Happy Saturday!

Thank you all for visiting and reading Uncle Joe’s newest adventure, “Uncle Joe and the Eyes Out of the Dark.” Uncle Joe took off like a rocket ship to the moon with a cargo of Samoa cookies for the Milky Way. It was fun to watch.

We are taking off for the mountains. The official leaving temperature in Dallas is 81 F (21 C) and the temperature in Colorado is 34 F (1 C). That is a difference of 47 F (20 C).  I hope I have some warm clothes for the mornings.

Safe travels and enjoy the weather,

Grandpa Jim

A Fantastic Friday to each and every one of you!

Uncle Joe is Here!!

The second Uncle Joe Story, “Uncle Joe and the Eyes Out of the Dark,” is waiting for you to open your eyes, begin reading, grab a cookie and start storytelling someone the latest from the farm.

Did you ever see a cat jump like that? I didn’t know a cat could jump that high.

Read on.

I am grabbing a box of  Samoas from downstairs and getting ready for the day. That reminds me, I have to deliver some more of those cookies to Uncle Joe.

It is a great day.

Enjoy every moment of your’s,

Grandpa Jim

Joe

Publication PS: I couldn’t wait for 9 AM. “Uncle Joe and the Eyes Out of the Dark” arrived on the Home page at 8:38 AM today, June 29, 2012. We are excited here. I hope the excitement has started there.

Greetings and Good Thursday Morning!

I just checked the new Uncle Joe Story. It rested well. I made one tweak and let it be. It seems anxious and ready to go. Not quite yet . . .

Tomorrow, at 9 AM sharp, Uncle Joe will walk onto the scene of his next adventure. I hope you can be there with him at the start.

This morning, where I am sitting right now typing, it is 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27.8 degrees Celsius) and will be 102 F (38.9 C) later in the day. In the city in the valley in Colorado below the mountain where I will be staying, it is right now 46 degrees F (7.8 C) heading to the high of 70 degrees F (21.1 C). The present difference between here in Texas and there in Colorado is 36 degrees F (20 C) and will be 32 F (17.8C) at the warmest point of the day. For me, the transition will be somewhat like putting a nice steaming cup of hot chocolate into the refrigerator and taking out a frosty cold glass of chocolate milk. They both look, feel and taste good, but you had better be ready for what is on its way before you take that first sip or you may be startled and surprised.

Have a surprising day, be prepared and don’t be startled — it’s all for fun,

Grandpa Jim

PS: In yesterday’s blog on languishing languages, I realized this morning I did not give you the population and number of languages in the United States. As of the 2011 Census, the population of the U.S. is officially 311,591,917 (about 4.5% of the 7 billion people in the world). Although 311 languages (4.5% of the world’s 7,000 languages) are reported to be spoken the U.S., only 162 native or indigenous “small-town” languages exist within the borders of the Unites States (a contribution of about 2.3% to the world’s language pool). I hope you find these data points interesting and revealing.

A marvelous Monday to you all,

What is it like to sleep at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters)? I’ll find out next week. About 30 of my relatives have a cabin in the Colorado Rockies for the 4th of July Holiday. Wi Fi is wired so I will blog, send photos of the terrain and report on the feel of things.

Uncle Joe Story #2 publishes this Friday, no later than 9 AM my time! So, blogging next week will take second fiddle to the excitement of his new adventure.

What does it mean to be “second fiddle?” Wikipedia says that the term “refers to something that plays a secondary role in support of something that plays a more major or leading role.” Good, but where did the phrase come from, what are its origins? Back before the days of DVDs, pods, pads and earbuds, the days when concerts were king and perhaps the only thing, the lead fiddle in the band or first-chair violin in the orchestra received the greatest attention, basked in the limelight and made the most money. The lead fiddle was the rock star of the then music world. The second fiddle waited and hoped, became a doctor on the side to pay the rent and over time did even better than his lead musical friend by advising patients what to expect when traveling to mountainous states.

I will drink plenty of water and go slow the first day. No hiking right out of the chute. I will wait and watch. Altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness (AMS) can affect visitors above 8,000 feet (2,438.4 meters). Most symptoms are mild — minor headache, transitory tiredness or restless sleep. Symptoms improve when you move to a lower level — but wait, my bed is at 10,000 feet!

Whatever happens, I will reach to the keyboard and blog you a note. It will be a second-fiddle post, I know, but that’s okay, I trust Uncle Joe.

Don’t climb too fast, drink plenty of water and enjoy your day — wherever you are,

Grandpa Jim

Hooray for Thursday!

We are now officially in Summer. The meteorologists are cautiously predicting our first 100 degree days, a spate of them, starting with a 102 on Sunday, going to 104 and not dropping below 100 (only to 99) until a week Saturday. Turn down the air, turn up the fan, slow down the stride and pick up a hat.

From the farm, Uncle Joe could use one more rain for the corn, but none is in the forecast. Keep positive rain cloud thoughts in mind.

Speaking of Uncle Joe, he signed off on the next Uncle Joe story. And, I received the final comments from the Content Editor last night, will make a few changes and then send the story to the Copy Editor for one more look. I have two friends with the  good eyes of Proofreaders and I will let them have the final reads. We are on track to post a week from tomorrow, June 29th, at 9:00 AM, if I can wait that long. I think you will learn more about Uncle Joe. So, get ready.

For all you Northern Hemisphereans, stay cool — the heat is upon us, and keep those rain thoughts in mind.

Have a great day,

Grandpa Jim