THE GLORIOUS FOURTH OF JULY

 

So here it is again.

The day we Americans celebrate the birth of our nation.

Of course quite a few of our ancestors had been coming here for over a hundred years.

And, across the pond (as the Atlantic Ocean is whimsically called), they have a different view on the day.

Nevertheless, we shall celebrate with parades, flag waving, grilling and consuming vast amounts of alcohol, and then the fireworks.

Some folks got an early start on that.

Prescott, for example, had their big fireworks show last weekend.

And I heard 5 or six explosions and saw flashes in the sky here last night.

Those, of course, are illegal and, like someone who set some off just before the Prescott show and nearby, they started a brush fire.

It's dry out there, folks.

Leave it to the professionals.

But anyway here's one more tip of the hat (and the glass?) to our 247th birthday.

THE HEAT IS ON

 Here in the United States of America the July 4th weekend is in full swing.

Even with the temperature soaring.

Depending on whose website you check, our temperature is supposed to peak today at anywhere from 95 to 102 and it's supposed to reach 113 in not-too-far-away Phoenix.

For those of you in the rest of the world on the Celsius scale that's 35 to 45 degrees.

Maybe I should just think in Celsius.

It seems much cooler.

Anyway if you're anywhere where the mercury is rising beyond comfort take the advice of the experts.

And to keep my mind off the heat I've been writing poems.

Here's one of them.

Roses is red,

Violets is purple.

My darlin's sweet,

Just like maple syrup'l.

Hmmm, maybe that's why my Canadian friends sent me south.

If you're here in the U S of A, stay cool, hydrated, safe and sane as we celebrate our nation's independence.

In the rest of the world, just ignore we rowdies and do whatever you like.

TO OUR NORTHERN NEIGHBORS

 Happy Canada Day!

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Well, gosh, how are you all doing?

I hope your week has been better than mine.

Except in the food department.

I can't complain about the food department.

The mercury is set to climb into the high 90's for a few days.

Just in time for the Fourth of July celebrations.

Kinda makes one wish he lived in England.

But you don't want to hear all that so let's get on with the business of the day.

And those are the jokes, folks.

Have yourselves a wonderful weekend and ALWAYS remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(. . . oh, oh . . .)

AN IDLE THOUGHT

4:20 p.m. today

 Prescott Valley, Arizona - 89 degrees F.

Phoenix, Arizona - 104 degrees F.

THE NEXT DESSERT

So I said to my lovely wife this morning "I just ate my last piece of the Blueberry Kuchen."

Then to wipe that sorrowful look off her face I added "I saved the crunchy corner piece for you."

That made her happy.

A little later I was picking up her scraped clean plate and she asked "how many blueberries did you have left over?"

I guessed about a cup and a half and showed them to her and she immediately said "A clafoutis!"

Yikes, I thought, back to the kitchen again?

But I dug up my recipe for a clafoutis with any kind of fruit and soon had it into the oven.

Here's what made SWMBO happy when it came out.

Oh, I know what you're thinking.

It looks like a blueberry pizza!

But it's actually in a glass pie dish and it's deeper than a simple pizza.

See?

It's another blast to your (actually her) sweet tooth!

GARDENING STILL LIFE

 

The tomato plants await fresh water.

The Monja and the Blue Cat keep watchful eyes on the scene.

Heat, serenity, an Arizona summer.