DONNIE'S SNAKE.....YUK!!

I DON'T THINK MY HEART COULD HAVE TAKEN A MEETING WITH THIS GUY!

WE'RE GETTING AN EARLY START ON THE TROPICAL STORM SEASON

The first storm, of the season, has been named as it develops in the Atlantic.  We're calling it ALBERTO     It's about 120 south of Cape Fear, North Carolina.

AN ALARMING NOTE FROM DONNIE

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"I was cleaning off the porch this morning I bent down next to a shelf to move some pots. I turned to move the shelf--and froze! Within inches of my arm, a small rattlesnake was coiled on the bottom shelf, on top of a box of ant killer! Thank god it was early and still very cool--the snake was torpid, not moving.

We called neighbors Betty & Gene, and all together we power-hosed the snake off the porch, and decapitated it with a hoe. The bigger fear now is that there may be more, under our porch."

NOT A GOOD DAY IN THE BLACK HILLS

Duane said it rained most of the night and it's cloudy, chilly and windy this morning.  I noticed, at 10, they were at 53 degrees in Rapid City.  Not good weather for sightseeing.  I hope it doesn't move this way.  I'm tired of that kind of weather.

THIS MAY BE A SURPRISE FOR YOU

A lot of college graduates take a trip to unwind after the graduation ceremonies are over.  Guess where most of them are going this year.

According to the travel folks, the #1 TRAVEL DESTINATION IS THE NETHERLANDS AND #2 IS CUBA.

I thought you'd be surprised.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

IT MUST BE SUMMER

I just finished making my first batch of cucumber salad.  That's a staple, here, during the summer months.

1 cup mayo
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups sliced cucumbers
Sliced onion rings

Mix the mayo, sugar and salt.  Add cucumbers and onions.  Refrigerate 2 hours.

I can't put the salt in so I add a teaspoon of lemon juice instead.

IT TAKES ALL KINDS

DONNIE IS DOING BUG PICTURES THIS MORNING.

IT'S VACATION TIME

Rita, Roger, Carl and Kathy leave Tuesday for a few days away on MACKINAC ISLAND. 

STORMY WEATHER AHEAD

It sounds like we could have an A/C day, today, with sunny skies and AFTERNOON HIGHS NEAR 90.

Thunderstorms, tonight, could bring some heavy lightening.  More storms, tomorrow afternoon, might include small hail, gusty winds, lightning and brief heavy rain.  So, if you gotta do it outside, this weekend, you'd best do it today.

FACEBOOKS WALL STREET DEBUT WAS A DUD

Investors weren't, exactly, standing in line to buy the Facebook stock.  Even so, the company is worth $105 billion and Mark Zukerberg's share is worth $19, 252, 698, 725.50.

If I had $19 billion, I think, the first thing I would buy is some more hair.

By the way, Facebook going public has made U2 LEAD SINGER, BONO, THE RICHEST ROCK STAR IN THE WORLD.

Bono invested $90 million in Facebook three years ago.  Now, with the company trading on the big board, his stock is worth $1.5 billion.

LA CROSSE IS GETTING HIT HARD WITH WHOOPING COUGH

READ THE LATEST IN THE LA CROSSE TRIBUNE

MICK JAGGER ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE TONIGHT!

READ THE STORY IN THE WASHINGTON POST

MORE FOXY SHOTS FROM LYNNE

 Lynne Writes: 

"Our fox and one of her 4 cubs has been in our yard several times in the last days since I wrote. Our neighbors are enjoying them too.

 

The neighbor dog wanted to play and the fox just looked at him and wandered back to us.

 

Mom Blair is really enjoying seeing them. We wonder how long they will stay in our woods."

INSIDE HUGH HEFNER'S KITCHEN

A jelly doughnut to start the day!
It's hard to believe there are people who live like this, but they do and it's fun to read about it.

How would you like to have an army of chefs in your kitchen 24 hours a day 365 days a year.  That's what Hugh has!!

