THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 So how's your week been so far?

Fun?

Frolic?

Phantasmagoria?

Well, okay then, let me try to cheer you up.

IT'S FRIDAY, GOLDARN IT!

There, feel better?

Well, there is always some humor on this day.

Pecks . . pecs . . see?

Whatever.

That's it folks.

The rest is up to you.

The rest = go out and have a gorgeous weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . ohhhhh . . )

THE ARTIST'S LATEST

 Our very talented daughter, Gayle, aka The BAD (Beautiful Artistic Daughter) has yet another new project she has added to her amazing output.

She calls them Solar Lamps.

I think I'd call them Solar Light Towers.

And I think I'd also call them beautiful.

Like their creator.

What do you think?

A GATHERING

It's become a thing - these gatherings at "The Pie Place".

I think I picked the spot years ago because it is about midway between Prescott Valley, where I live, and "The Valley", the metropolitan area centered on Phoenix.

It's the Rock Springs Cafe, famous far and wide for their huge selection of pies.

In case you're new here, this is all in Arizona, U.S.A.

The gatherings are lunch groups of half a dozen or so former colleagues in the television news business who worked together at KPNX-TV (formerly KTAR-TV) in Phoenix.

Since I'm writing this I can disclose that the ages of the participants are now in their 70's and 80's.

Yesterday's gathering was prompted by the visit to the Valley of Tim Dietz, who was a photographer at The Dozen (a relatively new title prompted by the station's Channel 12 location).

Tim only spent a few years with us.

He was a Midwest boy who was appalled and nearly overcome by the heat of Phoenix summers.

He escaped back to Denver, Colorado, where he had interned at a sister station while in college, and spent the rest of his long career there, ending it as a vice-president of the business.

Tim and I have remained friends through the decades and when he contacted me and said he'd buy me lunch if we could meet somewhere halfway of course I suggested The Pie Place and began rounding up some other pals of days gone by.

So, here they are . . older, grayer, heavier . . but still friends.

Wally Athey (photographer extraordinaire), Ron Brooks (instant sportscaster, deputy sheriff and whatever), Tim Dietz (the sort of retired exec), Roger Ball (photographer, assignment editor, news director), Bruce Taylor (your scribe), Mike Martin (film editor, computer whiz), and the ever-young Baseball Steve Torbeck (photographer, 12 Country one-man band).

Now you might think that senior members of our society like these would be a dignified lot.

Well, you'd be wrong, and apparently our waitresses caught the vibe.

As is often said of gatherings like these, the lies and the gibes flew fast and furious.

Good times, good pals.

NO GRATITUDE

I just came home from a quick trip to the grocery store to buy cat food.

I told Sweetie Pie that I'd brought home *twenty* cans of her favorite.

She said, "Only twenty?"

Some cats can't be satisfied.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Wow! What a week, eh?

Never thought it would happen.

The Diamondbacks traded for a relief pitcher and then sent him immediately to the Minors.

Who'da ever imagined.

Oh yeah and there was some other stuff happening in the news but we'll just leave that to others.

What WE'RE here for . . and YOU, I'd venture to say . . is to have our ribs tickled.

So shall we begin?

We shall.

What's that?

TWO Star Trekkies?

I'm sorry, I just couldn't decide.

But you can now decide to have a delicious and decadent weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

TRAIL OF TEARS

 

Or maybe they're just clouds.

MONSOON SKY

 

I call them "thunderbumpers".

They piled up yesterday afternoon but we only got a brief evening shower this time.