A NEW DAY

It's a new day, a better day.

It's the last day of June.

The sun is shining.

The sky is blue.

Yet it's a cool morning as we have a slight break in the weather while the eastern half of the nation is sweltering in high temperatures and humidity.

Ah, yes, humidity.

It's one of the joys of living in Arizona.

Right now the humidity is about 25 percent and that's high for us.

Normally it's in the single digits.

Tacking off in a different direction, we visited the Prescott Writer's group recently for a talk on self publishing.

It was quite interesting and the speaker began her talk by saying the days of the vanity press are done and gone.

That's a good thing, I think.

Afterwards we went to a restaurant for dinner and started our meal with one of Judy's favorites - spinach artichoke dip and chips.

We both loved it and commented that we should duplicate it in our own kitchen.

Then when I began reading my daily New York Times Cooking email today one of the first recipes was for, you guessed it, spinach artichoke dip!

I printed it out and we plan to make it perhaps tomorrow.

With all the cheese in this recipe we think it may be our dinner, rather than just an appetizer.

Tacking again, my Arizona Diamondbacks (the baseball team, not the rattlesnakes) lost a one-run game last night but the L.A. Dodgers also lost so we maintain a 3 and a half game lead over them in the National League West.

And Tiger Woods recovered from a shaky start in the Quicken Loans National golf tournament with a 5 under par round yesterday which means he'll once again be playing this weekend so I'll probably be camped out in front of the t.v.

That's life in my corner of the world.

I hope you all have a positive weekend.

NO FRIDAY FUNNIES

I'm not feeling funny this week.

Instead of the usual Friday Funnies, allow me to invite you to spend a few minutes thinking about the victims in the Capital Gazette shooting yesterday.

NEW(ish) FOOD TREND

A short time back I read about a new way to make your sandwich better.

Whether it's a good or a not so good sandwich, this little trick will improve it.

So the article stated.

I was dubious.

But what the heck, I said, it's worth a try to this old traditionalist.

So I tried it.

What's the gimmick, you ask?

Topping off your sandwich with some potato chips!

Not on the side.

Right under that top layer of bread, which can then be scrunched down to break up the chips.

It adds just the right touch of crunch to make you say, "Hey, that's not bad!"

I have become a devotee and when potato chips aren't available I've used crackers, once even a layer of Saltines!

They all work.

Just don't ask SWMBO.

She's still a traditionalist and believes chips belong on the side.

PRESCOTT VALLEY GROWTH

I stopped to take some pictures of a huge new apartment complex being built in the heart of Prescott Valley the other day but my attention was diverted when I saw a flyer taped to a utility box.

The housing development will be known as Homestead Talking Glass and will feature a variety of lifestyle choices.

Construction is going on at a number of separate buildings in the complex which covers a sizable portion of downtown from the Prescott Valley Event Center on Florentine all the way to the old Albertson's store over on Lake Valley Road.

Speaking of that grocery store, long closed and out of business, that's where this Homestead Marketplace would be located.

It sounds a bit upscale for this town but the population is growing and more and more homes are being built.

The flyer is asking for vendors, restaurant operators and additional investors so one must wonder if it will become a reality or if it's "pie in the sky".

Only time will tell but the opening of Homestead Talking Glass and occupancy right next door could have a favorable impact.

CATS AND DOGS

Ah, you Gentle Readers keep supplying me with blog topics.

Yesterday it was William's comment of a day before that gave me one more reason to show off my beautiful Blackwell.

Today it's Cross-Town Lori who commented on that post:  "What is it with cats and boxes?  A dog would never climb in a box."

Ho-ho-ho, Lori.  Observe.

And just when you're about to say "Those are all stupid dogs.  My Australian Blue Heeler [The Legendary Reggie] is too smart to ever crawl in a box,"  there's this:

I rest my case.

p.s.  That last picture is not of my old friend The Legendary Reggie but I think it's one of his breed.  

It, like all the photos, was just chosen at random from The Great Google.

ALL BOXED IN

One of my commenters on yesterday's post, William Kendall, who blogs from Ottawa, Canada, is a fan of cats and of my beloved big black cat, Blackwell.

He asked a question for which I had no answer.

". . . how do the cats like the new box?"

At the time, SWMBO told me that Blackwell had noticed it but after a cursory examination, was ignoring it.

Unusual but we figured maybe the hot weather was the cause.

Until I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and glanced down.

Aha, (thought I), apparently it's "just right".

TAKING NO CHANCES

SWMBO uses some prescription eye drops for glaucoma and ordered a refill yesterday from an on-line pharmacy.

We thought you might like to see the precautions the business takes when shipping to a customer in a part of the country where the temperature is hovering around 100 degrees.

The doorbell rang today and when I opened the door I found this on our doorstep as a Fedex truck was pulling away.

Upon opening the box SWMBO was first confronted with some plastic-wrapped padding.

In the center of which were several packets of well-frozen ice.

In the center of those were Judy's eye-drops, in their three little boxes which were in a sealed plastic bag.

They arrived very promptly and very cold and very safe.

But if you ever wondered about those stories of too much plastic discarded in Mother Earth's environment . . .

