Clever Pup Art Notes and News

Yoshi

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yoshi the original Clever Pup has passed on. He was a great dog and a member of the family, we miss him greatly.

More ACEOs

2010-02-21T11:18:00.001-07:00

Inspired by "Sadie" the spunky scottish terrier
that won "Best in Show" at Westminster this year.
I painted three winning Scotty dogs enjoying their victory.

These ACEOs are currently up for bid on ebay!

New Bird ACEO paintings

2010-02-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

All available for purchase on Artfire
2.5 x 3.5 gouache on canvas paper
The Raven Knows ACEO original

Downy Woodpecker in Purple original ACEO

Common Yellow Throat sings ACEO Original

Black cap Chickadee ACEO original

Ebay store is closed and Artfire Store is Open

2010-01-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to close my ebay store.

I have been selling on ebay since 2001 and it was a tough decision to make after having a store for so long. Ebay sales have really slowed down and there are so many other choices for an artist to sell online now. Ebay used to be the only kid on the block for online auctions and sales, but now there are some new kids online that have alot of potential and charm.

Artfire is one of those. On ebay, you pay insertion fees, final value fees and store subscription fees. The fees have become higher and higher and the traffic less and less.

With Artfire, its a monthly subscription fee to be a verified member, unlimited listings and no insertion or final value fees. They will spend 7 -10 million this year to promote the site and bring in the traffic.

I just joined up and its early, but I am really impressed with them. So come on over to artfire and see the Cleverpup Art Gallery, you will be happy you did!

Valentine fun!

2010-01-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Suzette the Pink Poodle loves Valentine's Day!
I did this painting a few years ago and sold it on ebay, I still am selling prints, cards and other items with Suzette on ebay and Zazzle!

Yoshi the star

2009-12-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

Yoshi the original "Clever Pup" makes an appearance on Youtube! Subscribe to cleverpupvideo and be sure to watch all Yoshi's adventures on Youtube!

Some Christmas Cheer

2009-12-28T17:30:00.001-07:00

(via SowersPics)
100 animals in Santa hats! From whales to monkeys, everyone is getting in on the Holiday fun!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T13:16:00.001-07:00

Hope Santa doesn't give you the "boot" this year!

Norad tracks Santa

2009-12-16T16:36:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again! Santa is on his way and the best way to keep an eye on the fat man with the bag is through Norad's Track Santa website. The count down begins on Christmas Eve as Norad follows Santa around the world!

Whats the ugliest Christmas tree you have ever seen?

2009-12-16T14:51:00.001-07:00

The trees above look like some kind of alien fungus growth on a distant planet! For more Ugly ugly trees click here for a slideshow

Begging for a Christmas Gift

2009-12-14T10:22:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite photos of my original "Cleverpup" Yoshi.
He can sit and beg for hours, one of his nicknames is "Yoshi-SquareButt".
I took this picture a few years ago in our old house and people have told me the dog is fake or a stuffed toy. No, thats Yoshi, ready to rip into the Christmas prezzys!

Let it snow!

2009-12-12T14:08:00.001-07:00

Looks like I will finally see the snow Montana is famous for. Western Montana is supposed to get socked with a pretty good winter storm from Saturday night into Monday. I have seen snow totals from 6 to 16 inches predicted for the Flathead valley so its anyone's guess what we will end up with. One thing is for sure, we will have our first white Christmas in Montana.

With all the snow around, its a perfect time for my Let it snow poodles, available now in the Cleverpup ebay store!

Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.

2009-12-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

Today when I went for a drive to town I noticed Flathead Lake is started to turn to ice around the shorelines! By the Somers public boat launch it was ice all the way out to the edge of the bay. With single digit temperatures and wind chills of -13 at night its a wonder the whole lake isn't frozen by now! Brrrrrr!

At times like these my thoughts turn to tropical beaches...and the island maidens who dance along the shores....

"Suzette Loves the Islands" Print is one of my favorites. You can find this print in my Cleverpup ebay store!

Christmas Rudolph Reindeer Cleverpup art

2009-12-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and looked at my weather station display on the kitchen counter. It read minus 4 degrees and that's when I looked out the window to see a little bird huddling on the feeder outside. The bird was a hardy little house finch and after a few more seeds, he flew off happily through the trees. Montana birds are tough little guys surviving though the long winters here. Long winters mean lots of time to paint too!
I have some new paintings up on ebay today. Original miniatures with a hand painted easel for easy display.

This fellow seems familiar!

This guy is blushing from all the attention!

No one can forget Santas Helper!

Christmas time is right around the corner

2009-12-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

Poodles Caroling Art Tile

Jack Russell and Snowman Ornament

Poodles Caroling Ornament

Before you know Christmas time will be upon us. This year I have some very cute ornaments and art tiles up on ebay.
Cleverpup on ebay

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

Welcome Back

2009-11-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Things are up and running again here at my Cleverpup Art news blog.
I had to take some time off and get pointed in the right direction. Pointed all the way to Montana in fact. That's where we ended up after selling our home in Washington state. Now that we are semi settled, its time to start creating art getting back into the swing of things.

New projects are on the horizon and we are just getting started.

Thanks for your patience!

Nice Catch

2008-10-03T21:04:00.000-06:00

This is a watercolor I did of a border collie so excited about catching his flying Frisbee he ends up jumping a little too high.

Margarita Chihuahua print

2008-10-01T12:54:00.000-06:00

I decided to take a little look back at some of my favorite art prints and paintings I've done .

Here's a happy little chihuahua sipping on her favorite beverage.
I do have the print in my ebay store.

Georgia Bigfoot Big Hoax

2008-08-20T10:17:00.000-06:00

Researcher says Bigfoot just a rubber gorilla suit

ATLANTA Turns out Bigfoot was just a rubber suit. Two researchers on a quest to prove the existence of Bigfoot say that the carcass encased in a block of ice - handed over to them for an undisclosed sum by two men who claimed to have found it - was slowly thawed out, and discovered to be a rubber gorilla outfit.

The revelation comes just days after a much ballyhooed news conference was held in California to proclaim that the remains of the creature were found in the North Georgia mountains was the legendary man-ape.

Steve Kulls, executive director of squatchdetective.com and host of Squatchdetective Radio, says in a posting on a Web site run by Bigfoot researcher Tom Biscardi that as the "evidence" was thawed, the claim began to unravel as a giant hoax.

First, the hair sample was burned and "melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair," Kulls said in the posting.

The thawing process was sped up and the exposed head was found to be "unusually hollow in one small section." An hour of thawing later and the feet were exposed - and they were found to be made of rubber.

Matt Whitton, an officer who has been on medical leave from the Clayton County Police Department, and Rick Dyer, a former Georgia corrections officer, announced the find in early July on YouTube videos and a Web site.

"Everyone who has talked down to us is going to eat their words," Whitton said at the time.

Phone calls to Whitton and Dyer went unreturned on Tuesday. But the voicemail recording for their Bigfoot Tip Line - which proclaims they search for leprechauns and the Loch Ness monster - has been updated and announcing they're also in search of "big cats and dinosaurs. If you see any of those, give us a call."

On Tuesday, Clayton County Police Chief Jeff Turner said he has not spoken to Whitton but processed paperwork to fire him.

"Once he perpetrated a fraud, that goes into his credibility and integrity," Turner said. "He has violated the duty of a police officer."

Latest Bigfoot news from Canada

2008-07-29T17:52:00.000-06:00

Berry-pickers report sasquatch sighting in northern Ontario

Monday, July 28, 2008 | 8:16 PM CT

Two Ontario women say they saw what might have been the legendary sasquatch in northwestern Ontario last week.

