Monday Musings...
If you're looking for a sunrise today in the Heartland...you might want to try looking at 30,000 ft, because down here at ground level...it ain't happening.
We got ourselves a nice CLOUDY morning, with perhaps a bit of drizzle here and there.
(figures, I wiped down the Wifeymobile yesterday...lol)
The highs today will try and reach 70 degrees, and the clouds will be giving way to fairer skies...just not right away.
So, let's get busy and see what's been happening since last we met...
*** It would appear we have a lull in the weekend shootings here in the Summit City...always nice to see that, but rest assured some asshole will get into some argument, flex his testosterone and wind up doing what they do best; namely causing chaos in some neighborhood.

Now, this isn't to say we don't have ANY gunfire going on...we most certainly DO.
The SPOT CRIME website email I get every day details all that goes on within that 3-mile radius of our "Fortress".
And the stats speak for themselves....plenty of gun-play - just no one getting hit (yet).
Funny thing is, no amount of gun "laws" would ever halt this type of behavior, and since we all know the reasons why, there's no need to be repetitious this early in the week, right?

What I AM noticing by listening to the scanner, is that MORE people are forthcoming with suspicious behaviors by dubious individuals around this part of the city (as well as elsewhere). And that's a VERY good sign. Law-abiding people are getting more and more fed up with such things, and I can understand that. SO, lets cross our fingers and hope for the best, okay?
Moving on...
*** Wifey and I did get some MORE mums this weekend and we got them in the ground out front.

Left side

So far, we've SIX plants and hope to get even more. At least that will take care of the late summer and early fall plants and colors.

Right side

What we plan to do is reseed that which we lost when the roofers came, and thereby fill in the areas around the mums, so we can have something blooming out front from spring to fall. In winter, we're pretty much boned thanks to the low temps, so no biggie.
We did have some familiar friends stop by the patio over the weekend.

The hummingbird was out and about...flew right to the feeder by the patio door, and it's really cool to have one of them about a foot away from you.

We had a rare visit from a nuthatch, too.
He went to the one feeder with seeds and nuts.
He'd take one then fly off to eat it, then come back for another.

And Mr. Bunny seems to have set up housekeeping in our garden (under the lavender...he's gonna smell REAL good, too. He came out to get some food and surprised both Wifey and me..
The roofers caused a stir and those critters we LIKE to have stop by were scared off for the last week and a half, but slow but sure, they're coming back.
And speaking of roofers...the boss stopped by to inspect the work and get paid.
Fortunately, we COULD pay all at once, so there's no finance charges, and all the other annoying stuff that goes along with payment plans.
It's ALL OURS...free and clear. And yes, it IS a very nice job.
The odd thing...it will play hell with Google maps...the most recent aerial and street pictures show us having a GRAY roof on the house...LOL.
That's ONE way to confuse some people...
*** NASCAR reinstated Jeff Gordon for the Sprint Cup "chase"...and this is why I don't much follow NASCAR any longer.

1967

It USED to be fun to watch, but since they made ALL the cars of a "cookie-cutter" variety, it took out the technological ingenuity the mechanics used to display.
Now, we "even the field" AGAIN whenever someone gets spun out or otherwise denied a spot in the championship running.

1985

It's called RACING for a reason, and if Dale Earnhardt were still alive, he'd say "rubbing is racing", because he spun out numerous drivers to finish ahead of them, most notably Terry Labonte in Bristol back in 1999 (I think it was). On the LAST lap, too...

2013

But, I suppose that even NASCAR has to bow to some level of "political correctness"...and that's very sad. It's more about SPONSORSHIP and MARKETING...something we USED to call RACING comes farther down the list these days.
*** Lastly today, I can't help but think back to when I was young, and what life used to be like...call it old age, call it a history lesson...call it what you will.

When you look around you today and then think back just a few decades, you can plainly see a VAST change in so many things.
And all that change hasn't been all that good...for any of us.
With all this "social media" BS, we've become a society of "lost children"...we can barely write in cursive, don't send letters, and don't even take time to pursue those interpersonal relationships in the same way any longer.
Well, we can blame the cost of STAMPS for not sending letters, but the reason behind the high cost is another post for another day (or two)...lol.

And these maps used to be FREE, too!

We used to be able to drive from :"A" to "B" without the need to getting on the phone along the way. And if by chance we broke down, there was always a phone we could use for help.
We used to read MAPS to get where we wanted to go, and most of us got damn good at it...
(folding them back to their original size and shape was another matter)
We were once a people that interacted a lot more with one another - face to face, rather than by some electronic contrivance.
As kids, the only bully was the one that got "in your face" instead of posting lies about you online.
Lawsuits were reserved for IMPORTANT things, and not frivolous crap like a school that flies the American flag or has a prayer during assembly or at a ballgame, or even at commencement.

Yes, we were a lot more civil towards one another...and polite...and forgiving...and respectful.
They say what goes around comes around, and if such things hold true, perhaps we WILL see a rebirth in such things people today view as contrived, old-fashioned, or just plain corny.
Hey, it's worked before, right?
Have yourselves a great week,

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.