BRUSHWORK

Happy Easter!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Downtown Flagstaff, Arizona

11 a.m. Friday

Downtown Flagstaff, Arizona

10:30 a.m. Saturday

(24 hours later)

Just part of the wondrous scenery that is Arizona!

And on another note, yes Debby and all you blue bag watchers, it's still there this morning, in spite of driving rain and snow yesterday afternoon.

Neither of our "smart-" phone cameras do a good job of showing it but it's still up there, stuck in the tree.

Kinda like Charlie Brown's kite, if you read that comic strip.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Does it seem to you folks that the days are going by faster than ever or is it just me?

It seems like it was just Friday and what do you know, it's Friday again!

So that means I have to put my nose to the grindstone (whatever the heck that means) and probe through the offerings in my Humor Capsule to come up with something to make you laugh.

Yes, that's true but it really is Friday.

So open up your giggle valves and let's rev up the engines.

And always remember to read the fine print.

Now, class, now that you've enjoyed your joyful jubilation and jollity, jot down just one mind-jogger: have yourselves a great weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, yes, SWMBO could tell you about this . . . )

OUR MEXICAN PATIO

Mexican homes frequently have an inside patio open to the sky but surrounded by the walls of their house.

We had such a home for a couple of years when we lived in Guadalajara and the photo yesterday shows our friends posing in it.

They weren't the only ones to stand in that same spot.

That is the much younger She Who Must Be Obeyed and Catalyst, aka Judy and I.

There was a potted ficus tree and plants everywhere, watered sometimes by us and sometimes by a rain shower.

There was also a fountain in the center, which our cat Chulapay loved to drink from.

Chulapay (Spanglish for Cutie Pie) was an adopted Siamese, or so we thought.

Some years later I decided she was actually a Tonkinese.

Regardless of her DNA, she was an agile climber and leaper with the balance of . . well . . a cat.

She learned to scale a vine-covered trellis and jump to the upper level of the home.

That led to her disappearance for the better part of a week one time, as she could roam the rooftops and climb down into other people's living spaces.

We had searched the neighborhood, put up notices of the lost gato and asked neighbors and strangers if anyone had seen her, to no avail.

We sadly thought she was gone for good.

Until one day when she suddenly appeared, came down that trellis and nonchalantly inquired if we were going to feed her.

We suspected she got into someone's closet or shed and was unknowingly locked in. 

She never told us and was soon back to her old tricks, looking for a high spot in the room where she could survey her domain and we mere humans.

It's been many a year now that she's gone from our lives but I like to think that she's perched on the highest cloud watching everything with curiosity.

The curiosity of a cat.

THE CREATOR

 After some difficulty, I have managed to uncover a photo of the man who shot that picture on yesterday's post.

His name is Tom and he is shown with his wife Carol in the inside patio of that wonderful home we lived in for a couple of years in Guadalajara, Mexico.

They were good friends of ours from Phoenix, Arizona.

p.s. Neither Taylor Swift or Tim "the Toolman" Taylor or James Taylor ever visited us in that house.

At least as far as I know.

Those were hazy, crazy days.

The photo is actually in the garage, facing the kitchen.

A door to the left leads to the living room, which leads to the patio, surrounded by bedrooms.

It was a neat place.

I've been going through picture albums.

More Mexico stories to come.

SOLVE THE MYSTERY

My wife, SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed), and I puzzled over this photograph for a long time this afternoon.

We recognized the name (our surname) but for the longest time we couldn't identify the location.

It was obvious we lived there.

Or someone with our last name did.

But for the longest time we were at our dagnapped to where it was.

We finally figured it out.

Can you?

If you know right away, don't spoil it for the rest.

( . . . to be continued . . . )

TODAY'S SPECIAL DAY

Today is National Dolphin Day in the United States of America!

Dolphins communicate with each other, though not by words.

They have a system of pops, crackles and whistles that allows them to "talk" with other dolphins.

Their brain is second only to humans in its size compared to their body.

I say let's run one for President!

But today is also another national day, dedicated to a nut that is native to the U.S.A.

I know what you're thinking but it isn't me.

It's the pecan!

So make a pecan pie or some pralines and celebrate.

Oh, yes, there's one other national day today.

That's National Ex-Spouse Day.

It was created in 1987 by a minister in Kansas City, Missouri.

He said it's time to forgive our ex-spouses and focus on ourselves.

In it's inaugural year he is said to have handed out buttons that said: I'm OK - You're History.

And that's all I've got today.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

After our 54th anniversary last Monday, my wife has left me.

But before you take back all those congratulations on our lasting it through all the years of strife and glory, let me explain that she'll be back tomorrow.

She only left to house- and cat-sit for our daughter, the BAD, who is away from her home and her four (!) cats to celebrate her birthday.

April is a busy month for us with birthdays and such.

So busy in fact that I was only able to muster up the strength to find a couple of humorous pictures for your delectable Friday pleasure and amusement.

But never fear, the words are here to bail me out.

So shall we begin?

Oh my, without SWMBO here to rein me in I fear I went a bit overboard this week.

So if your sides are aching from all that laughter, take this gentle advice sedately: have a fantabulous weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

But not too much.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh they learn so young, don't they . . . )

MARKING THE DAY

This is a photo of SWMBO (Judy) and I celebrating the anniversary of our wedding day.

That jolly lad seems to have a darker head of hair and beard.

And he's holding a cigarette in one hand!

They both appear . . . well . . . younger.

They were.

This was our 20th wedding anniversary in a village called San Antonio Tlayacapan in Mexico.

We caroused with a crowd of some 20 or so friends.

The year was 1991.

Yesterday we quietly celebrated another anniversary.

Our 54th as a married couple.

The beard is whiter and so is the hair.

As we remarked on the event we noted that there have been some ups and downs to this marriage.

But somehow it and we have endured.

So yesterday we were just the two of us.

Judy cooked a pork tenderloin and roasted sweet potatoes and, of course, made a wonderful salad of chunks of cantaloupe and mango.

We opened a bottle of Prosecco but unlike in those heady years of our youth we only drank about half of it.

We both quit smoking when we returned to "the States", over thirty years ago.

With age comes some wisdom and a certain calmness of spirit.

As well as a deepening love.

THREATENING

This was our sky yesterday.

It looked kind of scary but nothing ever materialized out of it, at least where we live.

Today is sunny and blue skies.

Temperature is about 60 F/15.5 C and supposed to go a few degrees higher this afternoon.

Heading into the low 80's by mid-week.

Just another day in paradise.

IT'S STILL THERE!

It's been three weeks now since I noticed a blue plastic bag of some kind or another up in a neighbor's tree.

Over the days since then, I've kept a close eye on it.

And, Blue Bag fans everwhere, I can assure you that it is still there.

I took a photo from a different angle today and, being the excellent  and experienced photographer that I am, I naturally pointed the camera right into the sun.

Now if you have the eye of an eagle, as do I, you will spot the bag high up in the tree's branches.

But if you can't pick it out, I zoomed into it to give you a better viewing.

I can assure you that while it looks like a blue and white flag in this view, it is not.

It is a blue plastic bag reflecting some of the sun's glare.

So there you have it, sky watchers everywhere, the Blue Bag lives on.

Further updates will be forthcoming.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I bet you're wondering "How long can he keep doing this?"

Here's the answer.

I don't know.

Some weeks it is more difficult to put a smile on my face.

But I have followers now who seem to depend on this silly ritual so, like Senator Cory Booker, I'll just keep on with this as long as I'm able.

For example . . .

So my message again this week?

Be like Riker and get even!

But in the meantime, have yourselves a merry little weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, I should have known . . . )