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE.

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO CHICAGO FOR THE WEEKEND....TURN AROUND!

Many of the main traffic arteries will be shut down, security will be higher than you've ever seen it.  There will be traffic jams galore and you don't want to be in one!

In case you haven't heard, the heads of 50 countries will be in town for the NATO summit.  Every one of them will need police escorts and tons of security people and other aides.

Sounds like a mess to me!

RITA IS PLAYING MAMA BIRD

Roger found a new born baby parakeet that the parents had thrown out of the nest. He brought it upstairs and Rita is feeding the little tyke four times a day. He's feisty and eating so, with love, we're hoping he makes it.

GOOD NEWS FOR DONNIE AND LINDA

The WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION says the La Nina that brought the drought to Texas is gone and it's very unlikely it will return this year.

I GOT THIS FROM THE LA CROSSE CENTER FACEBOOK PAGE

The "average" American (and I'm about as far from average as they get) eats about 58 quarts of popcorn.  In any given year 17 BILLION QUARTS of popcorn are popped in the USA.

THIS WILL SHOCK YOU

You already know that FACEBOOK is big but do you really realize that FACEBOOK is bigger than many other corporations in the world???  Even the corporations that have been around forever???  Even TWICE AS BIG as E-Bay.  Much bigger than Starbucks.  It makes Disney look like a mom and pop store.

READ THE AMAZING FACTS HERE.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

"EVERYTHING HAS BEEN FIGURED OUT,

EXCEPT HOW TO LIVE."

Jean-Paul Sartre

WHAT I'M READING

READ THE REVIEW FROM NPR

COUNTRY MUSIC BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

GEORGE STRAIT

60 TODAY

BIG DOINGS IN WESTBY THIS WEEKEND

They're celebrating Syttende Mai in Westby this weekend.  THERE'S MORE INFO HERE FROM THE LA CROSSE TRIBUNE

I see they're having a ROMMEGRGROT EATING CONTEST.  Carl should go up for that.  He likes that crap.

WHY ARE YOU TIRED ALL THE TIME?

Click here to learn about things that may be making you tired.  There are some things I sure didn't know about.

Also, This link will tell you all you need to know about the solar eclipse on Sunday.   If you notice the little time table, on the site, you'll see that the eclipse doesn't start, here, until 7:22 PM on Sunday.  That's a little late for us to see the sun any day.   You'll have to head west to get a better view.

DUANE WAS BIRD WATCHING LAST NIGHT

"Saw the cardinal this evening in the back yard.  Also saw a robin gathering twigs for a nest."

SKECHERS SHOES WON'T DO MUCH FOR YOU BUT EMPTY YOUR WALLET

Despite their outrageous claims, a study by the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse has found their ads misleading.  READ THE STORY IN THE LA CROSSE TRIBUNE

ANOTHER VOICE SILENCED

Very sorry to hear of the death of Donna Summer at the age of 63.  The queen of disco died of cancer.  Probably her greatest hit, "Let's Dance" will always be one of my favorites.

Dolly Parton issued a statement saying she loved Donna Summer's music and added she was one of the most likable people ever.

ANDY BOROWITZ SAYS...

"Facebook is the most successful social network in the world, enabling millions to share information of no interest with people they barely know."

WHERE IS EVERYBODY GOING?

According to the latest figures from the U.S. OFFICE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRIES, travel by U.S. citizens to CENTRAL AMERICA was up 25% in the first two months of this year and it's up 11% to Asia.

HERE'S AN INTERESTING FACT I DIDN'T KNOW

I read it in this article in the La Crosse Tribune (CLICK HERE).  Did you know there was a time, back in the 1920's, that La Crosse had the only airport between Minneapolis and Chicago.

WEATHER HISTORY

On May 17, 1999, VIROQUA was hit with 3.97" of rain.  That's the wettest day in May Viroqua has ever had.

