It’s a Jolly Labour Day Monday!!!

Posted on by under Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

And just what does that mean, you ask?  Well ask no more!  It means that those of you who usually have to hurry off to work, get to stay home today.  It means that some people will be grilling outdoors, others will venture forth to the zoo, amusement park, or aquarium, or to spend the day with friends and families.  And it means that some will spend it absorbing beer and thus have a not-so-jolly Tuesday, but that is their problem.  I don’t do Jolly Tuesdays!  And sadly, for all my friends across the pond, it is just another Monday.  Sorry, guys … but you had yours in May, and anyway, you get all those banking holidays.  We grilled out yesterday on our ancient Weber kettle grill (charcoal, not gas) with the bottom half rusted out.

So, to all my friends here in the WordPress world, Have a Happy and Safe Labour Day, and if you don’t read this until tomorrow, then have a Jolly Tuesday after all!  Since dear Steve B. was miffed over the lack of a treat last Monday, I got up early this morning and baked just for him …

Bees, bees, bees … 🐝

bees-toonLet me start by saying that I like bees.  I understand, as best a non-science lay person can, the important role bees play in our survival on this planet.  I talk to the bees when I water my flowers each morning.  I like bees.  But these two stories are just … no no no no no no no … NO!

Emily Mueller is pregnant with her fourth child, and is a full-time beekeeper.  Something made Emily want to have a photo shoot marking this memory of her pregnancy with her love of bees, and here are the results …

Bees-1.jpgHer best friend Kendrah Damis captured the images and was amazed when she heard her photos had been viewed more than 2 million times on social media! They say she was covered in 20,000 bees, but I have no idea how they know that, as I am fairly certain nobody actually counted! Mueller reports that she was stung only three times during the shoot when she unknowingly sat on a bee and accidentally crushed bees on her lip and arm. “None of the bees intentionally stung me. It was my own fault. I didn’t realize there was one on my arm.”

And then there was this …

A Canadian beekeeper set a Guinness World Record by wearing a “beard” of live bees for more than an hour.

Juan Carlos Noguez Ortiz let thousands of bees rest on his face for 61 minutes Wednesday at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, for the record-breaking performance to promote the release of the horror film Blood Honey.

bees-2.jpgOrtiz is an employee at Dickey Bee Honey Farm in Cookstown, which provided the bees for the skin crawling stunt. “We brought 100,000 bees with us, so there are more bees with us today than ever. But we brought the gentle ones so that is very important when we are doing bearding,” said master bee keeper, Peter Dickey.

Ortiz had only practiced the stunt twice before, but wanted to show that bees aren’t quite as terrifying as they might appear in the film he was promoting. “I wanted to show people that they don’t have to be scared of the bees,” he said.

bees-endAs I said … I like bees, but … no, I will not be doing a photo shoot of me covered in bees, so don’t wait for it.

Oh please wear your pants …

Pennsylvania seems to be the start of some really odd things … that is where my friend H resides, so need I say more?  But this one dropped my jaw.

Thousands to cycle nude for annual Philly Naked Bike Ride

Turns out that September 9th is the date of the annual Philly Naked Bike Ride.  Who knew?  Better question … WHY?  The stated mission is “to celebrate body positivity, cycling advocacy and fuel conscious consumption. The ride also aims to desexualize nudity.” Ummm … okay.  Personally, as a lover of animals, I find the human body to be among the, shall we say, less attractive species … I always thought it was a trade-off for that supposedly larger brain. I also always thought we would look better with fur.

nude-bike-3And as if all that weren’t bad enough, H, a master hiker of the Appalachian Trail, tells me that there is a “Nude Hiking Day”.  That happens, my research shows, on June 21st each year.  This year, Colorado officials warned that rangers would be on the look out and ready to issue tickets to any found in an au natural state.

nude-hikeAgain, as I said about the bee stories … NO … just NO!

And at this point I see that Jolly Monday is turning into Weird Monday.  Let me change directions here … ahem …

A criminal on the bridge …

How about this tweet from the California Highway Patrol (CHiP) …

deer-on-bridgeAnd the caption that made it all just perfect read …

“This morning our officers stopped a doe for toll evasion, on the Bay Bridge. She said she usually pays it, but today she was a buck short.”

