For the Birds

Friday's task: beaks.

Delicate dabs with the brush bringing a cataclysm of color could not be constrained to the task at hand ...







Indeed, while Alien One continued work on her beak, Alien Two moved to the ubiquitous acorns that adorn our lives.


Of course rarely do we end where we expect, and Friday's painting extravaganza was no different.



As with all things Squirrel King, concept and technique evolved, and pretty soon a more hands-on approach was being taken.






Not to be outdone, Alien One continued the evolution, getting her feet into the job ...









Meanwhile, the serious work of coppering Robin's papier mache shower head began in earnest while the Aliens cleaned up.

Water to come very soon.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Papier Mache Shower stall - a work in progress

Dear Reader,

Although not yet finished, I feel that I owe you a glimpse of the progress already achieved on our famed lion's claw feet shower stall ...

It all began with tightly packed paper-bag handles, glued
together with our celebrated coagulant of choice: papier-mache.
A task that resulted in paragons of strength upon which our plastic water-container reinforced papier-mache base now rests. The base itself - an object beautiful in it's own right - has since been enhanced by Alien Two's lovingly applied base layer designed to mimic aged yellow porcelain.

Blue flowers and bronzing of the feet are still to follow but we're getting close! And I have some wild ideas for water :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS (not for the squeamish) For those worried about my ear, rest assured I am now on steroids to open the canal from an obstructing polyp. This advent has left me daydreaming of muscle building side-effects, though the Trouble and Strife is more concerned by the potential acceleration of my receding hairline.

PPS And in other news from the arena of the unwell, I live in fear of each day's break, with both Aliens, and the Trouble and Strife having spent recent days driving the porcelain bus.

A Hole in My Ear ...

Dear Reader, I had hoped this post was to share with you the lion's feet shower stall. Unfortunately, life has intervened.

Witness, my Vincent Van Gough look.

The look has since been Squirrel-Kinged by the redoubtable Dr. Dorothy Wang, an ear specialist, who after examining well past my infection-ruptured ear drum was unfairly rewarded by Yours Truly passing out on the floor of her office.

Later, Alien One put to the Trouble and Strife, the delicate issue of my longevity in this world. She was summarily reassured "hopefully ... for a while".

Before further time could be devoted to such secondary issues as my own mortality, there was a knock at the door, heralding the arrival of Alien One's much anticipated pink two-wheeled razor scooter. ... Oh how quickly secondary issues of the day fade into oblivion.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS Stay tuned for the lion's feet shower stall.

The Nature of Peril?

Is it really a just bad dream, and if so for who?

Things certainly don't look good for the pipe-cleaner bound squirrel below, but then Alien Two's foot might actually be on it's way to the rescue. It's hard to tell, especially considering the reputation the Aliens have when it comes to squirrels.

Stay tuned and keep gathering clues.









Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

(PS hope you like the first frame grab we've shared).

A Headcold ...

... can sometimes feel like an insurmountable concrete wall, but it's really all a matter of perspective. Remember this image.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Township of ....

Remember that forest we were building a while back? Not the cardboard one, the one of paper and wire, the one that never got covered in leaves.

Well spring came early ...

After moving past the Trouble and Strife's veto of green cellophane and felt (deemed to "wedding decoration"), I finally returned to Mother Nature's own inspiration, the ubiquitous toy train fallback: lichen.


Alien One had a swing for joy on an investigative walk around the neighborhood while Alien Two and I took notes about houses. Then Alien One picked up the Stanley Knife and








scissors, and got started on the construction of our own township.

Christmas lights will glow from inside, though Justus, my co-conspirator is more focused on seeing flames lick out the windows.

More soon.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS does anyone have a name for our little town?

2011: Year of the Squirrel!

Do not be mislead by contrary popular belief, 2011 is not the year of the rabbit. Consider: what is a squirrel with rabbit ears ....


Can everyone please repeat the following word after me: "disguise".

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Aliens visit a Winter Wonderland

Battling her way through an impenetrable snow drift ..


Alien Two found the Trouble and Strife doing the funkadelic snow dance. Minutes later all energies were redirected into some serious sled run construction ...

and two hours later Alien One took to the newly formed slope
putting gravity on planet earth through the most rigorous of tests.









A quick sojourn to the Art Institute in Chicago followed for some fresh perspective on the world (that's Alien Two and the Trouble and Strife huddling under the view-distorting giant steel bean), and so our winter wonderland diversion rounded out.



Now, the time for play is done. We've returned to sunny La La Land and the serious task of constructing our own brave new world.

Long live the Squirrel King!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims