A LESSON FROM THE PAST

Happy Independence Day, America

And to our friends in the United Kingdom, it's nothing personal.

Then, as now, we just didn't want to be ruled by a king.

READY FOR THE FOURTH

Brats, Buns & Beer

RODEO WEEK

Here in the heart of Ye Olde West, it's rodeo week.

It began last night in the neighboring town of Prescott, Arizona, but don't worry if you missed it.

There are a total of eight "performances" running all week.

Hang on to your hats.

And, as is tradition, your beers.

SKY SIGHTS

Did you see that strange sight in the sky last night?

I couldn't tell at first if it was a UFO (Flying Saucer) or a Great Grey Whale, though I had no idea why a whale would be cruising around in the sky.

My wife wisely stated, it's a cloud, silly!

That's why she's known as SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed).

But there were some weird shapes in the sky.

I don't know what you'd call those long flat shaped clouds.

I'd probably call them pancakes.

(Yeah, SWMBO is scoffing at that too.)

Meanwhile, the other direction the sky was lit up like a wildfire as the sun was going down.

Meanwhile back on Terra Firma, my friend Jocko the Mockingbird did not seem impressed.

He just gazed at The Blue Cat as if to say "Is this water fresh?"

CAR GUYS

I visited a car show at the local Walmart parking lot this morning.

There were classic old touring cars.

Cars of many colors.

A mellow yellow 1931 Model A Ford.

Would you believe this tiny jitney is a BMW?

This pickup truck with a wicked looking front bumper attracted this guy.

While he was studying the engine I admired the twin stacks behind the passenger compartment.

This car apparently was rigged for some heavy duty dirt-track racing.

Check the roll bars.

This one, in basic black, was a beauty.

As was this curvilinear cutie.

A Cadillac from the days of b-i-g cars displayed it's very wide grille.

Faint memories came drifting back from this era.

I don't know but this car's owner seemed to be showing off some Corvette-envy.

The real thing was nearby.

Here was a fine example of a shiny engine so big a hole has to exist in the hood to accomodate it.

Many classic car owners have a sense of humor to go with their styling touches.

I loved seeing an old Hudson, a car brand long since confined to the ages.

And I especially liked it's vanity license plate.

Here's a better look.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

The first two Democratic debates are over.

Do you know who won?

I have my ideas but, as someone frequently says, "we'll see."

So enough yelling, let's get down to the REAL business of the day.

The rare few moments of hilarity in a week.

Starting off with the traditional question for this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere where I live, "Hot enough for ya?"

Okay, okay, if we're going to get rowdy here, I'm calling a halt to it.

Now listen, you lissome lovers of languor, lethargy and liquification, it is past the legal limit of lolling like a lummox.

Get out there and have a fabulous weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

No, no, no, not you guys.

Yeah, here's the actors:

COMMENTS

Oh, for crying out loud.

I discovered a bunch of comments that never got published on my blog.

And I found a place where I could order them published.

But then I found a place where I could delete spam comments.

And then I found a place where I could delete published comments and there were at least a thousand.

So I figured I'd clean up the system a bit.

But after I had deleted them (from the bank, so to speak) I discovered I'd also deleted them from the blog posts themselves.

I am such a technological idiot!

Okay, so now that I know what NOT to do, I'm going to try to keep a closer watch on my blog comments, publish those that have gotten flagged for whatever incorrect reason and eliminate the spam.

I'm sorry, folks.

I'm only 79 years and two months old and I'm still learning.

Gadfrey!

PAINTING AGAIN

Those of you Gentle Readers will know about SWMBO, aka Judy, aka my wife, and her artistic leanings.

I'm sure you will be pleased to know that she's back at the mural she has created on an old battered and tattered fence in our back yard.

Her small pond has become a true mountain lake and, under her new name - The Merry Muralist, the work goes on.

DRIVING LESSONS

Today's post is thanks to my great friend, Lori from Seattle.

She emailed these (and more) this morning and got my day off to a gay (in the old meaning) start.

You've all probably seen the commercial on t.v. where a guy parks, then moves his fancy new convertible out from under some pooping pigeons only to have a construction crew dump wet cement all over it.

Well, guess what.

It actually happens in real life.

And it's hardening.

Equally as bad is carrying paint cans in your car when you might have a collision.

Or you might take a wrong turn and end up in hot (or cold) water.

It seems even the police are in danger of the results of bad driving decisions.

You know that old expression about being hit like a ton of bricks?

Note the driver is still stuck in his cab.

I wonder if this next guy was.

Or this guy.

Sometimes your load may be too heavy for sudden stops, or is it lurches?

Then there are some road repairs to be driven mindlessly into.

But, you know, accidents can happen even off the road.

And some times it's the pedestrians, standing a little too close to the road on a rainy day.

Happy Motoring, everyone, and thanks again to Seattle Lori!