Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Gawd bless Thanksgiving!
No gifts.
No valentines.
No drinking green beer.
No anything.
Except celebrating the wonderfulness of food.
Of eating to excess.
I love Thanksgiving.
In preparation of which, I whipped up a pumpkin cobbler this afternoon.
See it?
Smell it?
Taste it?
We sampled it tonight.
It was wonderful.
See that picture up above?
It's not my cobbler.
I stole it from the Internet(s).
But trust me.
My cobbler was delicious.
Gobble, gobble.
Cobble, cobble.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
J.F.K.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Great Balls of Fire!!!
Jalisco's unique 'round stones' receive cash boost
Written by Tom Marshall
Saturday, 15 November 2008
JALISCO - The famous “round stones” (piedras bolas) of Ahualulco del Mercado were once an exclusive port of call for explorers well-versed in the art of tracking down poorly promoted but fascinating sites of interest in provincial Jalisco.
More than 150 balls of rock that are almost perfectly spherical are spread throughout a forest in the Ameca Valley.Now thanks to the injection of ten million pesos over the past two years, the site is more accessible than ever to tourists and daytrippers.
The piedras bolas comprise of around 150 strange balls of rock that are almost perfectly spherical and spread throughout a forest in the Ameca Valley.
“These symmetrical boulders are unusually large. Nothing quite like them exists elsewhere in Mexico, or, according to current scientific opinion, anywhere else in the world,” writes Tony Burton in his excellent tome, “Western Mexico: A Traveller’s Treasury.”
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania believe the boulders are 25 to 30 million years old. There has traditionally been a lot of mystery about how they were formed. People used to think giants built them or they were somehow man-made, but more conventional theory suggests they were created during a volcanic eruption in the Tertiary geological era.
The uniqueness of the site has spurred the Jalisco Secretariat of Culture to invest seven million pesos in 2007 and three million so far this year in the area’s infrastructure. The money has been spent on new paths that provide excellent views of the flora in the area, a camping zone, three cycle routes of varying difficultly and a pair of new of suspension bridges.
The aim is to improve and expand tourism in the area, as well as protect the boulders, scientifically known as megaspherulites.
The piedras bolas are located 14 kilometers south of the town of Ahualulco de Mercado, around 70 kilometers west of Guadalajara.
Merry Pranksters - Part Two
It was one a classmate of mine (whose father amazingly was on the board of directors of the college) and I designed one night. We had (in our sophomoric way) grown indignant at what we conceived as the slovenliness of the night watchman. Keep in mind this was a fairly small college . . . student body at the time only about 500. We had noticed that he had failed occasionaly in one of his duties, which was to lower the American flag from a high flagpole at sunset. He would make the rounds of the various classroom buildings after their curfew for the night, make sure no one was still inside, turn out any lights, lock the doors and then go home to his bed. But he was forgetful about bringing down the Stars and Stripes.
So we decided to make an issue of this. One dark night, my classmate and I skulked through the shadows and entered the campus dining room through a window. We then swiped all of the silverware . . . well, all of the forks and spoons, as I recall . . . emptied them into a pillowcase, tied them to the flag-raising rope and raised it to the top of the flagpole before retiring to our beds for the rest of the night.
I admit it. I didn't have the nerve to show up for breakfast but my friend did. He said it was interesting watching the early risers trying to eat their grapefruit and eggs and cereal, using only knives.
Well, the sad thing was that the pillowcase was fairly early noticed at the top of the flagpole and silverware was retrieved.
The watchman continued his absent-minded rounds and we began looking for something new to do to avoid studying and have some fun.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Merry Pranksters
Here it is:
A new lawn was being sodded in front of "Old Main" . . . which doubled as office space for the higher-ups and classroom space for the lower-downs. One dark and stormy night (well, I guess it wasn't stormy at all) but it was early in the witching hours after midnight, after the one security guard for the campus had made his rounds, decided all was well and gone home to his bed. Someone climbed the outer wall to the second floor office of the Dean of Men, opened a window and crawled in. Opening the office door and the building door from the inside . . . who knows, maybe some pilfered keys were involved . . . this miscreant allowed his collaborators to enter. They carefully removed all of the furniture from the Dean's office to a hallway outside and then, using the rolled up sod outside, like wall to wall carpeting . . made a pretty green lawn in his office. Then they moved all the furniture back inside to it's precise previous location and, before locking the doors and leaving for the night, posted a "Keep Off the Grass" sign prominently just inside.
I can hear the suppressed giggles now as they crept down the hallways and out of the building, leaving no trace of their nocturnal work . . . except in the Dean's office!
From hundreds of miles away, I read about the stunt on the AP wire and applauded.
p.s. The Dean's unfortunate name was Perry Gallas. If anyone knows of his whereabouts and tells him of this story, please inform him that I had absolutely nothing to do with it. But I certainly would have!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
1929 . . . and today
In 2008 the attitude has changed somewhat.
(I altered the sign for you more sensitive readers.)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Ponderisms
I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.
Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
Life is sexually transmitted.
Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?'
Who was the first person to say, 'See that chicken there? I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta its butt.'
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Do you ever wonder why you gave me your email address?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Veterans' Day 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
More growth
Yes, the long-familiar Robert's Marketplace will soon be gone.
But wait! It will soon be replaced. By this:
The new, bigger Robert's Marketplace is being built just to the rear of the present structure. Along with much more space and a quite stylish look, it reportedly will house a pizza restaurant and a branch of the post office.
Meantime, just across the street, another nearly identical building is nearing completion. It will be an office complex housing medical and dental offices, according to owner Robert Hamill.
