While I Was Away

June turned into July.

Sorry for the absence and the delays, it's been a busy week. First we had the 4th of July celebration at M's parents in Pennsylvania, it was a great time and I got to meet her dads side of the family. There was shooting and laughter and fireworks and much fun had by all involved, M demonstrated her targeting skills once more and "didn't embarrass myself" and I got put on grille duty and didn't embarrass myself, so all is good. We finally got back home Wednesday.

Thursday we cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and did some cooking out on the grill. Also Thursday the control panel went out in the stove again with smoke and sizzling, the second one in the past couple of years, and unfortunately it controls everything. And of course I didn't try to find one until today and all the appliance parts places that might have one are closed until 8 AM Monday. Good thing the microwave still works.

Friday we delivered some end tables to one of M's co-workers (hers this time so it isn't just my stuff that is being replaced) and got the call that the ring was ready. We went and picked it up and I've ordered the diamonds for the side stones, when they come in I'll take it to a jewelry shop in Wake Forest and have them put in. In the meantime the pink sapphire looks great and she loves it.

Today is a retirement party for one of the Mustang Forum members, so we'll be in Fayetteville for the afternoon. But before I go, a bit of necessary business.

No, I don't know who she is but she does look patriotic, doesn't she?

Have a great July everyone!

May

April is done and May has begun, April showers will bring May flowers...and hopefully a bit more warm and a bit less rain. The forecast looks good here at the Refuge for the next week, lots of sun and temperatures in the high 70's to low 80's, at least until Saturday when the rain reappears. This assumes, of course, that the weather-guessers have guessed right this week.

And since the weather is giving promises of summer, here is the Redhead of the Month for May:

Here's hoping she is dressed appropriately for the month.

Due To Circumstances

beyond my control this month's ROTM will regretfully be delayed.

Sorry Guffaw, I'll try to make up for it later.

Off to the Pennsylvania mountains now.

March

It has come in, if not like a lion then at least like an icy little lamb with freezing rain and ice hanging off of the trees. It's warm enough now that it has mostly melted away, but when it gets cold tonight it's going to be a real fun time driving home.

But, ice storms notwithstanding it is a new month, and even though my own situation has changed for the better there still must be a ROTM, oh yes there must.

And so, without further ado, I give you your morning coffee.

Love those socks. Hey, I have a table almost exactly like that one...

Good morning everyone!

Wow...

How did THIS happen? It's almost the middle of February, I haven't changed my header pic, and GFA hasn't dropped by to give me a hard time about it.

Allow me to correct this glaring deficiency:

Think of it as a hope for spring.

Happy New Year

Historical

So it was a pretty good election day for the Republicans, not so much for the Democrats.

The Republicans picked up eight seats in the Senate, sixteen additional House seats (18 new ones minus two losses), and added four new governors as well. When the new Congress is seated in January it will be firmly in Republican control once again. Time will tell if they have the sense to hold it this time.

Everyone is talking about that, but there are a few things that it seems no one is talking about. Historical things, things that are happening for the first time ever.

One of those things is the election of a black man from the South, Senator Elect Tim Scott. He is not the first black Senator from the South, there have been others that were appointed in the years following the Civil War, but he is the first one elected to his position.

In the Congress Utah now has a solid Republican bench, re-electing three and adding one, Mia Love, who becomes the first black Republican woman ever.

Elsewhere, in New York Elise Stefanik becomes the youngest woman Congressperson ever and Senator Elect Joni Ernst is the first woman veteran elected to the Senate, and with that my birth state of Iowa now has two Republican senators for the first time in as long as I can remember.

Not bad for a bunch of sexist racist mouth-breathing gun-toting sister-swapping rednecks (and those are some of the more polite names I have been called).

And on another note so long/good riddance to the junior Senator from North Carolina, Kay Hagen, who was unable to win over Republican Thom Tillis even though the Democrats poured more money into her re-election campaign than has ever been spent in any election anywhere in the US.

What makes this particularly special is...I don't even particularly like Thom Tillis, and neither do a great number of North Carolina gun owners who remember his duplicity in stalling gun related bills in the NC state house, but as long as he remembers to stay bought he should be OK.

And last but certainly not least, since it is November it is the month of Thanksgiving. In that spirit, I leave you with something to be thankful for, this month's ROTM.

Quick!

Before gfa gets here!

*whew* that was close...

July ROTM

I have been working all week so I didn't get a chance to put this up earlier. It amused me this month while perusing the web for suitable images that so many of them looked familiar...because they were links to this site, particularly the ROTM posts. Ah, what price fame...

At any rate, and without further ado, I give you the Redhead of the Month for July, the lovely Kimber Lee:

Happy 4th of July everyone!

June

First month of summer, and a new ROTM.

For your consideration:

Analeigh Tipton.

Happy First Month of Summer!

Oops!

It's May, and I have yet to post the ROTM!

So, without further ado, I give you...

Spring.

I don't have a name to go with the face, perhaps one of you do?

December Redhead

I've been remiss. The first week in December has come and gone and I'm just now getting around to changing the header.

As per an earlier suggestion, December's Redhead of the Month is:

Rose Leslie, AKA Ygritte from Game of Thrones.

Enjoy!

September!

And besides being time for a new header picture, it's also Redhead Appreciation Month! (or what I like to call, every day)

And without further ado, I present September's "Last Refuge Header Hotness", the lovely Scarlett Pomers.

So far this month is really starting off in the right direction...