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SPINNING GIRL TELLS IT ALL

Look at the spinning woman and if she is turning right, your right side of your brain is working.
If she is turning left, your left side of your brain is working.
If she turns both ways for you, then you have a 160 or better IQ.

I don't mean to brag but she turns both ways for me.

DONNIE WRITES:

"Your blog seems to be scrambled--I see new items, but also re-runs, bits from many months back. Maybe the trouble is at this end: Linda bought a new computer, so we are getting used to it, lots of new features."
Anybody else having a problem?



Problem solved. New computers can be very confusing!

I THOUGHT CATS AND BIRDS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ENEMYS

Isn't it a shame that we can't learn to get along like the rest of the animal kingdom?

THEY SAY THIS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PLACE IN THE WORLD TO LAND AN AIRPLANE

WELCOME TO BHUTAN



I'VE VISITED MORE BARS THAN I CAN COUNT BUT I'VE NEVER HAD A DRINK IN A BAR THAT LOOKED LIKE THIS!!!!

CLICK HERE TO SEE, WHAT MIGHT BE, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAR IN THE WORLD

You'll have to travel all the way to the Middle East and the country of Jordan to have a drink there but it might be worth it.  You won't see anything like this on 3rd Street!

DIDN'T WE CELEBRATE JOHNNY APPLESEED DAY IN MARCH?

Yes, some folks celebrate in March, on the day he died, and others celebrate in September, on the day he was born.  That's today.

 

Johnny not only loved apples.  He had a great love of all animals.  One day, on his travels, he heard about a horse that was going to be put down.  The story goes that he bought the horse and a few acres of pasture and left the horse to recover.  The horse did recover and Johnny gave it to someone who needed a horse on the condition that they would treat the horse with kindness and respect.

TWO OF MY FAVORITE SINGERS ARE CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS TODAY

Olivia Newton-John is 64 and Lynn Anderson is 65.

WE'RE LOSING THE LIGHT FAST

Tomorrow we'll have 3 minutes less daylight than we had today.

I JUST READ AN INTERESTING BIT OF TRIVIA

There were 116 episodes of the TV show, route 66.  The series ran from 1960 to 1964.  Of those 116 episodes, Only 2 were actually filmed on route 66.

By the way, the correct title of the show WAS "route 66" NOT  "Route 66".

IS THE PRESSURE OF OVERBOOKED FLIGHTS, FREQUENT FLIGHT DELAYS AND ALL THE REST OF OUR AIRLINE HORROR GETTING TO THE CABIN CREWS?

I read TWO alarming stories in one day.  In one, a flight attendant is caught with a loaded gun in her purse as she's going through security.  In another, police catch a flight attendant who stole an iPad from a passenger.

If you do any flying, these days, you must read the book I'm reading right now.  ATTENTION ALL FLIERS is by William J. McGee who comes from an Airline family and worked, himself, as an FAA licensed aircraft dispatcher before becoming a writer and advocate for air travelers.

You'll be alarmed at some of the things going on in the airline industry that you're probably not aware of, such as the widespread use of foreign labor, in foreign countries, for maintenance of U.S. airlines aircraft.  Another result of the de-regulation of the airlines which was one of the most damaging things to ever happen to the American airline industry.

POOREST STATES

Did you see that the Census figures have been released on the 10 POOREST STATES in the country.  Most are in the South.  I was a bit suprised to see that MONTANA showed up as #7.

DONNIE FOUND A GOOD QUOTE:

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.
--James Baldwin, writer (1924-1987)

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AN AWSOME SIGHT

There are some spectacular pictures of the 47th Annual Buffalo Roundup at Custer State Park in the LA CROSSE TRIBUNE this morning.

REGISTER TO VOTE

If you'e not registered to vote you can do it the easy way and REGISTER ON LINE  CLICK HERE FOR THE FORM TO REGISTER ON LINE

NO FROST AROUND HERE THIS MORNING

Temperatures were still in the 50's when I got up this morning.  This is going to be another beautiful autumn day with a sunny sky and a high near 70.  By the way, weather for PARADE DAY on SATURDAY is looking super.  A SUNNY SKY WITH A HIGH OF 70 so join us in LA CROSSE THIS WEEKEND for OKTOBERFEST and the MAPLE LEAF PARADE!

