Thank you for that, Geoff.  That's probably my favorite picture of my wife.  The pride just drips from the photo.

No offence intended, Trick smiley: tongue.  Who could possibly have a life outside this board anyway  I shan't apologize for making you jealous, though, as I enjoyed every damn second of that time off!

Wow, thank you for that Papa Bear.  I'm not sure I deserve it because, you're right, there are some doozies here, you among them!  I hope it continues to live up to your expectations as I let it grow.

Great to see you again, vlad!  Thank you!  My little pet's gotten a tad bigger since last you were here

Alboatros, what a lovely thing to say.  Thank you.  As you can tell from my photos of late, my family is the world to me and judging by your thread the same is true for you..

Thank you, DeadCircuits!

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My wife is out of town this weekend so I took the opportunity to spend a day in Portland shopping and seeing Cory, my trusty barber for all my bearded years.  He doesn't get to touch the beard any longer but he still gets loads of credit, along with this board, for getting me to this point.  I wore my beard in the same style as you see it in that photo with my wife and daughter above but it's about 2 inches longer now, so that braid occupied the lower 4 inches or so.  I got more compliments yesterday than I've had in ages, including from all the barbers in Cory's shop, and loads of stares, and even had a gorgeous young woman outside Powell's Books ask to have her picture taken with me!  smiley: happy  I'm sure she was just flattering a guy old enough to be her father but that didn't stop my chest from puffing up three sizes!  

That style proves to be very practical, too, as it allows me to wear my beard in a full style yet keep then end in check.  A friend and I went to my favorite Japanese/Pan-Asian grill house in Portland (Biwa, check it out if you're in Portland and love Asian food!  If you're friends with me on Facebook you can see the whole meal there smiley: smile) and ordered omakase.  Over the course of several courses, including miso soup and other messy food, and using only chopsticks all night, I only got one grain of rice in my beard.  Apparently the couple sitting next to us had been waiting for a beard/food disaster but I was quite happy to disappoint them.

I've no picture update this time but I've been toying with the idea of doing a little video, if there's interest here, to show how I groom my beard and how I do various braids and beads.

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