THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Oh it's so much cooler today!

Only supposed to be 92 today where I live.

Hey, it got up to 97 yesterday.

But, y'know, it's a dry heat.

I bet you're really tired of hearing that old line, aren't you?

I remember reading a frightening story by the French writer Camus about a guy who murders another guy as they're walking on the beach.

But what stuck with me about that story was the description of the shimmering heat in Algeria, where the tale was set.

Now everytime I go outside and the glare of the heat makes my eyes hurt I think of Algeria.

So let us all cool down with a refreshing dash of humor.

It is Friday after all.

And speaking of Frenchmen . . .

Man, there seemed to be a violent streak running through this week's "funnies"(?).

Maybe I should stay out of the heat for awhile and stop drifting off to Algeria.

You too.

Have yourselves a safe, sane and cooling weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . ahhhhh, very palindromic this week . . . )

WHAT TO EAT IN THE HEAT

When the temperature climbs to 94, as it did today, and is forecast to soar to 97 tomorrow, one looks for recipes whose preparation will not heat up the house any more than it already is.

So my mentor in the kitchen, SWMBO prepared a chilled tuna salad today for sandwiches.

And to accompany it, her famous deviled eggs.

She having left the kitchen early in the day, I decided to foul things up by making a blueberry clafoutti.

In the oven.

Hey!

Blueberries are cool, aren't they?

MYSTERY

 

This creature came into our home recently.

SWMBO managed to corral it.

We don't know what it resembles most.

A UFO alien?

A mole?

A miniature whale?

(Very miniature, I'd say.)

What it turned out to be was an anthropormorphized miniature red pepper from the grocery store.

But . . . one can't thinking  . . . they're everywhere.

Watching us.

Aren't they?

THE HARVEST HAS BEGUN

It doesn't look like much but we already have an edible tomato from the vines in our tomato barrel.

That tiny succulent is a Yellow Pear Tomato from the smaller vine in the same barrel with the larger vine that promises Roma's or something like that.

It already has one fairly large specimen and several smaller ones growing.

The Yellow Pear Tomatoe vine has a plethora of growths.

All of them on both vines are still green.

But the promise is in them for a summer of home grown tomatoes.

And you know, "ain't nothin' better than home grown tomatoes."

SOMEBODY BLEW IT!

If you were one of the joyful celebrants yesterday you probably got your fill of fireworks.

I know we did after watching the aerial shows in New York City and Washington, D.C. via television.

Then there was a half-hour of booms from the Prescott Valley Civic Center area that we didn't see but heard.

And then there were a couple of illegal explosions a few minutes after that and again a few minutes after midnight.

But not all of them went off on schedule, it seems.

As the old expression goes "Kids will be kids" and mothers will keep on being frustrated with them.

Happy Fifth of July!

(Cartoon courtesty of Wacky Wally)

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Hey-Ho, my friends.

Today is a VERY special day here in the U.S. of A.

As we used to say in some parts of Nor'Dakota when I was a lad,

"It's da glorious Fourt' a Yoo-lie!"

So let's raise our flags and celebrate!

But leave the fireworks to the professionals.

Now, since it's also Friday let's see if we can find some humor.

Okay, pals, now enjoy yourselves on this wonderful three-day weekend.

Remember, leave the fireworks to the professionals, avoid the poison ivy and always keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . hmmm, wonder when it starts . . . )

MONSOON

 After a mid-day shower this was the sky toward the southeast of our abode.

That tree across the street seems to be pointing out that threatening cloud, in case we missed it.

The thunder also has been letting us know.

O CANADA!

 June 2025 is now in the rear view mirror.

Where did it go so fast anyway?

It seems like we were just dancing around the May Pole.

Time is lurching along at warp speed for me these days and before you know it I'll be complaining about the cold weather.

At any rate, today is July 1st and we here in the U.S.A. are preparing  for yet another holiday weekend.

But in the meantime, let us all give a shoutout to our neighbors to the north, who are already celebrating.

And a growing number are learning the words to O Canada!

RELAX

The end of the week is a day to do just that: nothing.

Take it from an expert:

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

It has been a difficult week, with the death of a wonderful friend of both my wife and mine.

Diane Kalas was a television pioneer in Arizona and had a legendary career with radio stations in Pittsburgh, Boston and San Francisco.

She had marked her 93rd birthday recently but her time had finally come and she passed peacefully.

She will be missed.

But we shan't dwell on the past, shall we?

My purpose here, as on every Friday, is to promote laughter.

Ergo, let us begin.

So that's all I've got.

You may notice a lot of the "Funnies" are just words.

C'mon, Elves, give me some pictures!

In the meantime, the rest of you have a peaceful, laid-back, calm weekend.

Interrupted, of course, by fireworks and champagne cork popping!

But whatever you do, don't forget to keep laughing!

Now, here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, now she wants to take over the world . . . )

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

Like all new parents we've been a bit frazzled but it's come time.

We challenged y'all to submit names for Judy's latest art project in our front yard.

And we proclaimed that Judy, as the creator, would have the final say on what her painting would be named.

A friend known here as Should Fish More but who I refer to as Montana Mike dipped back into the 60's to emphasize this important decision.

If you missed his offering, here it is:

Ah I remember those days . . . . but I digress.

After much contemplation the name Judy has given to her sun face on the remains of our last tree is . . . .

Stumpy it is!

With little modesty I have to point out that is the name I had originally called him, way back in the beginning.

So hereafter let it be known that Stumpy is the chosen monicker for this amazing chap, come into the sunshine from the dark woods of fate.

(You may set off the fireworks and pop the cork on that champagne!)

IT'S DONE!

Several periods of work in Arizona's hot sun by The Artist have resulted in the stump in our front yard being transformed into a cheerful greeter.

It was finished this morning with the eyes completed and a couple of wispy clouds added to our Southwestern azure sky.

So are you ready?

Ta-da!

Oddly, there is no signature.

That may or may not be added.

As to his or her name, that's still being debated.

However "Scarface", in whatever form it took in yesterday's post and comments, may no longer be considered.

The Artist, you see, is also a bit of a plastic surgeon and she took care of that name-prompting feature this morning.

And since she is the creator of this masterpiece, I think it only fair to allow her to choose its name.

(to be continued)

A LITTLE MORE PROGRESS

The Painter (SWMBO) and I (who she's titled the Sous Painter because I hold stuff and hand her stuff) were back at it this morning.

And the stump has now got the start of a face.

The Painter says she needs to do some work on that crack in the wood.

I suggested it might be taken as a scar but she vetoed that idea.

And she has to finish the eyes.

And name him!

I was thinking of calling him either "Stumpy" or "Sonny".

Maybe that latter name should turn out to be "Sunny".

Let's see what you folks think.

Feel free to pick your own name for the creation.

MAMA KNOWS

You may recall our effort to save our one remaining tree but after watching it green up this spring with some kind of fluffy growth that didn't resemble the leaves of years gone by we called in an arborist.

He quickly declared it a parasite and said the tree was a goner.

And so, like the other two big trees that were originally here, it came down, leaving us with nothing but stumps in our yard.

It took awhile but after mulling the perfectly flat surface over in her mind, Judy got out her paintbox once again.

Yesterday a new project began.

It resembles a lake.

Or maybe another birdbath, I noted, and we both expressed fear that birds would "bust their beaks" trying for a drink.

So this morning, the painter's itch began again and she hurried to make more progress on her latest artwork.

A pattern is developing and when it's completed, it will be a smiling sun face in a blue sky.

With maybe a wisp or two of clouds.

A little more daubing has been going on with the side yard fence mural but she's still not satisfied and photos of that will have to wait 'til another day.