Any little boy's grandfather can be president of the United States

Harry S. Truman
Originally uploaded by alfromelkhorn

I have been reading the Spring 2009 issue of Prologue, the magazine of the National Archives. The issue is dedicated to Harry S Truman on his 125 birthday. One article is written by Clifton Truman Daniel and the title of this blog entry is what his mother Margaret told him when, at age 6, he finally discovered what his grandfather did before he retired. His folks were afraid he would get a swelled head, you see.

Mr. Daniel explains that when he and his brother were 4 and 2 years old they would try to avoid their grandfather in the morning because if he caught them on their way to watch TV he would read them Thucydides.

Fun article.

Taylor Dock

Taylor Dock, Fairhaven - Bellingham Bay, WA Summer 2008
Originally uploaded by andorasredroom

My last entry found me riding my bike on Taylor Dock. Here is a photo of part of it. This wooden trail connects Boulevard Park near downtown Bellingham, with Fairhaven, Bellingham's southwest corner. It is a new addition to the Bay, and gets a lot of use. Last fall I saw a group of teenage boys riding their bikes down that incline you see, riding up onto an inclined board and somersaulting into the freezing water - with their bicycles.

I didn't join them.

Thanks to Andorasredroom for the photo.

Sunbow Warrior

The sunbow ring!
Originally uploaded by British Mac

On Monday I was riding my bike along Taylor Dock (see next entry) and renewing my love of Bellingham, when I looked out over the Bay and saw a sunbow. I didn't have a camera but this photo by British Mac tells you pretty much what I saw.

As I rode along the Dock I said to each person I passed "See the Sunbow?" and pointed. Some ignored me. Some looked like I was trying to sell them a bridge. But some looked up and said "Where is it - ohm my gosh!" or words to that effect.

So there I went along the wooden road, a meteorological messenger. "Have you seen the sunbow? See the sunbow?"

Digester's Reader

A Clockwork Orange edible book
Originally uploaded by Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

This is a new one on me. Some libraries have been having Edible Book contests. For example, this is A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by
Jeanne Mithen, from the 2007 contest atTopeka and Shawnee County Public Library.

I discovered this when I came across the 2009 contest at Staley Library of Millikin University. I can't copy their pictures here easily but go look at them, especially Eric McKinney's little masterpiece.

Three Men in a Boat

Three Men in a Boat
Originally uploaded by think_ram

Ever read Jerome K. Jerome's masterpiece THREE MEN IN A BOAT? An utterly trivial comic novel about three young Englishmen traveling up the Thames. You have certainly heard one line from it: "Work fascinates me. I can sit and watch it for hours."

Back in 1975 it was made into a tv movie in Britain, starring Michael Pailn and Tim Curry, with a very faithful script by Tom Stoppard. As far as I know the thing has never been available on video or DVD in the US.

However, someone has just put chunks of it up on Youtube starting here. Unfortunately it won't let me embed it on my page so you will have to go there to see it.