STOP WHINING - HERE'S THE RECIPE

O.K. In response to thousands* of calls for the recipe for the pie I made today, here it is.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded coconut

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all purpose flour

8 Tablespoons butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Place all ingredients except nutmeg in a blender and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured pie plate.  Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (more or less).

I baked mine for an extra 8 or 9 minutes because it looked really loose after the initial 45.  Center was still loose when I took it out but it solidified upon cooling.  And it sank down, too.

And like I said to another recipe requester, you men who may decide to make this might not want to show the recipe to your significant other.  She might be horrified at the amount of sugar and butter.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

(* - two, actually.  So far)

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS MORNING?

I've been trying out a new recipe I found on the Internet.  It's called Impossible Pie, I guess because all the ingredients are mixed in a blender.  Here's the picture that sold me on making it.

I don't know enough about baking to know if I should have changed some amounts of ingredients because of being at a higher elevation (5,100 feet) but mine went crazy in the oven.  Here it is right after I took it out.

As you can see, the sucker rose very high and some of it went over one side and dripped onto the bottom of the oven.  

By the way it's kind of a coconut cream pie.  The recipe says it will have a coconut vanilla flavor.  Two of my favorites!  So I'm looking forward to what will happen when I cut into it.

As you can see by this picture mine didn't get that nice even crust, probably because it rose so much in the baking.

SWMBO says mine looks like a macaroon.

(To be continued once I taste it.)

O.K.  Here's an update.  I took some of the pie that overflowed the edge of the pie plate.  It's DELICIOUS!  Tastes just like it should and a little crunchy because of the overflow.  I will, however, have to do some research to figure out how to keep it from rising so much.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

MY LAST WEATHER POST

When I first moved to Arizona, many years ago, I got a great kick out of telling my friends and relatives still living in North Dakota about our great winter weather.  One year I sent a photo of myself on Christmas Day with a big smile on my face, a wreath on my head, holding a glass of champagne . . . in a swimming pool.

After awhile my friends and relatives were unanimous in saying they didn't want to hear about the weather anymore.  So I stopped.

This year, with the growth of social media and the television networks enthralled with the terrible winter in probably three-fourths of the nation, I resumed.  You see the weather in Arizona this winter has been wonderful.  At least for someone like me who got all the snow, ice and cold weather he ever wanted during my first 29 years in the Dakotas.  (I spent one year living in South Dakota, all the rest were in Nor'-Dakota, as the natives sometimes call it.)

But watching the news last night with another couple of ice and snow storms bearing down on Atlanta and other parts of the Southeast unaccustomed to such brutal weather, I resolved to shut up again.  Hold me to this, folks, I will not brag on our sunny days with temperatures in the 60's and 70's while most of the rest of my country is suffering.

So this is it.  A photo I took the other day of the sky over our new home.

If you look carefully you can see a tiny wisp of cloud in the upper left corner.  But that was it.  

So I'll enjoy my paradisaical winter weather in silence.  (But still with a big grin on my face.)

A NEW DEAL

My blogger friend (whom I've never actually met) Judy has done a fine job of documenting a "big man" in Prescott.  Take a look.

Now that you have the history, here's an update.  I think the Big Cowboy originally advertised a muffler shop and he held a big muffler in his hands.  

But in later reincarnations, his hands were empty.

I drove by today and stopped to take a picture.  Lo and behold, someone has a different idea.  Take a look at what he has in his right hand.

Like any good gambler, he's holding the cards so I can't see what they are but from the smile on his face, I think Big Johnson has four aces!

WONDERS OF PHOTO MANIPULATION

I viewed with shock this remarkable photo recently.

I was disturbed at first, wondering if a sinkhole had developed under this lovely apartment home.  

But then I looked at the caption again.  Something about San Francisco having very steep hilly streets.  And I realized the photo had been manipulated.

So I manipulated it back to what I think is normal, though it still seems like hazardous parking conditions.

I don't know about you but I certainly wouldn't want to come home a bit tipsy.  One mis-step while getting out of my car might involve a roll down the hill!  And walking back up would be a killer.

