In This Issue (as always, organic and non-GMO)

• A report on the 2025 Pendleton Roundup, including a look inside my travel journal

• Some ideas to enhance your self learning with a personal curriculum

• A look inside a recently completed sketchbook

• A short review of an 1100 page comic book. Short? 1100 pages?

• A somewhat regular feature: what I’ve been watching

• A regular feature: What I’ve been listening to

As always, if you like what you see here, forward to a friend that might enjoy it.

2025 Pendleton Roundup

The Pendleton Roundup is one of the largest rodeos in the United States and began in 1910. They did miss a few years, during WWII and COVID.

Pendleton is a smallish town almost exactly halfway between Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho and began it’s life many years ago as a stage coach stop.

This was our 4th year of attending the rodeo. In addition to the competitive events, the rodeo and its surroundings provides an endless variety of people watching, photo opportunities, live music, and western wear to buy.

I’ve created a travel journal to document this year’s experience. You can also see our experiences from 2024 here, and from 2023 here and here.

Enhance Your Self Learning

Self learning isn’t just for academia. We all are learning all of the time, whether we are deciding how to plan an upcoming family dinner party, determining how to plan a special vacation, or studying conversational Italian. Improve your chances of being successful, and perhaps become a lifelong self learner (or auto-didact) by following some of the suggestions here.

A Recently Completed Sketchbook

On my bookshelf I have sketchbooks going back at least 25 years, but I’ve had one longer than that, even if I lost it somewhere along the way.

I find blank books, including sketchbooks, to be great tools for capturing visual memories and visual ideas. Take a look at some pages from my most recently completed sketchbook here and you can also read about how this sketchbook fits into my personal curriculum.

An 1100 Page Comic Book? Really?

The Dark Knight version of Batman is different than the 60’s version that was on TV. This comic covers the origin of many key characters in the Batman universe, and features well regarded writing and drawings. I’ve included a short summary along with some reading notes.

What I’ve Been Watching

I hadn’t heard the name Keith Haring until recently but I saw his street art work in person in early to mid-1980’s New York City. His documentary is illuminating. Here’s a link to it. I found a copy via streaming at my local library.

What I’ve Been Listening To

Some of these are repeats from last month, but that’s because there’s some good stuff here.

• Miles Davis-Miles 55

• Miles Davis-Kind of Blue

• The Grateful Dead-Dave’s Picks 55

• Chet Baker-The Best Thing for You

• The Turtles-Save The Turtles

• Manassas-Pieces

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