A fabulous reward!

Recently Colleen posed a question about what kind of mushrooms are growing in her patio. I came up with an answer so I won the prize. I got a bunch of turtle clip art emailed to me.

The best includes kitties.

Aren't they precious?

Things are just ducky!

Years ago we got a little ducky from Shidoni made by Shidoni's gallery dirctor, Karen Avila (who, sadly, is no longer with us). It's the cutest little thing. The ducky has been in the bathroom basking under the light of a lamp held by a pile of turtles.

The day after Thanksgiving every year there is an Arts Festival at the convention center in San Diego that Jerry and I go to. This year we came home with a little ceramic bathtub from Wild Earth Fantasy Sculpture. It's got a couple of turtles sitting on its rim. There is blue glass on the bottom of the tub that looks like water. It's a nice little knickknack.

We put it in the bathroom next to the turtle lamp. The little ducky was excited about it and took to it like, well, a duck to water. It now spends all its time swimming around the tub exploring its new universe.

Black and Tan in action!

You asked for it! You've got it! Here is a little movie of me making Black and Tans.

We made it without much planning and absolutely no rehearsal! (One beer is enough to put me under the table so the one will have to do!) It ends with me taking an off-camera sip to demonstrate that the layers don't mix even with the sloshing that occurs while drinking. You'll have to believe me when I tell you that it was sipped on.




Sorry about the absence of production values. I should have kept the beers' labels in view. And how could I just throw the turtle behind the glasses like that?

Two beers in three days. I guess I am an alcoholic!

Hello. I'm Charles E. and I'm an alcoholic

Well, maybe not an alcoholic but I do drink a beer every three or four months (that makes me a borderline alcoholic, doesn't it?). Tonight was one of those times!

A few years ago, we went to a kitchen store in search of an Aerobie® AeroPress™ Coffee & Espresso Maker (I'll have to tell of my experiences with that sometime). We found the AeroPress and also found another turtle for our collection. They had a Lagerhead Black & Tan Turtle. I didn't read the card it was attached to so I didn't know what it was supposed to be. It was an unusual turtle and that's enough for me so I got it.
The owner of the store asked if I like black and tans. I had no idea what he was asking but figured it had to do with the turtle. I told him we collect turtles.

When we got it home I finally read the instructions on the card and was intrigued. Imagine, two beers of different densities could be put in one glass and not mix! I had to try it out.

Background information: After our little ceremony for Dad at the cemetery we had dinner where Mom had a Guinness Stout in memory of Dad. She let me try it. Yum! (Why do I start with strong flavors? Espresso before regular coffee. Guinness before Bud (well, I still don't drink Bud). Wagner before Mozart.)

I was ready to put the turtle to use and make the Black and Tans.

Tonight we had pizza and beer.

The pizza was good. The beer was good.

Black and Tan
1 Bottle Henninger beer
1 Can Murphy's Draught Style Stout

Pour one-half bottle of the Henninger into a pint glass. Let it chug to make a head. Place the Lagerhead Turtle on the rim of the glass. Gently pour half of the Murphy's stout over the turtle's shell. Repeat with other glass.

Amazingly, the two beers don't mix. The stout is less dense and floats on top. Such a gimmick!

We used these beers because we were got them at Trader Joe's. TJ's didn't have Guinness. I hope the Guinness company isn't too mad at me for putting Murphy's in their glasses.