Folding Frogs, Flowers, Films and Now... Fish!

The evolution of my folding seems to have only one thing in common.   Mostly, I just try to find some form of inspiration to motivate me to do something.  I never seem to know what I will  find interesting at any given time.

But yesterday I was thinking about fish.   Koi, specifically.   However,  while paging around in one of my books,  I found a few tropical models that I had not folded in a long time.   And what better way to spruce things up around here than with a brightly colored tropical fish theme.   We shall see how far I can go with it.

But there are also a few things that do not start with the letter "F".... Like the Origami Bull.   Occasionally, an Origami dragon or some other creature.   Not always successful....

Coralville trail. 

Workers are extending the trail! 

In the mean time,   Cheryl and I have been trying to enjoy the great outdoors as much as we can.   I never thought that the Great Outdoors would get as crowded as it has become.  For this reason, Cheryl wanted to check out Coralville  trail just to see if there were less people out walking/running.  Turns out,  we stumbled upon a familiar face from work.   I stopped to chat with her for a second ( keeping a 6ft distance)  and she was walking with her kid who just got back from the Peace Corp.  Turns out she was being "quarantined" for two weeks to make sure she did not have the virus from overseas.  ( Hooray!)   This kind of freaked Cheryl out....

Back to Trueblood. 

So,  to avoid people who "may have been exposed" ( which is EVERYONE)   we went back to Trueblood.   Trueblood was also crowded, but at least there were no people there that we knew.   AND there were no people wearing masks and being quarantined... ( That we know of...)

Flood gates are down. 

Rather busy here too! 

And at least the sun was shining!  And we have been washing our hands and distancing our selves from people.  I was never a very close talker or "hugger" for that matter.  Social distancing is a great concept as it finally gets everyone else on the same page as Cheryl and myself!    Too many people are "Too Friendly" if you ask me..

No playing in the park. 

 Speaking of washing hands....I have never washed my hands so often!  It is becoming  rather annoying since I rarely wash my hands unless they are actually dirty!  But,  Cheryl has been rather militant about the process every time I go outside.   ( Which is slightly more often than her.)

When Cheryl washes hands.

When  I wash hands.... 

 Lately she has forced me to leave the outside door open so no one has to touch the handle to open it.  Also, the open door clears out the air in the hallway.  Possibly a small step to keep the upstairs neighbors from contaminating us and the laundry area.  The only down side is that the outdoor cats can come inside the hall whenever they want.   They are usually well behaved, but I don't want them getting too comfortable inside our apartment hallway.

Live Life like a Cat... 

Ok Then...  30 more days or so.   Wash hands, Breathe deep... And try not to breathe on anyone. Better yet,  avoid people all together and we will be outside hunting for Mushrooms in no time..  Fingers crossed.   Thanks for stopping in. And stay safe!

Boring, Windy, Sunday in Iowa.

Now that the rain is over,  the wind begins.   It has been howling and gusting ever since yesterday afternoon.   You would think that the wind might dry off the damp parts left by the rain, so that is a good thing... However,  the wind brings the cold with it.  It has dropped to just a touch below chilly.  And the sun has left us...  In all,  A wonderfully depressing day to stay inside.

Avoiding Scary wind. 

And for those reasons, we chose to skip our little routine run/bike.   Sure, there is an Epidemic out there, randomly killing people and making many more sick...  But the real reason is the cold wind.   Running in the wind is just not fun.   Perhaps even dangerous!  ( I don't know... Use your Imagination...)

Avoiding Scary people....

 Besides,  we were long overdue for an "off" day.  Less exposure to the wind, the virus, and most importantly... People!  Because people are scary...  (I don't know...   Use your Imagination!)

But what to do when you are home bound...    I guess you could pick one of the many hobbies you have invested in and try to work or finish it.   And so... Today,   I worked on the next 9 scenes for the dancing Origami ...dancers.. thing.

I'll be the first to say that it is sloppy.   Blurry,  shaky and out of focus most of the time.   The lighting is poor.   In all, it is pure JUNK!  And I wonder why I continue bothering.  But possibly because I have nothing better to do.  ( Aside from more folding....) And I have already invested so much time and energy in the folding of the dancers and the purchasing of the cheap, starter camera that I am Currently using.   Also.. Although I hate to admit it,  this is how you get better.  You start off crawling and hope that some day you will be able o stand on your own.  ( Figuratively speaking....  )

You can learn a lot from the "Bad Animators" 

I am also encouraged ever so slightly by the results.   I see the abundant flaws but also see a spark of inspiration.   I have been watching videos on the little tricks the pro's use ( and not so pro... for that matter)  and it appears there is much to learn.  At least the learning curve is not so steep that I become disheartened before even beginning.

