I realized while out on the water, that I had not set foot (or rather butt) on a dragon boat since he died.

His death wasn’t the reason (per se) that I didn’t go back. In addition to the triathlon training, about the time I thought I might be able to go back, I was dealing with the illness, mental issues and traumatic death of my mother.

While out on the water, I thought about Ben; I thought about him a lot.

I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to go back, but I did. I don’t know if I will ever want to steer the dragon again (that is just too intimately tied to Ben and can’t imagine anyone but him coaching me to do so) but it was good to be back.

We do this drill called “hookey”; Despite the fact that someone different was calling it out, I could hear Ben’s voice. (he was so funny when calling it out)

I wanted to laugh and I wanted to cry. (I have tears streaming down my face as I type this)

Today, I finally sanded, dragon decaled and varnished my dragon boat paddle, a project that Ben and I were going to do together.

It was November 10th of 2008, while driving back from Eastern Washington that I got the news that my friend and Dragon Boat Steering Coach Ben died the Saturday before.

He was steering the boat at practice when he had a massive heart attack. They were very close to the dock and the paramedics arrived right away.

They could not revive him and he was pronounced dead at the hospital an hour later.

I can’t imagine how terrible it must have been for my friends, my team to watch one of our most beloved members and coaches die.

I think I hurt for them the most.

I felt guilty for not being there. Although it was said that the heart attack was too massive for anyone/anything to help, I still felt guilty for not being there to do my medic thing and even more so, because I was not there for my friends.

Between the ten hour shifts and commute and training for my triathlon and the STP, dragon boating was the part of my life that got let go. On the week days that I actually got home in time for a practice, I was too exhausted to go. Weekends were spent logging long hours on the bike, swimming or running.

I kept saying that I was going to find the time/energy to go back, and each time I didn’t.

Ben certified me to steer the dragon boat and at one time when I was having a melt down because I did not feel experienced enough to handle a task I was given (in the conditions location it was being held in) and be responsible for the safety of the crew. I had Ben take over my boat and I left the event in tears feeling that I had failed everyone. He gave me a couple of days and then let down his gruff exterior and let his true loving nature show.

Ben was only 61 (at least I think so-the article I wrote on dragon boating last year listed him as 60)

Ben had an infectious grin and made everyone around him smile and laugh.

He was a good coach, and good friend and a good person.

He will be sorely missed.

I was told that at the following Sunday’s practice, the other association’s team paddled alongside our boat (which was three deep in each seat rather than two) out to the flagpole at the end of the waterway and both boats did Bens “salute” with the paddles.

Later, there was a memorial event for him on the water, dragon boat teams from Portland Oregon and Seattle came to Tacoma to participate and honor Ben, who touched the lives of so many.

Once again, life reminds me that we never know when our last moment on this earth will be.

We never know when we may see someone for the last time.

We should treat every day is if it were our last and love and cherish those we care about.

Paddles up Ben.

Paddles up!

~L

Earth Day 2012 has been a big deal for me.

The whole rebirth thing is reverberating strongly for me this spring.

Friday, I staffed a booth at the University of Puget Sound for their Earth Day Event. Saturday, I was at work advocating for local, sustainable, healthy food.

Yesterday, I just had to plant a tree in honor of Earth Day (well, and because I like to dig in the dirt

Considering that since I bought this place two years ago, I’ve planted nine fruit trees (cherry, apple, plum, peach, pear) two nut trees (hazelnut), five ornamentals (flowering cherry, dogwood, ash and one edible ornamental pollinator (crabapple) I’m kind of running out of space.

But there was one spot in front that would shade the front porch which has a Southwest exposure and gets hit hard by the summer sun and heat that just begged for a pretty tree.

I chose an Indian Summer crabapple (beautiful, just the right size, small edible fruit, provides food for wildlife, pollinates apples) which unlike the Sugar Tyme I have planted in the back yard which has pink buds opening to white flowers, has stunning red flowers.

Isn’t it pretty?

I also had clumps of day lilies given to me by my neighbor Steve when I first bought the place two years ago (he dropped off clumps before I even moved in) that were getting crowded.

So I thinned them down to two reasonable size clumps.

This left me with TEN good size clumps to relocate.

I decided to plant them in the parking strip out front in between the flowering cherry trees. I want to eventually reclaim that strip from lawn to garden and this is a good start.

