Introducing a New Member of the Rantwick Clan

Some of you may remember that the Rantwick clan were the proud owners of a dog who I called my "customizer". I am sad to inform you that he met an untimely end last summer. He was still very young (about 18 months) and it has taken me this long to even feel up to writing about him at all. I have no desire to relay the sad details of his death online, so please don't quiz me about it. Here are a few links that feature him in one way or another:

Cycling Eyewear - Finding The Perfect Glasses

Without Sunglasses, I Fall Over

Customizer III - Revenge of the Customizer

Monday, Monday

Thank you for remembering him with me. I wanted to mention him before moving on to this happier stuff. There is a new dog in Rantwick town. He arrived in our home around Christmas. Here's a picture of him taken just yesterday:

Normally I crop away a lot of stuff, but there were so many colours and textures and patterns going on here that I left it alone because I thought it looked kind of cool...

Despite the fact that he is a Havanese, a breed from Cuba, being born in the winter seems to have given him a certain affinity for the white stuff. He enjoys burying his snout in the snow and snuffling around like a truffle-hunting pig...

Just as I never told you the Customizer's real name, I think I will continue the tradition... behold the dog to be known henceforth on RANTWICK as Snow Face!

Snuffle on, friends, snuffle on. Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

With Friends Like These...

I don't often have visitors from the outside world into my office, but it does happen now and then. That's why I was glad to spot this on an unopened printer box in there before anybody else did:

The culprit is my best friend at work. He does things like this. He's a good guy, but with friends like these...

Have A Wicked Awesome Weekend,

R A N T W I C K

Slow As Sap

Hey, remember the First Annual Rantwick Autumn Tree Smackdown? Remember how 3 lucky entrants won the awesome prize of a tiny bottle of the very best maple syrup I could find? Remember when I wrote "Congratulations you 3! Send a note to rantwick at gmale dawt cawm with your maple syrup shipping address and I will get to work."? Well, RTP, Big Oak and Paddy Anne all diligently supplied me with their addresses and I did get to work:

Those stubby tubes are from special light bulbs for photography we don't do much of any more. The longer box is from a neat thing my brother and his wife sent to the kids called a "drawdio" or Theremin. They all contain the same thing:

big picture, tiny bottle

Trouble is, that's where my work stopped. These three ready-to-go packages sit on my dining room table even as you read this. With God (or whatever floats your heartfelt pledge boat) as my witness, I'll get 'em shipped today.

Yer Pal,

 R A N T W I C K