St. Michael’s Church is the oldest church edifice in the City of Charleston, standing on the site of the first Anglican Church built south of Virginia. In the 1680’s a small wooden church, the first in the new town of Charles Town, was built on this spot for the families of the Church of England.

George Washington, first president of the United States, turned the handle on this door,  walked in,  and attended services during a visit in the late 1700s.   Martha skipped church that day, and instead, ate a breakfast of eggs and grits at Joseph’s.  Tomorrow is Sunday.  Take a guess on whether I am going to do what George would do….. or what Martha would do……

The Circular Church Cemetery, in Charleston, SC, was established in 1681.  That’s more than 300 years ago.  And those are some old stones.  Very still and peaceful.  No, those stones are not rolling anywhere.

I know this because I sit in Charleston this very minute.  A few hours ago, I visited the churchyard.    And, to note……I did not see Elvis there.  Or Curt Cobain, or Janis Joplin.

No rockers.  Just rocks.  This whole place rocks.

I read in this morning’s paper that Elvis sightings have been dropping off significantly in the past five years.  Just behind Elvis:  UFO’s spotted in the heavens…..down 23%……. not to mentions a slump in iconic religious figures identified in food-stuffs.

Well.  Low and behold.  On my walk this morning, just a couple of miles from my house, looky who I saw.

...this ain't heartbreak hotel.........

My life is full of wonder!

On today’s date, in the year 1988, Indiana Senator Dan Quayle was nominated as George H.W. Bush’s running mate during the Republican National Convention in New Orleans.

There are hundreds of Quayle quotes.  Here are 7 good ones…..  Don’t drink milk while reading these.  You’ll spew it out your nose, it will get all over your keyboard and I just can’t be held responsible for that….

So, in no particular order:

“I have made good judgements in the Past.I have made good judgements in the Future.”

“I am not part of the problem.  I am a Republican.”

“People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history.”

“Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.”

“We’re all capable of mistakes, but I do not care to enlighten you on the mistakes we may or may not have made.”

“I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix.”

(  ….and maybe he’s smarter than we think?????………..  )

“It’s time for the human race to enter the solar system.”

"Our little solar system. Enter with care."

Look both ways, the Momma Raccoon always said.  But Little Ralphie was always too busy playing Cops-n-Robbers with his little foresty friends to pay attention to what his mother said.  (Ralphie had the best mask of all.  He was always one of the robbers.)  But Ralpie never listened.  He never paid attention to her when she talked about the importance of eating your fruits and nuts either.  Or the importance of dental hygiene…..  But, I digress.

The other night, Ralpie was playing “Chicken” with the squirrel family down the block.  (They were faster, a little more bright-eyed, and had bushier tails….had better nuts.)  But back to chicken.  It was Ralphie’s turn, just when a Ford Pinto came screaming around the bend.  The squirrels darted to and fro…. but little Ralphie…….. well.  The fate of the white stripe.  Gideon’s Bible.

There is a great article in TIME Magazine this week, in case you missed it.  Cover Story:  “What Animals Think.  New science reveals they are smarter than we realized.” by Jeffrey Kluger.  http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2008759,00.html

I’ve known they were smack-dabbin’ smart all along.  Here is a for instance.   We have a cat named Felix.  He has a toy dog we call “Butchie”….. he knows Butchie by name, I think.   Regardless, he LOVES his little toy dog.

And here’s the long story:  Felix lives mostly in the upper level of our home.  He doesn’t care for our real dogs.  Every evening, the dogs and the cats get a “can of catfood” as a treat.  They mostly split a couple of little cans.  These two empty cans will often remain on the floor during the night.  Next in the scenario:  There is a gate that blocks off the upper level steps, so Felix can jump and run and go as he pleases.  He pleases mostly at after dark.   Nearly every night, he picks up Butchie and brings him downstairs.  He positions Butchie by water bowls, food bowls, and most recently, near an empty cat food can.

I think he is “feeding” Butchie.  Think about the connection that is happening in Felix’s brain in this process.

Two recent Butchie sightings:  (For real.)

Bert Lahr was my favorite dude in the Wizard of Oz.  “Zeke” on the farm.  Sat on a tractor, just like this one, right before Dorothy fell into the wild pig pit.  What the heck was wrong with that girl, anyway?  Clumsy. Weepy. Bad fashion sense.  A bit of a whiner.  But she liked dogs.  Chalk one up for the girl in the blue dress.

Anyway, Bert Lahr was the Cowardly Lion.  “Who’s afraid?  Put ’em up.”  I love that guy.

But on to it… “The Wizard of Oz” premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, on this date, but way back in 1939.  What a day that was.  What a day.

We say “water under the bridge” to refer to past experiences and conflicts which we have decided to forget. This idiom compares these memories of the past to water which has passing under the bridge.

For example: “Aren’t you still angry about what she said?” Answer: “No, that was a long time ago. It’s all water under the bridge.”

You can’t quite see it here, but there is water under this bridge:

Gone, but not forgotten?

I can hear it trickling now…..

…. and don’t call me a drip.  Please.  Puhhhh-leeeeaaase.

The Haunted Story Goes:  There is a bridge in Preble County, here, where a distraught woman hung herself after her infant died. The legend says that if you park on the bridge when everything is quiet, and you say ” Mama” three times then you will see the woman and hear the infant crying.  Some say it is the bridge on Brower Road.  Others claim Fudge Road.  And the most common story gives the locale as the bridge on Seven Mile Road.

That’s just around the bend in this photo.  Whatever you do right now, DO NOT SAY “Mama” three times.  Pleeeeeeaaase……..

The Dog Days of Summer.   Why not the Cat Days?  Or the Pig Days?  Dogs aren’t the only creatures uncomfortable in oppressive heat, so why does a dog get singled out in “dog days”?

I learned today that the “dog” here is actually the Dog Star, which is also called “Sirius.” The star has long been associated with sultry weather in the northern hemisphere because it rises simultaneously with the sun during the hottest days of summer. In the ancient Greek constellation system, this star (called “Seirios” in Greek) was considered the hound of the hunter Orion and was given the epithet “Kyon,” meaning “dog.

Well, folks.  That little dog above is my Dog Star.  Sirius-ly.  (One of them, at least.)