You can see that the Kwanzan Flowering Cherry trees are just starting to bloom. Aren’t they lovely?

I couldn’t leave the fairy garden out of the fun, so I picked up some pretty and fragrant carnations to put out there.

I have more garden photos from this season on my Flickr’ page.

(if the slide show doesn’t embed or you prefer to click on individual pictures, you can view the photos by making with the clicky clicky here)

I also managed to sneak in some time at the dog park with Frodo the Wonder Corgi.

We had beautiful weather, and it was a great day to honor the earth.

~L

It became apparent that I was not going to be able to heal while dealing with the corporate job I was working at the time.

So I did the insane (but only sane thing I could do) thing, paying for COBRA insurance and turning in my two weeks notice.

It was a very scary, stressful time even before adding in two surgeries and recoveries.

I often doubted the decision I had made, doubted myself, and wondered if I’d find work in this economy once I was ready to look again.

There was a time, late in the winter when many, if not most of us battle Seasonal Affective Disorder when I was in significant pain, during which I battled some mild depression. (this is when I started posting my “daily gratitude” each day, which helps a lot)

What it boiled down to is that I had to trust in the universe; I had to trust in myself. I had to take that risk, because nothing will show you what does and doesn’t matter in your life, like the possibility of losing it.

I also made other changes. Changes in my diet (getting off the holiday food and back to healthy real food) not going to alcohol centered events or hanging out with people who habitually drink to excess, avoiding people who added unreasonable stress to my life, getting back to my art, learning new arts, and of course (once healed) easing back into a regular workout schedule.

When I was finally healed enough to consider working again, I made my intentions known to friends (and the universe) as to what I was looking for.

I did not want to be back in the corporate world, nor to deal with unhappy/unpleasant people stuck in a cubicle all day. I did not want to commute, I wanted to work right here in Tacoma again so that I could spend those wasted commuting hours with my animals and in my garden/farm. I wanted to ride my bike to work.

Most important, I wanted to do something that I loved, not something that I put up with because I thought I needed a certain amount of money/benefits, and I wanted to work with nice, happy people working towards a common goal.

First, an environmental non-profit organization that I have volunteered for over the years contacted me about a part time job they had just gotten a grant for. It was a perfect fit. I am now working with students and interns at Puget Creek Restoration Society helping to conserve and protect one of three salmon bearing streams in the city of Tacoma, and preparing them (the students and interns) for jobs in the environmental science field.

Next, I was made aware of another opportunity to “manage” (I like to refer to it as coordinating) the Tacoma Proctor Farmers’ Market, another part time opportunity doing something that I feel strongly about; promoting sustainability and supporting local farmers, healthy eating and building community.

So here I am, with the best of all worlds. (and full time work to pay the bills)

Educating, protecting/restoring the environment, and promoting sustainability, fresh healthy food and local farms.

I am riding my bike to work (well, OK…. not on days that I have to schlep booth displays around). I’m working here in Tacoma-no nasty commute wasting time I could be spending playing with my dog, working in my garden or creating art.

I am working with great people who love what they do and are passionate about it; and I feel good about what both organizations stand for and what they do.

No, I’m not going to get rich doing this, but since I’m big on living sustainably, am willing to be a bit more frugal. (and if I want extra cash, I’ll just have to pitch more magazine articles and/or do more performances)

I did not reinvent myself.

I decided to be true to myself.

I came back full circle, and couldn’t be happier.

I want to thank those who kept their eyes and ears open for opportunities, those who provided references for me, and most of all, those who supported me and held me up when I doubted myself.

~L

From The Life and Times of A Wild Celtic Rose

In November of that year, my beautiful (and huge) old pear tree blew down in a violent wind storm.

Since then, this “forgotten” part of the yard, not sunny enough to support garden beds or fruit trees (and still a battle ground for the dreaded clematis vines trying to regrow) has been left in neglect other than two marionberries being trained to grow up trellises on the back garage wall.

Until lately.

It started out innocently enough with three shade loving rhododendrons in the far corner.

Then I learned that crabapple trees will tolerate less then full sun, so I got a good sized one (tall enough for the branches to get sun) and plopped it in the same corner.

Azaleas… Yeah, and Camellias… That’s what the corner needed as well.

Oooh, Cyclamen, Begonias (tuberus), Periwinkle and some Foxglove for the fairies were also perfect for this little corner.