A share of the castle …

Who hasn’t dreamed of owning a castle in Europe, right?  Well, if you have €50 lying around to spare, you can now own (part of) a castle!  It would be the castle of Saint-Vincent-le-Paluel, a 15th-century chateau in Dordogne, France, best known for being torched by the Nazis during World War II, and for one memorable film appearance, in the 1968 comedy Le Tatoué.

castle

“Adopte un Château,” a group dedicated to restoring the 30,000 abandoned and damaged castles in France, has started a crowdfunding campaign in which for €50, donors receive a share in the building, and help to dictate its future.

It isn’t a sure thing: the castle is going up for auction on September 21st. By that point, the fund raisers will have to have drummed up enough money to outbid any other potential buyers. According to the Local, 400 people have bought into the scheme so far, raising around €30,000. The starting bid is €250,000, so they have a bit of a ways to go.

castle-2Let’s see … that would be about 4,400 more shares, convert eur to usd … ONLY $260,920 USD … I will write a check tomorrow!  Um … where’s that checkbook now … ???

And speaking of France …

You’ve all heard of the infamous French Underground, right?  Well, underground in Paris refers to the 150 miles of secret tunnels that snake around the city: the ancient Mines of Paris network. Tourists can visit one piece of one portion of it—Les Catacombes de Paris, ossuaries that hold the broken up remains of some two million people – dead people, that is.

Last week, in the wee hours of August 29th, thieves struck in the tunnels under Paris!  What did they take?  No, not mummified, or rather ossified remains.  No, not rocks and no, before you guess it, they did not find gold hidden by the Nazis.  They were after … WINE!  More than more than 300 bottles of vintage wine, as it happens.  HUGH!!!  Where were you on the morning of August 29th???

catacombs

Catacombs

The thieves stole the wine from the cellar of a high-end apartment building close to the leafy Jardin du Luxembourg. Detectives believe they drilled in through the limestone wall of the catacombs.

Well, friends, that about wraps it up for another Monday.  I hope that whatever you do with your Labour Day holiday you have a great time and a safe time.  No, Joe, I will NOT be doing a ‘Jolly Tuesday” piece for your return to work tomorrow.  This is it.  Remember, while you are enjoying your day, to keep that smile on your face … you might be surprised how much difference it makes!

 

cartoon-3 cartoon-5cartoon-1

cartoon-4

 

48 thoughts on “It’s a Jolly Labour Day Monday!!!”

  1. Dear Roger and Jill,

    I can’t believe it has been three years since I joined up on a tour doing the England, Wales and Scotland travel route in 3 weeks which I did enjoy even though, I hate these tour packages. I don’t like being constrained by time tables. You see so much but there is not enough time to really enjoy everything. But I had a friend who talked me into joining her. We must t have visited this region during its only heat wave ever. It didn’t even rain! Being from Florida, I’m used to a little heat. In Edinburgh, we stayed at a hotel that did not have air-conditioning and you would have the world came to an end.

    I have visited the continent enough times to where I expect the cloudy skies with drizzles and occasional downpours. Now that I think about it, I am ready for another adventure. Jill, How about you?.

    Anyway, thanks for another great humorous Monday start even if it is-a day later..I want some of that French wine.
    Hugs, Gronda

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Glad you liked the post! I am with you in that I would much prefer to explore on my own, or perhaps a day tour here and there, but I wouldn’t like being on a set schedule for 3 weeks. The only time I have been to Europe was a 4-5 day business trip to France, and I fell in love with it. I had most of every day to explore on my own and then we all got together in the evenings for dinner, side trips, etc. It was ideal!

      An adventure, you say? Being pretty much a recluse these days, most of my adventures are of the armchair variety, but heck … perhaps it is time for an adventure! For now, though, calm your adventurous spirit and concern yourself with keeping safe when Irma hits Florida this weekend! Then you can treat yourself to some French wine!