Helen Pahpasay and her mother were north of Grassy Narrows, Ont., about 230 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, to pick blueberries last Tuesday when they spotted a hulking figure from their truck at about 10 a.m. CT.

"It was black, about eight feet long and all black, and the way it walked was upright, human-like, but more — I don't know how to describe it — more of a husky walk, I guess," she told CBC News.

"It didn't look normal."

The creature seemed to spot them, then ran off into the woods, Pahpasay said. She and her mother debated chasing the creature to try to get a closer glimpse, but were so shaken they decided to abandon their berry-picking excursion and return home.

Others returned to the area later and found a large, six-toed footprint, Pahpasay said. "What do I think it was? Right now I'm not even sure what it was. But it really scared both of us," she said.

"There's been talk of Bigfoot, sasquatch. And I'm still not sure what it was, but I've never seen anything like it."

Pahpasay says she and her mother aren't the only people in the area with a sasquatch story. A couple of men from their community said they also saw the creature three years ago, she said, and a similar animal has been mentioned in old lore about the area.

"I've never believed it before, no. I'm not even quite sure what it still is today, even after what I've seen," she said.

Sasquatch, an aboriginal word meaning "hairy giant," refers to a large manlike creature some believe could be roaming woods from California up the West Coast and across Canada.

In April 2005, a ferry operator in Norway house, Man., captured on videotape three minutes of footage of what he said was a sasquatch. However, the video, which was shown on an American television network, was indistinct at best, failing to live up to its billing as "footage of the century."

In 2006, several people in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan reported seeing a sasquatch-like figure in the woods around Flin Flon, Man.

Skeptics say it's preposterous that a large mammal could have evaded detection in North America throughout history. Despite numerous alleged sightings, no one has ever produced concrete evidence such as skulls or bones, they argue, while footprints, film or photos can be manufactured.

Derby Day ACEOs

2008-05-04T13:02:00.000-06:00

Just listed on ebay a new horse ACEO to celebrate Big Browns Derby win.
Click here to view the art on ebay!

Also listed is this colorful ACEO card of a mare and her colt celebrating Mothers Day equine style with a nuzzle.
Click to view auction on ebay.

New Poodle ACEOs

2008-05-03T17:58:00.001-06:00

Just listed in time for Mothers Day, a Poodle ACEO Puppy Hugs for Mom. Click here for the auction link on Ebay!

Heres another fun ACEO card, Poodle Smile done in watercolor pencil and ink. Click here for the ebay link!

April (Snow) showers, bring May....?

2008-04-23T15:10:00.001-06:00

I just got a chance to post these photos from last weekend April 19th and 20th. We had the latest snowfall here in North Seattle in 30 years! Above is a view out the second floor window looking at a very snowy redwood tree.

This was just the beginning, we ended up with about three inches, most of the snow hit at night and was melting by the morning of the next day.

One leary and cold chicken as the snow storm starts. She spent the day inside the Chicken coop glaring at the snowflakes.

Today its 55 degrees,a little more like a spring day.

Rucky's Custom Portrait

2008-04-17T18:04:00.000-06:00

After seeing Frankie's cool painting, Rucky wanted his own portrait and so did his owner.

Rucky was happy to chill in the sun with a fruity frozen drink near the sea shore.

This was a big hit with Rucky's owner. We did a custom portrait on 16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas in Acrylic paint. If you look at Frankie's painting below and click to enlarge you can see Rucky looking out from a painting hanging on the wall.

Frankie's custom Portrait

2008-04-17T17:45:00.000-06:00

Earlier this year I was commissioned to do a custom painting for a poodle owner who contacted me through my website. First we started with good photos of "Frankie" a pretty cool black standard poodle.

I found out that Frankie's favorite spot was the sofa and his favorite toy was a big yellow stuffed duck that he loved to pull the stuffing out of. I did a pencil rough and sent it to the owner and Frankie.
They loved it!!

I did the border and sketched out the drawing onto the 16 x 20 canvas.

The finished product! Click to enlarge.

Back underway

2008-04-15T18:22:00.000-06:00

Our break is over, we are back in the game!

The Cleverpup art ebay store is open for business.

stay tuned for more!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T11:36:00.001-07:00

Have a warm and safe Holiday and a very Happy New Years!

and for the kids, Track Santa with NORAD

Fall Pictures

2007-10-03T14:29:00.001-06:00

The burning bush has turned very scarlet this year and really stands out in my front yard. I don't have a lot of fall color compared to the mid west and east coast, but this bush really trys its best.

Every year we get the fall garden spiders building webs everywhere, this one was particularly plump as it waited for its prey near the garden shed.

Pretty in Pink

2007-10-01T16:00:00.001-06:00

"Pretty in Pink" Chihuahua portrait done for our friends at "Boutique of Paws". They have some very cute handmade dog sweaters at the web site, please visit them and tell them "Hello from Cleverpup Art!"

Pink pillow and a toy Beaver

2007-09-26T14:08:00.000-06:00

thats all I need.......

Talk like a Pirate Day Sept 19

2007-09-17T21:55:00.000-06:00

Avast there! It be time for Pirate Talking to all your mates this Wednesday! Grab your skull and crossbones and enjoy the fine booty of fun Pirate videos! Arrrrgh!

You're a Pirate!

Pirate Convention

The Pirate song sung by George Harrison

Good dog!

2007-08-29T15:17:00.000-06:00

Grrrrrrrr

2007-08-27T13:31:00.000-06:00

Bigfoot Howls it up in Michigan

2007-07-14T10:51:00.000-06:00

Believers hear Bigfoot's howl

50 who paid $300 each to prowl U.P. woods for the beast weren't disappointed.

Francis X. Donnelly / The Detroit News

MARQUETTE, Mich. -- In the middle of the night, a group tried to lure an elusive beast from its lair deep in the woods.

A man banged on a tree with a stick. Another beat his chest, Tarzan-like. Another uttered deep guttural screams.

And then, seconds after the last yell, from the blackness surrounding them, came a low-pitched howl that made the searchers shiver:

"Aaaaiiiieeeeeee."

Bigfoot!

The searchers not only believe the legendary mannish ape is frolicking through the forest east of this Upper Peninsula community, but also captured its mournful yelp on tape Thursday night.

The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, a California group running the search, will add the audio recording to what it said are footprints, sightings and other mounting evidence from past expeditions.

"I'm not a believer. I'm a knower," said the group's president, Matt Moneymaker. "You've had to be in total denial to say that none exist."

At the very least, the big ape is a big draw.

About 50 people from the Midwest gladly forked over $300 to join the four-day Michigan search that ends Sunday. It was sold out, as are expeditions planned for Utah and New Mexico.

The paying investigators say the cost is small compared to the chance of spotting a legend.

They're among the legion of true believers whose views are bolstered by a growing number of Internet sites reporting sightings and some prominent academics who won't rule out the possibility that the beast exists.

Don Young, 43, a hunting and fishing guide from Phillips, Wis., said he has wanted to prove the existence of Bigfoot ever since spotting one near his home a second time in 2004.

"It's a need," he said. "There's a need for me to prove it."

Since the last sighting, he has devoted 60 hours a week looking for the beast.

Why the U.P.?

Why the Upper Peninsula? Why not?

Once relegated to supermarket tabloids and the Pacific Northwest, Bigfoot or Sasquatch has been turning up everywhere lately: the cornfields of the Midwest, the swamps of Florida, the piedmont of North Carolina.

The ultimate loner, it was just a matter of time before it discovered the remote wilds of the U.P., where residents live far from each other and like it that way.

Still, some residents are dubious.

"Bigfoot?" laughed Toni Peake, 34, who lives near the woods being searched by the group. "Is he single?"

Local officials were tickled pink to host the search.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau of Marquette County, which has been getting calls from out-of-towners about the quest, said the monster could draw tourists to the area.