I found this lovely bench…

I also scored a fabulous bird bath…

Then the fairies started moving in, which was just a matter of time, as they love the Hawthorne and foxglove and are said to ride Corgis at night.

Soon Hellebores and Fuchsias appeared (as did more fairies)

So did Tulips, Daffodils and Winter Heather (Heath) in the sunny areas around the Hazelnut tree…

It was apparent who was “running the show” out there, so appropriate signage was posted.

This tree ent arrived.

and his friend the Bay Laurel ent showed up on the other side of the yard for good measure.

The area had been transformed just in time for Spring…

All of the residents seemed quite happy to be there.

Except this one…

It became very clear that she was not a garden fairy. She was fierce, a guardian… a….

Gargoyle.

So she now watches over the entrance to my home in her rightful place.

If she deters solicitors and proselytizers, all the better

No worries, the back has not been let unguarded.

I am looking forward to hosting BBQs, teas and garden parties and watching this area bloom and grow.

~ L

I ordered ArtClay copper to play with before messing with PMC (Precious Metal Clay) as I didn’t want to make mistakes with silver (forget the gold, that’s way out of reach in today’s market)

One of the things that attracted me to that particular product is that unlike most copper or bronze clays which oxidize easily and need to be kiln fired in a container with activated charcoal, it can be torch fired.

I have a kiln I recently acquired on craigslist but I haven’t had time to test fire it yet. Also, it seems wasteful to fire up a kiln for one or two test pieces.

OK… and it’s fun to play with the torch.

The first thing I did was mold a couple of pieces that I wanted to cast in copper.

You can see the mold making process by clicking here

Unlike polymer clay, metal clay needs to be dried completely before being fired.

Here are the pieces after drying completely. You can allow it to dry naturally (usually at least 24 hours) with a hair dryer or in the oven at a temperature low enough so as not to melt the binder.

You can tell if it’s dry by setting the still warm clay on a glass or stainless steel surface. If moisture appears, the clay is still too wet to fire.

The super fun part it firing up the torch…

Butane is often recommended, but I use a propane torch as it burns hotter.

As the piece gets hotter it will start changing colors.

You want to get it to the red stage and hold it there for seven minutes. If the surface begins to blister or bubble it’s too hot and you need to back off on the torch.

As soon as you’re done firing (or even take the torch away for more than a second or two) it begins to oxidize, so you need to plunge it into a pickling solution and boil until the fire scale comes off and it looks like copper.

this made a huge, blue gooey mess in my stainless steel pan so I’ll be hitting thrift stores to find a “pickling pot” dedicated for just that use.

Next was trimming and burnishing the piece. Being lazy, I love using my dremel tool

After you dig all the scaly bits off, it’s time to polish.

One thing I did not have was a brass brush which I think would help a lot with the final detail work.

I’ve ordered that as long as a polishing kit for the dremel tool in order to finish this piece up.

Since I want to work with bronze clay, firing in the kiln (in a container of charcoal) is going to be a requirement.

As much fun as the torch is, it sure leaves a black, scaly mess on the metal which takes a lot of a work/hassle to get rid of. (of course, this won’t likely be an issue with the silver)

I learned a lot during my first experience with the metal clay, and am looking forward to experementing and playing with it more.

~L

I decided that I also wanted to play with precious metal clay and add some bling to the tiles after they are fired and glazed.

I searched all over Tacoma and could not find anyone who carried PMC or any other variation of it, so I had to order online.

I was excited and just couldn’t wait, so I pickd up some shiny Fimo and Sculpey Premo to practice my mold making.

I’ll likely be using plaster molds for my ceramic work once I create the designs I want to reproduce, but was excited to try the RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) silicone putty as it sets up fast and creates a permanent, flexible mold that not much will stick to.

Like epoxy, the two components are separate and need to be well mixed together. You have approximately three minutes to work with it before it starts to set.

I chose two very different pieces to mold so that I could determine how much detail the silicone picks up. One was a lovely pewter angel from my friend Michelle’s funeral. The other was a fire bird earring with extremely fine detail.

I also molded the special piece that I hope to add to the tiles, but that’s going to be secret until the tiles are unveiled at the event.

I mixed the putty, making sure not to leave any air bubbles, pushed in my test pieces and set the timer for 25 minutes. I ended up giving it an extra 5 minutes just to be safe, because the 25 minute time is based on a 70 degree air temperature and my living room was about 67 at the time.

