Thinking about…

Out yesterday before the rain and saw this lone dandelion in the grass. The weed starts out with several small yellow florets on top that change to the white seeds to be carried on the wind with the intention of driving perfectionists crazy.

We see them as weeds but others see dandelions as beneficial. Some say they are highly nutritious and loaded with vitamins A, C, E, and K. They are also filled with minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They are rich with soluble fiber also. That said, I have not eaten any. I can say that dandelion wine isn’t too bad.

There are a lot of these weeds around and if you believe the hype they can make you healthier. Dandelions have potent antioxidants, may help fight inflammation, could help with blood sugar control, and even reduce cholesterol. Some rumors say they may even lower blood pressure and fight cancer.

While I will chew on a spearmint leaf from the garden occasionally I have yet to chow down on a dandelion. Yet I find myself marveling at the fact that this plant we consider a weed and love to hate is good for so many other things. And all we have to do is look outside to see this botanical marvel.

And smile comes to my face thinking about the guy on TV who used to talk of the benefits of wild hickory nuts. Enjoy our Thursday as I will once the wife gets home a little later this morning.
Comments are always welcome.

As requested

The above picture is me after my ears got lowered. I realize that it is not the best quality but since it’s my first selfie it’s the best I could get. At some point they’ll be another non-selfie that is better and we’ll share that when it happens.

When I went to get it cut the lady asked me how I wanted it so I told her ‘more age appropriate’. She asked me to clarify so I then told her to cut out the gray and leave me enough to comb. I think she did a great job. At the wife’s insistence she even trimmed my mustache. That I’m not happy with but it will grow back out.

On the upside, nobody tried to give me directions to the homeless shelter since the haircut. So this skinny old redneck is now disguised as a responsible adult and it’s fooling some. Those that know me know that I’m really just a misguided teenager with old skin.

You may use the picture as a pest repellent or as an example of what the misbehaving children will look like when they get older if they don’t behave.

On another note, this picture was taken a few days ago and we will wait for the return of partly cloudy days to glance skyward and lose ourselves in the clouds gliding across the blue sky. It seems so much better than the gray wall we have outside today.

Now I’ve chores to get done and critters to feed so enjoy our Wednesday as there won’t be another for 7 days. Now for some coffee and leftover pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

Interesting days

A few nights ago the sky got colorful before sunset and the rain started again. I knew the moon wouldn’t be visible so with all the gnats buzzing around came back in.

After the drizzle yesterday some crows got together in an old oak tree to preen and survey their domain. The sky was white yet everything appeared to be in shadows making for an interesting day.

After coming home from jury duty this little guy was perched on a lower roof and looked like he was on guard duty. He just sat there and watched until I was on the porch like I didn’t belong or something.

This morning was a good day in a strange way. When I pulled into the donut shop parking lot the ladies at the counter were putting my order together before I even got to the counter. First time that’s happened but I’m not complaining.

Then went over to Dads and had a good long visit. Before the care giver got there we were making plans to remodel his bathroom. He thought his recliner was too far away and wanted to put it in his bathroom. Of course then we’d have to move his TV in there also.

Since we were that far along he’d thought it would be a good idea to knock out one wall so there’d be room for the dancing girls. He’s been on kick where he claims dancing girls were on their way but the bus broke down. Maybe next time they’ll show up.

Enjoy our Tuesday as it’s been a good one here. Now for more coffee.
Comments are always welcome.

Quick update

Shortly I’ll be leaving the house to report for jury duty. That could get interesting as it’s drizzling, the courthouse is a few miles away, and the wife has the car in Dubuque. I’m guessing I’ll be wet when I get there.

I didn’t plan ahead because there wasn’t any rain in the forecast last night. I’m hoping by the time I leave the drizzle fizzles but am preparing for it anyway. I have a ball cap and a long sleeved shirt that should get me through.

