FRIDAY FUNNIES

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, it's gonna be a great day.

How could it not be?

Today we get the Friday Funnies!

Just to get the day started right, I'm going to lead off with my favorite this week.

I don't know about you but I think that's funny.

O.K.  Onward!

I think that one's my second favorite.

And speaking of cat . . .

Have a great weekend, Gentle Readers, and always, always remember to keep laughing!

THROWBACK THURSDAY

50 years ago today a bill was signed into law by President Lyndon Baines Johnson creating Medicare and Medicaid. It was signed in the Truman Library with former President Harry S Truman on hand.

In this picture taken at the signing are President Johnson, former U.S. Senator Mike Mansfield, Lady Bird Johnson, President Truman, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Bess Truman.

All of them are gone now.

But Medicare lives on to benefit the citizens of the United States of America.

WET WEDNESDAY? I WISH.

The monsoon has been returning to Arizona and there are rain predictions for my part of the state today and tomorrow. But I took a look at the radar predictions and, typically, while there are indications that there will be rain all around us . . it doesn't look like any of that necessary moisture will fall "on" us.

So I guess I'll have to use the hose once again to drop some water on SWMBO's new mint plant.

The plant sits in a pot right underneath the hose faucet so it gets a few drops whenever the hose is turned on or off and I spray some more on it when I'm filling the bird bath. So it appears to be doing well.

There's nothing quite like the wonderful smell of a freshly torn-off leaf and the taste of some diced-up in a fruit salad.

And then there are the words of a young woman poet named Lauren, whose work I found on the web.

"i was never a big fan of mint, but after you kissed me, with those sweet spearmint lips of yours, i was hooked."

Now that alone should make you want to start your own mint plant!

TUESDAY TRAVELS

As promised last week, today we're going abroad.

Well, not far abroad.

Just across our northern border to Canada.

And in deference to our polite neighbors, NO SHORTS THIS WEEK!

Next week, we'll complete the trip.

Stay tuned.

BUZZZZZZZ

Busy as a bee.

SNARLED

Where would you rather live?

Los Angeles?

Or Phoenix?

Looks like a toss-up to me.

HAWK SHOP

My neighbor, Lori Down the Block, had a lucky break the other day. She has a nice fountain in her front yard, directly out from her kitchen sink where she does dishes. As she was doing that on Thursday she glanced up and saw this out the window.

This hawk had his eagle eye right on her so she ducked down and hurried to get her camera, then returned and snapped a couple of shots before he flew away.

It's probably a Cooper's Hawk. They seem to be prevalent to the area though one doesn't usually get this good a look at one.

She sent me the photos with great excitement and gave me permission to post them on my blog.

I used my photo software to crop them a bit and make the bird bigger on my screen.

Since these birds spend a lot of time in the air I'm not sure why his feet would be hot but he certainly seems to be enjoying soaking them in the cool running water of the fountain.

He may be a scavenger but he seems like a noble creature as he posed for his photo.

Thanks to my neighborhood Hawk Host and Photographer Lori for the quick work.