Wednesday, January 31, 2018

THE BIG SKY SHOW

5:30 this morning.

Prescott Valley, Ariona.

My driveway.

Brace yourselves.


That's the moon being eclipsed.

A little later.


Turning bloody.

By 7 a.m. as the sky was beginning to lighten it was totally eclipsed, just a rosy orb heading for the horizon.

It was much more impressive with the naked eye.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

I don't WANT to do that!


"Oh, all right, I'll do the dusting if you want me to but I'd rather watch you do it."


...Muggles, the older cat, speaking to the photographer SWMBO.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

CONTINUING EDUCATION

The words rang in my head: "Will you ever learn?"

I was trying a new recipe yesterday for Butterscotch Blondies with toasted walnuts, chocolate chips and dates.

SWMBO came into the kitchen at one point and I said quietly but firmly to her: "This is not a good time."

She asked if I had burned the walnuts to a crisp and I responded in the negative.

As she left, I thought "well, maybe only one of them, which I threw away."

But that wasn't the crux of my Senior Learning.

After I was through I admitted my fib to her and then said "but that wasn't the main problem."


The perplexed cook staring at his newly misshapen spatula.

I told SWMBO I had ruined a rubber spatula and showed her the "finished" product, which I had used to stir the butter while I was browning it over a medium hot burner.

That's when she spoke the words that led off this blog post.

I haven't tasted the Blondies yet and I was wondering awhile ago if they will be rubbery.


SWMBO pointed out that the spatula was the one she (had) used the most.

I told her I'd get her a new one.

* * * * * * *

Update on the birdbath heater: there's a loose connection inside the bulb socket which can't be reached so a new one will have to be purchased.

Maybe I can get one at the same store that sells rubber spatulas.

Saturday, January 27, 2018

COOL

Our weather has been cooler for a week or so but it's warming up this weekend.

To compound the problem, there's a loose connection or a broken wire in the electrical connection to the bulb SWMBO placed under the bird bath for the winter.

I unplugged the cable the other day and this is the result.


Not water but ice, clear to the bottom.

So maybe today I'll try to track down and fix the problem with the wiring.

Yesterday we ripped out the old faulty weather stripping on the front door and put in a new barrier to the outside cold air.

It worked great and the winter weather can stay outdoors for the time.


Friday, January 26, 2018

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Gentle Readers, you knew it would come, didn't you?

Yup, it's time to dance.

Because . . .



I'll let you in on a secret.


Of course, some of you may be like this . . .


Or this . . .


If that's you, perhaps you should go for a check-up at a clinic, like this one . . .


Just be careful about the doctor's advice though.


If you're too worn out to go out dancing, maybe you need to go to the gym and get yourself in shape.


Okay, I get it.

So, however you kick off your weekend this Friday night do it in snazzy style and be brilliant!

And always remember, no matter how oddly people stare at you, keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(Oh, so that's who got this started.)


Thursday, January 25, 2018

EARLY THURSDAY

Here are a couple of shots I took out my window as dawn was breaking over Central Arizona this morning.



For some reason I like the effect the silhouette of the neighboring house makes with that colorful sky.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

WEDNESDAY WEIRDNESS

O.K. Gentle Readers.

You have to be a fan of the game show Wheel of Fortune for this one.

And you have to have a wacky sense of humor.

Roll the tape, please.




You may be thinking, as was I, "Poor Pat."*

* - Pat Sajak has been the host of the show for over 30 years

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Monday, January 22, 2018

MONDAY MOANING

After some critiques of my profile picture over there on the right of this page I have tweaked it in my photo program and got it down to what you see now.

Better, I think.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

As of this writing, in Washington, D.C. 81 U.S. Senators have voted to re-open the government.

Since they only needed 60 votes, everyone should be back to work by tomorrow at the latest.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The new banner photo at the top of this page is of a sandstone rock formation in far northern Arizona named "The Wave" because of the undulating forms created by erosion from rainwater and wind.

I've not seen it in person and I'm quite sure I never shall since it is reputed to be difficult to reach for hikers and a very limited number of permits to visit it are issued for each day.

I found the picture courtesy of The All-Knowing Google.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our bird bath has a small light bulb underneath it to keep the water from freezing when the temperature drops.

But there's a loose connection somewhere in the set-up and the bulb sometime goes out.

That happened last night some time and the water was frozen solid this morning.

I propped the basin in some sunlight and after a time the ice loosened enough for me to get it out.

The basin is now refilled with fresh water and ready for business once again.

And with that, I hope everyone is happy.

Even if it is Monday.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

SUNDAY MORNIN' COMIN' DOWN


A light frosting of snow in our front yard early this morning.


And out toward Glassford Hill.

Winter.  It's brutal in Arizona.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

MARCHING

Today is the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States.

It is also the anniversary, minus one day, of the first Women's March of non-partisan, peaceful protest.



In spite of a cold day with a biting wind a huge crowd of women AND men marched around the courthouse plaza in downtown Prescott today.





