DESTRUCTION AND DEATH

 A sign marks the site of the worst act of vandalism my town has ever seen.

After the arson fire at the Legado apartment and shopping complex on April 1st, the remains of the concrete parking garage are being taken down.

In this photograph, you can see the town's event center, just kitty-corner across the street from the fire area.

And in this photograph of the parking garage being torn down, you can see in the center right the occupied apartment project just across a fairly narrow street.

Fortunately firefighters from several departments kept the flames from spreading beyond the Legado project which was about 50 percent complete.

Ironically, as I was photographing this today, a "dust devil" came directly through the destruction.

A relative of a tornado the swirling winds on the right took on a black hue from what it had come through.

Fortunately no lives were lost in this disaster.

Not so the other event we take note of today.

D-Day in 1944.

This is just part of the cemetery in Normandy, near where so many died fighting the menace of Nazi Germany.

PROGRESS

 The artwork is continuing on a relaxed pace in our backyard as Judy adds to her fence mural.

Our blogger friend down in Adelaide, Australia, who goes by the name of River was delighted at the "teeny, tiny trees" in my last post on the mural.

Well, they have been joined by some much larger trees in the closer view that are designed to show some perspective.

The lead artist creating this work says that darker blue is a lake.

I think it looks more like an ocean view but the mural is far from finished so we'll see in time.

The completed mural will have, in time, a 3-dimensional appearance.

I'll show you what I mean.

Those hot-air balloons she created yesterday are painted on balsa wood and when they're done they'll be glued to the fence.

The hacksaw, by the way, turned out to be a bad idea so Xacto knives were used to cut the balloon shapes out of the wood.

The BAD, who was here yesterday for a planning session, took the other pieces of wood home with her for she has a jeweler's saw that will probably work.

Between the two of them, these artists probably have all the tools, paint and brushes they need to turn part of an old fence into a beautiful work of art.

And all I have to do, in SWMBO's words, is "stay outta the way!"

BUSTIN' OUT ALL OVER!

And, just for fun of it, let's go back in time to the year 1956 and the musical "Carousel".

SATURDAY, SATURDAY

 Just some (swiped) thoughts for the weekend.

The first is an R. Crumb cartoon.

I'm not sure who created the second one but it hits home.

Really nicely.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I know, I know.

It's difficult when you start off the week a day late because of a three-day weekend but, really, it's Friday.

Friday being close, so close, to another weekend is a good time for some comic relief.

And this week I'm turning it all over to the critters to make you laugh.

 

So, I let that one trek in, so sue me.

Now as you know, the rest is up to you.

Whatever you do, do it with VIGOR and have yourselves a wonderful, though only two days this time, weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . {gently snoring} . . . )

GOOD ADVICE

Upon reading my post yesterday about the Blueberry Banana Bread (cake, really) and the difficulty in getting it out of the pan, a faithful fan and most faithful contributor to the Comedy Bank, one Wacky Wally, sent this missive in sympathy.

I am most sympathetic and had I a little one like Kelly to "help" me I would certainly have called the bakery before ever endeavoring to make the cake on my own.

Had I not, I may have looked like this:

BEEN BAKING

Well, not much.

But I did turn out a Blueberry Banana Bread this morning.

I had a little trouble with it sticking to the pan, which Judy attributed to the blueberries being over-large.

I'll take that.

Regardles, it was delish!

REMEMBER

 

Memorial Day 2024

ONE DAY AT A TIME

 Judy says by the time she finishes her latest fence project, she'll be 90 years old.

I just checked and it took 16 years for Leonardo da Vinci to paint the Mona Lisa and it was still unfinished when he died.

So, the mural here continues.

To be continued.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Oh boy! Another long weekend!

Well, at least here in the U.S. of A.

In case you've forgotten, Monday is Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor and remember the brave men and women who died while serving in the Armed Forces.

It's a day to display the flag.

It's also a day to get out the barbecue grill or the barbie if you live down under.

'Course if you live "down under", you're probably about to put the barbie away for the winter.

Getting back up here to North America, there are special savings and big sales in stores.

And where I spent three years and met She Who Must Be Obeyed, there's the Indianapolis 500 motor race.

So let's start this weekend off with a tip of the helmet.

Before I gallop off into the sunset, let me remind you of a few things.

Remember the boys and girls in uniform, throw a steak on the grill or some shrimp on the barbie, drink responsibly and don't drive afterward, and have yourselves a remarkable three day weekend!

Oh, and ALWAYS remember to Keep Laughing!!!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, yeah . . .)

COMING DOWN

The cleanup continues at the site of the Legado apartment and shopping complex in the heart of my town.

There's still a lot of wood and metal lying around the location where the buildings were being built

You will recall that a fire broke out around 1 a.m. in early April and destroyed the project, which was about halfway complete.

Authorities ruled it an arson-caused fire and are looking for the person who caused it.

Rewards are over 50 thousand dollars for information.

The latest word is that demolition of the parking garage at the center of this project will begin in the next week or so.

No one was injured in the fire or among the firefighters who kept it from spreading but the damage is estimated to total 60 million dollars.

PAINT AND PLANTS

It's time for a bit of a progress report on the side yard at our abode.

"The Girls" have nearly finished the base painting of the fence.

As Judy and I were sitting inside, looking out through the glass slider, she said "I like it already, it's so much more cheerful."

And I agreed.

There will be more to come, trees, bushes, probably a lake, the inevitable hot air balloons, and maybe a cat peeking out of the foliage.

And speaking of foliage, adjoining one end of the painting, Judy's honeysuckle vine is lush with new growth.

And it's bursting into bloom.

While hanging from the arbor up above, the spinner is taking it all in while trying to keep from blowing into the next county.

BALLS

 

Some big ones mark one of the entrances to Mountain Valley Park, very near to where I live.

The park has four baseball diamonds, a soccer field, a swimming pool, a dog park, picnic areas and ramadas.

It is well lighted at night.