Still in Vancouver!

Sulphur. Looks pretty doesn't it?

Trying to get organized for the Sixth Annual Horseshoe/Cribbage Tournament! Puppy's Pop will be able to pick up the food this year. Tom at Mealworks was thrilled because he's got to feed 1,000 people Sunday so at least he won't have to come here. Said he wouldn't even charge me for the chafing dishes. Good deal!

I've been trying to clean up the dash on the El Camino but it's slow going. Grampa is out there right now waxing the new paint. It still gives me a kick to see that spiffy car out in the yard! Also waiting to hear from Sacred Heart School to see when they'll need me to help out. I already know that I'll be covering the lunch room on Thursdays and Fridays, just not sure if they'll need me on those days for other duties! I'm going to volunteer for those two days only.

Quote: People generally quarrel because they cannot argue. --G. K. Chesterton

Good Day!

Stanley Park, Vancouver.

Nice, almost home grown, supper! Grilled Porterhouse steaks; Swiss Chard; steamed, buttered, seasoned and tomatoes along with a nice German Red, Spatburgunder. Fantastique!

Easy summer day. Started out a bit cloudy and cool but ended up sunny and just right. Can't beat the good days in New England when we get them!

Quote: Memory, wit, fancy, acuteness, cannot grow young again in old age; but the heart can. --Richter

Surprisingly good day!

View from Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC with our ship off to the right.

Horrible torrential downpours can ruin just about any day but not today! We took grandson out to Lizzy B's this morning and there was no room for us! Yikes! A nice couple we've seen there quite often had us sit with them (huge booth like place!) Grampa and the man were so busy talking cars and hot rods etc. and the lady's daughter is at LSU so we had alot to talk about. Grandson was good playing with his Bakugan and breakfast was really good even though the owner's son was doing the cooking while his mother took a vacation in Ireland. Great start.

We brought grandson home a bit early because the end of the year Horseshoe Picnic was today. I was almost depressed because the weather was, of course, terrible as I've already pointed out. We took all kinds of jackets, towels, raincoats etc. and arrived at the Jogues Club in Coventry, RI for 11:30am. There were no cars that we recognized so I decided to call our home answering machine to see if something had changed. YES! The Picnic was changed to indoors at the NAPA store. They have a huge back room with one horseshoe pit and lots of room for tables and chairs. We had a superior day even though Grampa lost at horseshoes and I lost at cribbage, even got skunked! The meal was great and the company was super. Nice way to spend a rainy Saturday in New England.

Quote: The most utterly lost of all days, is that in which you have not once laughed. --Chamfort

Perfect day for everything

Got up a 7am and the temp was 59 degrees. That was so beautiful. We had left all the windows open during the night and it was a nice cool dry 73 degrees in the house. Went to Lizzy B's and Puppy's Pop met a friend he hadn't seen in a while. He's a tugboat Captain out of New Haven and he''s often on the Hudson River. Pretty neat job. He's also into muscle cars, bikes etc.

The walking and flying at the Dog Track was the best. The Snow Fox looks so cool flying in the stunts. I can't believe my eyes when it goes into the straight overhead maneuvers. It's fantastic.

I have no comments about the senator who died. I hope that's the end of the story.

Quote: Scandal breeds hatred; hatred begets division; division makes faction, and faction brings ruin. --Quarles

Damn

Had a Doctor check up day today. Everything is groovy. And that's fine by me. After I left New London I went to see the middle child. I took grandson and his brother to DQ for Blizzards. Delicious! Also stopped by big brother's new school, Grasso Tech. What a big place. I think he's going to like it there. I saw his schedule and it looks really interesting; eight days of academics and eight days of shop. I think that if I were in school now I might opt for a Tech School and then the University. I believe that he gets this whole first semester to figure out what three shops he's really interested in. Sounds good to me. He'll also be able to play basketball and baseball.

Didn't like the news I got about our oldest son's stepdaughter. She'll be on her way to Iraq next week. What on earth are they going to do with an Air(wo)man who has been trained to work in a clinic? It doesn't sound Kosher to me. It seems to me that our son and his wife have sent one young man to Iraq and they shouldn't have to send another one of their children. But I guess I'm just carping for nothing. That's what you do when you're in the military. You do your job.

