Mondays, they're like that.

Today was the most radiant and beautiful day so far this year, and it happened on a weekend!  Sam and I naturally hit the road on a photography expedition, driving "nowhere particular" in particular.  

Down in Oakdale, we stopped at Paul's Indian Store, just to see what could possibly be inside, and perhaps to score a few good images as well.  This place is a one of a kind, and a surprise to find in a small central California farm town.

Paul has clean restrooms, along with the antiques, moccasins, indian blankets and turquoise jewelry you would expect.  The blankets were actually pretty nice and inexpensive as well.  When the girls get back from Spokane, we will definitely have to drag them out here.

Our far point out was the little gold rush town of Knight's Ferry.   Knight was one of two brothers that ended up in California during the rush, and the other one founded another little town, Knight's Landing up by Woodland.

The place is still an active if small town, with a business district, a school and a decent number of residents living spread up the side of the hill above the Stanislaus River.

All in all, a great day to be on the road, listening to great tunes, exploring new places, and breathing the sun soaked fresh air.

Instead of eating shepherd's bread, the people in Dongyang China have other ideas about good things to eat.

"Basins and buckets of boys' urine are collected from primary school toilets.  It is the key ingredient in "virgin boy eggs," a local tradition of soaking and cooking eggs in the urine of young boys, preferably below the age of 10."

There is no accounting for taste.

I doubt they will be offering that delicacy at the local "Happy Lucky" Chinese restaurant.

On a rainy Saturday, there are few better ways to spend your time inside than making some shepherd's bread.  Not only does it make the house smell great, but there is the eating afterwards.

This is what I saw when I came out of my front door yesterday evening.

Modern wimmens = awesome!

This has got to be at Lake Tahoe, or perhaps Tioga Lake

Watermelons, they are good.

But they'd be better in bite size pieces.

Look familiar, Lou??

Samuel took all the color out except yellow.

Sprite sighting season is upon us, and the sprites below were expertly photographed by Thomas Ashcraft from his home in New Mexico.

What are they?  Go here to find out.

Here is a handy dandy guide to spotting these events.

You know things have deteriorated too far when you see a sign like this at a rally in support of teachers.

Saturday cabin porn

   Switzerland

                                                                           Lake Tahoe

                                                                  Skansen, Sweden

                                                                      White Mountains

                                                                       Carson Pass

Machete!

 He's coming to your town!  And he's already pissed off.

Let's face it.  In a bar fight, you want Danny Trejo on your side.

Next in a series taking a look at our mostly forgotten Presidents, so we can compare what we had with what we have now.

Here, Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President.

The second of eight children, he was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison, and great grandson of Benjamin Harrison V, governor of Virginia and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

He was the eighth Benjamin Harrison in his family.

His early schooling took place in a one room schoolhouse.

During the Civil War, Harrison rose to the rank of Brigadier General, and participated in Sherman's march to the sea.

Harrison was elected to serve as Senator by the state of Indiana from 1881 to 1887.

Harrison was elected President in 1888 as a Republican.  Although he received 90,000 fewer popular votes, he carried the electoral college 233 to 168.

Harrison was both preceded as President by Grover Cleveland, and followed as President by Cleveland.

While President, he was a champion of civil rights, and made the last serious effort at civil rights reform until the 1920's.

Harrison was the first President the have his voice recorded electronically, on a wax phonograph cylinder, in 1889.

He also had electricity installed for the first time in the White House by the Edison Electric Company.

More states were admitted to the union during his Presidency than any since President Washington.  These six were Washington, North and South Dakota, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

After his Presidency, he married for the second time to a woman 25 years his junior, and then sired his third child, a daughter.  Scandalized by this randy behavior, his two adult children boycotted the wedding.

Open road Friday, ready for the weekend!

Friday freckles.  Sigh.