Another sad story today.

Passing of an @AmericanFilm legend. Actor #MickeyRooney has died at 93 in California. http://t.co/aI4TS6hIrC pic.twitter.com/avmLxTBb4A
— 13News Now (@13NewsNow) April 7, 2014

A waterfall shower. I think I might like that.

A sort of sad note from Donnie.

"Our last day at the house, a bit sad."

"An nseasonably chilly, gray and damp day.  As we drove out of the neighborhood we encountered three deer, a jackrabbit and a roadrunner all standing beside the road, looking at us...a tear-jerking farewell of the sweetest sort.

 

The day was complicated by a flat tire on my car, meaning two trips alone, in the morning, in Linda's car before she came along in the afternoon for a fast look and a token glass of champagne.  Then, home to a new home."

 

 

 

My inbox contained a note from Lynne this morning.

She said Bethel Home has opened again so next Saturday she and Bob will go to visit her with Daniel and Jon.

"Mom said she feels weaker each day.  The doctor said the weakness comes with congestive heart failure."

Omaha native, Stew Magnuson has written a new book I'm on the LOOKOUT for.

The first in a series of books, coming out soon, is "A Journey Through Time down U.S. Route 83: The Dakotas".

The series will cover stories, along the highway, which starts in Westhope North Dakota and runs all the way down to Brownsville, Texas.

This first volume, of the three book series, features stories of Lawrence Welk, Lewis and Clark and Casey Tibbs among others.

The highway runs right down the center of South Dakota and I think Donnie has traversed quite a bit of that route in his travels.

Throw down your broom! Today is NO HOUSEWORK DAY!

I'll bet this will bring back memories for Donnie and Linda. It sure does for me.

Quechua Women Sell Produce at the Pisac Market in the Sacred Valley, #Peru http://t.co/LxJB8CejX4 pic.twitter.com/7oXk9yJrNG
— Barbara Weibel (@holeinthedonut) April 6, 2014

 I haven't heard anything from Donnie this morning but I'm not surprised.  They have to have every last thing out of the house by tomorrow.  I'll bet they're hauling boxes into the city.  The end of another chapter!

I'm heading into the kitchen to make a tuna salad.

It's a ritual I've had for many years.  As soon as I'm sure that spring has finally arrived, I make up a big bowl of tuna salad to celebrate.  Today, I've decided, is the day.

 

Brace yourself, Charlie!  Here we go.

HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED!

Of course, we all know, now, that the "Wrong element" is already in Washington.  They call it "The Congress".

What can you say? It's a sad day in Wisconsin.

RT @gsleger: April sadness. Wisconsin State Journal sports cover. #Badgers #Kentucky #FinalFour #OnWIsconsin pic.twitter.com/jxAFScKHH2
— madison.com (@madisondotcom) April 6, 2014

A thought for Sunday:

May your praises today be holier than the worship leader's jeans.
— Church Curmudgeon (@ChrchCurmudgeon) April 6, 2014

I just opened the blinds and it's so good to look outside and not see any snow anywhere!!

It brings to mind the old Zen proverb, "Sitting quietly doing nothing, the spring comes and the grass grows by itself."

There's a video making the rounds of the buffalo, allegedly, fleeing Yellowstone following the latest earthquake there.

The video, like so many others, is a hoax and there's no truth to it at all.  Although the recent quake was the strongest in many years, it is only one of thousands of quakes the park experiences every year.

This used to be one of Thunder's favorite games when he was a kitten. He could spend hours playing with the toilet paper.

After such a great season, losing by one lousy point last night is a real heartbreaker for Wisconsin.

I remember a night like that when we were kids in Marion.  Dad walked the floor all night.

The snowbirds are coming home to roost.

They should be pulling into La Crosse some time today.  I turned up the heat, for them, because I know they're not used to the cold weather!

How does 60 degrees sound?

With partly cloudy skies, the temperature should get up to 60 today.  There's a 20% chance for rain late this afternoon but we can live with that.  It might even wash what little snow is left away.

 

Yesterday was National Caramel Day and we can't let it go by without a simple recipe for Caramel Sauce.

A history lesson from Rita.

"When we were young, the Holmen Locker Plant was owned by my Uncle Alfred and Aunt Esther Tabbert.  Uncle Reuben Tabbert worked there and Zip Knutson, who lived next door to Grandma, was the butcher there.

 

The Holmen Locker Plant is, possibly, older than even you as my relatives bought it from someone else."

THIS IS NEW BEERS EVE!!

DRINK UP!  IT'S NEW BEER'S EVE!  For those of you who don't keep up with the more important dates on the calendar, tomorrow is the anniversary of the BEGINNING OF THE END OF PROHIBITION!  On April 7, 1933 it was legal to sell beer, again, in the United States.  It wouldn't be long before all alcohol products were available for sale and the speakeasies passed into history.