Two colors, plastic in between 

Add heat..  Or 'Iron" 

Other than that,  I have discovered a new way to make paper!

Check to see how it's doing. 

 Two sides color change paper.  I'm always eager to learn a new possible way to make folding paper.   This method sandwiches cling wrap in between two different colors.   You then Iron the paper and melt the plastic.   I wanted to see how things worked out, and so far,  I'm about 50% successful! 

Repeat until fully together.

Seems that the thickness of the paper matters.   Also, the complexity of the model you are folding might also come into play.   But I do see it has possibilities for simple two colored models.   And it is so much faster than trying to use glue or methyl-cellulose.

Red and Black for a Simple Bird. 

So far, Simple Models work best.

Other than that,   Cheryl bakes, Hiro Sleeps, and I'm writing this blog.   Perhaps we will go out for a walk later just to get some of that brisk fresh air.   Hope everyone is staying safe and watching old movies.   With our Internet rationing, it appears we will run out soon if we do not stop watching the news all the time.   Watching a movies seems like a really great idea at the moment.

Thanks for stopping. in.

Fog, Mist, Rain, Running and Dancing.

I love this movie!

Will we run in the fog? 

Ever see "Singing in the Rain?" Gene Kelly is awesome.    Well,   Today was one of those days where the song would be appropriate.   (Also, "Foggy Day in London Town" by Elle Fitzgerald.)   It started out misty with a thick fog.   The idea was that the fog meant the wind was not going to be an issue.  Running/biking in the wind  is never very fun.

A limited visibility. 

But Cheryl is ready to run! 

Turns out, there were LOTS of people in the Trueblood Park this morning.  An entire family of four pulled a bunch of bikes out of their car(s) to go for a ride.   Little did they know how things were going to change.

The rain starts to sprinkle. 

But lots of other people are out
running as well. 

As we started the run,  (we had planned 7 miles...)   The rain began to fall.   Just a little sprinkle. ...  nothing bad.  But in Iowa,   Sprinkles now usually means flooding later.

Now it Really comes down. 

It's a soaker! 

And then it started to come down.  A few people were still running/walking in the rain, but they had a bit of "pep in their step" as they passed by.  Cheryl made a command decision to cut to run to 4 miles instead of 7.   It is a good thing we turned back when we did!   We had barely got into the car when the "real" rain started to fall.  The kind of rain that causes your windshield wipers to  struggle to even make the view blurry!

The rail will soon be a lake. 

Cheryl grins in the face of adversity. 

But we made it home and did not catch our death out in the cold.  I guess compared to the current virus out there,  a little hypothermia is nothing.   I would like to think of this run as another successful lesson in misery.

Soaked to the bone! 

Ready to go home. 

Back home,  I have been working on the Stop Motion origami.  I have put the Origami Ancient Dragon on hold for the moment.   Cheryl says I sould abandon it as it continues to ruin my mood and I have wasted three days complaining about it.  Perhaps she is right....  There will be plenty of other opportunities to fold another one.  ( hopefully with better paper!)

Let's dance!  My Stop Motion Camera
Set up...

It is possible a lot of detail will be missed. 

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm.  Looks like the sun is trying o peek through at the moment. The weather says there are sever storms in Central Iowa at the moment.  Perhaps they will miss us, although I do like sleeping during a thunder storm.   Thanks for stopping in.

Running, Baking, Flooding, And Cats...

Hiro is #1

Ready to run.

 What else is there to blog about?   The day to day routine of our daily runs...  A few of the projects that we take on...  and our cat Hiro.

7 miles finished. 

First,  Running!   Last couple of days have been pleasant enough.  We travel to Iowa City to run the trail and nothing else.  No HyVee!  No visits to anywhere we do not have to.  Just running.

A little rain. 

Water is getting higher. 

Today,  it rained in the early parts of the morning and the river has been slowly rising over time.   Any more and it will soon be over the sidewalk under the bridge.   Thus..  Bone Park will be cut off from our normal route.

