Remember when you mentioned people being crazy to jump over bonfires? I give you...............

El Colacho (also internationally known as the baby-jumping festival, is a traditional Spanish holiday that started in 1620 in Burgos, Spain. Men dressed as the devil — donning red and yellow jumpsuits — jump over babies born during the previous 12 months to cleanse them of original sin and to guard them against illnesses and evil spirits. The Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament of Minerva [es] organizes the week-long festivities, which culminate on Sunday when the Colacho jumps over the babies on the mattresses placed on the procession route traversing the town. The origins of the tradition are unknown, but it is said to cleanse the babies of original sin, ensuring them safe passage through life and guarding against illness and evil spirits. Pope Benedict XVI asked Spanish priests to distance themselves from El Colacho, as the Church teaches that the original sin is cleansed by baptism.  El Colacho takes place every year on a Sunday in late June to celebrate the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi)

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The Forecastle Festival - is a three-day music, art, activism festival held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was founded in 2002 as a small gathering of local musicians in Tyler Park, and steadily grew into a national attraction that now includes major touring acts and an economic impact of over $20 million per year. Forecastle was selected as one of Rolling Stone's "Coolest Festivals" and has an annual attendance of over 75,000 fans at Louisville Waterfront Park. It attracts attendees from nearly all 50 states, 2000 cities, and a dozen international countries. Past headliners include The Black Keys, Jack White, Jack Harlow, Beck, Outkast, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Tame Impala, Tyler the Creator, Sam Smith, My Morning Jacket, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Alabama Shakes, The Flaming Lips, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Cage the Elephant and many more. The festival was held annually starting the second Friday in July until the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, the 2019 line-up (July 12–14) featured The Killers, high-energy folk rockers, The Avett Brothers and 2019 Grammy-winning hip-hop, funk and soul performers Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals. Due to the pandemic, the festival wasn't held in 2020 and 2021. The 2022 lineup featured Jack Harlow, Tame Impala, Tyler the Creator, Phoebe Bridges, Porter Robinson, Rufus Du Sol and many more. It drew a record attendance of more than 75,000 to Louisville’s Waterfront Park. It was reported they were "taking a pause" in 2023 to "strategize and determine the best path forward for the festival."

Grease (is 1978's biggest summer blockbuster. Grease is an American musical romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Bronté Woodard and an adaptation by Allan Carr, based on the stage musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The film depicts the lives of greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John), who develop an attraction for each other during a summer romance. Grease was released in the United States on June 16, 1978, by Paramount Pictures. The film was successful both critically and commercially, becoming the highest-grossing musical film at the time. Its soundtrack album ended 1978 as the second-best-selling album of the year in the United States, only behind the soundtrack of the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever (which also starred Travolta), and the song "Hopelessly Devoted to You" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 51st Academy Awards. The film also received five nominations at the 36th Golden Globe Awards, including for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and two for Best Original Song, for "Grease" and "You're the One that I Want". In 2020, Grease was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant")

Calling it a night............................

Happiness Happens Month - is celebrated annually in August. It is dedicated to celebrating things that make you happy. It’s a known fact that happiness is contagious and sharing your happiness can bring a smile to someone’s face. The month reminds us that happiness can be found in even little things that we might not notice and that spreading the same joy amongst others can help make the world a better place. Happiness Happens Day is celebrated on August 8 every year.

So this one is unique.................when I searched for summer festivals I came across this website (travelchannel.com) and this was the description: Summer Festivals Around the World-Warm weather sparks thousands of people to converge outdoors and celebrate for various occasions and events. From the celebration of the King of Rock 'n' Roll to a bizarre baby-jumping tradition, here are a few fun and unique festivals you should travel to see this summer. This was on their list...........

Inti Raymi Festival (or "Festival of the Sun," (Quechua for "Inti festival") is a traditional religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti (Quechua for "sun"), the most venerated deity in Inca religion. It was the celebration of the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year in terms of the time between sunrise and sunset – and the Inca New Year, when the hours of light would begin to lengthen again. In territories south of the equator, the Gregorian months of June and July are winter months. It is held on June 24. During the Inca Empire, the Inti Raymi was the most important of four ceremonies celebrated in Cusco, as related by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. The celebration took place in the Haukaypata or the main plaza in the city. The 9-day winter solstice celebration is held in the great square of the Sacsayhuaman fortress and includes large banquets, festive music and thousands of people dressed in colorful costumes)

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National Jug Band Jubilee - is a convergence of some of the best roots, jazz, bluegrass, Appalachian and blues musicians from across the United States. Each year in September, dozens of jug bands travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to provide attendees with amazing live performances that display the diversity and ingenuity of jug bands. Performances feature kazoo players, washboard players, trash cans and more, all the while spanning several genres of music. The event takes place on the banks of the Ohio River and showcases the diversity and ingenuity of jug bands. The festival is open to all ages and offers a variety of activities such as live performances, food vendors and more.

