Wednesday, September 12, 2012

You Know What's Fun? Scaring People!

I startled or scared no less than three people on my way into work yesterday. 1 by accident, 2 on purpose. It was fun. Well, the on purpose ones were fun. The other one made me feel like a bit of a tool; you know how when you're riding up behind people on a path and have to decide whether to announce your presence (which sometimes makes them scatter in all directions) or just slide by quietly? Well, I misjudged on this one. Maybe I really should just get a bell.

Anyway, here, for your enjoyment, is a video showing me startle or scare three people:





Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Third Annual Rantwick Autumn Tree Smackdown!




Last years winner from JAT in Seattle

Attention, foliage fans, the Third Annual Rantwick Autumn Tree Smackdown, North America's premier fall-foliage-posted-on-an-obscure-website competition, is looking for your best tree pictures once more. Keep your eyes peeled and send your pics to my email address (rantwick at gmail dawt com) with the subject line "TARATS". Oh, and use the Like and Tweet links or that Google +1 thing on the left to tell your friends! I want to break last year's record of 18 trees in the smackdown. As always, I will enter the King of Autumn but can not win the contest.
 
For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, you may wish to review the many posts from the first and second years of my contest, or just read the following rules:
 
 
1) Your entry should should feature 1 or if necessary just a few trees featuring an obvious star-power tree. This is a Tree Smackdown, not a "forest face-off" or "copse competition".
 
2) Since I hope to continue to run this competition annually, your picture should be of a tree from this 2012 Autumn season.

3) Your picture should be one you took yourself. Including some information about where the tree is from in your submission would be appreciated.

4) Your tree can be from anywhere you like. PaddyAnne from Vancouver won with a tree from New York. If you snap it, you can send it.

5) Submissions are due by midnight, Dec 15, 2012 EST. I wait so long because many of my readers seem to come from the Southern (United) States.



 
I think I'm going to offer a new prize this year. Maple syrup is great, but I'm kind of tired of writing about it. Also, I am told a change is as good as a rest. As usual I am also undecided about how a winner will be selected at this time... I might just decide it all by myself. What do you think? Was the voting thing fun last year? Should I try to collect video votes again? Should I open voting up to the online masses and hope nobody finds a way to mess with the results? Any other bright ideas?
 
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K