Friday Follies...
It's the end of another week, and with it comes a few updates to previous posts, some nice things, a brain-fart and, as usual, lots of pungent social comment.
And it's your job to figure out which is which, fair enough?
So without any further ado...let's have at it.
*** There is more on the story about the "duck" (DUKW) that was struck and sunk along the Delaware River.
Apparently, it happened right in front of the Penn's Landing area (a very nice spot that was built up from practically nothing a few decades back).
The USCG is still attempting to find the two missing people from that duck tour boat.
Here's a link to a followup story in our paper:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100709/NEWS03/307099947

*** Our hibiscus is beginning to bloom...here's a shot of the first red flower.
Weird thing is, as beautiful as they look, they have absolutely NO fragrance.











That's kinda sad, because something that nice SHOULD smell good...you'd think, anyway.
Now this huge shrub/bush/whatever began as four SMALL plants (we lost one or two of them I believe the first year), so be warned that THIS is what you get after 5 years...LOL.






Our Butterfly Bush is now attracting...(what else?)...BUTTERFLIES.
I've already seen some Swallowtails sucking up at the blooms, along with some small "coppers" and of course, bumblebees.
And nestled under one of our (several) lavender plants was this.
Seems someone has taken up residence underneath the foliage.
Now, it could be "Mr. Bunnyrabbit", or it could even be a cat, as we've got a few roaming loose in the neighborhood, but I don't feed them - I've got two hungry ones as it is. It could be a chipmunk I saw the other week, too. I haven't noticed any "pellets" in there, at least none of any substantial size. It could even be some field mice.
Our "plan" is to politely DISSUADE who or whatever is homesteading there with the addition of another plant, probably more lavender, as we've had success with those. I would plant catnip as a deterrent, but you just KNOW what that CATNIP would do to neighborhood feral cats, right?
And the last thing I need in MY neighborhood is another "drug house"...LOL!
*** A couple weeks ago, I spoke about that pound of ground beef that fell from the grocery bag and "matured" in the trunk of Wifey's car (phew...!) for a week, before I found it, and managed to get the hell rid of it.
Well, it seems we've got a similar problem...AGAIN, and of a "larger magnitude", shall we say.
Back during the winter, when temperatures were well below freezing, and the garage was colder than a witch's teat in a brass brassiere, Wifey brought home a 10 pound HAM (vacuum-sealed). Well, since we couldn't possibly eat all that, we decided we were going to donate it, and left it in the garage to keep "on ice" as it were.
Got news for you...it's STILL there (yikes)!
Oops, I did it again.
But even being wrapped as it is was not enough to keep the "fragrance" from issuing forth...eventually.
And yesterday was the day.
After RE-discovering it, and cursing myself for not having given it away as we intended, I proceeded to wrap it further in a paper bag, and then inside TWO trash bags. I'll tell you, 6 month-old ham doesn't do well in a garage that hovers around 80-90 degrees daily...not one bit.
For now, the odor is stifled somewhat, and should be OK until trash day, next Thursday.
Sure won't make the trash bin smell all that good, though...and I JUST got rid of the bad beef smell.
Some days, you just can't win.
But, it's like I keep saying....these days, we're being pulled in SO many directions at once, it's hard to remain focused...and some things might slip past your watchful eyes...like a Christmas ham!
*** Along our border, the Rio Grande River has risen to FLOOD STAGE, currently reaching a depth of over FORTY FEET.
People have been evacuated from neighborhoods close to the river, and the National Guard is on scene helping out the local agencies.
Should make some of those ILLEGAL entries into the USA a lot more "interesting", but at least the people trying to cross our borders won't be as "parched" as usual, hmm?
*** Lindsey Lohan and LeBron James...(rolls eyes)
WAY too much media coverage with these two...it's like the OIL SPILL in the Gulf, the WAR of terrorism, our ECONOMY, our HEALTHCARE, and our BORDER situations have all but ceased to exist with these two making news, hasn't it?
But, that's what we come to expect from the lame-stream-media, who have seemingly been bought and paid for by the progressives of this country.
DIVERT the attention of the public - keep them all "entertained" (and from asking questions that NEED asking).
Both of you "stars"...just go AWAY for a while and let us focus on some REAL NEWS, kapeesh?
*** Lastly today, here in Fort Wayne we're set to begin out very own THREE RIVERS FESTIVAL.
Yeah, well I pretty much plan to not go (again).
I've been to the carnival they had in Portland, IN a few years back, and I found THAT to be more fun...lots of 4-H animals to see.
It's not that I'm against such things...I miss them. I miss them in the way they USED to be.
I know...here he goes again...with the nostalgia gig.
C'mon now...things really WERE better before cell-phones. We didn't have to hear everyone else's business as they walked about aimlessly.
Things were better before a section of our populace became infected with a chronic case of ADHD.
It was nice to go out as a FAMILY and enjoy things TOGETHER.
Some still manage to do just that, and I applaud them.
To everyone else, it's just another place to hang out...like a parking lot...or a park, or even a mall.
And hanging out isn't all what they make it out to be,
It's BOR-RING!
Imagine...bunch of people, with no idea what they want to do, where they want to go, and all the time to do it.
THAT is hanging out.
Many people today (especially the young ones) have NO idea how to properly have a good time.
And I mean a good time that DOESN'T include booze, drugs or sex.
Societally, many have lost their way when it comes to the whole pursuit of happiness thing.
That's why Lohan and James are stuck in our faces by the media 24/7..it's "entertaining".
Better to have someone of something HAND US our entertainment, than for us to seek it out for ourselves.
And it's when people that been handed this form of entertainment decide they CAN go out and find it themselves, that they get into all kinds of trouble, because they don;t have any inkling of what boundaries are.
they have to belief system when it comes to knowing their limits.
And consequently, they DO (or will) get into trouble.
Yeah, it WAS a better time when people KNEW what they COULD do...and what they COULD NOT do.
Made it a helluva lot better for EVERYONE.
Perhaps, with time...we can recapture it all again.
Just not today.
Have yourselves a great weekend, have some REAL FUN, make a difference to someone, and, as always...
Stay safe out there, America.