Dreams reveal....

I had a weird dream early this morning. A kid whom was working at this hotel I was at, was showing me the directions to park my vehicle. So I followed him, got in his small golden colored late model car. The windows were roll downs and they had been rolled down. He drove us into the water. I said, "What the bleep?" I started swimming out of the car and he started coming after me. I said again, "What the bleep?" and started swimming harder to get away from him. That is all I can remember.

I did not look it up in my dream dictionary, but I am guessing it has something to do with the suspicion I have of a man who is dating my BFF. If I do not return from my class reunion activities this weekend, I want you all to know of my impending doom.

Signed,

Angela J. Looney

ps-I wish I were kidding but I am not.

Summer Heat

The days are hot. It is summer and that means humidity. Summers are suppose to be a time to enjoy canoeing, fishing, picking berries, gardening, mowing the yard, running, playing ball, biking and swimming. It is not a time to go head in the house to escape the temperatures. Instead, kick your shoes off, cut up your old t-shirt, put on your sunscreen and wear a hat. Get outside and enjoy the heat. It is summer after all.

Brought to you by the summer lovers fest.

Living in a Modern Commune

So I was thinking on Mother's Day as I was sitting around the campfire by myself this thought popped into my mind. It would be great if I could live here on my farm, maybe raise a pig and a cow, along with the chickens, cats and dogs, and have a garden. And I would count on my neighbor to grow the feed for the livestock. And we would shop at the local General Store that would NOT get their items from foreign countries but from other crafters within the state or county. And we would gather together in times of harvest and planting. We would share in joys and sorrows. And no one would go without. Everyone would have enough to eat, and warm place to sleep, food in the pantry, food for the livestock, and a place for the children to run and play without fear of stranger abductions.

Is anyone else out there interested? I realize some would say, hey join the Amish. Or some other religious cult. But I don't need religion. Religion is what has caused the great divide of humanity. I am looking for others who wish to commune with others on this spiritual level, who wish to live together as a human unit.

What Happened to Your Machine Tim?

If you read all his posts after his nose surgery and all those pictures of Tim with his shirt off covered in his mask, you also would wonder what happened? He is not wearing his mask at nights. Why not you ask? I don't know he won't answer. Maybe all that drama for nothing.
Oh well.....I'm too tired anymore to ask him about it. Time to go to bed and get up at 5:15 to ride along with a 14-year old driver. A driver who stops when we turn corners! And he likes to drive on the left side of the road. Are we in England?
Crykey, I'm gonna go to bed. G'nite.

A Concept

Sometimes, I come up with the idea and have to let it out. Not wanting to wait, I wish to spit it out like that bad taste of Black Velvet that hits my lips when the husband says, "Here, mouthwash! I want everyone to read my words. I want to share with the millions of Looney Talk subscribers. And then the worry sets in. Like a black film beginning to build on the surface of the bathroom mirror as my spouse is in the shower. The confidence police start circling, waiting for the slightest moment of inadequacy. Hoping to catch me in the act of failing. And then the paranoia hoovers like a Black Hawk helicopter, waiting for me to finish my repulsive act and it strikes me hard to the cool, damp ground. They all are taking over my ideas, my words, my concept.

Shakespeare wrote "to be or not to be, that is the question?" After all the years of trying to figure out just what the bleep he was talking about, I think I have it figured out. If I were to write about my concept right now, it would be open to ridicule before it was even polished. It could possibly be stolen, someone else could take credit for it. All the creative flare I have dedicated to my project- taken in one swift move, similiar to that of a hawk making off with our farmyard chicken.

So, should I write my concept down in the blog? Let the readers put their two cents in. Or wait for the day when I actually do write my concept. Write it down and submit it to some twenty-something year old Hollywood script reader who wouldn't know a good story from a hole in his shoe. He would scribble on my script, "This would not sell! No one would watch. No one would read this." Oh, the negativity monster creeps in, taking all shred of human value I possess in my soul.

Pondering the infamous question of Shakespeare, I will sit upon my rock and challenge my mind, to be or not to be.

Death on 380

It was not a pretty sight. In one of those moments you see happening in slow motion, it was happening to me. Three vehicles ahead of mine. Playing out for all drivers to see. Or at least those who were wide-eyed and bushy tailed. By almost eight in the morning, at least half a pot of coffee has been ingested by myself. The drivers on the other side, were they paying attention? That is my question. When I saw it happening I wanted to honk my horn and come to a screeching halt. But I knew the drivers behind me weren't paying attention. They were too close. So letting off the gas as the accident happened was all I could do. To my amazement they must have seen it happen as well.

