STUDYING THE CLOUDS

It's a great day for clouds over north-central Arizona.  

This looks like whipped cream in the sky.

Could be a storm moving in to the North.

And rain over the mountains.

CARS, CARS, CARS

Prescott's Watson Lake park was the scene of a classic and antique car show today.

There were cars and trucks of every era on display.

That's a beautifully-restored Model A Ford on the left.

There was an ancient fire truck or two.

One jalopy even had a car-hop's tray with a fake cheeseburger and ice cream soda at the driver's window.

Some of the paint jobs were extravagant.

Some even a little bizarre.

This British MGB proudly sported the Union Jack on its hood.

There was a very old racing car.

And a much newer car with a famous name.

But for my money, the greatest draw had to be this old Reo.

This beauty came from the second motorcar company of Ransom E. Olds and bore his initials.  The company last manufactured automobiles in 1936.  Its name is most commonly found these days in crossword puzzles.

A great day for viewing some marvelous cars.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Have a great weekend, folks, and keep chucklin'.

(Thanks to all contributors, aware and unaware.)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

From sometime in the middle 1960's.  Bismarck, North Dakota. 
Covering live a state Republican convention while suffering under the effects of The Mother of All Hangovers.

A bit later, rising to the occasion.

THE TOOTH FAIRY

My dentist (Dr. Leon Wachtel) is an artiste.  I went to see him today because I (thought I) had broken off a crown Saturday night biting through some very tough crust on a microwaved leftover pizza.  At least that's what it looked like to me when I gazed in the mirror at the scrubby little stub where my tooth had once been.  

I called his office first thing this morning and asked for an ASAP appointment.  I was told he could see me at 2:20 this afternoon.  So I went, with some misgivings.  Those concerned the price of a new crown.  (I apparently had swallowed and  . . . digested . . . the old one and it was nowhere . . . to . . . be . . . found.)

After some chat he looked in my mouth and said "Oh, that wasn't a crown, it was just a composite.  I'm going to just build you a new tooth."  

I said "you mean I don't need a crown?"  (Idiot!)

He said "well, you can have one if you want one."

I quickly said "no, no, no, that's okay."

I had told him I needed it quickly because I was expecting a call any time from Michael McConaughey's people asking me to double for him in his next movie.  I tried out my "all right . . . all right . . . all right" line but no one seemed impressed.

To make a long story short, he built me a composite tooth which looks and feels just like the old one and I am good to go.

It's great to have a good dentist, even if he doesn't get my humor sometimes.

Oh, he said my mouth is full of tartar and I need to schedule a cleaning.  That's now set for September.

Rain update: it's been raining hard all around us today but only a few light sprinkles here.

SUNDAY SERMON

I'll be glad when tomorrow comes.  Last night I nuked a few pieces of leftover pizza from Friday night and in the process of biting through a very hard crust edge I apparently broke off a cap on one of my teeth. One of those unimportant ones.  Right in front.  So I've left a message on my dentist's answering machine and hopefully I'll be able to get in tomorrow for at least a temporary fix.  This is probably the second time this has happened since I got the cap 29 years ago so it's not too bad a history.  I figure this fix will set me up for the rest of my life.

So my Sunday has been spent idly running my tongue over what's left of my tooth and counting the hours.  And reading the Times. Just finished that.

We haven't been visited by bunnies lately and Judy has just put out some carrot scraps and some miniature Brussel sprouts.  I thought Brussel sprouts, especially the small ones, were a little gourmet for some random cottontails.  But the boss said "they like cabbage" and I guess that means Brussel sprouts are just an upgraded cabbage.  

I've been watching.

No bunnies yet.

Lessee, what else is new.  Oh, towering clouds again but no rain. Guess that's not new.

The Diamondbacks lost to the Phillies today.  Guess that's not new either.

I guess nothing much is new.

Wish me luck with the tooth fairy tomorrow.

I'll keep an eye out for bunnies.

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

Yesterday we had three hard rains.  Today we had lots of thunder but no precipitation.

SWMBO and I did have a nice lunch at a relatively new fine dining spot in Prescott Valley, Cork & Cuisine.  It is in the Entertainment District and features a different menu and a different wine list each month.  Very nice setting with a lounge area, seating at a small bar, tables for dining and a couple of nights a week Chef's Table seating, where you can watch your meal being prepared in an open kitchen and converse with the chef.  Good food, good wine.  We spoke with the aptly-named owner, Sherri Cook, who said they have clientele from Prescott but so far the Prescott Valley crowd is not supporting them.  Give it a try, folks.  It's leisurely dining, not fast food, but a comfortable place to take your time over a good meal and libations.