Who would have thought they’d change the forecast? Of course it is also forecasted that the drizzle will stop about an hour after I get down there. It will be interesting to see if anything has changed since the last time I hoofed it that way.

Enjoy our Monday as it’s the first day of the week and rest of our lives. Now I need another cup of coffee for my hike.
Comments are always welcome.

Sunday snicker

Since the last few posts have been really late we thought we’d do an early one. So Happy Father’s Day! and enjoy the snicker.

A nun, badly needing to use the restroom, walked into a local Hooter’s. The place was hopping with music and loud conversation and every once in a while the lights would turn off.

Each time the lights would go out, the place would erupt into cheers.

However, when the revelers saw the nun, the room went dead silent. She walked up to the bartender, and asked, ‘May I please use the restroom?’

The bartender replied, ‘Ok, but I should warn you that there is a statue of a naked man in there wearing only a fig leaf.’

‘Well, in that case, I’ll just look the other way’ said the nun. So the bartender showed the nun to the back of the restaurant.

After a few minutes, she came back out, and the whole place stopped long enough to give the nun a round of applause.

She went to the bartender and said, ‘Sir, I don’t understand. Why did they applaud for me just because I went to the restroom?’

‘Well, now they know you’re one of us’ said the bartender, ‘Would you like a drink?’

‘No thank you, but, I still don’t understand’, said the puzzled nun.

‘You see,’ laughed the bartender, ‘every time someone lifts the fig leaf on that statue, the lights go out’.

‘Now, how about that drink?’

Late one

I overslept and this post is late. Sorry about that but I can’t predict when this happens and know when they do an alarm clock wouldn’t help. So here we go.

If you’ve been out at night, and it hasn’t been cloudy or raining where you’re at, you may have noticed some almost electric blue clouds in the sky. These are known as noctilucent clouds. or night-shining clouds. The last few nights these clouds have been seen across the Northern Hemisphere.

They are started by dust from meteors and can be seen all night if conditions are right. We haven’t been that lucky here on the east coast of Iowa but they’ll be around a while. And don’t forget the full moon on Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day!

If that isn’t your cup of tea, how do feel about Friday the 13th? Just another day? Those with friggatriskaidekaphopia, or the irrational fear of Friday the 13th, this may not be your year as we’ll have two before years end.

In thirteen weeks, Friday, September 13th will greet us when we wake. Then, thirteen weeks after that is Friday, December 13th! This ocurance isn’t all that unusual, and any given year can have as many as three Friday the 13ths in it, it would be scary to some.

And exactly 13 weeks after Friday, December 13th, comes Friday, March 13. That’s a lot of 13s. Friday the 13th wasn’t even considered unlucky before the 19th century so it’s a fairly new phobia. Whatever your thoughts on the subject there should be plenty of ‘Friday the 13th’ movies on our TVs to watch.

Enjoy what’s left of our Saturday as the rain is tapering off here. Now for some coffee and leftover pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

Moon watching

Today is Flag Day, Sunday is Father’s Day, and there will be a full moon Sunday night. To top off all that there will be a live band tonight at the Nova Reunion car show at Jumer’s Casino in Rock Island, Illinois. If you want to go the music starts at 7 pm.

We have Flag Day to celebrate legally making the flag ours on June 14, 1777 in a resolution of our 2nd Congress. And President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that established June 14 as Flag Day in 1911.

An early ‘Happy Father’s Day!’ to all the fathers out there. This day celebrates the contributions that fathers, and father figures, make. The holiday has celebrated in Europe since the Middle Ages.

A full moon will greet those who are outside, with clear skies, on Father’s Day night as mentioned. Almost like the icing on the cake. Not sure of what this full moon is called but the previews, like the picture above, promise it will be a good one.

Shortly we’ll cruise to get our errands done as time ran out yesterday. I did end up with a store bought hair cut so now people can see I actually do have ears. It worked out good though as told the lady cutting my hair to just cut the gray hairs out and leave the rest. I was a little afraid she wouldn’t stop until I was bald!

