BLUE DRAGON BOATS

BEFORE THE RACE

FUNNY STUFF

I'm learning the words to this song.

HAIR

The person who paid $6,000, at auction, for a hunk of Mick Jagger's hair has way too much money to throw away.  I would have given him/her all the hair on my head for half that much.

 

PICTURE FROM SPACE

Doesn't this look like it could be La Crosse??

Somewhere in #Wisconsin, the majestic #Mississippi river. #USA #Volare pic.twitter.com/nfF6TJgt4F
— Luca Parmitano (@astro_luca) July 2, 2013

DONNIE: DREAMS

Where's Freud when you need him?
Donnie had an interesting dream last night.

"Boy, had some bizarre dreams last night. Was visiting La Crosse--except the place didn't look at all like La Crosse--and I was supposed to pick you up in a.m., but wherever I was staying (and it had the look of a 1940s apartment house) lost all services--elevator broke, phones not working. 

Next thing I knew I was driving the prairies, and stopped at a farmhouse that had a small rural "post office" out front, more like a shed. 

The farmer was a policeman, who told me there was no mail. Going back to my car, I found two kids crawling out of the car window. 

Then I was in a colorful prairie town, taking pictures. It was a warm sunny day, but there was snow on the ground, which felt warm and didn't melt. A huge dust-devil rose over a lone farmhouse in a field. 

I tried to get pictures, but then forgot the camera on an outdoor wall. In a panic, I raced back and found the camera. All the while I was worried what you would be thinking, since I never could show up to fetch you for this day of adventure."

BLUE DRAGON BOAT RACES

Got to Riverside Park about 8 this morning to watch the Blue Dragon boat races.

 I was surprised at how many people were there.  The park was already PACKED.  Of course, the weather is so beautiful.  Everyone wanted to be out, I guess.

I wore my cowboy hat to protect my head but I was back home by 10 to protect myself from the sun.  I'm really getting "toasty" this summer.

 

DNA

Yikes!  You can run but you can't hide!

BIRTHDAY

A TRUELY GREAT SINGER
MISS DELLA REESE IS 82 TODAY.

TWITTER

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Today's Eureka moment: Ham and Eggs: A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.
— Dr. Frank Simon  (@silverstar22b) July 6, 2013

COMPUTER

My computer is performing so much better.  Apparently the faulty mouse was causing a lot of problems.  Now I can focus on getting the printer, Carl gave me, hooked up.

HOLIDAY

WEATHER

IT'S STARTING TO FEEL LIKE SUMMER!
Sunny, windy and hot spells summer to me.  The high should be around 86 with a swift southern breeze.

CARL AND KATHY

I got a mysterious message from "W" in Superior this morning.  It read,

"Carl and Kathy had a great day celebrating the 4th along with Carole and Bob and Brother Jack in Superior. Weather was great along with the grilled chicken that Carl made. At dusk we watched fabulous fireworks in Bob's driveway that I handed out!!  What a great way to celebrate the USA!!

Sent from my Kindle Fire."

SPEAKING OF KATHY, her birthday is coming up on Tuesday.  Someone on TWITTER wrote, "I don't remember my birthday but people are still celebrating it so it must have been a big deal."

NOTE FROM DONNIE

I've been reading a long history of Native Americans, going back thousands of years.  Made me hungry for buffalo!

 

I went into the city today for a buffalo burger--$17.00, with fries and iced tea and tip.

PICTURES

I'm happy to report we're back in the picture business again.  The problem was a faulty mouse which we replaced today.

 

This new one is from HP and I really like it.

DONNIE 2005

 

THE MAD HATTERS

BANJO BOYS

These kids are just TOO good!

R.I.;P. ANDY GRIFFITH

So sorry to hear about the DEATH OF ANDY GRIFFITH.  One of Donnie's TV hero's is gone!

WEATHER

Our nice weather is coming to an end.
The National weather service says there's a good chance rain will move in Saturday night and we'll continue to have periods of rain through Wednesday.

We could see some heavy rain and severe storms are possible on Tuesday with large hail and damaging winds.

COOLER HOLIDAY

I just ran across a note I made a year ago.  I had forgotten that we had a record hot 4th of July last year when the temperature soared to 103 degrees.

 

We've sure had a cooler summer, so far, this year.  Here we are, past the 4th, and I still haven't had to turn the A/C on this season.

FIREWORKS/RITA AND ROGER

I was thinking how lucky folks were living in the country.  They wouldn't have to put up with the loud fireworks all night long on the 4th of July.  I was wrong!

