FRIDAY FUNNIES

As the late Bill Thompson ("Wallace" of Wallace and Ladmo) might have said "always leave 'em laughing."

For those who aren't familiar with Wallace, he was the originator of a children's television show in Phoenix, Arizona on which he starred for 35 years.  He died this week at the age of 82.

Now . . on to the funnies . . .

And finally . . . (as one of my colleagues/bosses used to say) . . .

Have a fab weekend, folks, and keep in mind these words from the Wallace and Ladmo theme song:  "ho-ho-ha-ha-hee-hee-ha-ha"

THROWBACK THURSDAY

When I was a much younger man, one of my "stunts" was to climb up on a roof.  I'm not really sure why.  Maybe the view was better. Maybe because my wife (to be) hated when I did it.  Maybe because ("why do you climb Mt. Everest?") it was there.  At any rate . . .

The urge is still there but I don't do this anymore.

WEDNESDAY AT THE BALL PARK

I'm back home after traveling to Phoenix for a game at the old ball park today.  My buddy Steve did well by me, snaring a couple of seats on the first level.

The result on the field was not nearly as pleasurable.  After 3 and a half innings, the Diamondbacks were behind 7 to nothing.  But they kept fighting back and after 7 innings were only trailing by two runs, 7 to 5.  But that was as close as they would get as the Tigers' eighth inning netted them 4 more runs, 3 coming on a towering home run by superstar Miguel Cabrera.

But we had a great time at the game.  Which reminds me.  What kind of food do you eat at baseball games?  Hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts and nowadays in Phoenix anyway such things as pizza and Mexican food.  But salad?  Who eats salad at a baseball game?

Well at least this trim young woman, diving into a fresh green salad.

Speaking of tradition, there's another one, as shown in this picture.

Did you get it?  It's the three men in the lower right, taking a selfie!

Speaking of photographs, I had to get one more.  There was a pretty girl who kept holding up a homemade sign, hoping the cameras would spot her and put her picture up on the jumbotron.  A couple of times, between innings, she went down closer to the field and held up the sign, waving it back and forth.  Alas!  She didn't make it to her personal 10 seconds of fame.  So I went down to her row after the game and told her I'd take her picture and put it on the Internet. Here she is.

Now I ask you.  How could those cynical cameramen have resisted that beautiful smile?  I hope this pleases her.

OFF TO SEE THE LIZARD

As I said yesterday, my pal Steve called me yesterday and invited me down for a Diamondbacks' baseball game today.

A little background here.  Steve was born in Tucson and has lived in Phoenix for more than 40 years.  He was a television photographer when I met him and has worked as a self-employed videographer for many years now.  In both occupations he spent a lot of time outdoors working in Arizona's hot sun.  So, he's got a pretty darned good tan.

I, on the other hand, only worked outdoors for a few years and then spent the bulk of my career at an inside desk job, from which I've been retired for many, many years.  I don't play golf or anything else that takes me outside a lot and that coupled with my Norwegian/English heritage has left me with a pasty white complexion which Steve always teases me about when we get together.  Especially if we're both wearing shorts and my glaring white legs are next to his mahogany ones.

But I can take it and I still accept his baseball invitations.

So today, I'm off to see the lizard.

TITANIC TUESDAY

I had just come back from a trip to the city.  (I have decided to start calling Prescott Valley "the city" and Prescott "the town", partially in deference to Prescott's claim to be Everybody's Home Town and partially in reference to Prescott Valley passing Prescott in population.) Anyway, I had just come back from the city and Judy asked me if it was hot out there.  I said "well, it's not cool."  Then I headed for the door to check the outside temperature when my phone rang.

It was my buddy, Steve, who said "If I can wangle some better seats would you come down for a baseball game?"  (I've been going to games with Steve for several years but his seats are up in what is not so courteously referred to as "the nosebleed section".  The higher up you go in a ballpark the steeper are the rows of seats and in my declining years I had found that I suffered from vertigo up in his regular seating area and had told him I would have to refrain from attending any more games unless he could get some lower tier seats.)

Well, that's kind of rude considering that I get the game for nothing except I pay for parking.  But facts is facts as someone (Pogo?) once said.  So today Steve said he was working on some lower seats and said I had to make a commitment to come or he wouldn't do it.  (He must have won the Powerball or something.)  So I did and said I'd see him tomorrow.

That done, I went out the front door, checked the thermometer and returned inside to tell Judy it was 85 degrees but it smelled like rain. She asked if it was going to rain and I said there wasn't any such thing in the forecast.  That conversation occurred as I was walking to the back patio door.  "Well I'll be darned!  It just started raining," I said.

Now you must realize.  Here in Arizona, rain can mean either a torrential downpour (rare) or a few light drops that start and stop in a couple of minutes (or seconds).  The latter was what we got this time so you can stop envying me now.

If you've got really good vision you can see the few drops on my window that are the leftovers from that "rain".  (Dang!  Looks like I need to wash that window.)

Last week the skies looked much more promising and I took a picture of them, in hopes of provoking the rain god (Tlaloc, the Aztecs called him.  But I prefer the name the Hopis gave him: Shotokunungwa.  I can't pronounce it but it's got that kind of rolling thunder look to it.)

Whatever the god, or gods, were not provoked this time and the skies were soon blue again.

By the way, I have a former colleague who talks about the naked rain dance he does out in the street.  But he lives in "the town" and that's another story.

