Flowers brighten everyones day

 

Welcome to Summer! 6 hears all the time about how nice it is to have all 4 seasons, hog wash! If we were all being honest with ourselves, we would like it to be 80 and sunny, with low humidity, during the day and 68 at night with light rain. Yes, 6 uses that old adage, but more to be polite than being honest. Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the 4 seasons. No,6 is not talking about the hotel chain, or the band from back in the 60’s, 6 is talking about Winter, Spring Summer and Fall. 

While 6 sits on the front porch, rocking away, watching shadows on the wall in 99-degree heat perspiring like a hog, one can only go back in time and think about winter. Grass and trees are all dormant, life just seems gray and cold. In everyone’s mind is the anticipation of Christmas, and the Joy it brings to mankind. Even on the coldest days leading up to the birth, a warmth deep down inside makes even the coldest days endurable. Especially when it is 99-degrees out!  Let’s not forget are antics of our darling family, and the Christmas Spirit demonstrated by the Griswold’s!

Before you fully appreciate winter, Valentine’s day has passed and one’s attention is starting to transfer to spring. No more snow, no frost on the windows, days getting longer, and the talk of PVV is in full swing. There are three obvious things that need to take place for PVV: first getting a place to stay, second transportation to and from Kiawah, and finally placing an order for Rex from Total Wine. As you might expect there are a few other things that one need to do, Start watching Josh and reading Kiawah news etc. etc.. On about the middle of January, 6 gets his annual phone call from the board of KICA, asking if and when 6 will grace the island with his presence. The association purchases all of their flowers base on my appearance, paradise needs to be perfect! The crew of landscapers warehouses the thousands of flowers in the maintenance garage, located right next to the bike path. All I can say is that when 6 arrives on the islands the vast majority of the plants are in the ground, and all that remains are a few hundred flats and a couple of guys hiding in the back of the garage drinking shots of gin, WELLLL 7  “Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin’ If you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln!" 6  adds a month to the Kiawah schedule and procures his own, but unlike the Kiawah crew, 6 just sits in the back of his garage drinking corn fixings waiting for expert help from 3 or 4, but they never arrive, so the flowers just die in the flat. How sad! 

6 heard something incredible on the news the other morning, as a result of climate change the athletes who are going to Paris, will not have A/C. I assume it is going to be hot, since it is the summer Olympics. Can you imagine the aroma! Hundreds of young athletes all together in close quarters, and even worse, thousands of people, in enclosed stadiums! Think of gymnastics or swimming, people are going to be dropping like flies, not from the heat but from the odor! Imagine training for years, and the day of you event arrived, you walk into to the arena and pass out from the stink! Never fear, the Americans will pamper their elite. The US Olympic association is supplying the US athletes with Portable A/C units. Just think our top US Athletes, for example the Basketball team (NBA players) will all fly over there on their private jets, book rooms at the Paris 4 season resort, then, charter private helicopters to take them to their games). Did someone say carbon footprint.  WELLL 7 how times change, not 50 years ago, it was exception the have an A/C, today the ultimate athletes are packing them in their suit cases. The difference that not supplying them with A/C is like saying our little friend peeing in the ocean will change the Ph level for all 7 seas. The end result is the same, no effect on the earth, but both the competitors and the little boy feel better.

After vacation, fall sneaks in and football starts. The leaves fall, the nights are cool, and the days warm, but in the back of everyone’s mind is soon it will be winter and we will start the process all over again.

I hear Banana calling.

 

Words of wisdom: It is never to early or late in life where it is too late to set an ambition or dream a new dream. 

