LIFE IS A STRUGGLE

If one pays too much attention to the daily news, cycled and recycled endlessly on television, newspapers and the Internets, it can become almost a struggle to get out of bed some days.  So I urge you to take a break or take it in small doses.  Do something else with your time. Create something perhaps.  Or just appreciate something of beauty.

Even in the most desolate of places, we can find Mother Nature coping and manifesting pretty objects.  We can too.

GOLDEN FIELDS

After our recent rains, in the area to our east that my poetic wife refers to as "The Savannah", the growth had turned a dark Irish green.

In more recent days, the color had changed to this rich golden hue.

It reminded us both of the day in 1985 when we took the TGV high speed train from Nice to Paris and went through the wild mustard fields around Dijon.

These golden fields, I fear, are just weeds.

RAINY DAYS AND BEETLES

Here's what the street in front of my house looked like yesterday afternoon after a tad of rain.

While we were in a nice dry house watching the rain, there were other creatures caught outside in the downpour.  One of them was a fat black beetle, slowed down by his drenching but still keepin' on.

Today the sun is back out.  And why not?  It is Sun-day.

KING BLACKWELL

A somewhat indelicate story.

Our black cat, Blackwell, coughed his cookies twice on the bedspread on my bed this summer.  I cleaned up the first mess but the second time was too much and the cover went into the washing machine, then the dryer, then was folded up and placed on an unused corner of the dining room table prior to being packaged up and put in storage for awhile.

A few minutes later I walked into the room and here's what I saw.

I don't know why cats do those types of things.  It must be something about claiming its territory.  Or a somewhat familiar smell.  Or, most likely, just seeing something unfamiliar and having to test it out.

At any rate, when I showed SWMBO this picture she shooed him down to the floor.  And he ambled away.  Sometime I'll have to shoot a video of his amble. When he's not in any hurry he walks just like John Wayne.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Ah, we're back once again with some chuckles, guffaws and horse laughs for your weekend.  

My next door neighbor's yard crew with their VERY noisy leaf blower cranked it up at 7 o'clock this morning.  Grrrr.  I had to find some way to keep my (and SWMBO's) temper under control.  
So . . . . . . . 

I feel better now.

And to put a tail on this collection, a different kind of cat tale this morning.

Have a totally splendid weekend, folks, and keep smilin'.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Days of wine and madras.  One of my proteges, Bob Barclay, and I. Note the sunglasses atop heads.  Note, also, that it is night outside. Two wild and crazy guys.

COOLING OFF

High (for him) atop a wall in my back yard, a lizard rests in the shade, taking a bit of relief from the sun.

Here's a closer look.

As I watch him, he glares back.  The question becomes . . who's watching who?

I wonder, if lizards think . . what does he think of this huge human approaching him?