Barbecue and Brawn

America:

Land of the Free,

Home of the Brave….

and the very, very Tough.

Weighing in at varying degrees of unadulterated might,

meet the brute force competing for the title of

All-American Man:

Anger - use it, but don't lose it!

Quit yo Jibber-jabber!

I pity the foo.

As a kid, I got three meals a day. Oatmeal, miss-a-meal and no meal.

I believe in the Golden Rule - The Man with the Gold... rules.

Life's tough, but I'm tougher!

"Don't gimme no back talk, sucka"

I'm teaching fools some basic rules.

Meet my friend, Pain.

Hey, you with the teeth...

I'm gonna bust you up.

Competing for TRIUMPH in the

21 GUN SALUTE,

competitors played rough, played dirty and played…

footsies?

Anxious crowds lined the streets to cheer on (or jeer on) their favorite guys competing in the

Sugarloaf Sprint.

(Does it count if an Aussie wins an American competition? I guess he DID shed blood for the cause….)

Ardent admirers were poised and ready to crown the

Big Mouth American.

and brawn was brought in a fierce Tug o War,

street versus street,

hood versus hood,

sea to shining sea.

But after the competition waned, the awards were bequeathed, and the bragging rights claimed, the oohs and ahhhs of bright lights,

and good, old-fashioned fire inspired the most testosterone- driven male,

bestowed an ample amount of American pride, bravery,

and brotherly love.

Happy Birthday, America!

(Thank you, Mr. T. for your inspiring quotes….)

Redfish, Redfish, What Do You See?

Family, family, what do you see?

We see a vacation on which we embark most happily.

 Vacation, vacation, what do you see?

I see the truck’s tire becoming road debris…

 

New tire, new tire, what do you see?

I see Redfish Lake welcoming me!

Redfish Lake, Redfish Lake, what do you see?

I see happy people ready to play in me.

Happy people, happy people, what do you see?

We see Water too cold in which to be.

 

Water, water, what do you see?

I see Polar Plungers second-guessing their dive into me.

Polar Plungers, polar plungers, what do you see?

 

I see (but consequently, cannot feel) frigid water enveloping me.

Frigid Water, Frigid Water, what do you see?

I see numb skin turning red in me.

Numb Skin, Numb Skin, what do you see?

I see what looks like frozen turkey skin above my knee.

Frozen Turkey Skin, Frozen Turkey Skin, what do you see?

I see a slightly warmer bit of sand calling for me.

(Slightly) Warmer Sand, (Slightly) Warmer Sand, what do you see?

               

     

       

I see a rainstorm that will make you flee.

Rainstorm, Rainstorm, what do you see?

A kayak trip when I cease to be.

Kayak trip, kayak trip, what do you see?

I don’t see, but I hear, the high-pitched decree…

that boating is drier, warmer and less shocking for the three….dumped into the waters of an Arctic degree.

(Sorry, no pics.  Too busy catching downstream-bobbing flip-flops and   wrestling  currents threatening to tip our own kayak….thanks again, Aaron and Rach, for preventing hypothermia and hysteria in a certain 4-year-old…)

Boat trip, boat trip, what do you see?

I see Nick showing too many curves, wouldn’t you agree?

Nick’s Curves, Nick’s Curves, what do you see?

I see Bennett protesting me.

Bennett’s Protests, Bennett’s Protests, what do you see?

I see the sun giving me the third degree.  

              

Third Degree, Third Degree, what do you see?

I see a cozy cabin waiting for me.

 

    Cozy cabin, cozy cabin, what do you see?

I see someone inside who’s a wanna-be.

WAnna-be, Wanna-be, what do you see?

I see our family returning to Redfish Lake ASAP.