Terror at the Charcoal Oven

Shana and I had a very busy day today, starting with a ride around Lake Hefner which was a very mixed experience. The weather was perfect, but there was apparently some kind of running event this morning which put lots of joggers on the trails. There is no separate pedestrian trail on the west side of the lake, so the presence of a lot of joggers was to be expected if not enjoyed. On the East side of the lake there is not only a separate pedestrian trail but also prominent signs on the bike path that say in large letters "PEDESTRIANS PROHIBITED". Apparently runners have wheels. It is the only possible explanation.

I tried to get close to a big flock of geese for a picture but they weren't having any of it. I have a strong desire to see what a goose neck feels like, but little hope of satisfying my curiosity. I suspect they would school me in proper behavior towards geese right away.

We did some shopping, and later got carry out hamburgers from the Charcoal Oven (an acquired taste, I think). I believe the owners of this particular restaurant to be from the Middle East, with serviceable but not perfect English. When I ordered my burger I asked for "sauce". When he repeated my order he offered to give me a burger with SOUSE. I could hardly wait to examine my dinner lest I find a big old slice of mystery meat inside the bun!

Friday Afternoon at Melrose Park

Friday afternoon Samantha and I planned to meet for a picnic in a local park with Vivian. I had in mind Route 66 Park, which is convenient for her and near Lake Overholser. Sam had a better idea. One of the smaller city parks has a "Sprayground" - the successor to the old fashioned wading pools I enjoyed as a child. Instead of a pool there is a (very) shallow bowl with a variety of fountains and sprays to run in and out of. On Friday afternoon it was not crowded, and we were able to enjoy cool fun on a very hot day. Sam enjoyed a quiet shady spot with a cool breeze and took pictures while Vivian and I got wet.

Important Massage Techiques

You'll find lots more important videos where this one came from!

And That's No Bull

Well actually yes - that is a bull, looking rather sweet with grass hanging out of his mouth. We went into July with a lot of rain, and the pastures are still lush and green. It's very refreshing on the eyes, but of course when riding in the heat this beautiful green landscape is pretty high in humidity.

No interesting wildlife this week, but Melissa and I did get off our bikes for a closer examination of an unidentified crop. I feel confident the it is soybeans, based on the tiny flowers that look like sweet peas. Later in the day as the air warmed the scent was a little sett pea-ish too. We were thrown off because the plants are just huge this year. I'm pretty sure Alan thinks we are crazy, but these little forays off the road make the ride much more interesting to us in addition to resting our behinds.

We've pretty much settled on Cape Cod as our future living destination, with the Yarmouth area being the most likely place where we will live. Shana is giving me cottage style publications to examine - possible my idea of a nice midcentury modern sofa will be replaced by something classic but with a little curvier silhouette like maybe this. Probably something that might look happy with a slipcover for summer. We'll still be living in fairly small quarters, I feel sure.

A New Route

On my own for a ride this morning; What To Do? Norman Conquest this year was out of the question as I dare not tempt my pinchy nerves with that strenuous and difficult ride. About time to try out the Hefner-Overholser loop. I got very lucky this morning, running into another woman from the neighborhood out alone for a ride. Brenda and I buddied up and had a good ride together. We were riding at about the same pace, and were able to pass the time visiting and keep each other motivated. Truthfully, once you are down to Overholser you kind of have to finish the ride if you want to get home, but temperatures came up fast and it was really good to have company.

There were lots of kayaks in the Stinchcomb Refuge today. I can hardly wait to visit the kayak rental myself!

The Republican Solution to Unemployment

I ran across a very interesting post July 14 over at Digby's blog explaining somewhat the Republican position on unemployment. Well worth a read. Apparently in addition to everything else, if the unemployed were not receiving government subsidies they would sensibly pile their belongings on the truck and leave their homes to go where the jobs are - like maybe Nebraska. Fewer New Yorkers! More Joads! What could be better? I refuse to believe that ALL of the long term unemployed are Democrats; why is this attitude not costing them the support of their base?

Snake in a Car

To complete my exciting weekend of wildlife, when I stopped to get gas tonight the car at the other pump contained a woman eating a candy bar with a live snake on her arm while she waited for her male companion to return from the cashier. I had to go over for a closer look! The snake was beautiful, but not having a very good time - snakes are not so keen to take rides in the car.

Living Things Found on the Road

Today we got lucky and got a day that started out cool, foggy, and overcast. For the first time in about ten days it did not rain AND there was NO WIND AT ALL!!!!! Of course we hit the road on our bikes to take advantage of the situation.

I was intending to get a few nice pictures of some of the old barns and outbuildings along the way because the light was good and not the usual powerful flattening glare we so often get. I did get some really nice shots on the way out, visible on my Flickr Gallery. On the way back I got to see some interesting wildlife.

First thing I got to see was the one and only live armadillo I have ever seen in real life. He was headed across the road, but changed his mind when he saw my coming. By running like a crazy person I was able to get quite close for a nice picture of him. I did not touch him. Even if he was willing, which he was not, a good Catholic School upbringing has left me with an interest in Leprosy that makes me steer clear of contact with the little buggers.

Farther down the road I passed a pretty good sized snapping turtle. At first I thought he might be road kill, but he was quite intact. When Sharon Jean caught up she grabbed a stick and chased him off the road. We meant to save him from being run over, but I don't think he appreciated it one bit.

In Case You Were Wondering Where Unemployment Comes From

Why do you suppose we can spend billions for worthless war and bailouts for the rich but not for the unemployed? Do we need to send the Republicans out to the job market to find out personally that there are five applicants for every available job and that jobs are still being shed?

Health Care

Health Care website is up. Take a look, poke around, get some (official) information. Things are sure to change as time goes on, but it's good to have a handle on what to expect.

Anchors Aweigh

We ushered the holiday weekend with a send off party for Jeremy, who is leaving us for the U S Navy. I for one am sorry to see him go, but I was glad we had a send off party for him. It was good to see everyone together and fun to attempt to get a picture of Buddy, James, and Jeremy where all of them look civilized. This was the best one on my camera - I also took a few with James' so maybe I had better luck there!

Nancy came for the weekend and is staying with us at the suggestion of her children, who were planning weekend getaways and did not want a repeat of last year. To celebrate last year's July 4th broken foot, Nancy went to a junk store and dropped a pane of glass on her ankle. It's not a holiday without a trip to the emergency room, apparently!