INTERSTELLAR EXPLORATION

There are those among us who believe our life on Earth is coming to a close. Not soon but in the foreseeable future. Thus they are searching for new planets on which to establish a colony of earthlings. One of the sites being talked about as a new Earth is the planet Mars, long known as the Red Planet because of the coloration of the soil. Recent discoveries there have led to the belief that there was once water on the planet, a building block to life as we know it. The first humans to land on Mars may be many decades away but it is still an interesting proposition.  Can human life actually be established on Mars? Only future scientists will know for certain.

PEDICURE TIME

It was time.  Definitely time.  Blackwell has been caught clawing the furniture lately and it was time for his pedicure.

So it was into the cat carrier and into the car for the short trip to the cat groomer.  It's a trip he definitely does not like and he let me know all the way, both coming and going.  With his short memory I don't think he remembered the groomer from his last trip but she said he behaved like a perfect gentleman.  And it was all over in just minutes.

Home again and I inspected the job.

It looks a bit rough but at least those sharp points are gone.  For awhile.

Meantime, Blackwell gives me a look which I can only interpret as "how could you?"

But I know he'll be back in my lap soon enough.  I do, after all, belong to him.

ARIZONA AUTUMN COLOR

I believe I mentioned this before and there was some gentle sneering. But here in the Central Highlands of Arizona the trees truly are changing color.  Here is a selection of photos from my neighborhood in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains.

The last two are from a Maple tree directly in front of our house. Every day more and more of the leaves are turning red.

Yesterday was cool enough here that SWMBO finally broke down and turned on the furnace. Today it's sunny and warm and we have opened the doors and windows again.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

I don't know about this week's Funnies . . . they seem to have a bit of an edge to them.  Oh, well, here goes.

Well, maybe something in this collection made you smile. Here's hoping you have a mirthful weekend and thanks to all my contributors.

THROWBACK THURSDAY - OLD FRIENDS

Two of the best from the Wayback Machine - Steve Pascente and Howard Shepherd.  Wonderful guys from my Phoenix days in television news.  Both gone long before their time.

(Thanks to Mark Lewis for the photograph)

BED THIEVES

I couldn't resist sharing this.  Thanks, Meggy.

CHANGES

They seem to be stretching up toward the sky, asking "whatever happened to all that warm sunshine?"

I guess it's time to . . .

You just have to pardon me.  I've been playing around with the macro feature on my little camera.  Now that I figured out how to turn it on, it works pretty good.

I just have to figure out where it's focussing.  Like not on the flower I thought I was photographing but on the bristly stuff behind it.  And it's easier if the subject is still rather than moving gently in the breeze.

Stay tuned.