THE CHIEF ELF

Longtime readers of this blog have often praised me for brightening their day at the end of a week with the Friday Funnies.

While accepting such adulation in my usual modest way ("I am the best humorist the world has ever seen!"), I have on various occasions pointed out that I have a coven of humor elves who supply me with much of the material that makes you all giggle, guffaw, smile or scratch your heads.

My main supplier, who I have nicknamed Wacky Wally, got his own treatment recently.

But first let me show you how I first new Wally many years, actually decades, ago when he was a photographer (or videographer, as they came to be known) at Channel 12 in Phoenix.

Now there's two things you should take note of in this picture.

First there is that impish grin on his face.

Second is the slogan on his shirt, which notes that this was taken on a work break at the Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan, in 1980.

That's 45 years ago, folks.

Now Wally's birthday is December 30th, which his daughter says is a silly day for a birthday.

Which made it simple for her to stun him recently with a surprise 80th birthday party.

Photographs of the photographer as he entered the room tell the story.

Among the crowd there to greet him were relatives from Tucson, Texas, Louisiana and Wisconsin as well as a few former co-workers.

Here's the honoree and his daughter, Susan, who put it all together.

I wasn't able to get to the party to honor my old pal but I can still extend my best wishes with a slightly older picture that may have given me the reason for his nickname.

Wacky Wally, indeed!

On behalf of my blog readers who appreciate the humor you supply to keep me going every week, Happy Early Birthday, "old" pal.