I Didn't Sketch A Thing This Week

I haven't sketched anything since a week ago Sunday.  Some of my friends manage to sketch inside, working from photos, but I just don't find that very inspiring.  I want to go out, but it's too chilly.  Luckily, it wasn't too chilly for dog walks.

Truman and I visited our favorite walking park, Magnuson (as opposed to our favorite birding park, the Montlake Fill).  We had a lovely long walk during one of the few respites from the rain.

There were Buffleheads on the ponds.  Why are they called Buffleheads?  What is a "buffle", anyway?

There's no such thing.  They were originally called "Buffaloheads" back in the day.  This somehow got shortened to Bufflehead, perhaps when there were no longer so many buffalos around to compare them to.

This is one of the park's many art installations - a series of giant steps up a small hill near the boat launch area.  Truman did not climb up or down these steps.  He had a little help in posing.

Lots of autumn leaves still falling....

Another downside to autumn weather is that it reduces the number of lunch time visits Truman gets from his buddies Winston and Chloe.  Their human walks them over twice a week, but only if it's nice enough.  We got just one visit last week -- here is Tru waiting anxiously for their arrival.

He loves romping with his best bud Winston.

Afterwards they enjoyed lounging on the sofa.

So instead of sketching, I found another way to entertain myself indoors.  My friend Nicole discovered a new company that makes wooden toys with moving parts, called UGears.  She bought a rather complex kit and seemed to be enjoying it, so I decided to get a much smaller, simpler kit to try out.

It was called the Theatre, showing scenes from a stage, and it had 70 pieces to put together.

The instructions were nice and clear, and the quality of the pieces was excellent.  However, it used toothpicks as axles, which I had to push through the center of multiple gears, and they simply would not fit.

The instructions recommended using candle wax to help get the toothpicks through, but even that didn't work.  I broke about half of the toothpicks they provided.

Eventually, after much struggling, I managed to shove them through with carefully controlled brute force.  I've since learned that some of their kits don't bother with the evil toothpick axles.  I will definitely avoid them if I get another one.

I also managed to put a couple of pieces in the wrong way while trying to put it all together, but I did get it put together.

Not only that, it actually turns the way it is supposed to turn!  Miracle!

There is rain in the forecast for every day this week.  I think I'd better find something inspirational to draw indoors.