MONDAY OF A NEW WEEK

Hi-ho, I'm still here.  Better be careful with that one.  It's what Elaine Stritch was saying recently and she died last week.  'Course I'm 15 years younger than she was so . . .

Anyway, SWMBO and I just finished a great pretty good breakfast/lunch meal of Chilaquiles Verdes with Chicken.  The recipe came from Mely Martinez C. and her blog Mexico in My Kitchen.  It was pretty easy to put together as I had made the green salsa last week for a tacos meal and had some left over.  Two pieces of advice: don't buy the tortillas that say they combine corn and wheat - get strictly corn tortillas.  The combo ones get a little tough in this recipe. And either make sure you have enough salsa made or buy a bottle of green salsa.  Or red.  It works either way.

As I sit here at my desk, I occasionally glance out my side window at this stunning specimen of flora.

Judy says it's an artimesia.  When we arrived in January it was smaller and totally gray-green.  She hated it and hacked it to the ground.  As you can see, it came back in spades.  It tops out at around 5 feet and is radiantly alive with purple blossoms.  The bees love it and so did a couple of goldfinches a week ago.

Now here are a few books I recommend from my recent reading. "Tibetan Peach Pie" is a memoir by Tom Robbins. Although he denies that it is either a memoir or an autobiography it sure follows him from boyhood to the present.  Written in Robbins' rollicking style, it's a fun read.  Judy and I both enjoyed it.

The next one on my nightstand was "The Joke's Over" by Ralph Steadman.  It's the tale of the Welsh artist's 35 or so years with and without the originator of Gonzo, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.  HST comes across as a bullying, miserly mean guy in much of this but if you're a Thompson fan, as I am, it's still good reading.

The third book on my reading list is one I'm just about done with called "This Town" by Mark Leibovich.  It concerns the political and media wunderkinds in Washington, D.C.  Leibovich is a writer for the New York Times in his other life and, as such, had remarkable access to what are referred to in the book as "the gang of 500."  It's had me laughing on more than one occasion and mad-as-hell on others.

Okay.  That ought to be enough to get your hearts started on this mellow Monday.  Proceed with caution.

SUMMER ON THE SQUARE

Location: The Courthouse Square, Prescott, Arizona

Time:  This weekend

Event:  Another arts and crafts fair

The return(?) of tie-dye.

Dog meeting dog.

A lovely young lass playing her violin to pay for art school lessons.

All part of a summer weekend on the Square.

KATIE LEE

I attended a book signing at Peregrine Books in Prescott Saturday afternoon for an Arizona legend. Katie Lee of Jerome, Arizona, has been a singer, a recording artist, an actress, an author and, most important to her, an environmental activist opposed to the Glen Canyon Dam.

Today she read from her latest book "The Ghosts of Dandy Crossing."

It is a slightly fictionalized tale of herself and her "Buck".  The two of them posed for her camera (with a timer) many years ago.  She said she posed the picture for a previous book "Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle, A History of the American Cowboy in Song, Story and Verse." She said it was meant to convey the myth that the only way to get a cowboy to take a bath was to hold a gun on him.

For one reason or another the picture wasn't used for the earlier book but it lives on as the cover of the current one.

Katie read several excerpts from her book, one of which was loaded with "salty" language, which filled the bookstore via the sound system.

Afterward I talked with the store's general manager, Tom Broderson, an old friend from my bookselling days.  He joked that he relaxed the store's PG-13 rating for any author over 90.

Katie Lee turns 95 in October.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Have a great weekend, folks, and keep on laughin'.

(Grateful thanks to all contributors, whether they knew it or not.)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Once upon a time, back in the mid-1980's, SWMBO and I were making plans to move to Mexico for an early retirement.  Before we left, I received this homemade birthday card from our friends, Tom and Lana.

And on the inside of the card . . .

What are good friends for except to make fun of you, eh?

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

RAINY DAYS AND NIGHTS

Much of today was rainy here in Arizona's central highlands.  It didn't rain hard but it was nice to get a break from the weatherman. It reminded me of an old tune.

MONDAY MUSIC

It's been overcast most of today.  Now, in the mid-afternoon, the skies are darkening, the sound of thunder rolls in occasionally and it is looking like rain.

I feel the need for some music from one of my favorite groups - Pink Martini and the wonderful singer Storm Large.  Enjoy.

HUMMINGBIRD HUMILIATION

After viewing my video of a hummingbird at one of our feeders, the BRD sent me these two photos.

Talk about humility!

ONE THIRSTY HUMMINGBIRD

SUPER MOON

Last night was the first night of another Super Moon.

This is the best I could do with my $100 camera.  Still.  It has a nice tropical look to it with the sunset colors tinting the sky.

For a great look at the moon, as well as some beautiful flowers, go to my friend, Dr. M's blog.  Quite obviously he has a better camera and lenses than I.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Bet you thought I'd forgot the cat.  Not a chance.  Had to search for him though.  He was hiding.

Have a great weekend, folks, and keep on chuckling!

THROWBACK THURSDAY

The Field Producer

Republican National Convention

Dallas, Texas - 1984

In spite of the cigarette, I was fighting a cold.  It was blazing hot outside and air conditioned to freezing inside.

Hard to believe that was 30 years ago!

Here's the full crew, happy the week is finally over

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

UPDATE

I haven't blogged since last Friday so . . .