What can I do to help? Grow a beard???

                                                                      Over the last few months we've seen a plethora of posts and news stories about the Ice Bucket Challenge and giving for ALS research. Locally, we have runners and others taking up causes for everything from breast cancer research to leukemia and other diseases. For myself, I have tried in the past to raise funds for a few groups I feel strongly about. One is to find a cure for prostate cancer. It is another silent killer and needs to be eradicated. Sure, it is something only men deal with. But ALL of us are affected by it. So we need a cure as well.

                                                                      Last September I had decided to grow a beard for a month in September, to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research. The organization I chose was called Septembeard. Men grow beards for the month and the funds raised go to individually selected hospitals and research centers that the one donating picks. I have checked out their past, the totals that go to the centers and this is a legitimate charity group. Sure, many won't donate unless they know where their money goes. I understand that for sure. If you'd like to donate while I grow the beard, it would be helping out for sure. If not, that is fine as well.We only made $25 last year but that helped.

There is NEVER any pressure to donate or to even acknowledge the posts on my blog or the Facebook link that follows the post. And I shall never individually solicit any finds from ANYONE.

but, why not at least take a few seconds and look it over ,if you can, and read about it and at least give it some thought. no matter how small the donation one makes, every bit helps.

I'll make this post short and to the point. Donate if you can and as the month progresses,I shall post totals as well as photos of the beard under construction.

My team will be known as Vancouver USA Bearded runner.   Team #2886  Vancouver USA Bearded Runner.  If anyone joins me, I shall add an "S" to it and make this a real team.

Looking forward to growing out the whiskers starting next Monday, 1st September!!  Come join me and grow or donate to help us all!!

Smiling runners??

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                                                                    Yes!! And no. Both are possible and over the last few years, I have been making mental notes as to what my eyes have witnessed over the last year of running, whether at races or the daily routes I take. And the first thing I look for when I see another runner, other than to check if I know them, is whether they are SMILING. :-)  Yep, I really do look for smiles. It is what makes me happy!

                  There are times when a runner is really happy to be out and imbibing in the elixir of life and enjoying those endorphins. What a grand thing to experience!!!!

             
                  Really? Do we ALL look like that fella there to the right? Um....no. We don't. Not that we don't have our moments of painful runners face or that "I can't wait to get home to the bathroom" look. We most certainly can admit to at least one of those. No, we don't always smile. Not at work, the supermarket or the doctor's office.

 


                 
But most of the time I see smiles on my fellow runners!!  It is something that makes people happy. I mean seriously, look at these folks after having run quite a few miles of the last race I attended. Are these stolid and unhappy looks from runners who were forced to race?? I don't think so! Happy faces, smiles. I LOVE smiles!

They are really having a good time and show it. The few times I have attended racing events that seem to be more thematic or obstacle course style, the participants don't smile near as much. Is it the toughness of the course or event? Are they having "fun" or having FUN!!!!! I cannot judge that nor will I assume anything. But the evidence of smiles does seem to be something to consider. Granted, after a full marathon or Spartacus race, some will NOT be smiling. These are tough events that wear a person down. But still, many love them and are smiling!

                                                  What about your average runner on the street? What do you encounter when you run past another? Do you wave and smile? Or keep your head down low, not wanting to make eye contact for some reason. And when you DO make that contact, are they smiling?  Well???

OK, if they are across the street it can be tough to see if they are smiling.  So, do you wave when you pass them by, or signal to them? Perhaps if they are closer, what about a "Good Morning" or "Good (whatever time of day)"?? That can make all the difference in the world to us as runners. It really can set the tone for the rest of the day or night if we are greeted by another fellow runner, enjoying the same activity. We are on the same wavelength and know what the other is going through when out on the road, injured or not.

                                                    And when we are in a great mood, that can translate to the smile.
That wonderful, delightful and superb way of communicating joy that we are having a good time and feeling the same way!!! Is that infectious? Absolutely!!! Any who agree, raise your hand. Or both!!!

                                                    We might even be so bold as to be close enough to the other runner to indulge in a well known human bit of contact called....

                                                      Yep. the high five. Ah, perhaps we don't go that far when out on the road or trail when getting our miles in for the day. But still, isn't that fun nonetheless!!! Now, we all do that at races and I rarely see some who are so crotchety and mean that they refuse a high five or post race bit of encouragement. That is only part of why we are happy to be runners.  Yet it is one of the best and happiest parts.

