The Rubber Card
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It appears that we're at the second year of double-fold cards. The rubber card this year was much tamer than it's been some times in the past, so I think we'll start with it!
Somehow, 2008 became the Year of the Wetsuit, and even more specifically, spelling considered, the WetZOOT! The creations of Zoot Sports may be intended as narrow niche aquatic products, but we know better than that, don't we?
The card's cover photo features the Zoot Zenith, the 2007 top of the line model. I couldn't resist its defined seams, and the manhugging tendencies can't be denied either. In the photo at right of their entry level suit, the bronze trio were definitely impressed! On these and most remaining photos, the link is of a larger and sometimes more inclusive view of the same image. |
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* * * WEB Extra * * * We've enjoyed watching the rebirth of an old friend in the hundreds of shoots from my biggest Katrina-downed Live Oak. The Live Oak Grove has been thinned now to just a dozen or two promissing young trees. Here I pose over the trunk of the old tree, surrounded by new growth.
Back to the 2008 Rubber Card! A new/reborn hobby got added to my retirement mix, and soon I found myself "engineering" a Garden Railway. This photo was taken very early in the Railway's exploratory Porch phase. |
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* * * WEB Extras * * * Yes, a pair of photos that "don't belong" in the Christmas Card Canon. But they're so warm and cuddly. Well, they're significantly cuddly. Before opening the sleeves and providing a codhole, this fun to look at suit would create swelled arms and crushed manhood after just a short period of wear.
Unlike the rather conservative ZOOT brand, the Aquaman brand tended to blazon their suits with some pretty extreme graphics: That's what attracted me to this suit, even though the only one available was two sizes below optimum!!
The Quilted Leatherjock has long been used for my essays into "exterior bulge management"! In this photo too one can plainly see the wetsuit's folded up sleeves (opened on their inner side). |
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One final pose towards the front of the imagined card. Snapfish only allows a thumbnail-sized photo on the fourth side of the card, but you get to see it full size! The caption for this photo was . . . Here's Rubbery Greetings to You!"
* * * WEB Extra * * * Actually, this could be seen as a good transition photo too. Discobolos (the statue) is one of the featured stops on the new Rubber and Rawhide Railroad. With me in leather harness, but rubber boots, cap and trunks, we're working out some engineering issues on trackage at the Discobolos Plaza. |
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The Leather Card
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You may be wondering about this photo, which made the cover of this year's Leather Card. Hidden under all of the trailing daisies is my Skeletal Stream. The stream has been made over, but this great "Suzuki Look" racing suit is actually cool to wear on the road!
Another recent find was a previously crashed suit made by Vanson Leathers. Based on the names sewn on the back, I'm at least the third owner. But it is in the Advent colors, I believe. This photo was made on the Zig Zag staircase of the newly-renovated Blow Fly Inn. One doesn't get to pose with the upper branches of a huge Live Oak that often! |
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The third photo on this year's Leather Card was made in my Tower Room. There's this big aluminum guy who lives up there, never known his name. Anyway, we got to talking the other day and someone took the photo. The suit was made by the London-based Lewis Leathers
The next photo, the fourth on the card, was taken on the Maltby Hall staircase by my office associate Jessie Thomas. The belted hem of the jacket section cunningly hides the two-piece nature of this Dainese designed suit. The eagle was painted by Marty Brazil, an artist who worked at Keesler AFB for many years. The card's main caption follows:
Season's Greetings to All ! |
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It's been some years since I featured a leather bikini photo on any of my cards. Perhaps some of you were hoping I had put away such vanities? * * * Web Extra * * *
It was a sweaty time to be building a new railroad, and the R&R RR is noted for its innovations in apparel! The front yard mainline was slightly more than half way to completion when the photo at left was taken.
The rear of the Leather Card featured a photo of Jupiter atop his Garden Terminus, situated at the peak of the Leather Oaks Live Oak Grove. In the photo, we're discussing his new rail service, even before the roadbed is complete. The caption read as follows: Jupiter and I spend some quality time on
the new Rubber & Rawhide RR! |
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