ThrowBack Thursday

When I was younger, we explored the natural world from time to time.

But SWMBO always used to say that I just liked to plague her by going to the edge of precipices or hopping from rock to rock in streams.

I claimed I never knew what she was talking about.

Well, maybe so.

But who was she to talk?

Ahhh, memories.

WEIRD WEDNESDAY

(Special thanks to one of my humor contributors - Wacky Wally)

CHEESIE

One mistake after another.

I bought 16 ounces of cream cheese on a recent grocery order for some recipe or other that I had in mind to make.

Only to find upon checking the ingredient list that it was sour cream I needed, not cream cheese.

So . . . a cheesecake was in order, right?

It got made yesterday and it looks good, I think.

But when I opened the pack of graham crackers to make the crust I thought they smelled and tasted stale.

But I reasoned once they were crumbled and combined with the sugar and butter and salt and baked in the oven with the filling, that aroma and flavor would go away, wouldn't it?

After chilling the cake for some hours I finally had a small sliver last night.

I'm not so sure.

It seemed like those faults were still there, making my first cheesecake perhaps . . . inedible?

The BRD had recommended topping it with a raspberry coulis earlier.

I may have to try something like that.

I'd hate to have to just dump it.

TAKING A BOW

We had a good though brief rain yesterday.

But these photographs were actually taken the evening before, when someone else got it.

The moon was rising through the clouds and was greeted by a rainbow.

Later the moon was obscured by a cloud bank but the rainbow shone brighter than ever.

And then the setting sun glorified the clouds with color.

All in all, it was quite a sky show.

I SCREAM FOR . . .

ROBIN HOODS

+

"I am NOT fat! I'm muscular!"

"Oh never mind him. I wish we could take a bath in this."

"But it's too deep, we'd drown."

"Hey, guys, up here!  I found a better bathtub!"

"I think he's right.  This IS better."

"That was refreshing. I'll just sit up here to dry off."

"I don't think so, pal. This is MY territory."

"Are those guys gone yet? All that yapping drives me crazy."

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I know, I know, it's been a rough week.

But I am here to give you solace.

And HUMOR!

Thanks to a new contributor, Rollicking Robin, for this next one.

All right, already, I'll stop.

While ceasing can cancel the cacophony, please seek out caprice, comedy, camaraderie and constant cackling this last weekend in August.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oh, yeah . . .)

UPDATE - THROWBACK THURSDAY

I just ran across another photo from our day atop Squaw Peak (Piestewa Peak) and had to add it.

Judy's younger daughter, Caryn, also climbed to the top that day and was exultant.

M-I-C-K-E-Y . . . .

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Back in 1972 our family of young renegades moved from Indiana to Phoenix, Arizona and one of the primary challenges was to climb to the top of this mountain in the city.

Back then, and since at least 1910, it was known as Squaw Peak.

Later it was renamed Piestewa Peak after Lori Ann Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die from combat in the U.S. Military and the first woman to die in action in the Iraq War.

The mountain is a little over 2,600 feet high and sited in a park in the city.

It is a popular hiking spot so we decided to scale it one weekend.

We began clambering over rocks straight up the north side and near the top we stumbled across a trail.

Then Judy and I suddenly began being pelted with pebbles from above.

Looking up we saw this rascal.

That's Judy's son Scott, whom we had lost track of during our rugged ascent.

He had found the trail to the top much earlier and was waiting at the summit for us to appear.

Well, we finally made it.

As his mother and I panted and sat enjoying the view of the Valley of the Sun below us, Scott had to show off his daredevil tendancy.

I did refrain from shoving him but just to get even here's his picture from an earlier time in his life.

He was a newborn then and SWMBO has threatened me with my life if I say when it was taken.

(By the way, the much-more-fit-than-we-were run all the way to the summit and make it in about 20 minutes or less.)

WAYBACK WEDNESDAY

A few years ago, the BRD proudly graduated from high school in Indianapolis, Indiana.

She wasn't always rich but she's always been beautiful.

ROBIN INVASION

It started with the arrival of this one at dusk yesterday.

With the lighter color on its breast and the sort of disheveled look of its hair, I assumed it was a fledgling.

But it had "robin attitude" already.

After a couple of sips of water, it got down on the ground and began pecking its way through the bark, apparently feeding on the ants I've seen there.

That attracted more robins who joined in the feeding frenzy.

Then one of them jumped up on the edge of the water tank and dominated it.

When another bird would hop up for a drink the first one would chase it off.

It took a few cautious dips in the water but realized it was too deep for a proper bath.

For some reason it totally ignored the bird bath up above, which being shallower would have allowed for more relaxed bathing.

But who can understand the minds of birds?

Just now I've had a dove invasion - six at once in the yard with three sharing the bird bath.

MONDAY MUSINGS

SATURDAY SUPPER

Judy created it last night.

Caprese Bruschetta with a Balsamic reduction glaze.

Toasted French bread topped with mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes and fresh basil.

It was fantastic.

SUNNY SATURDAY

Marigolds - protecting the tomato pot