GROOMING

 I went out to fill the birdbath a little while ago and noticed that the yard had gotten messy again.

The hose drags the red bark chips around when I pull it over to fill the bath.

SWMBO likes a nice clean perimeter so I got out the rake and raked the yard, bringing as many of the straying red chips as possible back to where they belonged.

You probably can't see much improvement but believe me it looks better.

I guess this sunny day with temperatures climbing found me ambitious.

DREAM ON

 Apropos of nothing other than the fact that I bought some lottery tickets recently in hopes of winning the Powerball or the MegaMillions or just The Pick . . this cartoon sent to me today rang a bell and made me laugh.

I hope it does you too.

Unless it makes you cry.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I had 7 tickets on three separate "games".

I got no numbers on any of them.

Zip.

Nada.

Zilch.

(sigh)

A CONCENTRATED GAZE

 Well, surprise.

On one of several visits to our yard by the Siamese and the Gray, I DID get a photo.

Although the Siamese did come right up to the slider by the time I got there with my camera he had skittishly left again.

But this guy.

What a confident stare and what a beautiful face.

(cue the close-up)

WEATHER REPORT (again)

 To those of you concerned about my crumby weather a few days ago, I just wanted you to know that it's blue skies, sunshine and 70 degrees today.

No, really!

And we've had a plethora of pussies in the yard today.

Matty rounded up a beautiful Siamese who followed him over to visit and that one was followed by a gray that we saw the other day.

For once everyone was peaceful and why didn't I get any pictures of them?

Because I'm hopeless.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Here we are once again at the antepenultimate day of the week.

Or the penultimate if you, like the calendar, believe a new week begins with Sunday.

Whatever you call today, it's Friday.

And I'm sure you know what that means.

So there you are - sure fire weight loss.

I hope you have a fruitful weekend, full of frolic and fun.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(Awwwww . . . .)

TBT & FFP

 Many years ago we inherited a chair from my late aunt in San Francisco.

She apparently favored a few antiques in furnishing her home.

This one we called The Monk's Chair.

It's been with us for several decades now from home to home, country to country, state to state and city to city.

But always with the admonition my aunt gave us when we first laid eyes on it: that chair is never to be sat on.

When we've gone on the BRD will inherit it and hopefully she'll take as good care of it as we have.

The M thinks it goes quite well with one of her two Music Tables.

That takes care of TBT in the title of this post (ThrowBack Thursday).

And now for the FFP.

Courtesy of Carol the Comic, a Friday Funnies Preview.

Yuk-Yuk-Yuk!

WEATHER REPORT

 The rain and snow has passed on but today is a mostly cloudy day in my part of Arizona.

A tad of blue sky peeking through here and there.

Promising sunnier skies and warmer temperatues for the weekend.

OH, YEAH?

 Lessee, what was I saying the other day about Spring finally being here?

Well, here's what's happening in my part of Arizona right now.

Yeah, that's right.

If Spring has sprung, it's got a funny way of showing it.

But I remember when we opened our bookstore back in mid-March of 1996.

A blizzard hit overnight and though I drove through snow to open the store on schedule, I think we only did about 30 bucks in business that first day.

As people say all over the world, the weather is unpredictable and if you don't like what you've got, just wait an hour and it will change.

A NEW BEGINNING

It's finally come.

Spring has now officially arrived.

I know, Colorado is expecting another snow storm.

And even here in the pleasant climes of the foothills in Arizona our temperatures most of the week will only be in the 50's.

But hope is in store and brighter days are ahead.

SWMBO and I have marked two weeks today since our second Covid vaccination.

So we should be good.

But we're still going to take care, wearing masks and staying away from crowds and washing our hands for the time being.

After all we have something to look forward to next month.

We are coming face to face with our 50th Wedding Anniversary!

Now that's a day to mark.

Not so much our birthdays in the next couple of months.

So I'll leave you today with an old Burma Shave jingle that I can never resist at this time of year.

Spring has sprung

The grass has riz

Where last year's

Careless drivers is

Happy springtime, everybody, whenever it comes!

LIFE IN THE SUN

 

Some Key West natives paid a visit, probably looking for a hand-out.

The ibis, worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, appear totally accustomed to human visitors in this tourist mecca.

The BRD seems bemused by them.

As I told you on Thursday, the Arizonans had traveled to the Keys to deliver a Gayle-created totem, a gift to Beau Jack's son Jeremy, his wife Marina and the newest member of their family, Apollo.

And here they are, in a pool under the very south Florida sunshine.

Who knows what that young lad will accomplish in his lifetime?

Perhaps the ibis knows.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Laugh and the world laughs at you.

Or is that "with" you?

Whatever.

Or is that "whichever"?

I'm so confused.

Better turn this over to the Keepers of the Humor Bank.

Or is that "Banque"?

Arrrrgggghhh!!!

There, I feel better.

I hope you do, too.

Now here's a wish that you'll have a fantastic weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(YIKES!)

KEYS TO THE KEYS

 So, what's to do in Key West anyway?

Well, there's a mid-day visit to Blue Heaven.

A nice laid-back (what isn't in Key West) place to nosh on a Southern speciality - Shrimp & Grits.

The BRD chose a different route - a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

With grilled tomatoes.

And lobster.

The photographer was too late.

A huge bite, or two, had already been taken.

So we move on to one of the main reasons for the visit.

To present one of Gayle's totems to new parents Jeremy and Marina.

 

Perfectly situated in a place of honor by their pool.

TEMPORARY

 I guess you know why my blog has suddenly changed color today.

It's March 17th.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Though St. Patrick wasn't ever canonized by the Catholic Church, and he wasn't Irish, and he didn't bring Christianity to Ireland, and he didn't drive the snakes out of Ireland, and the day celebrating him in Ireland was a holy day marked with fasting and religious observances, and St. Patrick's Day as we know it with parades and green beer and drunkeness and corned beef and cabbage was actually invented in the United States by Irish immigrants;

In spite of all that, it's not a bad day for a pint of stout.

Sláinte!

WINDOWS

 This is the view from my room this morning.

Overnight snow again in Arizona.

This is the view from the BRD's room.

She's vacationing in Key West, Florida.

Where have I gone wrong? 😢