THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX

Here in the Northern Hemisphere the Autumnal Equinox arrived at 12:50 this morning.

What that means is the sun crossed the equator heading south.

And what that means is that Autumn, or Fall, is finally here.

And in my part of the Northern Hemisphere, the Central Highlands of Arizona, it arrived with a bang.

Yesterday was sunny and warm, with a high temperature in the low 80's.

Today it is cloudy and rainy with a high in the upper 50's.

Fall has definitely fell.

And Matty is appreciating yet another warm nap in his semi-adopted home across the street from where he lives.

Meanwhile, a story from the weekend.

Gayle, also known as the BRD - Beautiful Rich Daughter, attended an art event.

A woman came up to her and said she had a question that might sound weird if Gayle wasn't who she thought she was.

The woman asked if she was ever referred to as the BRD.

"Of course!", Gayle replied.

Turns out the lady is a regular follower of this blog.

Later another woman came up and asked if Gayle had been part of the Yavapai Regional Medical Center campaign against breast cancer.

Again, she replied in the affirmative, having posed with another woman for a photograph, several years ago, as part of that campaign which still runs occasionally.

The BRD said it was neat to be recognized.

And a bit later a friend of hers came in and it turned out she was friends with both of the other women.

So now maybe I'll have to start referring to her as the BR&FD, or the Beautiful Rich and Famous Daughter.

Once in awhile life do get interestin'.

VISICAT

I've showed you Matty before.

He belongs to the people across the street but he likes us, it seems, and our cat treats and our catnip and most of all our couch.

So he comes in, gets a snack and some petting, sometimes some catnip and then he tucks himself in and naps for hours on the couch.

And SWMBO keeps letting him in.

Sort of cat therapy, I guess.

MY GIRL

I love this picture of Judy, aka SWMBO.

I keep telling her it's perfect for the book jacket of her novel.

(If she'd ever get around to getting it published.)

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Hey big news from the Democratic presidential race.

New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio has dropped out, saying, "It's clearly not my time."

Oooooooh, that was mean.

Listen up, folks, it's time for the Friday Funnies so let's dig right in.

Once again your catalyst Catalyst ends with a groaner.

Now, you capricious characters, I want you to caper carniverously and carefully through the camouflage and cacti, countermanding cacklers and candlesnuffers.

In short, have a great weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

CAR SHOW

I drove past a sizeable car show today but I just wasn't in the mood.

And I've done car shows frequently in the past.

So you'll just have to use your imagination.

But try this on: my Arizona State University Sun Devils beat Michigan State today for the second year in a row.

This year on the Michigan team's home field.

And with our new Freshman Quarterback.

That made my day.

I hope your team won.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Why yes, I did remember what day this is.

Oh, no, I just realized it's not just Friday.

It's Friday the 13th!

So shall we deal with bad luck and misfortune this week?

Let's see.

All right now, let's ALL be positive this weekend and have a rollicking great time.

And always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oooooooooh)

TBT - BOO!

Ah, it's ThrowBack Thursday once again and I thought I'd feature the lovely lady I've been married to for close to half a century.

Well, about a year and a half shy of that but even so . . .

When I have shown her on these posts over the years, people have commented on her beauty.

And she was beautiful even on a Halloween night some years ago.

That was the year she goblinized herself to scare the little trick-or-treaters who appeared at our door.

Truth be told, she even frightened me.

THE BIG APPLE

Just let the following song play while you're viewing the rest of this post.

The BRD and her Beau Jack have just returned from a little visit to the city that never sleeps.

Here's proof.

Both attired in standard New York goth black as they took a ride in this pedal cab.

This was the view from their hotel room.

This was the view from a ferry ride they took.

They spent a whole day at Grand Central Station, visiting a couple of bars, the market of food shops, and even witnessing a wedding at The Clock.

They visited the Top of the Rock, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Central Park.

And one must never forget that Manhattan is an island.

New Jersey at twilight.

And just before this anniversary of the horrible event in 2001, they visited the sacred park on the site of the twin towers bombing.

It was only a few days but they covered a lot of ground.

But the BRD says there's plenty left for the NEXT visit.

TOTALED TOMATOES

Our tomato plant has shriveled and dried so SWMBO hacked it to the ground last night and plucked off the Final Harvest.

They make a nice tomato cocktail, I thought.

But as I was gazing on them today I was taken back.

Back to the 1970's, I'd guess, and a tale told by the legendary Mason Williams.

Turn up your volume and listen carefully.

el Visitante

Regular readers of this blog will know that we have become over time a "catless" couple.

We have determined that at our age we shall remain that way.

Except . . .

One of our neighbors has a cat that apparently visits numerous homes in this area.

Matty is an extremely friendly beggar who has found that he will get a small treat from me each day and a small pinch of catnip.

He wolfs down the kitty treats, eats a bit of the catnip and rolls luxuriously in the remainder and then settles in on our couch for a nap.

Yesterday he slept there for hours.

Today just a "cat nap" before taking his leave.

But long enough for me to take his picture.

He and we both appreciate his visits, which have become daily since he learned he can get cat treats here.

My daily cat calendar page today features a beautiful golden kitty and what passes itself off as an Italian proverb: "Happy is the home with at least one cat."

Even if he's just a visitor.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Ah, Gentle Readers, here we are once again.

Nearing the end of a week, a grim one for residents of the Bahamas.

So we must gather ourselves up and venture forth with a tear in our eye but a smile on our face.

Onward!

If we can only trust the map.

You knew I couldn't skip along without leaving you a g-r-o-a-n-i-n-g pun, didn't you?

Now then, my friends, I want you to ride into the days ahead and have a wildly wonderful weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(okay, you can bring a friend)