Comment: This is something like the 4th or 5th event that normally takes place in Louisville that is posted as "taking a pause" this year. Odd that they managed to come back in 2022 after the pandemic but are "taking a pause" this year. We have a new mayor this year - first time in 12 years - and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.

Κα?σωνας (Greek word for heatwave. A heat wave is a prolonged period of very hot weather, with unusually high temperatures for a certain region, and can be accompanied by high humidity, particularly in regions with an oceanic climate. Heat wave has a variety of definitions. Its definition varies depending on the region and its climate, and is in relation to normal temperatures for the season. Some values that in warm climates are considered normal may be considered a heat wave in colder regions if they are not normal in relation to the climatic patterns of the region. The term is used both in frequent weather changes and in large heat waves that may occur once a century. Intense heatwaves have caused catastrophic damage to crops, thousands of deaths from hyperthermia and widespread energy use, due to the increased use of air conditioners. A heat wave is considered an extreme weather phenomenon and dangerous to life, because heat and sunlight can overheat the human body. The worst heat wave in recent history was the European Heat Wave of 2003, with over 70,000 victims. In Greece, according to the National Meteorological Service, there is a heat wave when the maximum temperature reaches or exceeds 39°C, the minimum is above 26°C, the temperature range is small, winds are weak and high temperatures prevail for at least 3 days in a wide geographical area. In the vast majority of cases, the heat wave in Greece is associated with the large-scale transfer of hot air masses from northern Africa (and, more rarely, from the areas of the eastern Turkey-Iraq-Syria triangle) to the country and is usually observed during periods of meltemi break. Heat wave episodes are essentially observed from the second ten days of June to the first ten days of September)

We are actually having a heatwave here in MN, has been in the 90s the last few days. Will be in the 90s again tomorrow. Will have a cool down in the middle of the week............

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Calling it a night.....................

Los Angeles - The Summer Olympics have been held in Los Angeles twice (1932 and 1984) and will happen again in 2028.

The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held during the worldwide Great Depression, with some nations not traveling to Los Angeles; 37 nations competed, compared to the 46 in the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, and even then-U.S. President Herbert Hoover did not attend the Games. The organizing committee did not report the financial details of the Games, although contemporary newspapers claimed that the Games had made a profit of US$1,000,000.

The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the second time that Los Angeles had hosted the Games, the first being in 1932. California was the home state of the incumbent U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who officially opened the Games. These were the first Summer Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The 2028 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, and commonly known as Los Angeles 2028 or LA28, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from July 14 to July 30, 2028 in and around Los Angeles, California, United States. Los Angeles had originally bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, after multiple withdrawals that left only Los Angeles and Paris in contention, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a process to concurrently award the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics to the two remaining candidates, with Los Angeles preferred as the 2028 host. Los Angeles was formally awarded the Games at the 131st IOC Session in Lima, Peru, on September 13, 2017. They will mark the fifth Summer Olympics, and ninth Olympics overall, to be hosted by the United States. Having previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984, Los Angeles will become the third three-time host city after London and Paris, and the first North American city ever to do so.

Merry Movie Week (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries continues their annual tradition of bringing us Merry Movie Week 2023, leading up to Hallmark Channel's Christmas in July event. Merry Movie Week kicks off June 24 and runs through June 30)

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Merry Movie Week | Enjoy holiday movies all weekend long and on weekday evenings on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries during Merry Movie Week!... | By Hallmark Channel's Countdown To Christmas | Facebook

Enjoy holiday movies all weekend long and on weekday evenings on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries during Merry Movie Week!...

Off to work................

National Macadamia Nut Day (Sept. 4) - recognizes a delicious nut found in many baked goods and desserts. Delectable macadamia nuts have a creamy buttery taste. These nuts add a subtle richness to everything they grace. Also versatile, macadamia nuts originated in Australia. They were named for the physician and chemist, John Macadam, who discovered them. Macadam also pursued furthering the cultivation of the tree in Australia, making it more abundant. Similar to large evergreens, the macadamia tree grows between 30 and 40 feet high. Although they are native to Australia, most of today’s world supply grows in Hawaii. Growers first began cultivating macadamia trees in Hawaii in 1921. Indonesia, South Africa, and California also grow this delicious nut commercially.