big thunderstorms in St. Paul today.  

Mears Park. Between Fifth and Sixth. 

While running an errand over lunch the other day, my car went "KAPOW" and then started running like an Alice Chalmers tractor. I struggled into a Firestone, waving at the people staring, saying, "YES! I KNOW MY CAR SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE!" (like I didn't notice).

The end of the story - $350. Blown spark plug.

Market and 5th. Statue in the park south of Landmark Center. 

4th and Sibley. Tree and truck. 

Shed fix option 2. Chop height off the walls. 

Detail of jacking the shed roof. It's how I'll keep from getting crushed under 500 lbs of shingles and wood (hopefully). 

We had a backyard shed installed. And the thing is HUGE. My wife hates it. So we're thinking of some re-design. 

Mississippi where Sibley hits the river. 

Cedars - in a park off of Rice and Hwy 96 

Water tower off Hoyt Ave on U of M, St. Paul campus. 

Parking Lot

Smoke butt. What's the deal with throwing these things on the ground anyway? Do smokers think that the birds come along and eat them or something? I mean, I know some people who would never throw a candy wrapper on the ground, but think nothing of throwing a smoke butt on the ground. I don't get it. 

U of M. At the river. 

Como Park Bandshell.

You know, as I proceed with this activity, I find myself thinking more about the nature of what I'm drawing. I suppose that's why I'm doing this, to perhaps recover some lost skills, but more importantly, to figure out what really appeals to me about drawing.

So, for example, in the past few days, I've discovered what most formally taught "artists" probably learn in the first day, that is, to think about the nature of what you are drawing.

Take trees, for example. I find that I can sketch a much better tree if I think about how a tree grows. It doesn't grow from the sky down to the ground. Rather, it starts out as a shoot in the ground, which gradually splits off into another shoot, depending on wind, sun, rain, etc. Which in turn sprouts another shoot, etc. Furthermore, this basic "treeness" pervades the entire tree. Another way to look at it, every branch of a tree is a sketch of a small tree itself, and every twig on that branch is another small sketch of a tree.

OK. Maybe too much philosophy going on here. They are just sketches, after all.

Korean War Memorial - State Capitol. 

Waiting for the dentist. Parking lot of HealthPartners at Como and Hwy 280. 

Stone bridge in Mears Park. Sixth and Sibley. 

Park Bridge - 4th and Sibley 

Little Tree

Little Tree... where Jackson meets the river. This was maybe the first comfortable day of the year.

Benny in the snow 

Benny and his rope toy 

Natalie at McCullough Park 

Benny sniffs his butt.