A Pretty Card

This is an example of advertising that is sent out in order to get us to purchase things at this  company.
The card contains a method of signing onto the internet, registering and using a card to get 20% off purchases.
Many people (me) will not take advantage of this so the company has wasted their money on paper and postage.
Since I do not know the process of marketing, this may be a very good idea for hiking sales.

IMHO, it would be much simpler just to lower prices in the store without all the in-between steps to that goal. Perhaps I have a bad attitude but when I tried to go online to retrieve the method for getting a $3.00 rebate for ink cartridges, the darn thing wouldn't process. I just took the cartridges in to the store and asked them to please recycle and forget the rebate. The clerk appeared shocked, probably thinking that any idiot ought to be able to navigate the instructions.
So with that experience, I decided to not even try the 20% deal which arrived a day or two later. After all, it's only money.

Buck Up

I am going to try to stop watching the news.
The only thing is, I'm so nosey. I'm afraid I'll miss some important event.
But because so many of the events are not uplifting, the thing to do would be stop watching news reporting. By definition, news concentrates on the unusual, not the common pleasantness of daily life. So to say the news is all negative is to repeat the concept that mostly bad things are reported.
I figure if I stop watching news programs, it will take me about a week to get over the negativity. My life is blessed and I know that. Sooo, Buck Up!
I will still care what is happening to others but perhaps not dwell on it quite so much.

Petunia in the Onion Patch

Nope.  This is Echinacea in the bamboo patch.

If this post seems to indicate nothing is going on here, that is correct.  It is too hot to walk the dog with the temperature 88 at 10:00 p.m. with high humidity making it feel like 96 degrees.

I long for fall. . .

Later:  At 10:00 p.m. it was 95 Sunday night. Too darn hot!

Summer sunrise thru' German curtains

This was taken at 7:07 a.m., June 21st. The sun is at the top and extreme left. Looking out this window toward the east while doing dishes, it is interesting to watch the different positions of the sun during the year. By September, the sun will be at the extreme right over the porch roof.

Kong with peanut butter

On the menu today for le chien, Kong Stuff'n is the main course.

Who knew they made "special" peanut butter for dogs. It keeps Mork busy for a while. I wonder what the difference is from the ingredients in the "people" peanut butter.

I don't believe I'll sample this brand.

Chewy Toys

Another hot, windy day but by this evening it has cooled off to a delightful temperature!

New toys for the chew machine - a kong and a rawhide bone.

So what appears in the backyard in the paws of the dog? A sleeve for a VHS tape.

Cardboard is so much tastier than rawhide.

Father's Day

My dad at fifty-five on his twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in 1953. Electrician, carpenter, painter of houses and fences, cook when he had to, housekeeper, happy man and a great father and grandfather and he's been gone twenty-nine years. I miss you.

Popcorn Saturday Night

Tourists at the Long Branch

This photo was probably taken in about 1965 in Dodge City at the Boot Hill area. Our family was back there in 2003. Many changes have been made and it is a fun place for kids to see how downtown Dodge looked during the cattle drives.
We showed our grandkids what we showed these two sons.

A Blossom

Another variety of lily is blooming in our backyard. They don't last long and this one doesn't look too healthy but a spot of color is nice. The previous lilies were lavender and looked smaller and frail. It's time for the moon flowers to come out next.

Recharge!

These are all stashed in a drawer - and yes, I had to untangle them before taking this picture. I actually know what three of them are used for. The three on the left are for the Kindle, cell phone and digital camera. The rest are not labeled but we will not throw them away. Something may turn up.

Atom Pop

Yesterday after lunch at the bank, LP and I went to Good Will to roam through the aisles, looking at clothes, lamps, dishes, books, videos and everything under the sun.
I found this popcorn popper "like the one we used to have." Our neighbor, Vera, had one and I thought it was so neat. This must have been in the 1960's. Ours was long gone and I never thought I would see another.
This popper looks as if it has never been used since it was made in Quincy, KS.
The Google tells me that the company was sold but moved to Bushton, KS where the units are still being made.   I can't wait to pop the first batch.

Hot Dogs at the bank

Today our bank treated us to hot dogs, chips, lemonade and a cookie - all in exchange for an item for the food bank. I brought canned items and saw others put laundry soap, toilet tissue and paper towels into the basket. Frito Lay chips were good and the grilled hot dogs were a treat outside at picnic tables. After several days of high 90's or 100 degrees, we got a chill down to 59 degrees at 6:00 a.m. LP had to get a sweater out of the car to be completely comfortable. What an easy way to get extras for the food bank. Easy for us, that is. The crew was busy grilling, pouring lemonade and handing out dogs.

Heat Burst

There isn't much going on except weird weather so that's all I have to write about. The weather people tell us that last night at midnight, the temperature in Wichita was 85 degrees. At 12:42 a.m. the thermometer read 102. They called this a "heat burst" and state that it is very unusual, occurring only about twice a year in the United States. During this time strong winds tore off shingles, part of a school roof and downed several trees. A few minutes later the temperature was 97 and remained high until the cool air from a weak front arrived with a shower.      Why had I never heard of this freaky happening before?

Later:  Google already has a report of the Wichita incident last night.

Staying in the Cool

With the temperature at 103 (according to the weather channel) we are staying at home. One more shutter painted today by L. and a start on the front of the house. Thankfully, there is not a set time that this painting has to be done. Maybe we should set an alarm (gasp) and get up about five to get started.

On second though, nah.

Painting Early

At 8:30 it was almost too warm at 77 degrees to paint, even in the shade.
The shutters are the easy part. L. still has the front of the house to do but it is half brick so he's about got it done!

The Special Dinner

El Potrillo has an item on its menu called The Special Dinner.

Here it is divided on two dinner plates. Plus, there was a large sack of chips and a container of salsa.

It was more than either one of us could eat.

I wonder who they design The Special Dinner for?

After and Before

This is the summer cut for Mork.
The groomer said he was compliant as though he had been groomed many times before.
I hope he'll be much cooler because the forecast is for over 90 degrees every day for the coming week!

Studying t-shirts while waiting

Two of the more interesting t-shirts I saw this morning had the following messages:

"Pain:  Avoided by Cowards
Endured by Champions"

and

"Ask for no directions
Read no instructions
For this is the World of the Dad"

L. used to wear one that said, "Ask me about my granddogs."
That one got a lot of smiles!

And from my mother-in-law, years ago:  "My mother-in-law went to Atlantic City and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."

I need all the humor I can get....

Healthy Thursday

A visit to the doctor....things are so fine he doesn't want to see me until December 1st.

How cool is that? The words you want to hear from the Main Man!

Later the visit to the nice nurses who perform those sticks in the veins that keep me getting good reports from the physician - it's all a team.

Another New Product

I saw this on a tv ad and wanted to try them. I like cookies but don't care to bake any (unless it's peppernuts at Christmas.) These are a hit - very thin and only 46 calories per cooky. After they are gone, we'll try the blueberry . . .