December 10, 2011 · 5:00 am

Bibliophilic Blather Redux, The Globe, GIMP, and Other Miscellany


I’ve made the big time again.  Twice in two weeks!

Karen Wojcik Berner, author of A Whisper to a Scream (Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble), has once again highlighted one of my pieces for her popular Flash Fiction Friday blog.

Last week was my Christmas tribute to Edgar Allan Poe, in which a sales clerk met an untimely end.  This week is the inevitable sequel—the solving of the crime as if written by Mickey Spillane (with a good dose of humor in the mix, of course).

The Globe—On Monday I announced the upcoming release of my latest murder mystery, The Globe, and displayed a couple of prospective book covers I threw together.  Those two covers were universally panned, so I’m teaching myself GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) and seeing if I can come up with a better design before resorting to hiring a graphic design artist.  Hopefully I’ll have something to show by next week.  If not, I’ll be shelling out a few bucks to get it done correctly.

As for GIMP, so far I’m impressed.  It appears to have many of the features I’ve grown accustomed to in Adobe’s Photoshop Elements, but with one vitally important difference—GIMP is FREE!!!  As often as Photoshop Elements gets upgraded (you can go broke trying to stay with a current edition), that’s a very important consideration.

Unfortunately, GIMP also appears to be far more sophisticated than am I, and the learning curve is rather steep.  If I can get a grasp on this program, I’ll be reviewing it in a future photography blog.

And, one other thing before I go.  I have a very demanding cat named Max.  Max knows he’s beautiful, and he likes showing off.  He’s been after me to post his picture.  So, here’s Max saying, “Hi,” to all his new fans:

My name's Max. I like nature (fish & birds), piña coladas, and long walks on your back when you're trying to sleep.

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Filed under Author, Humor, Writing

December 9, 2011 · 4:00 am

New in Collection—Yeah . . . It’s Another Walther


But this is a fairly rare one.  First, it’s a true West German-made version of Walther’s iconic PP-series—in this case the PPK/S.  Second, it’s chambered in  .22 LR (5.6mm).  The only thing rarer would be one chambered in .25 ACP (6.35mm ).  And finally, this one comes with the original Interarms case, factory target, owner’s manual, and tools.  You won’t find that combination very often.

We’ve discussed the PPK/S and PPK before, but those pistols were chambered for the .380 ACP and .32 ACP.  And as you’ll recall from that blog article, the PP-series was originally designed for the .32 ACP.  All other subsequent chamberings were afterthoughts to the original intent of the design.

Being a used gun, this one has seen a bit of wear and shows traces of neglect.  I’ve pointed out some of the flaws in the photographs below.  But don’t fear.  There’s a rebluing in this gun’s future.  After that it should regain much of its lost luster.

Just for fun, I also included a comparison photograph next to a Walther P99c AS—the compact version of Walther’s incomparable P99 with it’s revolutionary AS (Anti-Stress) double-action/single-action trigger set in a polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol.  These two weapon designs are separated by sixty-four years of progress (the P99 was designed beginning in 1993 came out around 1997 or so).

The original Walther PP came out in 1929, followed by the smaller PPK version in 1931.  The PPK/S variation dates back to 1968, and is basically a PPK barrel and slide mounted atop the larger PP frame.

I’m so far very happy with this addition to my collection.  I’ll be even happier, I’m sure, when I get to actually fire it and after I’ve had it reblued.

And here are the obligatory photographs:

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December 7, 2011 · 4:00 am

Fredericksburg and the San Antonio River Walk


Thanksgiving found Ursula and me in San Antonio visiting our very good friends and former next door neighbors Kathy and Gary Burkholder and Kathy’s mother, Mrs. Florida, who was also visiting.  And what an incredible and fun visit it was.  For once I was relegated to sous chef status, gladly relinquishing executive chef duties to Kathy.  Together, we came up with some pretty good chow, I do believe.  Throw in Ursula’s famous homemade cranberry sauce made with Grand Marnier and nobody leaves the table hungry.

Gary had to work on the Friday after Thanksgiving, so Kathy, Ursula, Mrs. Florida and I took drive up to the quaint town of Fredericksburg—an old German settlement that seems lost in time, pleasantly stuck in that marvelously nostalgic period of small town America dating between the late 1800s to the Roaring ’20s.  One half expects Robert Preston (The Music Man) to come marching down the street at any moment, proudly leading seventy-six trombones in the big parade.

Fredericksburg also has the distinction of being the home of the National Museum of the Pacific War.  If that seems odd, considering Fredericksburg’s distance from salt water, it shouldn’t.  Fredericksburg’s most famous resident was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (for whom the Nimitz class aircraft carrier was named).

Another adventure was our nighttime excursion to view the Christmas lights along the famous San Antonio River Walk.  If you’re in San Antonio during the holiday season, this is simply a must-see event.  Bring your camera and study up on available light photography.  You’ll be glad you did.

This particular evening we also stumbled upon a wedding party.  The happy bride was very gracious in allowing me to take a quick snap of her, all smiles and absolutely resplendent in her magnificent wedding dress.

But what would a Wicker travelogue be without the pictures?  Boring, that’s what.  So, don’t be bored.  Here you go:

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Filed under Photography, travel