Wednesday

 Plaquemine Parish is bracing.... well, acknowledging that TS Bertha is about to come ashore. It ain't much as tropical storms go, but if you're going to be hit, this is the one to get hit by.

Otherwise, it is just Wednesday.  We had some friends drop by after lunch and it is too damned hot to work outside anyway.  Current atmospherics are 96F with 60% humidity and a heat index of 115.  It's warm out there.   Wind is out of the NE, steady at 8, gusting to 13 and feels like a blow-drier.

I think I'll stay my butt indoors.

Horse Soldier

 If you know, you know.

Watching Bertha

 Tropical Depression Two got its act together for a few minutes last night and became Tropical Storm Bertha.  She ain't much as tropical storms go, but she will limp along the coast and cause havoc.  Eventually going into Texas and becoming a rain maker. The weather weenies tell us that she is getting a lot of wind shear from the northeast, which is ripping the north side of the storm apart.

It is what it is, and if this is the worst storm we see this season, I will be mightily pleased.

Monday update

 Checking with NOAA this morning, it appears that TD2, the storm brewing in the Gulf.  It is not meeting expectations and as of right now, it is a matter of claim that it ever becomes a named storm. It may be a rain maker, but dry wind shear keeps shaking it apart.

Is the World Cup over?  I'm still seeing reports from the visitors about how awesome the USA is.  I wonder how many gallons of Ranch Dressing they smuggled out?  The really should have taken the little packets we use as seasoning and make fresh Ranch at home.

Belle and I hosted a family reunion this weekend.  Loads of fun and family.  The final hangers-on left this morning and Belle and I are spending the day in kick-back mode.

TD Two

 Tropical Depression Two is a weird little storm that is brewing in the northeast Gulf.  It is expected to head westerly.  Strangest warning cone I have ever seen.  

If it reaches storm status, it will become Bertha.  This one bears watching, because the currently predicted landfall is in Texas.

Court Day

 Back in May, I got into a little fender-bender.  Got a ticket.  I called the Sheriff's office to see whart I owed them.

"Oh, no, PawPaw" says the lady on the phone.  "You have a mandatory court date."

I admit I was a bit baffled. No one injured, just a little bent sheet metal which the insurance covered, and I had to be in court.  So, this morning I showed up in court.  I waited about an hour for my name to be called, then went to the bar and told the judge what happened. She asked if insurance had covered it, and I said Yep.  she gave me a small fine, which I happily paid. Court costs are exorbitant, but I still got out of there for under $250.

The lady collecting the fines seemed a bit surprised that I wanted to pay it all at once.

I was a cop for 37 years.  The first 20, I spent a lot of time in the court room.   Today was the first time in maybe 15 years I had been inside a court room.  After the Oyer we said a pledge of Allegiance and Her Honor got down to business. The bailiff was a bit Foghorn Leghorn, but that is part of the job. All in all, it was not totally unpleasant.

Water

 Life as we know it is impossible without water.  It's a daily necessity.  Twenty years ago I was both baffled and amused by the idea of buying bottled water for drinking.  Water came from the tap.  Today, I keep a stock of bottled water for guests, but the majority of the water I drink still comes from the tap.  I know that locally, we are blessed with very good tap water, 

My grandad used to buy a gallon of distilled water occasionally to put into an old lead/aside battery.  Today while making a grocery list, Belle told me that she needed some distilled water, so I put it on the list. I found her distilled water, then got distracted and started reading labels.  The grocer stocks every kind of specialty water that anyone might desire.  I was particularly amused at one premium liter bottle that was priced over $5.00 and declared itself "100% Recycled".  I laughed aloud.

All water, each drop from the ocean, the rivers, or the aquifer that supplies your home, is recycled water. Every bit of it.  Every drop. It's all recycled dinosaur piss. Someone is paying a premium to buy "100% Recycled" water when the cheap, bottom shelf store brand is also 100% Recycled".

So, there is an old saying about "whatever floats your boat".  But that too is 100% Recycled.

Monday Morning

 I hear that Lindsey Graham of Soth Carolina died recently.  Damned shame.  He was a great Senator for South Carolina.  A great conservative and a deep thinker.  He will be missed.

The CFDA is congregating this week in Fallon, NV to conduct Fastest Gun Alive, the World championship of Cowboy Fast Draw.  It should be quite a show.  Belle and I will not be there due to a scheduling conflict.  I wish then a lot of luck.