This Thing Has Flown

R.I.P. James Arness, the Thing from Another World, better known as Marshal Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke (and brother of Peter Graves)

Foulard knots his foulard

How does Foulard tie his tie?  I know you've been wondering just how he does it.  Well, here's the knot I use most often--The Shelby (or Pratt) :

It gives you a neat, symmetrical, tidy knot, with a minimum of effort.  I found it years ago, and have pretty much stuck to it.  I make an exception with some vintage ties I own, because they're shorter than 2011-era ties.  For those, I use the classic four-in-hand.

I wear ties with a width between 2.5 and 3.25 inches, but 2.75 or 3 inches is the ideal width.  I like the point of the tie's blade to go just over my belt buckle, but not too far, because I think over-long ties look even worse than over-short ones.

I have a couple of tie bars--a shorter and longer one.  The one I use depends on the width of the tie.  Sometimes I'll use a binder clip from the office as a secret behind-the-tie way of clipping it to my shirt's placket, if I don't want to be so flashy.

Memorial Day Squirrel

Our rooftop squirrels have really been gearing up now that Spring has (belatedly) sprung.  There are some young ones who are particularly bold and will come right up to our living room window and look in at us and our excited cat.

This little fellow or girl wasn't looking at us, but was just relaxing in the gutter and taking in the street panorama, unaware that a 17-pound feline was intently focused on him.

 ...and then he got up...

 ..and moved on.

Deebo is still at the window, waiting for him to come back.  What else is a cat going to do?