Scuttle and Friends

 As we all know, one of 6’s favorite things to do is take a long walk off of a short pier, ops 6 means a long walk on a short beach. Over the years on our FFV, 6 has been able to enjoy, reflective conversations with 0A,6A, while observing, nature at its finest.  From sea turtles, deer feeding, birds feeding, Jellies sunning themselves, Horseshoe crabs, Shrimp, Ducks, Dolphins, Dogs running free (chasing the birds, deer, ducks, and turtles), bike riders in the surf, runners, walkers, and finally people declaring their personal real estate for the coming day on the beach. Possibility the most outstanding, is watching the sun peak up over the rich people’s homes whilst they are all nestled in their beds. As nature is constant that one can count on, so is the fact that some people accuse 6 of being a miser. Fixed income or not, the free coffee is a major benefit of bonding with nature. BTW doesn’t want to be the barer of bad news but, 6 has some new guidance on that front. If bonding with nature is your thing, Free coffee, is now only available from the hours of 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM. You now have 30 minutes, what is the world coming too? 6 can only deduce, that the rich people after spend a long night at either the Ocean Course (OC) or the sanctuary spending their inheritances, on over priced drinks, are too good to wake-up and get a free coffee, that is why there is such a short window. Why else would they not be there! Why do they think they are paying such outrageous prices for drinks after all “there is no such thing as a free lunch or coffee in this case”?

 

A major advantage of bonding with nature, is nature loves those who respect, it’s magnificence.  Back in the day, before 6 reached the status of a fixed income (FI), he spent 51 weeks imagining sitting on a beach chair, watching the waves roll-in. Who knew all of that practice would provide the ultimate training, for his new carrier: sitting on the front porch on his rocking chair, shot gun perched on his lap, watching shadows on the wall. The latest shadow, is a simple lack of humility. 

One fateful day as 6 was out on the veranda, for 20 odd years, 6 did not know he was patronizing a veranda, education is a good thing, one has to give credit where credit is due, thank you 4,7and 8, for that education. After returning from 6’s morning sabbatical enjoying a morning cup of coffee on the veranda, 6 noticed a middle-aged lady, lifting her head from a cell phone glimpsing a deer walking across the grass. To 6’s surprise, she appeared as a child on Christmas Morning, fist taking a picture with phone, (deer was 300 yards away) then positing it on the innerweb (6 never understood that term, but it is funny). At this point 6 was thinking he was saved and could go back watching the shadows, no such luck, she just had to start running her mouth, she really had a high impression of herself. 6 sat there and listened without ever having to offer a word, for the next 10 minutes he just offering a smile every few minutes. At the point when 6 could not take any more, he just had to polity excuse himself and walk away. The sad part is if she would have bothered to pull her head out of her iPhone 5 minutes earlier she would have been able to see the whole deer family, Mum, Dad, Bingo and Bluey. Actually, the worst part was for 10 minutes prior to her looking up from her iPhone, Scuttle was perched on the chair beside her, patiently waiting for her to drop some crumbs from her muffin top, and no 6 did not notice if she had a French tuck (Thank you 4).

That very afternoon, 6 was back sitting on the beach do nothing but watching the shadows on the wall, when he noticed something. 6 was amazed, that a group of random people could have things in common. First, they were all peacefully sitting on the beach, second, everyone who reached the age of reason, had a cell phone, third, 90% of those people had their heads submerged in the cell phone. Amazing … 6 can only assume, they are all broadcasting over the world that they are not at home, but sitting on the beach in paradise (we really do live in a world full of intelligent people). 6 appreciates life is all about choices, but really…..Why would anyone, spend a fortune  for a week in paradise, and spend it looking at a boob-tube, they can do that from their own Livingroom, Oh how soon does 6 forget, that would not be extraordinary to others. 

As being part of the human race, all-us-all HOPE for something. 6’s hopes every day for humility, for who wishes they were so important in the eyes of others, that one that cannot spend a single hour, with the ones whom they love. There is actually one good thing, while Mum and dad are watching their smart phones, Bingo and Bluey are making the world a better place, they are demonstrating to the whole beach what it means to share, as they, give Scuttle, and friends the remains of their lunch. The world is right for a few moments, until some people (6 will not mention who, for you know who you are) chase Scuttle and Friends away leaving Bingo and Bluey wondering what just happened, they are now marred for life.

If we learn to disconnect, and sit and watch the waves roll in, watching shadows on the walls, taking peoples opinion’s as a grain of sand, we will learn from the deer, and the vagrant birds. WELLLLL 7 you must learn to never pooh-pooh Scuttle and friends, for Scuttle will pay you back with a big present on the top of your head, what goes around comes around. Time to call it a day: Glass of Rex empty and it’s time for Banana is on TV.