                                                       So, when you are out for a run on the road or trail, SMILE.
Make eye contact and  say hello to that fellow runner, walker or non creepy stalker type of citizen.
Sure, they are out there too. We all have to be on guard. but the majority are not the aforementioned weirdos. and imagine how your smile and attitude can set the tone for not only their day and run, but your own!!Then we ALL end up smiling like these folks!!!! Not a frown around!!!

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Running in a new direction.

                                                              The last few months of running have left me in a state of disagreement. On the one level I want to keep up my exercise and getting to to socialize with my running family. On the other, I have been at warfare over getting out the door and really ENJOYING the run. Yes, I did type that. We all go through challenges in our routine and the love we once had for something in particular can fade if not fed, cherished and changed now and then. It needs to be kept fresh and something that we really want to do. After the Rum Run 10K in May, I had so much going on in life that my desire to run simply vacated my passion oriented brain and heart. I didn't stop running but the addition of more pain from the arthritis and sciatica made getting out that much more difficult and a non essential thing. Mileage dropped, fun levels did as well.

So the moniker at left is one I thought would help. I figured I had excuses and that I still needed to run. That is true in part, although my problem was not the ability to run. I could do that, just in pain or at super slow paces.


No, I was simply unhappy with the way my running was going. The Vancouver Marathon half then came up and although it was a great race and my time was decent, I still seemed to be a wee bit on the depressed side for my racing and in general. Not a depression of life or circumstances, but in my abilities. They had disappeared from the last year. I was simply going through the motions.

And it was getting tougher to maintain the distances I had been running the last few years. Ugh. What now? Why now?

        Was I just waiting for the doldrums to disappear or was I simply not being proactive in tackling the reasons as to WHY I was unhappy with my running? Time to sit down and reflect on all I had done over the last six years of my very short running life.


       As I didn't start to run seriously until 2008, much had passed me by the previous decades. Sure, as a teenager in high school I would run and race a little. I managed to complete Bloomsday in Spokane twice and enjoyed that. Same with some small 5k races in my area. But running in the late 70's and early 80's still didn't have the appeal nor the support it does now. Not even close. I never did run much at all until 2008, when at the age of forty two, I lost my father. That got me thinking about my own state of health and inactivity. I was overweight, had high cholesterol and was going to eventually be a diabetic if I didn't do something  about it. So, that September day, I talked to my doctor and agreed to start working out. As I really disliked weight training, and still do, I needed a sport or activity I would enjoy. While biking was fun, I needed a place to store it and always has issues with something breaking on it. More money spent on repairs. Ugh. Biking was really great fun and good for me but I liked the simplicity of running as all I needed was a pair of shoes, shorts and shirt and off I could go, no matter what part of the world. I could run anywhere!!

       Before checking out the local running community I started where I shouldn't have: the local gym/fitness place. Ugh. That meant....treadmills. Major dislike. Immediately I hated the feel, the bounce and the thought of others watching this amateur run on that contraption. Granted, I sure liked to watch OTHER runners on the treadmill. I'm not dead. :-P But oh, how I loathed those machines.


No, it wasn't only the fact that others were watching me. It was that I felt trapped, like a mouse in a wheel. I couldn't breathe. All around me were sounds of grunting people, scents of sweating bodies and wet towels. These dynamics sent me out to find a different path. Also, one I didn't have to pay for monthly, especially one that seemed to go up in price constantly. Paying to run on a treadmill? How crazy was that.

Brainstorm. Why not buy a watch, go outside and do this for ...nothing. Sure, initial outlay. but after that, what monthly payment was there? And the scenery was so much better outside. Clean air.

