FUN AT THE LIBRARY

In the lobby of the Prescott Valley Library is a wonderland of art objects. In previous posts, I've shown you the dragonfly and the bottlebrush tree. Today we wind it up with the true stars of the show.

If you use your imagination, you can almost see that big fish swimming under water.

But his neighbor, inching along, says there is no water.

Unless, of course, he's a sea snail, wearing his heart on his front.

TUESDAY TRAVELS

Home at last!

Right back where I began in 1940. Moved away in 1969. Returned (for a visit) in 1988.

And this retires the "shorts" pictures.

Oh, no! 

There's one more.

Next week. 

I know you can't wait.

BOTTLEBRUSH TREE

Actually someone (me?) was having a bit of fun with this art creation at the lobby of the library.

Here's what a real bottlebrush tree looks like.

It's beautiful in full bloom. But messy.

It molts, you see, and drops its blossoms all over your patio or yard. Cleaning it all up is a real chore.

Better the one at the library.

STAY AWAY!

I'm not sure what this cactus plant is called (perhaps some of my readers know) but I don't believe I would want to argue with it. It looks like it would make a good hedge to keep critters and humans out of your yard. Several of these have been planted in front of the Prescott Valley Library but they're just decorative. There are sidewalks around them.

LONESOME DOVE(S)

Nice piece of music to go along with a great story by Larry McMurtry and acting by Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane, Angelica Huston and many others.

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.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Ready?

One - Two - Three - Prepare to be amused.

O.K. Gentle Readers and Friday Amusees. That's it.

What?

Oh, the cat.

Nearly forgot.

Have a great weekend, thanks to my contributors/theft victims and always remember to keep laughing.  Ta-ta.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

What was called, back in the day (1972), the "glamour shot". It was taken at a professional photography studio in order to mark my arrival as a news reporter at was then KTAR-TV in Phoenix, Arizona. The call letters were changed to KPNX-TV some years later.

I don't know how glamorous this photo was, considering that weird Lincoln-esque beard I was wearing at the time. I do know that a couple of my bosses were against me wearing it because I was going to be on the air but no one had the courage to tell me to shave it off.

Nowadays, HR would protect it. And besides, facial hair is in once again.

Matt Lauer

Ron Burgundy

Stephen Colbert

David Letterman

Maybe I was just ahead of my time!

UPDATE: THE CAT TREE

I said, in my previous post earlier today, Blackwell would enjoy his cubbyhole until he got bored with it. Or, SWMBO said, until it gets too warm. 

It must have because this is where I found him after I returned from an errand-filled shopping trip.

Yes, that's the big black blob up on top, several stories up from his bungalow.

Meanwhile.

SWMBO asked me to take some pictures of the grooves in the wood support post and ask your opinions. They used to be covered with carpet like the rest of the tree. But much clawing tore it to a frazzled mess and she eventually removed it. That didn't stop the cats . . . predominately Muggles . . . who then proceeded to claw the wood.

Now I know cats claw trees when they're outside.

But this looks like it could be painful.

Maybe inflict splinters in tender paws.

I think it should be re-covered with the available carpet just waiting for it. But SWMBO said she's not sure.

So she asked me to poll you, Gentle Readers.

Should the wood be re-covered with plushy carpeting or should it be left bare, as it presently is.

Curious Oddballs want to know.

Muggles, in the meantime, is snoozing through it on the couch.