Memes for a Monday

Look at that – you turn around and suddenly its Monday again and time for a few merrie memes.

Well I’m thinking we better get some snow pretty soon here on the Island or its going to be a pretty green Winter Games. And I don’t mean ecological.

I no sooner type the above than they forecast a storm for tomorrow – followed by rain and temperatures in the “plus” range.

The man was a genius – he thought of everything.

One of those “charming” quirks that made life hard for a ESL teacher.

It makes the world go around.

Let’s not even talk about weight! Okay?

I became a bit wary when the cars started talking to us.

Psst! Psst! Hey Mister you want to buy a French postcard? Nudge! Nudge! Wink! Wink!

Unhinge your jaw; its almost time for BurgerLove here on the Island

How many times have I told you? Don’t call me …

I prefer to think of it as a virtue.

The word for January 9^th is:
Wary wâr′ē: [adjective]
^1.1 On guard; watchful.
^1.2 Characterized by caution.
^1.3 Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, artifices, and dangers; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous; careful.
Middle English ware, from Old English wær.

American Thanksgiving 2022

Odds and Sods Around the House

In the late 1970s I travelled to a fair number of spots with my friend Gary. Off the top of my head I remember trips to San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, New York, Denver, Atlanta, Barbados, Rio, Berlin and London. Most of the stops involved some sightseeing, a good bit of bar hoping, and for me at least opera.

In the case of our trip to Albuquerque and Santa Fe in August 1978 it was the North American premiere of the newly completed Lulu by Alban Berg. I don’t remember much about Albuquerque but recall Santa Fe being a charming town with good restaurants and interesting boutiques.

Though I seldom bought souvenirs two things caught my eye and came back to Ottawa with me. One was a tchotchke and the other a piece of art.

The tchotchke is this charming little fellow:

As I recall he claimed to be a Pot Dragon and his job was to protect your plants and flowers. Though looking at him you do have to admit he is more Kenneth Grahame than George RR Martin.

I must say that over the past 40-odd years he has done a stellar job standing guard over the flora in our household.

Sadly the artwork did not photograph well because of the reflective glass. It’s a watercolour and ink collage on cardboard and paper. I noticed that over the years the colours have faded – that mat was once a Prussian Blue. The artist’s signature, P. A. Youngman, has also blurred. I have been unable to find anything about Youngman, perhaps a young artist working in one of the many collectives in the area

The word for October 28^th is:
Dragon \drăg′ə\: [noun]
^1.1 A mythical monster traditionally represented as a gigantic reptile having a long tail, sharp claws, scaly skin, and often wings.
^1.2 Any of various lizards, such as the Komodo dragon or the flying lizard.
^1.3 A fiercely vigilant or intractable person.
Middle English, from Old French, from Latin dracō, dracōn-, large serpent, from Greek drakōn.

More Yankee Hill

Well our vacation time and the peace and quiet of Yankee Hill came to an end on Sunday and been replaced by the cacophony of tourist central. Two cruises ships were in yesterday and to entertain them it appears the Port Authority booked a Willie Nelson impersonator. He contrived to delight us for over five hours yesterday. Let us sincerely hope that is not the lasting impression our tourist visitors take away with them.

Almost on cue the evening temperatures dipped on our last few days at the cottage but the days remained sunny if a bit cool. Our last full day we took one final stroll on the beach. I know you’ve been presented with these views before but for Laurent and I they never get old.

Here’s to next year at Yankee Hill and French River.

The word for September 7^th is:
Stroll \ ˈstrōl \: [^1. noun ^2. verb]
^1. A leisurely walk.
^2.1 To go for a leisurely walk.
^2.2 To walk along or through at a leisurely pace.
Probably German dialectal strollen, variant of strolchen, from Strolch, fortuneteller, vagabond, perhaps from Italian dialectal strolegh, from Italian astròlogo, astrologer, fortuneteller, from Latin astrologus, astronomer, astrologer, from Greek astrologos.

Oh Oysters Come And Walk With Us

Today being National Oyster Day I thought I’d repost is item from 2017 on my favourite mollusc! Time for a feed!

Willy Or Won't He

Perhaps the most famous ostreidae celebrated in story and rhyme are those unfortunate, plump – and let’s be honest stupid – young oysters who accepted the Walrus’s invitation to go for a jog along that great expanse of sand.  Even though their Elder wisely refused to join the rather unusual pairing of Tradesman and Marine Mammal on their stroll, the foolish young ones eagerly trotted off hand-in-hand (?) with, or puffing behind, the Walrus and the Carpenter.  And their sad fate as a result of that inadvisable course of action is well documented and told to Alice, with perhaps unnecessary glee, by those battling brothers Tweedledum and Tweedledee*.

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes- and ships- and sealing wax-
Of cabbages- and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot-
And whether pigs have wings.”

“But wait a bit,” the Oysters cried,

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