Academies of Racine at Park High Donate a Tiny House to Veterans

We often hear of the horrors of what takes place in schools. There are many good things that never make the news. This is certainly one of them. These kids are making business connections and learning skills that they will be able to take to the marketplace, or to use personally for the rest of their lives. They are also learning compassion and the benefits of giving to their community.

Over the past decade, teachers have gotten a terrible reputation of being greedy, union thugs, pushed forward by those who want to under-compensate them for their skills and gifts, simply to meet their idea of prioritizing and budget management. This pushed idea to the public is very far from the truth. My inside perspective has proven that most get up every day, do a difficult job, and give and give to make our communities better places to live.

Happy Birthday, TRC

Happy 1st birthday, The Real Clubhouse!

Today we celebrate 1 full year at our new location. We are not quite a teenager, yet.  I believe next month we celebrate 10 years of independent blogging and friendship. We can count even more if you figure in our original news site where we all met.  My, how the time flies!

It has been an honor meeting and getting to know you all! 

To any readers, please join us in comments, fun and frolics. We welcome your addition!

Website of the Day

Hooray...... all the emoji's on this website appear to now work when copied and pasted into comments.

😡    💔    👱    🐶    😭    🐸

Right click the image under "code," copy, then paste into your comment. It helps to have 2 tabs open.

www.symbols-n-emoticons.com/2013/05/new-symbols-for-facebook-comments.html

Link of the Day

This is amazing.... click the link for more pictures and the full story!

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/when-snow-becomes-a-canvas-how-one-artist-creates-colossal-masterpieces-using-a-compass-snowshoes/70000410

For those who can't handle the frigid weather

Wisconsin Slideshow

https://www.thecrazytourist.com/17-most-beautiful-places-to-visit-in-wisconsin/

Very neat slideshow of some beautiful locations in Wisconsin. I've visited many of these locations.

This picture is my favorite. I've driven through Grant Park, but never walked the trails. I might need to head back there... soon!  Loving the fall colors!

TRC Data 9-9-2016

Just in case you missed it....

Open Blog - Tuesday

Weekday Funny

This amazing video is suddenly being shared everywhere on Facebook. It was uploaded to YouTube back in October, 2009, from Rezzato kite festival, in Italy. These kites were designed and operated by a man from France.  So cool I had to share, just in case you missed it. Can you imagine driving down the road and seeing this from afar?

Now That Would Be Something

We interrupt this news program to tell you that the 6am, 9am, 11am, 12pm, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 9pm, and 10pm news broadcasts will no longer be necessary. We'll just fill you in when good things happen.

Mini Vacation

I just got back from a little trip to the Mississippi River. There is a spectacular park in Iowa, across the river from Prairie du Chien, called Pike's Peak Park. There is camping available, which is of no interest to me, but they have the most beautiful and well maintained hiking paths you can take, deep into the natural wooded bluff.

The top picture is at the pinnacle of the peak. (say that three times quickly) The lookout, called "The Crow's Nest," is supposedly at the highest point of the bluffs, along the Mississippi River. It is located across from where the Wisconsin River empties into the Mississippi. 

The middle picture is of the lowest point we reached on our foray into the wild. It must have been about a million steps down.  We entered the trail about 5:30 pm and had the place to ourselves. The quiet was amazing. As I was going along, I was hoping that I would have the ability to get myself back up all those steps before nightfall. It was gorgeous. The trail we took was about 1.2 miles in, with quite a bit of elevation, so double that, to get yourself back out.  Luckily, not many mosquitoes had yet hatched, or we would have been coated. The woods were quite dense. 

The last picture shows Bridal Veil Falls. There were actually 2 waterfalls along this hiking path. These are not my original pictures. I didn't have a camera with me, but thank you to those who came before me and had the foresight to be great photographers. It was much greener and more overgrown this time of year. 

We also saw many barges along the river, and a lot of wildlife. I finally spotted a couple scarlet tanagers, something I have always wanted to see. There were also some cranes and many large predatory hawks, and a big group of hummingbirds. We also saw all the casino's and other touristy gift shops that clutter any city which is adjacent to something worth seeing. I didn't frequent any of them. 

It was a whirlwind trip. Three states in 36 hours: Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. We took a drive up the Great River Road to LaCrosse and then crossed the river in Minnesota and drove the river from that perspective. The return crossing back to Wisconsin was a very high, long span, yet amazingly narrow and quite scary bridge. Cheap thrills. 

There are road crews who must have to work full time to maintain these roads on both sides, slowing traffic for emergency repairs from the falling rocks, and the natural ebb and flow of Mother Nature. This side of our state is flat, where the glaciers scraped out the farmlands. It is wonderfully crazy how different the terrain becomes just to the west.

We had a nice time, but my calves will need a days rest -at least, before I'm ready to tackle anything more. 

Ideas That Make Sense

Such a cool idea!

http://www.businessinsider.com/spacious-wants-to-turn-restaurants-into-coworking-spaces-2016-6?utm_content=buffer31e85&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

It's seven hours before DBGB Kitchen and Bar officially opens, but people are already seated in the restaurant's dining area.

