Made a big ol' stock pot full of spicy, garlicy chicken vegetable soup this morning.

The kitchen is smelling really good right now!

Grabbed a crusty stone ground whole wheat baguette at the deli yesterday.

I'm done!

Now I've got the whole rest of the day to goof off.

Beer thirty will be coming early today!

*EDIT*

I've been asked for the soup recipe, so here goes!

2 chicken breasts and 4 thighs (with skin on)simmered in 3 qts.water along with 1 lg chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic, small can of tomato sauce, salt and pepper for about an hour and a half.

Remove chicken from stock to cool. Add 1/2 large head of coarsly chopped cabbage and simmer til almost tender. Strip meat from chicken and tear into bite size pieces, I like mine chunky, and return to pot. Add veggies, I used carrots, potatoes, corn, green beans, lima beans, a cup or so of each. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and a generous amount of your favorite hot sauce. I use about a 1/4 cup of Texas Pete or more! Add one more small can of tomato sauce here if you think it needs it.

When the veggies are tender, add a cup and a half of egg noodles and cook another 20 or 30 minutes. Again check the seasonings, add more salt and pepper if needed. Add additional water or chicken stock or broth, if needed. The noodles absorbe quite a bit.

Done!

Enjoy!

Grabbed a couple of Sam's Hot Dogs and a Pepsi and had lunch on the road. Sort of.

Drove over to Va. Point park in Kenova, WVa. and watched the tugs and barges work.

Came back into Kentucky, crossed US23, and drove up to the top of Cemetery Ridge behind Catlettsburg.

It's a little hazy in the Tri-State today.

That's the old C&O tressle that crosses the Big Sandy River. Coal trains use it everyday, hauling coal from the WVa. coalfields.

Focus is a little off on this one, but I like the illusion of depth!

WTCR Hill is the only higher point around town here, but it's fenced and posted. No trepassing allowed. And they're serious. Kids like to try and climb their tower, and they patrol it 24/7.

OK Bud, back to WORK!!!!!

This week's photo challenge , "Open Spaces" was suggested by Jaynebug.

There isn't a whole lot of open space here in the foothills of Eastern Ky., but I can always find a bit of solitude here on the banks of the Mighty Ohio River.

It's a nice place to spend a Sunday afternoon, watching the traffic on the old river.

That's about as open as it get's here, til you get on down around Lexington and the rolling hills and the horse farms in the Bluegrass.

Now, across the river in West Virginia, there are quite a few "open spaces".

They call 'em strip mines.

And, they're not so pretty!

I was at work today, looking at the menu on the new Nikon D60, and wishing there was something new around here to take pictures of, when I heard something hit the glass in the bay doors.

Looked over and saw this laying on the floor.

Thankee!

Thought he was dead for a minute, then I saw his legs and wings twitch a little every now and then. Flipped him over on a piece of copy paper and took him out and layed him on the grass.

Wasn't anything happening, so I put him on the hood of my truck. And, yes I put my hand on it to see if it was to hot. Don't need any fried dragonflies!

These were shot from around four feet away with the 200mm VR lens.

He flopped around and flew for a second.

Finally took off...........

and landed on his back!

Took off again...............

DOH!

Once again, airborne bound.

Then he stopped.....

Looked like he was getting the cobwebs out of his head, if not off his wings, so I backed up a little, and he took off. Can't get that picture to show up!

When I figure it out, I'll update!

Uploaded it again. There we go!

There. That's my good deed for this month!

Haven't seen 'em take out another wasp lately, but this little one managed to snag himself a plump honeybee for lunch.

The bee didn't have a chance. His legs were wrapped in new web, and he was bitten 5 or 6 times before he knew what was going on and started to struggle.

They were both moving pretty quick, the bee trying to escape, and the spider trying to make sure he didn't!

Our little sister town of Ironton, Oh  hosted the 6th Annual Rally by the River this weekend.

It is estimated that there are over 27,000 motorcycles, and around 40 to 45,000 people participating!

Lex and Terry are here for the poker run and to do a few live radio shows.