Starting to crest over the trail.

Another 7 miles complete

I was impressed that there were quite a few people out and about along the trail.   Biking, running, walking with Dogs or just alone;  I'm guessing they will risk a few things just to get a little fresh air.

Hiro Helps Bake the Cookies

A little bit of a taste.

Back home,  Cheryl has been Baking.   Trouble of all of us!  Because the last thing our immune systems need is more sugar.   ( Or our waist line!)  You would never know it, but apparently, even the cat likes her cookies.  He helps her bake just so he gets a shot at the bowl/beaters!

What the Ancient Dragon is
Supposed to look like. 

My attempt... more times that
I care to admit. 

I would post Origami things, but my creative streak has come to a halt.   Possibly because I have been tackling the Ancient Dragon...   240 some steps of pure misery and joy!   I have attempted it multiple times and it never comes out the way it is pictured in the book.   ( When I actually finish it!)  Normally it takes 3 days of heart break to complete something that almost looks like a dragon.  I would say instead of an elegant folded sculpture it looks more like a crumpled ball of tissue paper!

But still rough around the edges. 

An earlier version...  somewhat
successful. 

It is easy to get frustrated and have it ruin your day.  Especially since several of SATOSHI KAMIYA's Steps are challenging to decipher.   Perhaps some day I will watch the three and a half hour video of how he does it.   And... I could always use better paper!

Lastly,   The White house Briefings have been a Hoot for us. I may like the way the President is handling things,  but the Libertarian in me has had to cringe more than a few times during this entire fiasco. Not just the way the President is handling it. ( I do believe he is doing the best he can at the moment)  But the Press and other politicians are more than happy to use this opportunity to grab more money and more power.

What the Government deems
"healthy!" 

Case in point:   Children!   Seems Parents are SHOCKED when they discover that they have to feed their own kids now that they are not eating in school.  ( If that statement did not make you laugh out loud in disbelief....  I worry for the country.)  Yes!  Parents.   Seems they know how to MAKE the kids..  But are totally confused on how to feed and take care of them without government run schools..   ( Again...  Laugh!  Because it is ridiculous!)

Mom's cooking was not very
great...

I was raised in a day when either we fed ourselves or Mom made some tasteless gruel that was horrible, but satisfying.  We also found things to do whenever there was a "School Free" day. ( which there were none....)  Parochial schools do not have teacher's strikes, government shut downs, or pandemics as reasons to close.  ( Pandemics are "acts of God!"   Fire and Brimstone.... stuff like that.) The learning never stopped  no matter what!

Life is the hardest teacher...
And Professor Zieger...

But ever since the Government... (YOUR TAX DOLLARS!)  has taken over the raising of the children and the feeding of the Children ( Again!  YOUR TAX DOLLARS) ,  the people who SHOULD be doing those things have relinquished control...  fully satisfied that someone else is raising and feeding their kids.  Heck,  Why even come home at all?   Those people are just genetic material donors.   The Government is now your Mom and Dad...  (Or just Mom, as Dads have been pushed out the door years ago....)  And those of us who have no kids for whatever reason are forced to flip the bill. 

Well we now see where Government fails.   Turns out when the money runs out or something big happens... your kids are just not very important anymore.   Hey!  At least they give them back.  You only had to feed them for two weeks... and already you are complaining?   Should have thought of that before making them in the first place.

Me, my brother and My dad...   Though we had a boat...

Ok... a bit of a rant.   Most parents are fine and actually take care of their kids.  I'm not talking about them.  If my Mom and Dad were stuck home with me and my brother... we would go fishing.   We would play games.  Mom would cook for all of us.  Dad would fix something around the house.   OR   most likely.... we would sit around the Television and watch TV for hours.

How we would have spent our time at home...

  We were used to each other's company because we did that every night.   Under the same roof...  eating at the same table.   Perhaps this moment will show people what it was like back in the day... and maybe show them that things were no all bad.  Perhaps  things like Family time was actually a GOOD thing..  for both Kids AND parents.  Because,  for all their flaws. ( Oh!  There were LOTS!  Trust me.) .. I probably had the best parents in the world. Or at least "pretty good" parents....  in the neighborhood at least.  More family time, less Work Time makes for a stronger America.  My opinion.    Sorry for the rant... thanks for stopping in.