I was extremely pleased with the results, especially the detail in the fire bird as the design was etched very finely.

The next step was to roll/knead the polymer clay until it was smooth and easy to work with and press it into the mold.

Once again, I was extremely pleased to see how much detail was picked up on the fire bird.

Next I trimmed up the pieces to remove the excess clay before baking.

Since I was using polymer clay rather than metal, I didn’t need to kiln or torch fire it; the pieces were just popped into the over between 235 and 250 degrees (depending on the brand) for the time listed on the package (minutes are per ¼ inch of thickness)

They came out nicely, even the super thin beak on the fire bird which I was worried might over fire even though I left it much thicker than the original.

Once they cooled, I used my dremel tool to clean up the edges…

and to buff the surface…

I’m quite pleased with the way they turned out.

Here are the two items (middle) with the molds and the finished polymer products.

I’m very happy with the performance of the RTV silicone for mold making. I’m also looking forward to creating my own pieces to mold; but for now, it’s handy to have different bits and findings to practice with. (I picked up a few fun shinies at Joanne’s yesterday)

I made these thicker than necessary, as I hadn’t worked with polymer clay before and was worried that I might break it after baking. The metal clay pieces will be much thinner as well as a bit smaller as shrinkage when the binder burns off is 10 – 30 percent depending on which product you use.

I’m anxiously awaiting the mail delivery as my copper clay is scheduled to arrive today.

Next up… torch firing metal clay…

~L

Today is the day in which everyone claims to be “Irish” for a day. (Oh, did you know that St Patrick is believed to have been of Welsh descent?)

It’s a day where many of the self proclaimed Irish go out and drink too much and often behave like idiots. Much like New Year’s Eve, St Patrick’s Day is often considered “amateur night” due to the sheer volume of drunken idiots out getting their party on.

Like New Years Eve, it’s certainly not a night I’d be out on the road risking my life driving with the idiots, especially not on a night when I have things to do the next day.

And then there’s the big debate (OK, it’s a big debate in some circles) as to if the alleged “snakes” that St Patrick supposedly drove out of Ireland really refers to the serpent symbol favored by the druids as he helped (forcibly) covert the country to Christianity.

I know many good pagan folk that boycott the holiday because face it, driving the earth centered religion out of the land isn’t a very nice thing to do so why “celebrate” it? (Hmmm, sounds a bit like US Thanksgiving doesn’t it?)

I know many peace loving people of Irish descent who wear red to protest the blood shed by religious war in Ireland and do not participate in the activities.

I know other people who wear Orange on the day in support of Irish Protestants.

It’s not only a holiday in which people often over indulge, but it is one that has some serious social, political and religious issues attached to it.

I’m becoming a fan of the term “Irish Day” rather than “St Patrick’s Day”. Although I am of Irish descent (and Scots and Welsh among others) I am not Catholic (nor Christian) and the only “saint” I have any relationship with is Brigid who was a Goddess long before she was canonized, and her flame is still tended in Kildare Ireland. (Interestingly enough, by nuns)

I wear green, not to choose a “side” but because I don’t necessarily want to be pinched. (oh, and I’ve been told it looks good with my hair color) and because, hey why not appreciate it for the Americanized celebration it is.

I often run in the Tacoma and (bigger and crazier) Seattle St Paddy’s Day races, which are about community and tradition (and good healthy fun/earning one’s beer) and attend Celtic festivals in Seattle and Tacoma.

I’m going to celebrate “Irish Day” and let everyone else celebrate (or not) as they see fit. (much like I celebrate US Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks and share with friends rather than pretend that atrocities were not committed against the first nations people)

I enjoy Celtic music and a Guinness as much as anyone. Two years ago, I walked to my neighborhood pub to listened to some music, drank a Guinness (no sitting, it was standing room only), realized that it was too loud/noisy/crowded to talk to anyone or get another beer without waiting for an hour, went home early (did I mention that 5:00 AM wakeup call?) and and watched “The Secret of Roan Inish”

For the last two years, I decided to forgo the crowds and am instead hosting a small gathering of local friends & neighbors to drink Draught Guinness (the fun kind in the can with the C02 cartridge that looks so pretty in the glass) eat home cooked pulled pork (way tastier and healthier than corned beef) some live music and perhaps we will also watch “The Secret of Roan Inish”, a truly charming Irish tale.

