Speak To Me Sky Watch ...

We were driving North, my Niece and I ... having a conversation about her Mother, my sister, Wendy ... who sat on the Dashboard like she had never been gone. It was lovely. And it was then that I saw the Peacock. http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Cloud Road ...

Because I'm into Clouds, this sign is special. Or perhaps the sign is special, because I'm into Clouds.

I Love ...

Looking East from my Front Porch. But looking West, North and South are pretty cool too.

Why Not ...

A very clever and original advertising campaign. They rent everything from Kayaks to Post Hole Diggers. I'm tempted to go get one of each.

Move Over, Darlin ...

Things typically come and go from my Life ... things that really get my attention. This is just one perfect example.

Moses Parts The Red Sea Sky Watch ...

"Let My People Go !!!"

Moses has Peeps with skies around World ...
http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Flashback Woodstock ...

After 40 years in the dark, someone finally opened the vault and revealed the answer to the question that has bugged us all since Woodstock and the release of the 1969 album:

What, exactly, were the lyrics to Joe Cocker's version of "A Little Help
From My Friends?"

They say Joe was so wigged out on various drugs that no one
understood the words of his garbled, mush mouthed version of the 
Beatles song ... that is ... until now.

Click on the link below.  Pee first. 

http://www.elwp.com/Joe%20Cocker.html

Slum Dog Rhubarb ...

When you are used to a Southern Climate, move home to The Prairie, and are just coming out of a long, cold, and very white Winter, it doesn't take a lot to flip you out. That is just one of the best things about being home ... appreciating and respecting Mother Nature and the changing Seasons.

We spent most of the day yesterday outside and around our Property ... all of us ... including Ruby, Bean, Mama Mia and Leo. It's not like we accomplished anything. We didn't need to. It was all about the sun, the fresh air, the birds, and things turning green. I found lots of things coming to life in my flower garden but was more taken with our Rhubarb Patch. My photo shows each stage minus the stalk, and that's not far behind.

The leaves first appear in a red pod. Sun and warmth cause the leaves to enlarge and they break a tiny whole in the pod in an "egg hatching" sort of way. From that hole the leaf spills out first and is followed by the quick growth of the square green stalk.

Rhubarb deserts are traditional on The Prairie but not everyone can handle them. You either love it or you don't. I have a recipe that came from Doris Bue, my College Algebra Tutor, that's a Torte combining the filling with a shortbread crust and a topping of real whipped cream. They have a way of taming down the wild sweet/sour flavor of the Rhubarb without it getting too much of your attention.

It's known as an aggressive laxative and slimming agent too, but it's the word "Rhubarb" that gets to have all the fun.

It's very common for a crowd of extras and actors to shout the word "Rhubarb" repeatedly, in a manner not syncronized, to cause the effect of general hubbub. As a result, the word is sometimes used to mean the length of B. S. text in speaking or writing. Stage actors also use the word, repeating in a low or murmured tone, to provide background voice ambiance in crowd or party scenes.

"Tis Rhubarb!" denotes something as nonsense.

The term "Rhubarb" has been used in baseball forever to reference a fight amongst many players or a brawl that will clear the bench.

In Batman, Jack Nicholson/The Joker tells Michael Keaton/Bruce Wayne "Never rub another man's Rhubarb!" as a warning to leave Kim Basinger/Vicky Vale alone.

The word Rhubarb was used in World War II to refer to low flying missions for planes.

And the phrase "putting it in the rhubarb" describes driving a vehicle off of the road, and possibly into roadside vegetation. Similar to golf, when your hook shot lands you "In the Spinach."

You know more about Rhubarb now than you may ever need or wanted to. But what you learned here could some day be one of those pieces of knowledge that comes in handy for Crossword Puzzles, Trivial Pursuit, or finding yourself on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Happy Earth Day from The Prairie.

That's The Way, Uh Huh, Uh Huh, I Like It, Uh Huh, Uh Huh ...

Disco Sky Watch Fridays all around our World at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Exhaling Now ...

At Winter's end it's difficult to explain what it is like to go into Watertown's freshly stocked Sioux Valley Nursery. We don't have year round Nurseries here on The Prairie. As an avid Gardener, today ranked way up there on this Chick's list of Things She Loves. That ... and I'm sunburned.

State of Mind ...

Today is another sunny day in the 50's ... Our property is almost snow free with the grass greening up like crazy. I have the windows open and I am listening to the birds. I love my State. Just thought I would let you know.

Sky Watch Friday, Unplugged ...

No Saturation. No Edge Blur. No Contrast. No Sharpness. No Boost. No Noise Reduction. Just My Sun. Just a Second Ago.

Easter Weekend Skies Around Your World and Mine at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

One Little Patch of Snow ...

I'm working today and it's one of those days that would be better spent outside. Ron and I took a cruise around the Flower Garden a few minutes ago. It's only been a week since I've checked things out.

