SPRING (?) CLEANING

SWMBO decided to clean up the garage today. This consists of her moving stuff around and coming, repeatedly, to ask me to move the car out, bring the garbage dumpster in, call a thrift store to see if they'd take an old 12 inch television set, warm up her cup of tea, etc., etc.

Now I don't mean to complain. I'm happy to do these things for her (us).

The last thing she asked was to bring into the house a tall cat tree that hasn't been used for years. It's in pretty ratty condition but the cats loved it once upon a time and the small scratching post in the house is in even worse condition.

So with some exertion unfit for a man of my years I brought the abominable thing in.

She told me to place it sort of over by the window and once I got it in place she said "that's perfect."

As I was leaving the room, knowing what I'd see, I glanced back over my shoulder.

Yep! SWMBO moved it. About a quarter of an inch. Oh, well, whatever makes her happy.

A minute or so later she came by my den to tell me that within five seconds Blackwell had jumped up into the cubbyhole in the tree.

He stayed put while I grabbed a couple of pictures. Looks like he's found his spot. At least for a short time until he grows bored with it.

At least it's better than the bathroom vanity. As I was walking down the hall this morning he came on a dead run, slipped into the bathroom and leaped up to the vanity right in front of me.

I yelled "Hey!" and he jumped down and took off for another part of the house. 

Just happy that I'm awake, I guess.

TUESDAY TRAVELS

Have heart, folks, there are only four more.

And one of them DOESN'T SHOW ME WEARING SHORT SHORTS!

I thought that would make you happy.

So, this week - - - Minnesota!

The home of the Golden Gophers!

Hang in there. Next week we're going abroad!

ROCK CANDY OR ROCKETMAN

That big purple and green plant in my backyard is called a Rocketman Russian Sage. 

Really.

But looking at some macro pictures I took of its flowers I keep being reminded of rock candy.

I'm not sure why. 

I don't think I ever liked rock candy.

I know my teeth wouldn't like it these days.

SWMBO considers the Rocketman a pesky weed for about half of the year and once the pretty purple blossoms disappear she's out there with some sharp implement hacking the plant to the ground.

But the Rocketman doesn't seem to mind. 

It just comes back in the Spring, maybe fuller than ever. 

Without a tear on its face blooms.

Rise again, Rocketman.

Live on.

DON'T BUG ME!

Yes, the clouds were good to us yesterday. Oh, not these. These were shot a few days before and were much more benign. But the big dark ones coming in from the southwest yesterday (not photographed) brought mostly gentle rain off and on for several hours. A good soaking, as the old expression goes. From the looks of the radar, we may well get some more today. I probably won't photograph it. You all know what rain looks like. Well, unless you live in California, as some of my readers do. Sorry 'bout that.

One of the irritations that comes with the moisture, however, are these nasties.

That is a mosquito and I fail to see why nature created them. This one who landed on my Hawaiian-shirted ampleness quickly met his demise.

This is more my type of insect.

This stained glass dragonfly is one of several works of art in the lobby of my local library. I might even appreciate a mosquito if it was done in stained glass.

You've had your Friday Funnies for this week but I can't resist just one more which I discovered yesterday. Cartoonist Berkeley Breathed has revived his popular comic strip Bloom County after 25 long years of darkness. It couldn't have returned at a more opportune time, as you can see from this panel.

Happy Sunday, everyone.

THE WEEKEND

In keeping with yesterday's Friday Funnies, let me show you where I will not be this weekend.

Though that green grass in the midst of the high desert does look inviting, the monsoon is promising thunderstorms today. Not a good time to be out in the open clutching a metal golf club in one's hand.

This solitary golfer did seem to be enjoying himself, though.

But the clouds keep promising rain and I think today is the day.

Just to change the subject, you've probably heard of wine tastings. And with the growth of "craft" beers there are beer tastings. And even olive oil tastings. But have you ever heard of a carrot tasting? SWMBO and I had one the other night. She had picked up a bag of mixed carrots, sort of like heirloom tomatoes. There were the standard orange ones. Some yellow-orange ones. Some yellow ones. And some PURPLE ones. She sliced them up and whipped up some aioli sauce and we set to it.

Our conclusion? They all tasted exactly alike. Like carrots.

Muggles' conclusion? 

"Carrots? You humans are daffy. Isn't that rabbit food?"

I tried telling him that carrots are said to be good for the eyes. But he replied that his eyes were just fine and he could change the color of them any time he wanted to.

You just can't argue with a cat.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Once again I am indebted to a F&FF (Friend and Faithful Follower) of Oddball for today's Friday Funnies. We grew up together and once upon a time we used to play golf on occasion. I was never very good and gave it up after a few years. But Jim has never forgotten those golden days on the fairways in the tall weeds of the rough and he sent me a great collection of golf cartoons yesterday.

So stand back, enjoy and as they say "Fore!" Or as they say up north . . .

And, as always, I close the Friday Funnies with a cat.

A special thank you to my ol' buddy, Jim. Everyone have a great weekend, keep it in the fairways and keep laughing!

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Back in the day, prior to 1998 when the Arizona Diamondbacks began playing professional baseball in the National League West, I was a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. And before they became the L.A. Dodgers in 1958 I was a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, dating back to sometime in the 1940's. I'm not sure why because all the other men in my family were followers of the Cleveland Indians. But I liked loved the teams of Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Carl Furillo, Jackie Robinson, PeeWee Reese, Carl Erskine and many others. 

All of which is to explain why I, a hardcore Diamondbacks fan, am pictured in today's TBT post in an L.A. Dodgers tee shirt. From the 1970's or 1980's then . . .

The others in this photo are SWMBO (Judy), and artists Kristin and Lana Cochrun. Also a couple of saguaro cacti in the Great Sonoran Desert in Arizona. The picture was probably taken by my colleague of the late 60's and early 70's and long-time friend Tom Cochrun, who regular readers here will recognize as the proprietor of the blog Light Breezes.

And, no, I'm really not that much taller than the rest of them. I must have been standing on a rock.