DONNIE MADE AN OBSERVATION

"That wedding picture of Rita -- that's Gret's mouth!"

OH YEA! THAT'S A GOOD ONE!!!

RITA SENT A COUPLE MORE PICTURE OF THE WEDDING

WHAT A GREAT PICTURE!

I was planning on reading the book but I hadn't gotten around to it yet.  When I saw they had the movie at the library I checked it out and watched it this afternoon.  "WATER FOR ELEPHANTS" has everything I love.  A movie made like they used to make movies.  No computer generated crap.  This is the real thing with real actors and a great story.  Then there's the ANIMALS and the CIRCUS.  For me, that's all I needed.  I fell in love with "Rosie" the elephant.  What a sweetheart.  If you haven't seen this movie I recommend it.  Check out the trailer.

BIG CHILL IN SPARTA

SPARTA reported the COLDEST TEMPERATURE in the state, last night, with a LOW OF 23 DEGREES.

HOW BORING CAN AN AWARDS SHOW GET?

I watched a half hour of the Emmy Awards last night.  A half hour was more than enough.

I'VE GOT TO CLEAN MY LAPTOP SCREEN BUT...WHAT TO USE?

This looks like the best way to go.  I've seen a couple of warnings about the alcohol but everyone seems to agree the vinegar is OK so, I guess, I'll try that....unless you have a better idea.

WE'RE IN FOR NICE WEATHER THIS WEEK

Lot's of sunshine with afternoon highs in the 70's.  Hey!  We can't complain about that for the last week in September with OKTOBERFEST getting underway.

LYNNE SENT A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING PICTURE

Working on photos of Jennifer and Isaac's beautiful wedding. Wished you could have been with us as it was so much seeing all the cousins.

It rained there in the morning.  The afternoon was sunny, but cold. It was held outside at a park and we were under a tent. Then all went to the reception for a delicious meal, wedding cake, toasting the bride and groom, and dancing. Of course, lots of talking.

I HAD A NOTE FROM COUSIN DAVID THIS MORNING

"We missed you at the wedding.  We really had a good time but Carl and Roger got out of hand."

I LOVE THIS PHOTO BY DONNIE

AUTUMN ON THE MISSOURI



IT'S STARTING TO GET COLORFUL AROUND HERE

ON THIS WEEKS SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY

OKTOBERFEST BEGINS

SATURDAY

MAPLE LEAF PARADE



IT HIT 32 DEGREES AT 7 A.M.

GUESS WHO TOOK THESE PICTURES??

I COULD WATCH JERRY LEE LEWS PLAY THE PIANO ALL DAY

SO MUCH TALENT AND HE MAKES IT LOOK SO EASY!

I THINK WINTER IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

The National Weather Service says FROST IS LIKELY ACROSS PARTS OF WISCONSIN WITH PATCHY FROST OVER SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA TONIGHT.

Some 6 AM temperatures around Wisconsin this morning included:

• BLACK RIVER FALLS 28
• Sparta 26
• Hayward 28
• Eau Claire 30

 

MICKEY ROONEY HANGING IN THERE AT 92 TODAY

Happy Birthday Mickey!

ANOTHER BIZARRE HAPPENING IN LA CROSSE LAST NIGHT

About 50 people were attending a party in a second floor apartment when THE FLOOR COLLAPSED!  Three people were hospitalized.  READ MORE FROM THE WKBT WEBSITE

WATERSPOUTS ON THE LAKES

According to AccuWeather (read story  here) there's a GOOD CHANCE OF SEEING WATERSPOUTS ON ALL OF THE GREAT LAKES TODAY because of the weather conditions in place.  If you're going to be anywhere in the Great Lakes area today you might want to have your camera handy.

THE PACKERS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO SEATTLE FOR MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

There's a good article in the SEATTLE TIMES this morning.

NATURE AT ITS BEST

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO FROM DISNEY

LOOK OUT BELOW!

Ed and his wife Norma go to the state fair every year, And every year Ed would say, "Norma, I'd like to ride in that helicopter" Norma always replied, "I know Ed , but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, And fifty bucks is fifty bucks! "

One year Ed and Norma went to the fair, and Ed said, "Norma, I'm 75 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance" To this, Norma replied, "Ed, that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks"

The pilot overheard the couple and said, " Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word I won't charge you a penny!" But if you say one word it's fifty dollars."

