Hot, dry weather is a sure cause for wildfires on the prairie.

They're battling several fires that cover about 14 square miles on the Rosebud reservation.  That's where baby sister is buried.

Willard always has a comment to share.

"Instead of your Tweets "preserved" in the Library of Congress, they should "preserve" you!"

Here's the perfect message for your answering machine.

"I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call.  I am making some changes in my life.  Please leave a message after the beep.  If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes." 

I'm not the only one with old bones around here.

The crews doing reconstruction work on highway 35 in Onalaska have dug into an ancient Indian campsite of the Oneota people who lived in this area between 1300 and 1600 AD.  There's an interesting article and pictures in the La Crosse Tribune.

Smith climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God.
 

Looking up, he asks the Lord. "God, what does a million years mean to you?"

The Lord replies, "A minute."

Smith asks, "And what does a million dollars mean to you?"

The Lord replies, "A penny."

Smith asks, "Can I have a penny?"

The Lord replies, "In a minute."

Who would have thought I'd have my writing in the Library of Congress??

It looks like I will..along with a billion other folks.  In case you haven't heard, the Library of Congress is working on archiving every single solitary tweet that's been on Twitter since the very beginning and that's one big pile of tweets!  Millions of tweets are logged every day.  We're talking about billions of tweets since the beginning and a few are mine.  Will that make me a "published author"?

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

There are still 10 places in the world where there are NO CARS!
SEE THEM HERE.

ART IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

PAVEMENT AND TAR



Comment from Willard:

"Your blog is 'full of it' this morning.  Like a morning radio newscast."

Oh, yes! This took me back to my youth.

What caught my eye about this blog was that it featured a page about the DIVE BARS OF OMAHA and one of the featured "dives", with some great fun photos, was BROTHERS.  Of course, we all know that Brothers got its start in LA CROSSE so I had to "click".  The pictures were so much fun and reminded me so much of my "old days" that I clicked on their home page and, wouldn't you know?  The couple who do the blog are from AUSTIN, TEXAS.

See what I'm telling you?  If you stick with it, you're bound to find that it's a very small world and everything is connected to everything else.

Now, I suppose, you want to see the blog.  Well, IT'S RIGHT HERE.

Our thoughts are with the victims of the overnight mass killing in Aurora, Colorado.

An interesting coincidence is that the theater, where the shootings took place, is less then 20 miles from Columbine High School where another mass killing occured several years ago.

If you ask me what I did yesterday, I can't remember.

If you ask me what I was doing on July 20th, 1969 I can tell you without skipping a beat.

I woke up, in a tent, in the middle of the Black Hills National Forest.  I had a breakfast of freshly caught Black Hills Rainbow Trout and pancakes.

I was camping with a group of friends and we had a small, portable, TV (black and white, of course) that you could plug into the car cigarette lighter (remember when cars had cigarette lighters??).  We sat there, in the forest beside the babbling stream with the birds singing in the trees and huddled around the little black and white TV set to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.

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Most Norwegians like their food bland and white.

Carl and I beg to differ so I know he'll be interested in an article I read in the Winona Daily News this morning.

Jalapeno peppers grown in Wisconsin are, usually, pretty mild but Jalapenos love hot, dry weather.  The hotter and dryer it is the hotter the peppers get and, this year, the Wisconsin peppers are, literally, HOTTER THAN HELL!  READ MORE IN THIS ARTICLE.

And, if you'd like to make some home made hot sauce YOU'LL FIND SOME GREAT RECIPES ON THIS WEBSITE.

The heat is coming back for the weekend.

It was 63 when I got up.  Perfect!  Alas, this is weather we're talking about.  Our high was 83 yesterday and we'll be closer to 90 today and 100 by Sunday.  Fiddle-dee-dee.  I'll think about that tomorrow.  In the meantime, it's 63 and it feels GREAT with the windows open and no a/c or fans.

Three friends from the local congregation were asked, "When you're in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?"

Artie said, "I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man."

Eugene commented, "I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives."

Al said, "I'd like them to say, 'Look, he's moving!'"

BUDWEISER, the king of beers. As American as it gets!

Well, it was All American at one time.  Now?  Not so much.  Budweiser is owned by a Belgian and Brazilian company with the main office in Belgium.

Want to know about some other "American as apple pie" companies that are also owned by foreign companies??  Read all about it here.

This heat wave has been a killer.

We've had 22 heat related deaths in Wisconsin since July first.  2 of them were in La Crosse County.

I'm so out of the loop I don't even know why I get out of bed in the morning.

