Quote of the Day

Speaking to Invisible Obama last night, in a performance that seemed to have been written by Timothy Leary and performed by Cheech & Chong, Clint Eastwood  was able to drive home to tens of millions of viewers the central message of this year's Republican National Convention: "We Are Delusional and Detached from Reality. Vote for Us!"

Michael Moore

Summer of the Bug

This summer has been extremely hot and dry. Wildfires have burned rampant throughout the state. Gardens and pastures wilted and were eaten by a plague of grasshoppers. Whenever the temperatures rise and wring the moisture from the air creatures do what they can to survive. That usually means they move indoors. We've sprayed our house to the point where I've wondered who were going to expire first, the bugs or the humans. One insect that has taken up residence in our house is the camel cricket. This is a bug that we don't see very often.  It looks like a hybrid of a cricket and a volkswagen as you can see in this picture:

 

 

After Googling this bug I decided it may be a welcome guest because it will eat small morsels of food and even paper. I told Dorothy we should breed these and keep them in small corrals under the couch and let them out at night to  clean the floor as we sleep. She didn't think much of that idea. 

 

We've also been invaded by wolf spiders. These are large, aggressive arachnids that look like small tarantulas.  The will jump at you when annoyed, that's why I don't annoy them unless I have a fly swatter in hand. Their bite while not venomous is as painful as a wasp sting. You don't want to be looking for a camel cricket under the couch and see this:

 

 

67

Tonight we celebrated my birthday. The actual day was Monday but tonight was when the most members of the family could be present.

Our family tradition is for the birthday person

to choose what will be served at the party. I chose

Indian Tacos,  Indian fry bread covered in beans and

ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Of course,

mine came on a special plate. Instead of a cake I chose peach cobbler

with two flavors of home made ice cream, vanilla and chocolate malt chocolate

chip.

Note that while we are posing and the camera is being focused

Gracen is stealing the candles off the cobbler.

So, one candle was left to blow out.

Walking

This morning at 9:30 it was 73 degrees outside so Dorothy and I decided to take a walk. With the 100 plus degree days this summer we've confined exercise walking to the inside perimeter of Wal-Mart stores. Now, we can get back to some serious make your heart beat faster walking.

This is the half-way point looking down to the Peach Eater Creek bridge.

This is looking back toward our house. (not visible in the picture)

When we arrive at the bridge we see that the creek is dry. That

only happens every thirty years or so.

Dorothy's latest cake

Do you know this cartoon character. No? Then you haven't

been watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Quote of the Day

"Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. And you will get the enormous reward of having created something."

-- Kurt Vonnegut

46 years

Today, Dorothy and I celebrated our 46th anniversary.  We went to dinner and a movie. (We saw "Hope Springs" an ironic choice for a couple who has been married as long as we have.) We've had a good life together. Two daughters, five grand kids, one great grand kid. Life can't get any better than that.

Dare-Devil Cats, Suicidal Squirrels, and Slow Dogs

We were driving home from Tahlequah this morning and almost ran over a cat. He waited until the last minute to cross as if he was trying to see how close he could come to being flattened. I wonder if cats make bets with their fellow felines to see who can come the closest to having their tails caught under a tire.  When squirrels cross in front of traffic they usually stop and attempt a retreat then bounce back and forth as if trying to weigh the options open to them.  I suspect that they are trying to align themselves with one of my front tires. Why would a squirrel commit suicide?  Maybe they are depressed over a shortage of nuts.  Continuing down the highway, we were driving through the small town of Proctor and couldn't believed our eyes.  Just ahead in our lane, running at top speed toward us, was a Chihuahua.  We slowed down but he kept coming, his little legs a blur.  We screeched to a halt causing the traffic behind us to do the same, and the little bugger trotted off as happy as can be. When I say slow dogs I don't mean speed. I'm talking about slow on the uptake. The Chihuahua is a good example. Our neigbor's dogs like to take a snooze on the highway.  Asphalt warmed by the morning sun is conducive to napping. Every day we can hear the horns up on the highway as drivers attempt to startle the dogs out of the way.

drought

So far this summer we've had no rain. The temperatures hit at least 104 degrees everyday.  The garden is gone, the lawn is dead, and most vegetation has been eaten by the grasshoppers. When we got up this morning we were surprised by another invasion.  Black birds filled the yard and were having a feast on the grasshoppers.  The birds stayed around for a few hours and then were gone. The grasshopper population doesn't seem to have suffered.

Here's a picture taken last year in the spring.

This was taken this morning.

The grandkids at the swimming hole hast year.

Same location this year. Look at the level of the water compared

to the rocks in each picture.

Last year.

This year.

This gravel is usually under water. There is still water beneath

the surface. That is what keeps the vegetation green. Our spring

is still running and has for the last 30 years.

Kathleen Retires

I first met Kathleen when she was hired as a clerk at the Tahlequah post office in 1986.  We became good friends and eventually she was promoted to the position of Postmaster of Proctor, OK. She retired yesterday and the community gave her a party.

Kathleen and I with the plaque the community presented to her.

Cake and ice cream for all.

Postal employees Kathleen has worked with over the years:

Me, Dennis Morton, Becky Cathey, Elena, Kathleen, Nancy Reese.

There was a good turnout.

Dorothy made these cake for the occasion.