Brodé Galeux d’Eysines. Parle vu?

Just a few more weeks, Cinderella...

This French heirloom pumpkin means "embroidered with warts" from Eysines (a small city in the southwest of France). This baby is from the gardens of Glen Mar in Greendale, WI, USA.

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TGIF! presents....Andy Williams' "Softly, As I Leave You!"

Andy Williams passed away this week at the age of 84. Inarguably, one of the prominent velvet voices of all time, Williams left a legacy of music that has brought me joy throughout my life. Here's one of my favorite songs covered by Andy, the theme from the made-for-TV hit film, "Brian's Song".

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11 a.m. & 2nd Breakfast!

Above - Left to right: Pimpernel Bramble of Willbottom, East Farthing (me) and Todo Bracegirdle of Hardbottle (Brian).

So, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the 1st printing of JRR Tolkien's masterpiece, The Hobbit (Sept. 21, 1937), there was a world-wide 2nd Breakfast held this past Friday at 11am. Hobbits love to eat - and they frequently have a 2nd breakfast. I organized this and Brian, my co-worker - was a willing participant. Green tea, cherry scones and wild honeycombs! It was a thing of beauty!

If you've never heard of Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, or The Hobbit, read here, friend.

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Black raspberry jam.

From the berry crop at Glen Mar. Doubled my output from 2011. Oddly, canned just three days earlier than last year.

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TGIF! presents...Lucille from "Cool Hand Luke"!

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Fall.

 

"The winds will blow their own freshness into you,
and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop away from you
like the leaves of Autumn."

- John Muir

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Dumpster Diver Jeff!

 

Primitive/toll Noah's Ark painting. Stopped in at Bethesda Thrift Store in Hales Corners where my 3rd cousin Katie works and unexpectedly walked out with these treasures. $19.12. The lot! I'm good. Click on READ MORE! to see more of my booty.

 



 

Wreath.

 

 

Basket #1.

 

 

Candle holder? Sort of big for that. Candy? Nuts? 

 

 

Another candle holder?

 

 

 

Basket #2.

 

 

Small carafe.

 

 

 Tchotchke, knickknack, bauble, thingamajig, doodad, trinket, or another candle holder, maybe?

 

 

Basket #3.

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TGIF! presents..."Suo Gan"!

TGIF! presents...Empire of the Sun & "Suo Gan"! Kick ass movie and kick ass Welsh tune. Christian Bale is beyond his years in this film. I mean....he's incredible.

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BARTON HOLLOW goes GOLD!

The Civil Wars' debut album is celebrating in Nashville on September 26th! If you haven't heard of Joy and John Paul...well, you should. Grammy Awards, Americana Music awards....I'm beginning to lose track. I first caught wind of them in April 2011 - saw them here in Milwaukee in November 2011.

Here's the official music video for the song "Barton Hollow". I should fly off to Nashville...

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When the Gov'na calls....

That's me, Wisconson Governor Scott Walker and Kelly Severson Miller at the Governor's Executive Mansion in Madison last Saturday for a private reception for Badger Boys & Girls State alumni and counselors, sponsored by the BBS Alumni Association. Wonderful, bipartisan (but not political) reception. Gave the gov'na some Ircink homemade maple syrup & honey. Which he, of course, loved!

(Left to right): Scott Adrian, Gary Saunders, Governor Scott Walker, Joel Ninneman and myself. The five of us worked together as Carpenter County counselors at Badger Boys State, held every June at Ripon College. Lifelong friends and memories and truly a highlight (the BBS experience) in my life.

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Do you have Prince Albert in a can?

Then let him out. HA! Classic! I got a million of 'em.

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Celebs say (and do) the darndest things!

 

If you're still reeling over Clint Eastwood's speech at the Republican National Convention, Clint gave an interview to The Carmel Pine Cone, his local paper in CA, after his now infamous stint at the RNC.

Now - I'm a Clint fan. Always have been. And we have similar politics. He's pro-choice and pro-gay rights. And pretty much a righty on most everything else. Oh - and he supports the arts. Forgot about that one. Anyways, I probably wouldn't have used "the empty chair" or made those couple references about President Obama telling Mitt Romney "to screw himself" (which Clint alluded to but didn't actually say), but that's just me. Aside from those two things (which I really didn't get bent outta shape about), I had no problem with what Eastwood said.