We found these flowers coming to life ... Sedum. Holly Hock, Lambs Ear, Daisies, Day Lilies, Iris, Hen and Chicks, Allium and Yarrow. And there was one little patch of snow being snuffed out by all the fabulous sunshine.

The Amaryllis has been opening up here inside our Kitchen. God is Good.

Mama Mia, On The Other Hand ...

Prays for Peace, Love, Legalization of Kat Knip, and Tickets to Hair on Broadway ...

Back Off, North Korea ...

Ruby's got our Backs !!!

I Know You're Out There Somewhere Sky Watch ...

Sometimes I can get so far past the Clouds and so deep within the Sky that I am actually transported to that place where my Sister, Wendy, sleeps. She awakes instantly and I can see into her eyes. She smiles ... I smile ... then we giggle. Because we share something that only Sisters can share. It doesn't end with Death. It really just begins. And that's just the way it is with Wendy and I.

Let another person in another world tell you about their sky at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

A Photo of a Painting of a Painting of Much Beauty ...

I am a student of Life, but I am also a student of Travel ... or so I like to think. I haven't been around the whole wide world, but I have been to a number of wonderful Countries. And Memorabilia from here and there is putting it lightly when it comes to me and traveling and art work. Hopefully the Market will rebound and we can eek out another fine trip or two.

A few years back I spent time in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with my friend Kelly. She and I share the same passion for Artwork. Don't get us wrong ... we love Girl Shopping, we love Manicures and Pedicures, we love Gardening. We love each other. We love Travel too, and have been to Italy and France together. But beyond these things we love ... it's safe to say that Kelly and I, together, love the search for Artwork in foreign Countries above everything.

On that trip to San Miguel I spotted this painting from the top floor of a Garden Gallery, across a 5 story atrium, from the balcony I was standing on, and the balcony it was hanging on. I put down whatever sculpture I was touching, or left whatever painting I was lost in, and hooked it over to "The Dream". It was a painting by J c Luis ... of a painting by Henri Rousseau. But Kelly and I couldn't make the connection. We knew we had seen it, we knew it was by an Artist of prominence and stature, but we just couldn't put it together.

And I didn't care about anything except the fact that I was in deep lust. It was already mine. I couldn't leave it. I had to wrap myself in it. So Kelly went for the very shy and gracious, not quite English savvy Gallery Hostess, while I whispered sweet somethings in my Paintings ears. I made my offer and Madalena called J c Luis right away. He accepted. I was in Heaven ... except for the knot in my Stummie from the broken $500 Limit On Purchases Vow that Ron and I had made at the Alter of Love.

At first I thought I would just let it show up. But I was so confident that my news was one of the first things out of my mouth when I walked in. He was excited but a little freaked out. The Painting still had a long way to go before it would be hanging on our bedroom wall. The wall that had been screaming for something huge and gorgeous since we had moved in 25 years ago. In the Gallery, it all made perfect sense as to why it had taken so long.

The Painting came to us all the way from San Miguel on the back of a truck. On that same truck was an amazing sculpture that opened the door to my friendship with Shellie, a neighbor who was in San Miguel at the same time. My painting was at the back of the truck and had to be unloaded before she could get her unbelievable Sculpture ... a shapely Woman's bottom with a Butterfly on one of her buttocks. We didn't know each other then but she's our Girlfriend now. And Kelly's piece, which arrived the week after we returned, is another Post in itself. A huge Pedro Friedeberg piece, of row after long row of tiny churches, tiny houses, tiny adobes, tiny mailboxes and tiny something elses. The piece is actually behind him in the photo on his website http://www.pedrofriedeberg.com

What was a one month wait turned into a long three months. At two months I called the "Expediter" at the warehouse storing my new True Love, to inquire about our 6' by 8' Wonder ... Senor' Gomez said, "Ahhhhhhhhh ... Meeeze Keeeler ... we have "Much Beauty" okay and crate. She will be leaving in a few many days". After those many few days, when it was finally hanging on the wall, our dear friend Ken Simmons nailed it when he saw it, " Oh Lar Lar ... do you know what you have here" ?

And so it is ... Rousseau's original painting of The Dream hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Ron and I saw it in a Houston show at the MFA not too long ago. And J c Luis's painting of The Dream, which we refer to as Much Beauty ? It hangs safely and soundly here on The Prairie in our Living Room. Ron approves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henri_Rousseau_005.jpg

Freedom of Sex ... I Mean Speech ... I Mean Religion ...

Watertown has a new business relating to Sex ... it's located across the road from where this protester is standing. Our City Council and the majority of our population, 25,000 or so, have been totally against it and did just about everything possible to stop it's opening.

I wondered if I'd be telling our company this summer to take the Watertown exit off of I 29, and to look for the billboard with the XXX's. No billboard; however, and it hasn't been brought up again.

It's located on the property my Aunt Lauretta Fox sold to the State and the City when the Interstate came through. This could be her reincarnated self. She would not like this at all. Short of putting up a Church out there real quick, there was nothing Watertown, South Dakota's Rising Star, could do.