I hope everyone enjoys this day and that they do so responsibly; please don’t drink and drive and risk your life or the life of some innocent person on the road.

~L

Mood: Amused

~

As I was puttering around the yard on a rare dry and above 40 degree winter day, I discovered it on the sunny side of the house, next to the concrete basement wall, the warmest spot in the yard.

My first daffodil of spring!

Of course, the first blooms were my lawn crocus. The fall before last, I planted several dozen crocus and grape hyacinth bulbs around the Kwanzan Flowering Cherry trees in the parking strip. This fall, I planted about 80 more, so I’m hoping for a great display.

The front flower bed is a very busy place where more crocus are blooming, and hyacinth, daffodils and tulips are popping up

I got a little crazy today and decided to add some summer color by planting 3 peony, 8 Dahlias, 13 Asiatic Lillis, 30 Gladiolas and 50 Ranunculus.

The spring blubs (around 700 or so) already there will start with the crocus bloom in February then transition to the lavender, pink flowering dogwood, roses, summer bulbs and end with the Dahlias blooming through the first hard frost in the fall. It’s practically a mine field out there trying to walk more or less dig to plant anything, so I’m calling that flower bed full. I’ll be adding a few tulips and daffodils to the smaller bed on the other side of the front walk to compliment the lavender, roses and day lilies.

About a week and a half ago, I took advantage of another dry and above 40 degree day and ordered a load of Tagro. (it’s good poop) I got all the garden beds and containers out back weeded, cleaned out and topped off. I used the rest of it to top dress the blueberry bushes along the North fence.

This was after my friend Daniel helped me (helped means he did most of the work) put up a chain link fence to protect the garden from the dog and chickens.

I also pruned all the fruit trees and rose bushes and wrestled with the Loganberry bush to get it trained where I wanted it to go. I also relocated a Marionberry bush next to the other one which I’m training up trellises on the back of the garage.

While picking up fence material I scored a very inexpensive, big, beautiful Crabapple tree that still had berries on it, which is now budding out.

I also scored some rhododendrons, so now the boring corner of the yard will have fabulous color.

I’m also planning on adding a bird bath, some shiny things and making it the fairy corner since it’s so close to the Hawthorne.

Oh, meet my new assistant…. (he looks an awful lot like my friend Knut)

I have a few more photos available on my Flickr page

This is the best gardening start I’ve had this early in the year and I’m pretty darn happy about it.

~L

Many people get braces for the first time as adults; more often than I imagined, they get them for the second time.

In my case, I had braces when I was 15 and had them removed when I was 17.

A horse stepped on my retainer, the replacement didn’t fit quite right and I eventually just quit wearing it. (very common story, except for the horse)

Several years after that, my wisdom teeth came in and jammed my teeth together in my freakishly narrow jaw and my teeth became very crooked and ugly. I’ve hated my smile since my 20′s; that never stopped me from grinning like an idiot, but still….

I went years without orthodontic insurance.

When I finally had the insurance, I used it on braces for my step-daughter because that’s what you do when you’re a parent.

When I left my last job, I paid for COBRA benefits and made sure to take advantage of all the dental work I needed done. I had three crowns and some periodontal work.

Part of the reason for the periodontal work was the fact that trying to properly clean teeth that are so jammed together is difficult verging on impossible and eventually leads to gum disease (which can lead to heart disease).

After the crowns (a more painful procedure than one might imagine) and the root scaling, which IS as bad as it sounds, considering that a sharp, whirring, vibrating, cold water squirting device is jammed under your gums to scrape the roots of your teeth I got the added (surprise) bonus of my dentist and orthodontist deciding that my wisdom teeth (yes, all of them) needed to come out before I could get the braces put on.

After all of this was done, I was cleared to get the braces on.

Thankfully, they have come a long way since the days of full bands, brutal tightening, and [shudder] headgear which was the bane of all kids in the 70′s with an overbite.

The braces I have are Damon System braces which have the advantage of being “self ligating” meaning there are no wire ties to poke and cut the inside of the mouth or elastics that can trap food, bacteria and encourage the growth of plaque required to hold the wire to the brackets.

The brackets have little doors on them and the wires can slide freely which eliminates a good load of the friction and is supposed to be more gentle and faster than old traditional braces.

Instead of having someone grab the back of your wire and twist/crank until it feels like your teeth are going to pop out of your mouth, “tightening” is merely a new thicker wire. These wires have memory and pull the teeth into position.