So, I was just looking at the Emmy nominations.  There's only a couple shows that I have even heard of and I've never seen ANY of them.  The strange thing is that I don't feel like I've missed a thing.  Maybe that's just old age.

I'm enjoying the cooler weather and I'm sure everyone else is too.

Walking to the park, the breeze was actually cool.  A nice break from the long string of hot, cloudless days.

Imagine a bunch of fat Norwegians playing Calypso music.

You had to be there to really appreciate it.



Actually, they were quite good, considering we're several thousand miles from the Caribbean.  The "Noon Tunes" was well worth the walk and it was enjoyed by a surprisingly large crowd.  Many more than I thought would be there.

Just as I was leaving the park I spotted the cruise boat coming in from their afternoon tour.  It brought back memories of when Rita, Roger, Paul, Dorothy, Uncle Bob and I took the tour a couple of years ago for my birthday.





 Then we went to Buzzard Billy's for lunch.  That was a fun day.

Got a note from Gladys this morning.

"They haven't found the prisoner that's loose in the Dolton, Marion area yet.  Things like that were never a worry, in the rural areas, in the old days but the whole world has gone nutso.  I now actually do lock my doors at night or when I'll be gone for a while.

Off to Sioux Falls today for more fine tuning on my new hearing aides.  Always something."

Our normal high for July 19 is 86 and that's exactly what the forecast high for today is.  I can live with 86.

The rain was nice to have, yesterday afternoon, but is didn't amount to much.  A puny .20" for La Crosse.  Viroqua, however, did a lot better with 1.42" of rain.

Wildflowers are big news in Dripping springs.

Click below to read the story.
KEYE TV We Are Austin.com :: News - Top Stories - Rescuing Rare Wildflower From Hays County Road Project

I haven't heard what Donnie and Linda think of this controversy but I'm guessing the road will win out.  On the other hand, Lady Bird may be gone but she's not forgotten in these parts.

A SOUTH DAKOTA BOY!

Happy Birthday to George McGovern.  He's 90 today!

This might be a good day to get outside!

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Like a lot of other folks, I've spent most of this summer inside.  It's just been too hot to go out but, today, it's looking better. With a cloudy sky the high will be in the low 80's this afternoon.  That will be downright chilly!

A cold front came through, with some thundershowers, late yesterday afternoon.  Rita called.  She was all excited to see the rain and cool temperatures.  I think everyone else was too.

It's Thursday and that means "Noon Tunes" at Riverside park.  Todays performance is by a steel drum band which might be interesting.  I may take a walk down there.

Haven't been to the park very much this year.  Too hot for that too!

A DEER PICTURE TO END ALL DEER PICTURES!!

Paul said, "Found this little guy, one morning, in some very thick weeds.  He's only about the size of a basketball."

PARENTING MAGAZINE has listed the 10 best cities in America for familys.

Some interesting towns here that I would agree with.  I noticed most are from the west, Midwest and southwest.

• #4 Austin, Texas
• #5 Cheyenne, Wyoming
• #7 Minneapolis/St. Paul
• #8 Madison, Wisconsin
• #9 Omaha
• #10 Sioux Falls

Good choices!

BIG EXCITEMENT IN THE OLD HOME TOWN TODAY

Police are on the ground and in the air over South Dakota today.  They're looking for a prison inmate who escaped while being transported to another prison.

Folks in Marion and Dolton have been warned to lock their doors and take the keys out of their cars.  Yes, folks, there still are places  where people, normally, don't have to keep everything  under lock and key.

We never did lock our house, back in those ancient times.  Even when we came to Wisconsin on vacation.  If I remember right, the folks lost the key to the house shortly after moving in and never did get around to getting another one.

Yes, those were the good old days!

I love Rita and Roger's new landscaping under the deck and around the plantings.

Best of luck to Bobby Rydell.

If you don't know who he is you were not yet born or in a coma during the 60's.  The 70 year old singing star will be released from the hospital, today, following a liver and kidney transplant.

Water, water everywhere?? I think not!!

Did you know that water makes up less than 1% of the planets mass.

My favorite quote of the day comes from hotel and cruise line expert Vinnie Rege.

"Every day I get up and look through the FORBES list of the richest people in America.  If I'm not there, I go to work."

And, what does Donnie do?  "Every day I get up and look in the fridge.  If there is food there, I don't look for work."

This is a day FULL of famous birthdays.

MARTHA REEVES of the VANDELLAS is 74 today, DION of the BELMONTS is 73.  Olympic gold medalist DICK BUTTON turns 83 and, of course, NELSON MANDELLA is 94.



