A Man Walked Into a Bar

Only to find that his skills were once again needed to sort out computers, phones and incredibly pleasing and effective insect repellent salve. Along with...okay never mind, let us all just assume this is a fairly varietal sort of man.

When his skills at balloon magic were extolled and he found himself more properly introduced to the bridal part of the newly wed couple, he went, once again, into his dry bag of tricks and nononono, he did not pull out a plum.

Daryl's whole posture and mouth set screams - what IS he making?

Withheld (verbally) skepticism (these people are a little weird, is this going to be a bar joke on me?)

Charmed! Not the feared plasticized XXX object, but an adorable little...uh...mousie/kitty/doggy...thingy.

This all went very fast so the photos were of the unposed 'not waiting for me to be ready' variety, so I hope you get what I saw. Another happier hour at Dinghy Dock! p.s. I have no idea if this is really what Daryl was thinking,  but it's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Have a trusting Thursday! Do something trickily nice.

A Trip Back in Time

Deep in the bowels of the internet are some amazing archives of American arcana, including the Prelinger Archives. What are the Prelinger Archives?

"Prelinger Archives was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger in New York City. Over the next twenty years, it grew into a collection of over 60,000 "ephemeral" (advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur) films. In 2002, the film collection was acquired by the Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Prelinger Archives remains in existence, holding approximately 5,000 digitized and videotape titles (all originally derived from film) and a large collection of home movies, amateur and industrial films acquired since 2002. Its goal remains to collect, preserve, and facilitate access to films of historic significance that haven't been collected elsewhere. Included are films produced by and for many hundreds of important US corporations, nonprofit organizations, trade associations, community and interest groups, and educational institutions.Getty Images represents the collection for stock footage sale, and over 2,800 key titles (now in the process of increasing to over 5,000) are available here."

There is much more to be found in the archives, so when facebook / twitter /etc. begins to bore you (and from things I'm reading scattered around the internet, those diversions are beginning to bore a lot of people) it's well worth a look. 

This video is a tourism video of Puerto Rico, some of which is pretty funny/not so funny. I couldn't find a date it was made, but it looks like the late 50's or early 60's. Thanks to my daughter Sarah for finding this one for me! 

Of course, you'll notice they don't mention Culebra or Vieques; maybe holidaying on islands being bombed by the US wasn't exactly the stuff of the Tourism Department's dream machine. 

Vintage Puerto Rico postcard and my favorite!

 Have a wander to the past Wednesday. Do something wishful.

Yes, you were right, it is simply Tuesday!

I feed the chickens in the morning and while I may go by the coop again before the next feeding, sometimes that doesn't happen. Yesterday was one of those days. Even out messing with plants, I barely glanced that way. It was the heat of the day time and everything felt siesta like - I know a good idea when I feel it.

But later, walking toward the coop, I saw it. I not only saw it, I saw, in a flash, my life on Culebra go by me, which for the most part, has been a gift. Really.

I have only a vague couple of guesses about who came over and decorated the chicken coop with a palm frond, blooming hand painted flowers made from liter bottle tops, but I thank you (and if it was you who also left the chicken wire? thanks more!).

I thank you for not only your gift, which is so awesome, but for the tidal flow of fine point occasional memories - coming home to find something tucked up on the shelf on my porch, hanging from the door knob cleat, sitting on the outside table. Usually something practical, sometimes something edible, once in awhile something impractical, inedible, a soul smile stretcher.

I usually either know or suspect who has left something and almost always find out, though there has been a mystery or two over the years. I imagine this won't remain a mystery, but until it is solved, it's fun to guess.

And that, in one of my favoritely awkward later in the life vernacular cliches, is just how Culebra rolls.

Have a treetop Tuesday! Do something to the max.