      Hugs!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. Happy Labour Day! And no, I will NOT be covering myself with bees this year. Nor riding naked on a bike (I’m not sure if that’s about not wanting to be naked, or not wanting to be on a bike). I may look up some wine though… Have a good one! 🙂

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  6. I have the right to remain silent about the wine theft! And I do want to know how the bee keeper separates the “gentle” bees from the not-so-gentle bees!! Thanks for another Happy Monday treat! Have a good week. 😘

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  11. Happy Labor Day Jill!
    Great selection of news.
    I can explain the wine. They are French Thieves, of course they would take the wine. What else? (We British understand this sort of thing, having being arguifying with them for nearly 2,000 years. We both have great fun pointing out each others flaws….neither nation would have it any other way!)
    Enjoy your day
    All the best
    Roger

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      • Hmmm🤔….Where does one start?
        1. Complaining about the weather.
        2. Panicking about the weather.
        3. Believing what’s written in newspapers.
        4. Complaining about other nations, then adopting their foods like we invented them.
        5. Moaning about Americans then slavishly following the latest transatlantic trend.
        6. Forgetting we’re not a world power anymore.
        7. Moaning, then expecting ‘someone’ to do ‘something about it’, without being specific (happily not universal- bless our voluntary groups).
        8. Pretending every time the sun comes out we’re living in a tropical resort.
        9. Thinking it’s all the fault of immigrants (unless you are fashionably left-wing then it’s the fault of Jews, Catholics, people who don’t like the films ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ and ‘Dr Strangelove’ The BBC, and of course anyone who is does not worship Jeremy Corbyn)
        10. Thinking you can run a country without paying tax.
        Well that’s for starters….
        (I likes a good hurrumph)
        +
        11. God forbid I should call them British but since we share these Isles….If you are Irish, Scots or Welsh blaming The English for everything that happened to your nation over the last 1,100 years – Thus speaks a Welshman!
        Ahh this was such a good hurrmph!

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        • My Goodness, Roger!!! I was expecting one, maybe two … you surely did have a good ‘hurrumph’ … I’m so glad you got all that out of your system! If I didn’t know better, I would think you were a Frenchman, finding all those flaws with the Brits! I especially had a laugh out of #8! Here, I shall send you ☀️ 🌴 ☀️ 🌴 ☀️ 🌴

          Liked by 1 person

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          • Well Jill, Truth be known, it was good for starters…😼.
            But….’I have not yet begun to really, classically Hurrrmmmph!!’ 😤
            There’s lots of things ‘odd’ with the French,🙄 🤔 but that’s because they are French and as a true Brit I shall respect them for that (it’s part of our special relationship😄….if you want to see me go really ballistic point me in the direction of anyone who accuses The French of surrendering).
            Oh by the way, it’s all very cloudy and lightly raining here at 8.00am in the UK… my kind of weather🙃

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            • You Brits and the French truly do have a special (strange) relationship … it reminds me a bit of brothers who may fight constantly, but just let somebody else try to hurt either one, and there will be a fight to the death! 😜

              No, you have Hurrrmmmph-ed enough for now … you need to get back to your writing! Glad you’re enjoying your 🌧️, but I’m so sorry the ☀️ 🌴 I sent didn’t reach you! Guess I better send you ☂️ instead! 🙃

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              • Hi Jill.
                Sorry about the long delay in replying, 😞 my Patchwork book caught hold of me and I’ve been spending the week going from start to finish changing a word here and a word there; entire scenes being re-written🤔 and generally enthused more than unusual 😎…. then what do you know???…a day has ended.😮. Still some tidying up to do with aligning chapters as per Word’s great dictumz;😠 titles for chapters, and then my own attempt at making my own book cover 😲.
                Anyhows; back in circulation 😄!
                How you doing?
                PS It’s raining again; gently.
                Vive La France! (them and their stupid much better National Anthem than ours!)
                Roger

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                • No worries on the delay, dear Roger! I was growing concerned that perhaps you or your wife were sick, but I breathe a sigh of relief now, knowing that you are fine and that you’ve been inspired to work so hard on your book!!! I know just what you mean about the end of day rather sneaking up unannounced. Happens to me every day … I’m chugging along, writing a post, answering e-mails, and then suddenly it is 3:00 a.m. … or worse yet, 5:00 a.m. Not a healthy lifestyle, but … just not enough hours in a day, y’know?

