Happy Flag Day...

...America!

Old Glory was adopted as the official flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the 2nd Continental Congress.

And in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation designating June 14 as "Flag Day".

Interesting tidbit for the TDS afflicted among us...

AOC, Jeffries, Schumer, Moulton...

...it's also President Trump's 80th birthday.

It's altogether fitting Trump was born on Flag Day...

...as he fights to restore respect, honor and appreciation - not just for our flag, but for our country, all across the globe.

Our Colors...Fly Them Proudly!

When we first moved here in 2017, there was an enormous green spider perched on our wall:

At least that's what it looked like to me.

It was actually an overgrown tree whose wild and woolly branches had breeched the boundaries of the courtyard.

Those untamed boughs also housed some sort of exotic bird - we regularly heard this loud reverberating chirping sound, sort of like a cricket on steroids - emanating from the tree, or so it seemed.

We never found our noisy friend in the spider tree, and a few years later - once we learned more about the home we'd purchased - when it was built, the architect and his original vision (hint: 1961, Dean Bryant Vollendorf, clean lines in mid century modern styling) - 

"Baysweep" by Dean Bryant Vollendorf, circa 1961

- I set about the task of eliminating all the misplaced and unkempt foliage others had planted in front of the wall, then ignored through the decades:

a rainy day look at the front wall now...

...and the erstwhile big green spider, cut down to size today

Every once in awhile we still heard that strange bird call around the courtyard but try as we might, we could never locate the source.

Until a few nights ago.

We were watching tv with the front door open to enjoy the cool night air, when Chirpy started up again.

The acoustics in the courtyard are quite good, so it was loud - so loud we'd have to shut the door, which we didn't want to do.

Instead, we grabbed a flashlight and headed out on safari.

Of course as soon as we opened the screen door he stopped.

So we waited.

And waited.

And just when we were ready to head back inside, Chirpy sounded off again.

Karen quickly pointed the flashlight in the direction of the sound, and finally...after all these years...we said hello to Chirpy the wingless bird:

Aka, a frog.  Who knew?  And he still has great pipes:

If only he could actually sing like Michigan J. Frog of Merrie Melodies fame:

Then again, <maybe not>.

Unless you're a humorless cretin sans moral compass -

[aka a D, in which case you can exit here:]

- it's time to 23 Skidoo, to wit:

he actually stood on Dale's shoulders to get up there

first daisy of the season

perennial geraniums, lilies and hollyhocks all in bloom now

so that's how it gets emptied

so...tired...

roses in bloom

ain't he jes' the cutest li'l thang?

Had to laugh the other day when I read Steven Spielberg's claim that  his new movie...

...would make <Christians question their faith>.

The few reviews I read said it was mostly a slow moving mish mash of tired cliches and that Mr. S has lost his touch.

So yes, Steve, you've done it!

God's Word has been around for millennia, preserved by Him for those who are called to be His children; and attacked, impugned, scorned but mostly ignored by the world for centuries, but NOW...

...now YOU've come up with the definitive foil that will cause the Christian faith to crumble.

How arrogant can one man be?

As the Scripture says, "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

"Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."

    - Proverbs 16:18,19

But it is good to be reminded of what Jesus taught His disciples about the end times in Matthew 24.

He uses the word "deceive" four times because it will be an age characterized by deception.

Paul echoes this in I Timothy 4 when he writes "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron..."

    - I Timothy 4:1,2

Lies, hypocrisy, deception...sounds familiar.

So...are we there yet?

God knows.

If we are, then those who have put their faith in Christ will be in heaven soon.

If we're not, we're commanded to soldier on, doing our best to heed God's calling on our lives.

Either way, hear what Jesus told His disciples: "And what I say unto you, I say unto all: Watch!"

    - Mark 13:37

later, mcm fans...

Sick Of Politics Yet?

I definitely am.

Would love to skip straight to the election, vote, and be done with all the nonsense that surrounds such an important decision.

This country has been knocked off its foundations by corruption and incompetence and cannot withstand another 4 years of democrat rule.

They’re now pretending to be shocked, shocked!  to discover Slo-Joe has dementia.

Who knew?

It must have been one of those "sudden onset" things, where prior to the debate he was "as fit as ever", then suddenly, wham!  He's senile!

from the 2020 presidential race

Right.

If you're one of those folks who really did not know, you should quarantine yourself on a deserted island.

