Gents,

Vive la Revolution! I once had a French teacher who used this Rock Opera in his teaching, quite brilliant and inspired decision I think.

Folks,

Today the high temp is expected to be a cool 91°F. Right now, at 11 AM the temp is a toasty 87°F. with 62% humidity. Yesterday it felt like 102°F.. Today a chilly 94°F. We had rain yesterday afternoon and again last night. We might have more today. This a 7mp wind from the W.

Fittop:
Lucky you enjoying the many joys of travel and the rich cuisine of France. Today or perhaps tomorrow I will enjoy that staple of Parisian students onion soup and a bottle of wine. It will likely be an excellent NC wine and not a French one. At least it will not be Chateau Thames Embankment Viin. this afternoon. Dux and Mortimer's Rumpole have cornered the market on that dubiously palatable liquid. I promise to lift a glass wishing good health to you, Jens, Dux, PV1 and all who visit or post here.

Speaking of things French, Rodney Dangerfield once quipped when asked for a French story: "I once went out with this wild girl. She made French toast and got her tongue caught in the toaster." Good old Rodney, he may never have "got no respect" when alive but he does now and we miss him.

MG:

My French teachers played a little music in class. Various people who spoke very good colloquial French would pay us a visit now and then in high school class. I recall that one or two sang for us. Thanks for posting the video.

Gents;

I lift my glass and answer Roger's toast, Long live HWH and all who have sailed and currently sail this thread.

The weather today was conducive to a long bike ride with mostly sunny conditions and little wind. After lunch, a shower, shopping and early dinner, I went to catch the last 6 hours of the local music festival which must be Denmark's latest and newest. It was the inauguration event this year. The beer was very weak but the music was pretty fab, featuring unknown, upcoming bands. So I've been in action for some 17 hours, 10 of them in the open. No wonder I'm a bit tired now. Tomorrow rain is expected......

Folks,

I slept peacefully through what must have been quite a storm early, early this morning. The power went out and the room warming up probably woke me. The storm was long past by then. The temp at 9:50 this morning is 77°F. with a wet 90% humidity.

I've had my coffee, fed the critters, walked the dog, and scooped out the cat boxes. After all that, I felt I deserved a big breakfast. Normally just a glass of OJ and Rasin Bran suffices. Today I had a "real" breakfast consisting of two brats, two fried eggs sunny-side up, toast with raw honey and the afore mentioned coffee. I feel stuffed. Ok, after being requested by some to "get stuffed", I finally did.

Why all the early activity you might be wondering as I have not mentioned any before? Well, the rest of the family are off to DC until Thursday. I am left here to care for the critters. I did not care to ride all that way in a back seat with 3 kids, even well-behaved kids. Plus, I have been to 'Foggy Bottom' enough times and then some. In truth, I enjoy some solitude now and then. Like Fittop, I can cook (but possibly not cook like Fittop). It is therefore pleasant and not at all a hardship, not even for the critters who will, however, be missing my granddaughter. I do too.

Jens:

It is about time you had a few good biking days. Music is food for the soul. The old cotton mill in my home town that once was the 2nd oldest mill in the state has been shut down for years. It has recently been renovated as a kind of entertainment and shopping center with a lot of ambiances. It is located right by the river which once provided its electricity. There will be shops, a small artisan brewery and a music venu. The new construction will bring a youthful vibrance back to the neighborhood. I hope to visit my hometown and attend a concert at least once before the summer is gone.

Folks,

Today is overcast like yesterday. The current temp is 74°F. with a punishing 97% humidity and no breeze from anywhere. We expect a high of 86°F. with the possibility of a shower.

The actor Martin Landau passed away at age 89. Well known "Mission Impossible" tv actor and Oscar winner for "Ed Wood" plus much more including Hitchcock's North by Northweat. He had a long career and will be missed. Speaking of the "Mission Impossible" TV show that really started the franchise, I believe that was Marty's wife who played the female member of the team that included James Arness' (of "Gunsmoke" fame) brother Peter Graves in the leading role. Besides MI Peter is probably most well known today for his role as the pilot in the movie "Airplane" who asks the kid if he likes "Gladiator" films.

