A-MAZE-ING

PATRIOT WEEK

It seems to me that every week should be Patriot Week.

But be that as it may this week is officially Patriot Week in Prescott Valley.

It started in 2012 when 1,200 flags flew on the green at the Civic Center grounds.

Since then it's been expanded and now some 3,000 flags are there for the victims of 9-11.

Each flagpole represents a victim and has a tag with the name and some information about him or her.

Those with boots represent a policeman or firefighter who died on September 11th, 2001.

The organizers call it the Healing Fields and the local firefighters and civilian volunteers who put up the flags are usually around to answer questions from the curious.

Tonight there will be a youth concert at the Green.

Wednesday evening the reknowned trumpeter Jesse McGuire will headline a concert at the same place.

The flags will stay  in place through next Friday.

As you walk through the field of flags and read some of the cards attached to the poles the solemnity should reach you.

Give it a visit if you're in our area.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Gentle Readers, I am tired.

This has been such a wild and zany week.

I'm sorta glad it's coming to a close.

It is, isn't it?

All right, if Jake says it, then I can believe it.

Fasten your seat belt as I get us to launch speed.

See, it's the way the circles intersect.

Oh, drat, maybe I shouldn't get too complicated here.

I can hear the laughter rollicking around the world on this "lurch" into the weekend.

Now don't lollygag, my lovelies.

Liquefy yourself with liquors or other libations, eat langoustines and lingonberries, do not indulge in lacrimations but remember that liberal LAUGHTER is your aim.

Enjoy yourselves and have a great weekend.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(hmmm, again???)

LET'S HAVE LUNCH!

Do you know what these people have in common?

Other than being an aging "We Like to Have Lunch Bunch", that is?

They are all alumni, of a sort, of working at KTAR/KPNX Television in Phoenix, Arizona.

And they all remain friends and, with varying people in attendance, gather at the Pie Place, aka the Rock Springs Cafe, infrequently.

A couple were new to the group today.

Here's a better picture, taken in front of the cafe, at the end of the visit.

For those who don't recognize them, they are Steve Torbeck of Phoenix, Wally Athey of Glendale, Karl Kindberg of Chandler, Diane Kalas of Sun City, Ron "Babblin'" Brooks and Bruce Taylor, both of Prescott Valley.

I won't embarrass (or honor) them by revealing their individual ages but it totals 457 years on the planet.

And counting.

MY NEIGHBOR

You may have read posts here about my neighbor, the Fire Captain, the Gardener, etc.

But here's the real Star of the Show.

His name is Matty (or Mattie).

When I first met him, on the first day we were here, I called him Slim Shady.

But later after I met his owner, the aforementioned Fire Captain/Gardener . . . I thought he said his (her) name was Maddy (Maddie).

He said that was his/her original name but when they discovered she was a he they changed the name to Matty (Mattie).

(It has now become obvious that I don't know how his name is spelled.)

He's about the friendliest neighbor we've ever had.

Whenever I open the garage door he appears from under the trees and shrubbery in the front yard or comes running from across the street.

He darted into the house one day as I opened the door but I chased him back out quickly.

I've been told his friendliness is because the previous tenant here used to feed him canned cat food.

Captain Doug told me that was not necessary because in spite of his slender shape he is well-fed at home.

But he still comes by on a near daily basis for his pets and pats and we love him as if he were our own.

LOOKIN' BACK ATYA!

We took a drive a week or so ago and were admiring some of the towering clouds up over the mountains.

Pretty dramatic but even more so when you see something else up there.

Could that be . . .

. . . a late singer noted for his beautiful voice and his trademark dark shades.

The legendary Roy Orbison in his early pompadour days!

But wait!

There's more.

There's a familiar face in the clouds.

Did you recognize it?

Well, of course.

It's the Rubber Ducky!

Okay, laugh if you will.

It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

STURM UND DRANG

The rumbling of thunder yesterday evening brought me out to view the sky.

It looked like some Labor Day weekend barbecues were about to be ruined.

