New Wine for Seniors

California vintners, in the Napa Valley area, which primarily
produces Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio wines,




have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic.
It is expected to reduce the number of trips older people have to
make to the bathroom during the night.

The new wine will be marketed as...

PINO MORE




I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

Dumb Laws in ...

These are real laws in Arkansas

The Arkansas River can rise no higher than to the Main Street bridge in Little Rock. ( Good thing this was in effect this past month!)

A law provides that school teachers who bob their hair will not get a raise.

A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month.

Oral sex is considered to be sodomy.

Alligators may not be kept in bathtubs.

And in specific cities the farce continues...

Fayetteville

It is illegal to kill “any living creature”.

Little Rock
Honking one’s car horn at a sandwich shop after 9 PM is against the law.

No one may “suddenly start or stop" their car at a McDonald’s.

Dogs may not bark after 6 PM.

Flirtation between men and women on the streets of Little Rock may result in a 30-day jail term.

It is unlawful to walk one’s cow down Main Street after 1:00 PM on Sunday.

Illinois seems to have their share too!

Chicago

All businesses entering into contracts with the city must sift through their records and report any business they had dealing with slaves during the era of slavery.

Law forbids eating in a place that is on fire.

It is illegal to give a dog whiskey.

It is forbidden to fish while sitting on a giraffe’s neck.

Kites may not be flown within the city limits.

In the Pullman area, it is illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while sitting on the curb.

Some of the outlying suburbs of Chicago continue the absurdity:

Crystal Lake
If one wishes to plant new sod in his or her yard in the summer months, that person may not use the city’s water to water it.

Des Plaines
Wheelbarrows with For-Sale signs may not be chained to trees.

Evanston
Bowling is forbidden.

It is unlawful to change clothes in an automobile with the curtains drawn, except in case of fire.

Shrimp and Linguini with Mayumi

It's been a long time since Mayumi and I have had a cooking evening together and we did a fine job of compiling a delicious but simple meal in no time flat.

She sliced the garlic...she has a way of making them uniformly paper thin which makes the dish so much better!

So the ingredients, as shown, are

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon

4 or more thinly sliced garlic cloves

1 lb of thin spaghetti or angel hair (or whatever you prefer) and 1 cup of pasta cooking water

1 lb of raw shrimp (shell-less)

1/4 c of chopped parsley (preferrably Italian flat leaf)

put it together like this

put the pasta on to cook, when it is 3 -4 minutes from being done,

heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic, heat through until softened (do not brown)

then add the lemon and juice and shrimp cook for 2 to 4 minutes until it is translucent

then drain the pasta hold at least one cup of cooking liquid.

add the pasta and toss all the ingredients along with the parsley, add the cooking liquid until there is enough liquid to keep the dish moist, to your liking.

portion out to 4 dishes, add parmasaen cheese if you like (I do) pour a glass of wine (if you are of age) and enjoy!

Here is Mayumi and her sister celebrating a special birthday in her native kimono in Japan last year.

Tartan Day

Celebrate Scottish culture on the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath (1320).





Arbroath or Aberbrothock (Scottish Gaelic: Obair Bhrothaig which translates literally as 'at the mouth of the Brothock') is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus in Scotland, and has a population of 22,785. It lies on the North Sea coast, around 17miles (27.4 km) north-east of Dundee and 51 miles (82.1 km) south of Aberdeen.

Its history begins, like nearby Dundee, with the Picts in the Iron Age, and remained a small village until 1178 AD, when King William the Lion founded an abbey, which was completed in 1233.



During the medieval period, the Abbey fell into disuse and eventually disrepair, with the lead from the roof rumoured to have been used in the manufacture of bullets for the civil wars during the reign of King James VI.



During the Industrial Revolution the jute industry caused Arbroath to expand in the manner of Dundee. A new harbour was built in 1839 and by the 1900s, Arbroath had become one of the larger fishing ports in Scotland and continues to be known as the home of the Arboath Smokie.
The town is notable as the home of the Declaration of Arbroath, the statement of Scottish independence signed by the nobility in the 14th century.




The town's ancient ruined abbey is central to the story of the declaration and remains a key tourist attraction for Scotland. Arbroath was the birthplace of postal reformist James Chalmers and David Dunbar Buick, founder of Buick and inventor of the overhead valve engine. Arbroath is also well known both at home and overseas as home to 45 Commando of the Royal Marines.

The NEW Farmers' Market - Fayetteville, Arkansas

The Fayetteville Farmers' Market is an open-air, producers-only market that operates from 7am to 1pm around the Fayetteville downtown square on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from the first Saturday of April through the last Saturday before Thanksgiving. (It is open Saturdays only in November.) While garden fresh produce and plants are the mainstay, high quality crafts also abound. Recently, locally grown processed food items have been added the market.

Fayetteville Farmers' Market is operated by the Rural Mountain Producers Exchange, Inc. All produce, dairy products, meat and crafts originate in a four-county local area. The market features four markets per week in season and comprises more than 90 vendor/growers. The market hosts several events each year, including Salsa Fest, Ozarks Iron Chef and the Harvest Festival.

The powers that be have been working diligently to totally upgrade the plantings and the plant able spaces in and around the Square. They are not done yet but, clearly, when they are, the square will be a very special and unique place here in northwest Arkansas.

Today was opening day, and while the construction is not yet completed, the vendors were there in full force with a myriad of herbs, flowers, crafts and home-made jams. There were musicians on every corner and the weather was a cool and clear 41 degrees. All in all a great day for an opening.

Here are some shots I took as I made the 'rounds' around the square. Double click for larger images.

500 Miles so far this Year

Even though the forecast was for serious thunderstorms and possible tornadoes, we managed to slip in a quick ride to make the total for the year so far: 500 miles. That's probably more miles than I have ridden in my lifetime! Pretty amazing.

Wednesday was the first day we rode with no significant wind in quite a while, so it was quite nice. Today meant serious pedaling even when going downhill since the winds topped 20 miles per hour.

My new project will be getting my garage in shape before my next sojourn. Fortunately, it does not include paint!

And Speaking of Grass

Everybody around me has mowed their grass already this year. It is still brown and not likely to really need mowing for a while, but since I got my mower serviced, I firgured I'd get out there and "git er done".
The temps were fine and it didn't seem like work at all.




Before that we were out riding the neighborhood again and found this gravel road that crosses a brook. After all the rain we had yesterday it was a bit flooded. I took advantage and acted like a kid again....Whee....
The sudden break in the concrete that was a muddy puddle was quite a challenge, but I managed not to crash!

Then it was off to Red Lobster again for another lobster tail and this time some shrimp.


They have dessert call the Wave, that is really yummy!