I remember Martin Landau especially from his lead role as Commander John Koenig in Space 1999 but his was in several movies and TV series as you mention Roger.

Gents,

Do you sometimes experience days where you feel the Cosmos throws several screw-ball events at you, as if to test if you're awake and alert? Well, I had one of those days today. In fact, in the space of a little under two and a-half hours, I started to feel just a little bit paranoid and unsettled; On my bike ride, first a lorry passes me very close and almost cuts me off when he's passed me, then several cars drive out of sideways and alleys, and because they misjudge my distance and speed cause me to have to have to brake quite severely to avoid running into them. On two separate occasions cars pass me, only to turn right, right after passing me, leaving me no space to re-pass them on their left, and causing me to wonder if they are going to turn into me when they make their right turn, one of them would have, had I not braked heavily and also taken evasive action. One fat lady performed a three point turn on the road right in front of me, again I had to brake heavily and come almost to a full stop to avoid contact with the side of her car. I think she mumbled something about having seen me which doesn't make her error of judgement any less. Finally, a car, driving on the bike-path, when there's a perfectly good road for cars just parallel to the bike path!

Folks,

It is 10 AM where I am and the temp under overcast skies is 76°F. with an appalling 93% humidity that is unpleasant. We have a 4 mph breeze from the S. The high today is predicted to be 87°F.

MG:

I don't know for sure about the Kingdom of Denmark however after driving for about 60 years here I am convinced that intelligence is surely not the criterion for obtaining a drivers License. At least not in NC.

Just because you may become a tad paranoid and feel that 'they' are out to get you... does not mean they are not. There is a comedian over here by the name of Bill Engvall. He thinks drivers are stupid because they drive that way. He would have signs printed stating "'I'M STUPID!" printed with some way of attaching them to the cars of offensive drivers. So when that lady did what she did to you, my friend, you could slap one of those (written in Danish of course) on her car. Soon nearly every car you would likely see would probably carry one of those signs. They would probably form a community of stupid people and honk their horns at each other, maybe even hold 'stupid meetings' from time to time.

Once when my son was about six years of age we (my wife, my son and I) took a little road trip. No sooner than we had gotten about 50 miles from our home than my son piped up from the back seat and asked his mom, "Mom, why is it that the SOBs and Bast****only come out when Daddy is doing the driving? Yup, stupid road rage. We laughed so hard I had to pull off the road. After that, I tried to calm down a little and enjoy the trip ignoring the many drivers around me that absolutely were begging to get one of Bill's signs. True story.

Do Danes drive on the left or right side of the road? Some of us do not seem to know for certain which side we drive on. Ages ago when I got my first license to drive, it was as big a deal to teens as it is today. We took driver's education classes including actual driving. We studied diligently for the written exam. It was and still is a rite of passage for an American teenager. Then, when we turned 16 years of age a parent (my dad took me) took us to the NC Drivers License office where we took the written test, a vision test, and the actual driving test which was administered by a Highway Patrolman in those days.

I easily though nervously passed every test and only the actual driving part was left. The biggest man I had ever seen to that point was waiting at the door for me. He seemed 10 feet tall and wore an immaculate Highway Patrolman uniform. Like Elvis, I have always liked badges (I still have my school safety patrol badge from elementary school) His badge sparkled. His "Smokey Bear" hat was in pristine condition without a blemish. Well, as much as I could see of it way up there in the clouds (so it seemed so to me).

Yes, I was intimidated. Dad had a brand new Buick and I had only driven it a few times. I was very nervous when the big man sat down in the car beside me and began scribbling something on his clipboard. probably something like "This kid is an idiot. I'll be lucky if I survive this driver's test" "Tell my wife I love her. Say goodbye to my mom and dad" I looked at his face for some inkling of his thoughts so far. All I had done was correctly locate my vehicle and manage to get the door open. But that must count for something, I thought to myself. His face was, however, completely blank as he turned to me and told me to start the car and back out of the parking space, then drive out on the busy highway and turn left.

