The Father's Day Hike at Hawthorn Glen

Last night Lisa suggested I take Smiley on the annual Father-Son Father's Day hike at Hawthorn Glen.

"It's important to keep the tradition alive," she said. 

 I thought for a moment. It had been cancelled because of Covid in 2020 and '21, and now Smiley is a 6'3" man on the verge of adulthood. 

 "The tradition is dead," I said.

 Naturally, the first thing in the morning I was gung-ho and we headed right out LOL!

[I called my friend Tre and invited him and my Godson at the last minute, and they jumped to return to the annual event!]

Sadly, I apparently can't read a schedule, because the hike was SATURDAY, not today. Oopie. 

It didn't matter of course. The .75 mile nature trail has a self-guiding tour, and even if it didn't it's all old hat to us. So off we all went. 

There were a few new things. Some planned, like this observation deck (which was still waiting for stairs) and others unplanned, like a tree that had fallen across the trail.

This pile of sticks reminded me of "Eeyore's House" from our old hikes in Downer Woods :)

As always, Hawthorn Glen was beautiful, and the weather was perfect.

Smiley even pulled some wild onion for our dinner (don't worry - on every previous hike, the host encouraged us to pick some)

It was a great way to kick off Father's Day, and I'm glad we kept the tradition going another year!

Dan Dan

So Lisa and I decided to try a new (to us) Asian restaurant, dandan. Easily - EASILY - the best crab rangoon of my life, and the entrees rocked too. It's definitely someplace we need to eat at more often!

A Father's Day Delivery

"Dan, this package is for you," a coworker said, handing me a box that had just been delivered. 

"Was it the adjective on the box that gave it away?"   I replied. 

Inside I found a beer glass

A "bouquet" of beef jerky

And a wonderful card with this message inside:

Thanks for the Father's Day surprise baby!

Elote

From the taco truck by the post office. Yum! - Lisa

Searching for hidden treasure

This evening, as I enjoyed the warm weather on the deck,  local metal detecting aficionado Bruce Ratkowski stopped by to survey our backyard.

The haul? A few dollars in coins,  some old toy cars of Smiley's, nails,  bits of loose metal - and a sterling silver ring of unknown origin,  buried some three inches below my lawn. 

It was fun to watch,  and if you're interested in seeing what's under your lawn,  give Bruce a call!

Yuck

I Need

i need a rich aunt who’s living to pay my living expenses - LuLu

ISO Dog Gate

ISO a dog gate with a door!!!! Dogs are wreaking havoc up the stairs but the stairs are a little steep to be continually stepping over a gate. 

if you have anything you want to trade for lmk! 

pic of the mess maker - LuLu

A Beef about Stranger Things - mild mild spoiler

I think the most unrealistic scene in four seasons of Stranger Things was Steve and company, trapped in the Upside Down,  finding four working bikes in the Wheeler house that were capable of traveling seven miles.  FOUR. 

No flat tires? No slow leaks? No janky brake cable or loose chain?  BAH. Not in my world, and certainly not in the Indiana. 

Tastee Twist

Went to Tastee Twist on Teutonia this afternoon to get the crunch coat from my childhood I've been craving. We used to get it at the Boy Blue on 36th and Burnham..now it seems rare. I asked for extra, and tipped. She not only gave extra on the top AND bottom..but gave me a cup on the side. So happy!! Had a big messy Chilli dog too. Yum. - Lisa

Woodstock 99

 This documentary was a little long and meandering for my taste. Was Woodstock 99 a disaster, with crime and destruction in its wake? Eh, sure.  But it was largely a decent, if poorly thought out,  event and I'm not sure there's enough meat on the bones to warrant this kind of expose. 

An Old Family Pic

 

I can't vouch for the location, but it appears to be a basement Christmas or New Years party, possibly in the northern room of my Grandparent's basement (by the time I saw it, decades later, it was full of storage and long affected by disuse and moisture - it certainly didn't look like THIS. But the wainscot seems familiar, as does the radio). 

