SKYVIEW

There's a sky full of beautiful clouds in my part of the world today.

Whichever way you look there's a changing panorama.

Sometimes people see images in the sky.

Me?  I just see clouds.

Meantime, a dove in the dead tree next door watches me, wondering "why is that strange human creature pointing his camera up at the sky?"

Just another day in retirement, birdie.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Here I am again . . the late Catalyst.

I seem to be having a slight difficulty in remembering when it's Friday and duty calls.

Perhaps it's about time to end these end of the week comedy jousts.

After all, I am 79 now and what's funny about that?

But never mind.

Let us proceed.

All right, that ought to be enough to get you gleefully through a wicked weekend.

Or not.  

As the case may be.

Just remember this one important thing: always keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Portrait of a Woman and her Cat

HERBS

It's been a weird day here in the Central Highlands of Arizona.

Huge towering clouds, a smattering of rain, a very brief (30 second) hail storm, sunshine . . . and repeat.

Similar weather, with high's in the 50's and 60's, is projected to continue through to early next week.

Based on SWMBO's wise advice I had told our neighboring lady . . . newly from California . . . that plants probably should not be planted until after Mothers' Day.

That's next Sunday.

And she has, I think, taken my advice.

BUT!

We planted some herbs in pots last year and enjoyed them through the summer.

I don't think we had expected them to survive the winter but . . .

Here's our mint plant.

It seems to have thrived in its dormant state and has come back better than ever.

As has the Italian Parsley.

There's something to be said for indifference and lack of knowledge.

Both have already been used in drinks and pizza!

MISS MUGGLES

As I have said before, Muggles is our "final cat".

But she's a teenager, in human terms not cat terms, now and is slowing down a lot.

She seems to have lost a lot of weight again and seems troubled by arthritis.

Which comes as a bit of a plus for her because we can allow her out in the yard for the first time since we rescued her from an unfeeling neighbor who had left her out in the rain as a very young kitten.

She no longer has the strength to jump to the top of fence or wall to escape.

So on those evenings that are warm enough for us to sit out on the patio at cocktail hour we have begun letting her join us.

She ambled back to the fence one of the first evenings and eyed it but knew she could never surmount it.

Since then she has stayed close to us most of the time.

She's never been a large cat but she seems to have shrunk in recent weeks and, as the saying goes, is just a shadow of her former self.

But she is still a love.

THE ADVENTURES OF MATTY

As is his wont, Matty came in for a brief visit this morning.

After he raided Muggles' food bowl he went out again.

"Hmmm, that tree looks like it needs some scratching and this blue cat doesn't seem to be doing the job."

"Wow, that made me so thirsty.  Good thing they left some water out for me."

"All that activity made me tired.  I'll just rest here for a bit."

"I am sooooo handsome."

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Oh!  I just realized what day this is.

Sorry I'm late but I'll launch right into it.

No, no, I said "launch", not "lunch".

Sometimes people just don't read it correctly.

Did anyone notice he's got his watch on backwards?

BTW, as a cat lover I sometimes neglect the other pet owners so I've got a few for you today.

I'm not lyin', you may loll around by your lava lamp, liquified and lazy, lip-synching to lilting melodies, fondling your lapis lazuli, but . . above all . . have a great weekend and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

THROWBACK THURSDAY

One glorious day at the Scottsdale Arts Festival back in the 1970's.

SWMBO, Me with a very old camera, and the BRD.

ON THE RANGE

A BRIEF WEATHER DISTURBANCE

Down here in Paradise, er, Arizona, we like our Springs to be warm and balmy and paradisiacal.

You can look that word up in the dictionary.

There will be a picture of Arizona.

But sometimes, here in the Central Highlands, the weather takes a turn to the nasty side.

Such was today and especially right now at 7:21 in the evening.

(That's Mountain STANDARD Time.  None of that Daylight "Saving" Time for us!)

The temperature dropped some 20 degrees from yesterday's very pleasant 80 to the low 60's much of today and raindrops spat in our faces much of the day.

It didn't really rain.

It just kinda spattered.

But this evening's wind and spattering rain is highly unpleasant to we lovers or spring warmth.

So we cower in our toasty homes and wait for the dragon to stop teasing and testing us with his frosty breath.

It will begin warming again tomorrow as this unwelcome visitor exits to New Mexico.

(They deserve it for calling themselves The Land of Enchantment.)

Once again by the weekend we shall be at the proper 80 degree setting for this time of year.

Meanwhile I can hear my friend Mike up in Montana sniggering.

So I sent him this cartoon today.

And, my friends, that's the way it is . . . Monday, April 29th, 2019.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Ah, Gentle (and sometimes Secret) Readers in a week that saw me begin my 80th(!) perambulation around Old Sol, I can't think of a better time to get our minds off of that subject and onto some lighter fare.

Hence, The Friday Funnies.

Well, if the goal was to get my mind off my age that was certainly a failure.

Maybe one more try.

Okay.  I'll quit.

Just take this reminder for the remainder of the week, avoid being razzed, rattled or rebuked; shun all reversals; be careful with romance, on the alert for roues; respect your revolutionary impulses; and have a great weekend!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(I'll bet I know which one it will be.)

THANK YOU!

My thanks go out to all of my family, friends, acquaintances, strangers and lurkers who took a moment to wish me a happy birthday yesterday.

It's nice for this old geezer to be recognized.