THROWBACK THURSDAY

Some of you who know how I worship at the spikes of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team and how I consequently share the same message back and forth with my buddy Baseball Steve - "Have I ever told you how much I hate the Los Angeles Dodgers" - may be surprised . . . nay, astounded . . . to learn that once upon a time in a previous life I was a fan of those damnable Dodgers.

I'm not sure how it happened but I became a fan in the mid 1940's of the old Brooklyn Dodgers as I was growing up in faraway North Dakota.

Everyone else in my family, for whatever reason, rooted for the Cleveland Indians.

But my team was the team of Jackie Robinson.  

Of Pee Wee Reese.  

And Gil Hodges.  

And Duke Snider.  

And Carl Furillo.  

And Johnny Podres.  

And Carl Erskine.

Funny how I can remember the names of so many of those heroes of my youthful days.

I continued to hope for the glory days for "my" Dodgers as they abandoned Ebbets Field and Brooklyn for the Hollywood lights of Los Angeles.

It lasted until the team was sold to an Australian, for gosh sakes.  

The hated Rupert Murdoch, who has other sins on his black record.

Fortunately for me that was in 1998 and coincidentally was the same year that the Diamondbacks came into existence.

And since I was a longtime resident of Arizona the switch was easy, even after 50-some years of cheering on the Boys in Blue.

But ten years earlier, though I was then living in Mexico, I was still rooting for the Dodgers.

Yes, those Dodgers.

Those were the Dodgers of Kirk Gibson and Orel Hersheiser and I was very proud of them.

Now . . . they're just those Damnable Dodgers.

BORN TO BE WILD

Yesterday's post about the bold, daring and never-stopping DK prompted a tip from Jager in the comments:  "Get your motor running.  Steppenwolf"

Once I looked that song up on You Tube and listened to it I knew it was the perfect refrain to follow the DK birthday post.

AN ADVENTUROUS WOMAN

Did you ever think, "I wonder what my life would be like if I ever lived to 85?"

Well those of us still around are getting closer and closer to that age.

For instance a friend of mine who I'll refer to as DK.

She just celebrated her 85th birthday and a lot of family surprised her at a gathering.

As you can probably figure out that little lady in the black top and white trousers in the center of the picture is DK.

She thought she was just going to a daughter's house for a barbecue.

But another daughter suddenly appeared.

And then her son and a grandson.

And then another grandson.

And on and on until this happy crowd had assembled around the matriarch.

Now you might figure that is enough excitement for any person.

But you have to hear the rest of the story.

You see DK and a friend had just returned the day before from a trip that took them to London, then on to a Viking cruise ship on the Danube River which took them to Budapest, Bucharest and many points in between.

And this is a lady who was on another cruise a few months ago that took her to Cuba!

DK is an adventurous woman, all right, and when she finally passes on, (many years in the future, most likely), I think they'll have to confiscate her passport and nail the coffin shut!

Happy Birthday, pal.

JUST CHILLIN'

A HAPPY SAILOR

Some of you Gentle Readers may remember my post (link here) about Webb Chiles, a 75 year old man in the midst of his 6th circumnavigation of the globe in a small (24 foot) sailboat.

Well I am pleased to relay that he has successfully sailed from Durban, South Africa (having started off from New Zealand a year ago) to Saint Helena island in the mid-Atlantic; thence on to St. Lucia island in the Eastern Caribbean for a week's respite.

And around two weeks ago he set off again and has made port in Marathon, Florida.

The last leg of his journey included many days of happy sailing and the tough old buzzard posted this photo of himself enjoying one of those days.

(Apologies, Webb.  I lightened the picture somewhat to better show off your glowing grin!)

As I have said before you can read his own account of his adventures, misadventures and plans for the future here (Webb Chiles log).

As he takes a break from his journey all I can say, once again, is "Well done, sailor!"

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Yeah, I know, you're all saying, "Where is he?  Where are our Friday Funnies?  I know he's old but do you suppose he died?"

So I answer, "I'm here.  They're here.  No, I haven't.  Yet."

Even the great ones start slowly some days.

As for those "old" comments, I can do those myself.

So let me just get some breakfast here.

All right, are you happy now?

Are you smilin'?

That's the right spirit.

Now just maintain that special elan (you can Google that) and have yourselves a splendiferous (or that) weekend.

Oh, and always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(Uh-oh, he's been up to something again.)

BLUE WATER

I have chosen today to give all of you (and us) a break from my stories of moving and show you a little of Arizona's beauty.

This is Watson Lake, which sits between Prescott and Prescott Valley.

It is actually a reservoir, as I'm sure the Arizona writer Katie Lee would call it.

That is how she twits the lovers of Lake Powell, near the border with Utah.

But reservoir or not it doesn't detract from the natural beauty of that blue, blue water on a sunny day.

Just a few feet away and looking a different direction one can understand why this area is called the Granite Dells.

The granite outcroppings are perfect for scaling either by amateurs or paramedics practicing their skills.

If you are of a certain age it is easy to remember the cowboy actor Tom Mix and his horse Tony galloping around this area.

Long, long ago.

It's a great place for boating or birding or a picnic or for hiking the four mile trail around the lake, though this old man has never tried the circumnavigation.

And the Peavine Trail even links all the way to Prescott Valley.

(Watch for rattlesnakes!)

Now, with apologies to Marlin Perkins, so ends this edition of Wild Kingdom.