                  I’m doin’ okay … been a bit under the weather from my deteriorating vision and week-long spat with Herb, but otherwise, I am snarky and ornery as always and enjoying life! I think perhaps I just missed the daily laugh I always get from you and your comments 🤣 🙃

                  Raining again, eh? We had the most beautiful thunderstorm 2 nights ago. I do love thunderstorms, but when I mentioned it to David, he said you don’t get thunderstorms in Wales. True? You don’t know what you’re missing? Of course, it may not have been the brightest thing I did, stepping outside onto the sidewalk and holding my arms up, ’cause it seemed to be a call to send a streak of lightening down that looked so close I could have reached out and touched it. I came back inside after that 🤓

                  Jealous of the French National Anthem, are ye? I thought you might be ready to try to trade Ms. May for Macron by now, but he seems not to be winning any popularity contests at home. I keep trying to trade you-know-who to my Canadian friends in exchange for Justin Trudeau, but so far no takers. I even offered to throw in a bonus of some of the other idiots, but no luck.

                  You’re going to design your own book cover??? Now THAT, my friend, is brave! Can’t wait to see it! Do I get a sneak preview?

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                  • Hi Jill,I hope you and Herb un-spat soon, all will continuing to chug along, and you will be feeling better.
                    We get a few episodes of thunderstorms in my local, but not the real full-on classic stuff, more rumbles in the distance. But when strong winds blow here they blow for days, again not the truly fearful, but they do sway the trees.
                    I don’t want to think what Canada would exchange wobble-belly for; the contents of a blocked up sewerage works?

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                    • You do have clogged sewage on the brain these days!!! 😀 But no, I don’t think I could give wobble-belly away, much less make an equitable trade. Next idea … hmmmm … remember the story of Hansel & Gretel? 🤔

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                    • It’s the News, the reading of it all…corr strewfff… does it m’am…. turns a man’s brain it does..Gawd ‘Elp Us! Fank ‘Evans we got the dear old maj’ Queen Elizabeth II! Gor bless ‘er.

                      I dunno about shoving all that in an oven Jill, could cause a large explosion!!….. Unless of course you want to use The Hansel & Gretel : Witch Hunters (2013 film)…..teee-heee

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                    • 🤣 🤣 🤣 … Shades of Eliza Doolittle, only with a deeper voice!

                      Yes, I suppose you are right about shoving all that … into an overn … and the aftermath of the explosion … blobs of blubber hanginf from the ceiling, dripping down the walls … ach … I … 🤢 🤢 🤢

                      Not having seen Hansel & Gretel : Witch Hunters , I cannot know the methodology involved there, so … unless you enlighten me, I shall have to come up with another idea … 🤔 🤔 🤔

                      I don’t suppose the way Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch of the West would work, for surely he is not made of anything sweet, let alone brown sugar.

                      I would cite Little Red Riding Hood, but as I am partial to wolves, and fully intend to come back as one in my next life, I always rather rooted for the wolf in that story. 😥

                      Sigh … I shall have to sleep 🛌 on it … 💤

                      Liked by 1 person

                    • Sorry Jill ’bout Hansel & G, ‘Twas late at night and I was being oblique. It’s a less than serious take; with elements of ‘steampunk’ H & G’ are now grown up, witch hunters and armed with all sorts of weapons including gattling-gun like devices. It’s fun.
                      I do enjoy a good take on Little Red Riding Hood- Check out on YouTube for the legendary Stan Freberg – Done in the style of ‘Dragnet’ and called ‘Little Blue Riding’- 1953 and it does not age!😂😂

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                    • Ah, no worries about Hansel and Gretel … he never would have fit his big posterior and wobble-belly into the oven anyway.

                      I just watched the Little Blue Riding Hood and that was FUNNY!!! Loved it! I have referred to you as a walking encyclopedia, but now I must add that I think you have an IMDB and YouTube index in your head also! Now I find that I want to watch old Dragnet re-runs! 📺 🤓

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                    • Ah yes, dearest Roger … it is indeed … full of … err … stuff!!! 😉 Mostly useful stuff, though … your knowledge of history is beyond belief, and NEVER … EVER … IN A MILLION YEars … would I play Trivial Pursuit with you!!! 😀

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                    • You will never convince me that you are not encyclopaedic! I am a history nerd also, but I cannot remember 1/10000 what you can pull up from the recesses of your mind! Some days I have trouble remembering my name! 🙃

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                    • Oh tsshh! Names are the sorts of things which are useful at meetings and formal dinners, but aside from that they are a bit of a nuisance and take the fun out of Life.
                      Y’see if you don’t remember a name properly you can get away with things like:
                      “Yes it was a surprise when the USA voted in….errr..Oh yes….now I remember… Donut Lump as President” 😃

                      Liked by 1 person

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