Our Latest Binge...

...Zlata Labut...The Golden Swan.

It's a Czech production from Walter Presents and tells the story of a ritzy department store in Czechoslovakia in 1939.

Those of you who know some history will immediately grasp the significance of that time frame so the setting is rife with dramatic possibilities.

Those of you who do not know <the history> there - well what the heck?

You think the world came into existence the day you were born?

Right...the bad guys showed up and made life miserable for everyone.

Always interesting to watch dramas from other countries, and this one is well done with high production values.

Worth a look.

It is now actually spring, and once in awhile it almost feels like it outside.

Mother Nature is at least making an effort now and then...

...and I'm getting a few more chances to swing my hickories...

...with varying degrees of success.

Since I've officially booked my 1st tee time at the links where I practice my black arts of hickory golfery, I definitely need to get to the driving range soon.

Can't wait!

Watched a pretty good movie this week from 1936:

This was one of those rushed Holllywood productions designed to cash in on a momentous historical achievement.

Go ahead, ask the question.

"What momentous historical achievement was that?"

Well, since you asked, it was Pan Am's amazing effort to create a sky way across the Pacific Ocean, heretofore known as "the place pilots go to die".

But with the jackhammer personality of Juan Trippe, head of Pan Am, driving the fledgling aviation industry to new frontiers, they unveiled the world's biggest airplane:

The technically advanced, totally luxurious Martin M-130 flying boat.

And in November of 1935 they hopscotched their way across the Pacific Ocean in 6 days, from Alameda, CA all the way to Manila, Philippines, with stops at Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam in between.

It was a truly amazing accomplishment, and the movie China Clipper chronicled the story, taking the usual Hollywood liberties along the way.

This one is worth your time.

Slow news week, so we're rushing ahead with a very abbreviated 23 Skidoo...

a 1912 Model T...I miss my 1923 flivver

yet another great use for the handy man's helper

pretty start to an April morning...

...but a cold one, just 24 degrees

Some encouragement from God's Word as you fight your way through the jungle this week:

later, mcm fans...

Missed A Week...

...just didn't feel up to it.

But I am truly happy for Ryan, of course.

Peace and happiness may have eluded him during his earthly stay, but they're his in abundance now in heaven.

That joyful truth doesn't shield me from personal regrets, however.

I made too many mistakes, left too much undone and unsaid.

By God's grace he's past all that.

Having laid aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, he's now running with perfect patience the race set before him, looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

And I'm by that mournful day on the calendar for another year; that dark demarcation between then and now.

Time to soldier on.

"Official" Spring sprung last week.  Pretty hard to tell, however, as it snowed that day.

Larry sent me this meme, perfectly illustrating spring here in Michigan:

And I heard on a weather report recently there's still more than 40" of snow on the ground in the U.P.

Thankfully around here we're making some progress in the journey from astronomical to actual spring:

Let's have a round of applause for Miss Daffodil!

She even brought some friends with her...

...at least that's what Karen claims.

Had one of our big windows replaced last week.

Some of these are quite old, and when their seal breaks, condensation gets between the panes and gives them that permanent "hey, are you ever going to wash this window?" look.

It was quite the job getting it out and back in, because after 64 years, things are not necessarily "square" anymore.

Add to that some expected wood rot...

...that needed repair / replacement, and it was a bit of a project.

However, Joe from Excel glass, along with my #2 son and #4 grandson, triumphed in the end:

There is actually glass there, you just can't see it anymore, which fact a bird proved by flying into it shortly after it was installed.

Nice job, gents.  Thank you!

Not too much to report on the hickory golf front.

I hate it when you guys do that

But I did commission a watercolor portrait of my pre-1900 clubs, to wit:

Personally I think the artiste did a credible job, so I broke the bank and commissioned another one:

They look so good I'm almost afraid to use them again.

I said "almost".

Is it that time already?

Let's 23 Skidoo, wildlife edition:

they're early this year...they usually show up when we open the pool

just out for an evening stroll

mom's around somewhere

feeding time

the artiste threw this portrait of Chippy in for free

"The Upper Room Discourse" is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapters 13 through 17.

It's where Jesus and his disciples are observing the Passover, the night before His crucifixion, and He teaches them - and us - many truths about Himself and God's plan for us.

Whenever I think of Ryan's untimely passing, I like to consider the words of Jesus in John 14, verses 1 through 3:

    1    Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.

    2    In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.

    3    And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

later, mcm fans...

Beware The Ides Of March...

...it could <ruin your whole day>.  

Hopefully you avoided traitorous acquaintances and instead experienced a pleasant early spring morning...

...that you appreciated and used wisely:

Yeah; like that.

I've actually walked several rounds on Ryan's course this past week and it's been quite pleasant after a long winter layoff.

Haven't put any of the flags or signs in place yet - we've still a ways to go before Old Man Winter is chased back into his hole - but won't be too long now.

I mentioned to a friend from work that I recently earned 49 cents of commission because someone in Australia read my Time Slip Island novella...

...on the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program.

A rare occurrence, this was an exciting moment in my life as you might imagine; it meant I could throw away 5 bottles...

...I otherwise would have had to return for deposit.

Don't know about you, but that's the kind of freedom in life for which I'm searching:

To believe in what can be (i.e., throwing pointless stuff away)...

...unburdened by has beens (i.e., so I don't have to deal with them).

I just might run for president some day.

As we approach St. Patrick's Day I've noticed a growing infestation of Irish Gnomes:

he actually bit my hand as I tried to answer the phone...

...and they seem to have a natural camouflage...

...allowing them to blend in with their surroundings.

not positive how they got here but I can see it's time to round up the usual suspect and question her closely re: recent Aldi purchases.

I say we 23 Skidoo quick-a-minute before things get even more out of hand than they are already:

speaking of natural camouflage...

...meet Screech the owl, a resident of Larry's folks' tree.

Kitty lounging in the courtyard

Karen found that fountain, now gracing the courtyard, for $15 at an estate sale

the recent "Blood Moon"...picture taken by a friend of Larry's using her cellphone through her telescope

Saw a T-shirt the other day that opined "Inside every Old Man is a Young Buck wondering what the heck happened".

This is a true sentiment and one that should give us pause.

Moses wrote in Psalm 90..."the days of our years are three score and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away".

70 or 80 is about what we get before we shuffle off this mortal coil.

It can be tough to quantify that in an impactful way, so think of this:

If you take your 80 years and put it in terms of one day of consciousness - when you rise at 6 am and fall into bed at midnight - then every 13.5 minutes of your conscious day is 1 year of your life on earth.

I'm 68 as I write this, so for me it's 9:20 pm.  The clock will only tick for another 2 hours and 40 minutes, and then my day is done.

My son Ryan's day ended abruptly at 3 pm; he didn't get those last 9 hours.

On the other hand, Karen's grandmother hung around til 4:30 am the next morning; she had 4 and half more hours than normal.

What time is it for you?

Of course we don't really know; only God knows that.

But we do know how we're to spend the time He's granted us here on earth:

later, mcm fans...