A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

I like melon -- ripe melon.  Over the years I have been told or heard about various ways to determine if say, a cantaloupe is fit to eat.  For example, it should have a full netting.  (Maybe).  The stem end should be soft.  (Perhaps).  It should feel heavy for its size.  (Usually, if I can decide about weight vs size).  Now I have another method that, with a sample size of one, appears to be quite accurate.

The other day I went to the store specifically to buy a cantaloupe.  I tried all of the above methods, but with one hand it is difficult to hold a melon and push on the stem end.  I finally picked one that seemed heavy and headed to the checkout counter.  As the clerk picked up the melon, I asked him, “Is that a ripe one?”  “Well, it looks ripe,” he replied.  “What do you mean it looks ripe,” I asked.  “Well, look here in the netting.  There is more orange and yellow than green,” he responded.  Now that made sense to me.

So was it ripe?  Oh, boy!  Yes, and most delicious.  Now we shall be trying this method through the summer to see if it continues to work.  But I’d really appreciate it if any of you melon lovers out there would let me know of your experience with the ‘look’ method.  Thanks.


Humorous cartoons -

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Different photos come together in different ways.  For example ...

This dare devil appears to be about to commit stupidity.  But my question is, where is this taking place?  Cliff had it right immediately, but he also suggested that said dare devil was photoshopped in.  He may be correct on that point, but I can prove he is right on the first point.

Now look at this photo.  This is the Blue Angels over San Francisco Bay, and that is the Golden Gate Bridge below.

I took a screen shot of a portion of the dare devil.  Then I took a similar screen shot portion of the Blue Angels photo.






Compare the two.  I added arrows where the highway turns a bit left -- they look identical to me.

The one on the left is from the dare devil photo, and the one on the right is from the Blue Angels.

What do you think?

And now you want humor.  well ...

Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place.   Looking up to heaven he said, 'Lord take pity on me.   If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!'  Miraculously, a parking place appeared.
Paddy looked up again and said, 'Never mind, I found one.'

SPRING HAS SPRUNG, Part 2

Before we get to the main event, I have a small quiz for you.  Answer below, and please don’t wince.
Quiz time --  What is a Merkin?

***

Here are the remainder of the photos I took recently.  Enjoy!

 

Quiz answer -- A Merkin is a citizen of the United States, as in ‘My fellow’Merkins, ...’

(Okay, go ahead and groan.)

***

After that, I suppose I owe you other humor --

Father, bragging:  "My eight year old son hit a home run yesterday."

Friend:  "You mean he hit it over the fence?"

Father:  Well, not exactly.  He hit it up the middle, but the center fielder had to go to the bathroom.

PUPPIES

Thanks to Kim Beardslee for these darling photos of puppies.

Pun time -


Why were the Indians here first ? They had reservations .

Class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there's no pop quiz .

Energizer bunny arrested. Charged with battery.

Did you hear about the cross eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?

What does a clock do when it's hungry?  It goes back four seconds .

Broken pencils are pointless.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG, Part 1

The weather here in California has been beautiful lately, and the flowers in our mobile home park are the living proof.  Have a look --

 

Humor -

The wife thought the living room couch looked pretty shabby, so her husband said to go ahead and get

a new one.

But that made the living room look shabby, so they redecorated it. 

But that made the dining room look shabby, so they redecorated it.  

But that made the kitchen look shabby, so they redecorated it.  

But that made the husband look shabby ...

ODDS 'N ENDS

Here are a few photos that have no relation to one another, except, perhaps, that they are photographs.  I didn’t have any place else to put them, and didn’t want to toss them.  So here they are with a bit of commentary from me.

I thought this was a most unusual photo.  I’m not sure if these are real or perhaps glass objects.

Again, I’m unsure what this represents.  A race, or pushups.

I think these are droplets reflecting nearby flowers.

Now I’m more sure about this.  A member of our book club gave these to other book club members.  

This one is mine.  For want of a name, I call it a Page Holder.

And then someone emailed this to me.  Just cracked me up.

Okay, this must have been photoshopped.  Or something.  But I found it quite fascinating and beautiful.

Saturn As You’ve Never Seen it The cover picture from National Geographic, December 2006. The Sun is eclipsed (behind) Saturn in this picture. The “dark” side of Saturn is seen here lit by ring shine. The rings are made highly visible by forward scattered sunlight.  The photo was taken by the Cassini Orbiter.

Just fun -

The little boy is riding in the car with his uncle in a downtown area.
“Uncle Charlie,” he asks, “What does the red light mean?”
Uncle Charlie:  That means to stop.
Little boy:  And what does the green light mean?
Uncle Charlie:  That means go.
Little boy:  And what does the yellow light mean?
Uncle Charlie:  That means ‘Caution - prepare to stop’.
Little boy:  Then why do you step on the gas?

ANIMAL LIFE

Pick a favorite.  I have mine.

Don't push!

Yeah, we're the wise guys, except maybe, for that guy at the bottom.

Do not disturb

***

Had a checkup at the orthopedist’s.  Another set of x-rays.  Shoulder is healing well.  I’m not wearing the sling any more.

***
Fun time --

SPECIAL POEM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

A row of bottles on my shelf
Caused me to analyze myself.
One yellow pill I have to pop
Goes to my heart so it won’t stop.
A little white one that I take
Goes to my hands so they won’t shake.
The blue ones that I use a lot
Tell me I’m happy when I’m not.
The purple pill goes to my brain
And tells me that I have no pain.


The capsules tell me not to wheeze
Or cough or choke or even sneeze.
The red ones, smallest of them all,
Go to my blood so I won’t fall.
The orange ones, very big and bright,
Prevent my leg cramps in the night.
Such an array of brilliant pills
Helping to cure all kinds of ills…
But what I’d really like to know
Is what tells each one where to go!