THE MONSOON ARRIVES

Traditionally it arrives on July 4th.

This year it was two days late, leaving the big rodeo performances in Prescott dry as dust.

And hot.

But now the skies are darkening in the late afternoon and the sound of thunder can be heard.

Some menfolk used to say thunder was the sound of God bowling and lightning was when he scored a strike.

At least that was what they said when we were impressionable kids.

But yesterday the first drops of rain in this monsoon season began to fall here in Arizona.

Today at about the same time, it is happening again.

I've told this story before many times so forgive me if you've read it before.

When we moved from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Phoenix in 1972, we arrived at a KOA Campgrounds on the north side of the city at just about exactly this time of year.

It was hot.

Very, very hot.

That evening I was in the small store when suddenly everyone ran outside.

Customers and employees alike.

I asked someone what was happening.

"It's raining!", he or she shrieked.

I then learned that it had been over 100 days since the last rainfall in Phoenix.

Since that day 56* years ago I have been known to dance in the rain on more than one occasion myself.

And to repeat the mantra of my fellow desert residents.

"Bring it on!"

*Okay, okay, so my math skills have gone to hell.  Make that 46 years ago.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I realized that it is my role in life to alleviate your pain, to lift your spirits, to take your mind off your troubles and to encourage you to turn off Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.

At least for a while.

In short, to put a smile on your face and some joy in your heart.

Ergo (you could look it up, it's a favorite in my crosswords).

Ergo, I say, the return of The Friday Funnies!

But first, let's check on the weather.

(When I first moved to Phoenix, back in 1972, air conditioning was known as "refrigeration".  I'm not sure if it still is.)

Next, because I skipped a week . . . not one, not two but three pie charts!

Finally, a check on animals favoring tight cozy spaces.

 

But not ALL animals, it seems.

Now, if you're all feeling better, I want to wish you a beautiful, bountiful, bodalicious weekend full of good eating and drinking and fun and lots of laughter.

Always remember the laughter.

And try to stay cool.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

RELIVING THE FOURTH

We don't do fireworks.

We don't march in or attend parades.

We don't attend patriotic events.

We don't picnic.

Not really, though yesterday's dining table appears that we do and brought it inside because of rain.*

A plate of Judy's delicious deviled eggs.

But we do bend to tradition in one way.

We grill.  (Judy, at least.)

Nearly everything.

Brats, peppers, onions, potatoes, corn on the cob

It was almost disaster.

The propane tank went dry in the final stages and the grilled food had to be finished off under the broiler in the stove.

It was delicious.

A couple of solid naps followed the feast before I cleaned up the kitchen.

If I may change the subject just a bit here, Judy added a Tai Chi symbol to one of her fence mural balloons a couple of evenings ago.

She is known around here as SWMBO for She Who Must Be Obeyed.

And the saga continues.

* There was no rain but it's coming closer.  Maybe tomorrow.

FOURTH OF JULY BOUNTY

We harvested our first crop yesterday.

Three cherry tomatoes and a sprig of basil.

We have a small herb and tomato garden in pots on the back patio.

We have used some of the Italian parsley, the basil, the mint, the oregano before.

I sprinkle parsley and basil on our Friday night pizza just out of the oven.

Pretty darn good.

But these were the first cherry tomatoes to come off their plant.

Fresh, there was only one thing that could have made them better.

They made a nice appetizer before dinner.

Well today is the big day, the Fourth of July.

My calendar says it is Independence Day.

So we're doing brats and corn on the cob on the grill, along with some onions and peppers later today.

No fireworks.

All of the towns and cities in our immediate area have called off their fireworks displays because of the fire danger - high winds and hot and dry conditions.

Except for the random lawbreaker shooting off a private stash, the area dogs should be safe from those large noises that terrify them.

That's a good thing.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

I noticed this in a front yard up the street the other day and stopped to take a picture.

Some of you may remember this post to my blog from 4 years ago.

It appears carving bears out of tree stumps is a big thing in this area.

Now for my fellow Americans both in the United States and abroad I'd like to wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July.

CHARM-ING

In hot and dry Arizona there is nothing like some fresh drinking water to draw a crowd.

In this case some thirsty house finches.

Upon researching this group I learned that a bunch of finches are known as a "charm".

This charming group stayed only long enough for me to snap one photo.

Then they flew off en masse.

They are all females, hence the rather dull coloring which can cause one to mis-identify them as house sparrows.

THE MURALIZED FENCE - UPDATED

Since I last updated you on SWMBO's progress on the mural she's been painting on the fence in our backyard the weather has been really too hot to spend much time out there.

Nevertheless there have been some changes so here goes.

Some more trees around the lake as well as some cosmetic changes to them and the lake itself.

More balloons have appeared, as has a new ridgeline and more trees.

All in all, it's an impressionistic work in progress that does wonders for our back yard.

Unfortunately these photos were taken when the sun was high overhead so the lighting isn't that great and I've just noticed some reflections on my lens in this last photo.

All of these failures you can blame on the photographer.

None on the painter.