Running as fast as it possibly could, a beautiful doe had decided it was time to cross the busy interstate before 8 o'clock. Thank God she didn't have her fawn following. She was alone. Probably chased by a sexually charged buck or blood-thirsty hunter. Either way it was the final curtain for our little lady. I was three automobiles back. She came running past on the western side of the interstate without getting hit. She was halfway through. But there were a line a traffic on both northbound lanes. A black SUV in the fast lane hit her with its left headlight. Bam! She went straight down in the median. Just as fast as she came out of the corn field did she fall to her death. Murder on the highway. There was nothing to do. Everyone kept going. No one stopped. No one pulled over. Not even the SUV. Everyone drove on by. I kept finding myself slowing down the rest of the commute. Looking and scanning the horizon for her family and friends. No deer anywhere. Guess they all are waiting for their turn to run across the deadly highway.

It is a sad day for the deer and the driver. Their insurance will probably go up. They will likely have thousands of dollars of repairs. I will have that vision of the deer's final seconds of life play over in my head. It's like a movie that you can't take your eyes off. Mesmerizing in a morbid way. Death on 380.

Alice, Nicky & Mom

Iowa Sunrise

 The old saying, it's darkest right before dawn could be changed to this:  The best light is right before dawn.

  The rays of the sun being bounced to our view, the reds vibrant and sure making the green of the grass an emerald color waiting to be selected in an old woman's jeweled ring.  The blue tint of the sky, sharper in focus than any fool photographer could ever be.   The description of my morning sunrise.

    What started out as a sudden attempt by a higher calling to get on an exercise morning, turned out to be one of the most gorgeous skies of the summer.  As I woke, I decided I would listen to that voice in my mind who said, WALK NOW.  I did.  Accompanied by Biscuit leash-free we started walking down the gravel road.  The sun was not yet up, but its light was bouncing on the eastern horizon.  Fire red at the horizon.  It fuel my walk up to the mile corner.  Living out in the country they old timers tell me every corner (generally speaking) is approximately a mile.  So I take their word, and Biscuit and I walked for a mile then turned around to walk home.  The walk back we were looking directly at the sunrise.  It was now getting brighter, the dark-vibrant red was replace with a yellow glowing ball, Father Sun.  I looked at my cellphone to check for the time.  Always curious and for some odd reason like it really matters about the time, but it was 5:52 (am for you who may not be following along closely or for you others that are seriously-educated public-criticiser's.   The bottom line is this, Iowa has great sunrises.  Every morning.  Tuesday Father Sun "winked" at me.  No kidding.  He was starting to rise over the big hill that I call mountain just to the east about a mile or two from the Looney farm.  It was a loving gesture to say "Good Mornin' Mrs. Looney!"

Today, the horizon was blood red and clouds above.  Clouds everywhere, except along the horizon.  Just enough for me to say "Hey Father Sun, how ya' doin' this morning?"   And what would you think he said back?  He caught me between walking by the tall corn, and being ever so polite because that is his nature, he says to me, "Glad to see you are getting those dogs back on the exercise plan."  

   Sometimes, it is so hard to get out of bed, the body just wants an extra minute of rest.  The body is lazy.  It doesn't want to work it wants to lie awhile and  "dream," dream about things that don't really matter and  flying.  Flying around the earth to see the sunrise.  Then the mind has to wake itself up.  C'mon, get up silly.  Time to get to work.  The mind is willing but the flesh is exhausted.  So walking the dogs at sunrise is a great way for me to get some exercise, have the dogs get some exercise, and see Father Sun.  How about that!  I can do it every morning, view an Iowa Sunrise.  Right in here.  

Friday Night Music

Fans, followers, readers, and yes, family.  Well, probably only "family" actually read this but I wanted to let everyone know that I have received a list of "plays" for our Friday Night Music Night.  Let me say, it is a pretty good rundown of stuff we should take a listen to.  

Here are a couple of examples:  Alice Cooper.  The Beatles.  And we have had both of these groups on the show.  Love it to Death and Abbey Road.  Two great albums with a plethora of classic rock songs that helped shape my musical life.