Not too much in the mood for anything this evening. I'll just read and hit the hay.

Normal

It's been a normal day! Wow, walked at the Dog Track in the heat and humidity. Hope I lost 4oz! Then spent the day cleaning. I try to get to it every couple of weeks but sometimes I'm not in the mood. Can you imagine having to be in the mood to clean. Sounds like a disease!

Grandson starts kindergarten tomorrow. He's all excited. His Mom called yesterday and said that he is ready. Went to an orientation last night and loved it. 26 kids in his class! That's a "Wow!" I'm tickled pink that he's going to Catholic Elementary School. Hope they'll be able to use me as a sub or volunteer on Thursdays and Fridays. He'll be in class with her former high school basketball coach's twins! It is a small world.

Met a teacher from PCS at Big Y today and she seemed disappointed that I'll not be helping out this year. Asked me if I'd babysit her triplets during the first week of October!!! Told her I'd think about it! I don't think that I can handle 18 month old triplets alone! Two boys and a girl! What a wild household it must be! She's a really good teacher and I've enjoyed subbing for her but I don't think I'll be able to help her out at home!

Exceptional, marvelous machine!

Holy Shitski! Just came home from driving the El Camino. Now, that was fun! I had been worried that it would be too big for me but it's just about perfect! I think it reminds me of the Buick. I can see good and I love it! Grampa still has some stuff to do on the interior but it's at least a 3 "Wow!" experience!

Got a call a few nights ago and took part in a survey. It was very interesting and I did learn a bit about this guy. Read this! I truly doubt that the Republicans will give him the nomination. He's too good for Connecticut's much less than conservative Republican Party.

Quote: It is not the greatness of a man's means that makes him independent, so much as the smallness of his wants. --Cobbett

Photo seems to cool things off

Only 75 degrees at 9am and not as humid as it has been lately. I've opened the windows! Wanted to get some fresh air in the house even though it's not too cool out. Even have some pep today! I've realized that the humidity is what gets to me. Hopefully some dryer weather will get here after it pushes the storm off of the coast!

Had a nice phone call yesterday while we were out scrounging dye for the El Camino seat belts! Middle child had called and wanted us to go with them to Riverview. I called them the minute we got in and said a really big "Yes!" I was in no mood to cook and did want to go out and have a nice Margarita. We had a cool dinner and even grandson ate like a champ!

We may be taking the El Camino to the Vermont Car Show in September instead of the Hot Rod. It will give us a chance to see how everything is working before we venture South this Fall.

Quote: Truth provokes those it does not convert. -- Bp. Wilson

Tamarack Catastrophe?

Photo #1, courtesy of grandson, is the latest game that we play around here.

Photo #2 is Nelson Park in the city of Vancouver.

Here's hoping we don't have to call an arborist to look after the Tamaracks! They are dropping needles by the basketful and it's much too early for that. I called the State of Connecticut's Agriculture Department of Forestry and was told that if it's only from the bottom limbs it's OK. It seems that Tamaracks love water and they've gotten so much of it this year that they are in a super growth spurt causing the tops to be really green and growing thereby shading the lower branches causing them to drop their needles. I hope he's right. He said if the needles start to fall from the top we have to bring them some "not yet dead" needles so they can test them! OK! How would we get not yet dead needles from the top of those monster trees? All the fallen ones are dead, dead, dead. That's when he suggested an arborist! We'll have to see how this plays out. They had a call from another lady this week who was complaining about the same problem. I think that I'll go on line and find out all I can about Tamaracks. I believe that they are in the larch family.

The weather is still so hot and humid that I feel sick when I spend much time out of doors. I've never had that happen before! Egads! It must be the age thing. Super Yuck! So glad we have the air conditioners. I often think of Ma Tante, Memere and Pepere. What troopers they were! They only had fans and never complained!

Quote: Doing nothing with a deal of skill. --Cowper

More views of Vancouver

Taken from the outdoor walk around the Pan Pacific.

OK. That's it. Since it seems that the weather won't cooperate I'll have to cut down on my almost daily diary. If all I can concentrate on is the fact that it never got cooler than 75 all of last night and it is already 80 before 9am and the sun isn't even out; it's just plain gloomy and stifling, I think that I'll just sit and read the paper and work on the Lighthouse in Winter puzzle. It might cool off my thinking machine! I'm sure grandson will perk me up this afternoon. Grampa is working on the interior of the El Camino before the day gets any worse.

