MY LAST WEATHER POST

When I first moved to Arizona, many years ago, I got a great kick out of telling my friends and relatives still living in North Dakota about our great winter weather.  One year I sent a photo of myself on Christmas Day with a big smile on my face, a wreath on my head, holding a glass of champagne . . . in a swimming pool.

After awhile my friends and relatives were unanimous in saying they didn't want to hear about the weather anymore.  So I stopped.

This year, with the growth of social media and the television networks enthralled with the terrible winter in probably three-fourths of the nation, I resumed.  You see the weather in Arizona this winter has been wonderful.  At least for someone like me who got all the snow, ice and cold weather he ever wanted during my first 29 years in the Dakotas.  (I spent one year living in South Dakota, all the rest were in Nor'-Dakota, as the natives sometimes call it.)

But watching the news last night with another couple of ice and snow storms bearing down on Atlanta and other parts of the Southeast unaccustomed to such brutal weather, I resolved to shut up again.  Hold me to this, folks, I will not brag on our sunny days with temperatures in the 60's and 70's while most of the rest of my country is suffering.

So this is it.  A photo I took the other day of the sky over our new home.

If you look carefully you can see a tiny wisp of cloud in the upper left corner.  But that was it.  

So I'll enjoy my paradisaical winter weather in silence.  (But still with a big grin on my face.)

A NEW DEAL

My blogger friend (whom I've never actually met) Judy has done a fine job of documenting a "big man" in Prescott.  Take a look.

Now that you have the history, here's an update.  I think the Big Cowboy originally advertised a muffler shop and he held a big muffler in his hands.  

But in later reincarnations, his hands were empty.

I drove by today and stopped to take a picture.  Lo and behold, someone has a different idea.  Take a look at what he has in his right hand.

Like any good gambler, he's holding the cards so I can't see what they are but from the smile on his face, I think Big Johnson has four aces!

WONDERS OF PHOTO MANIPULATION

I viewed with shock this remarkable photo recently.

I was disturbed at first, wondering if a sinkhole had developed under this lovely apartment home.  

But then I looked at the caption again.  Something about San Francisco having very steep hilly streets.  And I realized the photo had been manipulated.

So I manipulated it back to what I think is normal, though it still seems like hazardous parking conditions.

I don't know about you but I certainly wouldn't want to come home a bit tipsy.  One mis-step while getting out of my car might involve a roll down the hill!  And walking back up would be a killer.

A LITTLE RANTING

News came today that Alex Rodriguez has dropped his lawsuits against Major League Baseball, the players' union and the commissioner.  That means he will accept his 162 day suspension and will not be able to play in the 2014 season or the postseason games.  My opinion: it's about time and his punishment is not enough.  I think anyone found to have used performance enhancing drugs or steroids or anything else that is banned by the game should be kicked out of that game.  Forever. And they shouldn't be eligible for the Hall of Fame either.

Even without such a rule, Pete Rose has never been able to make it into the Hall.  But that is decided by sports writers and some of them have been hinting that they might vote for him in the future.  So let's take it out of their hands and just make these cheaters ineligible.

. . . . .

Now I haven't ranted about politics for quite awhile but you can't keep a good man quiet forever.  So, let me take on the Senator from Kansas, Pat Roberts, who is running for reelection.  He was first elected to the House in 1981 (33 years ago).  He kept getting reelected every two years until 1997 when he ran successfully for the U.S. Senate.  He's been ensconced there ever since.  Only thing wrong with this picture? He doesn't have a home in Kansas.  He lists his official voting address as the home of a couple of friends and supporters.  Roberts says he stays there when he goes "home" but many Kansans say they haven't seen him for years.  The Senator is making many more visits to Kansas now because of a Tea Party challenger.  Let's face it, if he spends most of his time in Washington it makes sense for him to have a home nearby, like Virginia, where he and his wife actually live.  But seems like he ought to also have at least an apartment in the state whose voters sent him to Washington.

Longtime Indiana U.S. Senator Richard Lugar got into this same mess when he was defeated in a Republican primary a couple of years ago. People said when he came to Indiana he stayed in hotels. 

So let's require these pols to maintain a real legal residence in their home state.  Okay?

. . . .

Then there's the case of Allan Levene.  He's running for the House in four states at once.  Georgia (where he lives), Michigan, Minnesota and Hawaii.  Apparently if he wins in the primary election in any of those states, he'll then move to that state and establish an official voting residence before the general election. This seems like politics at its most crass.  I suppose we can forgive Levene.  After all he was born in London (England) and didn't come to the U.S. until he was 21.  He eventually became a naturalized citizen.  I was just wondering what he'd do if he wins the primary in MORE than one state.  I guess he'd pick one and pull out of his campaign in the other(s).  Politics just gets curiouser and curiouser.

. . . .

Finally a different subject.  Rudeness.  I know a woman who had a dinner party for several guests.  When the meal was served one guest said she couldn't eat that, she was allergic to this, etc.  Now this person hadn't said anything about her food problems when the invitations went out or when she first arrived.  Just when the food was served.

Is that rude to the hosts of the meal?  I think so.  I think I'd just say to her "How are you with water?"

O.K.  My ranting is over for today.  Your turn.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

So I haven't blogged since Tuesday.  SWMBO told me "If you don't have something to say, just shut up!"  And it's been a slow week.  I mean, how often can I talk about the weather, right?  BTW, the storm that was forecast to blow through here last night apparently fizzled out. No rain or snow at my location.

O.K.  Let's get on with it.  Since the Olympics have begun, let's finish off the Super Bowl first.

This one could be me and SWMBO.

Then there's me, first thing in the morning, wondering "Where's my coffee??!!!"

This seems like a good morning to have dogs starring in the funnies.

"I hate this game."

"O.K.  I caught him.  Now what do I do?"

Then there's the visitor to your swimming pool.

Birds are always good.  The two on the sides are saying "Just try to blend in."

And even in the avian world, family problems.

But as this graceful surfer might say, "Life is groovy, man, just enjoy it."

There!  Maybe that makes up for my days of sloth this week.

Have a fab weekend, folks!

LOOKIN' AROUND

The photos in this post were all shot yesterday.

In this one toward the mountains it looked like rain.  Or mist.  Or fog.

A little later in the day, looking toward Phoenix.

Clouds were rolling across the sky but not dropping any moisture on my part of town.

Looking toward the northeast, the mountains are nearly obscured in mist or fog.

"What was that sound?  Was it the Hound of the Baskervilles?"

?????

The title of this post could reflect the feelings of Denver Broncos fans. The team took a whuppin' in yesterday's Super Bowl. Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks.  They were definitely the better team.

But here's the real reason for those question marks.  We have a couple of trees in our backyard that we can't identify.

With the help of these three pictures I'm hoping someone can tell me what they are.