The beautiful spring from hell continues around here. It’s a gorgeous morning, but intense storms tore through Monday and Tuesday evening. Both were of similar strength and came through right before dark; they were so similar it’s difficult to remember which storm did exactly what. On Monday straight line winds of nearly 70 mph toppled trees and knocked out power over several counties, and on Tuesday a storm only slightly weaker knocked out power and cable (i.e., internet) again. At my abode, lightning fried digital clocks, LED light bulbs, the dishwasher, two ceiling fans and two surge protectors. Thank you, surge protectors! You gave your all. I could not update the morning following either storm. Did I mention it’s a beautiful day today?


The Sound of Speed
By Jimmy Johnson
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246 responses to “The Sound of Speed”
Today’s cartoon (My 10, 2021): I wonder why Mayor JJ took so much trouble to show the Village that Janis was wearing some attire under her maroon shirt. Was that vital to his point in some way I missed?
I was nobody the first two times I came here today. Now I’m myself again. Glad to hear of your progress Jackie. Keep it up. I hope Jimmy is getting his place cleaned up since we haven’t heard from him in a while.
Jackie, glad that the treatment is helping! Today I’m Ghost, though I cleared the fields before saving my post.
Well the last time that did this marathon, I completed it in an all time worst of 8:03:00 and at least 40 lbs heavier. That experience led me to lose the weight and the pandemic allowed me to walk ever day. Saturday I completed it in 6:35:01. I felt wonderful. I only ran about 30 seconds during each mile, so as not to put too much stress on the hips. I talked to a man that competed in a marathon in Grand Rapids with me last August and realized that he was 84 years old! As I started my last mile ( my fastest mile of the day) he was finishing. He walked fast the entire day.
The weather was perfect. I was a little sore driving home 6 hours and today I am resting and stretching. But I feel like I am in great shape.
I sit in awe! What an accomplishment!
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On a totally different note, a classmate’s grandson just received his Ph.D. in biochemistry. I’m also awed by researchers in that field.
Thanks curmudgeonly. We all do things that others can’t. Sometimes we accomplish things that even WE don’t think that we can do. I assumed that after my hip replacement 8 years ago, the joy of finishing a marathon was not possible. Much Much slower, but because I am walking 5 days a week, if I could only lose these pesky pounds, I would be nearly as good of shape as I was when I ran marathons.
A PH.D. is a different kind of marathon and a great accomplishment. My daughter is getting her Master’s (virtually) at my all mater Purdue. She just got an A+ in Statistics, after spending the entire semester complaining about the class. Back in my day there were only A, B, C, D, and F’s or Pass/No-pass. So I told her that she did something that her Dad never accomplished. She still can’t beat my grade point average as we were on a 6 point scale, so I was able to finish above a 4.0!
I’m drawing a blank on today’s (May 10th) real-time comic- gardening in one’s garden shouldn’t have been affected by COVID restrictions. Only think I can think of is that Janis might not have been able to get her seedlings last year due to the garden shop shutting down.
During April 2020, some states required people to restrict their trips from home to getting the essentials such as fuel and food. Large retail garden centers were ordered to close temporarily. Here’s an article from that time all the states and how garden centers were affected:
https://www.greenhousemag.com/article/greenhouses-nurseries-garden-centers-essential-coronavirus/
It was a crazy quilt of restrictions, some of which tightened, others loosened, as time went on.
I think she’s saying she wants to be out and doing other normal things, not just going out in the yard to plant new things. That she didn’t need the vaccinations just to go dig her garden.
Parent was off the Churchill raven nest briefly. There are 4 eggs. Don’t know the incubating/feeding/allo-parenting details in ravens. Snow cover has diminished over last sev. wks. Will it disappear completely? Beats me. Peace,
https://explore.org/livecams/birds/churchill-raven-nest
Brits and their humor (humour)!
https://www.ksl.com/article/50163294/have-you-seen-this-the-most-british-prank-of-all-time
I keep clearing Ruth Anne and she just keeps faithfully returning to my name space
Jackie Monies
And she is back again!
