There have been no fox sightings since I returned, although there were two possible glimpses. A couple of nights ago I glanced out the window and saw a large bushy tail being retracted and leaving the area. Possibly a fox, although I like to think it was the rarest of rare, the Tundratic Ice Beaver. Never heard of it? Well, I told you it was rare.
My recent vacation is just a blurry memory. Was this the one in Death Valley? Maybe The Cascades in Washington? Does not matter, I am sure it was fun. Already thinking of the next one in a few months featuring The West. I will be tying together some old favorites as well as some yet-to-be-seen destinations on my bucket list. Cannot wait!
Even you non-golfers may remember Payne Stewart. OK, maybe not. He was the guy who was flying from Florida to Texas about 10 years ago and his Lear Jet had an air pressure failure. The plane started flying on its own, heading northwest. Air Force jets checked it out as it flew and saw fogged windows indicating some sort of air leak. Well the jet got to South Dakota where it ran out of fuel and crashed in a field near MINA, a small town west of Aberdeen.
I have wanted to drive by there at some point just to do it. Evidently there is a small monument there. Payne Stewart was a top golfer at that point, and was famous for his old-fashioned golf attire. As I have always said, my life is driven by FASHION. So I just checked a map a couple days ago to see where MINA was. OOPS. Drove right through it a couple weeks ago! Well, there are more trips ahead.
Some of you may question my desire to see North and South Dakota, as well as Nebraska and Kansas. (I have a rare cake pan that is actually in the shape of Kansas…) Well I still say the states have some great scenery. But it is all at the western half of these states. I saw the eastern parts this last trip. Just a bit too flat and redundant. Fargo? Right in the middle of it all. Plus I saw Fargo in heavy rain, not good. It will be awhile before I return to that area. I did enjoy Michigan!
Weather in Dutch is on the cusp. Summer is in sight. We are approaching June (as YOU are) and it looks like the passes may still be closed for awhile. I will be taking a ride later this evening to check the status. There is still snow at elevation. Temps are in the low forties. Only a bit of sun since I returned, more likely RAIN. But there has been no wind. Dead calm.
Dad is back to golfing, even after I have left. Keep it up Big Guy. He and Mom have some brutal matches.
Tsunami debris is landing on Alaskan shores, but none in Dutch that I am aware of, yet.
I heard UK is getting a new car...
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Maybe the foxes are taking advantage of the melted snow and finding some mice and stuff!
Its a bugger to decorate a retractable bushy tail though, the frosting slides off...
Yesterday I picked up my new car. Her name is Betti, as she is a Yeti (Skoda Yeti Urban – a baby SUV). I have today put her through preliminary paces up and down a few STARTER hills in Derbyshire, and aside from her being splattered about the face with 2 trillion big fat juicy insects (every one of which I swore at for it's impudent audacity) she performed brilliantly.
The biggest test was for the dual zone, climate controlled air conditioning – since this week we are experiencing something of a heatwave – 86 of your eff's – and I DON'T DO HEAT.
But I was closeted in constant 64 eff's comfort the whole ride – no hot patches, no frozen ears, no sweaty Betti's, not even when the traffic ground to a halt in the blazing sunshine through the market town of Ashbourne. Those 44 ton trucks find squeezing past the trestle tables of old English market towns a bit tricky – when 2 trucks meet head on it's easier for everyone to get out and shift the heavily laden trestle tables. I assume that is what was going on up ahead of me, I wouldn't know, Betti and I had the pleasure of the view of a Shell fuel tanker's mahoosive arse for the best part of 40 minutes.
There are a lot of instructions on the back of a tanker lorry, in the event of a spill I am now about 35 minutes reading time ahead of the next emergency responder.
Luckily I also have 4 small bottles of mineral water and several packs of pocket tissues handy for just such an eventage...
Gee Joe still frozen? Right about now I could wish for something close as we're topping over 100 past few weeks. That's even early for here. And the wildfires! The poor mining towns are in danger and so will Prescott Valley if they can't get it controlled. Fire just distroyes everything.
