For All My Earlybird Friends...

 

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Can We Bear It?

     

We've had a visitor stop by the past few weeks. Not that we've seen him, but our trash can has been dumped over and pawed through. And I'm guessing, from the times the dogs have been Very Concerned, that he's stopped by more than that.

     Our neighbor texted -- we've got a black bear in the neighborhood. Maybe two. 

     The Brick notified the neighborhood chain, just in case. One neighbor thinks that the drought has forced these guys down; another neighbor could care less. But I would hate for Bo, Tiger or our granddog Freya to become the next snack. 

      It's still hot and dull. We've gotten a bit of rain, but the forecast suggests we'll get a lot more this week. Dare I hope?

Meanwhile:

What did Pompeii smell like?

"Love Me, Hate Me, Just Don't Ignore Me:"  What Terrell Owens is doing nowadays.

A new website -- for the original Gee's Bend Quilters. Take a look.

A visit to an old friend:  Brin at Messy Thrilling Life. I just wish she'd post more updates...

Making a home out of an abandoned general store.  I'd love to try this, but the Brick is not a fan.

The best free events in New York City.

Thousands of structures are there, hiding under the rainforest in the Amazon. 

Two of Saint Augustine's sermons discovered -- after 1600 years!  (They were written over by another sermonizer.)

Gee's Bend Quilts, reinterpreted by Ralph Lauren?  At least the collaboration is with people associated with the original quiltmakers. 

One of the stranger commercials I've ever seen:  Mikhail Baryshnikov and Lil Buck shill fashion in this 2015 offering.

Cambridge's youngest professor is no more -- he resigned.  Just in time, ironically, for his memoir to hit the bookstands. One review mentioned all the OTHER Great Accomplishments he did (or didn't?) and called it a piece of "mythic proportions." I'm betting it's full of it, all right.

And finally:

Today's basic advice on Bored Panda:

"If you tuck one pant leg into your sock, people stop expecting much from you."

So there you go.

Have a great week.

Weather We Know or Not...

 Here's the latest prediction for 2026-2027's winter, courtesy of the Old Farmer's Almanac:

(Click on the white space, if the image isn't appearing)

It's difficult to even think of cold and snow right now...does that stuff even exist??

What do you think?

Edmund Fitzgerald

     On Nov. 10, 1975, the tanker Edmund Fitzgerald  sank in a nasty winter storm. The "good ship and true" took 29 crewmen with her. 

The Great Lakes have had many other shipwrecks, but this was one of the most mysterious. One minute she was there, communicating with another ship -- then she was gone. Even after the shipwreck was found -- and she was deep -- there are still conjectures why she went down. (Besides the storm, that is, which was one of the worst ever.) Her captain's last message:  

      "We are holding our own."

Gordon Lightfoot's song about the Fitz is just as deep and mysterious. I would often play it right after I crossed the Michigan state line, on my way to see family in Sparta.

Now one of my favorite groups has brought their version of

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" 

See what you think.

Maybe Knitting Next?

 

Mew!

 

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: A Brief Reprieve

    ...then more of the usual. I'm sweating my brains out while typing this, but didn't know whether I was running a fever again, or truly hot. The Brick brought me an iced tea, and said it was sweltering inside. I've had summer flu most of the week, so it's hard to tell. We did have some rain, and the evenings have been cooler.

     Just not tonight.

Meanwhile:

A professor uses a trick to flush out AI use during a midterm -- 32 out of 35 students fail. Whoa. (One student did get her grade back.)

The tiniest cinema in the world -- playing silent films 24/7!

A visit to Daniel Chester French's studio.  This is the sculptor who 'did' Lincoln for the Memorial. (Thanks, One Hundred Dollars A Month, for the tour.)

What?  Wyoming and "neighboring states" can be trusted to take care of their own wildlife management?  Surely not...after all, we westerners are too busy wearing spurs and sixguns to know what we're up to around here.

A 'time traveller' gives us his predictions for 2028. Check back then to see if he's right -- or just full of...

Gee's Bend Quilts, reinterpreted by Ralph Lauren?  At least the collaboration is with people associated with the original quiltmakers. 

"Soap is cheap..." and so is staying clean and tidy, even in difficult times. (Thanks, Frugal Girl, for the reminder.)

Have a good week. Back to work -- stay cool.