What's on tonight?  Darned if I know.  I wish we had some way of getting our LP's into rotation but right now with "Mr. Nose out of Joint" music man not a lot of reorganizing and repositioning is getting done.  I'm sure all would understand.  Being on codeine and BV and trying to move the plasma around is not a good mix.  You may remember what happened last year when we rearranged our living room/TV viewing room.  That required a new TV-thus the Plasma.  So, we'll not get the turn table hooked up for tonight's show.  We'll just wait and see what happens....maybe our dear Brother-guy we've looked up to our whole life (or since we've known him) and his lovely wife Jules will come out to the Looney Farm and surprise us!  

Keep reading and we'll let you know what happens......

'til Saturday

Ang

Mushing Loon Iowa Sunrise Run

Friday Night Music Nights

Readers:

   With our new dogs, we have been extra busy!  We need help from you dear readers.  Send us some suggestions on what you would like for us to listen to on our Friday Night Music night.  Please indicate the album/DVD/CD the song is from because we may have to track it down on the internet if we don't have it available.  

   Remember, we like good music and LOUD on friday night music nights.

Take care and Rock on.

Guitar God Wannabe....

Ang

Alice Waiting to Run

The Loon and His Dogs on Our Farm

Signs of Spring

My tulips have broken through the ground.
The grass has a greenish tint.
Tim is obsessed with the Iditarod.
Tim is obsessed.

The buds are bursting on the maple trees.
We can sit around the campfire at night
Tim is obsessed with the Iditarod.
Tim is obsessed.

I always can feel when it is spring
the air is warmer,
the dogs take off for hours at a time
Tim is obsessed with the Iditarod.
Tim is obsessed.

Guess What was Waiting for Me?

I arrived at work later today by about fifteen minutes. So that put me in the parking lot of at 8:15am. There was not a train on the track. Until I got out of my car and heard the alarm and saw the lights go on. Drat! I will never make it. I am telling you I have bad train karma. Today the train was using its brakes and the squeaking was making a horrendeous noise. I reminded me of when someone runs fingernails on a blackboard. Oh yeah, doesn't that just drive you off the edge of the cliff?

Train, Train

by Angie
By now you know things just happen to me. Little things that tend to blow up to become "crisis" situations. Well, not exactly but at the time they sure seem to be. So this is my story on the train karma I am experiencing.
I drive approximately 65 miles to work one way. I park my Honda and walk an additional 15 minutes on a smooth ice free sidewalk day. I don't mind the walk, it gets me invigorated to start my day at my cool job. But a few weeks ago, I had heard something on the morning news. It was exercising for 10 minutes was just as good as exercising for 30 minutes at a time. I missed the last half of the report because I was leaving the house to drive to work. So I really don't know if this is true or not but in my mind leaving that morning it was all true. And when I parked at my assigned lot, I thought great I'm going to count how many blocks I walk to see how far I walk in 15 minutes. As I turned my head around while walking forward I tripped falling flat on my chin on the hard, cold sidewalk. Right in broad daylight. No one saw me, or stopped to help. The only thing broken was my pride. My chin hurt and my whole jawline and my ears ringed for days. I made it through work and walked back to my parking lot when the train was stopped on the track. It had not moved for a good five minutes, but it felt like five hours. There were a couple guys that dared to cross the train to get to the other side. You see my parking lot was just on the other side. It had been a long day. My chin hurt, my ears were ringing, my jawline was sore and I had broken my pride. I just wanted to go home. I waited for the train to get going and finally it moved forward about seven cars and then it came to a halt. Now what? No one was around and the train didn't make any sounds. I looked left. I looked right. I looked behind. No one was watching. No one to help if I jumped on the train and it started to move would save me. But I really thought I could do this. Just give me one last chance to prove I am still gracefully. (Family members be quiet!) I grabbed the ladder and pulled myself up. There was not any railing on the end of the car so I walked quickly to the other side and lowered myself down on the opposite ladder. It was all good. As soon as I got into my car, the train moved. Ok....that was not as much fun as I thought so next time I will walk 3 blocks out of my way to get around. The next night, there it was waiting for me. The train. Just sitting there, watching and waiting and not moving. C'mon I needed to get home. So I walked out of my way and got home late. The next week, the one day that I needed to get to work early because of a meeting there was the train, waiting for me. Silent on the tracks. Not moving. Begging me to jump on it. Just try me, that is what the train was whispering. No way, I'll walk around. So I did. I was right on time, but sweating and looking all disarrayed from the extended brisker walk. That same night, trying to get out of there to make it to a variety show at my kid's school, the same train was just sitting there on the tracks. No movement. No grinding. No thrusting. Just waiting for me to try and cross. I walked around again barely making it on time to my engagement. By now I had decided to call the train a word with an adjective in front. What did I do? I crossed when I shouldn't have and realized that wasn't smart. I know. But c'mon this has got to stop. I was having a bad train karma week. The next morning, again I am running about 5 minutes behind schedule. I parked my car and jumped out of the vehicle when I heard it. The train whistle. You have got to be kidding me. I ran over to the sidewalk and jumped across the cement wall that divides the parking lot from the hill sidewalk. I stopped at the tracks. It was moving slow and it was coming at me. It was about one block away. Do I cross? Do I test fate? Would I trip on the tracks? I looked left. I looked right. No one was watching me. No one to rescue me. What should I do? The train was still half a block off. Probably it was going to stop and not move for hours. Now there was a car that came up to the crossing. Was it going to cross? Would I?
I decided that my train karma was indeed in alignment with some positive influences. The car crossed without getting smashed. I walked the extra blocks to maintain my train composure. What will happen tomorrow? Will that train be waiting for me or will I not see it for weeks? I'll keep you posted.