 

RITA REPORTS

 

Fireworks were terrible here.

Neighbors started shooting off the biggest loudest fireworks and never quit. Roger called them and left a message. 

They finally stopped only to be followed by a neighbor further away starting and when he finished the whole settlement across from us started. 

Emma was hiding under the computer, Duke hid, Chance barked at them and Roger found the ponies huddled together in the corral. 

I must really be aging, because I just wanted them to quit.

HOT DOGS

The other day I mentioned that sales of hot dogs aren't what they used to be.  CLICK HERE AND READ THIS STORY IN TIME MAGAZINE You might decide you're not hungry for a hot dog either!

MUSIC EVERYWHERE

Here's something interesting.  Music can be found in the strangest places.

THAT'S A THOUGHT

This is the best thought I've read all day.

It's better to have beer in hand than gas in tank - Anonymous
— Luv Beer (@Luv_CraftBeer) July 5, 2013

TIME FLYS

Well, the 4th of July has passed.  Time to put the sparklers away and get ready for Labor Day, back to school, carving pumpkins and then we're Christmas shopping again.  Did we even have a spring this year?  If we did, I missed it.

 

I always heard that time went faster as you age and they were so right.

 

Scientists say it all has to do with the fact that the younger you are the more new things there are to investigate and remember.  The older you get, the fewer "new things" you experience and it's the "new things" that create your perception of time.

 

The only "reality" is now.  Now is where you've always been.  All the rest is illusion....or so the philosophers say.

The sad thing is that most of us are so preoccupied with what went wrong in the past or what might happen in the future that we totally miss the only thing that really exists which is NOW.

ELVIS PRESLEY

It was 59 years ago today, July 5, 1954, that ELVIS PRESLEY had his first recording session at SUN RECORDS in Memphis.  Who could have imagined, on that day, the career he had ahead for him.

 

AND THE FIRST SONG ELVIS RECORDED WAS...

NATIONAL BIKINI DAY

I remember it like it was yesterday...... It was the summer of 1960 and I spent the entire summer, that year, in New York City.  I got the worst sunburn of my life at Rockaway Beach, in Queens, on Long Island.  My legs were so burned I could hardly walk but when you're 20 years old a little sunburn won't stop you from seeing the sights and I saw them all!

 

The big Top 40 radio station, in New York, was 1010 WINS which is now an all-news station.  That summer of 1960, however, the #1 song was by a young man from Woodhaven, New York which, also, happens to be in Queens.  It seemed like every time you tuned the radio to 1010 WINS they were playing Brian Hyland's hit, "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini".

 

One more time I have to hear it to celebrate NATIONAL BIKINI DAY and remember that magical summer in The big Apple!

FIREWORKS

I was just getting to sleep when somebody fired off the first firecracker right next to the building.  As if on cue, the whole neighborhood erupted into booms and bangs.  No sleeping with that racket!

 

BUSY BLAIRS

A note from Lynne read, "We were in Viroqua Monday and will be going again.  Lots to go through and get taken care of.  Mom Blair is doing so well."

WEATHER

We sure didn't have the day the weatherman promised.  The forecast said it would be sunny and warm.  It was warm enough but we saw more clouds than sun and we even had a couple of quick showers pass through.

WELCOME HOME

If you want to see pure joy and true love watch the greeting these dogs give the soldiers as they return home.

 

GREEN SUN

Did you know the sun is green?  No, kids.  I'm not kidding.  The sun is green AND YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHY!

If you understand it, explain it to me.

RIVERFEST

 

The La Crosse Riverfest is in full swing.  I'm sure they'll have big crowds with such beautiful weather.  I'm looking forward to the Big Blue Dragon Boat Races on Saturday morning.

4th OF JULY MEANING

HAPPY

4th of July

(or whatever)



STAR BIRTHDAYS

Happy Birthday to GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA who celebrates her 86th birthday today.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Did you ever get this feeling?

I SAID - i think somebody "paid" a whole lot of money to make sure i receive bad customer service ALL OF THE TIME!
— FABULOUS FAN PAGES (@RickPantera) July 4, 2013

WISCONSIN: FACT

In 2011, 9,600 people in Wisconsin were treated for fireworks injuries.

