Was It One of Those Boring Work Parties?

Panda didn't get to go, but he wanted his picture on the blog.
Andy's party? No, it was a Murphies birthday party for Grandma, who is 86, Jim, who is 56, and Judy, who is 49. Above, the obligatory music.
Mom Michelle and baby Samantha. Motherhood suits Michelle, and Samantha is a doll.
The siblings with their beloved Mother. Sorry, Claire, loaded the wrong picture.
The spouses. Somebody is missing but I can't remember who it is.
Michelle and Adam, who is delightful. Easy-going and unpretentious.
Uncle Don captures the attention of three generations of Murphy women.
Proud Grandma and Grampa. Pat has three grandchildren. The rest of us are still waiting. Sorry I left out the Deturcks, always a welcome addition to a Murphy party, but I can't get blogger to upload anymore pics.

The Ride Home

Mom and I left the party in Amherst at about 9PM. It had been a worry-free reprieve from the rain we had left behind. Sunny and Breezy. We ran into the first drops between Cobleskill and Oneonta, and it was soon a steady rain. Getting to Morris was uneventful, though it was obvious that there was a lot of water around. New Berlin was another matter. We were able to squeeze through the middle of the street above town. Occasional emergency vehicles went by, and the rare passenger car. The road to Columbus had numerous flares and areas where water was running across the road. We took the last corner into Columbus and were greeted with the sight of volunteer firefighters and people (Families with kids in their arms) in the road, flares, and a river of water running down through the houses on the west side of the street. Up ahead at the corner the water was gushing across the road, and we were advised by a fine young firefighter who resembled Newt from Lonesome Dove that we should turn back to NB and take the county route into Norwich. It was a mess, but passable.

Nothing catastrophic here, but water is everywhere. Jeremy took good care of the cows, and while they suffered out in the rain, there were no casualties. The rain finally quit mid-morning, and the cows went back outside into a lane that is wet and eroded, and pastures that are swampy.

I'm glad I wasn't here during the previous day. The anxiety would have killed me.

Luke Graduates from High School

The proud Family. Friends. With pretty sister.
Luke gets the diploma he worked so hard for. Bless his heart as my grandmother would say.
The long walk from the school.

Flooding in Sherburne

There's video here. I'll post some pictures this evening.

Caption this photograph!

Double-click to enlarge this picture from today's Boston Globe of New Age revellers in England, celebrating the summer solstice at Stonehenge, and check out the boy in the bottom-center foreground. Besides "I can't believe Mum made me bring this bloody tambourine," what is he thinking?

Absolutely Unbelievable

This is how ABC gathers news? I'm nearly speechless. And, yes, I e-mailed them with my proof. I forgot to mention that the cows are sweating more than they used to. I'll have to e-mail them again.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2094224&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Just try and get a bike-messenger job that has full health benefits.

Lileks touches all the bases.

http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/lileks060706.html

A National Treasure

Frank Robinson has a great face and demeanor. He says things in the dugout that I would give anything to hear. Read this:

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/06/20/a_visit_from_a_national_treasure/

Deceived

Apparently, there were a number of you looking for me on Sunday, hoping to celebrate Fathers Day with me. Well, I pretty much stagger from one "special day" to the next, never remembering whom we should be honoring this time. Mom took advantage of my weakness, telling me it was, of all things, Father-In-Law Day, and that we had to go to Stanfordville so I could be with my FIL. Not long after arriving I discovered the truth. I managed to have a good time anyway. The lesson is trust, but verify.

So next year on Fathers Day, call me ahead of time.

He's Singing About the Issues, But Is He a Man?

Technically, yes.

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/yorke%20im%20an%20environmental%20hypocrite_1000208

"Give me the warm power of the sun,
to make my amplifiers run."