GREEN BEAN SOUP

SINCE THE BBQ GRILL IS BROKEN, IT MUST BE A GREEN BEAN SOUP DAY.

HAIL

AFTER 4 DAYS WITHOUT AN AFTERNOON MONSOON RAIN WE HAD A GULLY WASHERS THIS AFTERNOON, COMPLETE WITH HAIL.

OF COURSE I HAD THE BBQ GRILL ALL SET TO LIGHT FOR SUPPER AND THE WIND CAME UP BLOWING MY CAST IRON GRATE OFF THE PORCH RAILING.

CRAP, AFTER TWO MONTHS OF FIRE RESTRICTIONS AND NOT USING THE BIG RED EGG, NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEW GRATE TO COME. ACTUALLY I WAS LUCKY, I ALSO HAD THE UMBRELLA UP OVER THE GRILL TO KEEP THINGS DRY AND LUCKILY HAD IT DOUBLE TIED WHEN THE WIND CAME UP. ABOUT A MILE AWAY ON PORTER MOUNTAIN ROAD THAT SAME WIND SNAPPED 4 POWER POLES.

TOMORROW IS THE WHITE MOUNTAIN HAMFEST, AND I HOPE I CAN KEEP MY MONEY IN MY POCKET AND NOT COME HOME WITH A NEW HAM RADIO?

TREE TRIMMING

TODAY WAS THE DAY FOR THE TREE TRIMMERS TO DRIVE THROUGH THE PARK AND TRIM THE TREES BACK FROM THE ROADS SO THE UPS TRUCK OR THE FIRE TRUCKS CAN GET THROUGH.

AS LONG AS THEY WERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD I SLIPPED THEM A FEW EXTA BUCKS TO REACH IN AND REMOVE A DEAD PINE TREE FROM MY YARD.

WITH THE TREES TRIMMED MARY HAS HIGH HOPES OF MORE SUNSHINE FOR HER YARD PLANTS.

“SUNNY & 80”

FLAGSTAFF

WE TOOK A ROADTRIP OVER TO FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA YESTERDAY, WHERE WE TOURED THE RIORDAN MANSION.

AFTER OUR TOUR AND A STOP AT THE BANK WE STOPPED AT TWIN ARROWS CASINO WHERE A FRIENDLY SLOT MACHINE PAID US $67, ENOUGH TO COVER LUNCH IN THE SPORTS BAR, OUR TOUR TICKETS, AND THE GAS, SO WE HAD A FREE DAY!

THIS OLD GIFT SHOP IS LOCATED ON I-40 AND AMAZINGLY HAS IT’S OWN FREEWAY EXIT. I MEAN YOU EXIT THE FREEWAY RIGHT INTO THEIR PARKING LOT, AND THEN THERE IS A BRIDGE ACROSS THE INTERSTATE TO RE-ENTER I-40.

“SUNNY & 80”  OPPS, YOU CAN SEE THE MONSOON RAINS ON THE HIGH DESERT BEHIND THE FLAGS……

ELK

MARY AND I WERE OUT FOR AN AFTERNOON DRIVE THRU THE WHITE MOUNTAINS AND RAN INTO THS BUNCH OF ELK.

JUST BEFORE THE ELK WE HAD FIVE ADULT TURKEYS CROSS THE ROAD IN FRONT OF US. WE WERE ALSO SCOUTING OUT SOME LAKES AND STEAMS FOR TROUT FISHING.

AT 8,550 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL THE TEMPERATURE WAS 63 DEGREES AND BACK AT SHOW LOW IT WAS 83.  IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ALTITUDE OUT WEST.

  “SUNNY & 80”

FIRE RESTRICTIONS

AS YOU KNOW, I’VE BEEN COMPLAING ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO USE MY BIG RED EGG CHARCOAL GRILL DUE TO FIRE RESTRICTIONS. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF GOOD MONSOON RAINS AT 3 PM YESTERDAY AFTERNOON THE US FOREST SERVICE LIFTED ALL THE FIRE RESTRICTIONS AND HERE I AM ON THE DECK LAST EVENING.

I WAS MISSING MY PICK-UP TRUCK TODAY AFTER PURCHASING THIS BOARD AT HOME DEPOT. LUCKILY I LIVE CLOSE AND DIDN’T RUN INTO A COP AS I DOVE HOME WITH BOARD AND THE CAR DOOR WIDE OPEN.

   “SUNNY & 80”

Window Washer

By Uncle Hans

Once a year, there is a job I don't care for.  Powerwashing the windows.  They always need it.  It is like taking a shower with dirty water and spiders raining down on you.

YYuucckk!!

So Renee decided to make home-made potato salad.  Mary will get a giggle out of the tools, especially the BLUE ones.....

Mary also asked, as politely as she could muster, "Why do you have thistles growing in your flower garden?", when she was here for the summer visit.  Renee tried to explain that they had really pretty flowers.

Really.....

So, here they finally are. 

Flowers on thistles in a flower garden......

What next?

Uncle Hans

WISCONSIN TRIP

MARY AND I MADE OUR ANNUAL ROADTRIP TO WISCONSIN. THIS YEARS TRIP WAS 3,850 MILES WHICH WE MADE WITH THE PRIUS AND GOT 61 MPG.  WE DID THE TRIP A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR DRIVING ONLY 750 MILES ON THE INTERSTATE HIWAYS.  WE ENJOYED SOME NEW SCENERY THRU ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, COLORADO, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, MINNESOTA, IOWA, AND WISCONSIN.

WE WENT STRAIGHT THRU TO SPOONER FOR FOUR DAYS, THEN PRAIRE DU CHEIN TWO DAYS, AND LA CROSSE FOR FIVE DAYS. IT’S ALWAYS FUN TO VISIT FAMILY AND FRIENDS.