A FEW WORDS FROM OUR WEST SALEM NATIVE

"...the English-speaking peoples [are] the most ruthless conquerors the world has ever seen, ruthless in the sense that they displace and destroy with large-hearted, joyous self-sufficiency, blotting out all manners, customs, religions, and governments which happen to differ from their own."

--Hamlin Garland, 1903, in an article about how writers, as well as governments, have used and abused native peoples.

RIP

Sorry to hear of the death of South Dakota U.S. Senator Jim Abdnor.  He was a good man and a great representative of the state.  (Read the story in the Rapid City Journal)

DUANE AGREES:  "Yes.  Abdnor was a good senator."

A GRILLED CHICKEN AND STRAWBERRY SALAD.  This sounds too good to be true.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE FROM THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

I'VE NEVER BEEN A LARRY KING FAN BUT......

The line he delivered at the comedy roast for Betty White (age 90) was a classic:  "Betty, at your age, it's a fine line between a roast and a cremation".

I LOVE THIS

WEATHER NOTE

60%

CHANCE FOR

THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY

HISTORIC MILEPOST

FOR THE FIRST TIME

NON-WHITES OUTNUMBER WHITES

READ THE STORY HERE

YOU CAN'T CELEBRATE NORWEGIAN INDEPENDENCE WITHOUT A LITTLE HUMOR

Ole and Lars were working for the city public works department in Wisconsin. Ole would dig a hole and Lars would follow behind and fill the hole in. They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one digging a hole, the other filling it in again.

An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they were doing. So he asked Ole, 'I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting in to your work, but I don't get it -- why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up again?'

Ole, the hole digger, wiped his brow and sighed, 'Vell, I suppose it probably looks odd because ve're normally a three-person team. But today Sven, who plants da trees called in sick.'

LAWRENCE WELK

DIED

20 YEAR AGO TODAY

IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR NORWAY!

The Norwegian Constitution was signed 198 years ago today.  It declared Norway to be an independent nation.

I love Norway's Independence Day because the focus, of the day, is on the children on Norway who participate in parades all over the country, including the capitol, where they march past the palace to be greeted by the royal family.

The holiday is completely non-military with no celebration of one nation defeating another.  That's what I call a "civilized" nation.

ATTENTION BIKERS!

BIKE NIGHT

TONIGHT

RUDY'S DRIVE IN

LA CROSSE STREET

DOLLY IS ALWAYS GOOD FOR A GOOD LINE

The latest quote from Dolly Parton's Facebook page.

"If there's a heaven, I hope to hell I go!"

ALOHA!

I had a reader from Hawaii this morning.  First one I've had from the Aloha state.  I only made it to Hawaii once, during my traveling days but I had a wonderful time at Kailua-Kona at the King Kamehameha Hotel on the big island.

A day of shopping in Hilo was fun too.  Even in a pouring rain.  That's not unusual.  Hilo is one of the wettest cities on earth!

Read more about Kailua-Kona here.
Read more about the Kamehameha Hotel here.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

I stayed up until 10 last night!!  I haven't done that in years.

I started watching a PBS special on the Amish and I couldn't stop watching until it was done.  Very good program.

THE HEAT IS ON

Duane says the forecast high for Rapid City is 90 today.  That should make for some toasty tourists.

I TOOK A GREAT WALK TO THE PARK THIS MORNING

The flower garden looks better than ever.

This is a great place to sit and meditate in the early morning hours before the crowds arrive.

The ducks are so tame you can walk right up and ask them to pose.

IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!

BEER BALLS

A few years ago this might have described me but those days are long gone.  I still like the shirt!

WIN A TRIP TO LONDON FOR THE OLYMPICS

WIN A TRIP TO LONDON ON UNITED AIRLINES

TO ENJOY THE OLYMPICS!

CLICK HERE FOR CONTEST DETAILS

NOTE TO BERT

ONE WEEK TO B-DAY!

