HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETIE

Congrats on 67 orbits around the sun! We did our traditional visit to Motz Lake, NW of St. Johns. Hot day! She swam for a good hour then we had lunch at Ryan's Roadhouse in town which has a nice salad bar.

It was good to get out into the country. Haying is going on and I saw farmers readying to bring in the wheat. Some had gotten their corn in early as it has already tassled. Swung through DeWitt, which I haven't visited in a while. Happy b'day, sweets-Buddy and I wish you many, many more.

FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood:

7/4-mid-80's and muggy. A young chipper at the Diner:

The Chuck siblings out and about:

Buddy and I hung out on the couch surfing YT. He was quite purry-furry, wanting some Dad attention #cutebuddypix:

Oh yes, more ear strokes please:

Blissed out:

To celebrate the 4th, our deck supper was simple fare: hot dogs, chips, watermelon and iced lemon cake. Tasty!

7/5-cool and rainy day. The day lilies by the bird bath are in bloom:

 

Day lily bloom in the West Garden:

Our Stampy came by one early morning:
 

Day lilies around the bird bath:

MamaC, who has some odd marks on her back fur. We hope this is not the result of an attack by a hawk:

7/9-we got a small t-storm in the afternoon receiving maybe .3" of rain. Pretty much, it got stuff wet:

Buddy chilled next to his Dad:

 Later, splootting by the slider, it was muggy!:

7/11-Big Woody stopped by the Diner-long time no see!

Bin's Rose of Sharon is blooming:

 

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More #cutebuddypix:

Joining us on the deck:

While we were having supper, we saw a trio of Sky Janitors circling high above the vacant lot North of Benny's. While they were doing their thing, we heard a helicopter. It was doing what looked to be a surveillance loop beginning over Horrocks working its way Southward eventually coming close to us and cruising over Mapes'. The Vultures came in close. Who know what that was about. I've recreated the scene of The Searchers:

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Buddy enjoying my bed:

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Something new that I recently learned: the word Winterbourne: I have heard of it but didn't know its meaning. From Wiki:

A winterbourne is an intermittent stream or brook that flows primarily in the winter and spring when groundwater tables rise. During the drier summer months, the water table drops below the stream bed, leaving the channel completely dry.

Etymology and Origin

The term derives from the Old English word winterburna—a compound of winter and burna (meaning "stream" or "brook"). It directly translates to "winter stream" and historically described observable chalk downland streams in southern England.

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Seen while out and about: I was Eastbound into campus on Kalamazoo having just crossed over the bridge, breaking out of the treeline next to the Married Housing complex when I see this guy flying right over me:

I saw one last year while on 496. 

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When I was at a local garage getting our car fixed, the service manager had one of these-a track ball mouse. I don't remember seeing one of these critters before despite being around since the 80s-90s:
 

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Close call! A few days ago, we were getting ready to leave one morning. The pool is open as we finally got the cover off and equipment hooked up. I'm going through the kitchen and glance out there and I see something moving in the water. It's a squirrelly doing a dog paddle! I holler at C and we go out. She grabs a skimmer net that's attached to a long pole and fishes him out. He jumps off onto the pool railing, sneezes, catches his breathe and runs off. He probably had to put up with comments from his friends "ewwww, you stink"! (chlorine) Lucky dude, he was so lucky. We've lost other squirrels this way in the past and it's always a bummer. 

Stock photo:

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MADads: just the perfect use for your loved one's cremains! Merry Xmas Grandma!

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Early human art:

Some of the first artwork created by our species can be found in Kimberley, in NW Australia. This is a depiction of the Wandjina, which in Aboriginal culture, is the Rain Spirit of the Wunambul, Wororra and Ngarinyin language people, the controller of the “Seasons”, the bringer of rain which equals water which equals “life”. They are dated back several thousand years, many of which have been maintained or added to continuously by these tribes to ensure the continuity of rain.

Much older and dating back to at least 17,000 years ago are the Gwion Gwion paintings. 