A LITTLE RANTING

News came today that Alex Rodriguez has dropped his lawsuits against Major League Baseball, the players' union and the commissioner.  That means he will accept his 162 day suspension and will not be able to play in the 2014 season or the postseason games.  My opinion: it's about time and his punishment is not enough.  I think anyone found to have used performance enhancing drugs or steroids or anything else that is banned by the game should be kicked out of that game.  Forever. And they shouldn't be eligible for the Hall of Fame either.

Even without such a rule, Pete Rose has never been able to make it into the Hall.  But that is decided by sports writers and some of them have been hinting that they might vote for him in the future.  So let's take it out of their hands and just make these cheaters ineligible.

. . . . .

Now I haven't ranted about politics for quite awhile but you can't keep a good man quiet forever.  So, let me take on the Senator from Kansas, Pat Roberts, who is running for reelection.  He was first elected to the House in 1981 (33 years ago).  He kept getting reelected every two years until 1997 when he ran successfully for the U.S. Senate.  He's been ensconced there ever since.  Only thing wrong with this picture? He doesn't have a home in Kansas.  He lists his official voting address as the home of a couple of friends and supporters.  Roberts says he stays there when he goes "home" but many Kansans say they haven't seen him for years.  The Senator is making many more visits to Kansas now because of a Tea Party challenger.  Let's face it, if he spends most of his time in Washington it makes sense for him to have a home nearby, like Virginia, where he and his wife actually live.  But seems like he ought to also have at least an apartment in the state whose voters sent him to Washington.

Longtime Indiana U.S. Senator Richard Lugar got into this same mess when he was defeated in a Republican primary a couple of years ago. People said when he came to Indiana he stayed in hotels. 

So let's require these pols to maintain a real legal residence in their home state.  Okay?

. . . .

Then there's the case of Allan Levene.  He's running for the House in four states at once.  Georgia (where he lives), Michigan, Minnesota and Hawaii.  Apparently if he wins in the primary election in any of those states, he'll then move to that state and establish an official voting residence before the general election. This seems like politics at its most crass.  I suppose we can forgive Levene.  After all he was born in London (England) and didn't come to the U.S. until he was 21.  He eventually became a naturalized citizen.  I was just wondering what he'd do if he wins the primary in MORE than one state.  I guess he'd pick one and pull out of his campaign in the other(s).  Politics just gets curiouser and curiouser.

. . . .

Finally a different subject.  Rudeness.  I know a woman who had a dinner party for several guests.  When the meal was served one guest said she couldn't eat that, she was allergic to this, etc.  Now this person hadn't said anything about her food problems when the invitations went out or when she first arrived.  Just when the food was served.

Is that rude to the hosts of the meal?  I think so.  I think I'd just say to her "How are you with water?"

O.K.  My ranting is over for today.  Your turn.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

So I haven't blogged since Tuesday.  SWMBO told me "If you don't have something to say, just shut up!"  And it's been a slow week.  I mean, how often can I talk about the weather, right?  BTW, the storm that was forecast to blow through here last night apparently fizzled out. No rain or snow at my location.

O.K.  Let's get on with it.  Since the Olympics have begun, let's finish off the Super Bowl first.

This one could be me and SWMBO.

Then there's me, first thing in the morning, wondering "Where's my coffee??!!!"

This seems like a good morning to have dogs starring in the funnies.

"I hate this game."

"O.K.  I caught him.  Now what do I do?"

Then there's the visitor to your swimming pool.

Birds are always good.  The two on the sides are saying "Just try to blend in."

And even in the avian world, family problems.

But as this graceful surfer might say, "Life is groovy, man, just enjoy it."

There!  Maybe that makes up for my days of sloth this week.

Have a fab weekend, folks!

LOOKIN' AROUND

The photos in this post were all shot yesterday.

In this one toward the mountains it looked like rain.  Or mist.  Or fog.

A little later in the day, looking toward Phoenix.

Clouds were rolling across the sky but not dropping any moisture on my part of town.

Looking toward the northeast, the mountains are nearly obscured in mist or fog.

"What was that sound?  Was it the Hound of the Baskervilles?"

?????

The title of this post could reflect the feelings of Denver Broncos fans. The team took a whuppin' in yesterday's Super Bowl. Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks.  They were definitely the better team.

But here's the real reason for those question marks.  We have a couple of trees in our backyard that we can't identify.

With the help of these three pictures I'm hoping someone can tell me what they are.

