LOOKING AROUND OUTSIDE

Let's see how observant you are today.  See anything?

O.K.  I'll make it easier for you.  How about now?

Oh, all right.  Let's get in nice and close.

You should now be able to see the tail end of a dove, nesting in the arbor in front of our house.  I don't know what she'd do if I turned on that string of Christmas lights beneath her.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the yard, these things have taken bloom.  From the number of buds, it looks like it will be a good year for them.


They're pretty but there's one problem.  I can't remember what the darned things are called.  Any help out there?

Update:  The flower is called "Rose of Sharon".  My thanks to the lady who planted it - the Beautiful Rich Daughter.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!

O.K.  Here's a short introduction to music appreciation.  It came in an e-mail from a former colleague.


Music Styles




JAZZ


Five men on the same stage all playing different tunes.

 BLUES


Played exclusively by people who woke up this morning.

 WORLD MUSIC



A dozen different types of percussion all going at once.




OPERA


People singing when they should be talking.




RAP


People talking when they should be singing.




FOLK


Endless songs about shipwrecks in the 19th century.




BIG BAND


20 men who take turns to stand up plus a drummer.



HOUSE MUSIC


OK as long as it's not the house next door.

DOG(?) DAYS

So, people say "where's your blog?  Haven't seen a new post for awhile."

And the only response I can come up with is "It's the middle of August, I'm bored, and lazy.  It's the Dog Days."  Or as you might say in our neighborhood, the Cat Days.

ALL HAT - - NO CATTLE

I'll bet you thought this post was going to be about the presidential campaign announced today by Texas Governor Rick Perry, didn't you?

Sorry.  Fooled you again, just like the clouds over our part of Arizona.

Some promising clouds in the sky yesterday.  It's been mostly overcast much of the day today.  Rain?  Only a few drops.

LUCKY PEACH

For foodies: a new food magazine put together by New York chef David Chang of the famous restaurant Momofuku's.
 

I got my copy yesterday and have made a quick run-through of it.  It's about 175 pages with absolutely no advertisements!  If you can imagine an impromptu and alcohol-fueled conversation (rant) between Chang, Anthony Bourdain and Wylie Dufresne at Cafe de la Concha in San Sebastian, Spain, you may begin to understand the unvarnished language used throughout the magazine.  For example, one of several photos of paper-wrapped chopsticks scattered through the magazine - this one emblazoned with how-to-hold-them drawings with the heading "Would you f---ing learn how to do this already?"

There are a number of easy-to-follow recipes in there also but a warning - this entire issue is dedicated to one subject: ramen.  Not the type you get in packets from the grocery store but real hearty ramen.  Like the one pictured on the back cover.

Lucky Peach is slated as a quarterly.  This is the first issue.  You can get a closer look and even buy it or subscribe at the McSweeneys web page.

CAT UPDATE

Big surprise, huh?  Old Catalyst writing about cats again.  What can I say?  I lead a quiet life.  So anyway.  You may recall that the BRD added another kitten to her menagerie a couple of weeks ago.  She sent over a couple of pictures recently.

He seems to have run down in that picture.  Wrigley, too, seems to be exhausted from trying to keep up with the new cat who, so far, seems to have the name Taz, short for Tasmanian Devil.  He is an active little rascal, according to the BRD.

Even Lily seems surprised that little Taz finally has run down but she seems not too relaxed about the intimacy.

COMPUTER WOES

Sorry, friends.  I've been out of pocket for a couple of days with my computer in the "hospital".  Got it back about an hour ago along with a bill for around $85.  Turned out a piece of RAM had gone bad and needed to be replaced.

That after I mistakenly suspected a virus and purchased a $60 Norton protection plan.  Oh well, at least now I'm protected.

On another front, here's a photo taken at Chase Field Sunday during the Dodgers/Diamondbacks game.

I'm not sure what he was doing there but the D-backs did win, in spite of the blueness of this character's outfit.