May seems to be the month of deluge in East Texas. But the winds and the flooding aren’t the problem. East Texas vegetation laughs at mowers and bush hogs. One can mow, the tsunami goes through right after the equipment is put up, and two days later the weeds are 4′ high. Am considering a flame thrower.
Get a few goats, if you live in an area that will permit them.
Please ignore. Spaces below were blank, so I filled them in & checked Save … . Peace,
Today’s cartoon (My 11th) with Janis watering: Panel 2 ought to show her upper arm EITHER a) pointing outwards towards the viewer, with lower arm hanging vertically therefrom [if she is watering somewhat close to her side] OR b) hanging vertically, with lower arm horizontally forward [if she is watering a bit in front of herself, as seems to be the intent]. Having one’s upper arm extended horizontally to the front with the lower arm hanging vertically therefrom is approximately impossible. Try it.
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If she is watering immediately at her side, both upper and lower arms can be hanging vertically as a 3rd possibility.
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I am no one until I fill in the blanks….
This webcam moves a lot, but right now its on a mom baboon & young in a tree at 5+ am in S Afr. Peace,
https://explore.org/livecams/african-olifants-riverwildlife/
If you go to bing.com today (05.12.21), you will see a photo of “A view of the River Shannon in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland.”
Considering Jimmy’s love of limericks, I thought it was worthwhile mentioning.
Jimmy, on another topic, I tried to forward you the article from the May 8th – 9th edition of the WSJ, but couldn’t. But there is good news for Gene and Mary Lou. Now small farming operations selling straight from their farm to individuals has been made easier with an app. I still have to read the article, but maybe you can find an issue for Gene!
Gene and Mary Lou are in trends right now with their farm and little cafe right down to chicken’s and Meg.
Well Janis. You started thinking about a condo a few weeks after I did! I found a perfect one for Ghost and me in Mississippi not far from his hometown!
Today’s real-time comic makes me a little sad. Acknowledging that a beloved character is getting old means I’m getting old, too. I trust JJ will handle this transition deftly and humorously, but it still is a bit of a downer.
I just can’t relate to not still loving gardening. Maybe she’s planted more than she should have for it to be fun instead of work. Only took me one time to learn that lesson!
Jimmy you have been staring in my window and following my Google searches! And Ghost uses Arlo’s theories too!
Love, Jackie
Heads up. Message from Jimmy on his FB appreciation page today: Hello, all! Remember me? I’m sure some of you who check in occasionally at the ol’ home site are wondering, What th’ hey? The site isn’t exactly down; the same post has been appearing for over a week now. It might as well be, though. I can’t log in to create posts or otherwise oversee things. The error message I receive is supposed to indicate trouble, usually temporary, on the server side. This means Earthlink, which is bad news. So far, this has been going on since Tuesday. I haven’t had time to work on the problem much this week, but I will. I’ll let you know. Thanks!
And I have become TruckerRon today.
It’s been a bad week…gasoline pipeline shut down, cartoon pipeline shut down…
Re 5-14-21 real-time cartoon: Where is that elusive fifth panel when you really need it?
I agree with those commenting at GoComics on Arlo’s running his mouth when he should be focusing on the beauty in front of him!
At least one egg in the Chesapeake osprey nest. The 2 birds are probably a mated pair; was beginning to have my doubts. Anybody can tell a mallard drake & hen apart, but ospreys? There are even penguin male/male “marriages” [They steal eggs to incubate & foster from nearby nests.] Peace,
https://explore.org/livecams/birds/osprey-cam-chesapeake-conservancy
Mark is actually emb just above me here and.this is Jackie Monies not Mark
I wish I could turn to Janis said Jackie
Comments attributed to me above make it look like I was talking in my sleep. For now, I am me, the one and only original Mark in TTown. Accept no substitutes. All of you have a great and safe weekend.