WATCHERS . . . AND FEEDBACK

I don't know whether they were watching a bird or a lizard or just enjoying some fresh air but Muggles and Blackwell don't usually get this close to one another.

Call it temporary peaceful coexistence.

A great joy of writing a blog is the comments and offerings I get from my readers. Some of them appear in the comment section on the blog itself, some of them appear as comments when I post the blog on Facebook, and some come in email.  I got two by email this morning. The first was from either Dan or Karen (there's never a signature and they often mail from the same address). It was a link to this web site. I think they may be giving me a hint for my Christmas shopping list.

The second email was from a friend of mine who had a long career as a UPI journalist before sinking his fangs in the state government thigh. Referencing yesterday's Friday Funnies, he said this:

Cartoon # 2. Toilet paper. The people not buying it are either stealing it, getting it free from their local food pantry for the poor or living in a holler and using corn cobs. (I have visited Harlan County, Ky., and it's true about the holler.) The other comments also are true. At least some of the thieves get their toilet rolls from restaurants and from bathrooms where they work. Some of the thieves are workers whose jobs include stocking the bathrooms of large buildings with toilet paper. And I know for a fact that the food pantries stock some nonfood necessities -- though I've never been to a food pantry except as a donor.

I didn't want to keep you in suspense. Feel free to inform your other readers.

I admire your persistence and dedication in running your blog. If I had a blog I'd want it to fill daily with advertisements that enriched me and I'd only peek at it occasionally to watch the money grow.

The next best thing is to get something for free and the Friday Funnies are -- so thank you.

Ed

Thank YOU, Ed. A man who's always had a wry sense of humor.

You, Faithful Followers, are what makes writing Oddball 

Observations worthwhile to me.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

There's something I should explain. I have two F&FF (Friends and Faithful Followers) named Lori. One is Lori in Seattle, the other is Lori down the block. I also have two F&FF named Tom. One is a Brit who lives in France, the other is a Hoosier who lives in California. And I have two F&FF named Steve. One is Baseball Steve who lives in Phoenix, the other is Steve from Oakland who lives in Germany. And then there's Stephen who lives in Oregon. And then there's Judy, who lives somewhere near me. And the most important Judy, who lives with me and goes by the monicker, SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed).

So don't get confused. I never do. (heh-heh)

I wonder whoever named the days of extreme heat throughout the land the "dog days". Must not have been anyone who knew cats well.

O.K. all of you F&FF, that's the Funnies for this week, you're on your own now. Just remember to keep laughing and have a fantastic weekend, (or what we retirees call "two normal days".)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

The early 1970's, when KPNX was still KTAR-TV. Producing a weekend newscast. I dressed better during the week.

Quit concentrating on the legs! Dig the pageboy haircut and the love beads. 

Ah, those were the days.

SKY SHOW

After yesterday's rain and hail storm the clouds were forming all around us yesterday evening.

In spite of these threatening clouds, we got no more rain from them. Somewhere I can imagine there was moisture but not where we live. Just an awesome performance by the clouds.

I get the same feeling from watching these immense cloud buildups as I do when seeing photos of our earth taken from space.

Tiny and insignificant.

A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL

Here we go again. Torrential rain and hail at midday in StoneRidge, Prescott Valley, today.

Must be monsoon season.

All pictures free to anyone who can use them. Please credit Bruce Taylor.

TUESDAY TRAVELS

Now where's that Cheney character??!!!

BIRTHDAYS AND EVICTION

There's an interesting collection of birthdays today. 

Nancy Reagan is 94. 

Della Reese is 84.

The Dalai Lama is 80. 

George W. Bush and Sylvester Stallone are 69. 

And, speaking of birthdays, the second trio of young warblers have finally left our front porch. Their parents built a nest atop one of the roof pillars.

Stupidly, when the first batch hatched and fledged, I didn't take the nest down.  So the mama bird, figuring she was popular, came back and laid three more eggs. Eventually the babies were born.

I said "stupidly" a few sentences back because while there are birds about, SWMBO refuses us to use the front patio, which has a table and a couple of chairs and is a thoroughly nice place to enjoy a cocktail in the evening.

These new chicks seemed to hang around the nest for an interminably long time before venturing out into the world.

So we hovered around the front windows watching for progress. When they finally fledged (one at a time) Blackwell joined us at the window staring intently at what he probably considered a tasty snack.

Their first day or two of freedom from their brothers and sisters is spent on our table or chairs, testing their wings and examining the world around them. For a short while they remain to be fed by their parents, as you can see in this short video.

Once they were all three fledged, I pulled the nest down and placed a brass vase in the spot to discourage further nest building.

But there are two more protected niches atop pillars so I took a couple of items from my brass Buddha collection and placed them on the other pillars.

As I told our friends, Rick and Lori from down the block, the porch is starting to resemble a temple! But as long as it keeps the birds from nesting. 

And, after three months of occupation by the warblers, I finally have my front porch back! Happy birthday, indeed.