Ed and Norma agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, But still not a word... When they landed, the pilot turned to Ed and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed! "

Ed replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Norma fell out, But you know, Fifty bucks is fifty bucks! " .

A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES IN 22 MINUTES

IT'S GONNA BE A MISERABLE WEEKEND

A FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S. THESE TEMPERATURES COULD KILL UNPROTECTED COLD SENSITIVE PLANTS.

AIN'T THIS THE TRUTH!

SUMMER IS GONE, GONE, GONE

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I HATE THE LONG NIGHTS OF WINTER

THIS AND THAT

NICARAGUA got a pretty good jolt this morning.  4.2 EARTHQUAKE....WEDDING DAY IN JOHNSON CREEK.  Best wishes to the happy couple.  OKTOBERFEST IS UNDERWAY IN GERMANY.  CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY .......

AUTUMN ARRIVES TODAY

YOU NEED SOME ADVICE FROM GOD ON RAKING LEAVES

TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT YOUR DOLLAR BILL

NOW YOU SEE IT.....NOW YOU DON'T.  This is an interesting story on the subtle changes in the dollar bill over the years.  They're all legal but they're not all the same.  READ THE STORY HERE

MORE CRIME~MORE CAMERAS

With the increase in crime, around La Crosse, businesses are upgrading their surveillance cameras or adding cameras for the first time.  This report from WKBT

THE HEAT WAVES ARE JUST A MEMORY

Freeze watch remains in effect from late Saturday night through Sunday morning.

Temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 20s to lower 30s.

Take precautions to protect sensitive plants and other outdoor items... such as garden hoses... that could be damaged by sub freezing temperatures.

Precautionary/preparedness actions... A freeze watch means sub-freezing temperatures are possible. These conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.

 

HAPPY AUTUMN EVERYBODY!

READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THE FARMERS ALMANAC

SOME AMAZING REMIDIES THAT REALLY WORK

1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING
VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

 2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO SET A TIMER.

4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES; THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

6. YOU NEED ONLY TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND
DUCT TAPE. IF IF DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT MOVES AND SHOULDN'T  USE THE DUCT TAPE.

 

7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

 SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN THEY'RE PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

AND NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, TAKE A LAXATIVE AND SLEEPING PILLS ON THE SAME NIGHT!

HAVE YOU TRIED IT YET?

BEN AND JERRY'S NEW CANNOLI FLAVOR is showing up in the supermarkets.

HERE'S AN INTERESTING ARTICLE THAT LISTS THE 10 BEST BEER GARDENS AROUND THE WORLD

I know a few folks, who read this blog, have been known to drink a beer or two and they might be interested in knowing that one of the worlds best biergartens is in Milwaukee!  CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE THE OTHER ONES ARE

LOOKING WEST OVER LA CROSSE WISCONSIN

ANOTHER AUNT WILDA PICTURE

ONLY IN VIROQUA

A COW, IN VIROQUA, GIVES BIRTH TO TRIPLETS and the chances of that happening are about as rare as finding another town named Viroqua.  Check out this video from news channel 8.

TODAY IS WORLD ALZHEIMERS DAY

AND TOMORROW THERE WILL BE A WALK TO END ALZHEIMER'S HERE IN LA CROSSE.  FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK ON THIS LINK

FALL IS IN THE AIR

TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF AUTUMN and a week from tomorrow is the OKTOBERFEST MAPLE LEAF PARADE!

HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT TO LIVE?

Here's an interesting article FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES that says LIFE SPANS FOR SOME WHITE AMERICANS IS, ACTUALLY, GETTING SHORTER.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

This EASY CHICKEN CASSEROLE sounds good.

THE NEW MOON

I love seeing these old, small town, movie theaters.  Not sure where this is but Donnie took the picture on his trip back home.  This is a real gem.

COVER UP!

They're predicting PATCHY FROST SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.  Low temperatures Saturday night will be right around 32.

RITA, ROGER, CARL AND KATHY ARE HEADING EAST TODAY

Off to the big wedding this weekend.  Wish I was going along but somebody has to stay here to take care of the western end of the state.

AS DONNIE PUT IT: "JUST EARTH, SKY AND WATER"

THIS IS MY KIND OF COUNTRY



THE TITLE PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY DONNIE ON HIS TRIP

DONNIE SAYS HE TOOK 300 PHOTOS ON HIS TRIP

I'll be showing you several, over the next couple of weeks, on the blog.