It wasn’t bad having them put on. The staff at my orthodontist office told me to eat a good meal, as I wouldn’t want to eat the next day.

Yowza were they ever right!

Oh, I forgot to mention that after my wisdom teeth were removed, my back teeth no longer touched each other so “chewing” was a hilarious exercise in futility.

It was a miserable two weeks eating very soft food and cutting any solid food into teeny tiny pieces that I could shove into the back of my mouth as the front teeth hurt way to much to allow food to touch touch them. In addition to the front tooth on top that was jutting way out, being pulled back in, I have a spring on the bottom wire to push teeth apart to make room for a tooth that was forced up out of the jaw and back.

I have a rubber band running from the back teeth on the top of the left side of my jaw to the bottom in order to pull it out and correct a cross bite. For a little teeny thing, it sure causes a lot of discomfort. Chewing on that side is out of the question, so the only place I can put tiny cut up pieces of food is in the far back of the right side and “chew” on the farthest back two teeth which aren’t tied into the wire yet (the first two wires are too thin to withstand the pressure of eating without breaking)

Yeah, it’s been “fun”.

But it’s going to be worth it.

While having a smile I actually like again will be wonderful, I did this because I was going to lose teeth to gum disease if I didn’t take care of the crowding. I know a woman who is exactly my age here in the neighborhood who has full dentures. No thank you.

I’ll need to have some chips in the front teeth filed down; but after that, a good cleaning and maybe some bleaching, I think they’ll look pretty good.

More important, they’ll be real..

Here they are the day I got my braces on.

You can see what a big pull it is on the front tooth and the spring on the bottom (probably a hint of the elastic in the back as well)

From February 29, 2012

Here they are about a month later.

You can’t really notice much cosmetically yet, but there was a lot of movement of the cross bite and back teeth (the ones that are wired)

From February 29, 2012

Here they are with the slightly thicker wire, heftier spring. The bad front tooth is pulling down nicely and the cross bite is corrected (he’s having me wear the elastics though the next appointment so it doesn’t go back before the thicker wire goes on) The bottom tooth still isn’t ready to be pulled forward (it’s tied to the wire) until the teeth on either side of it push out just a bit more.

From February 29, 2012

I’m back to soft food for a few days because the new wire is making everything sore again.

This was considered a very gentle adjustment as the first wire was the thinnest one they have and the one on their now is the next thinnest.

At the next appointment the wire is going to go up several gauges and the bottom tooth will be wired in.

and that’s gonna hurt.

I’ve seen adults and kids with braces refuse to smile for the duration.

Not me, I’m grinning like an idiot.

Doing something for my health is nothing to be ashamed of. (and as much as I paid for these things even with insurance, I’m not about to hide them)

Besides… They take a few years off my appearance

From February 29, 2012

~L

It was the annual Wine Hog celebration which is always held the Saturday closest to Ground Hog Day (I’m just late getting the photos up)

Everyone brought a wine or a cheese for non-snooty non-blind judging.

We had an even 12 cheeses and 12 wines.

One of the important parts of Wine Hog is the table cloth which is brought out every year so that guests can sign and date it, draw on it, and write the odd dirty limerick.

The best poetry this year was Rick’s

Allen made his usual appearance carrying a big summer sausage. I think this has been a joke for over twelve years now…

He also brought the large white dog, Cody who along with my Corgi pup, Carmel’s fluffy Corgi (you can see her butt in the picture) made for an extra exciting evening.

Here’s Jim attempting to bribe the judges just before the final “wine off”vote…

Not conindicdentally, the winning wine was Jim’s California Cupcake Red Velvet, with Charle’s Sky River Raspberry Honey Wine as the runner up

Here his is getting his [cue announcer voice] Faaaabulous WineHog Prize…

the winning cheese was Knut and Alice’s Rondele with Rick and Tony’s Barber’s 1833 Cheddar as runner up.

And here they are getting their [cue announcer voice] Faaaabulous WineHog Prizes…

Special mention was the Trader Joe’s chocolate cheddar which could not be entered into the competition but scored very high.

The rest of the photos are here in a slide show.

If the slideshow doesn’t embed properly in your broswer, you can view them here in Flickr…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildcelticrose/sets/72157629114875740/

If you are friends with either me, Jim, Charles or Carmel on Facebook, there is a hilarious after hours “oink off” video there.

~L