Fireflies!

 I saw my first fireflies of the year tonight

    There were several in the front yard.  I did not even attempt to catch them.

    When I was a kid, I would collect them and put them in a jar.  There would be holes poked in the lid.

    I could sit and watch them for hours.

    Then I would set them free, at least the ones that were still alive.

    I read an article that basically said we may be the last generation to see fireflies.

    Climate change, habitat loss, pesticides..... all are combining to put stress on those little bright lights.

    It would be a shame if they disappeared.

    Years ago my cousin Sally brought her young daughter to Illinois from Alaska for a visit.  There are no fireflies in Alaska.  The little girl was entranced by them.

    I know, people also call them lightening bugs.  and some glowworms.

    But I will always call them love and summer.

    Jackie and I got our new glasses today.  She had a doctor's appointment in Sycamore, and we hit the eye doc and the vet.  Usually what happens is we get a call to pick up something minutes after we have left the place.  So the timing was great.

    After watching the start of the Knicks-Spurs game last night, I am beginning to like New York fans a lot more than I did.  That was a lot of boos.

    I have a little mowing to finish tomorrow.  10 minutes of mowing that will take me an hour.  Pick up will be the chore.

    And I have to get it done early.  Severe weather is moving into our area for the afternoon and through the next day

    I have not started to panic.....yet.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

wet days

 I got very little done today

    Yes, I did 1 load of laundry.   Sheets.  Folded them when they were done in the dryer and made the bed.

    I also cut up some boards from the old garden.  I stuffed 5 of them in the trash can.  Even if I had my new cart I would not put it out with the garbage.  Lesson learned.

    I still have 3 boards to cut.  It should take a normal person about 15 minutes.  I am not normal. After cutting a couple I moved to the garden and checked the crops..  Beans are up, cucumbers are up, tomatoes are doing ok.  I bought a second green pepper plant.  I just remembered that now.  I have no idea where I put it.

    I was cutting and fiddling for about 40 minutes.  Actual work time....maybe 10.

    Around 3 I sat on the porch and tried to read.  But my eyes got heavy and I napped.

    I just need to take care of little things.

    I just can't seem to get started on them.

    It is possible we will  get heavy rains tonight.  No fear of flooding because the ground is so dry it just sucks the rain in.

    You can actually hear it!   Suuuuuuck....... suuuuuck.......burp.

    Or maybe that was me.

    Time will tell.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

drip drip

 This was a hose day 

    I finally set up my garden watering system. It is Bluetooth activated and all  I have to do now is wait to see if the timers actually go on when they are supposed to.

    We had a lot of rain today.  We needed it.

    I did not have anything in my rain gauge except a crack, so I have no idea how much we got.  It had to be close to an inch.

    Emily came over to help with the table and the fountain.  The fountain took about 3 minutes.  I held and she tightened the clamp.  It works nicely now.

    But we did not move the table.  

    It was still a little tacky and moving it would probably not have been an ideal thing to do.

    Maybe tomorrow.

    She also showed me how to use my Walmart app to get a discount on gasoline.

    I grilled in the rain.

    It wasn't raining when I started, but did drizzle while I was burning meat.

    The rain must have been the magic touch, because the meat tasted pretty dang good for road kill raccoon.

    After all, beef prices are up!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

almost

 I have  several things in the almost done stage

    And it is the little things that frustrate the hell out of me.

    For example:  I have a fountain on the porch.  Every time I connect the hose to the pump and lower it into the water, the hose disconnects.

    I found a tiny, tiny clamp I can put on it. but I can't hold the clamp and screw the tightener at the same time.  I tried several times before giving up.  I just need a third hand.

    My patio table is ready.  But I can't move it by myself.  Hopefully one of the girls will have about 10 to 15 minutes to finish both tasks.

    Emily said she would drop over tomorrow sometime, so I should be able to get those 2 things done.

    Took a whole bunch of stuff to shred day at a local bank.

    Surprisingly, there were not a lot of people there. One of the guys said they were busy earlier, but that had slacked off.

    They do this once a year,  Another bank is doing one in 2 weeks.

    Seems to me they need to coordinate better and spread the days farther apart.

    Not to get political, which I seldom do in this little missive.  

    But what is being done to the White House is simply outrageous!

    The People's House used to be a beautiful icon of our country.

