~ Liberty Images' photostream  

I haven't any fresher photos of Ben this week, sorry! I took this when he was keeping me company as I painted my office. At first he tried to be IN the office with me, but that doesn't work. Whoever heard of a pink-spotted collie? Of course, being a kind collie mum, I pulled his bed out so he could poutingly watch more comfortably. ;)

It shall be a busy weekend for us here. I hope you all have wonderful weekends as well!

Buckley hanging out with a favourite mouse.

Miss Lucy has been a minx all week. Shoving plates off countertops (!), tussles with her brothers, getting scared by ghosts and jumping straight up (what else can be the reason?)...Then she "helps" me clean by rolling around on the floor in front of the vacuum and mop and mewing hopefully every time I neared the cupboard of kitty food. Then she races up and down the steps like an absolute maniac and knocks glasses of water over and , and, and. She's just crazy! Don't let her repose and sweetness in this photograph fool you.

(I hate you-know-what-day.)

Though the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum was closed, we had to check out the darling restored Valentine Diner on the premises.

These diners were built between 1938 and, believe it or not, 1974 by the Valentine Manufacturing Company in Wichita, Kansas.

The diners cost $5,000 apiece; to pay for them, the owners were to put 10% of their daily gross into a small lock box situated by the diner's front door. A man would come by once a month, collect the money, and send it to Wichita. Kind of a neat plan, really, if you ask me.

This particular Valentine was open between 1956-1964 in Shamrock, Texas.

I would very much like one for my backyard. Who's with me?

There are actually five seats at the counter. It was closed and we never did get into it, but it's so cute, isn't it?