BEGINNINGS

The state of Minnesota is popularly known as "The Land of 10,000 Lakes".

You can't go anywhere without finding another fishing spot.

One of them is a small lake in the northern part of the state known as Lake Itasca.

That's easier to remember than the Ojibwe name for it, which is Omashkoozoo-zaaga'igan.

What's notable about this lake is it is said to be the primary source of the Mississippi River, which then flows 2,340 miles (3,770 kilometers) before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

Now here's what Wikipedia says: 

The channel of the Mississippi as it emerges from the lake was bulldozed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, to create a more "pleasant experience" for visitors. The project included the draining of the surrounding swamp, the digging of a new channel, and the installation of a man-made rock rapids. The rocks are used by tourists for walking across the Mississippi River.

And sometime in the 1940's that's exactly what I did, helped along by my big brother. 

I must say that I looked a bit nonplussed by the whole experience.

But at least I can say that once upon a time I walked across the Mississippi River.

And not on no blamed bridge either.

WHOA!

40 years ago.

In Salzburg, Austria.

What was it I said?

DO YOU SEE THE LIGHT?

 

Actually, I do.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

So another week of epic, general confusion is drawing to a close.

On a happy note, our weather has taken a turn for the better.

Better, that is to say, if you like daytime highs in the low 80's or high 70's.

The air conditioning is nearly turned off for the year but it's still warm enough to mostly avoid turning on the furnace.

As we watch our electric bill sink like the setting sun, happiness abounds in the hearts of we'uns.

Speaking of happiness, it's time to spread some to you, my faithful readers.

So here goes.

Oh, stop groaning, you know when you come here you have to put up with some pun-ishment.

And besides, you can take the best (worst) ones with you and inflict them on your friends while they're trying to have a nice weekend.

Whether you do that or not be sure YOU do all YOU can to have a stupendous weekend.

And never forget to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . uh, by the way, that guy yesterday was "stirring" his drink, not shaking it.  Just sayin' . . . )

STILL BLAZING AWAY

As I have reminded you before this is October.

It's the month of spooks and goblins and it seems the month when the spring and summer flowers die off.

At last that's what I've always thought.

Now I DID grow up in North Dakota which has a decidedly different climate than Arizona, which I now call home.

So perhaps now in my second childhood, I'm recalling memories from my "first" childhood.

At any rate, the flowers potted on our patio have been blooming like crazy recently.

Here's the proof:

That last one is a coleus plant with a rather bedraggled chive plant above and behind it.

I think the coleus growth is/are leaves, rather than flowers and it seems to thrive year-around, though I think SWMBO brings it inside when the weather turns frosty.

Speaking of whom, I suppose I could get answers to all of my horticultural questions by simply asking her.

But that's too easy.

So I'll leave it to you, Gentle Readers, to relieve me of the burden of my quest.

I should add that I'm not complaining.

I enjoy the colorful display on our patio and wish they'd bloom all  the year around.

Um . . . they won't, will they?

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

A mysterious couple, photographed during cocktail hour (note the cocked pinky) yesterday at an undisclosed location.

Are they perhaps previewing their Halloween look?  (note the color of the man's shirt.)

Or are they perhaps in the Witness Protection Program?

Only The Shadow knows.

And he ain't tellin'.

TURNING OVER A LEAF

Does it sometimes seem to you like your life is on R for Race?

Time seems to be rushing along much faster than, oh, say, 75 or 80 years ago.

They say the older we get the faster it seems to go by.

Like, just the other day it was July!

Or was it June?

That's another thing that seems to be changing - my memory.

Just the other day (it seems) I could remember the names of all the players on my favorite baseball team, along with their uniform numbers and batting averages.

Now . . .

Hmmm, what was I saying?

I'll think of it in a minute, or probably about two o'clock tomorrow morning when I'm trying to get back to sleep.

Actually, I can't remember what I was going to write about in this diary, er, blog when I started.

So I guess I'll just leave you to whatever you were doing before I interrupted.

Enjoy September!