At least he had some faith in me. He got in the car. I did as instructed. Pulling all the way over to the right side curb of the very wide opening to the highway. I came to a complete halt with a bit of a jolt. Good brakes I thought. The man was looking at me. Then he wrote something on his clipboard. I noted the traffic looking left, right, then left and seeing a break in the traffic I pulled out as smoothly as I could. I could drive a standard shift if need be but dads was an automatic transmission. It was new and smooth as glass as we moved South down the highway.

We turned off the highway onto a paved secondary road as I was told to do. Soon we came to an RR track with a crossing sign but no electric warning. I stopped dead. I crept up a bit and stopped again. I looked both ways then cautiously crossed over the tracks and sped up. Nothing was said to me by my huge passenger during the whole road test. Not a word. We continued on with the test that included a three point turn around and several stops. Finally, (it had seemed like days since we left the parking lot) I was told to return.

I thought I had done well so far. Well enough. If I could just get safely back without killing or maiming the patrolman or damaging dads new car I'd be OK. I wasn't sure which of the two horrible possibilities might be worse. We got safely back and I was instructed to proceed to the area where I would perform the parallel parking test. PARALLEL PPPARK? Oh, no. I had forgotten about that. Back then that was an integral part of every driving test. Not today. The car was new to me. Parking was new to me. I was sweating bullets when the big guy got out of the car and instructed me to park.

I tried my best but it was not pretty. Somehow I had gotten the car parked and it was parallel, parallel to something. I had not knocked over even one of the orange cones but one had somehow been moved back a bit without tipping over. Not every new driver could accomplish that, I thought. A safe distance away, the big patrolman was looking sternly at his clipboard and writing a lot. A lot more than I thought the single word "passed" might possibly take. Still, I was confident.

My dad had come out side and now he spoke to the man with the badge and Smokey Bear hat. The guy that held my future teenage life in his hands. Dad must have seen my attempt at parking. He asked wht was on his mind having only witnessed that single performance. "He didn't pass, did he?" Dad had obvisously failed to notice how deftly I had nudged that orange cone to succesfully get into that space.

For the first time that day, the tall fellow's face showed an expression. He was smiling broadly as he said," Sir, your son had his license before we even left the parking lot." I do not know who was more astonished hearing that, my dad or me. The Patrolman continued ignoring both our mouths hanging open in amazement, " Hardly any new drivers are smart enough to pull all the way over to the curb at that extra wide two-way driveway. It isn't in the book. You have to reason that out. Your son thought about it and did it. He will be called upon many more times to think about the right thing to do when driving than he ever will have to parallel park. I was all smiles. Dad was smiling too.

Folks,

Congratulations to Mr. McGonigle on passing one of Life's pop quizzes.

As it seems that some driver's licenses in this country are awarded by mail, it's been a while since I've gotten on public roads on a bicycle. Well, at least in more than the neighborhood streets.
Even if there's an ordinance stating a bike can use the whole lane, I would not get on the local 40mph main road alone. Thankfully there are bike lanes built into the local parks where the main dangers are other riders and walkers that seem to always want to change lanes as you approach and dog markings in case they get lost.
What happened to using the grass, or owners carrying pick-up bags? There are trash cans all over the place in case you don't want to let it dry on the way home before you bronze it for display.

JRT: Neat and enjoyable story on your driver's license test.
Somehow I got it in my head I might need one of those before High School graduation. I think my eyes were opened when I found out I could drive to my part-time job in half the time it took to ride the subway from either home or school..
No one mentioned the time it took to find a parking space in the city. No one I knew had a car but a few parents.

Folks,

At 10 AM our temp was 78°F. with 76% humidity under clear skies. After several overcast days, the light is blinding. We have no measurable wind and visibility is reported to be 10 m. The high for today is expected to be 90°F. By Friday we are encouraged by the guys with weather Ouija Boards to look for our first venture into the century F. figures with high humidity. Soon I will think I am 'deep in the heart of Texas.'

Fittop:

We must go in for an eye test to get our license renewed. If we have not had an accident that is all unless we allow our license to expire, then we must do the lot including the road test.

