Summer driving season is here, so be careful out there!

Here are a few things to watch out for:

FROGS! But only in Greece, which leaves most of us in the clear, thank goodness. As if the poor Greeks haven't had enough to worry about lately, millions of frogs forced closure of a road there the other day, due to cars skidding off the road while trying to avoid smooshing the poor little critters. Would you like to see? It's rather creepy, but not actually as bad as I expected.



Here in the US the trouble this week is cancer from your car window. Yikes! According to my favorite magazine, The Week, as reported on LIveScience.com, researchers at St. Louis University have discovered that skin cancer is more common on the left side of our faces. Yup, the one that's getting all the rays from the driver's side window. And you know what that means, don't you? Right. Drivers, get out your sun screen!

But that's not all. Thanks to a bunch of traffic cameras and the kindness of Romans909 who compiled the video and my friend Tom who sent it along, we have a vivid demonstration set to music of how much trouble can be waiting for us if we're not careful around those busy intersections:



Double yikes! You know, I'd have thought that being pretty well known as the law, red lights ought to be obeyed on their own, without the extra help of a commandment, but I can see now that I may have been wildly overoptimistic there. So here you go:

Stop for the *$#%! red lights!

Of course, first you need to see the lights, which brings us back to Mother's most recent obsession (and she's in very good company, I might add), which is PAY ATTENTION! Don't text or chat or read or shave or any of the other bizarre and inappropriate activities that we've been hearing about lately. Just DRIVE! And do it nicely, please. Thank you.

OK, just one more commandment before we go:
Have a Happy and Salubrious Memorial Day Weekend!

And last but absolutely not least, let's all remember them always...



Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Have I nagged you about texting lately?

Not nearly enough, have I? Because somebody out there is still doing it! I want you to stop it right now! And I'm not the only one. Since you don't seem to listen to me, here's a recent plea from a heartbroken Mom that I discovered thanks to a tip from my dear little sister (Thanks, Mary Beth!):

Woman Who Lost Son Has Message For Texting Drivers - Orlando News Story - WESH Orlando

This report comes from her new home in Florida. And what's going on back in the old upstate NY neighborhood? Well, pretty much the same thing. Here's another recent report:
Texting while driving claims eighth life in three years - Buffalo News : The Buffalo News

And of course, Oprah hasn't changed her mind, as you can see in this recent New York Times piece:

Dnt Txt N Drv

Finally, if you still need to be scared straight, here's a a collection of photos courtesy of my friend Tom (thanks, Tom!).

The label on the email said Her last call was on a cell phone!!! Was it? I don't know, and this report I found at Drive and Stay Alive, Inc. doesn't say, but it could have been and that's good enough for me. And you too, right? Right!

Stockholm Motorcycle Fair

Now, come on, don't make me tell you again. Quit texting and phoning while you're driving! And if you will do those two little things for me, then I promise to stop being so crabby in the future. Thank you very much.