BRRR!!!

 Mid-day Tuesday.

Prescott Valley, Arizona.

Temperature: 41° Fahrenheit,  5° Celsius.

WHAT???

Now that's in Phoenix or Tucson or Yuma.

But I live up here at around 5,000 feet elevation in the Central Highlands.

It gets colder here.

I said to my eye doctor the other day when the wind was howling and the temperature was about like this or colder "I did not move to Arizona for this!"

(He was born in Montreal and went to school in Toronto before moving to the U.S. of A.)

He said, "I forget, where did you move from?"

I said, "North Dakota.  About 50 miles south of your country.  Saskatchewan."

He chuckled and said "Now that's REAL Canada!"

But I know that this too shall pass.

Once again it will be balmy.

And, after all, we handle it better than the folks in the South.

MERRY MONDAY

 Remember our snowfall yesterday?

Almost all gone today as the storm moved east.

'Course it got some help from this fella.

And how does that make me feel?

But let me tell you, even though the sun is shining brightly, it's c-o-l-d out there.

30°F/-1°C at 11 o'clock as I'm writing this.

It's only supposed to top out at 34 today but tomorrow 45 so we can all go out and sunbathe.

Ha!  As if!

But there's one more thing that put a smile on my face this morning so I'll share it with you.

Have a great day!

SNOW JOB

This time the Weather Gods got it right.

Our first snowfall of this winter arrived early this morning.

It's not much, probably less than an inch so far.

But at least it made the ground white.

And it may be slippery for morning drivers.

Up the hill a ways, toward Prescott, there's a bit more of an accumulation, as you can see in this photo from an EarthCam camera.

Meanwhile, back at the International Headquarters of Oddball Observations, the Monja and the Blue Cat both look like they've been in one of those Three Stooges comedies that culminated in a cream pie fight.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 As the Laughing Horse might say "Hee-Haw, it's Friday once again."

On reading the biography the professor at Yorkshire Pudding printed in his announcement of my award, it is obvious that The Friday Funnies were the main reason behind it.

Oh, yes, he mentioned my wife (SWMBO) and my late pal, John Wayne, and my cooking adventures.

But he can't fool me.

It's The Friday Funnies that stand out to him.

And to YOU, judging by the rave comments they get each week.

So let me delay the inevitable no longer.

For the first time this year, here goes!

So that's our voyage beyond our galaxy, into a different universe, a universe of humor.

Now let's all have a universally fine weekend, even though it's only two days this week.

I know, I know, you're spoiled.

But suck it up.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . uh, oh . . . )

WINTER

 

We had snow in our forecast for yesterday evening.

This wasn't it but I just wanted you all to know that it does snow in Arizona.

This picture was taken some years ago of our back yard when we lived in StoneRidge, a development in Prescott Valley that is somewhat higher in elevation from where we now live.

The daughter, who lives in Prescott, about 10 miles to the southwest of our town, reported she did have snow about 7 o'clock last night.

We only got rain.

But I was just outside and it is c-o-l-d.

It's almost 11 in the morning and the temperature shows at 36F/2C.

And with our usual Prescott Valley breezes, it feels colder than that.

The extended forecast has snow showers predicted once again for Sunday.

We'll just see about that.

MORNING SUNSHINE

I was in my room doing what I usually do in the early morning (and the rest of the day), reading "stuff" (on my computer), working puzzles (on my computer), posting to my blog (on my computer) and writing to friends (on my computer), when my boss (SWMBO) said "Come here and bring your camera."

I asked my other boss (my computer) if it would be okay if I could leave for a minute.

It seemed to be a bit snarly but granted me permission.

When I went to the living room my wife pointed at the coffee table and ordered me to take a picture of what the morning sun she had just admitted through the front window was doing.

So I did.

The sun was brightening a bouquet of flowers I had brought her a few days before but with three newly-opened lilies.

And her beloved crystal ball, which our daughter has been pining after for years.

She has many of her own now but still yearns for this one and knows she'll get it some day.

In the meantime, it glows in our house when the morning sunshine strikes it.

HIGH IN THE SKY

 I was sharing some pictures of a trip to Seattle far back in my past with a Washington-based friend yesterday and ran across this one from our visit to the famous Space Needle.

We were across an aisle from a window and when the people sitting at this table noticed I was trying to get a picture they graciously leaned back so as to be out of the frame.

I like the result with the drinks and the light on their table in contrast to the amazing skyline of Seattle.

When I asked Judy to remind me of something from that trip she said she thought that was also the last time we flew in an airplane.

2006 - almost a lifetime in the past.