The Tale of Mark Klaus

Santa with Spaz the Iguana.  There's something special about having this happen in the office right next to me



This is Petey in the office on the other side of me.  



PETEY!  KEEP BATCHING GIFTS!  WHAT ABOUT THE AUDIT!



Look who got adopted today!  A 3 month old Pug/Jack Russell Terrier 



Tailgating at Conklin's Bar and Grill before the Bills/Titans game this past weekend, which is the best part of the game when they are losing...



Look at all of them empty seats...  Talking about teams that self-destruct, it's nice to see the Detroit Lions are going to personal foul their way out of a wild card playoff spot.  It's a new twist on an old disappointment.


That's all from Rochester.

Cat On a Hot Tin Ceiling

CAT ESCAPES INTO THE CEILING!  



Poor thing.  I had to stay late after work to help set a trap to catch her.  



Certainly not afraid of heights



Tailgating at Conklin's Bar and Grill/Illegal Motion before the Buffalo Bill's game.  



Panorama of Ralph Wilson Stadium 



THAT'S A LOT OF WHITE PEOPLE!  It was a "whiteout" for the Jets game.  The only white shirts I have are a dress shirt and a tshirt with a cartoon Bavarian pickle yodeling.  It seems that was the case with many people.  Probably would have been more successful if they would have gone with red or blue...



We've been looking for houses with a nice porch.  I never thought to look for a car with one...



How depressing is it that it is this dark when I leave work now?  How about this for a hot button election day issue: Daylight Savings Time 365 days a year? 


That's it.  

Upstate Living

TAILGATING AT RALPH WILSON!  Your choice of ribs, Philly Cheesesteak, pork tenderloin, a variety of brats and hot dogs, chicken, hamburgers, Buffalo Wings, and so much more.



Illegal Motion



When we made this walk last year for the Bills vs. Lions (a.k.a. Loser Bowl 2010 where they both tried to lose) we made this walk alone.  Amazing what a few wins can do!



I am now aware of breast cancer because I have seen so much pink.



Skydivers!  I think they jumped about 5 minutes early because he had the flag and all, but there was no national anthem.  They were talking about fan conduct or something on the PA and then he came onto the field.






The skydiver with the Bills flag missed the mark and crash landed.  Still, no national anthem...



Michael Vick about to have a really bad game.  Or as one sign read, "Awaiting a con-Vick-tion."



I'm not only a member of the Rochester Chapter of the Ruvell Martin Fan Club, but I'm also the president.  If you don't know who he is, he's the 5th wide receiver for the Bills and we went to the same high school in Muskegon, MI.  The last player I championed was Kyle Orton who later went on to QB both the Bears and Broncos until last weekend.  



It's not the first soldout Bills game I've been to, but it is the first one where people were actually in their seats watching the game and cheering.  Also, the first one I've attended that wasn't during a snow/rain mixture.



I hope it wasn't a long drive



Apple picking in Victor at The Apple Farm on 444



Where's the camera stick!



Fall in Upstate New York.  



Macoun or Cortland?  What am I, the scarecrow from Wizard of Oz?



Eve in Paradise picking apples.  Luckily for me, this Eve is really afraid of snakes.  We saw two this weekend and she almost had a heart attack.  



Apples by the bunches!



It's like living in a painting sometimes



Some kind of amazing tree.



So many apple trees.






This tree is struggling to hold all of them apples!



Bernardo's Pizza and Subs for lunch in Victor.  The pizza was really good and I'll have to get a sub the next time we're there because they looked awesome.  A great deal with huge portions.  The retro decor is amazing and I could look at all the old radios for hours.  



Still no salmon in the Irondequoit Creek.  None in Corbett's Glen either.  Last year, I missed seeing all the salmon coming up to spawn.  Now, it appears I'm too early.  If you see them jumping, let me know ASAP.  I can be at the creek in a matter of minutes!

Billy the Bill Will Take Over For Maybin At Linebacker And Already Has More Sacks

At first, you laugh because why would anyone want Billy the Bill mascot's autograph.  Then you realize, he was their best draft pick since 1983...



The Buffalo Bills have their training camp at St. John Fisher College, which is just down the road from us.



So, how bad are the Bills going to be this year?  Improving, but still Detroit Lions bad.  






Panorama of players that will soon be on the practice squad



Sadly, the special teams are the highlight.  Important, but still sad...



Neville!  Get better and find a home.  I guess he has a throat problem, which is why he got sick in surgery and then got pneumonia.  That doesn't explain why he likes to poop under my desk...



This is in my job description...



East End Fest in downtown Rochester.  "Haven't heard a Sponge song in a while.  Another cover?  Who sings this song; 3-11?  I don't know, it might be Creed.  I'll look it up on my phone.  It's Sponge...  These guys must really like Sponge...  (time passes)  Wait, these guys are Sponge."



"The Push-Up Girls and one buff dude."  I thought girls in camouflage bikinis were the National Guards latest attempt to get kids to sign up for the military since they were by their tent.  But, I guess they were for some gym.  I wish it were the National Guard...









The local cover band Sponge opened up for.  Seriously, who is their manager?



Thousand Acre Swamp nature preserve in Penfield



This is a pretty weird little swamp.  All sorts of interesting plants, bugs, animals, and all.



The boardwalk through the reeds and cattails 



great trail names



Eery woods with creepy trees.  As local lore states, a hermit use to live in these woods.  Probably still does...



Red dragonfly



This is from the part of the woods where many trees looked like this.  It was a pretty interesting place and the photos do not do it justice.


BARKTOBER FEST 2011 is on September 24th in Egypt Park (next to Lollypop Farm) and I'm on The Dirty Dogs team.  So, please support me (and the homeless and abused animals of Lollypop Farm) by going to http://lollypop.kintera.org/ba​rktoberfest/mike to make a donation!