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STURGIS BIKE RALLY

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in just one month! Who's going? #sturgis #easyrider
— Bike Rally News (@BikeRallyNews) July 4, 2013

4th OF JULY

 

DONNIE'S PANTS

"Comes another indicator that I, too, am "fat."   The latest pop measure (saw it cited in several sources) is "belly fat"--that the inches around one's middle at the navel should be less than half one's height.  My 6 feet of height (72") means I should be no more than 36" around the waist.  Well, I am more than that.  (I was 32" most of my life.  At age 50 I suddenly went to 34".  And since retirement I have gone to 36".  I don't know whether to buy new clothes or just die.)

Meantime, Time magazine has a long piece on the "pursuit of happiness," or as they title it inside, "The Happiness of Pursuit," their point being, I guess, that getting there is at least half the fun--the happiness lies in the pursuit.  Among the usual charts and statistics is the claim that home owners are less happy than renters: that owners are more likely to suffer stress and gain weight.

So I can blame my new fat status on home ownership, along with stress and endless expenses...not to mention the scorpions."

BLACK HILLS TOURISTS

Sounds like the BLACK HILLS will have a busy 4th of July.  Duane reports, "Lot's of traffic.  I saw license plates from Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas."

HAPPY HOLIDAY

WISCONSIN DRIVERS

58 deaths in 56 #Wisconsin traffic crashes in June; tied for ninth safest month of June since end of World War II. http://t.co/Uyrpx01UOo
— Wisconsin DOT (@WisconsinDOT) July 3, 2013

BEER DRINKERS

According to the La Crosse Tribune and the Beer Institute, each person in Wisconsin drank 36.2 gallons of beer in 2012.  You think that makes us #1?  FAR FROM IT!  North Dakota, New Hampshire, Montana and South Dakota folks all drank more beer last year than Wisconsin folks.

 

I suppose I'm partly to blame for the poor showing but the doctor made it clear that beer was absolutely off my beverage list.

SNOBS

Did you see the Travel and Leisure list of the 10 snobbiest cities in the USA?  It's on the "Travel" page at Yahoo!

When I read the headline the first city I thought of was San Francisco and, sure enough,  when I scrolled down to the list, there is was.  #1 San Francisco.  New York made #2.

 

The big surprise to me was that Minneapolis came in as the 4th snobbiest U.S. city although I don't know what they have to be snobby about.  Chicago  showed up in the #7 slot.

 

Personally, I think Chicago has a lot more to be snobby about that Minneapolis but what do I know.

 

No Texas cities on the list.  That's no surprise.  They're all happy to see Y'all when you stop by to sit a spell.

FUTURE COMPUTERS

You think you have problems with the computer you have now?  You ain't seen nothin' yet!

FUNNY SIGN

GOOD SIGN/BAD SPELLER



BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to Pete Fountain who turns 83 today.

NO MORE PICTURES

I'm sorry to say that hideous thing called Picasa has totally stopped working and I have no idea how to work around it.

 

I can't save pictures, can't edit pictures and can't get them on the blog.  So, if you wonder where the pictures went, ask the folks at Picasa.

STAY OUT OF THE SUN DAY

THIS IS

STAY OUT OF THE SUN

DAY

Especially if you've lost a lot of your hair on top.  Too much sun on a bald noggin' can be a painful experience.  I learned the hard way!



4th OF JULY

THE FESTIVITIES HAVE STARTED!

 

They're shooting off firecrackers in the neighborhood.  I feel so sorry for the poor doggies.  Most of them really hate the noise.

FIREWORKS

I see Viroqua will have Fireworks at Dusk at the Vernon County Fairgrounds.

MALL OF AMERICA

Amazing to think that Mall of America is adding 50 more stores, another hotel, an office tower and more restaurants on top of the 50 eateries already there.

 

I'm surprised they haven't added a condo tower.  I don't think they'd have any trouble finding folks who would LOVE to live at the mall!

FAVORITES BAR

Daniel took the favorites bar off of Rita and Rogers computer because, among other things, he said it slowed down the computer. 

 
It's so nice to know we have, at least, one smart person in the family.  I took the favorites bar off of my computer and it has speeded things up considerably.

AIR SAFETY

The near mid-air collision between a commercial airliner with over 100 people on board and a sky-diving plane over Michigan should be proof enough that the government is lying when they tell you shutting down control towers and letting pilots fly by "visual fight rules" is perfectly safe.

 

If you haven't read the story, CLICK HERE

BEST COFFEE

What kind of coffee are you drinking this morning?  What kind of coffee do most folks like best?

 

I usually don't go along with the crowd and I didn't this time either.