Director Pat Black said downstate residents probably aren't surprised to learn that Bigfoot toils in the U.P.

"We're the place that has psychic moose," she joked.

According to Moneymaker, who has been studying Bigfoot for decades, Marquette County's newest denizen could be 11 feet tall, weigh 2,000 pounds and have feet that reach 20 inches.

It's shy, nocturnal, eats meat and plants, and makes nests from trees and brush, he said.

He believes there are thousands of Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) roaming the Earth.

Other searchers, like Erik Beckjord of Berkeley, Calif., believe it's an extraterrestrial.

"It is more of a space-time creature, ala Einstein and parallel universes, rather than a trappable being," he said.

Whatever its size, number or universe, the primate has held a primal allure that spans oceans and centuries.

Since the 1800s, places as disparate as Australia and Tibet have worried about being attacked by some type of mammoth creature under various rubrics, Yeti, Yowie, the Abominable Snowman.

Even today, a handful of anthropologists and zoologists, such as Jane Goodall, said it's possible such a beast is roaming the Earth.

Preparing to search

Stalking a ghost, even a big, hairy, smelly one, takes preparation.

On Thursday, Moneymaker talked to four residents who claimed to have seen Bigfoot locally over the past 40 years.

"My one brother thinks I'm nuts," said Kathy Morrison, 40, a Big Bay resident who said she saw the creature nearly 30 years ago.

"She believes in ghosts," interrupted her son, Joey.

After learning the locations of the encounters, Moneymaker used a topographical map to figure out the best place to listen to the beast's "echoing vocalizations."

A few searchers ventured into the woods to look for tracks, scat, nests, any signs of what they call Squatch.

They studied the terrain to learn what type of habitat it most enjoys, but discounted the significance of a nearby casino and golf course.

At night, the searchers broke into groups of three to five at an RV park and campground along Lake Superior.

The 50 attendees are mostly middle-aged men from neighboring states whose jobs range from teachers to computer programmers to a lawyer.

Half are first-timers, while some have gone on a half-dozen expeditions.

Larry Lacke, 53, a chemist for a Milwaukee brewery, said he has been curious about Bigfoot ever since hearing a bizarre howling on a Texas hunting trip seven years ago.

"I've heard a lot of animals but none like this," he said. "I'm trying to keep an open mind."

The smaller groups moved gingerly through the blackness. Approaching a targeted area from different angles, they communicated through walkie-talkies with ear pieces.

They lugged all types of high-tech equipment: night-vision goggles, motion-detective devices, digital audio recorders and a helmet-mounted thermal-imaging camcorder.

Before capturing Sasquatch on tape, however, the searchers needed to lure it toward them.

They banged on trees with sticks and emitted long howls, trying to pique what Moneymaker said is the creature's innate curiosity.

They also spread various types of bait on rocks: apples, sardines, licorice, even gorilla pheromones.

"We've laid out entire banquets before," Moneymaker said.

The searchers seemed eager to believe that any incident was a sign that Bigfoot was among them.

After hearing the low-pitched howl Thursday night, they quickly dismissed the possibility that it came from an owl or coyote.

The next night, a searcher driving to camp said his car was struck by a bitten shrewmouse. When he got out to investigate, he saw the silhouette of something that quickly disappeared.

Bigfoot again!

By 2 a.m., most searchers called it a night and headed back to base camp. But not Don Young. The Wisconsin hunting guide pitched a tent in the middle of the woods to await what he believes will be another encounter with American folklore.

"People laughed at me, called my wife Mrs. Sasquatch," he said. "That's why I want to prove it. Then I can laugh at them."

Happy Fourth of July

2007-07-04T13:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday America!

ebay store now closed

2007-07-03T14:25:00.000-06:00

I have decided to close the Cleverpup ebay store as it is not worth the costs to keep it going. I will still be listing auctions on ebay though, just not any store inventory. To see/purchase Clever pup original art and prints please visit my Clever pup store at ESTY and my Clever pup store at Cafepress for T-shirts, coffee mugs, and more.

I will be re-designing my Cleverpup website at www.cleverpup.com so you can purchase prints online also.

Happy Fourth of July

2007-06-25T18:28:00.001-06:00

Celebrate the Fourth with this Patriotic Pony! Now on Ebay~

Look out Chihuahuas on the Beach

2007-06-18T13:35:00.001-06:00

"Wish You Were Here"

4" x 6" postcard size watercolor art on 140 lb paper. On the back is standard postcard backing with address and postage areas for mailing.

Now on ebay

Jail time Chihuahua

2007-06-10T22:10:00.000-06:00

Paris Hilton's Chihuahua........we all saw this coming.

now on ebay!

The Diary of a Dog

2007-06-01T13:48:00.000-06:00

The Diary of a Dog
8:00am Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30am A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40am A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30am Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00pm Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00pm Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00pm Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00pm Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00pm Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00pm Wow! Watched TV with my family! My favorite thing!

11:00pm sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Diary of a Cat

It is day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and myself are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to

disgust them, I vomit on the floor.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. The audacity!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released –and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded! The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe....... for now.

Esty Store

2007-05-18T18:50:00.000-06:00

I have opened a new store on Esty, your place to to buy and sell all things handmade! Here you can find cleverpup artwork for sale , no bidding, the price you see is the price you pay. Please visit and bookmark as I will be adding new art work soon.

CleverPup Esty store (user id nortonfineart)

27 years ago today

2007-05-18T15:42:00.000-06:00

Today is the 27th anniversary of the May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Where were you at 8:32 am PDT on that date?

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - "Vancouver, Vancouver, This is it!"

It was 27 years ago today that U.S. Geological Survey vulcanologist David Johnston radioed those words to colleagues in Vancouver as Mount St. Helens erupted.

The anniversary is being marked today at the Johnston Ridge Observatory near the volcano.

Johnston died shortly after his call.

In all, 57 people were killed during the massive eruption that erased 1,300 feet from the summit of the once-symmetrical mountain and turned into one of the most recognized volcanic locations on Earth.

Zoo Page

2007-03-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Click for a larger version!

When I'm not working on my ebay art, I help out with the local paper's page for kids, "The Zone".
We are doing the zoo the whole month of March with lots of cartoon animal opportunities!
Ben does the layout and design and I work on the cartoons.

Is Bigfoot Living In The Forest Above Marysville?

2007-03-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Another story of Bigfoot sightings! Is it real? Then what is making the foot prints?

Feb 26, 2007 8:41 pm US/Pacific

(CBS13) MARYSVILLE, Calif. There's a big mystery in our backyard tonight. Is a Bigfoot living in the forest above Marysville? A local couple has found big prints in those woods and experts are saying it may not be a hoax.

It was just after a rainstorm, a great time for hunting deer. It was a perfect place, high up in the dense woods of the Plumas National Forest.

Chuck and Michelle Padigo had been down the logging road lots of times, including just a few days earlier.

Past two gates, about three miles from the highway, in a recently logged area, Michelle looked down and spotted something very strange.

What the Padigo's say they encountered was more than three dozen huge footprints spread out over a hundred yards or more.
“I swear the hair on my arms stood up,” says Michelle.

The couple recorded their discovery with photographs and returned to take more pictures.

Joining the Padigos now was Scot Woodland, a Nevada County search and rescue team member and a certified expert tracker.

Scot says he's got an open mind but when he first saw the tracks he figured here's another hoax.

"The closer I got and looked at the prints, the more I could see the detail and the movement in the foot. As a tracker you see how things move the weight and all that stuff. The complexity of the footprint made me go whoa!” he says.

What really impressed Scot was the force of the Bigfoot print which rippled the ground around it. Scot's footprint next to it hardly moved the earth.