                                                                            Now that I am running, reading magazines and books, working out ....what next? I became part of the running community in my town. My wife joined me in this and within a few months I was racing again. The mileage built up, I was losing weight, feeling good. All of the parts of the puzzle were beginning to come together and I was really enjoying life. A lot!!! Within a few years I had run marathons, half marathons and most distances in between. My local race director, Brian, and his company Energy Events, had become a major source for my racing. I learned so much about running from others in that first year and really found this a calling for me. The last few years, though, have seen a steady decline in my racing totals as far as speed and distances go. This year, for sure. As my arthritis and sciatica went up, my running totals went down. And I'm not getting any younger. Nobody does.
Pain management has helped and this is a good thing. So, with that in place the last few months, why the unhappy feeling with my running?
                                                                              Finally, I think I know. Pressure. My OWN pressure to perform. To be out there, no matter how bad I felt. I watched others do it...why couldn't I do the same? It's only seven miles a day. Three to four times a week. It's only a fifteen miler this Saturday. That was where I was wrong. We each have our own way of training, of running. I was doing it for others AND myself. That was part of my problem. I was running too much, too far and too often. It was making me feel like I had an agenda, a quota I had to make. Like the goals we always read about and set HAD to be met or I would be a failure. After a lot of thinking, pondering and really discerning where I was at, I came to a few conclusions:

   1---I was running too often. Yes, sounds crazy. But I was running when I thought I HAD to instead of when I WANTED to. My legs and feet hurt as well as my hips and knees.

   2---I have been running too many miles. Not in totals, but in daily distance. I found that running seven or more miles too often was really making me tired, sore and not happy.

   3---I was running in the same locations, areas and needed to change that. Drive a bit if necessary.

   4---Races. I was running too many, too often. Also sounds crazy, but they are expensive and take time away from family and other things. I actually slowed down a lot this year, so this one is not new.

   5---And finally, distances. What makes this man happy is running for fun, enjoyment and the feeling I get being with family and friends. Not for the bling, the medal nor for being a certain place in my age group. Those are great but certainly not worth it if I become unhappy with the running or the training.

                                                                   What all of the above gobbledygook says to me, and hopefully to you the reader, is that I need to slow down. It means appreciating and enjoying the running itself and all that goes with it, not the means to the end. It signifies that this runner is going to change directions with regard to his running journey.

  1---After the upcoming North County Wine half marathon, I shall be concentrating on shorter distance races. That means anything under a half marathon. The only exception will be the Vancouver Half, next June.

  2---When I go running for my daily or every other day workout, it shall be with the intent of enjoyment and how I feel. NOT for a distance I must achieve. If not, I come home feeling disappointed, with a broken spirit in that I have failed and am not worthy to be called a runner.

  3--- Distances will be what I feel I can do. No pushing to make seven or eight when I know It makes me feel crummy afterwards. Why do that? Sure, some will give me reasons like "You need to push all your limits", or "No pain, no gain", even "Run outside your comfort zone". Not this runner. No more. I want to feel GOOD about myself and not be in pain. And the other side of comfort is being uncomfortable. Not sure about you, but I dislike uncomfortable. So, three to six milers, perhaps an odd seven.

  4---And most of all....spending time with my running family and friends!!! Some running pals of mine have always stuck to this as one of the most important aspects to their own running lives. They might not be fast, win medals, have low per mile numbers nor run marathons all the time. But they have FUN! Like the photo below... smiles,joy and good times!!  This might not be the most popular view among my running friends and family, but it is what works for me.

                                                   THAT is what it is all about!! Happiness!!!

                                                                   
                                                                     
                                                                  

Summer doldrums.

                                             The hot, dusty and ugly dog days of summer have arrived in my hometown. These last two weeks of August are the least liked of the entire year as far as weather goes. Now, I DO have some positive aspects that make them tolerable. One, that the kids roaming the streets causing mayhem will be going back to school soon. Two, that football season is here and autumn is not too far behind. And three, that the harvest time has arrived, making our farmer's markets even better!! Unfortunately, visiting them in the heat is not my idea of a good time. But we have a great little market in Vancouver that is fun to visit and has many shade trees to take shelter under at Esther Short Park, a classic American park that is such a pleasure to visit.

There are a great many farmer's markets in this Portland metro area and we are really blessed to have them almost year round. Our climate is perfect for them!!!! I hope your own markets are thriving and that we don't all depend on the chain grocery stores.

                                              Speaking of autumn and the changing of the seasons, running will only get better as these dog days die what I hope to be a quick death. While I only have two races coming up , the biggie being the North County Wine Half Marathon, I relish the idea of running in the cool and temperate days of late September and all of October and November. It simply is the best season of the year for me and I will drink in every moment I possibly can this year. Scenes like these below fill me with joy and completeness as the colour spectrum of nature really shows us the range of beauty it can produce. I could stare at these photos all day long!!!!

