As I was doing research at the University of Denver library, I stumbled on these sketches. The book holding the sketches was published in 1923. The sketches were done around 1962, judging by the car.

Fifty years from now, it will probably be easier for people to see what we were doing today than it is for us to get snapshots of life going the other direction. It’s fun to get little glimpses into the past!

I tried to think through what would motivate someone to spend that much money on such an old car.

1. It’s art. Yes, it is a beautiful car. And it’s almost as rare as a Picasso painting.

2. The collector is hoping the value will increase. That is a bet; markets could crash and what a singer named Larry Norman sang a long time ago, “A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,” might come true.

3. The collector has enough money that they are not worried about what brand of laundry detergent to buy.

4. The collector has never been to a slum in Africa or Asia.

5. The collector has enough money to pay insurance for his or her occasional drives. (One year’s insurance must be more than the cost of my house.)

Do you have any ideas on what they were thinking?

Special thanks to Automobile Magazine, where this was featured.

But ah — their bright yellow flowers — and exquisite soft seed balls. If you stop to think about it, they are amazing. What an incredible thing that the seed puffs always turn out almost perfectly spherical. And the flowers are unfailingly the same brilliant saturated yellow.

Enjoy them for a moment — if not on your own lawn, on your neighbor’s.

We all enjoy a little change of pace. We enjoy it even more, when we don’t have to pay anything!

If you live in a town with a university, chances are they have art and music departments. If so, there are student music performances and art shows throughout the school year. Most of them are free. Just explore the school’s website, or better yet, spend a little time roaming around campus.

I took these photos of masks at a free exhibit in Fort Collins, Colorado, where my oldest son is attending university.

I experienced that recently. I was watching Top Gear, a British show about cars and driving fast. The most famous of the show’s hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, was interviewing Slash, the guitar player for an 80s rock band. Both of them revealed that they previously owned and enjoyed the Honda CRX (pictured). I owned one too. I loved that car, and so did Heather. While we were dating, my choice of that car impressed her.

We appreciate when our friends say they like something we like. When a celebrity says they like what we like, it’s somehow even better. At some level, we expect that famous people are so far removed from our lives that they wouldn’t experience average things like we do. Recently, Mr. Clarkson’s garage has been home to several Ferraris, and Slash has owned multitudes of Aston Martins. Both brands’ offerings are a bit more expensive than Hondas.

When was the last time a celebrity’s choice mirrored yours?

Photo courtesy of Grant C.

The weird colors were just part of the manhole cover. I’m not sure who painted the edges green or how rust seeped through the white paint to give a pinkish tinge.

My point is to always bring your camera with you. If you have a smartphone has a decent camera, all the better — you’ll have it with you to get that shot you would otherwise miss.

What product have you seen lately that lost before it even started the race?

I can hear some of you say, “That car is way underpowered.” True, it would take about twice as long to reach highway speed compared to your car. But the joy of driving something so unique would mean that I’d have fun getting there.

If our old Corolla died and the Tanto was suddenly available in the USA, I’d buy one in a minute. The problem is, I’d have to persuade my family about how great the car is. They couldn’t be convinced.

Credit goes to Tokyobling, where I saw the car in the first place. Photo credit goes to Tennen-Gas.

“Garbage and recycling bins, water filtration systems, shipping pallets, sheeting and automotive battery casings are just a few of the products that can be made out of recycled polypropylene.” (Source.)

Starbucks has said they are committed to the environment. But they are not committed to recycling — at least in my part of Colorado. C’mon, big guys — step up and do this — all over the USA, at least.

And here’s the beauty of feedback... I linked to this post on Facebook, and a friend reminded me of a great action in response to Starbucks’ failing. We can help them. Bring your own mug or cup!