ARF, YAP, BARK, WOOF

If you wandered by the Prescott Valley Civic Center yesterday, you might have thought the town was going to the dogs.

Dogs! Everywhere you looked! Dogs of all types and sizes and breeds and colors.

It was WOOFSTOCK! 

Yes, I know it's a terrible pun but that's what the organizers called it.

A day just for dogs and their owners.

It was a perfect day with a blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. Though as the temperature climbed up to the low 90's, some of the canines looked for relief.

A gigantic Great Pyrenees just found some shade and lay down for a nap.

There was a demonstration put on by the Prescott Valley Police Department's Canine Unit.

There were rescue dogs and dogs for adoption.

Short dogs . . .

. . . tall dogs . . .

. . . glamour dogs . . .

. . . cool dogs . . .

and even one "hot dog"!

An imposter!

This watchdog seemed to be saying,

"Hey! Who let that guy in here?"

TO MARKET, TO MARKET

I paid a Saturday visit to the Prescott Farmer's Market at Yavapai College this morning.

There was lots of good stuff on display.

The wacky guys from Tortuga Flats Farm in Paulden make several varieties of pickles, including a very spicy type. I have a jar of them in my refrigerator.

You can buy quail eggs . . .

. . . and all kinds of breads and pies and cakes (if you get there early enough!) . . .

. . . or the eponymous Molly's Tamales . . .

. . . and wash it down with juice, a cold drink or a fancy coffee.

It's a great way to start off your Saturday and there's even some pretty darned good entertainment. (sound up, please)

FRIDAY FUNNIES

'Tis time again for the Friday Funnies. Did you ever notice that the longer you live, the shorter the days and nights and weeks and months and years get? I think Albert Einstein had some kind of theory about that.

But I digress. On to the subject at hand.

A couple of thoughts now on facial hair.

O.K. folks, this week it's a phantom cat winding things up. Thanks, everyone, for your contributions, have a terrific weekend and always remember to keep a smile on your faces. It will make the time pass faster. (As if we needed that!)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

When we lived in Mexico in the 1980's and '90's, my best friend was a man named Walter Nixon. He was a good old Texas boy, a Yellow Dog Democrat from Harlingen who had spent the bulk of his adulthood in New York City.

Here was Walter at a Mexican Christmas event with my stunning wife.

His grown daughter, Cynthia, came to visit him several times from the Big Apple where she still lived.

We enjoyed getting together with the two of them whenever she was in town.

Cynthia (never Cindy) was an actress on Broadway and in Hollywood. But she was a plainer Jane then, before she shot to fame as Miranda in "Sex and the City".

EATING OUT

I know.

Call us Woosies.

But with the temperature finally getting close to 80 F. yesterday it finally got warm enough for SWMBO to fire up the grill.

Vegan spoiler alert: meat was featured.

Those are juicy, tasty Brats being toasted along with a grill basket full of onions and peppers.

I can assure you they were as good as they look though once piled onto a big bolillo roll, it was a bit of a challenge.

(I know what you're thinking: a challenge for someone with as big a mouth as his?)

TUESDAY TRAVELS

It was drier in Texas in 1988.

MEMORIAL DAY

Remembering those who served