THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

We made it!

Perhaps a bit tanner, perhaps a bit redder, perhaps blistered.

But we have achieved once again and arrived at Friday.

We got through Ice Cream Day, Hot Dog Day, Corn Fritters Day.

And without even having to say TGIF once, we have arrived at the cusp of another weekend.

So let us not lollygag.

Let us launch into laughter.

And that's that, folks.

Now never mind the heat (or the smoke or the rain or the cold), enjoy youselves for the next few days and have a fantastic weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . oh yeah, the sun's very bright here too . . )

MIMI

 

Allow me to introduce you to Mimi, one of three members of the BRD's cat family.

And while she appears to be lying back, relaxing, contemplating the meaning of the universe . . what she's actually doing is waiting for Gayle to throw her mouse.

No, not a real mouse.

A small fabric replica with which the cats love to play.

But there's one odd fact in this family.

Gayle has taught her various cats over the years not only to play with their "mice", tossing them around and in the air and catching them again, but also to "fetch" them back to her to be tossed yet again.

I've heard of dogs doing this but never, except for Gayle's pets, for a cat to do it.

I learn something every day.

OUR FRIEND DIANE

 A few weeks ago Judy and I heard some disturbing news about our longtime friend, Diane Kalas.

She had suffered a stroke in Flagstaff, Arizona, and was in the hospital.

Diane is a vigorous 91 years old but a medical emergency at that age is frightening.

However, Diane being Diane, after a week in the hospital and ten days in a rehab facility she and one of her daughters and a mutual friend left for an annual vacation planned a year ago.

In her beloved Laguna Beach, California.

Diane had lived there as a young woman, fell in love with it and has returned year after year.

She says it works like a tonic to her and judging by her activity it has performed its magic once again.

I met Diane more than half a century ago when we found ourselves working for the same television station in Phoenix.

I was in awe of this woman who hosted a morning program called Today in Arizona.

She had a wall of signed photographs of movie stars, entertainers and politicians that she had interviewed.

Diane went on to success in radio stations in Pittsburgh, Boston and San Francisco before ending her career as "The Shell Answer Lady" for a California refinery.

In later years, she adopted a scruffy mutt she named Rags.

"Nobody better try to cheat my lady at cards!"

So Diane, keep on keepin' on, and this next one is just for you.

FINALLY!

 It was two weeks late but our first monsoon storm of the season arrived yesterday afternoon.

As I remarked, it's as if it was making up for lost time.

It rained, blew and hailed for three solid hours, sometimes lightly and at other times torrentially.

If you turn your audio on you can hear it pattering down.

In this later video, where it was raining harder, you can hear the water pouring down from the flooded eavestrough over the front entrance.

After it had finally stopped, Judy checked our rain guage in the tomato barrel and said we'd gotten nearly an inch and a half.

The cooler air felt good for a change although our summer heat hasn't broken for good and the season is only about halfway through.

HEAT

 

CHILL

 

Guess what today is.

Oh yes, just in time.

It's National Ice Cream Day!

So take the edge off of that heat and get yourself a cone.

Or a dish.

Or a batch.

Whatever your choice, cool off with some ice cream today.

FOLIAGE

Part of Judy's Coleus Forest, trying to take over the patio.

(There are more in the house) 

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Vive la France!

Yes, it's France's National Day also known as Bastille Day!

So let's eat lots of snails!

Or you could celebrate another day today: It's National Nude Day!

A day when nudists around the world go au naturel.

But if you plan on celebrating it, probably better put off that trip to the store.

Here in Arizona the mercury is threatening to pass the 100 degree mark so let's begin, as we did last Friday, with something to cool you off.

You know what that means.

The fun is (mostly) over.

Now, non-alliteratively, I would like you to enjoy a remarkable weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . ooooohhh, I know that feeling . . . )

LAKE VISIT

With summer's scorching temperatures recently we had been pretty much confined to our home.

It is supposed to surpass the 100 degree mark this weekend.

So late yesterday afternoon I suggested we visit nearby Yavapai Lake and watch the ducks for awhile.

It's a small lake, more of a pond really, but catching it in the right light with the fountain going in the center can provide some nice views.

And gazing at that water, one can actually feel cooler.

The duck population has severely diminished as many may have migrated north seeking cooler weather.

But there were enough to amuse us.

These two swam back and forth constantly staying in close proximity to each other.

We watched and conjured up fantasies about their relationship.

First date, maybe?

Many people were walking and some even jogging on the path alongside the lake.

We, however, remained in the car with the air conditioning running.

