Children of the Sun

I'm burnt out from all the sunshine and fun this week. Right now I'm feasting on Ruef's apple brats and taking a short break. Getting lost until I came across this UFO yesterday was the last bit of merriment I could handle.
So here's a song about the sun and aliens that my cousin and I—who never agreed on music—both liked back in 1979. I was ecstatic when it popped up in the second season of Fargo.
Mmmm, the whole place smells like sizzling apple bratwurst.

UFOs make great points of reference

Love is a Superman ice cream cone across from the pool on a sunny day

This 92-year-old kid claims she no longer eats sweets

You Gonna Eat Your Tots?

On my first trip to the Breese Stevens Field Bodega, I experienced a nerve rackingly insane search for parking, then walked on heavenly green turf making me wonder if one of A THOUSAND ^%&*ing cars running stop signs and driving like #@*holes had actually hit me.

You can watch Napoleon Dynamite and eat tots all day in my heaven

Making Faces

Dexter, my guest cat, continues to amuse himself and me. It's touching that he fell in love with my dad's old beach blanket so I'm leaving it out for him.
His latest bit of mischief is trying to grab my hand as I reach for the railing going upstairs. He races past me and paws from the ledge. It's amazing how far that cat can reach. He thinks it's Hi larious and I keep thinking, Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death.

A film noir dragon

Where is that yogurt?

It's Almost Wednesday

So here's a picture of a guy playing a guitar in front of some geraniums.

Playing for Spotted Cow and Landjaegers in New Glarus

Fire Fire Fire Fire

A huhhuhhuh, cool, huhhuh. Fire, fire, fire, fire.

A challenging set, if anyone has tips on shooting outdoor fire juggling in partly sunny weather please let me know. 

I'm Thinking Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera

Bob aka Roberto Clementi aka Bobby De Niro aka Bob No! aka Bob Stop It Just Stop It had a lovely photo shoot last week to celebrate the Game of Thrones premiere.
He was a good sport except for a few moments with the dog wrangler, aka his mom. Bob loves to have his picture taken and always poses nicely for me. This pose reminds me of Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera and makes for a chilling black and white portrait.

"If I am the Phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so."

Dexter Get Off The Counter or Equal Time For The Cat

My guest cat Dexter has been here several months over the last year and that boy is embedded. He took to his temporary home right away, but the longer he's here the more he discovers places he's not supposed to be. The breakfast bar and kitchen counter are absolutely off limits.
The funniest thing is that he tells me each time he crosses another forbidden place off his "To Do" list.

Dexter, get off the counter

Dexter, can you hear me?

Dexter! Do yo want me to come over there?

&*#@ cat

Because Game Of Bones Is Too Obvious And Sounds Like a Porno

The Game of Thrones premiere may have been nuthing compared to last season's finale, but the show continues to inspire. Or at least serve as an excuse to dress up dogs in costumes from the Dollar Store.

Little Rat as Lady Sansa. "And I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table. And a bone from my pile if my pile be so large that I know not one bone be missing."

Mr. French as the former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. "I did what I thought was right, and I got murdered for it. And there's also the no sex thing."

Oliver Twist as Leaf. "Before the First Men came, all this land that you call Westeros was home to us, yet even in those days we were few. And yes, maybe we created some Ice Zombie along the way." 

Bob Barker as Alys Karstark. "Now and Always. Really, three lines and I share them with a 10-year-old?"

Because Valyrian Steel Is Too Expensive

Even if you live under a Casterly Rock you know that Game of Thrones S7 begins tomorrow. 

I employed some noble hounds to honor the event.

Thinks he forgot his curling iron at Castle Black (Bobby Boy as Jon Snow)

Hopes Ramsay's dogs can get the taste of Ramsay out of their mouths (Leo as Sansa Stark)

Expected Valaryian steel or at least chicken (Oliver as a Braavosi sellsword)

Monochrome Check-In

I have no love for the Capitol squirrels—evil imps who hop on your bike rack—and at one point avoided biking and walking around the square because of them. But I like to check in on the Capitol Square to see what's shaking. Not much apparently so I sat still and let it come to me.
It seemed like a monochromatic thing to do.

Hot Hot Hot New Do Mid Week Sing Along

It's been hot hot hot (and humid humid humid) so Little Rat Boy got a weather friendly do. Possibly his best birthday present.

Follower of Fashion

He got presents and I got this

Parts is parts

Ballet Folklorico Mexico

The Ballet Folklorico Mexico sizzled at the Columbus 4th of July Festival last week. Colorful dresses twirled and headdresses sliced the smokey air as bratwurst cooked on the grill behind them.
It takes a better photographer than I to make an smokey photo look good in the sun. Here's what I saw after the smoke cleared.

Oliver

Little rat boy turned five under the shade of the trees today.
Happy Birthday, little guy. 

Don't mind me, I'll just lie here and be five all by myself

Screams and Feathers

There's a belief that comedy is funnier in black and white because color is a distraction. I love a black and white comedy but I'm not sure if it's funnier than an episode of Veep.
What I do know is that I find black and white horror flicks the most terrifying. And although I'm sure being stuck in that Rock Star wasn't funny to the kid pictured screaming, the boy sitting next to him seems pretty amused. Reminds me so much of my oldest nephew, Joey, now all grown up and still taking life as it comes.

The reach of my lens may have stopped, but the screams did not

Back down to earth with the indefatigable Ballet Folklorico and some amazing feathers

Bucket-O-Fries

The long holiday saw festivals, horseplay and a great blue sky looking spectacular against midway rides. So many adorable red, white and blue outfits and rides many of us wouldn't go on for a bucket of fries.