BORN TO BE WILD

Yesterday's post about the bold, daring and never-stopping DK prompted a tip from Jager in the comments:  "Get your motor running.  Steppenwolf"

Once I looked that song up on You Tube and listened to it I knew it was the perfect refrain to follow the DK birthday post.

AN ADVENTUROUS WOMAN

Did you ever think, "I wonder what my life would be like if I ever lived to 85?"

Well those of us still around are getting closer and closer to that age.

For instance a friend of mine who I'll refer to as DK.

She just celebrated her 85th birthday and a lot of family surprised her at a gathering.

As you can probably figure out that little lady in the black top and white trousers in the center of the picture is DK.

She thought she was just going to a daughter's house for a barbecue.

But another daughter suddenly appeared.

And then her son and a grandson.

And then another grandson.

And on and on until this happy crowd had assembled around the matriarch.

Now you might figure that is enough excitement for any person.

But you have to hear the rest of the story.

You see DK and a friend had just returned the day before from a trip that took them to London, then on to a Viking cruise ship on the Danube River which took them to Budapest, Bucharest and many points in between.

And this is a lady who was on another cruise a few months ago that took her to Cuba!

DK is an adventurous woman, all right, and when she finally passes on, (many years in the future, most likely), I think they'll have to confiscate her passport and nail the coffin shut!

Happy Birthday, pal.

JUST CHILLIN'

A HAPPY SAILOR

Some of you Gentle Readers may remember my post (link here) about Webb Chiles, a 75 year old man in the midst of his 6th circumnavigation of the globe in a small (24 foot) sailboat.

Well I am pleased to relay that he has successfully sailed from Durban, South Africa (having started off from New Zealand a year ago) to Saint Helena island in the mid-Atlantic; thence on to St. Lucia island in the Eastern Caribbean for a week's respite.

And around two weeks ago he set off again and has made port in Marathon, Florida.

The last leg of his journey included many days of happy sailing and the tough old buzzard posted this photo of himself enjoying one of those days.

(Apologies, Webb.  I lightened the picture somewhat to better show off your glowing grin!)

As I have said before you can read his own account of his adventures, misadventures and plans for the future here (Webb Chiles log).

As he takes a break from his journey all I can say, once again, is "Well done, sailor!"

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Yeah, I know, you're all saying, "Where is he?  Where are our Friday Funnies?  I know he's old but do you suppose he died?"

So I answer, "I'm here.  They're here.  No, I haven't.  Yet."

Even the great ones start slowly some days.

As for those "old" comments, I can do those myself.

So let me just get some breakfast here.

All right, are you happy now?

Are you smilin'?

That's the right spirit.

Now just maintain that special elan (you can Google that) and have yourselves a splendiferous (or that) weekend.

Oh, and always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(Uh-oh, he's been up to something again.)

BLUE WATER

I have chosen today to give all of you (and us) a break from my stories of moving and show you a little of Arizona's beauty.

This is Watson Lake, which sits between Prescott and Prescott Valley.

It is actually a reservoir, as I'm sure the Arizona writer Katie Lee would call it.

That is how she twits the lovers of Lake Powell, near the border with Utah.

But reservoir or not it doesn't detract from the natural beauty of that blue, blue water on a sunny day.

Just a few feet away and looking a different direction one can understand why this area is called the Granite Dells.

The granite outcroppings are perfect for scaling either by amateurs or paramedics practicing their skills.

If you are of a certain age it is easy to remember the cowboy actor Tom Mix and his horse Tony galloping around this area.

Long, long ago.

It's a great place for boating or birding or a picnic or for hiking the four mile trail around the lake, though this old man has never tried the circumnavigation.

And the Peavine Trail even links all the way to Prescott Valley.

(Watch for rattlesnakes!)

Now, with apologies to Marlin Perkins, so ends this edition of Wild Kingdom.

LEASE SIGNING

We signed a lease for the "next" home today and learned to our great surprise that the rent is $50 less than we had previously thought!

😁   😁

Does that look like a couple of happy campers?

Every fifty bucks helps these days.

Moving day is set for June 1st but it looks like we'll gain access to the duplex a few days before that so we can begin taking small things over and storing them prior to moving day.

Tonight, acting on a suggestion from SWMBO that I had already been thinking about, I moved my printer from a stand on the left side of my desk over to the right side of my desk top. 

That frees up some more space and it's actually going to be handier than it has been.

(I am, after all, right-handed.)

((The teensy-tiny bit of dust on the top of the stand in the first picture is entirely of my doing, having absolutely nothing to do with SWMBO or her house-cleaning abilities.  Don't judge.))

I am getting more and more enthused about down-sizing.

As my friend Scott, aka "Low and Slow" from the Flight Plan blog, told me "It's a pleasant, stress-free way to live."

And when you're a couple in your late 70's/early 80's, it is definitely time to down-size.

And so . . . the beat goes on.

(Remember these two youngsters?)