TODAY'S YOUNGER GENERATION HAVING FUN

GOING OUT FOR A BITE TO EAT

SPENDING TIME AT THE BEACH

VISITING A MUSEUM

GOING OUT ON A DATE

Donnie said, "Love this one".

DONNIE IS ON THE ROAD AGAIN

"Today I travel 2+ hours east to a tiny farming community called Round Top, unlikely location for a summer classical music festival. There, amidst cattle and rolling hills, I will hear a huge symphony (Bruckner #5). Fortunately, it is an afternoon performance, and I'll be home before dark."

WHEN YOU'RE A CAT, EVRYTHINGS A TOY

A piece of plastic on a string is enough to keep Thunder occupied for hours.  An old pair of jeans is his "security blanket".  At the first sign of trouble he heads for those jeans.

PAUL AND DOROTHY KNOW HOW TO PLAN A PARTY

We're going to Paul and Dorothy's tomorrow and that's perfect timing.  There's a GOOD CHANCE FOR SHOWERS moving into the area this afternoon and hanging around through tomorrow morning.  Then, as party time nears, the clouds will break up and the sun will come out just in time for another wild and crazy gathering of Norwegians.

BLUE STARS ON THE ROAD

The La Crosse Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps won a silver medal at a competition in Battle Creek, Michigan this week.  I sure hope they do a show at Riverside Park like they did last year.  I really enjoyed that.

WILLARD IN THE KITCHEN (NOT READY FOR FOOD TV)

Willard decided to make some cole slaw.  He reported, "I thought I had the bowl secured on the food processor.  I dropped some carrots into the feeding tube.  CARROTS FLEW EVERYWHERE!!  I guess I didn't get the bowl back on tightly....Grrrr.  There were carrots all over the kitchen.  Baby carrots simply cannot be chopped in a food processor."

DELAYED SPRING CLEANING

I decided, since it's now summer, I really should get started on my spring cleaning.  I stripped the bed, took the mattress and box spring off, cleaned and scrubbed under the bed, turned the mattress over re-made the bed.  And, I had it all done by 8:00 A.M.  I'm alread exhausted for the day.

Believe me, removing a box spring and turning a mattress over is NOT a one man job.  It can be done but I don't recommend it.

WHAT YOU SEE IS, NOT EXACTLY, WHAT YOU GET

Why does the McDonalds hamburger you see in the TV ads look a lot better than the actual McDonalds hamburger looks when you order it?  READ THE TRUTH BEHIND THE "PICTURE PERFECT" HAMBURGER HERE.

PERFECT WEATHER

TODAY

SUNNY

79

WHY DOES THE ZEBRA HAVE THOSE STRIPES?

Read the story, here, from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP (with one cat break)

I'll be ready to rumble today.  I slept a full 8 hours!  There was just one inturuption in my dreams.  About 2:00 A.M., Thunder woke me, not with a meow but,with a HOWL like he was in extreme agony.

I jumped out of bed and followed him into the living room.  He has a "birdie on a string" that he loves to play with, as long as I swing it around in the air for him to chase.  That's what he ran to and then looked up at me, "Lets play"!

I gave him five minutes of my sleep time and , then, went back to bed and right to sleep again.

He's 14 yeas old.  You'd think he'd be old enough to know that cats sleep most of the day and humans would like to sleep most of the night.  I think he knows that but cat's don't much care about your wants and needs.  As long as they're happy, that's all that counts.

MISSISSIPPI WATER LEVELS ON THE RISE AGAIN

BEAUTIFUL SKY OVER LA CROSSE TODAY

LOOKS LIKE A GREAT AIRSHOW IN RAPID CITY THIS WEEKEND

Sorry I can't be there to see this:  CHECK OUT BLACK HILLS HUCKFEST

GOTTA LOVE JESSE

Good old Jesse Ventura got it right this time.  He says the two political parties, we have in this country, are like rival street gangs.  Forever engaged in violence with no end or positive outcome in sight.

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST MONEY MAKING SHOW FOR NBC?

I suppose most of you will say the TONIGHT show with what's-his-name.  Nope!  You're on the wrong end of the day.  The networks cash cow is the TODAY SHOW.  I haven't watched the Today show in years.  Haven't watched the Tonight show since Jack Paar left.  As far as entertainment goes, TV would be at the bottom of my list.  As far as TV "news" goes, it isn't even on my list.

I watched an interview with Dan Rather, the other day.  He said what I've been saying for years.  TV news is all about entertainment and making money.  There isn't a network in the USA that gives a damn about, actually, informing you about anything.  It's far cheaper and much more profitable to put two or three people in a room and have them scream and shout at each other about some of the stupidest "issues of the day" they can think up.

A BIT OF MOVIE HISTORY

June 21, 1949 was a big night in Janesville.  The first Drive-In movie theater in southern Wisconsin opened on Milton Avenue.  It was the Hi-Way 26 outdoor theater with a screen  that was 33 feet high by 46 feet long.

Did you know that there's still a drive in theater in Eau Claire.  The GEMINI DRIVE IN THEATER opens at 7.  Show starts at dusk.

WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THE ROYALS ARE TALKING ABOUT AT BREAKFAST THIS MORNING

I'm betting they're talking about the upcoming "swan upping".  I'm also betting you have, absolutely, no idea what a swan upping is.  Well, let me tell you.

David Barber announced, this morning, that this years swan upping will be July 16 through July 20.  David Barber is the Queen's Swan Marker.

Here's another bet.  I'll bet you had no idea that the Queen even had a swan marker.  Well, she does and it's David's job to keep track of how many swans are swimming around on the River Thames.

How do you suppose you get a job as a swan marker?  I wonder what the qualifications are.  I doubt there are more than two.  You have to know what a swan looks like and you have to know how to count.  I wonder what kind of money a swan marker makes?

I could go on and on but, getting back to the original question.  What is a "swan upping"?  The answer: It's the annual census of the swan population on the river.  This is damned important stuff, if you're a Queen.

Why don't they just call it the swan count?  Counting is for commoners.  Upping is for royals so, "up yours".

The royal family is such fun!

THESE PHOTOS BRING BACK MEMORIES OF THE RAPID CITY FLOOD

There are some great photos of the Duluth flood in the Twin Cities STAR TRIBUNE (See them here)  It's going to take a long time before Duluth is "back to normal".

If you'd like to donate $10.00 to the flood relief, text REDCROSS to 90999

ATTENTION: PACKERS FANS

Tickets for the GREEN BAY PACKERS Family Night scrimmage on Friday evening, August 3, go on sale at 9 A.M. MONDAY.  Tickets are available on the internet or by phone at (800) 745-3000.  You can, also, buy them at Ticketmaster or the Lambeau Field ticket office.