Hamill appears to have done well as he moves into becoming a real estate baron!And it's nice to see some new buildings and some commerce finally coming to the "back side" of my town.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day 2008
John McCain held a post-midnight rally at the courthouse square in Prescott this morning. He brought Senators Lindsay Graham and Joe Liebermann in with him and Hank Williams Jr. warmed up the crowd. I didn't attend because of the very late hour but the BRD's beau said he was going and might have some pictures for me.
Another note from a friend told me I had neglected to post about Sarah Palin's being cleared of ethics violations up in Alaska yesterday. So there. Now I have. The same day the governor released her long-promised medical records. Surprise. She's in good health.
As for the election, the first returns came in a little after 10 p.m. my time last night from Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Obama had 15 votes, McCain 6. That's from the tiny settlement that hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1968 - - forty years ago.
So the day wears on. As for me, I am proud to say . . .
Monday, November 3, 2008
More Halloween horribles
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Halloween on the row
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween - a bust!
Except in neighboring Prescott, where the tradition continues on Mt. Vernon Street, where residents spend a lot of money on candy and decorating their homes for the literally thousands of Halloween trick or treaters. Granny J reportedly paid a visit to the street and has promised photos of the ghouls and goblins. There are some photos today on the Daily Courier website as well but many more of their own staff in costume.
Just talked to the BRD. She and her beau went, costumed, to Whiskey Row last night. She said he took lots of pictures of people in costumes so maybe I'll share some with you once they've recovered from closing all the bars in town!
Well, I've gotta go now. Y'know somebody has to eat all this candy left over from last night!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Spooky
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Arizona - A Tossup State!
These are the results of a brand new poll in Arizona.
Cronkite - Eight Poll
Let there be joy!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Veggies
A little while later, I could hear some sizzling sounds and smell a great aroma coming from the kitchen. On a trip through the room, I saw this wonderfully colorful melange in a large saute pan on the stove. I said "that deserves a photograph."
So click on that photo to enlarge it, view it's glory, then close your eyes, lean back and smell that flavorful aroma. Then . . . come on over!
Sam I Am
Welcome Sam's Club, the warehouse outlet associated with the Wal-Mart empire and worthy competitor to the Costco store located just a few miles up the road toward Prescott. As I see it, the biggest disadvantage to the store right now are the lines and lengthy time it is taking to buy a membership. I had done a tour of the store last week and liked what I saw (plus it's closer than Costco to where I live) so today I grabbed a spot in line and waited. It took awhile but finally I had my membership card in hand and went to find SWMBO, who had been touring the store.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
T. Bone . . er, T. Boone
He is now 80 years old and has changed his tune.
Now, he says oil isn't the answer.
Something he is famous for is the answer: wind power.
The rich windbag says we have to build many huge windmills across our country and link them to multi-million dollars worth of transmission lines to take our dependence away from . . . you guessed it, OIL!
Funny. This happened about the time the stock market crashed, reducing Pickens' hedge fund value by half.
While I favor solar power, wind power and other green sources of energy, I must say: Don't buy this charlatan's message. He is in it for his own pocketbook. Purely.
(This is the man who personally funded the lying, slime-covered Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry four years ago. He says he would do it again. He is an evil man. Reject him.)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
I'm Worried
(Not the World Series)
----------------------------------------------------------
A friend sent me this . . . maybe to cheer me up.
One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on. So he called one of His angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time. When he returned, he told God, 'Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not. God thought for a moment and said, 'Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion.'
So God called another angel and sent him to Earth for a time. When the angel returned he went to God and said, 'Yes, it's true.The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good.'
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Painted Fence
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Book Lover's Library
Update: I went to the web and researched this. It's real! The books are actually on the face of the parking garage for the library. You can see many more pictures of this amazing library . . both inside and out . . by running the slide show here.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Going up!
Funny. You'd think a building that used to house prim little ladies whispering "shhhhh" to noisy patrons wouldn't be made out of steel.
Anyway, here's a look at the project, which will also house some classrooms for the P.V. campus of Yavapai College.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Signs of Autumn
And the leaves are changing color . . from green to golden . . .
. . and red . . .
But there are other less pleasing signs of the season.
One candidate for state office used his garage door as his sign-posting space.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Mac is back!
Word has it that John McCain is showing up Thursday night to make up with Dave on the Letterman Show.
Wonder if it will be something like this?
Friday, October 10, 2008
Beef on the Hoof
This big fella doesn't look pleased. I'm not sure whether he's got his rear foot tangled up in that brushy tree or if he's just thinking about taking on the wise guy with the camera.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The New West
It's a little bit of "the Old West" sort of superimposed on "the new West". Those are the Bradshaw mountains in the distance, part of the town of Prescott Valley a little closer (where the trees are) and a small herd of cows on what apparently is still ranchland.
Kinda neat, huh?
Would have been better if I'd have stopped to take the picture when the cows were right up by the fence.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Smears, Lies and Politics as usual
You can find Senator Obama's explanation on this web site.
I must admit I have never been a fan of Senator John McCain but I sympathized with him when his 2000 presidential campaign was derailed by smears and lies from the George Bush campaign in South Carolina.
What really disappoints me is that Senator McCain has now adopted this same campaign tactic to try to defeat Senator Obama.
Johnny, we hardly knew ye.
p.s. I voted yesterday by early ballot. For Senator Barack Obama.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Adaptation
On moving day, Jazz holed up on a shelf in a bedroom closet and stayed there for 8 hours or so. Finally, in the evening, she came out and walked (or stalked) very slowly over to the big couch and carefully began sniffing it. Not only is it new, it carries the scent of a couple of strange cats.
But by last night, Muggles (left) and Smoke (center) seem to have made their peace with it. Jazz (right) is still sniffing.