THE WIND

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass--
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all--
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song! 

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

MO(O)NDAY

I took this photo of a nearly full moon last week.

Seemed like a fairly nice day with lots of blue sky among the clouds.

Today it's gray and threatening rain.

The gray cat (Henley) was up in our tree and staring at me when I opened the blind early this morning.

He clambered down, jumped up to the wall, turned and froze to stare once more at me, then meandered on his way.

He seemed irritated that I had interrupted his vain attempt to catch a bird for breakfast.

Hmmm, I was just proofreading this post and Googled "gray or grey" to see which one was correct.

The Almighty Google told me that either one was acceptable but that "gray" was more common in the U.S. and "grey" more used in the U.K.

Colorful (colourful) mental forays this Monday morning.

WAYS TO SPEND YOUR MONEY

For some odd reason I visited the annual Home and Garden Show in Prescott Valley yesterday.

Though I had no interest in anything at the show.

I guess I just needed an "outing".

It was jam-packed.

This being the land of the "Old West", a group of people who dress up in vintage costumes was on hand.

There were t-shirts for sale.

And signs celebrating other vintages to hang in your home bar or on your patio, I suppose.

There was a booth offering some kind of rather weird art.

I don't think I'd hang any of those in our home.

There were some large metal sculptures you could put on your lawn, I suppose.

If you wanted a Belgian Malinois puppy, one fellow had a passel of them for sale.

I think this young fellow had the best job at the event.

Hey, how about a new grill for your deck or patio?

Even though it appeared to have a small refrigerator to one side, the *special sale price* still seemed a bit high to me.

If you were just dying to spend even more money, there were some buggies out front that were probably more expensive.

And if you really had money burning a hole in your pocket, pick out a nice trailer or RV!

All in all, plenty to choose from at this year's Home and Garden Show.

A TOO CURIOUS CAT

Henley, a young neighboring cat, came visiting yesterday.

Wanting a drink apparently, he first tried to stretch his body over the edge, then climbed atop the Blue Cat for some extra elevation.

But it was still not comfortable enough for him and before I knew it he had leaped up to the edge of the bird bath and cat fountain.

He balanced on the edge as I tapped on the window to get his attention.

At first he didn't see me so I opened the window and spoke to him.

I hurried to the other room to see if Judy was awake but she wasn't so I returned to my viewing spot.

To find this!

Apparently in his leap down from his precarious perch he had upset the bird bath and it toppled over.

It had landed on a rock but amazingly did not break.

Later as I was telling Judy about it she said there was an unused plant saucer on the patio and I should put it out full of water for the visiting cats.

I did and a short time later when Matty had come by for a brief visit he discovered it and, Judy said, drank long as if he had never seen such good water.

I'm glad they're taken care of and perhaps our bird bath will survive another season.

FRIDAY NEWS

Just a short addendum to the Funnies because several items are news today.

1.  Mick Jagger is dancing again after having heart surgery.  

The U.S. tour has been rescheduled starting next month and ending in August, including a stop in Glendale, Arizona!

This was two days ago as Jagger was rehearing his moves.

2.  Of sadder news, Arizona's famous Grumpy Cat has died at the age of 7.  

Apparently from complications of a urinary tract infection.  

Shed a tear.

3.  And finally, something to celebrate.

It's May 17th.

NORWEGIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Skol!

Once again, have a great weekend.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

To all of you who have encouraged the continuation of these weekly attempts to foist some humor into a dark world I offer my humble thank you.

So lessee, where do we begin?

Lemmee put on my specs and inspect the inventory.

And with that, I shall make my departure.

Dang it all, you, dames, damozels and dudes . . . don't be dejected, dazed or dizzy.  I shall return in just days to differentiate from your dissatisfaction and dolor.

In the meantime, have a delicious weekend and always remember: Keep Laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

LOCAL WILD KINGDOM

SWMBO spotted something on our back yard wall last night.

So before venturing into the unknown, I took a photo.

Then I crept, with the talent of a jungle cat that I possess, a bit closer.

The object did not move but it appeared to be a living creature.

This reptilian denizen had great patience but so, mighty explorer that I am, did I.

Hard to identify but it may be a rather large gecko.

As I turned slightly for a better view, this dinosaur from eons in the past gave me a glare.

Faced with possible potential annihilation, I beat a hasty retreat and left him to his wont.

WATCHING

The Mighty Muralist, aka SWMBO, aka Judy, had her paints out again the other day.

It seems the Rock Turtle needed a touching up.

Last night she put a silicon treatment on the rocks on his back to bring back the shiny tone he had when we first acquired him.

But what struck me  . . . and may cause nightmares . . . were the tiny details she added to brighten his eyes.

What do you think?

There's a certain evil intent showing in that eye, I think.

Enough to put trembling in a grown man.

'Course, she could have really greened him up and made him appear even more vile and dangerous.

(Last picture photo-edited by Catalyst)

TUESDAY

ANOTHER WEEK

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

. . . and don't forget to wash behind your ears!

SKYVIEW

There's a sky full of beautiful clouds in my part of the world today.

Whichever way you look there's a changing panorama.

Sometimes people see images in the sky.

Me?  I just see clouds.

Meantime, a dove in the dead tree next door watches me, wondering "why is that strange human creature pointing his camera up at the sky?"

Just another day in retirement, birdie.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Here I am again . . the late Catalyst.

I seem to be having a slight difficulty in remembering when it's Friday and duty calls.

Perhaps it's about time to end these end of the week comedy jousts.

After all, I am 79 now and what's funny about that?

But never mind.

Let us proceed.

All right, that ought to be enough to get you gleefully through a wicked weekend.

Or not.  

As the case may be.

Just remember this one important thing: always keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .