Friday Funnies

Yesterday's post detailed a recent visit to the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA. It was wonderful to see classic works of art, several caught our attention including these to which we added our own captions.

The first shows a man surrounded by screaming furies.  I can't recall the artist's title
My caption — "It's all your fault . . ."


This painting shows a novice monk surrounded by older monks.
Grenville's caption —  "On second thought . . ."

Art is beautiful and can also be fun if you are in the right silly frame of mind, which we definitely were — can't you tell?

BTW, please feel free to share your own caption(s) to either or both of these paintings in the Comments section. We would enjoy reading them and so would others.

Enjoy the weekend — and ALWAYS make time for some MUCH Fun!

Artful Adventure

Last weekend’s holiday activities included (no surprise) — a road trip. On Saturday, we attended a Virginia Beach BBQ. We stayed overnight in Norfolk to visit the Chrysler Museum on Sunday, our weekend adventure day.

NO, we didn’t see any Chrysler autos. It’s not that type of museum. And, if you had wanted to see the only American manufacturer-run car museum, sorry it’s too late. The Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan, opened in 1999, closed in 2012. Lack of attendance was cited as a primary cause.
Instead, we saw art in a museum that was founded when his son, automotive heir Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. (whose wife was a Norfolk native), donated most of his extensive collection to Norfolk for what became the Chrysler Museum of Art.
The Chrysler Museum houses a collection of over 30,000 pieces spanning over 5,000 years, including glassware, statuary, American and European paintings, arts of the ancient world, Asia, Africa, and Pre-Columbian America, and sculpture.
This was a first-time visit for us and luckily came as the the museum just reopened in May after a 16-month shutdown. This $24 million expansion and renovation replaced 50 galleries from the ground up.
The museum was originally founded in 1933 as the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. From 1958 to 1971, Chrysler housed his personal collection in a cramped Massachusetts church. He scouted several new locations; the city of Norfolk gave space and commitment and the new museum was created with 10,000 donated pieces making it one of the major art museums in the Southeastern U.S.
Particularly outstanding and of recognized distinction is its comprehensive 8,000-piece collection of glass that includes Art Nouveau and 19th-century American art glass.
The vast collection includes works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who was a Long Island neighbor of Chrysler. There are several display cases and 2 stained glass windows in a separate gallery.
According to an online story, Walter P. Chrysler Jr., bought his first painting, a small watercolor of a nude, as a 14-year-old boarding school student. A dorm master, who believed no proper young man should have a nude in his room, confiscated and destroyed the painting — a Renoir.

In his 20s, Chrysler met the top Avant-garde artists of Paris (Picasso, Matisse, Gris and others) and began purchasing their work. He spent summers in American artist colonies and bought works from artists before they became established. He bought pieces he liked and was confident that qualities he saw in them would gain acceptance later. which most did.
Chrysler collected art for nearly 70 years and has been described by art critics as the most underrated American art collector of the past 50 years. He “traded” artwork often, and before deciding on his own museum, was generous with others such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC, to which he gave several pieces now in its permanent collection.
The Chrysler Museum presents the opportunity to view artwork from its permanent collection and introduces several changing exhibitions of worldwide works. There’s some fun exhibits like this glass chess set with pieces representing Catholicism and Judaism.
One entire gallery is devoted to “pop” art with its bright, bold colors.
Get Fired Up is the theme of the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio housed in a separate building across from the museum. This facility complements the museum’s glassware collection and presents glassmaking demos to show how glass art is created. The demos are presented free, Wednesday through Sunday at noon. The studio also offers fee-based classes and workshops open to the public.
Not only is this museum a great place to explore, but it’s all FREE — the art museum and glass studio are open Tuesday-Sunday, closed Monday. Guest wi-fi is available throughout the museum (also free). Visitors are encouraged to take photos of the collection, but without flash or tripod. Food and drinks are not allowed in galleries; there is an on-site restaurant. And, of course, donations are always welcome and very much appreciated.
We’re planning a return visit in the next couple of months. We had a wonderful time (doesn’t it show?) and definitely could not see everything in a single afternoon visit.

Fourth & Celebrate

The biggest U.S. summer holiday is just a memory. We hope everyone had a great weekend, no matter how how it was observed: family, friends, food, fireworks. Thankfully, Hurricane Arthur brought only rain and wind to the VA Eastern Shore as Grenville posted earlier. 