A STRANGE CLOUD . . . AND CROSSING ABBEY ROAD

I had missed photographing the amazing clouds in the sky on Friday but noticing the sky late Saturday I ducked out with my camera. Here is what I found.

To the east from my location, this strange flat-bottomed cloud was hovering in an otherwise blue sky.  And down at one end it appeared to be dumping a hearty rain shower on the land.  (By the way, if you click on the photos they become larger for even better viewing.)

Now, then, there's a fabulous post by Sharon today on her blog Sharon's Sojourns about the famous Abbey Road street crossing. I loved it and it prompted me to seek out the webcam she mentions. You can find it here.  It's on a very busy street but every one who comes by has to walk across for photos or just to say they've done it.

FRIDAY FUN

I had to drive into Prescott yesterday and decided to have some fun. After the purpose of my errand my first stop was the Prescott Center for the Arts to see their current exhibit, Primary Colors.  I enjoyed it very much.  I was the sole person in the small gallery which gave me time to study each artwork.  Many fine photograpic images, as well as other artwork.  I came away convinced that there is much talent in the area and I encourage everyone in the area to go see the exhibit.

Then it was on to the Peregrine bookstore, which is run by an old friend of mine, Tom Broderson.  Tom was one of the proprietors of the Satisfied Mind bookstore, now gone, and was one of the original founders of Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe.  All three of these are very fine shops for the book and magazine lover.  As usual, I dropped a few dollars, picking up a copy of Lapham's Quarterly and a new book of photographs by the great Annie Leibovitz.  It is good to have a fabulous bookstore within easy reach but not close enough to tempt me more often.

I paid a visit to the new Bird Cage Saloon on Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott.  The original bar was destroyed by fire a couple of years ago and the new location is just a couple of doors south.  It's larger than the old "Cage", slick and smooth and the restrooms are a vast improvement as well.  One of the owners, Deb Stamm, told me to check them out.  I visited for awhile with Deb and then headed out again.

When I came out it was cold with a bit of rain in the air and a gusty wind blowing.  I decided I needed something hot (and alcoholic) and headed for the long bar at Murphy's for one of their fine Irish Coffees. My timing was perfect as snow grains were pelting down as I got out of my car. But the drink was warm and tasty and I had a long conversation with a fellow on the next stool, Jim, an expatriate Chicagoan who now lives in Prescott.  He picked Seattle to win the Super Bowl.  I'm for Denver but we still had a congenial chat.

Braced for the weather, I now ventured toward home but had to stop off at Trader Joe's to pick up a few food and wine items for the big day tomorrow.  

A stop to renew my membership at my neighborhood Sam's Club and one final stop at a supermarket for bread and I headed home.

'Twas a day well spent and well enjoyed.  Today I'm home alone as SWMBO and the BRD are enjoying their weekly lunch date - this week at Macayo's.  

Darn, now I'm getting hungry.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

When your move is complete and the weather is nice what do you do? Oh, just horse around.

A friend of mine, Peripatetic Phil, is off to Texas today and then onto a cruise ship for a tour of Mexico, Belize and Honduras.  I sent him this card.

Speaking of traveling, some people seem to get more out of their foreign visits than others.

Others are surprised by a friendly greeting from the local wildlife.

Progress check: are you howling with laughter yet?

I was just thinking how things have changed over my lifetime.

Women might tell you that some things never change.

But if you look at executive offices in major companies today you'd say that's not true anymore.

The pay differences between men and women, however, have not changed that much.  So you can appreciate this editorial cartoon by the Arizona Republic's Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Benson.

Well, I'm getting too serious for the Friday Funnies.  So just let me leave you with this thought on the Big Weekend.

Have a happy weekend, folks, and may the best team win!

CULVER'S AND COOLER WEATHER

SWMBO and I visited one of Prescott Valley's newer restaurants today for lunch.  Culver's, which is part of a chain of fast food restaurants which originated in Wisconsin, just opened Monday.  I had read on their website that the place should be avoided at lunchtime as it is very crowded.  We went at about 2 o'clock and it was still jammed.  But we got in, waited in line for maybe 10 minutes, placed our orders and had our sandwiches delivered to our table in a prompt and reasonable manner.  It is obvious the employees are trying very hard to please and we were pleased with their service and our food.  SWMBO was surprised to find a pork tenderloin sandwich on the menu.  It was something she remembered from her teen years in Indiana.  The big chunk of meat stuck out from all sides of the bun, just as it did at Northwood, a place that one had to go to for the purpose of seeing just who was dating who, as well as the food.  She said today's sandwich compared favorably with those of her youth.  I had a simple Bacon Deluxe Butterburger.  I don't think either of us will need dinner (or as they say in Wisconsin, supper) tonight.