“If it's a hoax, somebody really did a good job, if it's not, then there's a big creature that lives among us," says Woodland.

All the prints appear to be from one animal walking slowly but with a stride twice that of a human.

“We measured from heel of the left foot to heel of left foot, 56 inches," says Scott.

The footprint was gigantic. It was seven-and-a-half inches wide. The tape measure shows the impression is nearly double the length of an adult human foot.

In Humboldt County, in the tiny town of Willow Creek, there's a Bigfoot museum run by Al Hodgson. Decades ago, he had a similar experience when he found what he believed were the footprints of a mother and child Bigfoot.

Ever since the scratchy film of an alleged Bigfoot spotting was taken in 1963, a growing amount of potential evidence has been reported.

From a distant picture of a possible big foot, to plaster impressions of some very big feet. Compare them with the plaster cast Chuck Padigo made and you’ll see the same basic shape, same size. Almost square toes with little or no arching.

If there is a big foot living in the woods, it wouldn't be the first time somebody has reported the evidence. CBS13 checked the records over the past decade.

In both 1997 and 1998, a science researcher found possible Bigfoot tracks and feces in the same Plumas Forest Area.

And again in 1998, a veteran forest service employee found footprints fourteen inches long by six inches wide.

CBS13 checked with residents of the small towns near where Michelle and Chuck found their footprints. Store owner Peggy Pope says she's a believer.

“I've never heard of anybody up here saying they've seen one, or any evidence? Or any evidence, but I believe there is such a thing," says Pope.

Other locals say they have either heard or smelled what might be a Bigfoot, but they also tell of some big bears living in these woods.

But pictures of bear paws, while certainly very large, clearly show big claws.

The footprints Chuck and Michelle found show no sign of any claws, just clean imprints of five toes.

The Padigos found the footprints four months ago and didn't publicize it until now.

They do not seem to seek notoriety and appear to be genuinely and deeply affected by the incident but still, we had to ask if they were playing a hoax on us.

“No sir, I wouldn't do that, I'm not that smart, I couldn't make something like that," says Chuck.

Photos and measurements of those big footprints have been sent to a renowned scientist who is researching Bigfoot sightings. No word yet on whether he thinks those prints are made by man or by a lot bigger and more secretive creature.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

March comes in like a ...what?

2007-03-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

...like a walrus?

..a frozen shih tzu?

...nope, March comes in like Al Gore on a Global Warming speaking tour.

bingo!

Angel or Little Devil?

2007-02-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Which is your dog?

now on ebay~

Visit my new blog

2007-02-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

Take a gander at my new blog "Start Digging", devoted to the sport of metal detecting, coin, and relic hunting. Its brand spankin' new so its a little lean right now in the posting department, but I plan on adding all my finds and treasures in future posts. I ended up with a White's MXT metal detector for Christmas and have just started using it, so the blog is definitely a learning experience. So take a peek if you want.

Happy Birthday

2007-02-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Happy big 5-0 Ben! Many, many more!

Valentines Day Snow

2007-02-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

While we ( in the Seattle area) are basking in 55 degree temps today, back in Chardon, Ohio they are having a tough time just getting out the back door!
Where did I put that snow plow?

And this snow storm is just a baby compared to Chardon's previous Winter storms!

Ahh, looks like they found one of the cars.....
All I can say is the ground hog was dead wrong this year~

Happy Ground Hog Day

2007-02-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

As our furry friend squints into the bright light, his rambunctious shadow is ready to party under the hot sun!

now on ebay
Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Early Spring

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) - A new pair of hands pulled Punxsutawney Phil from his stump this year, so it was only fitting that the groundhog offered a new prediction.

Phil did not see his shadow on Friday, which, according to German folklore, means folks can expect an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter.

Since 1886, Phil has seen his shadow 96 times, hasn't seen it 15 times and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The last time Phil failed to see his shadow was in 1999.

Barbaro Noble Horse

2007-01-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Like most of the country I followed Barbaro's story of his amazing struggle for survival after his terrible leg injury at the start of the Preakness Stakes. Barbaro was euthanized on January 29, 2007, I wanted to do a small painting in remembrance of this magnificent Horse with a heart of gold.

on ebay

Valentine Secret Admirer

2007-01-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

Yes I know its Pink fluffy and cute! Hey, it's a Valentine!
new on ebay!~

More Valentine Fun

2007-01-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

New for Wednesday, a 4 x 6 original watercolor. The scan blew out the lighter tones in the artwork, the brushwork is more soft and subtle in person. Bid on ebay.

Recent Watercolors

2007-01-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

One minute its New Years Eve, and then you turn around and Valentine's Day is coming up!

Just listed on Ebay some 4 x 6 original watercolors.

More to come.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Mom!

2006-12-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

My Mom was lucky enough to live within driving distance of the famous "A Christmas Story" house and went to visit the home were they filmed the movie. Looks like she gave the tour a thumbs up, be careful around that "Major Award" Mom....Remember its "Frah-jill-aye"!!!

The house is open year round and theres a museum right across the street with props and memorabilia from the Film.

How cool is that!?

Merry Christmas to All!

2006-12-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Mt. St. Helens clears her throat

2006-12-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Mt. St. Helens wakes up in time for the holidays, spewing clouds of ash and steam today.
Will update as needed.

UPDATE: Small steam eruption, nothing to see here folks, move along.

SEATTLE -- Cold weather combined with the ongoing release of vapor generated an impressive plume of steam Tuesday at Mount St. Helens. The mountain vented steam shortly before 1 p.m. The volcano has been undergoing a low-key eruption since September 2004.Vapor has been rising from the volcano since before it rumbled back to life. Cold still air Monday and Tuesday made it visible from farther away.

Track Santa with NORAD

2006-12-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Christmas countdown Begins. On Christmas Eve track Santa as he flies from the North pole to a chimney near you! Visit the "Track Santa" web site.

For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa. The tradition began after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertisement for children to call Santa on a special "hotline" included an inadvertently misprinted telephone number. Instead of Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup, received the first "Santa" call on Christmas Eve 1955. Realizing what had happened, Colonel Shoup had his staff check radar data to see if there was any indication of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Indeed there were signs of Santa and children who called were given an update on Santa's position. Thus, the tradition was born.

Christmas ACEOs

2006-12-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Now listed on Ebay ! Search Cleverpup for more artwork.

And now the cleanup

2006-12-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Cleverpup Studios made it through the storm ok, we were a lot luckier then most people here in the storm area. We lost power Thursday night to early Friday morning, some people may not get power back for days. Friday morning the yard was full of fir tree branches and boughs, branches everywhere on the roof, yard and drive. Some people ended up with trees crashing though their roofs so I was glad we were spared this time. This was a record storm and the most powerful winds I have ever been through.

For more storm aftermath read this news report.

Record Wind Storm Claims 6 Lives in Pacific Northwest

Saturday , December 16, 2006

SEATTLE — Residents of the Pacific Northwest struggled to stay warm Saturday after the worst windstorm in more than a decade knocked out power to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses and killed at least six people.

About 950,000 customers in Washington and Oregon remained without power Friday night. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency, and with temperatures expected to drop over the weekend, officials warned people not to use outdoor grills, propane heaters or other carbon monoxide-producing equipment indoors.

Firefighters in Kent found 33 people from four families suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning Friday night, fire Capt. Kyle Ohashi said. They had taken their barbecues inside to cook or heat their apartments as temperatures dipped into the 30s.

They were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and all were expected to survive, Ohashi said.

In Oregon, a family of six was sickened by carbon monoxide from a generator set up in a garage in Gresham after the storm knocked out power, police said. Three children were hospitalized in critical condition late Friday, while one child and both parents were listed in good condition.

