Roto-Rooter Work

I have to get up at an unconscionable time tomorrow morning: 5:15 a.m.  That's in order to get to the hospital in Prescott by 6:15 to begin the paperwork which will allow me to have an angiogram a little later.  I was telling Blackwell about this last night and he said "They're going to do . . . WHAT???"

I'm told it's nothing to worry about, though.  Of course that's what they always say when they're going to knock you out and start probing your body.  I DO like that idea of being knocked out, though.  I was talking to a nurse the other day who said she had to go in for some hand surgery a few years ago and they told her they could just put some kind of shoulder block in which would work as a local anesthetic.  She'd be awake but she wouldn't feel any pain.  She said she was terrified until she got to the hospital and a nurse there told her that it was her choice.  She said "KNOCK ME OUT!"  She said she didn't want to know anything about what they were doing to her.

With some reservations, that's pretty much how I feel.

So, with good results, I'm expecting to be home again sometime late tomorrow, hopefully the better for the experience.  If not, you may find one of these in my front yard.

GARDENING

Several rains recently have done wonders for our bits of urban gardening.  For example, a vine in the back yard suddenly sprouted some flowers.

To my great surprise, it is a trumpet vine.  When we lived in Mexico, there would be thousands of blooms on them.  But the buds apparently exude something sweet and the ants love it.

Getting down to something to eat, there are cherry tomatoes by the dozens.

A good crop of Romas.  (That one down low, partly hidden, was red enough to pick last night and will probably be eaten tonight.

In another pot, some Thai chiles.  One small one ripe already.

Another pot holds some basil and parsley.

Marigolds are supposed to be a natural deterrent to bugs.

And the mint is running amok this year.

Meanwhile, out in front of the house a couple of hibiscus plants have gone into full bloom.

Come with me, deep into the center of this beautiful flower.

IS SHE A CAT LADY?

There comes a time when a person's pets can take over their lives.  In our family we have often joked about whether one or another of us is about to become a "cat lady".  You know, the woman who has cats everywhere in her house and is usually dodging the health department.  The BRD has, once again, added to her menagerie with this so far unnamed 9 week old kitten.

She already had two cats and a dog but as she said there's nothing like having a new kitten in the house.

I was showing SWMBO the "baby pictures" and commented "she's crazy!"

SWMBO responded "well, we have three cats."

That shut me up.  I mean what can you say in light of that kind of feminine logic.

THE JOYS OF SUMMER

We did get our monsoon rain yesterday evening.  It was the first real pound-down rain of the summer so far.  It poured hard for probably 20 minutes or so before moving off.  The drainage ditch in front of our home was running full.  I went out after the rain stopped and moved some rocks and debris to the side so it would drain better. 

Later - supper.  A plate of cold shrimp I had cooked in the afternoon, good homemade cocktail sauce put together by SWMBO, some warm Brie and crackers, wine and this beautiful relish plate SWMBO created.

I have to admit none of the produce came from our garden this time.  The grocery stores provided all of it.  But it was all very tasty and perfect for a hot summer night.

LOOKIN' FOR RAIN

NGUYEN CAO KY

Nguyen Cao Ky is dead.  According to the Los Angeles Times, the former South Vietnamese premier died at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he was being treated for a respiratory problem.  He was 80 years old.

I met the former general once, though it was not in Vietnam, in spite of my "foreign correspondent style" leisure suit shown in this photo.

That's his wife du jour in the center.  He was married three times.  Anyway, it was in northern California where a refugee camp had been set up for hundreds of Vietnamese fleeing the communist victory in the war and takeover of the entire country.

Over the years, I've had numerous people view this picture and say "I didn't know you were in Vietnam."  I had to then explain the photo.

Nguyen Cao Ky was running a liquor store in Southern California shortly after these photos were taken.  He spent the rest of his life living in California and Vietnam.

JOHNNY D

This is a photograph of a man who might be a Hollywood actor, right?  Nice gentle flicker of a smile, eyes a bit wary.  Not wary enough, as it turned out.  This is John Dillinger, infamous bank robber and killer of the 1920's and 30's.  He led the FBI on a merry chase for a long time but they caught up with him coming out of the Biograph Theatre in Chicago and shot him down on the sidewalk.  Johnny was 31 years and one month old when it happened . . . 77 years ago today.

Another Johnny D portrayed Dillinger in the movie, Public Enemy.  That's Johnny Depp above with the same gentle smile but eyes that seem to bore through you.