The storm threat caused postponement or cancellation of events in some places, but a couple of traditions here proceeded as scheduled.  

First, there was the 8th annual ice cream social and Community Band concert in the neighboring town of Onancock on Thursday, July 3. FREE ice cream and lots of music and some colorful dress as well.

And this satisfied ice cream fans showed his/her enjoyment.

Our county library held its July 4 — Firecracker Book Sale despite a rainy morning start, which caused the parade to be delayed until July 5; however, the book sale is an indoor event. The sale include free coloring books and FREE refreshments.

We attended BOTH events — FREE treats are always an incentive; we also helped with setup and take down of the book sale and didn't escape without buying books as well.

On Saturday, we attended an annual family and friends get-together. It was our first time and everyone was so welcoming plus the food was delicious and never-ending. 

A BIG thanks to friends, Denise & Gregg for inviting us to be a part of their family's annual July 4th celebration.

And, we also showed our colors.

America's Newest Steam Engine

On our way home from Gettysburg we visited the Northern Central Railroad in New Freedom Pa. The Steam Into History organization has a large section of the original tracks of this road. Originally laid as a double track railroad in the 1850's, only one track still exists while the rest of the road bed is used as a bike/walking trail. There is no fence or guard rails between the trains and the bikers. I asked the engineer about this and was told that on rare occasions someone gets close but not normally. Sometimes folks will even race the train. At a 10 mile an hour speed limit, the train seldom wins. The star of this railroad is one of the newest steam locomotives built in the US. The York 17

This locomotive is less than two years old. Built by the Kloke Locomotive Works in Elgin Il., it was their second locomotive. For the train buffs, rail fans, and techies it is an "American 4-4-0" design, oil fired boiler, and weighs in at just 88,000 pounds (a mere 44 tons), a real light weight as locomotives go. The rest of the specs are:

Cylinders	16" x 24"
Driving Wheels	60"
Boiler	50" outside diameter
Boiler Pressure	160 lbs
Flues	156, 2" diameter
Engine & Tender Length	45'
Engine & Tender Weight	88,000 lbs
Tender Tank Capacity	2,000 gallons

To get a closer look at this beauty as it was being built click here http://www.leviathan63.com/projectYork.html

On our visit we took a ride and were both educated, entertained, and met some characters on board.

So why is this such a historic railroad and train????? In 1863 the Civil War was still raging. The Battle of Gettysburg had been fought in this area just a few month earlier. A memorial ceremony was being planned on the Gettysburg battle field to honor those that had given their lives for this cause. President Abraham Lincoln had been invited to say a few words. Amazingly he was not the main speaker, but his words, known as the Gettysburg Address, have lived on in history.
To travel to and from Washington DC to Gettysburg he took a train very similar to this one, and traveled on these same tracks. Unfortunately a short time later Lincoln would again ride these rails, but this time would be to his final resting place in Illinois.

And while you're there, after you stop at the Pizza place for lunch, walk down to the New Freedom Station and visit the Railroad Museum. You won't be sorry.

Grenville

Arthur missed by 100 miles

Arthur passed by about 100 miles to sea. We had some rain and wind but nothing like a real hurricane.
Stats= .98 inches of rain/ wind= 10-12 mph with gusts to 30mph.

At 2pm EDT it is sunny and breezy on the Eastern Shore

Temp=78F
 Humidity=66%
 Heat Index = 80F
Wind= NW 10-15 Gusting to 29MPH

High Surf and Beach Advisory is still in effect for wave 5-8 ft on the Atlantic.
No advisories for the Cheasapeke Bay.
CBBT still has Level 2 restrictions for the entire span.

No damage to speak of at the F&P. We are all safe and sound (well relatively speaking) and getting ready for some Crock-Pot ribs.

We hope everyone has a great and safe weekend.

Grenville@ Weather Underground Station KVAONLEY1

Murdoch — It's a Mystery

Spoiler Alert — Canadian blog readers, who know about this TV drama are free to skip reading. 

WHY?
Because some folks may be tired of raves about this show, but Grenville and I are now "hooked" on this Canadian TV drama which follows a pioneering detective in Toronto, Canada at the turn of the 20th century. The Murdoch Mysteries series is based on the Detective Murdoch novels of British born/Canadian author Maureen Jennings. It is produced for TV by Toronto-based Shaftesbury, founded in 1987 by chairman and CEO Christina Jennings. It's an odd coincidence that the writer and producer have identical surnames, but are not related.