In the interview, he touched on the "method to his madness" (my phrase) regarding his speech. Here are some highlights:

A)  "I had three points I wanted to make...That not everybody in Hollywood is on the left, that Obama has broken a lot of the promises he made when he took office, and that the people should feel free to get rid of any politician who's not doing a good job. But I didn't make up my mind exactly what I was going to say until I said it."

B)  "There was a stool there, and some fella kept asking me if I wanted to sit down...When I saw the stool sitting there, it gave me the idea. I'll just put the stool out there and I'll talk to Mr. Obama and ask him why he didn't keep all of the promises he made to everybody."

C)  As he wrapped up his remarks, he was aware his presentation was "very unorthodox," but that was his intent from the beginning, even if some weren't on board. "They've got this crazy actor who's 82-years-old up there in a suit...I was a mayor, and they're probably thinking I know how to give a speech, but even when I was mayor I never gave speeches. I gave talks."

I know it was on national television which certainly amplified the entire incident. But I would rather have done what Eastwood did on national television than tweet what actor Jason Biggs (AMERICAN PIE) did...something about taking two pinkies and shoving them into Paul Ryan's wife's asshole - and that her asshole was probably bleached. OR what actress Ellen Barkin (TENDER MERCIES, SEA OF LOVE) tweeted - about how she wished Hurricane Isaac would sweep "every pro-life, anti-education, anti-woman, xenophobic, gay-bashing, racist SOB right into the ocean .

Yep. Most definitely.

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TGIF! presents....Johnny Cash's "Hurt"!

Had no idea this was a Nine Inch Nails cover. Cash owns it.

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RenFaire @ Bristol! Part Deux!

My second visit to RenFaire in Bristol, WI in three weeks - this time with Brother Jason. We had a blast. Click on READ MORE! for the pageantry that is...RENFAIRE! Here is the beginning of my post.

The man who would be king. Brother Jas at the archery stalls.

Scottish claymore.

This lovely couple caught my fancy.

A lute player. A lutist!

I...am...Robin Hood! Well, I am...

Jas trying on head adornment.

Everyone's welcome at RenFaire! Here are some fantasy dudes.

The queen's court.

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Hair today, gone tomorrow!

 

Grace (oldest) and my goddaughter, Gwyneth...beauty stylists! In order: caught, pictured proudly with evidence, and finally, mommy "the cleaner" comes to the rescue. Oh yeah - this happened the day before school began in California.

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Natural comb honey.

From my beekeeper brother. $12. What do you do with it? Eat the honey and chew on the wax. Email me at jeffbumbershoot43@gmail.com if you want one. 

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RenFaire swag.

Celtic cross and mouse....I don't know. You hang it off a pot or dish. Pics from RenFaire @ Bristol, WI posting soon!

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TGIF! presents....The Seekers' "Georgy Girl"!

My happy song. You should get one.

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i am born.

This day, Saturday, the 29th of August, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen hundred and sixty four, at 2:34 p.m. I am Saturday's child, who works hard for his living.

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Anders Breivik. Justice served?

Killed 77 people (mostly children) and gets 21 years - the maximum sentence under Norwegian law. How quaint. Now - his sentence can be repeatedly extended if he's deemed "a danger" after his initial sentence is served. I think Norway needs to reexamine their criminal code statutes.

What a cunt.

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TGIF! presents..."A River Runs Through It" (the best scene)!

Great film - and it's the best scene in my opinion as it reminds me so much of myself, my brother and father and our annual fishing trips on the Rainbow Flowage in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. You can fast-forward to the 2:30 mark if you'd like....that's me, Jason and Dad - talking, laughing and loving.

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TGIF! presents...Sir Geoffrey of Glen Mar, Royal Archer!

(NOTE: BEFORE you watch this, PAUSE video, and MAKE SURE the setting icon (bottom right of screen, left of the clock icon) is at 1080 and enlarge to full screen...for best quality.)

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haikuin' it, zucchini style!

Zucchini bread - LIKE
homegrown…my Greendale garden
eat – come to Glen Mar

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"ohhhh...look at the pretty lace!"

That's a rose bush leaf. That's what those motherfuckin' Japanese beetles leave when they're finished munching on my beautiful roses. Well - not any more. I just sprayed the fuck out of them.

Previous post on aforementioned Japanese beetles/fuckers.

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mojitos.