You're obviously too stupid to handle the rigors of daily life, and the rest of us shouldn't have to put up with you.

If you're one of the great teeming mass of Democrats who knew, said nothing, and are therefore complicit in the coverup, please see the above course of action, but replace the word "stupid" with "morally bankrupt" as the reason.

Now Biden's good friends are so concerned with this totally unexpected development...

...they've convinced him to "drop out" of the race.

Democrats may be devoid of principles, but at least they're predictable.

Lord, please help us endure...

...until November.

Before:

...and after:

The stone, glass and half moon shape make Dean Bryant Vollendorf's Baysweep design unique.

The white trim and redwood stain give it a coherent color scheme and make it "pop".

So take that.

In what I'm sure will be hailed as a victory for kindness and decency, I've decided to spare you the usual Hickory Golf Report and proceed directly to

to wit:

our dinner plate hibiscus are early this year...

...but gorgeous as always

It's fun to stay at the Y M C A!

that's one dedicated Lions fan

too bad there's still 3 months to go

I'll never eat another Oscar Mayer weiner

In honor of Moon Landing week...

July 20, 1969

...I leave you with this thought from God's Word:

later, mcm fans...

Know What This Is?

...I didn't, until a couple of weeks ago.  

That's when our 1956 Philco V-handle quit on us...

...and our investigation into electrical mysteries from the 1950's began.

And yes, this is the same beast we just put in service again, having finally solved the problem with the sweating freezer door.

With some pointers from a FB group, I tipped Phil over on his side, and found that electrical start relay you see in the first pic.

It lives underneath the fridge next to the compressor, and apparently had gone bad...at least I hoped that was the problem, and not the compressor itself.

Since I'm not an electrician, finding someone willing to deal with vintage appliances is no easy task.

Typically when I start the conversation with, "I have a 1956 Philco V-handle refrigerator..." the next sound I hear sounds a whole lot like a dial tone.

But the good folks at...

...who've done all our residential electrical work during our restoration of The Castle Frankenstein...

1961 write up in New Homes Guide for Dean Bryant Vollendorf's "Baysweep" house plans

...have one gentleman with ice water in his veins, and he was willing to have a look.

He came out, did some analysis, we tipped Phil on his side and he removed the old relay.

We checked Amazon, I bought a replacement for $12, and a few days later he came back out and installed it.

Had to wait 24 hours after standing Phil up again to let all the refrigerant settle, and then the moment of truth:

Voila!  Man Cave Fridge back in action, and all is well in MCM Appliance Land once again.

For now.

Well, they done dooded the dirty deed:

Karen's youngest daughter tied the knot.

She married her long time beau, but at a different park than Karen scouted.

This park is right across the street from where the happy couple first met, so it holds some significance for them.

It was a Moms only affair; just the the bride and groom, the officiant, Karen and the groom's mother were in attendance...a cozy, intimate ceremony.

Wishing the newlyweds every happiness in the years ahead.

In my last outing of the season...

...I opted for "simple golf"...a wood, a mashie and a putter.

On a par 4 using guttys, that's typically my brassie from the tee and the fairway, my mashie for a chip onto the green, and Calamity Jane for my (usually vain) attempt to 1 putt for par.

'Twas a gorgeous, late fall day, sunny and a brisk 50 degrees, but I did ok...

...as I managed one unlikely par by sinking that putt on #6, and 4 bogeys.

The others were the uglier 2nd and 3rd cousins...

...of the bogey family.

Hate to admit it, but we're more than just casual acquaintances.

Even so, it was an enjoyable round...

...due in part to the beautiful colors.

We're at peak, or maybe just a bit past now.

I was also striking the ball pretty well from the tees...

...and the fairways, mostly straight to a slight fade.

Sadly, the course I play closes Monday, so it's farewell and adieu to my favorite pastime...

...at least until April.

Heavy sigh.

For no particular reason, I'm renaming Parting Shots to "23 Skidoo", so here we go:

Line up according to IQ points and for those of you rushing to the front of the line, I didn't specify if it's high to low or vice-versa.

In any event, 23 Skidoo:

2023 Art Prize entry: "Anonymous Vagrant Standing On Weltron"

some color up north near Larry's cottage

Karen made the happy couple a wedding cake

Big Frank standing guard

the treat factory is almost done for another year

With All Hallow's E'en almost upon us, it's time to buckle up...

...and hold on tight.

The downhill race through the holidays to the end of year is about to begin.

later, mcm fans...