Ordinance smordinance, I may have the right but if someone in a car wants it, they can have it providing they give it back after they pass. Same thing with the right of way. At a four-way intersection with no traffic light, I may have the right of way according to the law. Yet if some lady of the blue-haired variety in a big Chrysler putting on makeup looking in her rear view mirror wants to take it I'll let her. It saves visits to court, hospital and repair shop.

When I was a kid practically conjoined with a bicycle, motorists looked out for us, not the other way round. Only once did I have a problem riding anywhere in town. I was coming down at high speed from a steep hill on Ridge street, through a green light intersection with Falls Road onward past my grandad's barber shop toward my Uncle Bob's BBQ restaurant on Melton Drive. I never got to my Uncle's restaurant. A fellow parked at the curb next to Capp's grocery opened his car door right in front of me..... WHAM! My bike bounced off his door one way and I another.

Not that the man seemed to care but somehow I didn't get a scratch on me. My bike was fine after I straightened the handlebars. My granddad came out of his shop and gave the man pure hell but in truth, it was as much my fault as his. After that,l I was wary of parked cars when I approached them. When I look back on a long and rather active life, to some degree it has been a charmed life. More than once, like the time I got my foot wedged between two rocks just below the cotton mill dam with the flood gates opening, I could have, should have perished but somehow did not. I guess we all have had close calls. Anyone surviving to an advanced age, I mean. Just taking into account the many scrapes I got myself into with one lady or another, let alone the REALLY dangerous stuff makes me feel quite lucky to still be here in good health with all my limbs and digits.

Now I never tempted Fait on purpose. I never rode over the dam in a canoe because of a dare as Philmore Creech did. They found him below the dam floundering about amongst what was left o9f the wooden canoe. I did climb a water tank carrying a cat with a parachute strapped to its back but the cat was in a hurry to jump and it did only half way up. The chute landed him safely using up just one of his lives. The several deep scratches on my stomach, shoulder, and back eventually healed and the scars reminded me never to try that stunt ever again without wearing chain mail. I never did get to the top of that tank, I'm sure the view was spectacular. I have already written about my encounter with the black bear up on Balsam Mountain. I was lucky not to be eaten alive. Not that the other members of my family locked safely in our car seemed at all concerned about.

There was the time I was floating in deep water beyond the surf at Atlantic Beach when the current and undertow caught me and began taking me away. That was just before I noticed the sudden leak in my air mattress. That was close. Maybe closer was my encounter with a shark at Myrtle Beach when a small boy. I was in about 3 feet of water near the shore when something unknown and rough as sandpaper bumped my leg and rubbed past me. I did not know what it was until a lifeguard told me I had a close call later but I got out of the water pronto, some witnesses said more on top of it than down in it. I have never been able to walk on water but on that singular occasion apparently, I could run on it.

Then there was the Portuguese Man O' War that tried to get me. Peeing on the sting is supposed to ease the pain...... it did not help me much because I assure you when it happened I peed all over myself and I only was stung once on the foot. No one told me they were still dangerous when dead. I had trod on part of one walking at the surf line. We all have stories of close calls and what ifs or lucky me stories. Even HM the Queen of England has had a few.

Folks,

Battery in notebook seems dead. May be some time before I write again . I hate texting on phone. Keep it going. I will return.

Gents,

Still here, having made it safely through another bike ride. Yes, we do ride and drive on the right side of the road and not the wrong one. Only our dear neighbours, the Swedes had wrong hand, or as they called it left hand drive until in the mid sixties they decided to switch. They started with the lorries and trucks making the switch, and then, some 24 hours later made the switch for ordinary automobiles.......

I also survived some potential hairy business from silly stunts I did when I was younger, for instance when I was doing my national service in the air force I armed the fighter bomber with rockets and other hi' explosives and forgot to engage the circuit brakers. Ooops. Then there are probably some situations that I have forgotten about, or was too drunk to remember.