So enjoy our Friday as it means the weekend is here. Now for more coffee before the running starts.
Comments are always welcome.

Of busy days

Today we’ve been busier than usual and still have more running to do.
But when all is said and done the wife will have her hair styled and I will get my ears lowered. Not sure I’m ready for a haircut that will let me see my ears again and yet am told there’s a first time for everything.

Last night the planet Jupiter was closest to the earth and I couldn’t get a picture because of the clouds. I did get a picture of the moon when it peeked out between the clouds and may share that later.

I even made it over to Dads today to drop off his Father’s Day gift and card. He was joking around and said he was only accepting gifts that were one of a kind. I told him I could guarantee it was the only one like it in world.

The wife and I took the picture above and had it engraved in 3-D inside a crystal cube. We had seen the videos but were not prepared when the gift arrived. It was everything we’d hoped it be, and more. Dad even took it out the box and looked at it from different angles for quite some time.

Then he put it back in the box, covered it with his forearms, and said nobody else could look at it because it was his. After a little bit he took his arms away and did allow others to look while keeping a sharp eye on them. After the visit we left again as I took the wife out to lunch.

In less than hour I’ll be in a barber chair and wife will be getting her hair done, Then when we get home part of the lawn still needs mowed. No rest for the wicked I guess. So enjoy our Thursday as it’s one day closer to the weekend. Now to get a cup of coffee before the haircut.
Comments are always welcome.

Of pine cones and a car show

Pine cones are popping up on the old pine tree and before long will look more like pine cones than pickles. Didn’t get to see the moon last night as clouds moved in before the rain and a cool breeze came up.

Talked to the wife this morning, she is out of town for work until Thursday and called so we could chat. Even after being married for over 30 years we still talked for over an hour. And Dads Father’s Day gift came yesterday and it turned out even better than we hoped.

A friend got hold of me and mentioned a car show this weekend and thought we’d share that with you. The 12th Annual Heartland Nova Reunion runs from tomorrow afternoon through Saturday afternoon at Jumer’s in Rock Island, Illinois. I’m assuming that’s the casino.

Friday night at 7 pm a live band will be performing everything from Elvis to the Beatles and we’re told it’s a great band called The Neverly Brothers. And it’s free! So you can see some great cars, meet some nice people, and listen to a live band for free.

It is suggested that if you attend the concert you bring lawn chairs to sit in. The casino does supply some chairs but not enough for everyone. I wish we could make it but not sure we can. So if you like live music, hearing it for free, and looking at cars, this is the place to be.

Enjoy our Wednesday as that means we’re in the middle of the work week and the weekend will be here before we know it. Now for more coffee and the last piece of leftover pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

Running late

Last night the sky was clear as a bell so the moon and stars put on quite a show here on the east coast of Iowa. So Monte, the man in the moon, and I had a long talk. We talked of the crazy weather, the rare clear night, and rather or not we should start building an Ark. As you can see in the picture he was smiling as wide as I was.

This morning I went over to Dads for a visit and we had a great time while he ate some of the donuts I bought then later in the living room. Of course talk of the farm came up and different smells that went with that.

The barn with the hay in the loft and the leather of the rigging for the horses, even the livestock pens. Of walking the beans and corn, the huge country suppers, and family both here and gone. He got a gleam in his eye as he mentioned the old Johnny Pepper 2-cylinder tractor and again mentioned he thought the Model T was best car ever built.

He lives up to his self-proclaimed nickname of Antique Farmer. He again told me he liked the picture of a white barn that we got him for his birthday and had it hung on the wall by his TV.

As I was headed home a glance at the clock in the car told me I’d spent a lot longer than usual visiting. And even knowing that I’m still smiling. Enjoy our Tuesday as it’s the only one we get this week. Now for some coffee and leftover pizza.
Comments are always welcome.