 

I FORGOT

Today is the day they declared just for me.  If there's anyone who needs an I FORGOT DAY, it's me!

4th OF JULY CAKE

Looks like a lot of work but here's a neat 4th of July Cake.  If you bake it, I'll eat it!

 

BEAR SIGHTING

Hard to believe with all the traffic and housing but, a black bear was sighted in a sub-division south of Lake Neshonoc near West Salem early this morning.  He was last seen heading south.

SUMMER WEATHER

It was 84 at 4 P.M. with a lot of sunshine.  A perfect summer day.

THE LONE RANGER

The critics have not been kind to THE LONE RANGER but I want to see it anyway.  I grew up with the masked man.  Critics or no critics, I'll bet it makes some bucks.

HOUSEKEEPING/TIP

Here's a great housekeeping tip.

Household tasks are easier and quicker when they are done by somebody else.' -James Thorpe
— Warren Whitlock (@WarrenWhitlock) July 1, 2013

NORWEGIAN HISTORY

The first known Norwegian to settle in Wisconsin was Ole Knutson who arrived on July 1, 1838 (I'm sure Lena was close behind).

 

I'm saying Ole was the first known Norwegian because historians believe there were other Norwegians here before Ole but Ole was the first to actually admit he was a Norwegian.  The ones before him all claimed to be swedes.

WEATHER

We had such a beautiful day to sit out on the deck yesterday and we're going to have more of the same today with a lot of sun and temperatures close to 80.  That's what I call perfect weather!

FAMILY

JULY IS

FAMILY REUNION MONTH

We celebrated FAMILY REUNION MONTH with the bash at Paul and Dorothy's house yesterday but I'm going to celebrate some more today by having lunch with Janie.



TWITTER

I found a new person, on Twitter, to follow this morning.  When I read how she described herself I knew we had something in common.

 

Ali Spagnola says she's a "Drinking composer with a music problem."

 

 

If your dinner was not the best thing you've ever tasted, you didn't drink enough in the afternoon.
— Ali Spagnola (@alispagnola) July 1, 2013

CANADA DAY

DONNIE/RAIN

Instead of doing his customary dance, Donnie sent a message to the Gods.

STRAWBERRY DAY 2

Eric, Paul and Barley

 

Birthday Boy, Uncle Bob

 

 



Uncle Bob, Carl and the Strawberries

STRAWBERRY DAY 1

Wish you all could have been with us at the "Strawberry Shortcake Sunday" with Paul and Dorothy.

Bert and Jennifer





Kathy & Eric

PHUNNY PHONE

When does the next iPhone that makes this one a piece of shit come out?
— Mike Rafone (@Cali_Kid_Mike) June 30, 2013

AIRLINE FUN

SPLITS

I asked my fitness coach to teach me how to do the splits.  He asked me how flexible I was.  I told him I couldn't come on Thursdays.

DONNIE/LINDA: SUNRISE

SUNRISE AT

DONNIE AND LINDA'S

HOUSE

It look hot doesn't it?

 

WEATHER

BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY

 

While the rest of the world sizzles, we're going to enjoy the great Wisconsin weather with a sunny sky and a high of 77.



UNCLE BOB: BIRTHDAY

The local cousins are getting together today to celebrate Uncle Bob's birthday with Strawberry Shortcake!

 





FORGET DUSTING

Cobwebs artfully draped over lampshades reduce the glare from the bulb, thereby creating a romantic atmosphere.
— SydesJokes (@SydesJokes) June 30, 2013

PHELPS BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to MICHAEL PHELPS.  He's 28 TODAY.

MOVIE HISTORY

"GONE WITH THE WIND" by Margaret Mitchell was published on June 30, 1936.

 

WESTERN HEAT

In Bill and Bonnie's part of the world, the National Weather Service office in southwest Las Vegas recorded a high temperature of 118 degrees yesterday.  That set an all time record for any month dating back to 1996 when they first established a weather station in that part of the city.

In Dripping Springs, Donnie and Linda were sweating with 108 degrees.  It also hit 108 in my old home in Edinburg, Texas.

Here in La Crosse, where I stay cold about 80% of the time, we had a high of 73 degrees and I had to shut the windows because the afternoon breeze, coming through the screens, was too cold.

If you don't like the heat, baby, this is the place to be.

 

WILLARD: HEAT

Willard is feeling the heat.  "Here on a Saturday night, the A/C is not working and can't get anyone for service.  107 today."