MY DOG BLACKWELL

This is my dog Blackwell.

I know.

You're thinking "that's not a dog, it's a cat".

And you'd be right.

Except SWMBO has said frequently "that cat follows you around like a dog."

And he does.

The other one doesn't like me coming near her except when she's relaxing on the bed and I come into the room.

Then she sets up a caterwauling until I sit down and give her a good pet.

When I stop, she voices a "quack" sound, like a duck.

But she (Muggles) is more my wife's cat then mine.

But Blackwell loves only me and wants to be where-ever I am.

If I'm at the computer he comes in, jumps up on the armchair and stays there as long as I remain in the room.

When I get up to go to another part of the house, he wakes up and follows me.

If I sit down in the recliner in the living room, he jumps into my lap.

If I go outside, he sits by the slider where he can watch me.

Or waits patiently by the front door until I come back in.

You may have noticed his two somewhat imperfect ears.

The right one has a notch in it which I suspect he got in a neighborhood brawl with another dog or cat when he was young.

He was a feral cat when we took him in and had been in some fierce scraps that left an open wound around his neck.

Then when I took him to the animal center to have him "fixed", the young lady who took him asked if he had been feral and would I like them to notch his ear to let people know that was so if he got away from us.

Anticipating a small notch as in the other ear I assented and then was shocked when I picked him up and saw that they had lopped off the tip of his left ear.

So my aging prizefighter has a rugged look.

Not picture perfect.

But he is loyal to me.

Like a dog.

My dog Blackwell.

TUESDAY TRAVELS

A couple of characters on the street in Puerto Vallarta.

Bearded Baseball Steve and I when he came to visit me at the coast.

I don't know why we are both leaning forward.

Maybe our photographer was a midget.

BIG BIRD

The house finches abound in our area and they love our bird bath.

Even the ever-vigilant yard cat doesn't frighten them off.

But one invader can knock them off their perch.

The one of a pair of damnable mourning doves that show up and even my waving and banging on the window won't drive him off.

PASSAGES

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning reportedly has told his team management that he is retiring and the formal announcement will come tomorrow.

He leaves as a champion, having won the 50th Super Bowl earlier this year.

Another passage today - Nancy Reagan died at the age of 94.

She was known for her love of the color red and for the adoring gazes she kept on her husband, the late President Ronald Reagan.

The years took a toll on Mrs. Reagan, as they do on all of us.

This photograph was taken on her 94th birthday, last July.

And finally, there's New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who condemned Donald Trump as not fit for the job of President before he dropped out of the race and endorsed him.

So it goes.

NEW LIFE

My neighbor Jenny's cherry tree is absolutely perfect right now.

And the redbud outside my window also has enlivened my view in the past couple of days.

Spring and Fall are the best times of year for trees to show their stuff.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

After watching the Slime-a-Thon last night . . . that is, the latest Republican Presidential debate . . . and a long night's sleep, I'm up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready for a new day.

Apparently a lot of people are saying "and a new country."

But let's ignore all that and get on with the business of the day - HUMOR!

And I mean it.

Thanks once again to my many contributors that make my work easier and allow me to say "Keep Laughing, Gentle Readers!"

Here, kitty-kitty.

(oh, no)

SCOTTSDALE

Today I made my third trip to the Big Valley in the past approximate two weeks.

First was the trip to the Stanley, North Dakota picnic in Mesa.

Then Monday I went to Phoenix for some t.v. business and a tour of the Japanese Friendship Garden.

Today it was Scottsdale, accompanied by SWMBO.

We made our annual visit to the Celebration of Fine Art, a very strictly juried show of about 100 artists from around the country.

The artists themselves are on hand for the two-month-long show and are happy to talk with attendees, as well as to sell their art if you're so inclined.

It is easily the finest art show I've ever attended.

From there we proceeded to The Vig at McCormick Ranch for lunch.

Judy had chosen it after seeing it featured on a local dining show on television.

We started with martinis from the beautiful bar with a mirror reflecting the stone walls next to our booth.

And then we chose our lunch from the appetizer section of the menu.

Believe it or not this plate of Nachos del Norte was an appetizer!

The plate of pork, refried beans, melted white cheddar cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, green onions, olives and sour cream over housemade tortilla chips easily filled both of us.

(Of course we had to accompany them with a couple of beers - a Guinness for milady and a Four Peaks Kiltlifter Scottish Ale for me.)

There is a wide wine selection at the Vig as well.

For dessert we chose one more item from the appetizer menu.

Oh, no, it wasn't only those scraps of arugula.

It was Medjol dates stuffed with goat cheese and smoked almonds, wrapped with bacon in a balsamic reduction sauce.

We loved the art show.

But lunch was beyond compare.