Mushing in a blizzard-Iowa style

Saturday's blizzard was my first opportunity in weeks to take advantage of a little mushing. Brownie was already outside, on the loose. I went into the barn and harnessed up Biscuit, leaving Krunchy alone in the barn, crying to come along. No way was I going to let Krunchy come along with us. He ran half a mile ahead of us and did whatever he wanted to do. It is not fun when he gets the other two all excited and not paying any attention to me. After harnessing up Biscuit I brought the pretty vivid red harness for Brownie. She sat at my feet and let me put it on her. She usually is hard to get dressed but today she wanted to go for a run. Got everyone hitched and went to get the sled that hangs in the garage. We headed east to the waterway. There was about 4 inches of snow on the ground in places, and just covering the grass in others. Temperature was 12 degrees but falling. We saw a big green Chevy truck and thought it was Dad so we ran back home. It was not him. So we attempted for the second time to head east to the waterway. When we went about 30 yards and got to the same spot we were at when we saw the other truck, there was dad. So we ran back to the house to talk with him. Then we headed west out to the cornfield.The wind from the northwest was howling and blowing hard snow pellets into our face. I walked alongside the sled and let the dogs trot ahead not having to pull any wait. It is hard walking in the earth turned field. Bumpy and the remnants of corn stalks sometimes snags the sled. Alas, we made it to the waterway that goes to the timber. This was great, smooth sailing for the most part. The dogs were happy to run along and I would push off with my left foot keeping my right foot on the sled. Then we came to the edge of the timber. I stopped to get the newly made brake out because I knew the hill down to the river bottom was steep and fast as that is the one the Loon wiped out on weeks ago. So I checked out the new brakes and decided it would be safe and worked. SO mushing the dogs down the trail, ever so slowly we walked down the trail. The snow was too deep, it got caught up on the brake so every 10 yards I would have to stop to clear it. So much for going fast. When we got to the bottom of the hill I could see the river, the Wapsipinicon or the Wapsi as everyone calls it. IT was moving fast for this time of the year. I wanted a closer looked so anchoring the dogs I walked quietly and carefully to the edge of the river. IT has a steep bank and the edge of the river is frozen unlike the other side that was moving swiftly. I laid down on my belly to watch. I had to keep the dogs a distance from me or they would have given me kisses and licks and jumps and more kisses and licks and jumps. Biscuit loves to love. Getting up carefully, we left to continue on the trail. It is a snowmobile trail but no one had been along for weeks. The dogs did pretty good until we were on ice. Now, I didn't know how deep the water was where we were on. Usually during the winter months, the river is low and the bottom timber is dried up. But we were walking on ice. The dogs decided they didn't want to pull so much, so I ended up just walking behind the sled, laying my arms across the handle bar on the sled. The ice was cracking and we were watching closely, because the last thing I wanted to do was to fall into some waterhole that had just enough water to soak me, without drowning and I would have to walk back to the house pulling the sled. As we followed the river, I noticed we were below the level of the river, not sure what it meant but beginning to feel a little edgy. Just as I thought we were close to being out I slipped and fell. Oh shit. Was the ice going to break? That was my first thought. Quickly, I jumped up before the dogs could jump all over me. I notice the creaking of the ice and needed to get off this stuff right away. Looking to the south I saw we had a bank to go up and we would be high enough the water would not get us if there were a flash flood. We weren't in any real danger, but I think about stuff happening so I will know what to do if and when it ever does happen. Living on the edge. So there I was, just steps from climbing out of the river bottom and I couldn't climb up the bank, it was ice covered. I couldn't get a grip. I was yelling at the dogs, pull me pull me get going but they wanted to love me, kiss me, jump on me, and love me, kiss me and jump onto my face. WHY? Didn't they know we could be trapped out here, never to return until the spring thaw? After finally getting Biscuit to relax was I able to crawl on my knees and fingers to the top of the bank. And running as far as we could away from there. Walking thru yet another cornfield, partial plowed with cornstalks sticking up to grab onto the sled every twenty steps, and Brownie not wanting to pull at all now, it was still a blizzard and I was sore from falling on the ice, twice. About every 10 steps there would be a different smell. Rabbit? Deer? Fox? Squirrel? Only the dogs knew for sure and they wanted to check out every smell, one at a time. By now, the blizzard was rolling strong and I was having to just walk behind the sled. They would not pull me at all, not even with me pushing with my left foot. I had a good mile plus to walk. And I forgot to go to the bathroom before I left. I just wanted to get out there and forgot to go. Now I am a mile from home, beat up from falling on the ice, twice, and I have two dogs that only want to stop every ten steps to smell what lies below the snow. Needless to say, it was a long journey for half a mile until we reached the eastern waterway. Now, we were within site of home and I fell again. Into a big hole. I didn't see it, but it was there and so was Biscuit right on top of me. Love and kisses and jumping. Double duty for Biscuit. And Brownie didn't want to pull at all. I finally stopped the sled and tried to see what was bothering her. She let me take off her harness but in the process she began overly excited and ended up putting her mouth into my nose. OUCH! It hurt and she didn't mean to bite me, but that is what happened. So now she is loose, I am sore and have a bloody nose and it is a blizzard, and I have now almost wet my pants. I didn't have a phone with me and my husband was not around. I forgot to tell him where I was going and when I would be home. As good fortune would have it, he pulled in the driveway with his big-ass truck. He noticed my nose and wondered what happened. I told him he could read all about it on our blog. The blizzard continued for several hours, and I felt fine until the next day. Sore all over. My nose is ok and Brownie and Biscuit are ready for some more mushing fun. Tune in next week to see what happens.

