Call the Mechanic

   As I drove home this afternoon, I passed a John Ray tanker truck being towed on Route 67. It caused me to wonder if there are any mechanics who do road service. I thought of Herman Schroder who was chief mechanic at Colony Liquor in Kingston, NY. He was the one to call if there was a problem with any of their fleet of delivery trucks.
   It was in late November in 1977 when Herman received such a call, on a chilly night, past supper time. He set out to the disabled truck which had broken down near Newburgh, got it running, and left in his own vehicle to drive home. The repaired truck was behind him. The driver saw Herman pull over and cut his engine. And that was the end of his life, at the age of 69.

Cleaning Cabinets

   Yes, I know I tend to save everything,

and I do have 11 kitchen cabinets, all of which have a top shelf I need to access via stepstool or such. So I don't clean them that often any more, but I don't know how to explain a family of honey bears.

Love---Apropos of Nothing

"Yet each man kills the thing he loves.
  By each let this be heard.
  The coward does it with a kiss,
  The brave man with a sword."

Portent of Summer

   Slow Turkey is checking the A.C., taking his flip-flops out of storage, and making lemonade. I hope he has the word.

Fake News, James?

     Can it possibly be true that you were beaten by a woman because she went all out and you were conservative, though you did know the answer. And you fell just short of Ken Jennings, the last record to beat. Doesn't sound likely, does it?

House Is Bugged

Rodent Nest x 3

    The seat of the Cub Cadet, the interior lining of  the hood of the Honda, and below the burner of the grill. I'm attributing all to mice, but chipmunks could be involved. Seems to be a family of them living under the ramp.
   All these objects have nice soft linings which make up most of the nest.The mower seat is of foam, the grill cover (I bought the deluxe model last fall)  is lined with soft, fluffy material, and the car has padding in the hood above the engine.
    Last year we had very few ants . This year they are on the front step, in the driveway and in the house, mostly in the kitchen, but they can show up anywhere. I've sprayed with Raid, and, thanks to Rite Aid's sale, have ant traps everywhere. But they seem to be thriving.