Your perception of the right of way dynamics Roger, I wholeheartedly support. Right of way is less imperative if the other bus is bigger than mine, the willow bends to the force of the wind. Many years ago I witnessed a distressing traffic accident first hand. Waiting at a pedestrian crossing with lights regulating the flow of traffic I noticed the lights for the pedestrians go green to signify that I and other pedestrians heading in this particular direction now had right of way. By reflex, as always, I look left and right for anyone not supposed to be there and I spotted a cyclist (sigh) coming from the left of me at an attempted late crossing of the lights in the direction of 90 degrees to the pedestrians now starting to leave the sidewalk. And at that same time I spotted an woman stepping into the path of the bicyclist. Sadly the two crashed into the other, and when sometime later I was in court as a witness, the high judge asked me if the green lights didn't mean that it was the pedestrians having the right of way I replied; "Yes indeed, but right of way is no use to me if all it gets me a nasty hole in my head."

Half a day of sun here, perhaps I get lucky and get another half a day tomorrow before more rain. Temps still barely able to pass 22 C.

Chaps,

Battle of Britain topics are being aired once again on the anniversary of that fateful month of July 1940 Those die-hards of Rowan's sim will recall the non-flyable representation of the Defiant fighter in the game. A Facebook post re the decimation of 141 Squadron Defiants reminded me of the flawed concept of a turret fighter which equipped two RAF squadrons during that battle. Both were withdrawn after unsustainable losses but the type went on to provide some useful opposition to the Luftwaffe during the Blitz.

Some unbelievably dramatic pics of yesterday's storm which engulfed Coverack in Cornwall have been big news here today.

Folks,
It seems JRT's notebook battery may need recharging or replacing. I wish him well and a happy and speedy transaction.
There is no way I would have his talent to keep this thread going, so I am glad he warned us of the potential problem.

I only came close to running into an opening car door on a bike. I came closer to one in a car, but good brakes saved the other driver and me a ton of grief.
Thank you, MG. Last week I was trying to remember which country had switched driving sides of the road and could not remember the answer.

I still try to look both ways before entering an intersection but keeping track of what has just left the side mirror is getting harder, as is the old trick of keeping the head on a swivel, - or at least being more aware of your peripheral area than the average bear.

Old Dux, thanks for the reminder. We have to lean on Netflix and Hulu to see those topics. The "today's stories" dominate the news here.
Aside from the forest fires in the Western US and the Washington DC dances, the latest being a local marina finger that caught fire and the visuals of boat gas tanks exploding.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/07/19/fire-and-explosions-at-lake-texoma-marina/

Yes, the heat wave continues with temperatures reaching 97 degrees F, with humidity levels in the 70% and scheduled to again reach one hundred degrees tomorrow.

Folks,

Some of you may have been looking forward to a few days or weeks without having to read any more of my drivel..... tough cheese.

All is now well after repairs done I hope.

Today we bake but with reasonable humidity. At 2:30 PM the temp is 91°F. with a humidity of just 45% reported. That sounds odd to me as it also is reported to feel like 96°F. Anyway, it is hot and getting hotter where I live. No wind blows to cool either.The high is expected to reach 93°F. but Friday we may see 100. Tomorrow might be the ideal day to flog that "Water Proof" suntan lotion Fittop and LeRoy made from axel grease used motor oil and molasses (treacle to you Brits). Anyone wanting more bottles should contact LeRoy. Yes, we did have a spot of bother selling it when a hive of Africanized bees took a shine to the molasses. All those affected survived but it was indeed a close call for that one fellow also eating an ice cream. The bees paid more "attention" to him. The fact that some bees stuck to the virtuous lotion did also make it more difficult to remove them.

This year we have solved that rather sticky legal problem by printing the words " CAUTION: Beware of Bees" in tiny print on the label.

Dux:

Indeed it is that time of the year. More coverage in Canada and over there than here I'm afraid.

Fittop:

I once had the pleasure of being completely unhurt after ripping a door off my car when I backed into a tree with my door wide open.

Glad to be back. Maybe the problem is solved. If I disappear again you'll know why. I really do hate long texts on my phone but if necessary I will send short ones if more battery problems arrize.

Folks,

What promises to be the hottest day of the year so far for us is here. We have 82°F. headed for a predicted ambient temp of 100°F. and a heat index of 104°F. If that doesn't satisfy the suntan seekers I don't know what would. The humidity is a suffocating 81% and the heat advisories cover a large area. Air quality is reasonably good here but Raleigh West staying indoors is recommended. We have a 6 mph breeze moving hot air around. No one not owning an air conditioned lawn mower (do they make them?) should be mowing their grass today.