Murdoch Mysteries is currently set in 1901 and features the case-solving methods of Detective William Murdoch of the Toronto Constabulary, who uses detection methods considered quite unusual then but commonplace now — fingerprinting (called "fingermarks"), blood testing, trace evidence, wire tapping, surveillance among them. 

The series is a gentle pleasure. It's filled with charm, wit, and elegant costuming. There's always a murder to be solved, but it's never particularly gruesome in its portrayal. Each episode is a finely-tuned mix of police procedures, medical whodunit, and parlor sleuthing. Plots often twist and turn, but always conclude within the self-contained episodes. However, as recurring characters appear in multiple episodes, watching the series from its start is best. And, this could take awhile with over 100 episodes online.

Canadian actor Yannick Bisson is the lead character, Detective William Murdoch, who works at Station Four. Murdoch is logical and scientific and appears to have a photographic memory. The detective is awesomely good looking, meticulous, methodical, intelligent, impeccably dressed and wears his iconic homburg while bicycling to a crime scene (this is the 19th century). Murdoch is a fan of modern science and often applies new scientific knowledge to solve crimes. Schooled by Jesuits, he developed an early interest in science and theology. His mother died when he was young, and for years he believed that his father had killed her. This matter was resolved in one episode. His family consists of a sister, Susannah (a nun) and a half-brother, Jasper (a Mountie).  Murdoch is Roman Catholic in a city that was then primarily Protestant and crosses himself every time he arrives at a murder. (Did I mention he was "eye candy" for the ladies?)
Murdoch is assisted by many other characters primarily: Dr. Julia Ogden, Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), and Constable George Crabtree. Others also appear in successive episodes, but are too numerous to include.

Australian actress Hélène Joy who portrays Dr. Ogden is very beautiful (as you can see). Her role is portrayed as an unconventional and modern-thinking woman who working as a skilled pathologist at the City Morgue has aided the Constabulary in solving cases. She sets up private practice and later becomes a psychiatrist. Dr Ogden has struggled for recognition in the face of male stereotyped positions. She is intelligent, resourceful, and humorous. She shares a deep interest in Murdoch's forensic methods. Throughout the series, she and Murdoch play a cat-and-mouse game of affection; this is a major subplot. (Spoiler: Julia and William become engaged at the end of Season 7.)

Inspector Brackenreid, played by English actor Thomas Craig, is Murdoch's immediate superior and heads Toronto Station House 4. He's a blunt skeptical Yorkshire man with a short temper, fondness for scotch, and enjoys opera and live theatre. He favors "old-school" police procedures over Murdoch's often unusual methods, but is pleased and proud when Murdoch suceeds. In the series, he's married to Margaret with 2 young sons.

Canadian comedian and actor Jonny Harris as Constable Crabtree as an officer of the law and an aspiring mystery writer. Crabtree does most of the evidence collecting and nearly always provides his own unique theories to solving crimes. He often suggests commercial uses for Murdoch's inventions, many of which became real products. Constable Crabtree has many aunts; all are named after flowers or plants, such as Aster, Begonia, Daisy, Hyacinth, Iris, Ivy, Petunia and the nameless "my aunt" whose experiences he relates in various episodes. (Spoiler: in Season 7, viewers meet them all in Republic of Murdoch.)

Real history is an important factor in many episodes. Plots, though fictitious, have included known personalities such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, Harry Houdini, and Andrew Carnegie. Story lines have covered the invention of the auto, zeppelins, flying machines, Tesla death rays, time machines, and gas masks — something for everyone. Many stories are layered with actual events; some foreshadowed future events.

Murdoch Mysteries premiered on Canadian TV in 2008; after 5 seasons Rogers Media announced it would be discontinued. In 2011 it was "rescued" by CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) for seasons 6 and 7 and renewed for its 8th season in 2014.

Are we hooked addicted?
You bet (does it show?) 
We started watching Murdoch Mysteries on Netflix, which had seasons 1-3, then we watched seasons 4-5 on Amazon Prime. After watching all of these we found  another streaming subscription Acorn TV now has ALL 7 seasons online. The annual subscription is $49.95, but fast viewers could watch the entire series (over 100 episodes) for FREE during the offered 1-month trial. (It's how we started before subscribing.)

