CHAPEL OF THE VALLEY

While out and about the other day, I paid a visit to Prescott Valley's Chapel of the Valley.

Take note: I am not religious but I've always enjoyed visiting chapels and churches in their "off-duty" hours.

I think it's the quiet which gives one time to meditate.

This chapel is a tiny one.

It was donated to the city by the Fain Family and it overlooks Fain Park.

The Fains were ranchers that once owned most if not all of the land where Prescott Valley is now located.

The chapel houses a handful of beautiful stained glass windows.

On the day I was there it was being readied for a wedding.

I can only assume that given the size of the chapel it would be a small affair.

I departed before the attendees arrived.

FOOD OR DECORATION?

As has oft been noted, this is the autumnal season of the year.

On a visit to Prescott, the now-smaller city to the west, we encountered a spare lot selling pumpkins.

Variety is the spice of life, eh?

The question then becomes "Are they for food or decoration?"

As I said in a different context yesterday . . you pays your money, you makes your choice.

BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

The title of this post could refer to the current presidential election campaign in the United States of America.

Or it could reflect back to the originator of that phrase who has recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature . . . "finally", for some; "inexplicably", for others.

Or it could just refer to my neighbors' Pampas Grass.

You pays your money, you makes your choice.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

The laughter at last night's Al Smith Dinner was somewhat sparse so I'm here to tickle your titter-impulse.

Don't hold back.

Okay, that's probably way more than enough for one week.

Have yourself a merry little weekend, Gentle Readers, and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty.

Hey, I didn't tell you to bring your cousin with you!

THROWBACK THURSDAY

FALL COLORS

People are sometimes surprised that where I live in Arizona we actually have four seasons.

But our home is at 5,130 feet . . far above the desert floor of Phoenix though only 80 miles away.

So our trees turn colorful at this time of year, changing from the summertime green.

In front of our home, our Red Maple is beginning to change to the color that gives it its name.

Just outside the window of my den the Redbud is rapidly losing it's summer foliage, as the leaves turn golden and then fall.

That keeps me busy several times a day cleaning out the bird bath.

We're waiting until the tree is completely or nearly bare before we take on the onerous job of cleaning up all the fallen leaves.

That's probably why we know this autumn season as "fall."

TUESDAY TRAVELS

On a visit to Baja California back in 2006(?) I had lunch with my two favorite women, SWMBO and the BRD, at some place on the water in Ensenada.

I can't remember the name of the place or what we had to eat but I know the piña coladas were great!

FALL FLAVORS

What do I love about fall?

The flavors.

Pumpkin and squash and turkey and dressing and potatoes and yams.

And meat loaf.

This one was ready to bake last night.

A combination of ground beef and pork sausage topped for basting with some thick-sliced bacon and a bit of paprika for color.

About 90 minutes later and it looked like this.

The aroma in the house for most of the cooking time would nearly knock a man over, tipped into a trembling mass as he waited for that first slice.

Carrots and onions inside the delicious mound confirmed to me that it is healthy food.

Homemade meat loaf.

Ain't nothin' like it!

MARSHMALLOW FLUFF

POSIES . .

. . on the edge of the savannah

FRIDAY FUNNIES

It gets harder and harder to be funny in our (U.S.) election season but I'm gonna keep trying.

Here goes.

Do you remember me telling you about the BRD going to that big concert in California recently of a bunch of aging rock stars?

Kinda like . . .

Okay, folks, that's all I've got this week.

(Actually, I've got a lot more but I'm saving them up in case of a humor drought.)

Whatever you do this weekend, do it with reckless abandon and a ton of glee and always, always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty.

(Uh, oh, I warned you about making friends with those guys.)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Anybody remember this young folk strummer from Minnesota?

Young Robert Zimmerman from Hibbing, Minnesota, was a curly-haired singer/songwriter with poetry on his mind.

At present he is performing a constant tour schedule around the world as Bob Dylan.

He's got wrinkles now, at 75, but his hair is still a tangled coiffure.

And today he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Way to go, young man.

WHITE WEDNESDAY

CALIFORNIA BOUND

It has been a week for visiting California.

No, not me.

Friends and a relative made the journeys.

The BRD went with some friends to Palm Springs and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights to the Coachella concert venue (dubbed Oldchella by someone with a sense of humor.)

What transpired was a superstar experience.

Friday night: Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.

Saturday night: Paul McCartney and Neil Young.

Sunday night: Roger Waters and The Who.

That's Peter Townsend on the big screen.

The entire series will be repeated next weekend, in case you've got some ready cash lying around.

Though I expect the tickets are long since sold out.

The BRD arrived home last evening and this morning came down with a cold.

As she said, that's what I get for hanging around with 75,000 people!

So on to the second coastal trip, and this one really did reach the Left Coast, as it's sometimes called.

Our good friend, Diane, and her daughter went to Laguna Beach, a favorite haunt for many decades.

That's the beach and that's the ocean and that's the selfie to prove they were there.

And that's one of many sunsets they photographed on a day that was clear enough to catch a somewhat rare glimpse of Catalina Island in the distance.

Nice pictures.  Nice people.

THOSE FALLING LEAVES . . .

FOR YOUR BOUTONIÈRRE