2017-May-26 -- Long time?

I'm back. I think.

2016 July 15th + 20th -- I SAID ! ! ! Happy Birthday

I'm only gonna do this once. This year.
In 1968, I had so many chigger bites from the blackberry pickin' with Grandma Katherine Newhouse and Great Grandma Maude Fuller, waiting for Fonzie to be born. Grandmas and Grandpa Thad Newhouse were from dry climates (Colorado, Nevada), and we were innocent of the critters here. When Fonzie arrived Monday 4 pm in Springfield, MO after Grands went home to Denver, I should have named her "Chigger". Her Daddie named her Fonda. (I don't think he ever had a chigger bite. I got them all). We were at Cindy & Larry's appt, folding laundry, when it finally started.
Then, two years later, again on Monday, Grack surprised us at 4 am, and at 6 he howled from the Houston, MO hospital. No chiggers this time, just that mad dash 40 miles to the hospital.
M y  Na me  iss G R A CC KK!
Monday's child is fair of face... and all those other things.

It's all over. I ate the cookies. I love you both. Don't know why, but I do! Ma

July 14, 2016 -- Wait for it... it's Birthday Month!

Wait, wait ... wait for it...

June 23 - 24, 2016 -- Can you hear it?

Rattled windows, downed a huge tree in town on an old abandoned brick house. Boom!

Bang bang! Two inches of rain. This was west & north of the airport, along Hwy. 60.

2016 June 20 -- Summer, longest day of the year

Been a really hot June... maybe now that the days will become shorter, it will start being cooler. Yeah, right. June 20, great sunset in the west, full moon rising in the east. Ozarks humidity standard. Sweat. Oh, pardon me, "perspire". No, "sweat"!

16 April, 2016 -- Happy Birthday, Randy

Yup, all in one breath!

28 March, 2016 -- The Dance!

Just before dark, three B2 bombers silently danced around the western sky, before descending into the sunset and returning home to Whiteman AF Base in western MO. Their graceful contrails were intercepted occasionally by a straight and narrow airliner, but there were no conflicts. There is a lot of air up there, and it was a beautiful day for maneuvers.

A couple of the locals joined in the dance. They didn't conflict.

Descending, before turning north and home to Whiteman.

15 February, 2016 -- Winter's for the birds

In MO, winter's mostly for the birds, and they look angry about it.

Flicker. I rule.

See? Even the lady Cardinal's afraid of me.

Say, who's in charge here... ? Quick, while the red-bellied woodpecker's busy, grab one and RUN!

As the crow flies: let's get outta here!

28 January, 2016 -- Happy Birthday, Samantha!

Happy Birthday, Samantha!

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago... in the last century, 1998

Jan. 20, 2016 -- Just a skiff

I think I'll go hunting for a bird. It's not that cold, not that deep... I've seen a few birds around!

Also, I'm the most prettiest thing out here today.

I know they're out here. I just saw a thousand of them. Where'd they go...

Where ARE they????

They're OUT there!

 

So far, by 20 January, 2016 .. a skiff of ice, a skiff of snow.

New Year's Eve -- Dec. 31, 2015

Had a "little" rain (about 7 inches). Had a "little" ice (really, just a little).
Had a good year. Wishing everyone a good New Year, 2016.

12_24_2015 -- Merry Christmas!

Not a creature was stirring...  Christmas Eve in the Ozarks.

 

Dec. 11, 2015 -- Happy Birthday, LAD

Double digits! 10. That's TEN. Happy Birthday, LAD!

Happy Birthday, LAD.

The new math? 10. or 55. or 25. or 0. or 1.

It's what we do. Buy a flashlight, break it, then fix it. Good thing we bought two.

 

UncaGrant fixes LAD's new flashlight.

Grant Allen, Allen Lee, Lloyd Allen & Cameron Grant

Will Grant Allen ever quit picking on Fonda Shay? Naaa. Will he pay for it later? Yaaa.

2015 Oct. 20 -- Albert Leon Stark

Rest in peace, Al. The good "Starkles" daddy!

1982

2015 Oct. 15 -- Happy Anniversary, Fonda & Randy, & LAD

2015 Oct. 15.  Randy, LAD & Fonda. Happy Anniversary!

 

October 15, 2015 -- Night blooming cereus, mixed up

Silly thing, bloomed during the day.

Another bud waiting for tomorrow.

Sept. 12, 2015 -- On a peaceful evening

September 12... I knew this would be a good one. Drove to the 60 overpass, waited... waited...

First, I saw these flying things

More flying things! Sundown Sonny made his rounds!

Then it did this! That shaft of bright light wouldn't quit! The day after 9-11, it satisfied my mind.

September 4, 2015 -- Happy Birthday, Seester C

Happy Birthday to my (the operative word here is "older") sis Carolyn, out west thar in Coluradu. Love ya!

Mike's tryin' to say, "Gramma, you're outta here".    Yeah, RIGHT, sonny boy.

July 20, 2015 -- Happy Birthday, Grant!

Happy Birthday, Grant! Nice peaceful morning, early, you disrupted us at 2 in the morning, and by 6 a.m. you were here! Only 16 days late, due on the 4th. We had so many family members with names ending in Y, didn't want any more like that. I liked the President on the $50 bill, and of course the actor Cary Grant, and you did become a ham! My... "my"... Name... "name".... Is.... "isssss"..... GraNt..... "GrrraCKKK"! Happy Birthday, Grack. Mom and Dad love you!

Pitiful, in trouble for something, but you recovered on Dad's rocking-horse legs!

Billy was with you through thick and thin, never knew which of you caused the mayhem! Never did understand why you ended up behind the frig.