DONNIE CAPTURED A BEAUTIFUL SCENE ON THE BANKS OF THE MIGHTY MISSOURI

I WANT TO LIVE IN THIS APARTMENT

I'M WELL CONNECTED

FINALLY I HAVE A PHONE AGAIN!  Same number.  Same cheerful voice at this end.  I rarely use the phone but I nearly went crazy knowing I couldn't use the phone even if I wanted to.  When you get into your "senior years" you never know when you might get the urge to call the ambulance.

Thanks to CARL who came over with his phone so I could get my new phone activated.

DONNIE IS HOME!

Safe at home, after a marathon 13-hour travel day and 650 miles. (Trip total, TX to WI to SD to TX, nearly 4,000 miles.)

My last night on the road I discovered Lindsborg, Kansas, "Little Sweden." Saw a faded freeway sign for the Viking Motel, and decided to take a look. Lindsborg is still a tidy, picturesque Scandinavian community.

In my haste to claim a night at the Viking, I missed the Swedish Inn downtown, a beautifully-restored 19th century hotel, operated by a Lutheran minister and his wife.

Main Street Lindsborg is charming, all sorts of Scandinavian design and decor, almost kitsch, and the surrounding residential streets are heavily shaded under huge old trees, elms, I think. Great for walking.

A famous National Geographic photographer, born in Kansas, lives here and has set up a classy gallery on Main Street. This is the fellow who took some famous aerial views of the La Crosse coulees--I'm sure you have seen them--and he sells his prints here, in all sorts of formats. I got some cards of the La Crosse shots, and one from Peru.

Sorry we forgot Rita's b'day in all the excitement. I should have bought dinner!

And I think I did hear the space shuttle go over this morning. Just after seeing your note, I heard a flyover that sounded louder and heavier than aircraft we normally spot. I ran outside, but too much low overcast.

SOPHIA LOREN~78 YEARS OLD TODAY AND STILL A BEAUTY

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THE OTHER DAY I SAID THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURE EVER REPORTED ON EARTH WAS IN LIBYA

 

That was wrong but it's not my fault.  Every weather source has listed El Azizia, Libya with a temperature of 136.4 degrees on September 13, 1922 as the worlds hottest temperature ever.  Now, an international group of weather experts says that temperature was incorrectly logged by an inexperienced weather observer.

 

So we have a NEW, OFFICIAL, HOTTEST TEMPERATURE, EVER, IN DEATH VALLEY.

 

On July 10, 1913 the temperature in Death Valley hit 136 degrees which is now THE NEW HOTTEST OFFICIAL TEMPERATURE EVER REPORTED ON EARTH.

GROWING OLDER

DONNIE IS GOING TO MISS AN HISTORIC EVENT OVER AUSTIN TOMORROW

The ENDEAVOUR SHUTTLE perched atop a 747 will take off from Ellington Field around 7:00 AM.  It will make one last pass over the JOHNSON SPACE CENTER then continue over west Houston and on to Austin where it will make a LOW FLYOVER JUST SOUTH OF THE CAPITOL BUILDING continuing on to El Paso.  I would give everything I have to see that!

IF YOU HAVE CLINICAL DEPRESSION LIKE I DO....

This may be of interest to you or your doctor.  As any clinical depression patient knows, finding the right medication that will work for you, can be a trial and error procedure that can cover many months.  Now, this article covers a new discovery that shows a blood test can give your doctor a better idea of what antidepressant will work best for you.

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS ON THE GROUND BUT THE WIND IS REALLY HOWLING ON THE 5TH FLOOR!

WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH THE SKY THIS AFTERNOON

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON TODAY. SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH AND LIGHTNING COULD ACCOMPANY ANY STORM. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.

THIS IS NATIONAL HONEY MONTH

I had some of the honey DONNIE brought from Texas.  It's MILLER CREEK LAVENDER HONEY from Blanco County Texas.  I had some on my toast, this morning, and it's the most delicious honey I've ever tasted.

It's from the Miller Creek Lavender Farm in JOHNSON CITY, TEXAS near the LBJ RANCH and near Donnie and Linda's house.  I think there are more tourists that visit the LBJ Ranch than Donnie and Linda's house altho I don't know why.

