Every Blooming THing-- Mid April

April showers (well, and snow on the 3rd) and flowers are blooming.  Especially the dear old dandelions.  What would spring be without the dandies.  Since I haven't used fertilizer or weedkiller in twenty years, I have a bumper crop.

In addition, I must have several hundred daffodills blooming and a hundred hyacinths.  The Bradford pear trees are in their brilliant white bloom as well.  The creeping phlox are in several hues around the yard.  I always try to have something blooming year round.  Here we go again.

Right now I am busy raking leaves out of flower beds and cutting down dead plants.

But, by far, my biggest challenge is the huge burn pile on the southwest corner of the lot.  I hired people to come over and cut down weed trees and clear overgrowth out last summer and that pile is huge.  Way too big to attempt a straight pile burn for fear it will get away from me.

So, I pull things off the pile and burn smaller fires.  This is a very tiring work.  And believe me at age 72 these first days of working out in the yard are getting rougher and rougher.  I am one sore lad indeed.

I Didn't Know You Could Hurt So Many Ways.  --RoadPain

JSS: As Crummy As It Gets-- Beer Nuggets-- Burning-- Wrigley Field Tonight

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  AS CRUMMY AS IT GETS--  Today set a new low in regards to crummy weather days we've been having so far this spring.  It was 32 degrees at 9 am with a forecast high of 48 (but I'm thinking we didn't make it).  Plus rain, overcast, windy and lots of cold in the air which the wind blew right through you.  But, we have a teaser coming though.  Supposedly it will be 80 degrees come Monday.

2.  BEER NUGGETS--  Last night we went to Bricks 'N Ivy here in Spring Grove, Illinois, and enjoyed the half price appetizers and pitchers of beer.  They have a new menu item and it is one of our favorites, something called beer nuggets which are fried dough.  Couldn't beat a basket of it for $3.50.  We also had half price wings ($8 for 12).  But, I can remember when a wing special was just 25 cents.

3.  BURNING--  We get to burn yard waste on the weekends during April and May.  The problem with that is that we haven't had a weekend which did not have rain or howling winds.  Come on guys.

4.  WRIGLEY FIELD TONIGHT--  The White Sox travel to Wrigley Field tonight to play the Chicago Cubs in our Crosstown Classic.  It is a battle of two 9-13 teams.  I am sure glad that I am not out there because of (see #1).

--RoadCold

THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SAY:  What am I?   Flypaper for freaks?

Every Blooming THing-- Mid May: A Burning Weekend

I spent both days last weekend working on the burn pile.  I mean I had a whole lot of branches and limbs, both from the white pines which had a lot of branches broken from a late winter heavy snow (along with some trimming of the lower ones).  Many of those branches/limbs were as much as three to four inches wide.

Plus, I had the branches from the double apple tree which I had cut down and the Bradford pear tree was severely cut back as well.  To say the least, I had a whole lot of burning to do.  It helped when I finally hot the knack of how to get the fire burning hot enough to burn those limbs.  I also had trimmed the smaller branches off the limbs and, the pine needles were drying out so made an excellent accelerant when the fire would get low.

I was able to get the burning in before it rained, which it did both Saturday and Sunday.

Right now, the hyacinths and jonquills are finished, but the tulips are blooming.  Plus, I have probably a hundred creeping phlox plants blooming as well as a yellow perennial.  The crabapple trees are blooming as well, so I have plenty of color.

Oh yes, and the dandelions are plentiful as usual.

Color All Spring, Summer and Fall.  --RoadDog

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  Genuphobia is the fear of knees.

About Last Weekend: It's a Burnin' Thing, Third Band in Three Days, the Chain and Four Bars Today

SUNDAY, MAY 6

After several failed efforts, I finally got a fire hot enough and managed top burn a lot of the accumulated limbs in the burn pile.

We then went to Cabana's to meet with several of our Usual Suspects group and enjoy the New Odyssey Guy.  He is the former drummer of New Odyssey who is out on his own now that the band retired.  We knew he would be good and he was.  Enjoyed sitting out in the grass, in the sun and with temperatures in the upper 70s.  A great way to kick off another summer on the Chain of Lakes here in Illinois.

With him, that makes three bands that we saw in the last three days.

And, I guess we finally really broke that long list of weekends destroyed weatherwise by the infamous Round Lake Spring Carnival.

We then went to Oak Park Lounge, a holdout from the original Chain, dating back to 1890s and it hasn't changed much.  It is a bona fide Dive Bar.  We love it, but don't go as often as we should.  Plus, they have one of the most spoiled bar dogs who has ever lived, Bomber.  He has every one trained well.

We ran into a couple who we found out had a lot in common with us.  He graduated from Fremd High School in 1974.  They have a house near where we were seriously looking at a lot on the Chain back in 1991.  They met each other in Panama City Beach.

We then went to Sunnyside for a pizza and $1.50 drafts and finished up with a lot of juke box playing at Sunnyside.

That's four bars today.

Too Much Fun.  --RoadFun

About Last Weekend: Who's Weather?, No Burn and a Band

SATURDAY, MAY 4

Somehow, someway, we ended up with an actual spring day, instead of this winter mix.  I took advantage, well, tried to take advantage of it, and work on my burn pile, which has never been higher with the trees, trimming trees and limbs that came down in winter storms.  But, no luck.  I couldn't get a fire going hot enough.

