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These pages are written in html for Microsoft Internet Explorer. Many parts will not display correctly with any other browser.

I have just been looking at some JavaScript code. This piece is supposed to let you know when my page was last updated:

Well, that worked alright. However, the digital java clock has been a real problem. Now it refuses to appear at all. If you can see what is wrong with the source code -- beats me! I can see that the main script should be in the "head" section of the source code. Then, the "onload" must be in the body, where it prints the "clockform". However, I cannot repeat "body" in the statement body onload="gettime()", because I already have a body for this page. Well I have tried it many different ways but can only get it to work on a page by itself at http://www.sentex.net/~oficserv/JavClck2.html. I found an error in the book text, so perhaps this clock will only work on a page by itself:

Hallelujah! The temperature managed to get above zero today. Although this will not please my friends who have made a beautiful smooth skating rink this year. Oh well, you can't please everyone.

This week at art class we began to mix colours. The exercise was the colour wheel. This was a very pleasant exercise. Beginning with two triangles, we formed a star. Then, the three alternate points we painted with the primary colours: red, yellow and blue. Next, we combined the primary colours on the alternate points, to make green, orange and purple. Joining the points made a circle, with spaces for the tertiary colours. These, in turn, were mixed with colour from the primary and secondary colours. Then we drew lines across the centre section which formed triangles for the colours which are made when colours from opposite sides of the wheel are mixed. These middle colours are subdued and could be used for shadows.

After that we began another still life. There was not much time left, so I decided to colour the monotone apple:

My efforts at a colour wheel and colouring the monotone apple.

Sunday 16th February 2003

Still dreadfully cold. Just walking across the road is painful on the face.

My movie this week was "Jungle Book Two". Usual delightful Disney cartoon. They managed to maintain the voices of the Beatles, as the goofy vultures, the velvet threatening voice of Kahn, the horrible killer tiger .. etc. I always enjoy cartoons. Was thinking about seeing "Chicago" - but eventually decided to save it for the video. Perhaps I have no imagination, but couldn't see a murder trial making an enjoyable musical. I had the same problem with Moulin Rouge: about a manipulated prostitute with tuberculosis, who eventually died. Not a happy situation.

Saturday 15th February 2003

The weather this month has been so terribly cold (continuing from January) that I have not even written until now. It is still about minus 20. I can only walk a short distance before my hands begin to go numb. This especially when I have to stop and take my gloves off to clean up after the dog. Although the sun shines with blinding brilliance, it has no warmth. The wind blows as though directly from the North Pole.

My natural gas and electricity bills have been at least one third higher than usual. The costs of gasoline, for the car, seem to increase every other day. I can see Canadians going the way of the unfortunate Russians at this rate. There is only so much inflation people can stand, particularly those on fixed incomes.

I was thinking about going south for a few days. This has been postponed because I have been advised to get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. Apparently these infections are most easily caught by casual contact. The blood tests took a week to check. I have had to buy the vaccine myself and will have to get it injected by my doctor.

On something more cheerful: I have been taking drawing and water-colour painting classes. These classes are very enjoyable. I don't claim to have any particular talent. Art is a pleasant way to exercise the right-brain. For the first class we did some drawing exercises. A good book to read is actually called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". On the second class we started washes and drawing with the brush. Here are a couple of my homework exercises in monotone. The poinsetta was particularly difficult. As you probably know, red and green look the same in monotone. Also the poinsetta pot was covered with a red foil, which I found very difficult. Beside each of my efforts I have put a photograph of the actual object. As you can see from the photographs, physically as well as philosophically, it is impossible to see something from the point of view of someone else! It is not a good idea to try to paint every single leaf on a plant. I start the exercise by making small washes of the colour, from dark to light, getting as many graduations as possible:

My water-colour exercises in monotone.

Thursday 13th February 2003

This morning I awoke with a headache and sore throat .. humidifier had run dry again. So, just spent a couple of hours doing battle with my drum-type humidifier. Thought I'd have a moan to you about it.

Usually I pay the repair shop to do this job for me - about $70. This year I decided to try it myself. Fortunately A did not do humidifiers, so I knew a bit about it. It has taken days to psych myself up. I kept looking at the beast, with its' horrible lime-encrusted interior. Today I soaked the hex nuts with Liquid Wrench and left it lying on its face while I went to the gym for a nice hot tub and a swim.

By the time I got back, the disgusting smelly Liquid Wrench had done its work on the rusted nuts. "Ha ha" I muttered, pacing around the beast .."You thought I wouldn't have the right size hex spanner, didn't you?! Well, I do." The nuts surrendered fairly easily. I took the beast's back off.

The interior of the beast was thickly encrusted with lime. (Our water is awfully hard here). Having put on safety-glasses, thick plastic gloves and a nylon overall, I soaked everything with disgusting smelly CLR. This took off a lot of the lime - and also some of the paint! .. but some lime still remains (even tho' I raked at it with a screwdriver). The drum and foam belt were thick with lime too. They had to be scrubbed and soaked.

While on the job I repaired the float indicator. Now at least the beast will not keep running when it's empty.

I do usually use white vinegar for the scale, in kettle or coffee-maker. However, the humidifier evaporates water so quickly (2 gallons each night) that the scale builds up to monumental proportions. I think the CLR (stands for Calcium, Lime, Rust) actually is a form of citric acid. It really smells dreadful. That's why I put off using it - which makes the job so difficult.

Oh well, that's done for another week. Now all I need is a Tylenol for the headache (the whole house smells of CLR, Liquid Wrench, WD40 and Pine) and my aching back! I'm not sure who won .. me or the beast. Thanks for listening.

Visit a site for many photographs of North American Birds and animals.

Rhona Raskin Home Page at http://www.rhona.com.