And to party!

Charlie's Harley Davidson of Huntington, WV sent Harleys down for Lex, Terry, and Dee to ride while they're here.

There was a nice little car show, but they're a dime a dozen around here in the summer time, so I didn't get out and look around. There are a lot of really nice hot rods in the tri-state area now!

This is my friend and neighbor Austin Biggs. Austin lost his right leg to cancer some years ago, but you'd never know it when he's on that gold HD Road King!

There were 25 bands here this weekend, on two stages. Don't know who this is, but they were pretty good!

They're not all Harleys.  This is a nice Yamaha V Star.

And another.

A Ducati.

A retro mid 60's Triumph 650 Bonneville TT on a hardtail frame. Good thing there's some springs on that seat. That would be one butt numbing ride!

I've seen this Ratbike in Easy Rider and In the Wind!

I like this 883 Sportster! Price is not too bad either! $5,299.

The Rally started on Thursday and wraps up today. Haven't heard any reports of any problems at all since it started.

Way to go guys! Looking forward to next year!!!!

This is it.

The sum total of what I did today.

Took the ol' manlift outside.

Changed two 250 watt light bulbs in the security lights.

Nice view of the lot, huh?

All I can say, in my defense, is that I did more than he did!

A respectable lady went into the pharmacy, walked up to the pharmacist,
looked straight into his eyes, and said, 'I would like to buy some cyanide'

The pharmacist asked, 'Why in the world do you need cyanide?'

The lady replied, 'I need it to poison my husband.'

The pharmacist's eyes got big and he exclaimed, 'Lord have mercy!
I can't give you cyanide to kill your husband. That's against the law!
I'll lose my license! They'll throw both of us in jail! All kinds of
bad things will happen. Absolutely not! You CANNOT have any cyanide!'

The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband
in bed with the pharmacist's wife.

The pharmacist looked at the picture and replied, 'Well now,
that's different. You didn't tell me you had a prescription.

======================================================================

After 20 years of marriage, a couple was lying in bed one evening,
when the wife felt her husband begin to fondle her in ways he hadn't
in quite sometime.

It almost tickled as his fingers started at her neck, and then began
moving down past the small of her back.

He then caressed her shoulders and neck, slowly worked his hand down
over her breasts, stopping just over her lower stomach.

He then proceeded to place his hand on her left inner arm, caressed
past the side of her breast again, working down her side, passed gently
over her buttock and down her leg to her calf.

Then, he proceeded up her inner thigh, stopping just at the uppermost
portion of her leg. He continued in the same manner on her right side,
then suddenly stopped, rolled over and started to watch the TV.


As she had become quite aroused by this caressing, she asked in a
loving voice, 'That was wonderful. Why did you stop?'

He said , 'I found the remote'

======================================================================

While discussing the upcoming Universal Health Care Program with my
sister-in-law the other day, I think we have found the solution.
I am sure you have heard the ideas that if you're a senior you need
to suck it up and give up the idea that you need any health care.
A new hip? Unheard of. We simply can't afford to take care of you
anymore. You don't need any medications for your high blood pressure,
diabetes, heart problems, etc. Let's take care of the young people.
After all, they will be ruling the world very soon.

So here is the solution. When you turn 70, you get a gun and 4 bullets.
You are allowed to shoot 2 senators and 2 representatives.
Of course, you will be sent to prison where you will get 3 meals a day,
a roof over your head and all the health care you need!!!
New teeth, great!!! Need glasses, no problem. New hip, knee, kidney,
lung, heart? Well bring it on. And who will be paying for all of this.
The same government that just told you that you are too old for health
care. And, since you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay any income tax.

I really think we have a Perfect Solution!!!

I've been hearing this on the radio quite a bit lately, but just found out yesterday that they are from Bowling Green, Ky.

So, I thought I'd give some fellow Kentucky boys a little Xanga airtime!

Ladies and gents, I give you......

Cage The Elephant.

Enjoy!

And for all of the family and friends who have shed tears over the past couple of days, the circle WILL be unbroken.