This was to be a great day at the Fox Lake American Legion as we were having a band, a Drinko de Mayo and Kentucky Derby party with all sorts of food and drink specials.  But, because of some problems, we just had the band, but they were a really good one called Joey Sunset Project.

Due to all the rain this last week the whole Chain of Lakes is No Wake.

--RoadDog

JSS: 3 Inches of Snow This Morning-- Got Limbs?-- Squirrel Wars, Part 2

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  3 INCHES OF SNOW THIS MORNING--  It was just so wonderful to wake up to 3 inches of snow on the ground this morning.  DON'T even think about calling it Global You-Know-What!!!  At least the white stuff was nice enough to stay off the roads, drive ways and sidewalks.

And we had another 8 inches of snow on April 14.

2.  GOT LIMBS?--  I've got plenty.  And since it rained and snowed all day yesterday and is in the process of melting today, not likely I'll get a chance to do any burning this weekend.  We can only burn on the weekends in April and May.

3.  SQUIRREL WARS,  PART 2--  Well, after being overwhelmed by three squirrels intent on getting at the bird feeders (and their close allies, the chipmunks) a few weeks back, I brought in the big guns, two store bought feeders designed specifically to thwart those bushy-tailed rats.

So far, success, but I'm sure they'll figure out a way to get that seed.

Good Thing I Kinda Like Those Squirrel Varmints.  --RoadDog

Last Weekend: Burning the Limbs, Route 12 Bar, Legion and a Band

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

Spent a whole lot of time out in the yard trying to burn the many, many limbs I have collected this past month when we had a whole lot of pine limbs brought down by a heavy snowfall as well as cutting down an overgrown apple tree and seriously trimming an overgrown Bradford pear tree as well as some overgrown bushes.

Sadly, I am not the best at getting fires going and didn't have a whole lot of success until the last 30 minutes.

We drove over to the Fox Lake American Legion to see the Affects, a 50s-60s band, but the place was way too crowded, so ended up meeting Barb and Glen at the Route 12 Bar where we split a burger.  We took another shot at seeing the band and this time we found seats so enjoyed ourselves.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

We met Kora at the Grand Buffet in McHenry, Illinois.  This is a Chinese buffet with lots of shrimp and crab dishes.  Sadly, Kora is moving to Arizona in a week.

We then went to Half-Times in Johnsburg and sat outside on a really nice day and got together with Sue and Paul who are moving to New Mexico at the end of May.  Then, we went to Sunnyside.

All people mentioned are members of our Usual Suspects group, so a bunch of them are moving.

--RoadDog

TRIVIA:  Who saved his political career from a scandal with the dramatic "Checkers" speech in 11952?


Richard Nixon

JSS: No Movies For Me-- Weather-- Wood-- Decent Weather

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  NO MOVIES FOR ME--  Today I had intended to go to the Fox Lake Theatre to see a couple movies, but then remembered it being Good Friday and a lot of schools out which would mean crowds as parents look or something for their kids to do.

The kids are OK, but I don't like crowds.

2.  WEATHER--  This weather has sure been something lately.  This past Sunday, I went out and burned some leaves, but was chased in by snow.  We figure we got eight inches!!!  That's a lot for April, even here. By Tuesday, however, it was all gone.

But my buddy Paul ended up taking two days between bad weather out west and here to get home.  Also, Bob Stroud, on Chicago's WDRV took two days to get back home from Florida.

3.  WOOD--  Anybody looking for some wood to burn, I have many piles out back of the house.  Some of the limbs are from pine trees that fell in an earlier winter storm.  Others from trees that were trimmed or taken down.

4.  DECENT WEATHER--  And speaking of weather and wood, I'm hoping for a good weekend (meaning weather) to burn some of my stockpiles of wood this weekend.  We can only burn on weekends in April and May.

Just Some Stuff.  --  RoadDog

EGGCELLENT EASTER JOKES:  Q:  What do you get when you cross a rabbit's foot with poison ivy?   A:  A rash of good luck.

Old Friends, the Legion, a Band and Some Bodacious NCAA Games

APRIL 6, SATURDAY

I was able to get out in the yard to burn the huge number of limbs and trees that were either dropped by winter storms or cut down by Jerry, but those pine limbs are just too fresh to burn well, so did not have much success.

Liz and I went to the Fox  Lake American Legion at 3 pm, and met Glen and Barb and enjoyed listening to the three-piece band, the Neil Rose Band, playing 60s music.  Sure enjoyed their playing "Don't Bogart That Joint" song which I have never heard a band do live before.  That was a great song from that even greater "Easy Rider" soundtrack.

Watched some of the greatest college basketball games ever in the NCAA Elite 8.  Texas Tech defeated #1 Seed Gonzaga 75-69 and Virginia beat Purdue 80-75.

Sports just doesn't get much better than this.

--RoadDog

EGGCELLENT EASTER JOKES:  Q:  What do you call an egg from outer space?   A:  An "Egg-stra terrestrial."

A Trip Back in Time-- Part 4: The Burn Pile and Sunnyside

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1

After my usual Sunday morning radio shows: Rock and Roll Roots and recording Breakfast With the Beatles to hear later, I spent a lot of hours out by the very, very large burn pile.  We are only allowed to burn yard waste on weekends in October and November and April and May, so had to take advantage of it.  And, I sure had a huge one this year.

We went to Sunnyside and enjoyed talking with people most of the afternoon.

--RoadDog