I used to hunt quite a bit and owned many guns. Yet this news saddened me.

Cecil the Lion's son (who was, surprisingly, also a lion), Xanda is reported to be dead. Cecil himself was shot by a hunter in Hwange National Park. The son of Cecil the Lion, Xanda, is believed to have been shot by a trophy seeking professional hunter in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. Some of us may be hoping the hunter was seriously mauled in the process, but I could not possibly comment. ...

In other animal news: Scientists have found key 'friendliness' genes that distinguish dogs from wolves. Domesticated canines basically are a super social wolf, and scientists may have found the gene that makes your mutt want to cuddle with you. I had never thought about this before. no one had, but back when I was conjoined with a bicycle and riding all the time, a huge German Shepherd chased me 3 blocks and I thought he wanted to eat me. In light of these new facts, perhaps he only wanted to cuddle. He only tore my jeans because of his genes, I guess. He wanted me to wait a bit and hang out.

Any Danish dogs ever chase you, Jens? Possibly Danish dogs are far too polite to chase cars or bikes? In truth, it was only when I thought the dog was about to pass me and swallow me, bike and all and tried to kick him that he ripped my jeans. It was just a big dog being a dog. His ulterior motives were, at the time, unclear to me. I started carrying pepper spray after that but never needed to use it.

Gents,

Rain all day and temperatures around 18 to 20 degrees C. I bet some of you, thinking of you Roger, would be very happy to stand or be about outdoors here in contrast to what must seem an excruciatingly hot, humid and monotone summer.

Back in the past millenium, when I was just a lad, I had an unpleasant encounter with, wait for it..... a German Shepherd. The dog seemed mad at me for being on the same street, and the owner didn't exhibit much intelligence either. Educated by this near-miss I learned to judge dogs by their owners, and the way they interact with their canine companions. Some owners are very good at distracting their dog with treats when I pass, mostly on foot because I rarely cycle on the paths where dogs and owners take their walkies, others are good at signalling that they tighten the leash a bit, just to make sure that the dog does not come to close or in harms way. Usually the dogs seem friendly and if anything, playful. A tiny yapping dog lives in a house close to mine and when it is out in the garden it barks every time someone comes by, biped or quadruped. I even once met a dog going about it's every day business, sniffing and exploring on the sidewalk on its own. I came up from behind and as I changed a gear the mechanism gave of a sound like "clank" and the dog startled turned around and gave me it's best confused look. If you have seen any of the videos available on the net with talking dogs it will be easy for you to imagine this dog, a lovely elderly Golden Retriever or Labrador saying something like; " uh, you gave me a bit of a shock there mate".

In the news today, "Red October", or rather the Dmitirij Donskoj, the last remaining Typhoon class Russian nuclear submarine sailed under the Great Belt Bridge and into the Baltic Sea today to join a fleet of Russian and Chinese Naval forces to take part in a friendly and peacekeeping military exercise. Or perhaps they were just attempting to project a bit of power and letting us know that they have more hardware at their disposal than the fighters that regularly buzz the skies close to our territorial borders.

On the small island of Bornholm, petroglyphs have been unearthed that show early Stone Age humans being interested in the movement of the Sun, and a derived interest in fertility. Previously it was thought that such behaviour was introduced during the Bronze Age.

Folks,

Though the weather was blistering hot, no one here became a crispy critter yesterday. I stayed inside and watched the neighbors who didn't mind risking sunstroke pass by. I think one of them may have been riding a camel. Such were the waves of heat rising from the pavement that may have been a mirage.

At 10:30 AM our temp is 82°F. (feels like 89° F.) with a humidity of 81% that feels like being wrapped in damp cling wrap inside a wet blanket. We have a 10mph wind from the SW. Only sporadic afternoon pop up showers are predicted and they bring only temporary relief before just adding to the humidity. Pray for rain? No, pray for snow.

