Monthly Archives: May 2021

Have a Safe Weekend

Posted on May 28, 2021 | Comments Off on Have a Safe Weekend

Lots of reasons to celebrate this weekend: 25 years ago this week, myself, an ex, three cats, and a savannah monitor crossed the Rocky Mountains to set up house in Portland, Oregon. (The celebration came in escaping Portland 18 months later.) This weekend, we’ve got the Carnivorous Plant Weekend going on at the gallery: 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Saturday, May 29 and 10:00 am to 4:00 on Sunday, May 30. Oh, and keep an eye open for further upcoming events, because this summer is going to get odd.

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Enclosures: “Verdigris” (2021)

Posted on May 27, 2021 | Comments Off on Enclosures: “Verdigris” (2021)

Contrary to popular opinion, the Nogha energy conduits are not the only known examples of attempts to tap or shunt energy between our universe and others. In the Yannazzo system (287663/Blue/NNYTXSW), recent exploration of the fourth rocky world of that system uncovered an otherwise completely unencountered example of an energy conduit, with energy leakage leading to a 100-kilometer area supporting a breathable atmosphere and optimal temperatures for Earthlike life forms. On a world otherwise averaging temperatures more inclined for frozen methane, this is surprising enough. Odder, though, is that this new energy conduit seems to be collecting residual energy from an otherwise dead or dying universe, with the likelihood of Yannazzo IV freezing solid within another 1000 Earth years unless the energy conduit can be shifted to another access point. The likelihood of discovering how within the time the planet has left depends upon popular sentiment and political will, and considering that this is just another mystery in a galaxy overloaded with them, the research base set up to understand how this conduit works is always prepared to pack up and leave at any time.

Dimensions (width/height/depth): 18″ x 24″ x 18″ (45.72 cm x 60.96 cm x 45.72 cm)

Plant: Nepenthes “Rebecca Soper”

Construction: Glass enclosure, polystyrene foam, vacuum-formed plastic, found items.

Price: Commission

Shirt Price: Commission

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Have a Safe Weekend

Posted on May 21, 2021 | Comments Off on Have a Safe Weekend

Okay, so the weather report for Saturday keeps getting worse, with thunderstorms over the entire afternoon: the Triffid Ranch tent can handle rain, but not hail and certainly not the possibility of tornadoes, so the planned Frightmare Collectibles cameo regretfully has to be cancelled. At least next weekend’s Carnivorous Plant Weekend is indoors, eh?

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State of the Gallery: May 2021

Posted on May 19, 2021 | Comments Off on State of the Gallery: May 2021

As it’s been since first moving here 41 years ago, the only certainty about May in Texas is that no two Mays will ever be alike. Oh, they’ll rhyme: May 2021 is an ongoing series of torrential thunderstorms and impending tornadoes like 1982 and 2007, with the likelihood of regular deluges all the way to August. At least, that’s the unspoken hope, because a hot, lush, and sticky summer in Dallas is preferable when the sticky is from humidity and not molten metal adhering to every surface. We’ll see what June and July bring to the table, but the odds of rhyming with the heatwaves of 1980 and 2011 fade with every storm between now and August 1.

At the gallery, the vibe is similar. May 2021 has been the biggest month in the gallery’s history, with a truly spectacular number of enclosures going out the door, and we still have two shows to go. For those who missed out on the May 1 outdoor event at Frightmare Collectibles in Justin, May 22 is the makeup date, starting at 11:00 am and running until everyone decides to go home. The weekend after that, though, will be the first two-day open house in gallery history, opening on Saturday, May 29 from 4:00 to 9:00 pm and then again on Sunday, May 30 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. And after that, we rest for a bit.

After Memorial Day weekend, it’s back to Porch Sales at the gallery, at least until June 19. That’s when the Triffid Ranch hits the road and heads to Austin for the Oddities & Curiosities Expo. After that, things honestly depend upon available events: one way or another, we’re finishing off the summer with the return of Texas Frightmare Weekend on the weekend of September 10.

And one last note: with schedules rolling and shifting all over the place, one show had to be jettisoned. Originally, the plan was to go to Dallas Market Hall for Aquashella Dallas, but after two cancellations, the only time available for two dear friends’ wedding was on Halloween weekend, and they have to take precedence. Besides, how often do you get to be best man at your best friend’s wedding?

And on that note, time to get back to work: between commissions and new pieces, it’s time to go to town on new enclosures. Keep an eye out for new enclosures and new backstories: this is going to be a busy summer.

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Have a Safe Weekend

Posted on May 14, 2021 | Comments Off on Have a Safe Weekend

In a better universe, Joey Ramone will be celebrating his 70th birthday next Wednesday, surrounded by friends, fans, and music awards, preferably at a monster party at the newly renovated CBGB’s. With Morrissey bussing tables and snaking out the toilet. We don’t live in that better universe, and while I’m not going to stop looking for a way there, making this universe a little better every day is just as good.

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The Aftermath: Mother’s Day 2021 Porch Sale

Posted on May 11, 2021 | Comments Off on The Aftermath: Mother’s Day 2021 Porch Sale

As is pretty much the case for North Texas in May, the weather forecast was dire. Saturday was an afternoon and evening of winds high even for Dallas, with airport warnings blaring every 15 minutes. Saturday evening, the prediction for Sunday was even worse: “thunderstorms, torrential rains, up to baseball-sized hail, and a chance of Tom Cruise and/or Ted Cruz climbing into your bedroom and staring at you in the dark all night while whistling the theme to Dark Shadows.” For those planning any kind of event outside on Sunday, things looked grim.

As is also the wont of North Texas in May, a massive north front hit the Dallas area around 1:00 in the afternoon…and broke to pieces. That is, bystanders literally watched as this front of gloom and woe evaporated before our eyes. The only change from before to after was a delicious drop in temperature, with some of the best Mother’s Day weather in decades. It was perfect weather for getting out, and everybody got out while the getting was good.

Sadly, because of an explosion in commission requests, there won’t be a Porch Sale in May 17, but that’s mitigated by another Frightmare Collectibles event in Justin on Saturday, May 22 to make up for the weather cancellation on May 1. That in turn is followed by our first-ever two-day open house on Memorial Day Weekend. If you can’t make one, you have two others. And now you know.

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Posted in Events, Gallery, Things to Do in Dallas When You're Dead

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Have a Safe Weekend

Posted on May 7, 2021 | Comments Off on Have a Safe Weekend

No kids and Caroline has a show this weekend, so festivities consist of a Mother’s Day Porch Sale on May 9 from 10 am to 4 pm. See you there.

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“A man on the move, and just sick enough to be totally confident.”

Posted on May 7, 2021 | Comments Off on “A man on the move, and just sick enough to be totally confident.”

Along with everything else that’s going on, it’s time to note that this little WordPress word salad turns a full decade old on Sunday, May 9. As with a lot of other things in my distant past, had anyone told me in 2011 what things with the Triffid Ranch were going to be like in 2021, efforts to check that person’s sanity, preferably with an oil dipstick, would have been necessary. Thanks to everyone who stuck with this little road trip for all these years, and fond memories of those who fell off, for various reasons, since that start. Now let’s make plans for 2031, starting with arranging for more events this month.

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International Carnivorous Plant Day

Posted on May 4, 2021 | Comments Off on International Carnivorous Plant Day

Well, it’s finally here. International Carnivorous Plant Day runs all day on May 5, and expect to see Triffid Ranch exclusives later in the evening. With a holiday like this, who needs birthdays?

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