MY APOLOGIES

 

Thursday last was not a good day to say the least.  I lost internet connection due to storm damage to the modem but because I had a migraine everything had to wait until Friday.  So fine.  I got it on Friday and came home hooked it up to find that my cordless phones would not work.  Out I go again and get some phones and because they had to charge for 16 hours here we are on Saturday.
A few other monkey wrenches got thrown into this mix but finally after 36 minutes on hold I got a tech and we were doing fine until I disconnected the phone jack to my cordless phone on my desk before he told me to take the receiver off the land line that would preserve the connection.................38 minutes later and a different tech of course we got both units registered and up and running in a matter of 5 minutes.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Now I have some emails to tend to.  See y'all tomorrow.

Quote of the Day And The Cucumber 'Tree'

Silent gratitude isn't very much to anyone.
Gertrude Stein

This cone shaped cage is covered with wire mesh that the plant climbs up.  The lady told me yesterday that every flower produces a cucumber unlike most cukes grown around here called Straight Eights that have to have both male and female flowers to cross pollination.  This English cucumber plant needs no bees according to her.  She says it's quite a sight to see the long veggies hanging all over the plant as it reaches new heights and in this case about 6 feet high.  This is a great way to conserve space in small gardens and patios. 

GIFTS COME IN MANY COLORS

Just down the avenue within walking distance is a yard that I've taken lots of pictures of this year and shared many of them with you.  This morning I wanted to walk in the cool morning somewhere other than my neighborhood for a change but also wanted to stop at this yard again to get a certain picture.  As I pulled up I saw a lady very busy caring for an area in the front yard and saw an  opportunity to have a chat with her about her yard.  I was to end up with much more than I planned and less the picture I went for!
I First I thanked her for providing me with free pictures and none of the effort that she obviously puts into it.  So as she showed me around and told me how she sandwiched in veggies in places one wouldn't imagine, told me of the great bounty they enjoyed out came the Mr with the mister to water right where I planned to get my morning picture.  So rather than have a long lime green 'snake' in front of it I have deferred it until tomorrow morning.  He seemed very pleased that I stopped even thanking me for telling his wife that I appreciated their yard and hard work.  He then very kindly invited me to come and weed anytime.
She then joined us with this beautiful head of Boston Bib lettuce that was grown on the south side of the house and was one of 20 already harvested and given away.  It was such generous and wonderful gift!   The lettuce is grown in front of three huge tomato plants which she told me that last year one of her tomato plants produced 85 tomatoes!
I got a tour of their lovely back yard and managed to get the above shot of beautiful white lillies basking in the early morning light while getting an education about her cucumber 'tree' which I'll show you tomorrow hopefully along with my sought after picture but I might have to get up earlier than the Mr with his mister.  I soon got on my way for my walk but not before driving home to put my prized green gift in the fridge.

DEATH VALLEY DAYS ACROSS USA

I have relatives in Oklahoma and although being quite elderly they seem to be faring quite well but it is a dangerous situation for many. The weather service indicates that Oklahoma, for instance, already has had 27 days this year in which the temperature surpassed 100 degrees.


High temperature records were tied or broken Monday across the Midwest from Iowa to Indiana. Ankeny, Iowa, recorded a record high temperature of 102 degrees. Bluffton, Indiana, broke a 25-year-old record with a high temperature of 95 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
"Heat index values in the triple digits are forecast across a large portion of the Midwest today, making it feel like 100 to 110 degrees or higher during the afternoon hours," the weather service said Monday morning.
By midweek, the high pressure responsible for the oppressive heat will expand eastward, bringing temperatures in the mid-90s to the Mid-Atlantic states "as early as Wednesday," the weather service warned.
"Further out, this dome of high pressure is forecast to dominate most of the eastern and central U.S. -- bringing excessive heat to much of the eastern half of the country except for the Northeast and southern Florida -- through the end of next week."
Much of middle America has been suffering with temperatures rivaling those in Death Valley for days.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service declared excessive heat warnings in at least 14 states, mostly in the upper Midwest. Several daily temperature records were broken -- from Alpena, Michigan, to Miami, Florida.
"Heat index values" -- how hot it feels outside -- have been running over 125 degrees in the worst-hit areas. The scale designed to describe how intense the heat feels takes relative humidity into account along with temperature.
"This is the hottest it's been for the longest period of time," said Emily McNamara from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the temperatures were expected to hover in the mid-90s through the middle of the week.
Jacob Beitlich, a Des Moines, Iowa-based meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that two factors contribute to making this current heat wave especially dangerous: the lack of a significant drop in temperatures overnight to allow people's bodies to cool down, and relatively high humidity, which makes the air feel appreciably hotter than the thermometer may indicate.
In Iowa, for instance, he noted that the impact of mid-90s temperatures have been compounded by dew points in the upper 70s and low 80s. These combine to make the heat index spike so that it feels as hot as 126 degrees, according to the weather service.
"That takes a toll on your body," Beitlich explained. "When it's more humid, it's more difficult to cool down from sweating."
The National Weather Service notes that extreme heat typically is the biggest weather-related killer in the United States, taking about 115 lives each year. That's why the weather service and other government agencies urge people to minimize their time outdoors in periods of extreme heat, drink plenty of fluids, and keep especially close tabs on the elderly and young people.
While the recent stretch has been particularly difficult, it's all part of what's been a long, hot and in many cases dry summer in numerous locales. The weather service indicates that Oklahoma, for instance, already has had 27 days this year in which the temperature surpassed 100 degrees.

GROUCHO MARX QUOTES

A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.
Groucho Marx


A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running.
Groucho Marx

A man's only as old as the woman he feels.
Groucho Marx

A woman is an occasional pleasure but a cigar is always a smoke.
Groucho Marx

Alimony is like buying hay for a dead horse.
Groucho Marx

IT'S PUNDAY!

A dwarf, who was a mystic, escaped from jail.  The call went out that there was a small medium at large.