The ominous clouds moved around the sky as we sat and watched but that distant rainfall stayed distant.

My friend Phil was out touring the countryside (and a stop for pork sliders and beer!) but returned home to Chino Valley to find a neighborhood covered in hail stones.

He said Sedona also got hail.

But here in the friendly confines of Prescott Valley the precipitation just hopped past  and no hail fell to bug us.

SPICY TOM

Do you know what that is?

I'll give you a hint.

The picture was taken on our rear patio yesterday evening as the sun was heading over the yardarm, so to speak.

Okay, I'll tell you.

The red orb was the tiniest but perfect little cherry tomato from our vine.

I'd say about half an inch in diameter.

Judy plucked it and handed it to me and I . . . .

. . . . dropped it into my glass of vodka and soda.

SWMBO has taught me to never eat fruit or vegetables without washing them first but after 20 minutes or so of floating in that concoction I figured it was clean and popped it into my mouth.

Wow!

I've always heard of how much better a freshly grown tomato is from the kind you buy in the grocery store but had never really noticed it myself.

But this little rascal exploded with wonderful spicy tomato flavor in my mouth.

I may have just invented a new version of the "martini with three olives".

SATURDAY SATORI

The BRD sent a couple of pictures for, as she said, "your Saturday".

Um, thanks, daughter.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Oh joy.

Oh thoughts of reckless abandon.

Oh moments of fickle fun.

It's FRIDAY!

And, of course, that brings us to the Friday Funnies!

So turn on your Giggle Control Module.

All right, then, I think you Gentle Readers have been entertained.

Now it's time for you to zip into a zany weekend, singing zealously from atop a ziggurat, sizzling a steak on the grill and ending your meal with zabaglione and a general zombification before catching some z's.

But always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

SPEAKING OF GAYLE . . .

. . . oh, I wasn't?

Well I should, more often.

The BRD came over to help her mother out with a little but strenuous project and afterwards the three of us went to lunch.

It was fun.

The lunch, that is.

HOT ENOUGH FOR YA?

Chill, baby.

R.I.P.

John McCain

August 29, 1936 - August 25, 2018

A Public Servant

A NEW TOWN CELEBRATES ITS GROWTH

The town I live in, Prescott Valley, Arizona, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend.

In 1978, the year it was incorporated, around 1,500 people lived here.

Now the population is around 45,000 and it is the 20th largest city in Arizona.

(The much older city of Prescott stands at 23rd.)

All of which is to say that the town is whooping it up this weekend.

The streets that run past the town's civic center have been blocked off and food trucks are in place.

Just a few steps away a classic car show is taking center stage.

A car I longed for before I was old enough to drive, a 1950 MG.

The rear of it sported a classy leather suitcase embossed with labels of where it might have traveled back in the day.

On down the street, cars in a myriad of bright colors.

A row of reds, anchored by a very rare Reatta.

Handmade by the Buick Motor Company, it only lasted a few years, due to vibration problems.

The owner of this one said there are a grand total of six members of the Reatta club in Arizona.

Here's one from my era - a '55 Chevy.

A classic and patriotic T-Bird.

The owner of this old buggy told me he was ordered to shave twice a day when he was in the army because of his quick-growing beard.

He said when he got out in 1957 he said "that's it" and he hadn't shaved since.

His lady told me it had been cut back from time to time because of danger from campfires and he said it had been down to his waist at one time or another.

The owner of this beautiful piece of work obviously has a sense of humor.

Check out the rear window.

There were some other indications of humor on display.

A hood "ornament".

That dog may be down to bones but he's still gripping his bone!

A California visitor showed off a shirt from an earlier car show.

Oh and there were at least a couple of what are known as "rat rods".

Nearby, the Theatre on the Green Main Stage was busily being wired for sound in preparation for two days of events and musical concerts.

The weekend includes an Antiques Roadshow style event, a free ice cream social, tribute bands, the largest fireworks show in Northern Arizona and much more.

This little town has come a long way from its earliest days.