MY FAVORITE VIKING

His name is Orly Knutson.

Orly is short for Orland.

It's the name he was born with.

As a legendary disc jockey of 50 years on the radio, he used to get the same question: is that your real name?

He always said the same thing: If I was going to pick a name to use on the radio, do you think I would have picked Orly Knutson?

He also went by the monicker The Happy Norwegian.

Orly was a sunny guy on the radio.

He also had a long career off-air as a drummer in various bands in North Dakota and Indiana and, for all I know, in Minnesota too.

In spite of his retirement residence in Indiana, though, he has never forgotten his roots in North Dakota, where the nearest professional football team happens to be the Minnesota Vikings.

Really.

You think he's forgotten the Vikes?

This is a recent picture of Orly and I suspect tonight he not only has that gear on he's also wearing a great big smile after his team's amazing victory.

FORGIVE HIM. HE'S JUST THIRSTY.

Yet another visitor arrived at our bird bath yesterday.

This guy has been around before but this is the first time I'd seen him stop for a drink.

Taking his cue from Old Yellow he used the back of the Blue Cat to hoist himself up.

Those piercing yellow eyes have a wary look and he is nervous around humans.

I came out into the garage later yesterday when the outer door was up and he ran out and across the street to an open lot where he scared up a Roadrunner.

I tried calling him but he wasn't having any.

I think you can see from the next picture why I've named him Panther.

Once he satisfied himself that I was no threat from inside the house he perambulated around the yard before stopping for one last drink before departing.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I was talking to a lady in the doctor's office waiting room yesterday and she said "Time seems to have sped up as I've gotten older . . . I can't believe it's January already."

I know just how she feels.

You mean it's Friday again already???

Well that means there's only one thing I can do.

Pass on some end-of-the-week humor.

Here goes.

As I noted earlier in the week, even Arizona got a touch of snow but nothing like it's been in 80 or 90 percent of the country.

It's been snowman time there so . . . .

Whew!  After all of those I think I'm ready for a nap, too.

Special thanks to Seattle Lori for the contributions this week.

It's your help, folks, that keep this crazy thing going.

Now, the weather is warming so, Gentle Readers,  get out there and enjoy yourselves on this wet and wild weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

ThrowBackThursday

A blast from the (distant) past.

Dewey Hopper, Roger Ball, Bruce Taylor, Jerry Foster, Carol Lynde, Diane Kalas

The occasion was a retirement party for Mr. Ball and it really wasn't the distant past.

It was May 12, 2012 . . . only about 6 years ago.

But the people pictured go back a lot further than that.

They all spent time at Channel 12 . . . KPNX-TV and prior to that KTAR-TV in Phoenix, Arizona.

But I left in 1985 and I think only Foster was still there at that time.

So these are truly some old veterans of the television wars.

WINTER IN ARIZONA

Wintry weather has finally made an appearance here in the Central Highlands of Arizona overnight.

When I arose this morning and peered with dread out the window, I saw that the worst of my nightmares had come true.

There was snow on the ground.

It coated the fence between ours and our neighbor's properties.

And when I went out to the front my fears were confirmed once again as I saw the shrubs along my driveway were covered in the white stuff.

So okay, it's not like a blizzard came through.

And now at 11 a.m. the temperature has risen to 43, headed for a high today of around 50 degrees and the middle 60's by the weekend so most of the traces of Old Man Winter's wrath are already gone.

And you know what?

That's just fine with me, a native North Dakotan who lived through too many winters up where it really snows.

And stays.

LAST NIGHT'S TV

Alabama wins national college championship game (again - sigh) with a long touchdown pass from a freshman quarterback.

In overtime!

Catalyst is stunned.

A FIERY DAWN

Dawn arrived this morning with fire and fury.

Not what you may think but just a cloudy sky lit up with the brilliant light of a rising sun.

Were I to be a little higher on the hill I might be able to get rid of some of those power lines.

But then I think they provide a nice contrast.

A few minutes later, from my back yard, the violence of the preceding pictures had faded to a gentler appearance.

Call that one "the soft fuzzy."

And so another day and week begins.