40 Years Ago

We were in Oshkosh, Wisc forty years ago. The time sure flies.

Five Years w/o a Camel

It's been five years today since I smoked. I have thought about it almost everyday since then. Smoking was one of the most pleasurable things I can ever remember. It seems that life is missing something without it. A nurse recently told me that it takes 10 years to get past the craving. I don't think I ever will.

Midsummer

The sun is shining, the sunflowers are blooming and the bees are busy. By all the signs, it has to be midsummer. Today the glass is at least half full.

Skunk 2009

With these longer days, I noticed that Mr Skunk was back to his early morning foraging habits. I had smelled him in the early mornings, but this is the first time I caught him digging up grubs. I don't know whether I should try to trap him or just keep throwing out moth bolls to keep him from burrowing under the garage and making a home again. I guess we will try the "live and let live" theory in the near term until he becomes a real odiferous pest.

Summer Solstice

Today is a double holiday. First, it's the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. This has been celebrated for thousands of years in places like Stonehenge (see video above) and all around the world. Secondly, it is Father's Day. I always celebrate by going back to the pond and paying homage to the blue green algae. The Star Trek video below makes the same point.

Widowmakers

This is why they call dead or broken limbs left high up in the trees "widowmakers". This limb which came down during a recent rain barely missed my hammock. Needless to say if anyone had been in it's path, they probably wouldn't be around anymore. After last winter's ice storm there are all kinds of broken limbs in tree tops just waiting to become a widowmaker.

Stump Flower Pot Update

These photos are updates of my stump flower pots that I carved out with the chain saw. It compares 24 Jan to 3 Jun. A marked improvement I would say.