Winds gusted to a record 69 mph early Friday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, breaking the old mark of 65 mph set in 1993. Winds were clocked at 113 mph near Mount Rainier.

Power was knocked out at one of the airport's concourses, canceling dozens of flights. Flights were also canceled at Portland International Airport in Oregon, and Amtrak canceled service between Seattle and Portland after downed trees and mudslides blocked the tracks.

Two people were killed in Washington in traffic accidents involving windblown trees, while one died after getting trapped in her basement by rising floodwaters. A fourth person was killed while he slept when the top of a tree snapped off and crashed into his home.

On the Oregon coast, an elderly couple died in a house fire caused by candles they were using during a power outage.

Puget Sound Energy, Washington's largest private utility, had 625,000 customers without power on Friday night. Some won't have their lights back on for days, spokeswoman Martha Monfried said.

Seattle City Light reported 107,000 outages Friday evening, while Snohomish County Public Utility District said 20,000 of its customers were still in the dark.

In Oregon, Portland General Electric said it had about 130,000 customers without power Friday evening, while Pacific Power said it was down to 64,000. Some of those customers are in Washington state.

The storm was the most intense to hit the region since the Inauguration Day storm of Jan. 20, 1993, which killed five people and caused about $130 million in damage, said Clifford F. Mass, a University of Washington atmospheric sciences professor.

Batten down the Hatches!

2006-12-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

How do you spell Seattle? M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E!

Local weather:

SEATTLE -- Damaging winds from a storm roaring in from the ocean are likely this afternoon, the KIRO 7 Pinpoint Severe Weather Center warned.A high wind warning is in effect from 2 p.m. until 10 a.m. Friday in Western Washington for predicted winds of 40 mph with gusts to 65 mph.Forecasters expect 50- to 60-mile per hour winds on the coast with gusts to 80 or 90, strong enough to bring down trees.Ted Beuhner of the National Weather Service told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News the storm will be stronger than the one last February, when 250,000 homes lost power just before the Super Bowl.Some meteorologists are predicting it could be the most severe windstorm since the Inauguration Day Storm of 1993. Forecasters said winds will peak overnight and ease later Friday. The National Weather Service said the winds will likely bring down trees and electrical lines causing power outages. Winds also could cause some damage to buildings.Officials said residents to find their flashlights and prepare for power outages. People should secure garbage cans or other things in their yards that could blow away. Boat owners should make sure their vessels are secure -- and batten down the hatches.

Indeed! First Mother Nature tried to drown us in November (15 plus inches of rain), then she used the old snow freeze technique, and now shes going to try and blow us away!

I suspect the Seahawk game tonight at Qwest field will be very interesting! And I bet some Seahawk fans as they sit in the driving rain and wind will be secretly wishing to have the Kingdome back!

Good Grief Charlie Brown!

2006-12-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Still looking for the perfect Christmas tree? Why not go retro with a replica of the sorry little tree from the 1960s Charlie Brown Christmas? You too can have a pathetic scrawny little tree just like Charlie Brown!

Product Description

Good Grief. Learn the true meaning of Christmas with Charlie Brown's classic pathetic Christmas tree. Leave it bare or dress it up all fancy. The tree is an exact replica of the tree from the famous cartoon, made of wire branches and plastic needles with a criss cross wooden base. The bendable branches allow you to make it look just how you want, super pathetic or just kind of pathetic. The tree comes with one red Christmas ball ornament. Plus the bendable branches make it possible to fold the tree entirely flat for easy storage during the non-yuletide times of the year.
* Wire / plastic / wood base
* Base: 91/2"l, 27/8"w; Tree: 21"h; glass ball: 3"w
* Take care with rough wood base, as it tends to splinter
* Imported

PEANUTS copyright UFS, Inc.

UrbanOutfitters.com - $24.00

"Begging Around the Christmas Tree"

2006-12-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yoshi "the Original CleverPup" loves to beg in front of our Christmas tree.

Yoshi can hold this position for a long time. Hopefully Santa will be bringing lots of cookies and doggie toys for Yoshi's stocking this year!

The 2006 Outdoor Lighting Extravaganza

2006-12-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Behold the wonder of twinkling merriment as Cleverpup Studio puts on a very festive display for the Holidays!

Yes, 'tis the season for lights and displays of good will towards men. Just DON'T OFFEND ANYONE WITH ONE OF THOSE DAMN CHRISTMAS TREES!

And you wonder why "The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America" ranks Seattle among the 50 most awful places to live in the country.

Hey, I know ....I know.

November Rain Record for Seattle

2006-11-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, with a little help from Mother nature, November went out with a bang. We set the record for the all time wettest month ever, with a whopping 15.63 inches of rain by Thursday morning. The old record was 15.33 set in December 1933.
I think this place is a little too damp for me, some where nice and dry is appealing right now, say maybe like the Arizona Dessert!

Here we go Again!

2006-11-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

Oh what fun, it is to ride, in a two wheel drive Frozen Sleigh!

More snow or icy rain?, heck lets go for the rainfall record too while we are at it!

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH

THURSDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM

WATCH FOR MOST OF WESTERN WASHINGTON...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM

WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE

URBAN CORRIDOR FROM CHEHALIS NORTH THROUGH THE SEATTLE METRO

AREA...EVERETT...AND BELLINGHAM.

First the Rain, then the Snow, and now the Ice

2006-11-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the greater Seattle area got walloped by a snow squall that moved through during the evening commute. Here at Cleverpup Studios we picked up an additional 2 inches of snow as it came down fast and heavy for an hour. Ian went outside for 10 minutes with his friends and came back in covered with snow. We stayed warm and cozy inside as the snow turned our neighborhood into a real winter wonderland.

The rest of Seattle didnt fare as well...The storm turned the main freeways into a icy skating rink and the people who were downtown at the Seahawks/ Greenbay Packers game (Seattle won!) found an icy gridlock on the way home.

Heres some of the more frigid stories gleamed from the local news:

SEATTLE - After a day of snow and a miserable Monday evening commute, Tuesday is already much worse. In fact for some, the Tuesday morning commute was an extension of a futile attempt to finish the Monday evening commute, and the State Patrol is advising everyone in the region to just stay off the roads.

More than 350,000 students in the central Puget Sound area alone got snow holidays Tuesday, including roughly 76,000 in Seattle and Tacoma, following traffic nightmares for tens of thousands of commuters Monday evening. In schools that were open, classes were delayed for tens of thousands of students.

Snow and slush that fell yesterday has frozen on many roads throughout the Puget Sound area as temperatures plummeted into the teens and 20s overnight, and dozens of spinouts and crashes overnight kept troopers and transportation crews very busy.

Transportation officials said many of the people on the roads early Tuesday were those who had been trying to get home since Monday night. Many of those stranded were those trying to get home from the Seattle Seahawks game that ended around 9:30. With traffic at nearly a standstill in many areas some commuters reported being on the road for nearly eight hours. DOT cameras showing freeways at 2 a.m. looked jammed just like what they typically would show at 5 p.m.

Parking lots near major interstates were full of people who couldn't make it home Monday night and decided to get off the roads and sleep in their cars.

Dozens of tractor-trailer rigs were off Interstate 5 Tuesday morning on a hill beside the Southcenter shopping mall south of Seattle.

Police and towtruck operators couldn't keep up with cars sliding off Interstate 405 Monday evening in the suburbs east of Lake Washington.

"It's unbelievable. It's like I'm driving in Alaska out here," said Trooper Jeff Merrill of the Washington State Patrol, from directing drivers near I-405 and State Route 527 in Bothell.

Temperatures dropped as low as 25 in Seattle, 20 in Everett, and into the low teens in Whatcom and Skagit County. And temperatures Tuesday night were expected to be another 2-6 degrees colder as more arctic air pours into the region.