With advancing age comes loss of energy and mobility but growing wisdom, I like to think.

We are fortunate to have this little lake only a few minutes away.

A LITTLE GARDENING

 We don't have a huge area for gardening where we live.

The yard around our duplex is covered in gravel and rocks.

And weeds with which we do battle.

But we have a nice covered patio which is home to our minimal gardening, most of it in pots.

As always, a mint plant is the star of the show and the leaves make our evening cocktails smell so nice.

Next to it is a basil plant that seems to be frowning a bit by comparison to its neighbor.

Hot tip: a few years ago we had a basil plant that we harvested, used to make pesto and froze in an ice cube tray.

Then we forgot it until recently when I uncovered it and it made a nice sauce for some pasta.

Our chives seem to be suffering from not enough watering, too much watering, the incessant heat or maybe just neglect.

But the green tops still make a nice topping for dishes from the Master Chef (not me) when snipped.

Now our tomato barrel has a couple of plants that Judy describes as "leggy".

Still we have harvested two beauties.

The first one was green when I accidentally dislodged it from its vine and Judy said she didn't think it would ripen.

But it did and was delicious.

We've only managed one of the small plum or cherry tomatoes but we shared it and it too was just like in that old John Denver song: "only two things money can't buy, that's true love and home grown tomatoes."

I'm not sure if the birds get to them or they just shrivel and die but if luck and your gardeners pay attention we might get a few more.

Meantime, the sun faces watch on with apparent bemusement.

READING LIST

I've been doing something recently that I used to do all the time before the Internet came along to occupy my days.

Actually reading books!

I devoured a couple recently that gave me a lot of pleasure and that I will recommend to you.

This was the first, a book Judy brought home from the library.

Now don't sneer, while Elvis plays a large part, it's really a history of the entertainment industry in Las Vegas.

It tells some of the stories about the mob's influence over the casinos back in the early days, spends quite a bit of time on the Rat Pack days of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, and details the days when you could see big name entertainers working the Vegas lounges.

(I once saw Della Reese do her show and all it cost me was the price of a drink.)

There are stories about the various entertainment bookers who ruled the roost.

And then Elvis came, after his movie career was drawing to a dismal close, and re-invented Las Vegas with his powerful show with two singing groups, a rhythm combo and a 40 piece orchestra backing him.

And yes, it continues on to the later period when he was bored with doing the same old shows in a greatly expanded jumpsuit to accomodate his ballooning weight, his drug abuse and his eventual death back home in Graceland.

It's a fascinating read.

Then on to an entirely different world with my second selection.

Oliver Darkshire began as an apprentice at Sotheran's, a London- based institution dating back to its founding in York in 1761 and then a move to London in 1815.

Selling rare books and prints in a dusty old bookstore might sound like a boor to you but Darkshire tells of his days there with wry humor (I suppose I should spell that humour) that sometimes borders on slapstick.

I loved it because my wife and I owned and ran a bookstore dealing in new and used books for seven years before we realized the truth in the old saying about how to make a million dollars in the book business: start with two million.

But I think you don't need to have been in the book business to enjoy Darkshire's tales of some of the weird customers and equally strange fellow employees in his story.

All you need is a sense of humor/humour.

HOW (not) TO PHOTOGRAPH A CAT

A little less than three months ago we (Judy) adopted a 7 year old cat after swearing that our last cat would be just that: our last cat.

But people who have lived with cats virtually all of our lives just ignore those bold statements.

So a small black cat came home with us.

Since then I've only blogged about her once, I think.

This morning I set out to change that and update you, my Gentle Readers, on her progress.

So first I had to photograph her.

My first attempt was an obvious failure.

The flash was on and the glare was awful.

So I sat down in my recliner, put her favorite pillow on my lap and called to her, "Here, Sweetie-Pie".

She immediately came running and jumped up on the pillow.

But she had her back to the camera.

I began maneuvering around, trying to get a shot of her looking lovingly into the lens.

You know how that goes.

Cats seemingly don't like to have their photograph taken.

In desperation I took a picture of part of her that is usually in motion but had gone strangely quiet.

Then I got the inspiration to focus on her head (turned away, of course) and touched her gently on one flank which usually draws her attention.

This time I got her frontally at last but with her ears cocked and her eyes glaring I decided this would be the last of my attempts.

We both repaired to the living room and I watched television for awhile.

Then a bit later I glanced over at her lying next to me on the couch and got the shot I'd been trying for.

May I present the beauty queen herself, Miss Sweetie-Pie.

A short time later, apparently exhausted by her photo session, she curled up for a nap.

A cat-nap.