    Now. the Rose Garden is gone, the East Wing is a pile of debris, and worst of the worst is whatever the hell is being built to host ultimate fighter matches.

    What an embarrassment.

    You know who is going to have to pay for all of this.....you, me and countless others who never wanted their White House desecrated in such a manner.

    End of my rant.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

It has begun

 The summer of our discontent

    Cubs playing terribly.  Dry, hot weather burning up yards and stressing trees. 

    The war at home.

    No, I am not talking about Iran.  I am talking about The Thermostat War.

    We have 2 settings for the AC:  Too hot or too cold.

    Set it at 74 she says.

    Too hot.

    Set it at 72 she says.

    Too cold.

    I like it at 72...she sits with a sweatshirt on and complains it is too cold.

    I think it is funny how our body reacts. 

    In the winter 72 is quite comfortable and at night sleep seems best at 68.

    But it is too cold in the summer with those temperatures.

    Jackie has allergies, so opening windows at night is not an option.  When she could still walk, I sometimes would go into the other bedroom, open the windows, and sleep in there.  That stopped when Julia came home.

    Now I can't because with my lousy hearing I would never be able to hear her in the middle of the night.  Or Beth either.

    The problem is the house gets so hot at about 4.......no setting seems to be the optimum at that time of day.

    At least no one gets hurt in The Thermostat War.  

    Just sometimes a little cold.  Or hot.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

A mental trip

We went to the South Pacific today 

    Well, not the South Pacific, but the musical currently at the Paramount Theater in Aurora.

    Jackie, Emily, Renee and I made the matinee after a nice lunch at a restaurant almost next to the theater.  I think it was the Art Box?  But maybe not.

    Anyway, South Pacific was written in 1949 and was a smash hit.  (Thanks, Wikipedia)  A movie was made in 1958 and I do believe my mom took me to see it at the Music Box.  I think.  I know I saw the movie and loved the music.

    In high school, I remember the chorus singing Some Enchanted Evening in concert.  

    And VCCT did the show in Atwood Park several years ago.  I was much younger and had a small role.  

    The Paramount production was great!  The set, lighting, performers.....I was pretty impressed.

    Two of the main characters were talking about the women they loved but marriage was not in the cards because of cultural issues, such as marrying someone not of your background even though you loved them.

    I copied the lyrics from one of the songs.

You've got to be taught

From year to Year

It's got to be drummed

in your dear little ear

You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught

To be Afraid

Of people whose eyes

are oddly made

And people whose skin

Is a different shade

You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught

Before it's too late

Before you are 6 or 7 or 8

To hate all the people

your relatives hate

You've got to be carefully taught

    Written in 1949, the lyrics still run true today.

    Some things we need to stop teaching.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Big Boy

Big Boy came to town today 

    No, not the hamburger chain from years past, but the gigantic steam locomotive on the UP line.

    Big Boy is over 130 feet long.  That is almost half a football field!  There were 41 of them produced in 1941, but this is the only one still operating.  It is billed as the largest operating steam engine in the world.

    No, it does not burn coal or wood.  It uses diesel fuel to heat the water to steam, which drives the engine.

    Last year Big Boy was in Rochelle for half a day.  It stopped at the intermodal yard west of town and drew a crowd estimated by some at over 50,000.

    But today it only made a whistle stop .  It stopped at a packed railroad park in town for 15 minutes, then continued on its journey.

    Julia went with.

    While waiting for the train, which was behind schedule, we struck up a conversation with a man from Racine Wisconsin.  He brought his young son to see this piece of history before it disappears.

    They stopped at Franklin Grove to see the train, then headed to Rochelle to see it again.

    It was pretty cool.

    Now for something not cool.

    I have been cutting up my old raised garden wood into 4 foot lengths.  

    For the past 3 weeks I have loaded them onto my yellow yard cart and put them out by the street for Tuesday's trash collection.

    Beth was barking like mad at 4:30 or 5, so I got up to let her out.

    My yard cart was gone!

    I checked the trash can and it was still full.  So the trash people did not take it.

    I guess someone just assumed I was getting rid of the cart.

    I got in my van and drove the neighborhood, looking for the wood or cart but to no luck.

    Those carts are not cheap, either.

    And when I get a new one, I sure as hell won't put it out by the street!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace