OLD PRESCOTT AND A FAMILY NAME

Sometimes you don't appreciate what's around you, right there in plain sight. Very close to where I live, the Fitzmaurice ruins contain artifacts of the Mountain Patayan people who lived in the area some 14,000 years ago. Still the city (still called a town) has only been incorporated 36 years.  So while humans have been around here for hundreds of generations, it's a town with relatively little history.  

But just down the road a piece lies the town of Prescott, which this year is celebrating it's 150th anniversary.  1864 was when the first streets were laid out and homesites sold, even though it took almost 20 more years before they got around to incorporating.

Still there are many significant historical buildings right in downtown Prescott.  You can recognize them by the architecture and the stonework.

Not the least of these 19th Century structures is the Yavapai County Court House.

It's a grand old building that has been undergoing some badly needed renovations in the past year or so.

The Courthouse Plaza, or The Square. surrounds the building on all four sides. While it hosts many arts and crafts festivals throughout the summer months, it is also sacred ground. The flags flying honor the 19 firefighters who died in a wildfire in 2013.  

There are monuments to local citizens who served their country during many wars over the years, like this one honoring World War Two veterans and victims.

There was a familiar name among the listings.

That was my father's name.  He was Franklin Berry Taylor, known as Frank.  It's a version of my name also . . Franklin Bruce Taylor, known as Bruce, though in my senior years when I have to fill out more and more documents who demand my first and last name, I've begun to use Franklin.  It just makes life easier.

By the name, that name on the plaque is no relative of ours, at least as far as I know.

Neither is the guitar-maker's name I noticed on the front of a downtown store.

They're headquartered in El Cajon, California. Still . . I just might have to send off for one of their tee shirts.  I think I'd go for the antique-looking one.

That just would seem to fit with the theme I've been wandering around in today, wouldn't it?

SOME BONUS FUNNIES

It's a silly Sunday.  Keep chuckling even though tomorrow is Monday.

LEAF ME ALONE

FRIDAY FUNNIES

It's Friday once again and I have been overwhelmed with contributions this week.  So I'm just gonna pick 7 or 8 and save the others.  If yours didn't make this week's list, remember there are other Fridays in the year and Stay Tuned.

And, of course, the cats.

That's it for this week, folks.  Loads of thanks to my contributors. Have a fantastic weekend. Be careful and don't Fall.  (There's a wee joke there.)  And always remember to keep laughing.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Twice Told Tales

I was a kid in North Dakota in the 1940's.  No Internet back then. Heck, there wasn't even television.  So we got our entertainment from books and radio programs.  I don't know where I got the idea I wanted to be a magician but one year I got a magic set for Christmas.  Over the years I had a pretty good collection of books on magic.  And I gathered together some paraphernalia for making coins disappear and confounding my playmates with a deck of playing cards.  My mother was pretty good with a sewing machine and with craft paper and she made me a black magician's cape and a black top hat and sent The Great Taylor out to do a show.

Now those pants and dusty old cowboy boots could have used some work but look at those hands.  Magician's hands!

The magic shows didn't last but acting had gotten under my skin.  In high school and college I was in a number of plays and entertained the idea of becoming a professional actor.  Alas!  Youthful dreams.

But speaking of dreams, check out this dreamboat.

Mom outdid herself creating this Prince Charming costume for some play or operetta from my far and distant youth.  

Eat your heart out, Pacino!

THE (new) MARTIAN CHRONICLES

Yesterday I discussed briefly the idea of human exploration of the Planet Mars and the possibility of an earth colony there some day.  I accompanied my thoughts with a photo.  This one.

The idea was to convey an impression of the surface of Mars with its reddish surface, its mountain ridges and perhaps with its canals and seas which one day may have held water.  

But, as some of my discerning readers pointed out, it looked like something else.

Quilted Dogs questioned whether it might really be a part of my epidermis.

Which prompted Phil Perisich to remember my comments earlier about my camera's macro photography capabilities.

And Susie said it looked a little like a paper bag.

To those amateur detectives I offer a tip of the hat.  But just a tip. Because none of you were exactly correct.

Here's the true subject of that photograph, taken from further back.

It's the blotter pad which rests atop my desk.  But with various spillings it has taken on a distinctly Martian appearance and when I figured out how to use my camera's macro capabilities I just couldn't resist a little October Fool's joke.

I guess I should have remembered the famous quote from Abraham Lincoln - "You can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all the time."

WHAT? A SECOND POST?

I know I (hardly) ever post twice in one day but then I saw this video of The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, and Superstar Taylor Swift. They're doing a cake-baking competition while Jamie sings (sort of) his version of Taylor's latest hit song "Shake It Off."  It's pretty funny and Ms. Swift looks sensational.  Enjoy.