For those that believe in prayer please do. I have a friend that was born without arms and only one leg. He is a wonderful Christian man and of course a cowboy. He has helped me over some tuff areas in my life. Anyway, last Friday his mobile home was on fire. He got everyone up (1a.m.) and out of the house. For some reason he went back in and the door closed. He did not have his arms on. The roof came down and he is now in the burn unit with 90% burns. He is fighting for his life, which his vitles are strong. He's a strong man in heart and soul. He is a team roper,horseback rider, fisherman, head of maintaince/landscaper and head of his family.So please pray for him!!
And UK! Congrats on the new Betti friend. She sounds like she has some kind of stamina too. Love that new car smell. It has been a while for me. I love my Toyota - 17 years old and 120,000 honest miles. She fits me. I think I will be looking for a new one some time this summer though. Enjoy and stay away from the "dings."
Dotmom...I too have a 17 yr old Toyota...but mine has 227,000 miles on it! It still has the original parts other than the battery; guess I need to find some wood to knock on. Keep JoeK moving!
Joe...the west is great for golf courses and varying scenery. Loved the UCLA photo, blue and gold...Go Bruins!
And a chilled glove box for my sandwiches...
Why would anyone want chilled gloves I wonder?
Those Toyota's you and Dotmom are driving must have been well cared for over the years – Joe seems keen on Toyota too, if they can withstand his 'off road' cruises they must be bolted together well.
Or possibly there are as many dropped Toyota parts shimmering in the western half of the USA as there are rusting Tahoe parts littering the switchbacks of Unalaska – but they just keep on going regardless. SCARED.
They must have heard what happened to the last horse he took THROUGH a garage....
Nope - I'm never going to let that story rest PUD, I enjoy it too much.
It's the new inoculations being advised for visitors to Scotland I worry about. They provide full protection against culture shock but the vaccines are thought to be almost 95% proof...
I looked up your little car as well. It's very cute so I thought I would post a photo of it.
Some Toyotas do last a long time. I put 20 years and 275,000 miles on a 1985 4Runner. I never planned to replace it. Unfortunately, I loaned it to a friend one weekend for a fishing trip in the Sierras and he lost it going around a curve -- dodged a squirrel! It was a rare model by that time: the last with a solid front axle and the first with fuel injection. It was worth half of what I paid for it as salvage. My newer 2004 6-cyl 4Runner is much spiffier, is capable of inhaling nearly twice as much gas and wider bodied. But, I do miss that old truck
Cask strength, eh...for medicinal purposes only, of course. I feel a cough coming on.
Now that is Lame!!!
Still very warm here – and if they hadn't moved the usual holiday weekend dates from May into the beginning of June this year everybody would have a very hot holiday Monday to look forward to. BUT this year we are celebrating Her Maj's Diamond (60 years) on the throne, so the 4 day holiday is taking place next weekend instead. I can tell you that England is FESTOONED with red, white and blue bunting – Union Jack's galore – literally every shop, pub, public building plus many homes are decorated to within an inch of the ground. The idea to cash in on the abnormally feverish patriotism that is sweeping the land has been taken to extremes, there is quite literally NO PRODUCT that you cannot buy without a Union Jack adorning it. Even the stuff made in China...
I am looking forward to the Thames Diamond Jubilee River Pageant – due to take place over 4 hours next Sunday afternoon. They are planning a flotilla of vessels from row boats, working boats, leisure boats and passenger boats. The rowed and PADDLED boats will take the lead with the motorised stuff behind – over 1000 boats in procession. At one point they will pass through an avenue of sail boats, tall ships, warships and barges – including fishing trawlers and oyster smackers...
Does Dutch Harbor have oyster smackers?
There will be boats with orchestras aboard, boats with pipe bands, boats with choirs in full voice and boats firing water into the air. They even have a boat fitted with a floating belfry, it's chiming bells will be answered by those of all the riverbank churches.
In the middle of all this will be a ROYAL BARGE – fitted out for the Queen and family. It is furnished in 17th century style and garlanded with thousands of flowers.
We don't like to make them too comfy...
Then the Queen is having a big knees up back at her place on the Monday evening – they are building a rotating stage on the roundabout at the front of Buckingham palace for a big rock/ pop concert. The shows line up looks like a who's who of British music since 1960. Stevie Wonder is sneaking in by a back door.
There is always one...
Then it will be the Euro 2012 FOOTBALL tournament everyone is raising a toast to. No US of A there, unless you snuck in the back door again.