 

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Fun vids:

I am generally not a fan of America's Got Talent but C found this one and it's pretty amazing, reminding us both of Cirque du Soleil:

 

Middle school science teacher demo about High and Low pressure systems in the weather:

 

The Giants of Sardinia: Vanished Nuragic civilization with statues featuring unusual depiction of human eyes:

The Nuragics flourished from the Bronze Age to Iron Age:1800 BC-238 BC. This particular statuary were thought to be guarding the graves of important people. The eyes seem to depict an unblinking stare:

FUBARland:

On the 4th, NYC hosted Taylor Swift got married-our prom queen x football star in Madison Square Garden. A curious spectacle-the wedding of any couple can be, but for these two, a very public act. 

Is it?:

a) Celebrities who badly crave their fix of adoration 

b) Despite the inconvenience to New Yorkers, the couple decided to give a bit of joy to their fans in these stormy times

I would like to think (b) but of course for the Roach, where it is always (a), he just had to crash the party especially since this occurred on his turf, where he has considered himself king for years. 

When the knot was tied, MSG displayed this on their marquee: 

Soon afterward, Roach had his little toadette create this to post:
 

Needy and pathetic-that's our prez.

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One opinion: Why Trump supporters are so angry:

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Memory for the 250th:

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History repeating itself (again): 

During the Nazi years, Jews were the group of people hated, attacked, abused, relocated. Today, that group is immigrants of color.

 

 

FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood: Summer Rain

The final day under the heat dome with temps in the 90's brought a front with storms. Before they arrived, folks were at the Diner taking care of business. We discovered that another Chuckette has not left and the two were having a bite:

A BigTail in a patch of sunlight:
 

It's warm and muggy-the Chuck family on their apartment porches:

 

Family portraits:

My Watergirl picked up some nice sun on her face from her latest swim this week at Lake Lansing. She had returned from working in the air conditioned splendor of her office. Time for a cold one! 

It was roasty-toasty so I wasn't wearing much:

Buddy was sprawled out on the floor-Mr. Curly-tail:

With storms approaching from the darkened SW sky, he went out over to our neighbors despite my warnings:

He came back in just as the storm arrived. The temps dropped as the outflow storm winds hit: 

Followed by rain:

You can barely see the Farm Bureau complex on the other side of the honeysuckle. Temps were down into the low 70's and we opened the house up. It was refreshing and we got a good night's sleep.

This morning there was a lot of leaf litter. Johnny had a couple of decent-sized limbs down in his front yard. Between late yesterday and storms overnight, we received .8" of rain.

We have baby toms!

 

 

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Fun Vids:

Australian Riflebird mating dance: what some guys gotta do to get a girl! 

The Riflebird version of a Fan Dance: 

Australian Hanging Rock:

Hanging Rock is a rare geologic formation. Some may remember the 1975 film, based on a 1967 novel, about the disappearance of 3 schoolgirls who were there on a field trip. Interesting vid-not only about the geology, but its place in Aborigine culture and the rather mysterious origin story of the book. The author claimed the story came to her in a series of dreams. She also claimed that clocks stopped in her presence. 

Man, direct from the Twilight Zone. Great concept but disturbing if:

a. she truly believed this 

b. this phenomenon is 100% factual

Yikes! 

MADads: 

Latest K-Y Jelly, Ultragel, ad has the tagline "the best is yet to come". (oh, pulleeze-eyeroll) 

A company who sells large format photographs for urban dwellers who are minimalists. The ad shows an apartment in a major high-rise, with a lot of windows. These photographs dominate the room. What I found curious is the selection-plenty of nature shots but also alpha male images: 

Bond, James Bond from Dr. No

Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston, 1965

One man has just brutally struck down another man, standing over him with a violent grimace on his face. Can you imagine, having a space in the clouds with this photo as the feature of your living room? 

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Weird shit: 

Still from the Canadian mockumentary TV series Trailer Park Boys-a Drunken Santa who wears a white plastic bag for a beard:
 

He'd fit right in with the current administration. There's an opening at FEMA: Gregg Phillips, who claims he had teleported to a Waffle House has been canned. Buh bye!

FUBARland:

Three US presidents died on July 4: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Monroe. We couldn't be so lucky.