Quote: It is a great evil, as well as a misfortune, to be unable to utter a prompt and decided "No." --C. Simmons

Back to Vancouver

These beautiful pots of flowers surround the hotel. Similar pots also hang over all of the outdoor walks.

Shouldn't be talking about the weather, but . . . it's really gross out there! Ninety in the shade and so humid it's hard to take a breath. Good day for catching up on National Review. We didn't even go fly the planes or walk this morning. Did a bit of shopping and called it a day.

I'm listening to The Cat in the Hat Songbook on a new CD. We have it on vinyl but that's too clunky to take in the car. I decided that grandson needed to hear My Uncle Terwilliger Waltzes With Bears so I found a CD and bought it for too much money. But it's fun. I've been driving him batty singing the song so now he'll be able to hear it properly sung. See how compassionate I can be?

Quote: If you do not wish a man to do a thing, you had better get him to talk about it; for the more men talk, the more likely they are to do nothing else. --Carlyle

Maybe this will help you see the color

Puppy's Pop has been playing again today. Even took the El Camino to breakfast without me! Didn't even tell the breakfast club that these are my new wheels!! What the heck!

And what the heck am I doing this for at this time in the evening! A bit nuts, I guess! Had a great day but I'm pooped again! Went on two wrecker calls this morning. Grandson just gets a kick out of running the levers that lower and raise the cars. Super cool! He didn't want to go back to his Dad's shop after the second run so we walked home, not from the shop, that would've been too easy! no we had to walk at least a mile from where kiddo decided it would be a great place to get out of the truck! (Of course, I concurred so his Dad let us off. We had a ball! Had to stop and check out all of the bugs on our way home. We brought home a cicada, dead, but beautiful!) After playing in the park and eating KFC popcorn chicken we went swimming for about an hour in the pool. So now you can see why I'm tired.

It's here! A break from Vancouver.

I'm pretty pooped tonight. Being a Memere is neat but a grandson can wear you out! I haven't played catch in a pool in so long, maybe longer than that. You know what, I've never really played ball in a pool except at my cousin Roger's and that's when the oldest two kids were perhaps two and four years old! We usually went swimming at the Pond or at my friend's cottage.

The El Camino has made it back home. It looks great and Puppy's Pop now has to finish up all of the inside and lots of other little stuff that's really not too little! Got some neat shirts from the Paint Shop that we were told we have to wear when we visit our son-in-law!

Perhaps tomorrow!

A view from the Pan Pacific Hotel.

Boy, I thought that I had some breaking news but Grampa beat me to it! And that's perfectly OK. It seems as if the El Camino is ready for pick up! How cool is that! I'll be going to Groton tomorrow to take care of our super neat grandson and he and I will bring Grampa to New London to pick up the El Camino. I'm looking on the bright side! If the boss says it'll be ready, it'll be ready! Let's keep our fingers crossed and anything else we can cross!

Had a great day in Groton looking after grandson who always seems to be able to teach me something new. I've become a fan of Bakugan. (I think that's how it's spelled. What a lot of fun! Some of these new toys are really ingenious.)

Quote: Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong. --Daniel O'Connell

Sunday rest

Cleaning the dining room windows from our private balcony

Man, are we cooking today. Summer has arrived with a vengeance! I had to water the two Rose of Sharon that younger brother gave me. I don't want to lose them. They're very colorful bush like trees. Have no clue what color they'll turn out to be. Maybe if I don't kill them like I did the last two I'll find out in 2010! Can't believe that the sun is getting so low in the sky that it hardly comes in the kitchen windows in the afternoon; of course the trees around the property have grown so tall they probably help keep us in the shade.

Went to late Mass today. I must say that I enjoy going to All Hallows. We are a microcosm of the USA and even though we have our dingbats, they're our dingbats and it's so comfortable here. The a Capella singers have clear voices and work so well together - they must range in age from 14 to 60. Also walked around an auction site after breakfast and saw some really wondrous items; items I still use everyday here at home. M...m...m... I hope that's not telling me that I'm out of date. Ouch . . . that hurts! Also stopped in at the neighbors near the Grove Street Cemetery who were having a yard sale. Met some friends of the middle child's youth. Pretty cool beansies!

