Look Out Below!

What's the deal with this ladder and all that tar paper by my Library's front entrance?

Click photos to bigify

HEY!!!  Somebody has placed a whole bunch of roof shingles near my special hangout spot.

Looks like MPL's old part (i.e., the 1988 library building) is getting a new top.

Roofer Dude waits for more shingles

I saw a dumpster out there, too.  I wonder if there are any delicious snacks inside, like I've found at other dumpsters around town?

Nope.  Just roofing debris.  Bummer.

Guess I'll hang out at home for awhile.  Henny Penny, I'm not.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Parade Float Top in Pop

By Harley Quinn
MPL Feline "Cub" Reporter

I am SOOOOO excited to be reporting on the Library's float in today's Old Settlers Parade. My mentor, Cauli Le Chat, doesn't like big crowds, so she assigned me (or, I mean, moi) to handle this exclusive story.  Cauli also ordered her minions to come along to take photos and protect yours truly from all those adoring crowds who would be overwhelmed by my massive cuteness.

Mooresville's annual Old Settlers Festival (August 3-5) begins with the parade, which has many interesting floats and vehicles, as well as humans tossing a ton of candy to onlookers. The Library, however, did one better--MPL staff were throwing bags of popcorn to the crowd from the car. That's in keeping with this year's Library float theme:  Pop into a good book (at the Library).  The float included a mock-up of an enormous popcorn popper with huge bags of popcorn.  Pretty cute, I must say.

Minions, make with the photos.  Click the pictures to bigify.

 Make way for the Library float!

 Miss Bev & Boss Lady carrying the Library banner

 MPL crew tossing bags of popcorn to the crowd

 Real popcorn in the "popper" and bags

 Clever theme, Decorinator & BizMeister

My minions and I had to run really fast to get over to East Main Street from the intersection of North Indiana Street and Washington Street, where we were standing to take the photos above.  We made it in time to capture these pictures below (showing the other side of the float).

 Wave at the camera, Boss Lady

(eye-roll)

 Right & left sides look alike, pretty much

 Great attention to detail, ladies!

Hey, kid!  That's MY candy you're picking up

This parade had everything--even a marching slobberdog.

Some slobberdogs watched from cooler quarters

The Lady With the Red Hair used to march (in full band uniform) in the Old Settlers Parade when she attended Mooresville High School, back when everyone was a real pioneer around here (must have been at least two centuries ago).  She enjoyed seeing her modern counterparts in today's parade.

And I thought Scowl-Face had a lot of fanny packs

We took lots more photos, but I'm told we're maxing out our available memory storage for a single blog post.  Everybody seemed to have a grand time, especially the youngster humans, who loved all the free candy and Library popcorn.

Your Feline "Cub" Reporter,

Harley Quinn

for Cauli Le Chat

Water Volcano Erupting Again

You may recall that the Library's water volcano went extinct last year, or maybe two years ago.  Guess what?  It's erupting again.

 No hot lava, just cold water, from this volcano

 MPL Courtyard

(water volcano in center)

Can you see the water better from this angle?

Pretty exciting!  Especially for our resident winged dinners and scurrydogs, who enjoy taking baths or getting drinks there.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Catch a Bag at the Old Settlers Parade

Catch a bag of popcorn when you see the MPL Float in this year's Old Settlers Parade, which begins Sunday, August 3, 2014 at 2 p.m.  The parade starts at Mooresville High School, then moves along South Indiana Street into downtown Mooresville, then turns left (east) onto East Main Street, then connects with Indianapolis Road and ends at Pioneer Park, the venue for Mooresville's annual Old Settlers Festival (August 3-5, 2014).

 MPL Old Settlers Parade Float

POP INTO A GOOD BOOK (at the Library)

 Click Photos to Bigify

Decorinator & BizMeister worked many long hours

to create the float from scratch

Another terrific float, Decorinator and BizMeister!  You both deserve a paid vacation.  Boss Lady, take note.  Just saying.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  "Popcorn" (1972), by Hot Butter, was an early synthesizer instrumental that reached #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles charts.  Scowl-Face bought the single!  Figures.  The song was composed by Gershon Kingsley, who released his version on his album, Music to Moog By (1969).

A Slobberdog Inspiration

Dozer is a slobberdog inspiration.  Our book trailer explains.

MPL Book Trailer #204

Dozer's Run: a True Story of a Dog and His Race,

written by Debbie Levy with Rosana Panza

(illustrated by David Opie)

The book is available to check-out from our Evergreen Indiana catalog (if you have an E.I.  library card).

On May 15, 2011, Dozer saw several people running a marathon--well, actually, a half marathon--and he decided to join the adventure. Uncharacteristically, he ran out of his yard and followed the runners.  It was the Maryland Half Marathon (MHM) to raise money for the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC).  Not that Dozer knew that--he's a slobberdog, after all, not a super-intelligent feline--but he knew something exciting was happening, and he was determined to discover the fun on this grand journey.

Dozer ran most of the 13-mile course, inspiring his human counterparts to their best performances.  He crossed the finish line but was then overlooked by all the people milling about after the race.  It took him all night, but he reached his home safely.  Exhausted, he slept for two days.

People donated money to UMGCC in the names of runners.  The donations rolled in under Dozer's name--a whopping $25,000 total, more than twice as much as any other runner. Seven hundred donors from 43 states, as well as Canada and Great Britain, contributed.

Through his efforts, Dozer has shown that (quoting from the book) "anybody can take steps, big and small, to help others."

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat