Atomic Monster Cafe: Happy 242nd...

...Birthday, America! On this most important day we stop and give thanks for both the brilliance and the bravery of our founding fathers.

They understood the fundamental importance of freedom and they honored our Creator as the source of our unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Those early struggles to break free from tyranny and strike out on their own as a new and independent country have yielded the innumerable blessings we enjoy today.

May we pause amidst the cookouts and family gatherings and fireworks and truly be thankful in our souls for the wonderful privilege to live in the land of the free, because of the brave.

Here's a pic sent to me by my MORA racing friend, Larry...he's up in TC this week for the Cherry Festival...

...part of the week long festivities over the 4th of July holiday.

Here's one of a beautiful sunset on the bay where he is:

Larry has often talked about moving back to the TC area and pics like this show you why.

Speaking of moving, got some more pictures of life on the road which can only mean it's time for an installment of...

Rodger's Ramblings
Rodger was recently traveling through my home state of Texas and as he passed through Amarillo he stopped into an icon of the past along old Route 66 that's still going strong today...

...none other than The Big Texan Steak Ranch, famous for it's 72 ounce steak challenge.

Don't ask; you can't and you shouldn't even attempt to eat 4 and half pounds of steak at one sitting within one hour...and the meal also includes shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, roll with butter, and of course the 72 ounces of steak...that costs $72 by the way.

BUT...if by some miracle you do actually eat THE ENTIRE MEAL within an hour, it's free and you get your name entered into the Big Texan Hall of Fame.

Incredibly, there are actually some human beings who have done this...the world champ did it in 8 minutes and 52 seconds believe it or not...do not understand how that's even physically possible.

In any event, Rodger was there on his travels and thankfully did not attempt the 72 ounce steak challenge, but he did take a few photos...including this one of him sitting in Big Tex's chair:

...gotta appreciate a man with a sense of humor and you gotta love a Route 66 landmark like the Big Texan Steak house.

do NOT try to eat the whole steer...

If you're ever passing through Amarillo, stop in and enjoy a good steak...just not 4 and half pounds of it.

Had a veterinary emergency for this poor beakless bird...

...an egret with regrets...stuck his nose someplace he shouldn't have, apparently...or else the victim of an aggressive rust infection.

Fortunately I'm one of the few lay practitioners capable of performing animal metallurgy and reconstructive surgery.

I rushed him into my makeshift operating room and am happy to report the delicate operation known as ajouter une pince à linge pour un nez (from the Latin addabeaktome) was successful:

Another satisfied customer...my work is done here.

Dug a new firepit to go with the chairs and umbrella Karen set up in the backyard...and enjoyed our first fire there last night...

just getting started...

...almost done for the night...

...and the morning after...where is everybody?

Well, it's only 7 am and already approaching 80 degrees, headed up to 90 today...if I wanted to swelter I'd move to Dixie from whence I hail...oh well, at least it's not snowing.