Speaking of ...

Speaking of things that have been delayed a bit, the watermelons are a bit late here this year due to the odd weather. So this weekend I was out in the watermelon patch picking a few as they ripened. L took this picture with my phone - one of the clearer ones I have seen it take.

The melon in my arms is about 22 lbs. - a good size but enough melon to keep L and I eating for days.

Did you know that you can tell when a watermelon is ready to be picked by looking at the first curly tendril on the vine nearest the melon?  When it curls and browns, the melon is ready for picking. I like that much more than the myriad of odd ways to tell when cantaloupe, muskmelons, and honeydews are ready. Just one simple visual inspection and you are set to go.

Back to getting ready for the 5K this weekend.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I am the executive director of the Logan County Humane Society. This Saturday is our 2nd annual 5K Run and Pet Walk. So this week is busy with everything from getting T-shirts printed to painting the route on the streets. Not to mention all the silent auction donations and .... (If you want to sleep in for the animals and get a T-shirt or make a donation, you can sign up on our website.)

Last year was the first year and we had about a 100 participants. We have already almost tripled the corporate sponsorship this year, so it will be interesting to see the participant turn out. It is one of the more amusing factoids that there are certain characteristics in how people sign up for such events. Females tend to sign up early for the pet walk. Males and 5K runners tend to wait until the night before and/or day of the event to sign up. (I assume they are checking the weather forecast.) Thus the planning is always a bit up in the air as we wait on pins and needles. You never want to be short of coffee and donuts for a crowd of animal people. {*grin*}

One of the fun aspects is painting the streets to mark the route. We use a bright pink paint and, as I once said to a colleague, when else do you get to vandalize the city streets for a good cause. Three of us will get together Friday afternoon to walk the course, marking and measuring via a GPS unit. (Nothing makes 5K enthusiasts more upset than a course that isn't exactly 5K. Many of them seem to lack a sense of humor about that. {*grin*})

I'll leave you with our logo for this year:

I Jab You, You Jab Me ...

Many of you remember when I was mayor that many disputes had a certain resemblance to two young kids poking each other. The same thing happens now that I am the Executive Director of the humane society. The only difference is that the level of insanity seems to be higher when dealing with animal rather than urban issues.

For a classic example, I give you this letter that arrived in my mail recently:

Spot the classic signs of the jab fest? They include:

• No signature
• Unverifiable claims
• False concern for others

How much do you want to bet that the complainer runs a similar food business and has lost business to the yellow trailer. Why not simply keep a sample of the offending food and send it in for analysis. Why not ... In any case, this missive ended up in my trash can.

I long ago adopted a very simple rule. If I get an anonymous accusation against my staff, I investigate it because there might be a possible justifiable case for anonymity. If I get an anonymous accusation against some other person or organization, it goes directly to the trash can.

If you are unwilling to stand up and identify yourself, why should I waste my time on your complaint. I think that too many people today hide behind anonymity. If you have something to say, stand up and say it proudly. Deal with any consequences in the open. Don't hide behind anonymity and act maliciously like a cowardly teenager.

What do you think?

Ever Have One Of ....

Ever have one of those days when things are just that little itty bit off kilter? That describes my morning to a T.

Within one 30 second span, I:

• caught my finger nail on the cupboard door and ripped the nail
• bit my tongue out of the blue
• spilled ground coffee all over the counter

and that was before I kicked the door frame as it moved in front of my foot.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the day brings.

Yet Another Anniversary

In spite of the fact that I have been missing in action for the last month, I am alive and well. I could offer excuses, but L has changed jobs and is now located back here at home rather than 3 hours up the road. So we have been doing a lot of things around the house and just making up for time apart over the last few years. In addition, we each spent a week down and out with the creeping crud that was endemic in this area and had a friend pass away. In other words, life got in the way for bit.

It is official that this was the hottest August in recorded history here! Same for Denver and much of Colorado.

Time once more for the ignorant to rant that there is no such thing as climate change. It is going to be interesting to see what the weather is like this winter.

But the real reason I chose today to start blogging again? Today is L and my 36th wedding anniversary. Early on we were this carefree couple.

I still have a fond spot in my heart for the maxi dress with empire waist from this era. Of course, we evolved through college to become this pair when we got engaged. (Notice that the horn rimmed glasses were gone!)

It seems hard to believe that it was 36 years ago that we meandered through the maze of getting married on the way from the east coast to the west coast, stopping off here in Colorado to get hitched before a small crowd of 200-300 or so. Don't you think we looked pretty calm? (And notice that the horn rims are back due to some damage to the other glasses in the days preceding the wedding.)

And now? Well, we both look a bit whiter of hair. (The picture is actually from last fall.)

An Odd Question

Do you ever watch foreign movies with English subtitles?

I do. I find that they satisfy a craving for a completely different viewpoint on life and society than my normal viewing habits. I am especially fond of Swedish and French films for their rather odd (to an American) point of view.

Understand that I don't speak or understand a word of Swedish, so the subtitles have to carry the movie for me. Likewise my French is pretty poor, so unless the on-screen action involves speaking to the class idiot, I have to depend on the subtitles. It is always amazing to me how much of the emotional tone one can deduce just from hearing the voice inflections of the actors, even when you don't understand a word they are saying! I suspect that the similar inflection structure of French and Swedish to English is the reason I like those films and cannot stand, for example, German subtitled films.

It is also interesting to me that my preference for type of film varies by nationality. I like Swedish detective mysteries and social movies while I like French humor and farce. I tend to like the humor in French movies featuring Audrey Tautou, whereas I really don't have a favorite actor or actress in Swedish films.

So with all my oddities in mind, here are a few foreign films that I highly recommend, subtitles and all:

Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles (A Very Long Engagement)

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amelie)

Så som i himmelen (As It Is In Heaven)

So do you watch foreign films? If you do, what are some of your favorites?

Hot, Hot, and More Hot ...

... and I'm not talking about the sauce on my burrito either.

The entire month of July has been running hot with highs above 100 for most of the last few weeks. Normally, the highs at this time of year are in the upper 80s, so you might say that the temperature has been running 12-16 degrees above historical norms for the past month. Couple that with unheard of amounts of rain and it has not only been hot but humid with occasional floods here in the semi-desert.

L and I were talking about it tonight at supper as we contemplated next month. August is usually the scorcher around here, with occasional highs in the 116 to 119 range. If August runs 10 degrees above the historical norms, it could be a bit too toasty for my taste. Not only that, but that will be the time of the county fair and marching parade. Nothing says semi-desert like marching a few miles in 100 degree heat while carrying a tuba on your shoulder. One year L and I led a precision marching keyboard and kazoo team in the parade - and boy were we glad to reach the end of the route. I can't imagine doing it in even hotter weather.

The extreme temperature variations, unusual rainfall, and severe wind all bring to mind the idiocy of those who espouse the no climate change line. Sort of like this editorial cartoon concerning everyone's favorite and least factual news station:

Of course, one always has to keep in mind that all news media are a bit slow on the mental uptake, especially around any sort of a rating period. In these days of Jerry Springeresque news coverage it is no wonder that many people forgo the mass media in favor of the bits and pieces they can glean from the internet. Nothing brings it home like the "local color" segments.

Time for me to head back to waiting for it to cool off a bit. What's the weather doing in your neck of the woods (or desert as it may be)?