A GHOST

A photo I shot yesterday was a ghostly blur with a shadowy image inside that box.

Aha!  A few seconds later and a second shot with the flash stopped the movement and revealed the occupant/resident of that fairly new box.

It's Jazz in one of her favorite spots . . inside of a box.  I'm not sure why cats love boxes so much.  It may be because they would seem to offer protection or safety or coziness.  But they all have to try out any box that comes into the house.  This one is even big enough to accomodate Blackwell.  But Jazz tends to adopt and dominate the territory whenever a new one appears.

YOUNGER DAYS

I ran across this photo recently.  It was taken in the early 1970's and shows your humble correspondent with his zany granddaughter, Christy.  Actually I think we both look pretty good in our Hawaiians, don't you?

The last time I saw Christy (a few weeks ago) she had black hair and lots of tattoos.  My beard is now grey and it's starting to creep into my hair, too.  No tattoos.  Yet.

PARADISE

Here's where I'd like to be spending today.  In that hammock.

40 PLUS ONE

Judy (SWMBO) and I celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary today.  We drove over the mountain and down through a very busy Jerome and an amazingly developed Cottonwood.  We used to live on that side of Mingus Mountain and the changes are amazing to us, even in the last year.

Then on into the Red Rock Country to Sedona.  I snapped a picture of one of the famous Pink Jeeps that takes tourists around the area.



On to Tlaquepaque (tuh-lock-ee-POCK-ee), a center for art galleries and shops designed on architecture from the town of Tlaquepaque, Mexico, a suburb of Guadalajara.  These don't appear to be very Spanish or Mexican but I've always liked them.

After browsing through a couple of shops, we went to the real reason for our trip, Rene's French restaurant.  Nice atmosphere, nice art on the walls.



I thought Judy looked beautiful today.



We didn't take a picture of me so I snapped one when we got home.  I definitely do NOT look beautiful.



But, back to Rene's.  There was a bottle of wine . . a rose adapted from an Argentine Malbec.



Then the food.  We shared a couple of appetizers: Bacon Wrapped Dates with a bleu cheese dip and Saute Brie served atop french bread with caramelized apples with fresh fruit on the side.  Judy's entree was Mushrooms Streudel - assorted mushrooms sauted in garlic and thyme, tossed with feta and provolone cheese encased in puff pastry.



I had Sand-Dab, a sweet, delicate flatfish finished with beurre noisette.



Just outside the restaurant, we visited one more shop and Judy found a big pot done by a Northern California artist, Bruce Fairman.  His pieces are coated in a glaze which contains gold, platinum and titanium.  She had to have it so it's now resting in our home.



All in all, a great day, a fine anniversary.  41 years seems like an almost impossible length of time.  But as I told Judy this morning, "Only 9 more years!"

BEEFY

Remember when good Catholics didn't eat beef on Friday?

This guy is mourning the end of that tradition.

"Just be glad you're not wearing red today, buddy!"



SPRING COLORS

This is our rosemary forest.


A closer look.


A plethora of green vinca . . .

 . . with a glimpse of lavendar.


Here's another vinca blossom with more purple to show.



LOSERS