Then it will be the London Olympics (end July). I suspect we'll hear your lot arriving for that – we charge triple on excess luggage leaving the country if it involves medals...
Even if you try hiding them in socks. Gotta pay for the whole bloody shindig somehow.
Golf: Course operators get creative in ways to lure players as golf takes a hit from economy, busy lifestyles
Business First by Cary Stemle, Correspondent
Date: Friday, May 25, 2012, 6:00am EDT
Related:Sports Business View photo gallery (4 photos) Photos by Ron Bath | Business First
Dot Troje made a put on the ninth green of the GlenOaks Country Club course while her son, Joe Troje, held the flag.
No matter how you slice it — or draw it, if that’s your bag — golf is facing an uphill shot from a downhill lie.
According to the National Golf Foundation National Golf Foundation Latest from The Business Journals In N.C., folks are playing golf againGolf courses work to tee up new businessReading the green, golf courses bet on their restaurants Follow this company , the number of rounds played dropped to 463 million in 2011 from 518 million in 2000. The number of golfers has dipped as well, to 25.7 million in 2011 from 30 million in 2005.
And courses are closing. Nineteen U.S. courses opened in 2011. But more than 150 closed, though none were in Louisville. Course operators here are candid about challenges they face.
I see Joe still has his shirt on, lol!
I believe Oyster Smacking is illegal in Dutch, and frankly, it is just WRONG.
The Queen's knees up? Don't even want to go there...
Good shot, Dotmom!
I learn something new every day on here. The oyster smackers are very picturesque. I never thought about fishing boats with sails.
The Queen's party looks like a lot of fun. If anyone has any doubt of the use of a royal family--see--what better excuse for a sorely needed party!
I’d assume Yeti means the same in Czech ARBIE, if they were after a rugged sounding name to suit an off-road, 4x4 type vehicle, that loves mountains and snowy conditions but retains a bit of mystique then Yeti fits – doesn’t it? Sort of. There are far worse car names out there – have you heard of a Renault TWIZY?
Sounds like a painful spine condition to me – if you saw the ‘car’ you’d know. It doesn’t actually come with these ‘doors’ as standard…
Yeah, they charge extra for those FLAPS...
It's a shame that Louisville photographer didn't catch Joe in his personal golf cart - I understand his is very similar to this. He likes to get noticed.
The Yeti makers are called Skoda Auto, the car type is a Yeti (Urban – limited edition), and only my car is named Betti. I have named every car I’ve ever owned – and as you know I have a habit of renaming people too, don’t I PUDDEN? It’s a family tradition – my entire family all have alternative ‘pet’ names which make their real names all but redundant.
Though around Derbyshire a stranger is as likely to call you DUCK as anything else – it’s the local friendly, one size fits all – male or female, name – as in, ‘Aye-up me duck’ (translates as ‘hello my friend’) or ‘Wossup me duck?’ (‘What’s going on with you my friend?’).
Travel 20 minutes west of Derbyshire and the accent changes completely and you may be greeted with a ‘Yo-awl-reet there Chuck?’ (‘you alright there friend?’).
Travel 20 minutes north into Derbyshire countryside and you might well get an ‘Ow do Luv’ (‘how you doing love?’)
In all cases you can reply with a simple nod and a smile, there is no need for concern even when you get a ‘Wotcha cock’ – they are simply saying ‘hello’
Not giving instructions…
UK, I think that is kind of neat the way you describe people sticking in a generic moniker so they can address strangers in a more familiar and friendly way. People don't do that as much around here as they used to. The kids around here still refer to each other as dudes in that way, boys or girls. But adults are not as friendly. If a woman refers to you as "honey" or "sweetie", it is usually meant in sort of a derogatory sense, in a catty way. An exception might be an older person speaking to a very young child. They might really mean it in a nice way.
Every summer I am amazed all over again at how short the summers are in the far north and high up places. Seeing pictures of snow in May really brings it home. It is mind boggling compared to our very long, hot summers. We are up into the 90s in Texas; summer is here to stay for a few months. Funny to think our summer lows in the middle of the night are much higher than Dutch Harbor's highs in the middle of the day. It sounds so neat when Katy up there in Tok describes sitting on the porch and reading in the natural light at 11:30pm though. I can see how people get hooked on traveling, to experience all the different things at different places.
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