Meanwhile, the snow and ice in the Puget Sound area have left thousands of utility customers without electricity.

Stay home...I think thats a very good idea!

Snowy November

2006-11-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had 3 inches of snow, we were lucky as most areas north of us got between six and seventeen inches of snow! Right now it is snowing hard and the temperature is dropping into the low 20s tonight as a blast of arctic air comes our way. My little resident Anna's Hummingbird is still hanging around the humming bird feed and I took her portrait as she waited in a snow covered tree for me to leave the area. I brought my feeder in tonight as I don't want the water to freeze solid overnight. The little hummer will need all the food it can get in this frigid weather just to keep warm!

Looks like our snow will stick around for a few days as the highs are only going to get to freezing.

Brrrrrrr!

Too Much Turkey!

2006-11-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, Thanksgiving was a success!

Plenty of good food and drink and family, Yoshi, the original Clever Pup, had a big plate of tender Turkey and gravy and zonked out on the floor with everyone else. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

"As God as my witness I thought turkeys could fly"

2006-11-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid!

2006-11-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND - Ralphie Parker and Brian Jones know what it's like to want something.

For Ralphie, the object of desire was an official Red Ryder, carbine-action, 200-shot, range model air rifle. (Go ahead, say it, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid.") For Jones, the gotta-have-it item was Ralphie's house the one in "A Christmas Story," the quirky film that's found a niche alongside holiday classics like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street."

Jones has restored the three-story, wood-frame house to its appearance in the movie and will open it for tours beginning Saturday. His hope is that it will become a tourist stop alongside the city's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other destinations.

He's unsure whether he'll make enough money to cover his $500,000 investment, but as sure as a kid's tongue will stick to a frozen flag pole, he's committed to the project.

"I just want people to come and enjoy it as I have," said Jones, a 30-year-old former Navy lieutenant.

"A Christmas Story" wasn't a big hit when released in 1983 but repeat TV airings and, in recent years, a 24-hour run on TBS starting Christmas Eve have made its story of boy's quest to get a BB gun for Christmas as infectious as the bespectacled Ralphie's eager grin.

"It just kind of sets the mood. In the Jones household, it's on all day once the marathon comes on," said Jones, who's married with an 8-month-old daughter.

Jones first saw the movie in the late 1980s and he and his parents became fans.

When the San Diego resident's dream of a becoming a Navy pilot like his father was denied because of his eyesight, his parents sent him a package to lift his spirits. Marked "FRAGILE" on the outside, it contained a leg lamp his parents built to look just like the one received by Ralphie's father, who proudly displayed it in the living room window, boasting, "It's a major award!"

Jones' mom noted that he could probably make a business out of selling them. In 2003, he started doing just that.

"I tooled together 500 lamps in my 1,000-square-foot condo in San Diego and sold them all in the first year," Jones said.

And he's still making and selling them $129.99 for the 45-inch model, $159.99 for the 53-inch "deluxe full size" leg lamp.

When the house from the film was put up for sale on eBay in December 2004, it seemed like destiny to Jones.

"I said, `Ooh, I gotta have that.'"

The auction price got up to $115,000. Jones, who shares Ralphie's unflinching enthusiasm, less than 20/20 eyesight and ability to speak at a breakneck pace, said he'd pay $150,000 if the owner stopped the bidding.

"It was mine. I sent him a deposit and flew out two days after Christmas just to make sure it wasn't a falling-down shack," Jones said.

He put in new windows and replaced the 111-year-old house's gray aluminum siding with mustard yellow painted wood and green trim that perfectly matches Ralphie's house.

Although only a couple interior shots were filmed there, Jones has recreated the '40s feel of Ralphie's home with a brown-and-white tile kitchen floor, a wide cast-iron sink in the kitchen, a claw-foot bathtub and, of course, a leg lamp in the window.

He also bought the house across the street Ralphie runs past it in the film's opening scene-to serve as a museum and gift shop. Several original items from the film are on display, including the infamous snowsuit ("I can't put my arms down!") worn by Ralphie's brother, Randy.

The house is located in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood, just a few minutes from downtown where the exterior department store shots were filmed at the former Higbee's.

The cooperation of the department store is what brought the filmmakers to Cleveland for the film based on author Jean Shepherd's stories of his upbringing in Hammond, Ind.

The house is well known in the neighborhood and neighbors like Marlene Childers have watched the house change owners and go through ups and downs over the years. She's excited about Jones' tribute "I love that story," she said.

Jones knows the feeling. And he says stepping onto Ralphie's old street makes him feel like he's in the movie.

Standing in front of the house holding a replica Red Ryder rifle, he discusses his future plans which could include a nearby bed and breakfast -when, seemingly on a director's cue, a motorist passes, stops his car, rolls down the window and shouts, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

Turkey Fun

2006-11-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

On the Menu

Brined Roast Turkey 15.5 pounds

Cornbread Dressing

Fresh Cranberry Sauce from Whole Berries

Homemade Biscuits

Yams and Brown Sugar

Mashed Potatoes and Turkey Pan Dripping Gravy

Green Salad

Pumpkin Pie

Cherry Pie

Happy Turkey Day!

Rain Record Broken

2006-11-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

We broke our rainfall record today with a bang.

Excuse me while I go bail out the living room.

Nutty Buddy

2006-11-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Click on photo for larger version!
This is the little squirrel we tamed with peanuts. He has gotten so tame he will come inside the house through our sliding patio door and take a peanut from your hand! He will run back out the door and hide the peanut for later and then come right back with his face pressed against the glass looking for more!

With all the rain and wind we have had this month its surprising he hasn't grown webbed feet!

Soggy Doggy Bloggie

2006-11-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Looks like Washington set a new record last night, the wettest November EVER with 11.63" of rain. We still have half a month left and a fighting chance to take out the big Kahuna, Seattle's all time wettest month of 12.92" of rain set in January of 1953.

Lucky for us, we didn't have any problems with the high winds that other parts of the state had.

Some top gusts yesterday:

Tatoosh Island: 91 mph
Clallam Bay: 87 mph
Sekiu: 77 mph
Clallam Bay: 70 mph
Sequim: 70 mph
Hoquiam: 68 mph
Bangor Sub Base: 66 mph
Anacortes: 65 mph
Mount Vernon: 65 mph
Oak Harbor: 66 mph
Forks: 62 mph
Bellingham: 63 mph
Vail (Thurston Co.): 60 mph
Friday Harbor: 59 mph
Brinnon: 55 mph
Tacoma: 53 mph
Everson: 53 mph
Port Angeles: 52 mph
Olympia: 46 mph
Everett: 45 mph
Seattle: 41 mph

Time to batten down the hatches and hunker down as the next storm comes in Sunday.

Floating away in Washington State

2006-11-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are soaked here. Monday was the third wettest day in our weather history. So far today its been raining steady and theres a half inch of rain in the rain gauge. Theres one thing you can count on, the ducks are happy.

for more weather woes in WA, click here.

UPDATE: Well, the heavy rains are gone or at least down to a drizzle. Im seeing .63 inches in the rain gauge so far today (4:30pm) Seattle received over 8" of rain since November 1st -- almost 125% of our monthly normal barely the first week into the month. Put another way -- that's roughly 22% of our annual total. Even more impressive, Shelton had over a foot of rain. A FOOT!

New Blog

2006-11-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ben has started his own blog , GarrisonGraphics , go over and check it out. I hear he's pretty talented.

Snowy October Days

2006-10-23T13:51:00.000-06:00

What a difference a day makes! Ohio weather at its finest, one day sunny and beautiful with the fall
colors in full radiance and then oops, add six inches of snow and enjoy!

photos copyright 2006 Dolores Norton

"Metro-WA?"

