Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for June 26, 2013

Mabel’s aim gets better every day, too.

@sTeL…““Sari… Fergot tew git bak to y’all… Seams lyke a case uh CRS… ummm,not shur….. Ahl chek in layder, if’n ah member…”++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I’m very patient. I can wait……

(of course, that means I’ll be obsessing about it to the point where I’ll be immobilized and not accomplish anything all day….but, take your time…it’ll come to you.)"++++++++++++=

Ahl bet yew thot ah fergot…. Butt ah dint..!!!

Haw….!!!!!

I like Mabel. She’s obviously a southpaw.

Monkey!What good news!Does that mean you can remember… S… uh…. s… er… stuff(?) ??

Time flies like an arrow….fruit flies like a banana

Mabel likes a good dart….George darts past the doorway….See how time flies?

I didn’t say it made any sense, did I?

Well, it made the little monkeys giggle.

But almost anything makes the little monkeys giggle.Right guys?

Right now they’re all excited anyway, cos Big Monkey came in on their shift.

Until this last long cold winter, we always had TWO ice cream trucks and two Ice cream carts come through our tiny neighborhood from spring through autumn……not all four every single day. but most of them most days.

But though it finally did get warm, I haven’t seen the trucks or heard their music since last year.

One played the tune I always associate with ice cream….

…..and the other, what I finally realised was tinny version of “The Entertainer”…the theme from “The Sting”

BTW…. One of the carts is a sort of bicycle … looks a lot like this one:

But this one is smaller, and has upright sticks in the corners from which hang big clear plastic bags of durritos, fried wheels of transparent wheat flour, into which the vendor will pour some bottled hot sauce and lime juice when sold, if desired.

He honks a little horn as he passes.

The other is a small handcart…. pushed by a tiny, rather elderly man, on foot. I see him all over town.

Mabel should use the same type of strategy as in today’s Close to Home strip.

What a mess.

Ice cream trucks are quite common down here.

Quick! She’s reloading… RUN!!!

curses! that way is the only way to the bathroom.and that cunning stalker knows it

Mabel watched one too many reruns of the Hunger Games.

Reminds me of “Enemy at the Gates”.

Nothing from me this morning.I got a giggle out of it as it stands.Good one JVA.

Once again Mabel has stepped up and stepped out, truth be known George is delighted. This is a lot more fun than water pistols in the park. More fun than rubber band guns in the basement and beats the hell out of TV night in the garage. George bought 12 extra arrows and stashed bow strings in the shed; he doesn’t want to miss a day of this and its only Wednesday. So far Mabel has missed every time, she knows the game is rigged, George thinks he is beating the odds and Mabel is delighted. Marvin and Bette are confused, what could be more fun than bridge.

He needs to run when she is reloading. And walk slowly. She may panic and push the shot.Actually my wife and I use Nerf Dart guns to do this. She just has so much fun popping me when go by. I will go after her and she just squeals with delight begging me to stop. When I do she caps me one on the forehead. Giggles then runs off.Our wiener dog just sits there looking put off when we use him for target practice.

Funny you two really funny.It is what it is. What it leads too??A gentleman never discusses openly.But I am smiling!

All that talk about the ice cream carts and later trucks were fun (especially the music linked here) but it reminded me of something that I really MISS.

When I was a kid, they bicycled down the street, stopping when someone brought out some work. The knife sharpener! Even in the last years (when we only had one at the weekly Farmer’s Market) I used them regularly for all my knives and normal scissors (nothing serrated). They did a good job at a VERY reasonable price and it was all foot powered. I found a link Here are some examples

And having a “little brother” (almost 4 years younger) means that I was shot at with every kind of toy he had. I played with most of the gang on our street and still have photos of the many ages (even my brother) sitting on our front steps. A few who were my age were even around thru HS and I’ve seen them since. My brother who tormented me (not entirely in fun) is long gone. Most of his jokes were more cruel than fun for anyone and his antics caught up with him (and his health).

Good Night Ballardeers. Sweet Dreams all!

“Klaus” (that cat’s name) certainly is a peculiar name for a Sicilian Godfather…

https://cleoandcompany.net/june-26-2023/

Good morning Balladeers and Tigressy!