The Best Day ever!

The Little Actor and the Tiny Actor came for a (relatively lengthy) stay with The Yard Man and me.*
Today was Day One.**
Know this, Reader Dear...it was proclaimed THE BEST DAY OF THEIR (relatively brief) LIVES***!

*A stay of four-and-a-half days
**Involving a treasure hunt and a (relatively large) Lego set!
***A life of six years (thus far) and a life of three years-and-nearly-half (to this point)

........................

Okay, so then...

As a landlord,  I have a small confession to make, Dear Reader.   I am such a pushover!

 "NO!"  I say.  "No!  You may not have a dish installed!"

(You see, Viewer Dear, I walked down that route at one time, and the dishes popped up on sides of buildings like mushrooms in a moist and mildew-y environment!)

But, well....




What did I tell you?!

...........................

Steel Wheels

Two sets, Viewer Dear!

This first set of steel wheels, I spotted about a week and a half ago.  To tell the truth, Viewer Dear,  I followed them down the road much longer than necessary.
I found them worthy of a photo.

      

And, then, what ho, I was fortunate to see, with sound effects, another foursome of Steel Wheels on Sunday night. This set, I will have to say, Listener Dear, is the one that tops my charts!*

Some friends joined The Yard Man and me to hear this terrific band that hails from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia:                           Steel Wheels!

..................................
*To be fair, in the first
case I did not make any
inquiries regarding
musical renditions.

It was a Surprise

birthday party for The Yard Man's niece, this super-duper, multi-marvelous cookout that he and I attended yesterday evening.

Just listen up! Here's the menu this birthday person's dad (and a few other family members, to be sure) prepared:

*Guacamole with Chips

*Freshly-grilled Beef Kabobs
*Freshly-grilled Bacon-wrapped Chicken Kabobs
*Freshly-grilled Shrimp Kabobs
*Slow-cooked Baked Beans with Pork
*Freshly-steamed-in-the-husk
Corn-on-the-Cob
*Freshly-roasted Green Beans

*Cupcakes
*Freshly Deep-fried,
 Homemade Glazed Doughnuts
 ........

Where are all the photos, you may ask.  Alas, Viewer Dear, once the celebrated one showed up and we shouted "Surprise!"
I was far too busy eating to snap photos!

Alas, you see, I ate and ate.
I made frequent visits to the grill, to the corn-steamer, and to the table laden with dishes.
With a bit of redness to my cheeks, I'll even confess, Reader Dear, I ate more than one freshly-made doughnut.

So, here's the thing:
I ate far too much!*
*It was no surprise**.
 

**Nor was the birthday gift we carried along.  In the event you've never contemplated this, Reader Dear, I've got a Public Service Announcement: Caution! Gift-wrapping a rose bush is a prickly task. Stop before starting.

Columbian Coconut

Candy! If you are doubtful, Reader Dear, that there are downsides to offering folks a place to call "home," you can be sure there are!  (Ahem, let me remind you:
 Oh, so many times that tipped the scales downward!) 
But, there are also many positives to the experience, as well!
Reader Dear, I never know what gifts I might receive as a landlord.
My newest tenant very recently managed to bring his wife from their country of origin (Yes, Columbia), and he is ecstatic! 

Viewer Dear, I'm pretty darn happy myself.  (It stands to reason, a tenant floating around on Cloud Nine is a much better tenant than a sad one!)
He gifted me today with a coconut lollipop.  Real coconut! he told me. (It was delicioso!)

EXPLOSION!

...meaning, Reader Dear, that my long hiatus from posting just met with (what may possibly be) a vigorously-renewed supply of postings!
And, speaking of explosions...here it is:  My total viewing of pyrotechnics in celebration of Independence Day.

Only Son and The Small Actor brought a handful of bursting material to the driveway of The Yard Man and myself in order to check out the volume and length to which it would explode.

Seeing as how The Yard Man had hopped aboard his vehicle and set out for mid-western  horse events early on in the holiday weekend, I represented a full half of the adult ohh-ers and ahh-ers of these (very) local fireworks.

Once the celebratory span of time came and went, one might have thought it was safe to say these driveway fireworks were the full extent of the displays I was going to witness.  But, lo and behold (with an emphasis on the "behold"), following yesterday evening's concert at the park...

 The Yard Man and I returned home, exited the car, and happened to witness a twenty-minute light-and-noise-in-the-sky event!


Based on the length and scope of it, The Yard Man and I believe it  was a belated Independence Day show for the public.

The country will likely go on celebrating our independence, but I'm pretty sure it will be independent from me sighting further explosions in the sky. 

Periphrastically, I've been dragging

my feet.

It's been said, Reader Dear, that the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step.  And I do agree, because, seeing as how I've been an adult for many years, it would be difficult to find someone willing to carry me in their arms to the airport. The point I am trying to make, periphrastically, is that the surprising resumption of a thousand on-going blog posts begins with just one word.

I've decided to stop dragging my feet and take the multi-mile journey.  I'm walking to the airport* on foot, under my own power.
I'm taking the first step:  
*periphrastically, of course!**



***********************
**Hoping to catch a flight!