                                                                      On the computer front...my Dell monitor died last week and I was without said essential for longer than expected. My brother came to the rescue and now i can blog again as well as carry on my always fun chatting on Facebook, Hangouts and other online places. It's amazing how much we depend on various electronic devices. I could let them all go, sure. but I admit I do enjoy them and the connection I have to people. It makes my days fun and filled with love and joy. Sure, I'm a total chatterbox and never feel I get enough for chat time with my friends. People are busy, have families, etc. I don't expect to do it all day long. But that is part of the extrovert in me. I like communication and always will. So after this short blog, back I go to the social sites!

Cymraeg (Welsh) progress. Ugh.

                                        Back in January, which seems so long ago, I proclaimed my desire to concentrate on running and Welsh during this year of twenty fourteen. Most of the time, New Year's Resolutions don't last very long for me although admittedly, this proclamation was more serious than that. It was a true desire that I had to do well with both and succeed. Well, the running did reasonably well for me until just after the Vancouver Half marathon in mid June. My running has taken a bit of a downturn as arthritis and sciatica have taken their toll. Add summer heat and a super busy schedule and it has been less than stellar. But...I knew summer would be a slow season, so that was to be expected while typing in this blog post. I tend to lay low during the summer, sweating it out till fall.

So sure, my running has been less than stellar. As soon as school starts and the temps drop a bit, barring injury, I will be back on schedule and getting my miles in each week.







                                              Now, with the running out of the way and all good there....

                               

                                                My Welsh studies and lessons were really moving along well from January until April. Say something in Welsh course lessons were moving well, I was learning at a reasonable level and satisfied with my progress. For the most part. After starting a Welsh speakers group for the Portland/Vancouver area on Facebook, I was able to learn even more and attune my ear to Cymraeg and pick things up on radio, video and in person with my fellow speakers here locally.
What happened? I lost track of time. Schedules, life, family, other issues...all rushed in to block my time for study. I was weak. And I started to lose some of the words I had remembered, making it necessary to go back and re-listen to previous courses when I should have been moving on. And, my brain simply does retain languages as well as it did twenty five years ago.

So...May, June and July have been a complete waste of time as far as my Welsh goes. And there is nobody more frustrated than myself. I seriously wanted to be done with Course 1 and have completed all 25 lessons. Nope. Didn't even get close. Ugh. Damn. Argghhh. #@!%$&*

                          Yep. That has been ME over the last few months. Yet I didn't do as much about it as I COULD and SHOULD have. I coasted, listening to my lessons for five to ten minutes a day and not getting enough time in. Sure, I learned some new words that have stayed in my brain. But progress: not a chance. I know my sub-conscious will have remembered some of it and that is fine. but I NEED to get working at this and set aside all other hobbies, passions and distractions. This includes all other twelve books I wanted to read this summer. A change of direction is needed for this student and now.

                                                                                       First up: get rid of the disappointment.
 Water under the bridge. it has disappeared and cannot really do much damage any longer, so why hold on to it. That's where I shall start.



      Therefore, I now will start a new schedule for Welsh studies. It will entail an hour a day of study. Minimum. My phone will now have alarms going off when I'm supposed to hit the books, audio lessons or YouTube video study.  First of all, I shall go back to the first lessons and listen to them ALL this week, getting my brain and ears wrapped around the sounds and words again. My hopes are that after this week of back pedaling, I will be up to where I left off by Saturday. It is going to be tough but I shall do my best and succeed.

As I type this, I'm surrounded by books about Welsh, in Welsh and defining Cymraeg words. There is no shortage of books available to me and I'm blessed to have such an expansive library, acquired over the last year.

 Now that I have made a public statement AGAIN as to my studies, I shall begin anew. As the year is not over and quite a bit remains, I still have time to get through course 1 by the end of the year!!! I will no matter what!!! That does not mean I will remember EVERY word from the course nor be the best at my grammar, but that I will have a C average minimum when I end my studies on 31 December. Over the next five months I will be immersing myself again and posting may Welsh related topics and even some Cymraeg language. Bear with me as I do so. I'm sure many will not want to constantly read about Welsh as it is not interesting to them. Totally understandable. And not every blog post will be about this topic. I promise.

                                                             And now...off I go to set alarms!

                                  

A gluten free education.

