THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Hello again, fellow sufferers.

I was thinking how to do the funnies today and I thought maybe I'd just put up a list of the new job nominees in Washington.

But then I thought, "Yeah, it's a clown car but if they actually get confirmed . . . ."

So I'm just gonna kick off this week's edition of the Cartoon Carnival with this.

As always, the Trekkies have the penultimate words.

And the head-scratching, eye-rolling, pain-groaning reactions.

So, Gentle Readers, now that I've brightened your day, keep grinning and carry it on and into and through a Spectacular Weekend.

And always keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . uh, oh, I sense danger ahead . . . )

RANDOM PHOTOS

These have nothing at all to do with each other but since I have posted pretty infrequently this week, I thought I'd show you what's been entertaining me.

Yesterday as I sat in the lobby of our cardiologist's office waiting for my wife to finish her appointment, I was struck by a reflection in the huge windows looking out over Prescott.

It's that rectangular loop with the circular spots over it.

To my mind it suddenly looked like an invasion from Mars.

You know, UFO's and all that tommyrot.

I believe it's just lights over my head but . . .

Then there's my longtime friend and long-ago colleague, Ron Talley.

That's not his real last name, by the way, but it's how he was known when we worked together in television news in Phoenix.

He's been spending a few weeks in Spain and he wrote that years ago when he was in Morocco he bought a fez in Fez.

Currently since he needed a haircut, he visited a barber in Seville.

His wife recorded the event for posterity.

MY wife said "Even with all that white hair, he's a handsome guy!"

A few minutes ago I spotted my candidate for a handsome guy.

For any herpetophobiacs* out there, let me quickly tell you that he is NOT inside the house.

He's crawled up between the screen and the glass window.

SWMBO, who as you know has knowledge of everything, said "He's looking for a warm place to spend the winter!"

Judging by the look of his mid-section, I'd say he's been stocking up for the winter too!

So there's a window into my little world.

--- *herpetophobiac is someone with a fear of lizards, snakes and other reptiles.

VETERANS DAY

I've posted these photos here before but I wanted you to have another look, or perhaps a new look, at them.

Our grandson, Russell "Rusty" Milburn, with his wife, Kayla.

He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is my uncle, Zenas Howland Taylor, headed home from his service in Burma and India during World War Two.

He was my father's brother.

Another uncle, my mother's brother, Conrad "Connie" Hylland also served in World War Two, but in the Pacific.

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of him.

He was one of the unfortunate ones who didn't make it back.

So this is in remembrance of him.

Three sergeants.

On this day, and every day, let's remember them and all the others who served for their country.

BREAD AND SHROOMS!

We here at the Taylor Family Kitchen have discovered a new taste sensation.

To begin, I made a loaf of whole wheat bread yesterday.

Actually, the Bread Machine made it.

I just poured the ingredients into it and turned it on.

Just under four hours later, Presto!

A loaf of bread.

Let me allay your fears.

Those dark spots you see are neither dirt nor jungle rot.

They're dried cranberries scattered on and through the loaf.

The bread is soft and tasty just by itself but let me get to the taste sensation I mentioned above.

Last week when I played with doctored our frozen pizza before baking it in the oven, Judy (SWMBO) said, "How about I slice and saute some of those mushrooms we have and you can put them on your pie?"

I thought it was a great idea and so we did and we enjoyed it.

Yesterday since we still had some left when once again I was messing with putting a few improvements on our (name brand) pizza from the store before baking it, she repeated the previous week's assistance.

But then, before baking the pizza and while resting from the extremely exhausting work I had done so far, she brought me a teensy appetizer.

Can you guess what it was?

Sorry, I don't have a photo but it was a slice of that bread sandwiched around a few of those warm slices of freshly sauteed mushrooms!

Let me tell you, folks, that was amazing!

So there you go, Gentle Readers - another culinary hit from us to you.

Note: 

For those poor souls among you who don't like mushrooms, there's always peanut butter and jelly.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

This has been a difficult week for many of us.

But rather than dwell on what has caused it, I shall endeavor to enlighten you to the entertainment contained herein. 

It's time to smile. 

Okay, friends, neighbors and countrymen, that's all I can do to lift your spirits.

Now put aside your troubles and your woes, return to your good graces and have yourselves a wonderful weekend!

Okay?

And, regardless of what gets you down, never ever forget to keep laughing!

Enough.

Here. kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . ah, that's more like it . . . )

ELECTION DAY

To all my friends and readers in the United States of America: today is the day and, as you've been told ad infinitum, every vote counts so . . .

IT WAS A HAIL-UVVA DAY!

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest.

But yesterday was a waiting day as we expected a thunderstorm.

At one point it was a bright sunny day if one looked out the window at the front of our abode while peering out a window at the rear of the house showed a darkening sky promising . . . something.

And finally it came.

A hailstorm!

Fortunately the pellets were small so they probably didn't do any damage to roofs or cars left outside.

But it lasted long enough that the stones piled up in spots and looked almost like snow.

At least one inhabitant of our area appeared startled by the onslaught and stayed mostly hidden in her flowery lair.