It's turned a teensy bit cooler today and the skies have been overcast all day.  It "looks like rain" and the forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of it tomorrow.  Of course as I have learned over the years, that also means a 50 percent chance it won't rain.  But then there's that changing weather pattern as a result of Global Warming . . .

Just a little tease for tomorrow's Friday Funnies!

SUNNY ARIZONA - PARALYZED ATLANTA

The sun is continuing to shine, though through thinly partly cloudy skies. I think I shot this picture yesterday.

But it is supposed to be overcast tomorrow. Friday a 40 percent chance of rain is forecast as the temperature plummets to 55 degrees. I'd like to see the rain.

Atlanta, Georgia, meanwhile, is in gridlock after an unusual snowstorm brought two inches of snow yesterday.  TWO INCHES! When I lived in North Dakota we'd call that a snow SHOWER! People might drive a little bit slower but nothing else would change.

TWO INCHES of snow.  Sheesh!  Of course they did get ice after the snow.  So the pictures on television this morning were of hundreds of cars and semi-trucks totally stopped on the freeways. People, the news pundits say, have been TRAPPED in their CARS for 24 hours and longer because no one can move.  

A Home Depot store put up dozens of others who couldn't leave because of the STORM!

The National Guard is patrolling the highways, handing out bottled water and Meals Ready to Eat to the poor folks TRAPPED in their cars.

The news media is after the scalps of the Governor, the Mayor, the Police Chief, the head of street maintenance.  Anyone in fact who let this TRAGEDY occur.

I moved to Arizona to escape all the snow and cold weather.  But then I moved to a higher elevation in the state and we occasionally have snowstorms here.  But even with 4, 5, 6 inches of snow on the ground, people just keep going or they stay home.

May my guardian angels protect me from ever going to Atlanta in the wintertime.

SO LONG, PETE

Pete Seeger has died.

To some of us, this is the passing of an age.  Here's an excerpt from his obituary in the New York Times.

Mr. Seeger’s career carried him from singing at labor rallies to the Top 10 to college auditoriums to folk festivals, and from a conviction for contempt of Congress (after defying the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s) to performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at an inaugural concert for Barack Obama.

That's quite a career.  I saw him perform with Arlo Guthrie - as he often did - once at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.  He celebrated folk music.  He was one of the good guys.  Rest in peace, Pete.

WHETHER IT'S HOT OR WHETHER IT'S COLD . . .

You've all heard about it.  Maybe lived in it.  Two-thirds of the nation is freezing.  Actually colder than freezing.  Snow and ice cover the streets and the land.

But not here.

Sad as I am to report this to you shivvering citizens, here in Arizona the sun continues, day after day, to shine.

The temperature rises, day after day, to the 60's.  Our streets are free and clear of snow and ice.

As we were returning from a restaurant breakfast this morning we saw a man hiking alongside the road in a t-shirt.  "Shirtsleeve weather," SWMBO commented smugly.

Even the distant mountains, topping off at near 8,000 feet at their highest points, are free of snow.

Now before my smarmy attitude about our wonderful weather becomes too much for you, let me add that we are in the midst of a drought.  We could use rain.  Lots of it.

But you folks in the Midwest and the East and even the Southeast can keep your snow and ice.

We like it this way just fine.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

It's all about cats this week.  For those of you who don't like cats, take heed.  I read this past week that people who have a pet cat are less likely to suffer from heart problems and more likely to heal quickly from strokes or heart surgeries.

But wait!  This is supposed to be funny.  Unlike me, cats remember to stretch when they first arise from the arms of Morpheus.

Cats tend to disobey stereotypes and make friends with odd creatures.

Apparently there is a legitimate reason for that old hipster expression "You are one cool cat."

And for all of you who liked the "toner" picture from last week, here's another group showing the varying colors of cats.

That's one of those "awwwww" pictures.

Have a fun weekend, folks!