New Technology: Welcome to the 21st Century

It's happened. Angie has finally suctioned herself to Facebook. Of course, the daughter and her sister Jill had to assist setting herself up. Yeah, she doesn't really know all the ins and outs of Facebook, but she is learning.
And learning too about her newly found social status, her suspicious husband. Why would he be suspicious about me and all my friends. My dad, my sister, his bandmate, old friends from my past and new friends from my job. I don't understand his hesitation.
Do you have any ideas, readers on how I can handle his insane jealousy of a new hobby? Talk amongst yourselves while I post this.

Sick Kid

Remember the days when you were a kid and sick? What did your mother do to make you feel better?
My mom always came when I called, or mostly yelled out her name. MOM!
The boy is sick today. He has been sick since Monday. In fact, Sunday night he was at his dad's and wanted to come home early because he felt sick. I told him to just wait and he'll feel better. Was I wrong.
Now, we are waiting to go see the doctor. I don't claim to be a doctor, but here's my diagnosis: he has the flu. So there may not be anything to give him, but he has asthma so we need to go. I should have taken him earlier but I thought whatever he had would run its course. I didn't go to the Dr. when I was a kid until I passed out and they figured out I had strep throat and mono. I was out sick for 3 weeks, right in the prime season of detasselling corn. I missed out on a bunch of money. And I was only 15. Bummer.
Comment today on your memories of being ill and having your mother, father, grandmother, or other caregiver nursing you back to health.

Mushing Photos

Check out some photos of us mushing at The Loon's Mushing Report.