CHEF JUDY

Her latest creation.

Cold sliced breaded fried chicken over a spinach and strawberry salad.

Do you think she chose that red plate to highlight this dish?

A hot-dog-chef would probably say "nicely plated."

AVIAN ADVENTURES

Our two birdbaths, the blue one and the metal one down below that we put there to keep the neighborhood cats from drinking out of the blue one and tipping it over, are especially popular right after we have filled them with fresh water.

Of late we have been discovered by some common sparrows.

SWMBO tells me they come in flocks.

And the little flockers dominate the baths when they arrive, whether to bathe or to drink.

I would prefer that we could have a more colorful bird but I guess the sparrows need a cooling drink or bath too.

Meantime, high in a neighboring tree, a different bird . . . a Phoebe perhaps . . . maintains a lookout.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

HEY!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Sorry, I was just shouting to wake you up.

Tell me, and be honest now, do you ever get tired of these weekly perambulations through Humorland?

'Cuz I could stop doing them.

But not *this* Friday.

There!

Now you'll have that song stuck in your head all day.

But singing a happy tune could not be a better way to slide into a great weekend.

Have fun, Gentle Readers, and always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(he said, groaning in pain.)

RED ALERT

The sky was full of smoke from the Sheridan Fire burning in the Camp Wood area northwest of Prescott last night.

It made for an impressive sunset.

Unfortunately either my little point-and-click camera or the photographer manning it made a blurry picture.

But you get the idea.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

RE-BIRTH (sort of)

When Mother Nature performed an execution on our poor sick elm tree recently, we received a number of expressions of sorrow and condolence.

But wait!

The ever-concerned-about-beauty SWMBO came up with a solution when it became apparent that our landlord was not going to replace said tree.

She found a Fake Ficus at a thrift store and we dug a hole and planted it in the same approximate place that the elm had occupied.

It's not near as big but it does wonders for the appearance of the yard.

That's Japanese Honeysuckle in the background.

It's *not* a fake and she's trying to train it to thrive and bush out and grow to the top of the wall.  

If this blasted weather would break she may have a chance.

Meantime there's this.

We're hoping the Fake Ficus doesn't shed any more of it's leaves.

SUMMER SALAD

Judy says our tomato plants are into their final days of this long hot summer.

But there are still enough popping to create these delicious salads, complemented with some cucumber.