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MORE THAN 10 DEGREES COOLER TODAY.  THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!

WE NEED MORE MANDELA'S IN THIS WORLD.

The objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good.  Our aim should be service to one's fellow human.  And, in a truly Christian country that's what it would be all about.  You know that is the truth and so do I.

"I'VE GOT A SECRET"

Enough is enough.

It was 95 at 3:00 PM with a HEAT INDEX OF 100.  I'm a fresh air nut.  The worst part of winter, for me, is that I can't open the windows to get some fresh air.

The best part of summer used to be that I could open the windows in June and keep them open, most of the time, through September.  Not this year!  Chilled stale air just isn't my thing.

Larry King doing a new talk show on the internet.  Do we need more Larry King?  Do we need more Oprah?

I guess these TV folks have forgotten the golden rule of vaudeville.  "Always leave them wanting more."

I stayed up late enough to catch a few minutes of "Two and a half Men" last night.  It was too sad to watch it all.  Half hearted writing and half hearted acting.

I know, I know, it's still making money so just keep grinding it out.  I think that's the biggest problem in this country.  Our preoccupation with money has blinded us to everything else in life.

Donnie has a new hobby. It involves sitting.

"I have a restful new past-time. Our Drippin' coffee shop, "Thyme &; Dough", is remodeling, and I have taken up an outdoor seat to watch, every morning, sometimes twice a day. Somehow, watching these guys work makes me worry-free, if only briefly.

Fortunately, they are saving the 100+year-old house at the center, and adding dining rooms and new kitchen and patio around that. I've become such a regular that yesterday the architect approached me to say hello, and tell me about the project."

The landscapers are doing some work at Rita and Roger's place today.

They're only going to work until noon.  It's just too hot to be out in this all day long.

I walked over to Walgreen's to get pills and didn't know if I'd make it back or not.  I Couldn't believe how hot and humid it was, already, at 8:00 A.M.

Thunder has the right idea.  He's curled up, sound asleep, in front of the A/C.

Can't believe all the deer that come into Donnie and Linda's yard.

Here's another beauty they spotted yesterday.

The weather, in a word, is MISERABLE.

A HEAT ADVISORY CONTINUES INTO TUESDAY EVENING. HIGHS WILL TOP OUT IN THE MIDDLE 90S TO NEAR 100 WITH AFTERNOON AND EVENING HEAT INDICES FROM 100 TO 105.

THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN FOR TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AS A WEAK COLD FRONT SINKS SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY EVENING.


I don't know who said it but it's a good one.

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."

The world of Country Music is in mourning today.

KITTY WELLS HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 92.
Kitty will, forever, be remembered for her 1952 hit, "It wasn't God who made Honky Tonk Angels."

NEW

CHERRY VANILLA

&

PARADISE MANGO COLA

FROM PEPSI

YUK!

It really is a very small world.

While I was at the library, this morning, I noticed that Barbara Eden has a biography on the shelves.  I had already picked up the new Dan Rather book to read but I pulled Barbara's book off the shelf to see if she mentioned anything about her early years when she studied acting with Elizabeth Holloway in San Francisco.  The reason for my curiosity was that I also had the great experience of studying with Miss Holloway in the early '60's.

Something new I learned, from Barbara's book, was that Carol Channing also studied with Miss Holloway at one time.  Many years later, I crossed paths with Miss Channing when I was working at the airport in Houston.  Too bad I didn't know, at that time, that  at another point in time we both had the same teacher!!!

See what I mean about it being a small world?

THIS SURE WAS GOOD TO SEE!

I spotted it this morning.  It went up over the week-end and it's the first time we've seen something on the marquee of the old HOLLYWOOD THEATER in a long time.

It will take months to bring the building back to life since the entire inside was totally gutted.  The seats, projectors, screen....all gone and all will have to be replaced.  But, when it's done, it will be fun to see again.  The sign on the marquee  just confirms that it's actually coming back to life again!

Willard's morning report:

"We had a downpour around noon, yesterday, around the same time two men, at a soccer game in North Houston, were struck and killed by lightning."

Don't forget the pets.

You may have noticed the logo, on the right sidebar, reminding you not to leave the kids, alone, in a hot car. You would think any person with even an ounce of compassion for anything other than themselves would know that.  Alas, there are too many who don't.

I'd like to add to that...Don't leave your pets in a hot car.  The only times I've even come close to vandalism is when I see pets locked up in a car on a hot summer day.  And, no, leaving the window open "a crack" is NOT sufficient.  The urge to smash that window is, almost, overwhelming.