MG:
I could stop complaining about the heat, buy a snow mobile with wings and fly to Denmark for the summer. Yes, LeRoy, there might be a slight language barrier. How do you say "Nice August weather we're having. I do love the snow."?

Animals, even though they are without the benefit of speech can often convey a plethora of information with their eyes and body language if we are sensitive to it. That Shepherd that chased me was a big fellow and absolutely beautiful. I couldn't help noticing that as my life began to pass slowly before my eyes and his jaws grew closer. He was well cared for; I could tell that. However, I agree that the temperament and action of a dog often reflects that of his owner. I have also noted that many times the actual physical look of a pet mimics that of the owner. This has been noted with humor in several publications I've read and on TV shows as well. So many people seem to settle on mates with faces that favor their own. I have noticed that too on several occasions. I suppose that in some situations people who love to look in their mirror, aware of it or not, choose someone who reflects their own appearance. In others, this similarity in appearance may come after years together. They begin to look more and more alike. No scientific proof is available for that perhaps.

This never happened between my late wife and me as far as physical appearance was concerned. However, we did become more and more alike in many, many other ways. That is quite possibly why I survived those 40+ wonderful years of marital bliss without any serious blows on me old noggin from frying pans and rolling pins. There were also differences of course. Ther is no need for a partnership if the partners always agree on everything. We both had words from time to time.... I just never got a chance to use mine.

I miss her every day. What would have been our 46th wedding anniversary comes this month.

Folks,

In our part of the world, the sun has come up and it is another SUNday. A hot Sunday as a matter of fact. Right now, at 10:15 AM the temp is a toasty 84°F. with 79% humidity. There is a 13 MPH wind from the SW. The projected high ambient temp is 98°F. with a heat index of 106°F. This could mean my grandkids might OD on sunscreen at the lake today but more likely they will just sweat a few gallons from under the stuff their mom makes them wear when not under water. They'll guzzle down water and Gatorade and other beverages and get plenty of exercise running to and from the restroom. I'm not worried about them. Their mom is a highly trained Paramedic studying to be a PA or possibly an MD. She will take good care of them.

MG:

That hot weather I sent has had plenty of time to get there from here. If not, check the European weather map to see who got it. I'd start with Wales if I were you. It is still mid morning here but Dux may have had many hours of productive fishing under the sunshine meant for you. Who could blame him? Well, I suppose the fish he's caught might but no one else surely. As for me, I'd send a whole month's worth of hot sun to anyone in need of it and include that much humidity as well at no cost. I would perhaps agree to keep the heat and just send the humidity if you like.

Hot as it is here in NC, USA, I, we, who are so lucky, really should not complain. Most of those sweltering outside probably have a cool, air conditioned place to retreat to as do I. But there are others who, for one reason or another, do not. Some do not even have a home or much shelter from the burning sun. They have, if anyone does, the right to raise their fist toward Old Sol and complain vigorously. Thinking about them this hot morning drys the false words of complaint forming before they leave my lips. After all, I am going to be dry and cool with plenty to drink no matter how hot and humid it may be. I do not really have the right to complain. The desire to, oh yes, but not the right.

Soon enough, ice will cover the frozen ground and I will probably be sitting here warm and snug typing away complaining about the cold of winter. What do you have to complain about today? That would be besides having to read another senseless, rambling post from me.

Folks,

I forgot to ask, did anyone notice they have announced that the new Doctor Who will be a ....... a........a , a WOMAN!!!!? That's right, after all these years finally a female Time Lord.

We gotta get used to it. Some hard core fans have strongly protested. They do not believe it could be possible. It occurs to me that anyone who can believe in a Tardis with an inside larger than its outside, homicidal robots and time travel should surely be able to cope with a female Doctor. What do you think?

I think I am an old dinosaur who longs for the old ways.

We have been getting sufficient rain, so need for rain ceremonies. So I haven't anything worth telling.

Oh, oh, oh. I am doing the annual on my airplane. No problems, and I hope it comes out of the inspection working as well as when it went in. I am doing a lot of the disassembly/reassembly. The A&P is teaching me a lot a we go along. This is my third annual with him, so we have a good relationship.