Ha, ha. What a great surprise I got this afternoon.
Stopped in to get an approved picture taken for my passport renewal application. The passport people are pretty fussy about how the picture is composed – has to be precisely the right size, showing exactly the right pose, and the correct face/shoulder ratio, designated color background, printed on a particular kind of paper at a specific thickness. And of course no glasses, no smiling, no teeth showing.
I’m not very photogenic at the best of times, but with all those conditions I’ve never, ever had a nice looking passport or driver’s license picture. Imagine my surprise when I got home and peeked into the little envelope to see the pictures that are going to the passport office tomorrow. It’s the best picture ever taken of me!!!
Think I have this year's Christmas card covered.

Here I sit in the Palace on a cold, soggy Saturday afternoon, smoking a cigar and sipping ice tea from a tall frosty glass.
 
Early in the day I noticed all the dandelions that, yesterday, adorned the yard like a bright yellow sun were closed up tighter than a morning glory at midnight, so I took some pictures, then went back in out of the rain and had a 7 o'clock slice of toast for breakfast.
 
Most of the morning was devoted to preparing a pork roast for the smoker and getting the hot tub warmed up, interrupted by many opportunities to hike up the hem of my robe and priss my way, like an old time school girl trying to keep her petticoat from dragging in the Lux flakes on the dance floor, through the glistening wet grass and small puddles of mud on the path to my walleye fishing spot on the dock.
 
By 11 o'clock my body was begging for a fat, giant, juicy barbequed burger, but I successfully diverted that diet devil temptation into a bowl of shredded cabbage topped with shredded smoked sucker and shredded cheddar cheese, doused gently with a creamy salad dressing.
 
"Yum yum," I said to myself, shaking my head in wonder, and rolling my eyes as I later lowered myself into the warmth of the hot tub wearing nothing but a hat and singing, "I like it like that," feeling toasty as a roasted peanut and winking back at the wavy lake flirting shamelessly with me.
 
Eventually, I saw that the dandelions were recuperating and shining once more through the dullness of the rainy day. They beckoned me to climb out of my watery happy place and take their pictures.
 
Still clucking my tongue and making little mouth gestures, my exit from the hot tub seemed like the right opportunity to make an adjustment to my 11 o'clock brunch delicacy. "Maybe if I smoke a cigar it'll take the taste of that cabbage concoction away," I said to myself.
 
So, that's why I took this rare picture of myself drinking ice tea. My wine and single malt scotch are locked away for this weekend, and my funny eating adventures are necessary as I wrestle with the damn diet devils right now.
 
Doing pretty good, though, and I'll win this match today and tomorrow. The first camp weekend, where every vice and everything nice is part of the wonderful program, needs a shake-up for a new regime.
 
Incidently, I just checked my web cam at the house and saw my little squirrel friend Alfie desperately looking for sunflower seeds on the deck. I forgot to leave food out for him. Ha, ha, Alfie. Join the club. See you tomorrow night.

Top of the day, Friends. This morning I saw something I've never noticed before. It's very cool and very wet out. What was a glorious yard of cheery yellow flowers yesterday is a sad, soggy picture in the morning light. The dandelions have retreated and closed in on themselves. The weed equivalent, I guess, of shrinkage.

I think Ol' Monkey Boy, our cat, must have gotten quite a surprise sometime yesterday. Wish I'd have seen it happen.
 
Mary came out of the spare bedroom this morning holding up something grasped with a paper towel. She was giggling and laughing and finally was able to speak. "Look what I found in the cat litter box!"
 
It was a sprung mouse trap.
 
Poor Monkey must have stepped in it on his way for a poop. Bet he jumped pretty high.

Life has its challenges sometimes.
A couple years ago I made some lifestyle changes, lost 50 pounds, brought my diabetes under control, lowered my blood pressure to an acceptable range for the first time in my adult life, which has unfolded marvelously for quite a long time.
Due to sloth and slack self discipline I have regained a hefty portion of that wonderful weight loss (equivalent to a big bag of cattle feed).
Today I decided to get back on the healthy road, resume my diet, and get myself in shape to step back into my size 34 jeans.
This afternoon a friend posted this picture and information about barbequed doughnuts.
At first I thought it was silly. Then I thought maybe barbequed doughnuts deserved a second thought. After a glass of wine in the Palace I decided to postpone my diet for a week or two in the interest of research.
Doughnuts are on the list for next weekend. Barbequed doughnuts dipped in maple syrup.

Opening day of fishing season... what will we have for supper? Walleye or rib eye?

Invitation to a Sucker tasting.
I am canning a single jar of smoked Sucker. In the morning we will open the pressure cooked jar and eat sucker on a cracker.

I never do selfies, but I'm in the hot tub at camp and the dogs look at me like I'm crazy when I put the camera in their paw, squeeze the sound cheese loudly through my lips, put on an idiot face, and command, "SHOOT! TAKE IT, QUICK."
They usually slink away with disgust, pee on the firewood pile, and wander out of sight.
So, this is me, warm as all get out on a freezing cold day, thinking deep thoughts.

A moose is an amazing animal - as big as a Brahma bull, as clumsy looking as an upside down turtle, as graceful as a butterfly.
In the middle of a Friday nightcap I looked out the kitchen window and saw a beautiful monster right here, 20 feet away.
I turned, grabbed my camera, and took this picture.

Getting ready to smoke some Suckahs on this beautiful Saturday at camp.