The Gunderson "Wellness Fest" is right around the corner.

You might want to mark your calendar for the August 4th event at the La Crosse Center.  Check here to get all the information on the many events.  There's one event that caught my eye.  "Men's Tune-up" sounds like something I could use.

The heat is on.

The record high for this date is 101 set in 1931.  We'll get close to that today.  Be cool.  Stay cool.  Old people and heat don't mix.

I want this checker!

I was in the six item express lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the check-out line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward looked into the cart and asked sweetly, "So which six items would you like to buy?"

Duane just posted a bulletin from Rapid City.

"100 degrees.  Everything burning up."

I love the Village Voice.

One reason is Michael Musto who can rip TV to shreds far better than I can.  Read his blog on "reality" shows right here. He's right on!

TOMORROW'S FORECAST:

HOTTER THAN HELL

George Carlin said it:

"If a man smiles all the time, he's probably selling something that doesn't work."

And Donnie says:
Thing is, they don't even smile anymore.  Nobody even pretends "customer service" or "honesty".  Every service I contact out here is like pulling teeth.  Call, call.  Wait, wait.  And, when they finally come (if they come at all) they are ornery, making it clear that I am an imposition on their lives.  This is one angry, unhappy country.

Thing is, they don't even smile any more--nobody even pretends "customer service" or "honesty." Every service I try to contract out here is like pulling teeth, call, call, wait, wait, and when they finally come (if they come at all), they are ornery, making it clear I am an imposition on their lives. This is one angry, unhappy country.

Another REAL star is gone.

Academy Award winner CELESTE HOLM HAS DIED in New York AT THE AGE OF 95.

It was a total waste of time to take a shower.

I just walked over to Co-op and I was soaking wet.  Texas weather has moved to Wisconsin.

(F.Y.I.) It's not hot everywhere.  ANCHORAGE, ALASKA is chilling to the COLDEST JULY EVER.  The temp is averaging around 53 degrees.

Duanes wildlife:

"There's a turkey in the fenced yard, with her 8 chicklets, making a mess under the bird feeder."

A rain report from Donnie

"We passed the 5" mark for rain this month...compared to 0" last year.

I put up a new tent to cover our water well head but had other things to do and didn't tie it down.  Got home from a dinner party to find it blown into the woods."

I've never really trusted anyone who doesn't love the other animals.

Talk about HOT!!!

This weeks banner photo was taken by Donnie as I stood at the door of, without a doubt, the most interesting bar I've ever been in...and, believe me, I've been in many, many, many bars.

I've always said, if there's a bar within a hundred miles, I'll find it.  This one was in LETICIA, COLOMBIA, the southernmost city in Colombia on the banks of the Amazon River.

This has been a hot summer for us but you don't, really, know what hot is until you've been to a city like Leticia where the average high temperature runs between 88 and 90, every month and every day of the year.  There really is no such thing as "weather".  It's always hot and it always rains in the afternoon.  Always. 365 days a year.  That's the weather forecast.  Click here to read more about Leticia

I read an interesting article on Houston this morning.

Houston may be the oil capitol of the USA but it's going green in a big way.  The city is adding three new light rail lines, more than half the city's official fleet of cars are hybrid or electric, they began a bike sharing program this spring and every Wednesday there's a Farmers Market right next to city hall.  Click here to read the Economist article on the "Greening of Houston".

One of the great singers from my youth is celebrating a birthday today.

Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson 66 years ago today.  During her career she released over 30 solo albums, won 11 grammy awards, 2 Academy of Country Music awards and an Emmy award.  She's had 38 songs make the Billboard Hot 100 list.

It looks like a quiet week ahead.

I was just looking at the calendar and I don't see anything going on this week.  That's OK.  It's too hot to get overly excited.

Next week, however, it's a different story.  Don, Daniel and Nick have birthdays, we celebrate Cousins Day and the Summer Olympics begins.

We're having a heat wave!

WILL THE HEAT NEVER END?

This is like being back in Houston again.  94 today, 96 tomorrow, 92 Tuesday.

My memory isn't all that good but I sure don't remember other summers with 90 degree weather week after week.


WARNING FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

DANGEROUS HEAT AND HUMIDITY MONDAY AFTERNOON
A very warm airmass will spread across the area Monday.  Temperatures, tomorrow afternoon, will climb into the mid 90's to to around 100.  These temps combined with the humidity will produce Heat indices of 95 to 105 during the afternoon and early evening hours.  These indicies could lead to fatigue or other heat related illnesses if precautions are not taken.