RAIN ! ! !

Last night as SWMBO and I were sitting on the patio the sky was growing oppressive.

Huge masses of roiling dark clouds were tinted red in spots by the setting sun.

As the day lengthened, the clouds grew darker and more ominous.

Shortly after taking the picture below we spotted several lightning bolts in the sky.

We decided discretion was the better part of valor and headed inside as the wind began to rise.

Moments later the skies opened and a huge thunderstorm with thunder and lightning was upon us.

This morning Judy checked the rain gauge and found an inch and a half in it.

Today is my friend Phil's 77th birthday and I emailed him a greeting and thanked him for the rain.

He wrote back, saying "I haven't lost my touch on controlling the Gods."

NATURE COPIED

THE MIGHTY FISHER(WO)MAN

I have written here on occasion about my friend, Diane, who I've known for nearly a half century.

She is 87 now and still a bundle of fire.

Like the Timex watch she just keeps ticking.

In a short time she's leaving with a friend for a river cruise.

In RUSSIA!

But the subject of this post is fishing.

Yes, I said "fishing".

For some odd reason, Diane has had a lifelong affection for fishing and she went out with one of her daughters yesterday at a tiny lake in Northern Arizona.

And here she is showing off what they caught.

Five exquisite Rainbow Trout, a couple of them 15 inches long!

Not bad for an afternoon sitting on the side of a lake in Arizona.

She said the big ones were the largest she's hooked since her kids were three years old.

And that is a long time ago.

So KOKO, Diane.

(That's text talk for Keep On Keepin' On.)

No word yet on whether she'll be dipping a rod off that cruise boat in Russia.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Yup, it's time once again for some humor to lighten your weekend.

So, without further ado . . .

There!

That ought to hold you for a weekend.

Or a week.

Now don't let your day be ruined.

Have a fabulous weekend and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(. . . or is that kitty-kitty-kitty-kitty-kitty . . .)

A SUNNY FACE

My neighbor across the street has put in a big garden but the javelinas got all his zucchini this year.

But that didn't stop this smiling face.

That's a huge bloom, as big as my face.

Sunflowers make everyone happy, I think.

MONSOON DANGER

Our monsoon season, which Arizonans long for as it brings cooling rain, also can bring danger.

Frequently, even if there is no rain, it can produce lightning.

And in the dry climate of my state that can start fires.

I spotted the smoke from this one on the other side of the Bradshaw Mountains from us yesterday evening.

It has been named the Cellar Fire and it began Sunday from a lightning strike.

It was a small 5 acre fire then but by yesterday it had grown to 8,000 acres.

So be careful out there, folks, it's fire season.

THE BULLY

We've had a new addition to our avian swarm in the last week or so.

SWMBO has confidently identified him as a Bronzed Cowbird.

He's been dominating the drinking/bathing containers, chasing off smaller birds and sometimes even the doves.

He has a fierce set of very large feet that serve him well.

The only other bird that will challenge him for a drink is a Mountain Bluejay.

He's perhaps a tad smaller but his screechy voice makes up for the size difference.

It's an interesting time here at the Catalyst's Bird Sanctuary.