Made with chocolate mint from the garden. WHOO!

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TGIF! presents...Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl"!

A #1 smash hit for Charlie. My favorite line/melody:

"...I stood alone in the cold gray dawn

Knew I’d lost my morning sun."

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Ezra the Juvenile.

 

Monday's are the shittiest day of the week. Mine was even shittier. We have a family of red-tailed hawks that live at the cemetery where I work during the summer. Beautiful, regal birds. They've lived there for a few years, nesting atop an evergreen tree. The male and female mate for life and as far as we know, Ezra (above) was their only offspring. Ezra was born in the spring, a "juvenile" -  meaning it hasn't reached sexual maturity - which in Ezra's case would be two years. We don't know Ezra's sex so we'll just say he's a "he".

Monday morning, Bryan and I found Ezra on the ground below the nest, lying on its back. As far as we could determine, Ezra's back had been broken. We have no idea how. Perhaps a flying miscalculation? Who knows.

We kept an eye on Ezra all morning, turning him on his stomach to see if that helped. However, he slowed down as the morning passed. We called a vet, the DNR, Human Society, shelter - no one would come out to the cemetery. There was nothing they could do for him.

- - - - - - -

The hawks were untypically quiet all day. Do you suppose they knew their Ezra had passed? Were they looking for him? Later on in the afternoon, I saw mom and dad hawk soaring above, riding those thermal drafts - floating, wing-to-wing. At one point, I saw one of the hawks roosting in a tree I had never seen them roost in - a tree overlooking the baby section of the cemetery.

And Bryan and I were quieter than usual that day. Ezra was a part of our daily life and I can't stop thinking about him. So, writer-Jeff composed this haiku, in memory of Ezra the Juvenile:

ezra

look yonder, young hawk!
soar! cry! kree-eee-ar! kree-eee-ar! search the sky!
silence. listen...kree-eee-ar!

Before giving Ezra a proper burial (as only we would know how to do), Bryan and I each took one of Ezra's tail feathers, held sacred to many American Indian tribes - our way of honoring our friend. Take a look at this video - an up-close look at a trained red-tailed hawk...much like Ezra the Juvenile.

Goodbye, Ezra...may you soar in peace for a thousand years. You will be missed.

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Early Girls ripen'in.

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Happy Birthday, Mom!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mom! A wonderful woman, wife and mother... Jas, Dad & I are very lucky. She has gone beyond the call of duty many times - partly because we three guys can be idiots but mostly because she chooses to do so.

Love...Jeff, Jason & Dad.

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TGIF! presents...Johnny Cash's "The Caretaker"!

For Bryan, Bernie & myself.

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American Apparel. Part Sept. "Camping with Cailin."

Part 7 in a PASSION = TRUTH pictorial series. In French, of course.

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EAA @ Oshkosh!

Since 1970, the EAA Airventure is the largest of its kind in the world. 500,00 visitors in one week generating $110 million. This was our first visit. Above:  Close-up of Corsair - my favorite plane. It's the wings...I love those wings!

The $41 ticket was worth every penny. It's rare anyone these days gets to see vintage (or modern) planes up close and personal AND in action. Couple negatives - the $9 parking was BS, especially since there was a $5 lot across from where we were told to park and CLOSER to the complex. Also, why screw a captured audience by charging $8 for a cheeseburger? I know you can - but why?

Click on READ MORE! for a few more pics!

Jas & "Glacier Girl", a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, rescued from the ice in Greenland after crash landing in 1942. No crew members were injured. Read about the story here.

Some plane. A training plane, I guess. Vintage. I don't know shit about planes except the Corsair and this ain't it. Still looking...

Corsair. The plane Pappy Boyington's Black Sheep Squadron flew in the Pacific.

Ran into my old theater friend, Steve Rezabek, from Cedar Rapids, IA. Well, I figured he might be there and emailed his wife and she got ahold of Steve who called me. ;) Steve, his brother (Mike?) and father are heavily into planes - fly them, own them and build them - and they've been attending the EAA for 30-35 years. Had some time to catch up but mostly Steve enlightened us - on planes! Next beer in CR is on me, Steve...it's been too long

 This is how not to dress. Even in Wisconsin.

Sum Udda Bitch.

Why would throngs of people want to stand in line to board a Southwest Airlines plane? To see the cockpit? I can't think of any other reason....

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