                                                 The gluten free industry has really undergone an enormous change in the last decade. So many new, delicious and satisfying foods have now been created that make the gluten free diet a pleasure to undertake and not a horridly dull, tasteless experience. Before November of 2012, I had never encountered this part of the culinary and health related world other than occasional snippets from the newspaper or from advertisements in my letter box. Then, after meeting my sweetie and her roommate a few months prior to this date, I was introduced to the gluten free world and the business of helping those with Celiac disease, allergies and general issues with gluten. What a revelation it has been !!

                                                      So, for almost two years I have worked at a gluten-free market called Lingonberries. This delightful store sells exclusively gluten free foods and products that showcase some of the best goodies on the market. Not only food products but health and beauty aids as well. All in ONE location, not scattered across a 10,000 Sq Ft box store that labels itself as "health food". This is a huge distinction that many overlook for a couple of pennies in savings on a few items as well as driving all that way to those places. Not that they are BAD stores. They are fine and have their customers although admittedly, most are not looking for gluten free when they go there. A very small percentage in fact as those businesses are aiming toward the higher dollar making folks in trendy areas. That's fine. Be that way and enjoy. But if you are really looking to keep as far away from gluten as possible and have celiac disease or allergies brought on by contact of any sort, be careful at those places as cross contamination is a huge problem. They mix their GF and non GF items right next to each other and it only takes a broken bag, damaged box or wrapper and it can contaminate quickly. Yuk and ugh. So, that being said, shopping at a GF only store provides a location for all your needs as well as other allergy free, some dairy free, nut free and egg free choices.
We even have vegetarian and vegan foods as well. 


                                                     

 
                                                            After my time of working here I can honestly say how much I appreciate all that I have learned about the gluten free industry. So many people come in that relate their experiences of dealing with gluten issues as well as many other allergies. And I have made some great friends there as well. not only that, but I have a boss who allows me to wear my kilt every day I work and that makes me super happy that I can show my Scottish heritage!!!!

Ok, I usually go to work a lot more casual than a sweater  and long hose but I DID work a few days like that, learning it was not going to work out as planned. Way to warm of an outfit to be wearing while putting away freight.




 Is this blog post today a wee bit of shameless self promotion, trying to get the word out about my place of employment? Perhaps. Ok, yes, it is. But....why not? If someone is happy with their work place,employer and the way life is going, why not? And so that is what I write about at Hiroshige's Owl. My life. And working at Lingonberries is a big part of MY LIFE. So, this is what i decided I'd write about today.As I type this, the industry has changed and now other stores have decided to take on gluten free sections. That is all well and fine except that they are really not into customer service and helping the individual with GF. Just a hurry, get your goods and move along mentality. many have questions and they want it from knowledgeable people, not a stocker who hasn't a clue about the products they are shelving. This is where a smaller market can really shine... and we do that every day. Seven days a week.

                                                             If you are in the Portland/Vancouver area or even the Seattle/Tacoma metro area and want the best and most extensive selection of gluten free products, all in ONE location, at competitive prices, with knowledgeable staff who are part of the GF community, stop in or call for your needs. Our Facebook page is updated daily with news and sales as well as a great place to ask questions and inquire.

                                         https://www.facebook.com/LingonberriesMarket
  
                                         And for our newly constructed and developing web page...

                                                      http://www.lingonberriesmarket.com/


Now that I have shown the world where I work and enjoy my time while "on the job", I hope to see some of you stop by and say hello if you get the chance. I'm a part time employee right now and primarily work Tuesdays and occasional other days. Let me know via Facebook IM or email if you are stopping in and I will be there!! Hopefully kilted. Not always, but a lot of the time.

The lost art of writing. Actually WRITING !!!

                                                Ever since I spotted my first fountain pen in the late 70's, my mind was made up to learn how to use one. Back then, we were still using pencils and ball points in school and learning how to write the English language in cursive and print both. Oh how I disliked the pencil and it's scratchiness. The ballpoint, while it was a great invention and I didn't mind using it, they always seemed to hold such a limited supply of ink. Another throw away part of our society and adding to the heaps of garbage at the dump.

Yeah, great. Just what we need. More garbage at the dump that won't decompose well and be here for a thousand years. So, after almost a hundred years of refillable fountain pens being available, why were people not using them ?? Such a  great idea was this that there HAD to be others using this design and writing with a pen that could last for generations. Amazing that the invention had been around for so long yet many felt it was too cumbersome and messy. Ok, I will grant you that I can see the messy part. Yes, ink.

