As You know, Yours Truly is a Lore Lover, especially in these sobering, non-sober holiday times.
Who does not enjoy heartening and soul-bracing tales of scrappy determination and struggles, peppered perhaps with physical harm and confrontations with wild animals.
Or the ingesting of same.
Animals, not others of said scrappy determination.
Resulting, of course, in a party.
YT is attempting to parallel The Donner Party, always referred to as ill-fated, with The Pilgrims Party.
Both were groups who dug travel and adventure. One ended not very well, the other better. Both groups probably had to eat raccoons and other things gleaned from Nature.
Just completed a piece for Buffalo Rising Mag about intrepid Mark Goldman and his newest book, City on the Edge, with cover art by rising art star Julian Montague.
Met up with Julian and Cynnie last week and Julian says his artwork prices are soaring and I am wondering if I should get one now.
Great other art news is that recently I discovered two prints in my possession from circa 1842 are authentic and have value in the art market and it's time to have them properly framed.
Speaking of frames, the New Era Cap Co. gave each and every attendee yesterday a goodie bag and who on this Earth doesn't dig a goodie bag. I ask You.
Inside were several little favours, including a doll-sized New Era Cap in a glass box, on a wood base, tied with a black ribbon. It is a keepsake.
Here is the big question du jour and tomorrow jour.
Would you prefer to be an Indian or a Pilgrim.
Or is that indian or pilgrim.
Shopped and did not find yesterday paper party hats of indian headdresses and pilgrim chapeaux. Sorely disappointed. But not that I looked très hard.
Time to wend and write and do.

Indian Love of Nature Love.

Today has been one of those eclectic days and so far one of the biggest highlights has been seeing the inside of the former gun turret at the former Fed Reserve Bank on Delaware Avenue in the Middling City.
I was hired by my pal Dana Marciniak, now of New Era Cap Co., to document the hoopla surrounding the grand opening of their new h.q. and jumped from tour group to tour group and discovered this turret-related fun fact, provided by the co's project manager in brown blazer-no ballcap.
Moments later I met the retail head, standing amongst a whole lot of demi-spheres that will soon be topped off with caps of all colours, teams, affinities. To be truthful, Yours Truly had no inkling of the enormity of this whole cap phenom, or that New Era is as astronomically international as they are.
In the CEO office, where I was tempted to sit on his chair as I've done on a few other photo shoots, just to get a whiff of what it feels like to be a Captain of Industry, I did see a ballcap designed by a rap star whose name escapes me, featuring a real-live diamond accenting the New Era logo.
In mere moments YT is off to photograph gingerbread house construction.
My goal on that particular shoot is to offer my services as Taster of Shutters.
Off to Gingerbreadville.

Ginger, candied Love.
*in honour of the one side dish YT insists on making, when possible, for T-G, trying to cram culinary tradition down the throats of others. Ginger Candied Carrots. Love them. Make them.