They all have their laptops out, and a pair are holding a meeting at a bar table. It's because during the day, the restaurant doubles as a shared workspace.

Interesting Link of the Day

The stuff you find browsing the internet when you should be doing 

something more productive...

What do you see?  

A lake? A wall?

http://www.today.com/popculture/do-you-see-lake-or-wall-optical-illusion-confusing-internet-t100056?cid=sm_fbn

Strawberry Moon and Summer Solstice Event

For the first time since June 1967, two astronomical phenomena will occur at the same time. Monday evening, a full "strawberry" moon will shine in the night sky during the summer solstice — the longest day of the year.

EarthSky.org said a full moon on a summer solstice is a rare event, and another one is not likely to come around until June 21, 2062. Why is it called a strawberry moon? The Old Farmer's Almanac says the Algonquin tribe of indigenous Americans called the June full moon by that name because it occurred around the time the strawberries were being picked.

The moon reached its fullness this morning, and the actual evening solstice will take place at 6:34 p.m. Eastern time.

Two hours after that, the moon will rise at 8:41 p.m. Eastern time, and viewers will be able to see an event that occurs only once every half-century.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/20/once-in-a-generation-strawberry-moon-tonight.html

Full Story on EarthSky: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/june-solstice-full-moon-in-2016

I'm going hunting for it! It is so light out, it might be hard to see?

My journey continues

Today, for the first time in years, I had lunch with a group of 12 women.  I have avoided these functions because of my hearing issues.  It went okay...not great, but definitely okay.  I was upfront with my hearing issues.  Yes, I missed stuff, but they were forewarned.  I think I'm going to ask my audiologist, but I think if I expose myself to these settings, it will help in the brain adjustments that go along with this implant.  So it continues.....

The Story Continues.... Chapter 2

I think we may have found our niche. We've always wanted to purchase that retirement island, but never knew how to gather enough cash. I've been enjoying this feature; I hope you have, too. Looky what we made! Trashy novels, who would have thought this would be our forte? (lmao) 

Remember the rules: 7 words, no more, no less.... you must wait for someone else to write before you can write again. 
Continued from Blog: http://therealclubhouse.blogspot.com/2016/05/seven-word-collaborative-short-essay.html

Anna woke with a gasp. Her hair was pasted to her cheek with drool. She bolted from the bed to check what the sound was outside her window. She saw a giftwrapped package, sitting on her porch. Who in the world had known that someone was here?  The cabin was at the end of a long and winding road. Only someone who knew his or her way could navigate the dark path. I think it was an angel, SER?

She warily approached the package and peeked. Something was making noise inside. Did she hear a song, or was it a soft breeze soughing through the rustling pines? The box moved! The top popped open! It was Mr. Potato Head, of course! How could she have forgotten?  But wait, he was missing something vital! Two ears, two eyes, lips…. Oh no!  The nose!! Is this a cryptic message?

The nose always knows... She picked up the package with the nose-less spud. Opening up the back, she found a variety of parts, including several noses. An enclosed message read, “Schnozberry, Rhinoplasty Specialist.” Oh, my! That had been her former plastic surgeon/lover. How did he find the nerve to contact her, considering what had transpired between them? Just a few indiscreet moments… and now, he wants to reconnect?

I’ll show him, she thought! Choosing the ugliest nose of all, she stuffed an envelope, inserting nose and  …………

See chapter 3: http://therealclubhouse.blogspot.com/2016/06/chapter-3-more-of-story.html

Zipline International

A Silicon Valley startup is using drones to deliver medicine and blood to patients in Rwanda, and it plans to expand to other countries by the end of the year. The company, Zipline International, announced this week that it will begin flying its drones in Rwanda in July, under a partnership with the government. the un-piloted autonomous vehicles will ferry supplies to hospitals and health centers across the tiny East African nation, forming what Zipline describes as the world's first drone delivery system to operate at a national scale. see more:
http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/5/11367274/zipline-drone-delivery-rwanda-medicine-blood

The news said that first responders could send a text request, and within minutes, medical supplies and blood could be delivered onsite by GPS, whether there were roads nearby, or not. Technology being used for very good things. 

Earthables, Windowless Planes

Not sure about this. Looks so cool... but, they could just show you anything, right?

Van Gogh Animation

Just saw this on the news. Very cool. Artists are painting frame by frame to bring Vincent Van Gogh's masterpieces to life. They said it takes 2 weeks to do just one frame. Think I'd love to see this when they finish. 

One of my favorite places to go is the Art Institute of Chicago. I usually have to be pulled from the Impressionist painting room: Monet, Degas, Caillebotte, Rembrandt, Seurat, Van Gogh. Just gorgeous.

This Animated Movie About Van Gogh Is Made Entirely of Oil Paintings. The final product will include more than 56,000 paintings
The film is called Loving Vincent, and it is on track to be the world's first feature length animated film made entirely of paintings.