You might want to CHECK OUT THE MILLER CREEK FARMS CATALOG right here.  This ain't cheap stuff but it's well worth the money.  I see they also have a MARGARITA MIX that, I'll bet is pure heaven!

ARE YOU OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE BATMAN SERIES FROM THE 1960'S?

His tights may be sagging, a bit, but ADAM WEST, who played the title role is still alive and kickin' at the age of 84 TODAY.  He just got his star on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME this year, in April, which you'll find in front of the GUINNESS MUSEUM ON HOLLYWOOD BLVD.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAR TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS

MEET THE POPINATOR



THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING ACTS I'VE EVER SEEN

It, almost, makes me want to order a drink!

One out of every four people in the Netherlands gets to work on a bike.

HORMEL FOODS IN AUSTIN, MINNESOTA IS IN THE NEWS TODAY.

One of their workers has come down with Tuberculosis and some of the other workers are being tested.  When was the last time you heard about anyone coming down with that disease?  The fact is that there are 9 million cases of TB around the world and that's the highest number of cases in history.  As if you didn't have enough to worry about, you can now add that to the list.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OIL BOOM IN NORTH DAKOTA THE OTHER DAY

The boom is so big that Delta Airlines is adding two flights to Williston from Minneapolis/St. Paul and United will start flying THREE round-trips, a day, to Williston from Denver.

AMERICAN QUEEN

DOCKS AT

RIVERSIDE PARK

TOMORROW

JUST IN TIME FOR ANOTHER WINTER SEASON

It will, now, be LEGAL TO THROW SNOWBALLS IN REEDSBURG, WISCONSIN!  No fooling.  READ ALL ABOUT IT RIGHT HERE

AT 9 AM IT WAS 48 DEGREES IN LA CROSSE

Does that sound like fall to you?

RITA FOUND AN OLD PICTURE OF THE FAMILY HOUSE IN HOLMEN

No date on it but a neat picture.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS HAS LOST 72,000 CUSTOMERS IN THIS LAST QUARTER

Never fear.  They still have 4.3 million customers left and a lot of the other cable and satellite services lost a LOT more.

A GOOD OMEN

I turned on the computer, this morning, and the first thing I did was play a game of Solitaire to limber up my fingers.  I WON!  First thing I did and I won.  It's gonna be a great day.

THIS AND THAT

Rita has to share her birthday with Frankie Avalon today.  He's 72....Donnie spent the night in Winner and, I think, that's where Rita, Roger, Rick and Angela went hunting last year.  Sounds like a nice little town......Still NO PHONE. Of course, I've managed to complicate that problem too.  I took the battery, when I went to Walgreens, just in case they might have a replacement.  Of course they didn't.  I remember putting it in my pocket.  I don't remember taking it out, however, and where I might have put it will always remain a mystery, I fear.  I spent the better part of the day looking for it, yesterday, and it has, indeed, vanished.

I found the instruction book that came with the phone.  I thought, surely, it would list the battery type that was in the phone.  WRONG.  It only says "battery".  Doesn't even give me a clue as to WHAT KIND of battery it is.

Why does everything have to be so complicated?

POLICE STILL INVESTIGATING DOUBLE DEATHS

We still don't know who or why someone shot and killed Paul and AJ Petras at May's Photo, in downtown La Crosse, Saturday in the middle of the afternoon.

It's still hard to believe that something like this could happen right downtown in broad daylight.  I think it's making people more aware of what's going on around them.

AUTUMN WEATHER IS HERE

It was 41 when I got up this morning and our high, today, will hover around 60 degrees.  Our normal high, this time of year, is the low 70's so we'll be a bit chillier than we should be.  A clear sky and a bright sun, which is still nice and warm this time of year, should feel real good.  Can't complain about weather like that.

ENJOY THE DAY!



HERE'S A BIRTHDAY SONG FOR RITA

DO YOU KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO "ON WISCONSIN"??

THIS SOUNDS GOOD AND IT SURE IS SIMPLE

RITA'S BIRTHDAY NAPKINS

LOOKING WEST OVER LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN

When Donnie and I were up on Grandad Bluff we drove around a bit and discovered the National Weather Service building where this webcam is located.  I was surprised at the number of cars in front of the building.  They must have a cast of thousands working there.