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

It's Friiiiiiiiiii-day!!!!!!!!

"Are you talkin' to me?  Huh?  Well, are ya?"

I'm talking to you and to all my other Gentle Readers out there in Cyberland.

The heat is on here in Arizona.

My thermometer (which exaggerates a teensy bit in the morning) says it's 98 outside now at a little past 11 in the morning.

I was just out there watering a plant and the bird bath and it feels plenty warm.

But, like the Sunny Guy in my header, you just have to keep a happy face front and foremost.

After all, it's time for the Friday Funnies!

Oho!  Does that really surprise you?

All right you good friends, now this weekend don't be xenophobic,  and don't dwell on your ex or ex's, whether they live in Texas or not.

Instead excogitate some extra-fine fun and frolic and have yourself an exhilirating weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(Whoa!)

SING IT, SISTER!

In case by some weird occurrence you haven't heard this yet, give it a listen.

The woman is 57 year old (!!!) Regina Ballard, a front desk receptionist at a North Carolina high school.

She announced the beginning of summer break this way.

What pipes!

As SWMBO said, she may not be a receptionist for long.

ONCE AGAIN . . . SUMMERTIME!

In case you didn't believe those high temperatures recently, or those tornadoes, or those flood-causing downpours . . . here's the news.

Summer is here.

As the sun rose over Stonehenge and the crowds of tourists, Wiccans and Druids the Summer Solstice began.

I don't have any stone monoliths like those to worship but we will share in the longest day of the year.

What that means is 14 hours and 29 minutes of sunlight today.

Sunrise was at 5:16 this morning and the glowing orb won't sink until 7:45 this evening.

The weather gods tell us the mercury will rise to 91 degrees Fahrenheit (about 33 Celsius) at the official weather station at the Prescott Airport.

That's around 6 miles from where I live and a bit higher in elevation which means it will be warmer here.

SWMBO would say "hotter" but I prefer "warmer" as a less perjorative term.

When we repair to the patio to sit and gawk at study the muralized fence I also prefer to describe the still 80+ degree evenings as "balmy".

She would more likely describe ME as "balmy", in a different definition of the word.

Whatever.

Happy Summer to you all.

Don't forget your sun screen!

PROGRESS REPORT ON THE MURAL

It's been awhile since I've updated SWMBO's progress on the mural she's painting on our junky old backyard fence.

She said it was so ugly she hated sitting out there staring at it.

So she began to transform it, this way.

I was doing frequent updates as the painting went along but she asked me to stop for awhile.

She said she was feeling too much pressure.

And then her shoulder flared up and after several shots of cortisone (or something like it) her doctor told her to lay off the painting for 48 hours or more.

But now it's (the muralized fence) well along and she agreed to allow me to give you all a progress report.

The photos were taken last night.

As you can see, she's added a mountain lake, a road coming down from the peaks, some trees here and there, and the first two of a group of hot air balloons.

And then there's this.

Those brownish-blackish shapes in front of the tall trees on the right edge of the panorama.

She said she intended them to be bushes.

I said it looks more like a pack of grizzly bears.

We then agreed that since this was originally intended to be a work of impressionism, you Gentle Readers and Art Critics can take them for whatever you like.

(Catalyst slinks away, growling!)

Stay tuned.

MONDAY MELODIES

Back in the good times.

(sigh)

SOME RAVEN-OUS BIRDS

There are at least six ravens that live at the Tower of London.

There's an old superstition that says if they ever leave, the British monarchy and subsequently Britain will fall.

But modern historians say that's merely a figment of someone's imagination.

Regardless, the flight wings on one side are clipped to keep the ravens from flying away.

Other than that the birds are well cared for by a Ravenmaster and the Yeoman Warders.

All of which brings me to the true story, not legend, of the StoneRidge ravens.

The photos come from the true resident of the house, my friend StoneRidge Lori.

It is the bird bath in front of her house that seems to attract them.

The "bubbler" really seems to fascinate them.

One of the rascals decided it was a floating raft and decided to go for a ride on it.

The other one dipped a toe in the water to see what the temperature was.

Lori says she has to clean the birdbath frequently because the ravens bring their food there, apparently to wash it.

So she finds all or parts of mice or lizards and on the day when the trash dumpsters are set out for pickup it can be whatever the ravens have scavenged.

One day she said she looked out and there were two large pieces of french bread in the birdbath ravens' restaurant.

This guy seems to be saying, "Hey, what happened to my breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Is that what he's saying?

Or is he just laughing at the silly humans who are entertained by a bubbler in a birdbath.

We shall never know for sure.

Nevermore.

(Tower of London raven photo by Historical Royal Palaces.  All other photos by L. Lewis.)

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Yeah, me too.

All right, Gentle Readers, it's time once again to reflect, rest and rejuvenate.

It's time to put your cares and worries aside for awhile and let those wrinkles laugh lines take over your countenance.

It's time for The Friday Funnies!

Yay!

Wahoo!

Play ball!

All right you cheery, chuckling, chortling chumps . . . the command from the top is: have yourself a merry little weekend.

All right, all right, ENOUGH!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oh, man, I may have to check her prints.)