    Before I had a chance to really play with fountain pens though, I wandered through my school years with the same old writing devices that we all did the last forty years. It wasn't until I had graduated high school and moved to Portland that I would see a fountain pen again.
In 1986 I went to work for the J.K. Gill company, an institution in the office and art supply business. The store I worked at was located on Hayden Island in Portland, aka Jantzen Beach. So much of this industry was new to me but I educated myself as much as possible with the many assorted devices used in the business world. Pens were among them, of course. People were still writing then, way before the laptop computer and other electronics would eventually take the place of such antiquarian actions. Email had not yet really gained a foothold in the media world and we sold pens and accessories to make writing not only easier, but a joy at the same time. People were still WRITING letters then!!! Yes, you read that correctly. Writing.
Alright, I'm being a bit flippant with my words but seriously, how many people do you know NOW that take time to sit down and compose a hand-written letter to someone? I would bet very few. And if you DO know of some, most are older folks who still value that personal touch of a written letter.

                                                                 Not that all fountain pen users have died out or disappeared and gone over to the "dark side" of penmanship and writing utensils. We are still here!!!! And in larger numbers than once thought. I used to think the same way when I took this job at J.K.Gill and was introduced to the pen world again. But this time, my job was to take care of the pen case and all of those beauties that were usually only purchased by business men and women with a lot more money than most. Sure, there were ballpoints and roller ball pens that could get up there as regards price, but most of the fountain pens were expensive as they used 14K gold for the nibs and as they had fewer production quantities, they commanded premium prices. These were new pens, of course. Many great vintage pens were still out there and could be had for a really low price. But these new models were the envy of the business person. The brands I sold were Mont Blanc, Sheaffer, Parker, Cross and Waterman. These names are all popular for various pens but Mont Blanc and Waterman/Cross were the expensive models,especially the MB. I drooled over those pens every day, knowing it would cost me a month of wages for the lower priced line. So I waited. One day, they marked down the Sheaffer Targa to a price I could afford and I snapped it up! Beautiful pen !!!

No, this is NOT the most handsome of fountain pens on the market, but it was all MINE!!!! And now that I owned it, I bought some ink to go with it and was on my way to a slippery slope of fountain pen mania.I continued to manage the pen dept and moved on to supervisor and other departments, eventually adding a few inexpensive pens to my wee collection. Eventually my work there at that company stopped when they planned on closing it down in 1990. So I moved on to a lumberyard and spent the next two plus decades selling building materials to contractors. Sadly, I forgot about my pens and moved on to other hobbies as well.Then in 1999, I started to see pen magazines appear. Evidently mid and high end pens were becoming available and within my price range. As I had always kept a diary/journal since 1987, now might be a good time to back to trying my pens out. I dug out my Sheaffer and Parker pens and started to write again. At that time, I had no pen pals and nobody else to write to. Sheesh, when I think back now and the pens I used, I'm embarrassed. So NOW the pens I started to buy were higher end, from the $100 to $500 range. Used, of course. I became a member of Fountain Pen Network and started to learn so much!!! Made some great friends there and before long, had a full compliment of pen pals from around the globe. In a few years I went through more pens than you can imagine. At least a hundred pens in those years, trading up, down, with cash, without,etc. I eventually settled on a collection that I now have and use daily. And yes, I WRITE with them, not only let them sit there collecting dust as objects of art, which they could as they are beautiful! My favourite brands are Omas, Stipula, Conway Stewart, Visconti and Parker. And now THESE are what I write with:

While I  no longer own the three in blue, green and red in the middle, the others get normal rotation in use. The Stipula Etruria at far right is my best pen!!!! Writes like a dream!!!!!!!

 This pen to the left is the Omas Colombus II, A special edition pen commemorating the voyage of the small craft.
It is made of briar wood, which is rare in a pen.










And this delightful Mont Blanc 145 "Chopin" edition is my second favourite and most used. It was given to me by one of my bestest of friends, Jane. Thanks my dear!!!!

   Those are just a few of the beauties I own and use. In addition to fountain pens, I also use dip pens for writing. These are usually older pens from the 1920's or could be made of glass.

                                    Either way you want to write, they are both splendid!!!!

                                    They make my writing very enjoyable and an experience, more so
                                    than uncapping a Bic or Papermate ball point . Give a fountain pen
                                                                     or a dip pen a try!!!!!!