BEAUTIFUL WEATHER

I'm really enjoying this string of beautiful spring days.  Today will be another one with a sunny sky and a high near 70.

I'm thinking this might be a good day to walk to the park and check out the flower gardens.

Yesterday I walked to Festival and back.  That has to be, at least, two miles and maybe more.  I had planned to wear my pedometer but, while my legs still work pretty good, my memory is a goner.


By the way, our weather should stay pretty nice until Saturday night and Sunday when we have the next good chance for thunderstorms.

NOW I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME

DID YOU KNOW THAT SUGAR CAN MAKE YOU DUMB??

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

THE YEARS FLY BY TOO FAST

GRANDMA TERP DIED
57 YEARS AGO TODAY
__________________
UNCLE MILTON WAS BORN 103 YEARS AGO TODAY

DID YOU KNOW?

We have a PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN coming up this Sunday afternoon.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

BIG BROTHERS

I read, in the La Crosse Tribune, that BROTHERS BAR AND GRILL has closed their location in Winona.  I was surprised to read they now have 20 establishments around the country.  I didn't realize they were that big.  They're in such far-flung locations as Newport, Kentucky, Denver, Indianapolis and Minneapolis just to name a few.

WHERE IS EVERYBODY GOING?

TRIP ADVISOR is the worlds largest travel website and they're a good place to check out before you go.

They, recently, surveyed 1800 readers and 58% say they'll be heading to a big city for their summer vacations.  The top 3 cities on their travel list are NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND LAS VEGAS.

I'D HATE TO BE THE ONE WHO MADE THIS MISTAKE!

HUNDREDS OF CARS LINE UP FOR 37 CENT GAS

DUANE REPORTS:

"A massive amount of tourists are already here, this season.  I was noticing the license plates; Canadian provinces, Wisconsin, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska and eastern South Dakota.  The traffic is already awful."

SCREWED AGAIN

A NEW LAW IN FT. LEE

You can't walk and text, at the same time, in Fort Lee, New Jersey anymore.  If you do, you might get a ticket.  Police there will start handing out jaywalking tickets ($85.00 fine) if you're caught texting and walking.

This isn't a frivolous thing.  They've had 3 fatalities, this year, that involved people distracted by texting while they were walking.

As far as I know, you can still walk and chew gum in Fort Lee.

THE NEW FIESTA COLOR!

Flamingo (a beautiful Pink)! Share this Deal

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If you are not familiar with how “Pre-Ordering” works, here you go: Place your order now and you reserve your spot in line when Flamingo arrives in our warehouse. We ship all Pre-Orders in the order they are received, so the earlier you order, the quicker you are shipped. You are never charged until your order actually ships. We get an authorization only when placing your order. Place your Pre-Order NOW! Because www.dinnerwarepresale.com is a separate site from www.DinnerwareUSA.com, you will have to register on this site the first time you make a purchase. Once you are signed up, you are good to go for future Pre-Sale events. Don’t delay, be among the first to receive Flamingo. Order Today!

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JUST A THOUGHT

I was thinking, this morning.  The Bible makes it quite clear that Jesus sat down with sinners and talked and ate with them.  I haven't found any passage, however, where he sat down with politicians.  In fact, he made it quite obvious that he couldn't stand them or the "money changers".

OH! WHAT A NIGHT!

Following up on the success of the Broadway hit "The Jersey Boys", three members of THE FOUR SEASONS original group, along with some extra studio musicians, are heading out on a nationwide tour.  They're more my age, now, but I'll bet they can still belt out those great old hits.  I sure would like to see that.....along with the rest of the old farts, still left, who remember those good old days.

UPDATE FROM LYNNE AND GREAT PHOTO'S

"I was sitting at my laptop last evening.  I saw a movement outside the sliding glass door and there were four fox pups.  I grabbed my camera and here came Foxy and her pups right up on the deck in front of me.  We all saw them as they stayed around for quite a while."