That's my Mom dancing with her Dad, and my Grandma dancing with someone that's probably one of my Mom's cousins. 

By the age of my Mom, I'd place this in the early 1960's. 

Midway - 80 years later

80 years later, their honor and heroism still stirs the soul. Thank you!

Davy Crockett by Stewart H. Holbrook

This was one of my favorite books as a kid. Part of the Landmark series of nonfiction, I checked it out again and again from the school library.

Giveaway

huge post 

plz take what you want from the boxes. i will not be holding anything.

if it’s not gone in a day or two i’ll donate to goodwill or throw out   - LuLu

list of random items 

-makeup caboodle 

-closet organizer (jewelry or small items) 

-ikea shelf 

- posters (beauty and the beast live action, supernatural, wonder woman)

-gel lamp 

-scarf or belt hanger organizer 

- instant coffee single packs 

-picture frame 

- cork board picture holder (?)

-wonder woman dvd movie 

-winter hats 

-mesh basket very sturdy 

 -hat with a tiny corgi on it (super cute) 

-a pen organizer/ mani pedi supplies holder 

- a gymnastics stretcher that goes over your door. (think a pulley system that stretches your leg up while you pull with your arm?) 

may be things not listed

The Gerber Baby

Ann Turner Cook, the original Gerber baby, whose face sold billions of jars of baby food, died today at 95. May she RIP.

A Comeback Win!

THAT was a fantastic end to the Brewers game tonight!  

I'd all but conceded the loss and was ready to go to bed - down by 3 at home, and facing the second best reliever in the game, Taylor Rogers, it was a safe bet  -but bam! A bases loaded triple by Jace Peterson ties it, and an improbable single by the 0 for his last 31 Andrew McCutchen brings the win! 

That W, btw, went to 27 year old undrafted Peter Strzelecki, who worked two innings in his major league debut. 

Nicely done gentlemen!

The Brewers are now 33-20 and sit atop the NL Central. 

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

First off, congratulations to Queen Elizabeth on her Platinum Jubilee. 

Second, I don't know what was really going through her mind as her Great-Grandson Louis threw a tantrum, but to me, she looks quietly - and charmingly  - amused. 

And in other pictures, she sure looks like a proud Great-Grandma, doesn't she?

Smiley's New Car!

Smiley just bought a new (to him) car. It's a 2010 Mazda CX-3, bought off Lisa's ex-brother in law Matt. He loves it!!

A Dream

 Last night I dreamt I was in a labyrinthine hotel that was falling apart. Not from abandonment or a lack of maintenance, but almost like bits and pieces of it were being consumed.  At some point I was put in charge of a group of people seeking to escape; when failure was certain, and all hope was lost, I let one of the group call her Grandma and say goodbye, and then she handed the phone back. I then gave it to the next person to make a farewell call  . . . 

And I was suddenly in the outfield of a softball field, playing in left center.  A batter hit a sharp blast that I chased down and caught, and I fired a perfect strike to first to chase the runner back. The second baseman - none other than Gov Tony Evers - gave me a thumbs up in appreciation. 

Yeah. Maybe somebody spiked the CCAP machine. 

Moon Knight

 

Out of all the thousands of comic books I've read- and yes, I do think "thousands" is accurate - the number that I remember featuring  Moon Knight is exactly . . . zero.

So color me super shocked when I found myself really enjoying this  limited series. 

Maybe it was the acting. For one, Oscar Isaac is superb as Steven Grant/Marc Spector, and kudos to Disney for giving him something more than a sh**ty Star Wars script to work with.  Ethan Hawke is no slouch himself as Arthur Harrow, portraying a convincing mix of cold menace and weary duty. 

My only real complaint about the series was its length: six episodes, making the entire run roughly the length of a long movie. I wanted more. 

My grade: A

Quote of the Day

The more you put in a brain the more it will hold - Nero Wolfe (Rex Stout)