Nice Neckties on an Elm

The last time I rode up the gut-busting Benhill Street hill, I stopped at the top and took this photo of some excellent elm tree art. It's a special catagory of art, because it nearly always resides on the boulevard and it relies on the death of a large, regal elm tree nearly a century old, for its raw material. The people who live by this carving are really into this attraction. They have planted flowers at the base and have blessed the characters - Christopher Robin, Pooh, and Eeyore (I think) - with really colorful neck ties. It's nice to arrive at the top of Benhill and be greeted by these denizens of the Hundred Acre Woods.


Another old scanned in photo from 1945 or 1946. Santini is the "baby" and I know when she was born. The guy in the sailor uniform is Julius Hanson, my mom's first cousin, son of Jake Hanson. I scanned this in because one of my second cousins called and was looking for old photos of her side of the Hansen clan. Her dad, Nels, is not in the photo, but her Uncle Julius is, and looking good in uniform right at the end of WWII. It's a nice shot of Tommy, Santini and T. Tousan. Santini is the only child civilized enough to be wearing shoes. It has always been thus.


I played a single set of tennis with the Gang of Geezers tonight. It was humid and the sweat was flowing off my body. I've always been a pretty good sweater, a sort of lost art. [There must be a pun there somewhere.] Jerry and I won an 8-6 nail-biter.

I see that Vino was not completely fried yesterday at the French Bike race. He was able to snatch another stage victory in the high mountains. I wonder if he was doping today. He looked quite strong.

Ms. KS returns on a jet plane tomorrow in the afternoon for blueberries and Thai food.