Reading the Hartford Courant and I had to laugh. Check it out!

Quote: The eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine clothes, fine houses, nor fine furniture. --Franklin

Pan Pacific Hotel / The Veendam

This is a view of our hotel in downtown Vancouver from across the harbor in Stanley Park. The ship is the Veendam on which we sailed through the inner passage to Alaska. As you'll see Vancouver is a beautiful, clean, lovely, lively city.

Not much happening today. We'll go to grandson's party and then I'll stay with him this evening. Grampa will stop in at a Bluegrass Festival in Plainfield after the party. Perhaps we'll be able to go the the last part of the festival Sunday. I think that they'll be playing Gospel Music during the late morning and early afternoon on Sunday. There is no charge; just asking for donations. It's the Second Annual Bluegrass Music Festival located off of Colbridge Road at a private home in the woods and fields of rural Plainfield! Dad's friend will be playing along with Shady Creek.

Quote: Music washes away from the soul the dust of every-day life. --Auerbach

Begin and end with laughter

Last of the Victoria photos. Table setting in the cafeteria

We were out for breakfast this morning and our waitress was talking about mothers-in-law. She mentioned that her mother-in-law was so nasty "she could scare a cat away from a fish truck!" Puppy's Pop almost choked. She added the the old lady is no fun anymore because she has Alzheimer's and "She doesn't remember that she hates me!" The best part is that the waitress is serious. This cracked me up.

Went flying/walking at the Dog Track and I must say that I can't even begin to describe the blueness of the sky. It was a clear, intense, dry, crisp, angelic, Gaian, cerulean blue. Breathtaking! On a mundane note I woke up and for the first time in ages it was a great pleasure to open my eyes! Wow, I never realized that they could feel so refreshed and smooth. So . . . here's a plug for AzaSite.

Sorry that there is no picture for this one. We did drive by the guy's home but it didn't seem right to take a picture of the hole on his front lawn. Looky here!

Quotes: Every man has his devilish moments. --Lavater

Alzheimer's - It's the perfect disease - you don't know you have it! --Puppy's Pop

Happy Day!

Beautiful camellias in the cafeteria.

Happy Birthday super Grandson! Five years old is a wonderful age, so much to see, so much to do, so much to learn, so many to love, so many who love you! I know I'm waxing exuberant about a child but I think that children are the best part of the human race! But we certainly do have to drag them up well and love them forever!

Had to see the eye doctor today. This dry eye is obnoxious but I've got enough different drops that I should expect to be cured! Of course you can only really alleviate the symptoms but that's fine with me. Just a minor annoyance.

The weather is so bad that I took out a puzzle and have it all over the dining room table! Friends gave it to me as a joke, I think. It's one thousand pieces, rather smallish ones! and it's of a lighthouse in the winter! Hard work!

Quote: Mediocrity is excellent to the eyes of mediocre people. --Joubert

An extremely rare occurrence

Last evening we sat down to a delicious dinner; tender,moist perfectly pan fried pork chops and fresh green and yellow beans with new potatoes buttered and seasoned. Of course there were fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden along with a nice white wine. What was unique? This is the first time in my entire life that I had to cook garden fresh beans that had been given to me by someone else! Never in my life have I not eaten green beans from our own garden whether when I was little on Highland Extension or since we've lived on the other side of the tracks (that no longer exist!) I've never bought fresh beans, ever! So, I'll soon be tearing out the Italian climbing beans that climbed to their hearts content and only gave us 24 beans. Next year I'll go back to bush beans! I miss them! Thank God for friends with gardens!

Puppy's Pop did a very good deed today. He brought home the vulgar flag that someone had raised on the mound of debris at the Dog Track. Being the practical man that he is he took their flagpole, a very nice long pcv pipe, and has also made the flag into nice rags for use in the garage. He did leave the long metal rod that they had stuck into the mound to hold up the pipe. They had used fishing line for ties. Pretty well done, actually. I'm sure they'll be disappointed but at least those of us who just like to enjoy the area will be happier now! After clambering up the volcano (that's grandson's name for the pile) Puppy's Pop found an easier way up on the back. There's practically a road for three fourths of the way to the top. So he came back down more easily.