 

WORDS OF WISDOM: Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.  (C.S Lewis)

 

 

WELLLLL 7 "its all Right"

 

It is an insignificant possibility, that a limited number of incidences could conceivably slip pass 6, without apparent notice, but never fear, “It’s all right”.  When something does happen to slip by (some call it COVID Brain, other insanity, others maturing) does it really matter when 6 has the real cause, the “root cause” of absentmindedness is caused by “watching shadows on the wall”. One of those shadows yes, they talk to me, told me that 6 has not formally welcomed additional new readers. Welcome: 32A,34A,321, 52A,521,522,61A,611,622. 6 is not crazy or lazy (that is a matter of opinion) 6 did not forget 621. 621 came pre-COVID, and was a shadow on the wall of past blogs. The best part of a growing following, is it puts “UGKA” it to the domain of “influencer”. Look out world Uncle Gator is on the move! Does anyone know how the checks start coming in? 6 is just sitting here watching the shadows on the walls, waiting for the checks to start rolling in, Black gold Texas Tea!  Say good bye to fixed income and hello Hollywood! WELLLLL 7, some individuals are just set in their ways and beliefs, but for the rest of us, young and innocent, UGKA, delivers guidance, consideration, and most of all wisdom for reference their entire journey of life. OK enough of the pre-amble rambling, and now to the Adventure!

 

6 and Crew (Kids will know this one) were anxiously awaiting our next assignment, just sitting here watching the waves roll in, when out of the corner of his eye, 6 recognized our friends from way back in 22. Regrettably not the Bundy’s! Just like with so many things in life one must never give up hope, for one day 6 expects to walk down on the beach and see Al and Peg sitting on their over inflated bright colored innertubes, (EFY Resin Figurine Senior Couple Summer Beach Fun Inner Tube) with Al drinking a beer eating a PBJ, and Peg eating her bonbon’s.  So sad we may never see them again, 6 doesn’t’ want to give up hope but…. The POTTY kings! Remember them?  Their faces may have showed signs of aging, they have new chairs and different bathing suits, but one cannot mistake the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 soft cooler in Grey holds 28 cans or the etiquettes. Does anyone remember this shadow on the wall… High Noon, couple comes to the beach, beach chairs, Yeti Hopper Flip 18 soft cooler, SHIBUMI The QUIET tm, and a couple of kids, 6 would put the kids in their late 20’s or early 30’s. The old man and his old lady sit down on the beach, and crack a cold one of Milwaukee’s best light beer! This continues for a couple hours, when one of the kids realize that there is a stack of empty beer cans piling up behind the old man. At about this time the kids call it a day, putt all the empties in a bag, as the strolled to the trash can shaking their heads rolling their eyes in absolute embarrassment of their caregivers, dump the empties and into the trash bin… not to be see for the rest of the day. Meanwhile back at the shore, the old man and old lady refill their Yeti Hopper Flip 18 soft cooler in Grey holds 28 cans, for at least the third time. This goes on every day! By now all-you-all are wondering why I call them the POTTY kings, WELLLLL 7, about every hour or so, the both of them wobble down to the ocean, saunter out about 10 feet and sit down, they stay there for a minute or so, then walk back to their chairs and pop another cold one! This continues until 5:00 when the stagger home, that is also a sight to witness!

The little ones, (Blog from back in 15 young man peering in the ocean) , 6 can acknowledge as an act of impulse . WELLLLL 7……but when old people start using the magnificence of the ocean as their personal POTTY and BADAI , that somehow seems to cross a line of social acceptance, after all, 100 yards down the beach is a public outhouse! As per the guidelines of this blog, one cannot point out a problem, with out a solution. Given 6’s superior intelligence, and using the well know process of system engineering, the root causes were identified, and the risk mitigation plan was developed.  The next action is for 71 to call the president of KICA (Penn State Grad) and tell him to add a new rule to all the signs on the beach! No Shitter.  

Next year on PVV, 6 and crew have an assignment, find out who these people really are. 6 supposition is that they are born naturalists. After all, 6 estimates that the ocean is the world’s largest crapper!

 

 

WORDS of Wisdom:

One must always forgive, for there is no cure, for being unforgiving.