Oh yes, yes indeed, Matt, free wine for letting my hair grow?  You betcha!  Throw me in that briar patch  As for the battle axe, that will make it's debut with the look the Weirdy suggested

Speaking of which, Weirdy, I've been reading up on fishtail braids, so stay tuned.  Challenge accepted!

Thank you, DoNTMOV3!  It's fun.

I'm not sure whether I'd get free drinks or a nice chauffeur ride in a late-model Chevy with festive lights on top, Trick   I have to say, I generally prefer the natural look too, usually with just a small tie in the end.

Hey, Whodi, thank you!  Great to hear from you again!

You mean like the picture below, Talito?  I actually tried that a few weeks ago and liked it, as shown here:

03fab2139f0a4a289ac755abc2256e10_r.jpg

Yeah, Dave, there's a lot of hair there now, so why not have fun with it!  Now my colleagues are trying to get me to wear something like that to the office

Well, gongolo, unlike you there's this issue that I'm not really model material  Thank you, sir!

Wow, albatros, thank you for that and for stopping by!  Now if only I had a fraction of the wisdom that look implies!

Will do, Sean, and thank you!  Inspire to guffaws, perhaps

This beard, as my wife regularly attests, for better or worse, has uncovered a whole new side of me as whimsy was never in my vocabulary before.  Now, strangely, it feels natural!  I plan to try that post-braid look at a competition sometime, Larry, per Schanuzer's suggestion.  Thank you, I like it too!

Patrick, you're back!  Great to hear from you!  Thank you, sir!

Hey, Codi, thanks for that and for stopping by.  I can just see my wife rolling her eyes if she read that

---------------------------------------

I haven't been on the board as much lately due to work and travel.  I am in Philadelphia this weekend to celebrate a dear friend's daughter's Bat Mitzvah.  It's the first time I've been in the US Northeast since I grew a bigger beard and I have to say that though beards are pretty common, big, long beards certainly are not!  I've gotten loads of polite comments tinged with a look of 'Are you nuts or something?' and loads of blank, unabashed stares.  It's hilarious!  At the Bat Mitzvah party I was asked on a few occasions whether there was some special in the water out west  Anyway, here's a shot of us at dinner tonight at one of my favorite restaurants, Zahav in Philadephia's old city.  The food was as glorious as ever and the ties kept my beard from getting more than it's fare share:

408cef950a9243859b1781091603bca0_r.jpg

In less than two weeks I'll hit my 3-year beard anniversary.  I can hardly believe it!  Time flies when you're having fun, as they say.

Cheers!
Tom


Some helpful links:
Library Central of Beard Growing


Taming the Wild Mustache
Tips for eating and drinking with a big mustache

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. ~ W. Somerset Maugham
A jerk with a beard is just a bearded jerk, but a bearded gentleman is awesomeness personified. ~ Triibeard
Last Edited By: Tom E Dec 14 15 9:22 PM. Edited 1 times.