2006-10-22T14:27:00.000-06:00

The worst slogan EVER!!!

They spend 200K and come up with this? Metronatural? Sounds too much like metro-sexual to me . The state slogan they came up with was "Say WA" get it?? Hey pay me 200K and I'll come up with something much better!

New slogan for Seattle publicity: 'metronatural'

October 20, 2006

By Associated Press

SEATTLE - Metronatural.

That's the new tagline for an advertising campaign by the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The bureau says the "brand concept was designed to highlight Seattle's rare and uniquely marketable combination of urban and outdoor experiences."

The slogan was developed over a year at a cost of $200,000.

The bureau says it expects its 1,000 member businesses to incorporate "metronatural" into their advertising, Web sites, brochures and public relations.

The bureau says Seattle had more than 9 million visitors last year, and the bureau hopes to attract more conventions, cruise ship visitors and other travelers.

Ohio Fall Color Photoblog

2006-10-21T16:26:00.000-06:00

There's nothing more lovely then fall colors in October. Special thanks to mom for sending these photos taken at the Holden Arbouremun in Geauga County Ohio.

Sunlight and Trees
photo copyright Dolores Norton 2006

Fall Road
photo copyright Dolores Norton 2006

Across the Waterlillies
photo copyright Dolores Norton 2006

Red Road
photo copyright Dolores Norton 2006

Halloween Fun

2006-10-01T11:46:00.000-06:00

More Halloween ACEOs on Ebay!

Fall Leaves

2006-09-27T12:23:00.000-06:00

Soon you will be raking these!

Clear the Roads!

2006-09-26T16:41:00.000-06:00

The kids driving now, doing very good too. Stick shift a little harder to learn then the lazy automatic, but the kid is gettting it. Good work Ian!

Happy First Day of Fall!

2006-09-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

And that means Halloween is coming up fast! Stir up the apple cider and get ready for the cooler weather!
Check out my Halloween themed ACEOs on Ebay!

Bay and Bunny

2006-09-20T15:23:00.000-06:00

Another watercolor on Ebay!

Under-blogged

2006-09-19T17:03:00.000-06:00

Yes I realize the bloggings been few and far between lately, things will get back to normal now.
I'll start off with a new fantasy watercolor I just finished.

The Mermaids Purse

This artwork is coryright by the artist and you may not reproduce it with out the artists written permission.

Original Horse watercolors

2006-08-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

Click art work for a larger view. Visit cleverpupart on ebay for the auctions.

OK GO

2006-08-15T17:18:00.000-06:00

and now for something completely different!

"Here it goes again" by OK GO

my new favorite video

Heres a Little Perspective

2006-08-04T13:43:00.000-06:00

The highest temperature recorded anywhere on Earth was in Aziziyah, Libya, in September of 1922 – 136 degrees Fahrenheit.

The highest temperature recorded in the United States was in Death Valley, Calif., in July of 1913 – 134 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gators in Montana

2006-08-02T12:27:00.000-06:00

I knew this summers heat was bad, now they are finding gators in Montana! What's next, Flamingos in Alaska?

Boys reel in 5-foot, 60-pound alligator in Kalispell pond

Some birthdays stand out as exceptionally memorable; 16 and 21 usually make the list.

Josh Bryant will never forget his 11th birthday, when he came nose to snout with a 5-foot alligator in Kalispell.

On Monday afternoon, Josh and his mother, Lynn, were trying out the new fishing pole she’d given him for his birthday. The Shady Lane fishing pond near the old Steel Bridge, where he spends three or four days a week during the summer, seemed the perfect place to test the rod.

It was about 4 p.m. when Lynn Bryant spotted something swimming toward them.

“I thought it was a muskrat,” she said.

Then she took a closer look. Muskrats didn’t swim with just their eyes and back ridges sticking out of the water.

The Bryants couldn’t believe their eyes, but there was no doubt the animal swimming toward them was an alligator. Bryant moved to the edge of the dock and started taking pictures with her camera phone, knowing no one would believe them otherwise.

At first the alligator was almost friendly, she said, but they still wanted to get it out of the water so someone could come take care of it. A friend grabbed Josh’s pole and tried to hook the gator. He succeeded a few times, but each time the alligator simply swallowed the lure.

A few more would-be fishermen showed up soon after. One of them had a stronger pole; he, too, tried to catch the alligator but once again it swallowed the proffered minnow, hook and all.

By this time, onlookers had called friends and soon a crowd of about 50 people had gathered. Some simply watched. Others tried to help subdue the alligator, which was now agitated.

“This thing was very aggressive,” Bryant said.

“It was snapping at us kids and adults,” Josh added.

Someone brought a bow and shot it. They knew the alligator had been hit because the arrow was sticking straight up, Josh said. Then the arrow — and the alligator — disappeared for almost an hour. Suspense mounted on the banks of the pond.

“It was like a serial killer movie or something, a killer alligator,” Josh said.

The gator didn’t stay down for good, though. When it surfaced, the crowd was ready.

“His dad jumped in the water,” Josh said, pointing at his friend, Kaynen McGuire.

McGuire, 11, nodded. His father had plunged in the water with a stick, grabbed the alligator by the tail and swung it onto the bank.

“This was right out of ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ I swear,” Bryant said.

Four men held it down and tied its jaws shut with fish stringer, then put it in a canoe and dragged it up to the road. Someone produced a knife and tried to slit the animal’s throat. Still it didn’t die.

“This thing’s got like nine lives,” Bryant said.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office didn’t hear about the incident until about 10 p.m., according to dispatch logs. When Deputy Ray Young arrived, he called Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which referred him to U.S. Fish and Wildlife. By this time, the alligator was in bad shape, so the federal agency told Young to shoot it.

Brian Sommers, regional investigator with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, got the call around 10:40 p.m.

“When I got there, it was pretty much over and done with,” he said. “It was just talking with the people that were there and picking up the critter.”

The “critter” will go in a freezer at the Fish, Wildlife and Parks office, Sommers said. He’s not sure what the agency will do with it.

He’s also not sure where the alligator came from.

“The only thing I can guess is it was probably somebody’s pet,” he said. “Maybe they got tired of it and turned it loose.”

Sommers has had to deal with pet alligators in the past, he said, but only a few and only animals about 20 inches long. At 5 feet long and roughly 60 pounds, Monday’s alligator was the largest he’s ever seen in the area.

If found, the person responsible will be charged for releasing the alligator into the wild, he said.

“Given the right circumstances, we could’ve had a pretty big problem if it got hold of a kid swimming or something,” he said.

If anyone has information about how the alligator got into the pond, call 1-800-TIP-MONT or call Crimestoppers at 752-TIPS.

Even though it’s now alligator-free, Josh won’t be fishing at the pond anytime soon.

“It was just my 11th birthday, and I had to catch an alligator,” he said. “Why couldn’t I catch a little trout?”

And I thought Seattles Heat wave was Bad!

2006-07-29T19:51:00.000-06:00

I thought I had it bad when it was over 90 degrees here last week, but it seems theres a spot in the country thats even hotter then the inside of Mount St. Helens! According to the Weather Channels temperature map today, South Dakota is roasting at a toasty 101,106 degrees. Get out the marshmallows, hot dogs and don't forget the sunscreen!

Wild Fire near Red Eagle Mountain Glacier National Park

2006-07-29T12:45:00.000-06:00

July 28 2006

UPDATE WEBCAM JULY 29 above

Wildland Fire Activity on Park’s East Side

Date
July 28, 2006

Contact
Melissa Wilson, 406-888-7895

WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Officials at Glacier National Park report that there is a wildland fire in the park’s Red Eagle drainage. The fire is estimated at 250 acres. It was first reported at 1:18 p.m. this afternoon after smoke was seen from the St. Mary’s visitor center.

