Quote of the Day

American conservatism has grown so angry that it has become a parody of its former self. Tax cuts are always right (even if they inflate the deficit);  government activism is always wrong (even if stimulus helped to avert depression). And the right's hypocrisy when it comes to spending on conservative projects (prisons, the armed forces, government subsidies to big business) is breathtaking. George W. Bush presided over a huge growth in government.

The Economist

Hot Rods and Customs

Hunter and Jenna are staying with us this week while Kelly and Marley are in Toronto. Most summers would find us at the creek every day but the severe drought and extreme temperatures have reduced the creek to a few shallow pools along the gravel bar.  So our activities are being confined to air conditioned spaces.  Today we went to Darrel Starbird's Rod and Custom Car Hall of Fame near Grove, Oklahoma. I was sixteen years old in 1961 so these cars came along to feed my adolescent dreams.

The quintessential American hot rod of the 1950's

1951 Mercury

Ed Roth was a custom car designer, and artist who created iconic

hot rod culture characters such as "Rat Fink"

Ed Roth artwork

An Ed Roth design

I probably had every issue of Hot Rod magazine from 1961 -1965

(and every Mad Magazine from 1957-1965)

On the way home we stopped at the Parrot restaurant.

Hunter and Jenna pose in front a cage housing the

restaurant's resident Macaw.

The restaurant sat at the edge of a marina with a view of Grand Lake.

Oklahoma Hot Dog

For lunch we had hot dogs. Along with all the usual condiments we added Dorothy's red tomato relish, chopped onions, and fresh from the garden tomatoes.

Pasta and chesse and fried okra rounded out the meal.

The evenings have been cooler and less humid. Perfect for a walk

down the lane.

Gracen

It's a cool evening so we sat outside enjoying the sounds of the

birds and cicadas.

Jenna

Jenna stayed with us for a week while her mom, sister, and brother went to camp.

We took her to see the 3d movie, Brave, and she decided the

special glasses looked rather fashionable on her so she kept them.

Dorothy had an appointment in Tulsa so Jenna

and I tagged along. The office was at the top

of a twelve story building and Jenna wanted a

picture showing how high up she was.

Jenna thought it necessary to show the floor

number in this photo.

Sometimes it's hard for Jenna to contain her energy.

Picking Tomatoes

Although the heat and the insects have ravaged

our garden we are still able to gather tomatoes. The

greenery around their feet are not tomato plants but

weeds that seem to thrive in drought conditions and

the onslaught of bugs. Jenna and Gracen are good

helpers.

When I saw this butterfly contrasted against the

purple cone flowers I grabbed the camera.

(photoshopped to enhance the colors)

I Grow Happy Tomatoes

Every once in awhile a tomato grows an appendage.

Seen from another angle.

A plague of biblical proportions

This is how our garden looked before we went on vacation.

After ten days we came home to this:

Not only was the garden devastated by extreme heat (family and

neighbors watered while we were gone) but the insects had a

feast while we were gone. These squash plants were killed by squash bugs.

When we came home we treated the garden with insecticidal soap, pyrethrin,

sulfur, and other organic pesticides but in the battle between man and insects

the insects always win.

The tomatoes have produced well this year, but look how the

grasshoppers have eaten the foliage. Trying to spray for grass-

hoppers is like dipping a bucket into the ocean and expecting a

bucket shaped hole to remain in the water.

4th of July

The Fourth of July. I have my smoker and grill going and the

flag waving.

I smoked baby back ribs, beef ribs, and chicken wings. Then I grilled some

hot links and brats. We had a potato casserole, several salads, and desserts. The kids

shot off fireworks. For the most part I stayed indoors except to tend to the meat.

It was just too hot yesterday.

Gracen displays her patriotism with

this red, white, and blue ensemble.

Down the Lane

We were working in the garden this evening when our neighbor's two grand daughters rode up on horse back.

Gracen was intrigued by the horses.