HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I may have said this before but I'll say it again. April and May get really busy around here.

Today is the day we commemorate the birth of a beautiful woman. I refer to her as SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed). Her eldest daughter refers to her as The M (The Mother). She answers to Judy. Or Judith, her given name. Around the house I call her Honey or Dearie. I used to call her JG, which are her given initials for Judith Gayle. But I used to joke that they stood for Judy Girl.

All in all, through thick and thin, as the saying goes, she's been by my side for . . . a few years. More than I can believe some times.

My dad really liked her.

And so do I.

Happy Birthday to my wife.

Scottsdale art fair

A gypsy girl, at Halloween

A somewhat later Halloween

In Northern Arizona, (posing for Vogue?)

In our courtyard in Guadalajara

Enjoying the high mountain air in Innsbruck, Austria

This one belongs on a dust jacket

Pretty in pink at one of her daughter's fabulous brunches

The fashion plate, celebrating one year ago

Tuckered out

She's a good one.  I think I'll keep her.

(BTW, her email address is judyt78@gmail.com)

A GRAND DAY FOR THE M

Yesterday the BRD invited SWMBO (also known as The M to her eldest daughter) and me to a Mothers' Day Brunch at her home. 

Following Bloody Mary's and antipasto plates of shrimp and bruschetta with goat cheese and tomatoes, we repaired to her dining table, which was beautifully set with flower arrangements and the Beau Jack's late mother's china.

Shame on me for not photographing the food but I'll give you an idea of how good it tasted. Eggs Benedict, bacon, asparagus, new potatoes, mixed fresh fruit, Mimosas, and for dessert (as if we needed it!) fresh strawberries, ice cream and Angel Food cake.

Holy mackeral!

To top off the day, Beau Jack presented his surrogate Mom with this beautiful live orchid.

The M and I went home sated and mightily pleased. A grand day, indeed.

MOTHERS' DAY

Judy and her girls

VIEWPOINTS

A couple of places in Jerome, Arizona from which to view the Verde Valley.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Gosh, I love Fridays. It's the day of the week that I get to be just silly. 

My friend, Jager, has been running an email meme which started with an epic scene from The Wire. Unfortunately, I can't run that scene or any of the subsequent comments here. It's only for big folks with nasty minds.

But nevertheless, let's get on with it.

Seeing a theme here? Well I can put a stop to that by commenting on Robert's diet.

Ooooooohhhh!

Hey, speaking of women, let's not forget Mom. Mothers' Day is Sunday.

I may forget, though, because . . .

In past weeks I have shown you numerous photos of my friends, the cats, sleeping in unusual places or positions. This week it's the dogs' turn.

That last one is my favorite.

The cats, Yin and Yang, have a more serious thought in mind this week.

Thanks for the contributions, folks, have a great weekend and remember to keep a smile on your face.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

The early 1990's in Austin, Texas. A photo taken by SWMBO. Submitted for an Extra (or better) role in motion pictures.

I landed two Extra (no better) parts in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", with Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, and "A Perfect World", with Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner and Laura Dern.

One day each. But it was fun.

My Oscar role still awaits.

AN UNIDENTIFIED VISITOR

The bird bath just outside my window attracts a wide variety of avians. Many house finches, including some newborns. An occasional bluejay. Mourning doves. Warblers. And this character which I have yet to be able to identify. Some type of oriole, perhaps? The photo of him up in the tree shows the most color.

There must be some birdwatchers out there in the blogosphere who can give this bird a name.

LIGHTING THE DARKNESS

Strange patterns cast by a hanging lantern.

The magic lantern itself.

Nighttime and some fanciful lights cause the mind to wander into the land of Arabian Nights.

Or something.

WARBLERS

Over the past several weeks we have been banned from sitting on our front patio because a pair of Warblers had built a nest and begun a new brood. We have patiently watched the birds fly to and from the nest, perch on it and then, once the eggs that had been laid began to hatch, waited somewhat patiently for sights of the new babies.

One day recently I finally saw one of the new fledglings sitting on a table directly in front of our front windows.

It appeared fearless as I took many pictures through the window. It even stayed put as the watchful Blackwell got as close to the window as he could.

One of it's parents arrived with something for it to eat. 

It stayed on the table for a long time, stretching its wings, seeming to get the feel of its own body.

Eventually it flew to the ground where it stayed even longer as its parents fluttered back and forth around it. And then it flew away.

But a day later a second one appeared and the two seemed confused as they fluttered about. First one, then the other perched on a wire of lights hung for my party recently and there they sat, side by side.

Finally they were gone, off to find adventure in their new world.

And we got our front patio back. 

At least for awhile.

FLORAL BEAUTY

Saturday at Mortimer Nursery in Prescott. What better welcome to spring than the showy iris.

It seemed like every color of the rainbow was featured in these gorgeous spring blooms.

All of this beauty in one tent under the auspices of the . . .

Nice job, growers!