Quote: Men do less than they ought, unless they do all that they can. --Carlyle

Even the buildings are beautiful

The thunderstorm last night did not cool things off! Just came back from walking and flying at the Dog Track and it was a chore to make three rounds. I was intrigued by a flag waving atop the huge pile of debris that has been in the parking lot since the buildings had been bulldozed. Much to my consternation some one took the time to make up an extremely vulgar flag that included the bible and a "not biblical" saying and picture. Pretty nasty! I met a lady walking her dog and she wanted to go up and take it down. But she didn't because it's really too dangerous for people of a certain age to be trying to run up and down an enormous mound of crushed cement, rocks, dirt and rebar. I always want to think the best of people but this put a crimp in my thinking about young thugs. Just a bit too crude even for Plainfield. The owners may just lock the place up again.

Check this out! Connecticut at its finest! Too funny! Wish I had been there.

I'm fighting with the VA Bureaucracy and the Stirling Bureaucracy. Two calls yesterday to the VA billing department (it's in Timbuktu!) and two calls to Stirling & Stirling, our medical insurance after Medicare and I'm still in limbo. But I started out today on a good note. I did get hold of a nice lady at the VA in Providence and she's going to fight our battle for us. It's only for $100 but we can't just let Stirling not pay their share of expenses. Of course both sides are blaming the other side. The VA in Timbuktu says we have to pay now or else they'll tack on late fees but the VA in Providence told me to just pay the $8 of the $108 on the bill. I'm going with Providence!

Quote: The vulgarity of inanimate things requires time to get accustomed to; but living, breathing, bustling, plotting, planning, human vulgarity is a species of moral ipecacuanha enough to destroy any comfort. --Carlyle

ipecacuanha - a plant that induces vomiting

Jamestown, RI - Not a good choice

View from the Gardens. Victoria, BC

Puppy's Pop and I thought that a Monday would be a fine day for Jamestown. Forgot that RI has the day off as a holiday - their VJ Day Holiday! What a mess! We did an about face and went to Oakland Beach instead which is in Cranston, I believe. We took a nice walk along the boardwalk, had a Del's Lemonade, stopped for some propellers at Ray's and so all in all we did pretty well for a staggeringly humid day.

Another bright spot. Grampa did some shopping for me last Friday while I was in Groton. He went to Big Y. Don't you know - he came home with a GOLD COIN! It's been years since I've gotten a gold coin. We must have spent $50,000 for our groceries to finally get one! Good on him!

Hey, I think that this works! (Good job, 2Evil!) It's a Bulletin story about VJ Day in Moosup. Try this!

Quote: I quote others only the better to express myself. --Montaigne

Not much

Not much going on today. Got up a bit under the weather so just having a quiet stay at home Sunday. Even grandson was not too sprightly this morning before we brought him home. I'll bet he wanted a good nap. That's what I feel like doing but I'm trying to read the Hartford Courant which isn't too bad. They actually have one right wing columnist! It's VJ Day but I didn't even go out to see the parade; just a lazy, overcast, cool day.

We did have a nice visit with my younger brother and his wife. Let them borrow some wine information that we received some years back thanks to the oldest child!

Keeping with the Greens/Battery Charging Day

What a day! Grandson kept me busy, busy, busy. Went to his home for 8am and he said we should eat breakfast in today. We did! He dressed himself and we took off on his scooter,me trying to keep up on foot?!, for his Dad's Garage. After a nice visit we had to leave and stop at all of the places in between! That meant at least one playground ( there are three!) and a trip around his new school! Yes, he starts kindergarten at the end of this month! Then we had to swim in the pool! (I find it hard to believe but I actually put on a bathing suit (yes it still fits and hasn't fallen apart!) and we played around in the cool but clean water for a while before we had to warm up in the sun on the swings, slides and cool submarine with a periscope!! Then we were off to McD's for lunch. After lunch this young one, deep in thought, with his head leaning on his right hand thought it might be a good idea to go to the book store??? (Where ever do these young ones get these weird ideas?) So off we went to Borders where he immediately found a bargain extravaganza (Color Blast!) and then inside to pick out a book too! Tried to get away with at least three or four different books but I held him to two items!! (Tough job!) We had a blast!