There were many, many signs denouncing Trump, supporting Planned Parenthood and other women's issues.






I had thought earlier in the week about joining the march but my mind was made up when I heard that the BRD would  be marching.

And sure enough, we ran into each other nearly as soon as I arrived.

She was with her good friend, CJ.


Not bad for only a couple of days after having eye surgery and CJ is scheduled for spinal surgery in a week.

Now who couldn't support these two battlers for their health and their rights as women.

As citizens.

Update:  The BRD later sent me this photo she took of me at the march.  So, just to prove I was there . . .


And, yes, that is a cane in my right hand.


Friday, January 19, 2018

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Yes, Gentle Readers, it is that time of the week again.


Uh, yeah.

Without further comment on that, let's get on with the business of the day.

No theme this week, just a random collection of items from the Funny Factory.

Enjoy!









Some of these hit a little close to home for me.

I hope they tweaked that ticklish zone way down deep in your psyche.

So now then, I want you all to go out there and have yourselves a somewhat more than pusillanimous weekend.

And always remember our motto here at camp: Keep Laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(ohhhhhhhhh . . . .)


Tuesday, January 16, 2018

DINNER OUT

We had a meal today at the Texas Roadhouse in Prescott.

Each table has a pail of peanuts in the shell.



We had a fairly small table so asked that they be removed after I'd had a few.

Also brought to the table, along with us, were fresh-baked yeast rolls with cinnamon butter.


Judy had fried catfish, one of her Hoosier upbringing favorites.


I had a 6 ounce choice sirloin which shrunk quite a bit during cooking.

But it was very tasty and quite enough.


I had steak fries with it instead of that baked potato.

Everything about our experience was great, from the food to the service to the prices.

Now here's the curious part.

The Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain was started in . . . . . wait for it . . . . . . Clarksville, Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.

And the guy who started it was from Colorado.

His name was Kent Taylor.

We share a last name.

But the chain now has around 450 restaurants in 49 U.S. states and a number of foreign locations.

Probably more than you wanted to know.

But their attention to quality makes the Texas Roadhouse a good meal out if you like traditional American food.

Monday, January 15, 2018

MLK DAY

I remember a tale from my checkered past.

It was in 1991 and I was making a first run from our home in Mexico to Austin, Texas, where we were moving.

We had friends who had preceded us by a couple of months and the man was telling me how to find their apartment.

He said, "You come north on I-35 and exit at the MLK."

I responded, "The MLK?"

He chuckled and said that was what the locals called the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

I spent around 30 years as a broadcast journalist and the most articulate speaker I ever heard was Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, delivering a talk without notes.

Today is his day, may he rest in peace.


Sunday, January 14, 2018

MY FAVORITE VIKING

His name is Orly Knutson.

Orly is short for Orland.

It's the name he was born with.

As a legendary disc jockey of 50 years on the radio, he used to get the same question: is that your real name?

He always said the same thing: If I was going to pick a name to use on the radio, do you think I would have picked Orly Knutson?

He also went by the monicker The Happy Norwegian.

Orly was a sunny guy on the radio.

He also had a long career off-air as a drummer in various bands in North Dakota and Indiana and, for all I know, in Minnesota too.

In spite of his retirement residence in Indiana, though, he has never forgotten his roots in North Dakota, where the nearest professional football team happens to be the Minnesota Vikings.

Really.

You think he's forgotten the Vikes?


This is a recent picture of Orly and I suspect tonight he not only has that gear on he's also wearing a great big smile after his team's amazing victory.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

FORGIVE HIM. HE'S JUST THIRSTY.

Yet another visitor arrived at our bird bath yesterday.

This guy has been around before but this is the first time I'd seen him stop for a drink.


Taking his cue from Old Yellow he used the back of the Blue Cat to hoist himself up.


Those piercing yellow eyes have a wary look and he is nervous around humans.

I came out into the garage later yesterday when the outer door was up and he ran out and across the street to an open lot where he scared up a Roadrunner.

I tried calling him but he wasn't having any.

I think you can see from the next picture why I've named him Panther.


Once he satisfied himself that I was no threat from inside the house he perambulated around the yard before stopping for one last drink before departing.


Friday, January 12, 2018

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I was talking to a lady in the doctor's office waiting room yesterday and she said "Time seems to have sped up as I've gotten older . . . I can't believe it's January already."

I know just how she feels.

You mean it's Friday again already???

Well that means there's only one thing I can do.

Pass on some end-of-the-week humor.

Here goes.




As I noted earlier in the week, even Arizona got a touch of snow but nothing like it's been in 80 or 90 percent of the country.

It's been snowman time there so . . . .












Whew!  After all of those I think I'm ready for a nap, too.

Special thanks to Seattle Lori for the contributions this week.

It's your help, folks, that keep this crazy thing going.

Now, the weather is warming so, Gentle Readers,  get out there and enjoy yourselves on this wet and wild weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .