HALLOWEEN IS COMING

Yesterday, SWMBO and I met our friend Diane for lunch at the Asylum Restaurant in the Jerome Grand Hotel in Jerome, Arizona.  There is a mixed history about the old hotel.  Some say it was a hospital, some say it was an insane asylum.  The restaurant owner prefers the latter history and, as Halloween nears, the restaurant and grounds have been lavishly decorated by the staff.  One of them told me the whole staff pitched in and did it all in four hours.



The ghostly and ghastly patrons of the restaurant seem to grow scarier as the shadows creep over the building.  Our final lady of the night may have been caught in mid-scream as she got the first look at her check for the night.  Or not.

Lunch, as usual, was delicious.

CARNIVAL SET-UP

As I noted yesterday, the County Fair is about to begin (tomorrow).  And a carnival was busy setting up rides and food carts yesterday.

The Fire Ball, guaranteed to produce screams.

Maybe a little milder, the Berry Go Round.

The Tornado.  Looks nausea causing.

Pharaoh's Fury.

The Gravitron.

And one (not a ride) I posted just for my pal Dana (The Bug).

If you're going to indulge, you'd probably not want to partake of a funnel cake before challenging the rides!

LINING UP FOR THE COUNTY FAIR

"Constant Readers" of this blog will remember that I have on occasion posted photos of a side of beef on the hoof.  But I think this is the first time I've shown you such a herd.



As you can see, their pasture lies right in the middle of the town limits.

But I think I know why there were so many so close today.

The County Fair is getting ready to open later this week!

I'll have some photos of the big carnival setting up tomorrow.  In the meantime here's one more photo from Cattle Country.



"Are you talkin' to me?"

DEALERSHIP MASCOT

Anybody have an idea which car dealership this is?



Give up? 

It's Lamb Nissan in Prescott, Arizona.

OLD BONES



These are the supporting limbs of a very healthy honeysuckle vine.

You wouldn't think the plant is even alive but it is.

(Note:  The second picture has been digitally treated to show the intensity of the green vine.)

THINGS I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN WITHOUT THE INTERNET

The sheer brilliance of cartoonist Dan Piraro.



The great good humor of the commercials produced for Paso Robles wines.



That I really like Leonard Cohen's poetic songs but I wish Rufus Wainwright would always sing them.  I just think Cohen's drab voice turns a lot of people away from him.  Though on this song, when he goes down for the real low notes, his purity comes through.



Yes, there is a lot of crap out there but there are some good discoveries, too.

ONE BIG GRASSHOPPER

As I stepped out my back door this afternoon, I spotted this invader clinging to a vertical wall.

The stucco seemed to support his sticky feet well and he allowed me to come in quite close.

The grasshopper seems like a prehistoric creature with his armor and barbs.  I contemplated him for awhile as he returned the favor.

Although he was huge for his species - about two inches tip to tip - my size dwarfed him and possibly made him nervous as I snapped photos only an inch or so from his face.  When he began to move his legs, adjusting his position, probably preparing to leap, I backed off and left him alone.  As I write these words, he is most likely devouring one of our plants.