Cool part II! Came home to a nice supper, a well manicured yard, a clean bathroom and groceries already put away! I told you, life is good!

Quote: If you are but content you have enough to live upon with comfort. --Plautus

Greens and Browns

Went walking and flying at the Sterling Community School again today. There were men working in the woods near the athletic fields. A truck parked nearby gave us a clue where they came from: Printed on side of truck cab Alternative Incarceration Center; printed on the side of the bed Community Service. That stimulus money must be reaching Northeastern Connecticut.

Quote: The laws of nature are just, but terrible. There is no weak mercy in them. Cause and consequence are inseparable and inevitable. The elements have no forbearance. The fire burns, the water drowns, the air consumes, the earth buries. And perhaps it would be well for our race if the punishment of crimes against the laws of man were as inevitable as the punishment of crimes against the laws of nature,---were man as unerring in his judgments as nature. --Longfellow

Crazy, hazy. lazy days of Summer

Just in case you'd like to know. Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and there are about 75 miles of water and islands to sail through or float plane through to get to or from Vancouver the city. It is located on Vancouver Island and is quite British.

For whatever reason I was reminiscing last night about when Puppy's Pop and I had been married for about a year and a half and had a chance to buy our home in Moosup that came with a resident Aunt! We were really fortunate because in the 70's there certainly wasn't much extra money and with Ma Tante's help we were able to do all kinds of stuff; new kitchen, new garage, new bathroom and upstairs bedrooms. We paid her back but without her cash loans it would have been too prohibitive for us at that time when the kids were little. Not too many young people have the option of having a loving, self-effacing Aunt to help out. And there were a wonderful Memere and a cool Pepere who stopped regularly to visit and actually take the kids out to lunch or cared for the youngest child when we weren't able to get to the school on time to pick her up. We really have led a somewhat charmed existence. Even though the place is a "bit" rickety, Grampa will say a "lot" rickety it's comfortable. It's home. OK That's enough "schmaltz" for today!

Had breakfast at Zip's this morning. We don't go there very much any more and our waitress still knew what we liked to order! Nice lady! We took the time to go look at the new Killingly High School off of Route 12 a few miles from Max Wibberly's. Certainly won't be ready for the opening day of school this year. It doesn't even look as if they'll make it for January. I'm not too impressed by what I've seen. We went to the new Sterling Community School to fly and walk. That is a very impressive building. The athletic fields are beautiful. Track, long jump pit, shot putt, baseball diamond, soccer fields, basketball court and two really nice playscapes. Grandson and great nephew really enjoyed it when I brought them to play there some time ago. Puppy's Pop's planes look so nice flying over the grass with the new building and blue sky in the background. Much better venue than the Dog Track! (Less dangerous for the planes too when they act up and land upside down!)

PS If you'd like to see the pictures in a bigger format just click on them.

Quote: " The last word" is the most dangerous of infernal machines, and the husband and wife should no more fight to get it than they would struggle for the possession of a lighted bombshell. --Douglas Jerrold

Summer has arrived!

We took about an hour and a half ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria and spent about two hours at the Buchart Gardens. We got to our hotel in Vancouver a couple of days before our cruise so that we could relax and take in the sights and sounds and foods of this very clean modern city.

Drank our first bottle of Chateau Prieure Marquet 2006 Bordeaux Superieur last evening. It was very smooth in comparison to our normal Cabernet Sauvignon. Now we'll have to try something else next week. It's a shame that I'm already looking forward to next week. Life should not be rushed!

Got skunked at cribbage today! Younger brother and his wife both skunked me! We play three way cribbage and even though brother won, sister-in-law also beat me good. Of course there's always next time. They did send me home with some nice cucumbers and peppers. Every one must know by now that our garden is a bit poky this year. When I returned home there was a bag that Grampa had found on the picnic table. It contained zucchini, yellow and green; cucumbers and best of all beans, green and yellow. We'll be splurging on veggies tonight!

While waiting for the Ferry to Victoria, BC

What an amazing amount of cargo goes out of the port in Vancouver, BC. You could stay and watch them all day and not be bored. The Ferry we took was enormous. We had to have detailed instructions just to be able to find the bus on the boat!