And, there's MORE, the opening theme by composer Robert Carli is my phone ringtone Yup, most definitely hooked!

(All images included in the collages were solely for purposes of describing this show.)

YOUR turn — Do you have a current (or past) favorite program — are you hooked?

Beaching It

That's what we did Sunday on a biking/beach trip to Cape Charles, VA, which is about an hour drive from our home. We drove there transporting the bikes and then cycled along town streets, all of which have a 25 MPH speed limit, before going to the beach.  East-west streets are named after Virginia statesmen and north-south streets are named after fruits. 

Cape Charles, VA is the Eastern Shore's southern most town, located 10 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It's a Victorian-era town included in the National Register of Historic Places. In years gone by, the town had a booming railroad and ferry business.

The public beach here is free — making it the only beach on the ES which doesn't require a parking or entrance fee. It's on the Chesapeake Bay and the waters are relatively shallow which make this location safe for those with young children. Unlike other VA beaches which are off the Atlantic Ocean, there are small to no waves here. And, like most other beaches, It's a favorite for gulls, always scavenging the shoreline.

And sometimes gators too; this youngster was having a touch time managing this float . . .

Until his older brother came to cart off the beast.

When we visited, there were lots of family groups out for a day of fun in the sun — sunbathing, swimming, boating and playing. Coolers are allowed, but there's no food stands, amusement rides, or other vendors here, which make this beach a perfect getaway for many folks, including ourselves, to relax — under the boardwalk or hanging ten off the edge of a lounge chair.

We hope everyone had a great weekend, no matter how or where it was spent.
Any special plans for this week's major holidays — Canada Day (July 1) and July 4th?

Kids at Play

These photos were taken several months ago during a family visit road trip, which included egg hunts, egg coloring. and a playground visit. As you can tell by their clothing, it was fairly chilly even for April. 

Grandson showed off his latest hair style.

Granddaughterhas a head full of curls, which are au naturel.

Friday Funnies

Today's humor is courtesy of our friend, Thomas, who saw this sign at a rest stop in Bend, Oregon.

Wonder if the port-o-johns would be puppy poopers? 

Rats — Crocked Summer Veggie Stew

The post title refers partly to the 2007 computer animated Pixar-Disney film, Ratatouille, which starred Remy, a Parisian rate interested in cooking. This is a fun movie for all ages. 

But it's really about Ratatouille, a vegetable stew that aside from Gazpacho (a soup made from raw veggies and served cold). And, it's one of the best ways to use an abundance of summer vegetables, your own or ones gifted by friends with overflow gardens.

Not only is this a great-tasting meal, but it's also good for you (imagine that). Over the years, I've tried various versions, most required some form of stove top cooking, but this recipe differed — veggies were cut up, seasoned and broiled before being added to the crock pot. The result was they held up better even after several hours in the crock pot. And, to give credit where due, this adapted version is from Cook's Country (Aug/Sep 2013).

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

• 2 lbs eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2-3 zucchini (about 8 oz. ea) quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 6 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp Herbs de Provence *
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 C all purpose flour
• Salt & pepper
• 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese (or a blend of grated Italian cheeses)
• 1/4 C chopped fresh basil

* If you don't have Herbs de Provence, substitute 1 tsp each dried rosemary and dried thyme. I had to search for this seasoning, but it was worth the effort.

1. Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. If your oven has different broiler heat settings, set it to medium (which varies if you have an electric vs. gas oven). Line backing sheet(s) or a large broiler pan bottom with foil (easier cleanup). In a large bowl, combine all the veggies also olive oil, sugar, garlic, Herbs de Provence. Toss until mixed and combined.
2. Divide vegetables evenly between prepared sheets (or single large sheet) and spread into a single layer (mine overlapped a bit). Broil until vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes or faster if your broiler has only 1 heat setting, which is very hot). While vegetables are broiling, turn a couple of times to evenly cook. When done, transfer to crock pot and add drained tomatoes.
3. Stir flour, 2-1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper into slow cooker. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender (about 4 hours on LOW). Stir in balsamic vinegar, cheese, and basil. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Yield: about 8 cups.

No need to serve with a side salad as this dish is loaded with veggies. However, some crusty bread makes a perfect accompaniment. Leftovers are delicious too, hot or cold.