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It had to happen.

Report from The One Hundred and Twenty Days of Possible Good Weather In Wisconsin

 Gradually but consistently, the dew point temperatures are getting higher. That means that the percentage of humidity is increasing into the uncomfortable environs of what is referred to as the muggys.

When the dew point is n the sixties, we feel sticky, and the damp air seems to suck the energy out of us, to say nothing of the perspiration.

On the Easel

I did This self-selected arrangement of leaves and a flower for practice. I'm happy working with pastels, but I have much to learn.

Mountain View
Pastel 9 x 12
Here, I practiced different application, blending, and color selection techniques.

The first sign of stress with my new love.
Jeanne and her family are diehard, dedicated Milwaukee Brewer fans. I, for many years, hoped for the Chicago Cubs. ( Note: I said I hoped.) I picked up the habit many years ago while traveling the state of Wisconsin; I followed the lovable losers on WGN radio. 
I solidified the habit by attending a few games at Wrigley. If you haven't been to Wrigley Field, the only way to explain it is to imagine a step back in history when ballparks were built in neighborhoods, and people took the streetcar or walked to the games.
Then Milwaukee got a team. They began playing in the American League because the team they brought from Seattle was in the American League. Milwaukee's experience with the Braves had them lusting for the National League. And so it would be that the hometown Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, engineered the transformation. Thus, we have the I-94 rivalry with my Cubs.
It began as an innocent evening of watching the Brewers on TV. Then it was sitting on the front porch listening to the games. I should have known my addictive personality was in gear when I could recognize every Brewer player and where they played. (I can't name one player for the Cubs.)Then we started to have our favorite players. (We nicknamed Joey Wiemer, Goldylocks because of his blond mullet.) It became painful for me if they lost.
So I had to face it. This remarkable woman I met and fell for has seduced me into her passion for The Brewers. This week The Cubs are coming to Milwaukee for a four-game series. Is this like a reunion with an ex-wife where I fear what I say will be misunderstood? Or is it the passing of the baton to the next fan of the lovable losers? Watch this space.


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