Cool Mornings, Warm Days

If it were not for the fact that Fall leads to Winter, I might like this season more.  It is a lot like reading the next to last chapter in a book.  You know it is setting up the last chapter.  As much satisfaction I find in reading the end of a book, I do not like cold and snow.  I have had many jobs that caused me to be out in almost all types of weather and I can much better survive warm over cold. In fact, I can even survive in hot weather.  (1968, Republic of Vietnam)

I can even stand watching football for a couple of months until Basketball season starts.  Now if we can just get Baseball season over.  The KC Royals are on a run right now and most of us are waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I guess if they can beat the Yankees, there is hope.   Barb would say KC Who?  

The other day, I read a story in the local paper about a local High School Football team.   The kids said that they didn't win because they were just the better team.  They said they had a good week of practice and they were good at what they did.   I think we have all had a day like that and good things came from the hard work.  Not every time, but once in a while the stars align and good things happen.

With that said, Topeka lost another Police Officer yesterday.  A shooter killed him on the east side of Topeka after a traffic stop.  This is the same officer that was almost killed a while back when he was assisting a Kansas Highway Patrol Officer on a traffic stop on I-70.  A car wasn't paying attention and ran into the back of the officer's car and the impact almost killed both officers.  He survived and yesterday was shot and died leaving a widow and two children.  There is a suspect in custody.  That person has a long history of being in trouble and I hope he gets what is coming to him.   If I had my way, people that kill a police officer should be taken out behind the Jail and shot frequently and deep.  I call that my Mad Dog rule except that Mad Dogs are sick and this guy is just a felon with no good excuse.

Barb has taken Monarch caterpillars to her old school for many years.  She is off to this morning to the school with fresh leaves to help feed those hungry cats.  They are eating and pooping machines that eat from the time they hatch from their egg until the time they form a chrysalis.  After about another week they emerge as beautiful butterflies.  They then fly on to Mexico to spend the winter.  If Mexico ever settles down from the drug wars, I would love to go there and see the thousands of butterflies all in one place.  Several years ago, Barb tagged the butterflies as they left Kansas.  A team from KU went down and paid kids to collect the dead butterflies with tags.  Barb was notified that one of her tagged butterflies was found there.  I am not sure if they are still collecting the tags now.  I know that if we are here in Kansas we try to go to Lawrence for the Open House at Monarch Watch.   It may be silly to spend time trying to keep the Monarchs alive and well but I think they are about the prettiest thing that crosses our farm. 
 

 

This has been the week for leaky toilet valves in the Petty family.  I had a toilet that the flapper valve would let the water leak out and Dave had one that would not stop running.  I put on my Plumber clothes and grabbed my tool bucket and fixed both in short order.  There is one thing that I find funny.  The valve assemblies had a guarantee on the box of 6 years.  Now just how are you supposed to remember when you put one in.  If I kept all the receipts for all the things I buy, I wouldn't be able to find any of them.  I would be up to my butt in paper.  Besides, how could you tell which assembly was which.  They look alike and don't have a serial number.  For the small amount they cost, I just buy a new one and move on.

Being Monday. I am listening to my Barbershop music and getting ready for practice.  We will be in the Capitol Rotunda for a performance on Wednesday.  We will sing the National Anthem, America the Beautiful, Home on the Range (our State Song) and at least one more song.  I think it will be "I Believe"  as it is one of the best songs we do.  We have a lot of fun singing Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys but not sure if we will get the chance.  We did that song for the Senior Games Kick Off and the crowd loved it.  Oh well, moving along...  Have a great week out there.

MUD