Grampa's off checking on the El Camino and I'm a bit nervous because I'm soon to be off for a haircut. "Nervous about a haircut?" you say. Yes, most certainly. In June my lady hairdresser was using a new, longer pair of very sharp scissors and nipped my right ear! It bled so much is was awful. She even called me the next day to see if I was OK. Grampa wanted to answer the phone and tell her that I was at the hospital for a transfusion! It did take about 16 hours before we could take the band aid off. It didn't look bad after it stopped bleeding but a cut around the head even a little one really makes a mess! She's probably nervous too!

Have a new addition to the area around the JCSBank. As you drive in and to your left a brand, spanking new steel structure is going up. It'll be the Moosup Ambulance facility. Since it is more centrally located they'll be able to get places faster without screaming by our house to miss all of the lights when getting out of Moosup. Of course they'll probably have to come in to Moosup by our street! The town will be buying the JCSBank when the grant money comes through and turning it into a Central Library. Doesn't seem like a bad idea since only Moosup has a decent library and it's getting crowded in there. The bank will build a new home on the land to the right of its present location. Big goings on about town!

Quote: To have thought far too little, we shall find in the review of life, among our capital faults. --J. Foster

And the conspiracy continues. . .modernity. . .

Lemur. Last of the Bronx Zoo photos. Will be going back to Alaska.

Yep, Sundays will never be the same. I've loved reading the Providence Journal on Sundays because the Norwich Bulletin is just too inane. But Projo is no longer being distributed in Connecticut! "Incroyable!" I've written to them but I doubt that I'll even get an answer to the email. I was paying a whopping $3 per week just for that one day of relaxation with the messy old newsprint. My hands would be black but I loved the tactile experience, so enjoyable. As a teenager I was captivated by the Sunday New York Times and so it seems that the nostalgia has come to an end. I can not get myself to read or buy the Times. It gets me ticked off too easily. Today I had to settle for the New London Day. It wasn't too bad but I'll miss Projo.

I thought that this article was pretty good. Makes me want some Pinot Noir! The label is so cool! I'll have to see if I can find the wine nearby! Gotta keep those California vintners busy! http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=3d02f4ca-7b74-48b0-a78d-14914566c5d6.

Don't forget the Perseid meteor shower. It will be at its peak Wednesday, August 12 before dawn! If I remember I'll go and lie down on the rock by the garden and enjoy the theatrics but I think that will have to be Tuesday night because I can't imagine getting up before dawn even for the best part of the show.

Quote: A journalist is a grumbler, a censurer, a giver of advice, a regent of sovereigns, a tutor of nations. Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets. --Napoleon

Quote: As a mental discipline the reading of newspapers is hurtful. --What can be worse for the mind than to think of forty things in ten minutes.--T. T. Munger

Interesting thoughts. Should be applied to on line news, blogs, twits etc.

Green Snake!

Super good news! Brown did a good delivery yesterday, all intact and brought into the house! My case of German wines through BASF has arrived! 4 Piesporter Goldtropfchen riesling Kabinett; 4 Spatburgunder dry and 4 Chateau Prieure Marquet - Bordeaux Superieur (actually a French wine but still sent from Germany. ) I can hardly wait to sample them! (2 reds and a white) But we're going to make them last by being very choosy about when we drink them. May have to limit ourselves to one a week! I tell ya, life is good!

I forgot to mention that in Ice Age they've got a new character who is most charming. His name is Buck and he reminds me of a young Royal Airman I've gotten to know. A definite "Good Guy."

Something has eaten the tops off of my Swiss Chard! I think it's a deer that Grampa and I saw up by the spring yesterday. I hope it doesn't eat any more stuff. The garden is a bit thin this year. We've only gotten a few cucumbers, 7 beans, and 6 yellow crook neck squash so far! Of course the asparagus was delicious!

Grandson almost made his TV debut this week. He and his Dad had a wrecker call in Mystic and Channel 3 was doing some video shots. Well ... all we got to see was the flatbed backing up to the wrecked Jeep but it was still pretty neat!

Quote: " When the million applaud you, seriously ask what harm you have done; when they censure you, what good!" --Colton