BOB SHANE

Yesterday I featured the Kingston Trio in a short blog post.

It apparently brought back good memories for quite a few of you.

Steve (in London) called my attention to the news that the last of the founding members of the group, Bob Shane, had just died recently.

Through the generosity of the Great Google, I learned that that occurred just down the road from me, in Phoenix, and that he had been 85 years old.

I was struck, in reading his obituary, that he said in a 2011 interview that occasionally someone will call him and ask him to go on stage and he would quickly pack a couple of oxygen tanks and go.

I assumed that meant he would have the oxygen backstage to prepare him for his performance and to renew him afterward.

But no!

I learned that he would go on stage with his portable oxygen tank and perform with the tubing strapped on.

So here, for all of you fans, is a video of him in his senior years wearing oxygen and singing the song that he made his own.

That is an illustration of a trouper.

AN ITTY BITTY DITTY

Feeling depressed about the current situation of the World, are you?

Take heart.

This tuneful little melody was recorded many years ago by the famous Kingston Trio.

It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Feel free to sing along.

BLUEBERRY CLAFOUTIS REPEATED

HOME BAKERY

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Hello World and how's everybody?

Feelin' good, or lookin' over your shoulders?

I hope you haven't forgotten that this is that very special day of the year for Chocoholics.

So . . .

There.

Now that I've got that out of the way, we can get down to the real business of the day.

Namely, humor!

O.K. I guess we know what that will get him.

Well you valorous, vainglorious, victims of the big V day, visit your vixens, avoid vitriol or ventriloquence but verbalize (not vulgarly, please) your vigilance and the vibrations of your heart strings.

In other words, have a great weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

CLA-WOW!

If you've been reading along here, you'll know that I discovered a French dessert known as a clafoutis in the past year or so.

And you'll recall that I started out with a cherry clafoutis and have since made them with various fruits.

I don't know if it was because I made my most recent one with solely blueberries or if it was because I sprinkled the top liberally (as opposed to sparsely) with raw sugar, but this was the absolute best, tastiest, wonderful clafoutis yet.

I have one piece left.

We'll see which one of us fights the other to the death to enjoy it.

CATS KNOW

The BRD sent me this picture of her cat, Mister, this morning.

She said he was chillin'.

But I think he was doing something just the opposite.