FUN MORNING WITH RITA AND ROGER

Roger and a friend were busy repairing one of the windows on the porch.

While the window was out I was able to get a good shot of the beautiful view they have from their front porch.

While they were working on the window, Rita and I got the flowers ready for Memorial Day.

By the way, we discovered that HOBBY LOBBY has a much bigger selection of silk flowers and they're MUCH, MUCH cheaper there than they are anyplace else.  That's the place to go if you need some!

FROM TEXAS

DONNIE AND LINDA HAD WEEKEND VISITORS



WE DON'T MATTER ANYMORE

One of the most popular shows NBC had on their schedule, last season, was HARRY'S LAW  but that didn't save it from the chopping block.  The network cancelled it because the audience it attracted was too old.  We live in a throw away society and that includes human beings.  That's sad.

IT'S WORKING!

Donnie and Linda sent me some ST. IVES DAILY HYDRATING moisturizer and it's the first thing I've tried that is actually working on my skin.  I'm going to have to look for it here because I'll need another bottle by winter time when my battle with the dry skin is even worse.

JACK DIED 29 YEARS AGO TODAY



DONNIE: "A reminder of what Gret used to say: "If we can just make it through May, we'll be OK."

IF WE WERE EVERYTHING THAT OTHERS JUDGE US TO BE, NONE OF US WOULD HAVE TIME TO BE OURSELVES.

CHECK FACEBOOK TOO

There's a lot more news on my FACEBOOK page including a recipe for a strawberry and spinich salad.  Who would have thought of putting those two foods together.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

A BIT OF WEATHER HISTORY

An F2 TORNADO moved through the southeast part of La Crosse on the afternoon of May 14, 1961.  Several garages and sheds were destroyed along with a large number of trees that were uprooted.

SUPER SPRING MONDAY

What a way to start the week.  A sunny day with a high near 76.  The perfect day to get the flowers ready to put on the graves.  That's what Rita and I have planned for this morning.  Memorial Day will be here before we know it.

I CAN RELATE!

A group of 15 year old boys discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at the McDonald's next to Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because they only had six dollars among them, they could ride their bikes there and Jennie Webster, that cute girl in Social Studies, lives on the same street and they might see her.

Ten years later, the group of now 25 year old guys discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the beer was cheap, the bar had free snacks, the house band was good, there was no cover charge and there were lot of cute girls.

Ten years later, at 35 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was decided they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the booze was good, it was near their gym and, if they went late enough, there wouldn't be too many whiny little kids.

Ten years later, at 45, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the martinis were big and the waitresses wore tight pants.

Ten years later, now 55, the group once again discussed where they shoul meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the prices were reasonable, they have a nice wine list and fish is good for your cholesterol.

Ten years later, at 65 years of age, the once again group discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the lighting was good and they have an early bird special.

Ten years later, at 75 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the food was not too spicy and the restaurant was handicapped accessible.

Ten years later, at 85 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because they had never been tExcept that Captain Jack's wouldn't have lasted nearly that long. They'd have been better off sticking with McDonalds...though then THEY would not have lasted that long. here before.

Donnie: "Except that Captain Jack's would have lasted nearly that long.  They'd have been better off sticking with McDonalds...though, then, THEY would not have lasted that long."

NEEDS NO EXPLAINATION

DONNIE CAUGHT A DEER AND A JACKRABBIT IN THE BACK YARD

JUST READ A GREAT REDNECK LINE

You might be a redneck if you think Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.

JUST FOR THE LADIES

Click here for SUMMER SANDALS UNDER $50.00

WELL RESTED....AT LAST!

After a sleepless night, the night before, I slept soundly, and straight through, last night.  What a difference a good nights sleep makes.

WE COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER MOTHERS DAY

It's been a long time coming but we're finally getting some beautiful spring weather.  Sunny and 71 today, sunny and 76 tomorrow.  That's what I call....



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