The fire has prompted the closure of the Red Eagle Lake Trail from the trailhead to Triple Divide Pass, and the backcountry campgrounds at the head and foot of the lake.

Park fire managers have ordered resources to help suppress this fire. The park’s wildland fire crew and fire engine, six smokejumpers from Missoula, and three single engine air tankers (using retardant) are currently working on the fire. Additional resources, including two Type I and Type II crews, a medium helicopter, and a heavy helicopter, were requested. However, due to resource constraints throughout the Pacific Northwest, additional resources are not currently available; they will arrive, as soon as it is practical. At present, there is a Type III incident commander from Alaska.

The park has issued a voluntary evacuation notice for the Saint Mary townsite. This notice is intended to encourage local residents and visitors to consider the steps they would take in the event that conditions change and an evacuation become necessary.

Smoke from the fire can be seen from St. Mary and can be seen from points along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The St. Mary webcam is online at: http://www.nps.gov/glac/webcams/smcam.htm.

UPDATE

The section of the road between Rising Sun and St. Mary Entrance is closed due to a fire. will be closed at 3:00pm due to fires

Eastlake gets hit by floods

2006-07-28T10:57:00.000-06:00

I grew up in Eastlake, Ohio. Been through this area many times. I was shocked to see they recieved 9 inches of rain on Friday! First the heat and now floods! Whats next!

Over 100 Evacuated After 9 Inches of Rain Flooded Ohio Rivers, Streets

Friday , July 28, 2006

EASTLAKE, Ohio -Flood water surged into homes and businesses, forcing people to rooftops to await rescue Friday morning after 9 inches of rain filled the rivers and streets of northeast Ohio.

Lake County, east of Cleveland, declared a state of emergency. County Administrator Kenneth R. Gauntner Jr. estimated at least 100 people had been evacuated and all available rescue boats had been pressed into service.

As much as 9 inches of rain fell Thursday and Friday in Lake County, the National Weather Service said.

Firefighters and Coast Guard crews were busy plucking stranded people from flooding homes and searching for a man who disappeared early Friday while moving marina equipment out of high water near the swollen Chagrin River, an outlet to Lake Erie.

Several storms have pounded the state over the past month, wreaking havoc on riverside homes and low-lying neighborhoods.

"It's just been a very active weather pattern for this part of the country," said Dan Leins, a weather service meteorologist in Cleveland. "When you have weather patterns like this, it's not uncommon to see showers and thunderstorms several nights in a row."

In Eastlake, officials opened City Hall as a temporary shelter.

In nearby Mentor, police helped remove more than 100 children from Ridge Pointe Child Care Center on Thursday as waist-deep water flooding the parking lot began seeping into the building.

Children were pulled through windows and bused to a nearby fire station, where their parents picked them up.

"It was the most organized chaos I have ever seen," said Tonja Schleicher, owner of the day care. "Some of the kids were a little upset, so we just hugged them a little tighter."

Ahhhhhhh!

2006-07-27T16:50:00.000-06:00

Cameron (Cam) Cardow - The Ottawa Citizen

Heat Wave the Sequel

2006-07-24T15:13:00.000-06:00

It's Even Warm At Night, But Never This Warm

July 24, 2006

By Scott Sistek

SEATTLE - Erasers sure have been busy with the Seattle record books lately. And they don't even get any time off at night.

The high temperatures have been getting all the glory lately, but did you know Seattle just had the warmest night in their history Sunday night?

The low temperature Monday morning was a balmy 70 degrees. It's the first time the temperature has failed to drop under 70 since records have been kept in Seattle. The previous record for warmest night (or "highest low temperature") was 69 degrees set Sept. 2, 1974.

That record comes on the heels of a string of high temperature records the past few days.

The erasers first got their work in on Friday, when Seattle (97), Olympia (101), Hoquiam (90) and Stampede Pass (93) set record highs. Not to be outdone, Portland (104) and Vancouver, Wash. (104) also topped the charts. And Hillsboro, Oregon (just outside of Portland) tied their all-time record with 108 degrees.

Then, Saturday came along. Time to re-write more records.

Seattle (96), Hoquiam (91), and Stampede Pass (90) once again broke records. Olympia (99) tied theirs.

The record high temperature books sort of caught a break on Sunday. Even though temperatures were once again in the mid-upper 90s, it turned out in 1981, it was even hotter, and most records were near 100.

But! Seattle did tie a record for number of consecutive days at 95 or hotter at three. The last and only time it's happened before was in August of 1977.

Temperatures were on pace Monday morning to perhaps get to 95 again, meaning that record could be broken.

Going back to the "warm nights" theme, several of those daily records were broken this weekend as well.

Seattle (68), Olympia, (71), Hoquiam (60), Forks (58) and Bellingham (64) all set daily records for highest low temperature on Friday night.

Then came Seattle's 70 degree low Monday morning. That gave temperatures a great head start to try and reach the mid 90s once again for Monday afternoon, but cooler weather is promised Tuesday and through the end of the week.

Which is probably a good thing, since our eraser is getting really tired! :)

The Heat Wave, So Far

Just for those still curious, here's how the heat wave has stacked up so far:

Here's the official stats of the three day heat wave extravaganza:

	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Vancouver (WA)	104	94	101
Portland	104	93	101
Shelton	102	101	99
Olympia	101	99	98
Kelso	100	97	99
Bremerton	99	93	95
Bellevue	99	99	95
Seattle	97	96	95
Renton	97	95	93
Tacoma	97	93	93
Gig Harbor	95	91	92
Arlington	93	91	91
Friday Harbor	92	90	89
Port Angeles	91	90	87
Forks	91	86	87
Hoquiam	90	91	80
Everett	90	89	88
Bellingham	88	85	84

Having a Heat wave, a Tropical Heat Wave....

2006-07-21T17:29:00.000-06:00

Its 95 degrees here, way too hot for us here in Seattle! Got the fans going (no air conditioning at my house) and a round of kool popsicles for everyone!

Seattle broke the old record of 94 degrees today and Portland really Fried!

Vancouver (WA): 104
Portland: 104
Shelton: 102
Kelso: 100
Olympia: 100
Bremerton: 99
Seattle: 97
Renton: 97
Tacoma: 97
Arlington: 93
Friday Harbor: 92
Hoquiam: 90
Everett: 90
Forks: 89
Port Angeles: 89
Bellingham: 88

Do you Remember Hollywood Squares??

2006-07-12T17:25:00.000-06:00

Hollywood Squares

These questions and answers are from the days when "Hollywood Squares"
game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted as they are now.

Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions.
Please note: most, if not all, of those answering the questions are
(now) dead!

Q. Do female frogs croak?
A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long
enough.

Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you
be?
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a
woman?
A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q. According to Cosmo magazine, if you meet a stranger at a party and you
think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's
married?
A. Rose Marie: No, wait until morning.

Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I Love You"?
A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q. What are "Do It," "I can help," and "I Can't Get Enough"?
A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.

Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hand
while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give
you a gesture you'll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries, Are you going to get
any during the first year?
A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.

Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps.
One is politics. What is the other?
A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose
do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the
habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.

Q. While visiting China, your tour guide starts shouting "Poo! Poo! Poo!"
What does this mean?
A. George Gobel: Cattle crossing.

Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head,
what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q. When a couple has a baby, who is responsible for its sex?
A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him.

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has
actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet

Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and Laugh

More Clever Pup ACEO (Artist trading Card Originals)

2006-07-09T12:58:00.001-06:00

Pirate Pup and Golden Treasure!

Little Papillon Bath Time.

Super Appy!

All up for bid on ebay, Search Cleverpupart