"Hmmmm......."

A quandary stares me in the face.

What shall I post about today in this blog to entertain, amuse or confound you, my Gentle Readers.

Perhaps something about how I should refrain from touching my face, even my beard.

Or perhaps a soul-baring dissertation on how said beard needs trimming.

Ah, the weather!

It is sunny today and the mercury is on the rise.

The omniscient Weather Gods assure me that this leonine month shall live up to it's reputation and our first 70 degree day will arrive on the 31st.

71, in fact.

I am ready for it.

Let's see, oh yes, next month holds a monumental birthday for me as I become an octogenarian!

But I'll save commentary on that event for later.

Well, there's always food.

As I have said, we are well-stocked and last night SWMBO, aka Madame Judy, got artistic while crafting two salads for our repast.

As I recall there are cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion and avocado.

But she opined (and I agreed) that the stars of the show were those fresh little sugar peas in their pods.

The product of my Master Salad Maker tasted as good as it looks.

Some of you have wondered why I refer to her sometimes as SWMBO.

If you look up at the top right column on this page you'll see that SWMBO stands for She Who Must Be Obeyed.

As to how she got that name . . .

And by the way we have a visitor this morning, our neighboring rental cat Matty.

After devouring a snack and drinking some water he has repaired to his customary spot on the couch for a little (or long) nap.

And with that, there you have it, dear friends, another rambling essay about life inside our four walls.

The Covid-19 virus is out there, it's real and it's dangerous, especially to we octo-people.

So stay inside, eat your veggies, wash your hands and be well.

TTFN (ta-ta for now).

CHECKING THE SKY

We've been having a spattering of light rain here this afternoon.

Earlier, I was out looking at the sky.

To the East

 To the South.

To the West

And to the North.

A little bit of something for everyone today.

SHOPPING TRIP

TAKING NO CHANCES

Once the video starts, click the square in the lower right corner to make it "full screen".

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Gentle Readers, I hope you're all well and taking proper precautions to protect yourselves from the Covid-19 virus.

It may seem unfeeling of me to present this weekly foray into cartoons during this trying time.

But I think we all need a brief respite from the troubles and the opportunity to smile and even laugh a little.

So, with apologies to anyone who may be offended, let us begin.

And with that (I hear you groaning) I shall return you to your regular programming.

Now let's all be smart, careful and relaxed this first weekend of Spring.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

In the Northern Hemisphere today is the March Equinox, which marks the first day of Spring.

South of the Equator, it's the first day of Autumn.

This is the earliest the Equinox has arrived since 1896.

That's 124 years ago!

Which may account for how Spring looked in my neighborhood.

Yes, this is Arizona and yes, it snowed again last night.

Though in our Central Highlands, as shown by the top of my dumpster this morning, it was more rain than snow.

Nevertheless, the Blue Cat was not amused.

However what snow we received should melt off today and the Weather Gods tell us the high temperature Sunday will be in the lower 60's.

But to our north it may take awhile as Flagstaff, only about 80 miles away by road, received 11 and a half inches by early this morning.

So, if you're heading for the Northland today don't be too aggressive.

Remember, it's also ThrowBack Thursday!

(stock photo)

(nearly) WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

SLÁINTE!

Since we're self quarantined, we may as well enjoy the day, eh?

MAD MONDAY

Yes, it is Monday and the markets are reacting to the government's efforts to buoy up the economy* by dropping like a rock.

The man who (sometimes) occupies the Oval Office must be tearing his hair out.

* Actually I think they're reacting to the coronavirus pandemic.

And we seem to be reacting to it too.

I got a handful of cartoons from Crosstown Lori over the weekend and several dealt with that subject.

For example . . .

And there's the continued unexplained panic buying of those round, white rolls of relief.

SWMBO and The BRD went out to lunch Saturday but Judy told her daughter that's the last time she's going to venture out for the foreseeable future.

She and I, because of our ages and various health infirmities, are among the population most in danger from the virus.

And I rarely venture out except to buy groceries and visit doctors.

(I've often said that if I didn't have my doctor appointments I'd have no social life at all.)

And "the girls" are suggesting that I avoid the grocery stores and either order on-line and then pick up the goods outside of the store or have them delivered.

I may try that.

It's a strange world we are being forced to live in but I guess we have to obey the new rules if we want to live at all.

Stay well, Gentle Readers, and don't forget to wash your hands.

Often.

A LITTLE CONFUSION

Spring?

Or not?

(Both photos shot the same day within a mile or two of each other.)

JUST GOT BACK FROM COSTCO

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Dear Gentle Readers, if you're like me you've been struggling through another week, full of dire news about the coronavirus, the stock market, cancellations of virtually all events where people gather together and contradictory statements from "the people in charge".

And then we wake up this morning and learn that it is Friday the 13th!

I've got admit, I had never heard of a thundershirt and had to have my humor supplier, Wacky Wally, explain it to me.

But anyway, after a week like that, we all need a little levity so here goes.

And then there's this one, a little off the subject but it tickled me.

So that's it, ladies and gentlemen.

Now without alliteration but with all the hope and grins I can offer, have yourselves a great weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(. . . everyone wants to get in on the act . . .)

WET WEATHER

Wet and wetter.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

A TALE OF A TREE

You frequent readers of Oddball Observations have followed our adventures with the avian visitors to our back yard, and to our bird bath.

You may recall that there used to be a fairly tall though fragile tree next to it which gave the birdies a place to perch whilst waiting their turn to get a drink or, horror of horrors, actually take a bath.

If your minds have not been permanently altered by reading my observations through the years you may recall the sad day late last July when we lost that tree.

If you don't recall that tragic event you can renew your memories by reading about it here.

If you're back now I will remind you that SWMBO had a brainstorm involving buying an artificial tree and planting it where the real tree had once towered so the birdies could eventually once again have a place to perch whilst waiting their turn . . . well, you know.

So a small artificial tree was procured and "planted".

Now let me tell you of the wisdom of doing such a thing in a part of the country where the wind frequently blows like crazy!

Here is the bird perch today.

(It's windy, by the way.)

You may be able to tell that that poor excuse for natural flora has been stripped of great quantities of it's fake leaves.

That is not fake news.

Here, and at other locations scattered around the yard, is the proof.

SWMBO has expressed a Panglossian (damn, I love that word!) view that she will somehow rescue the scattered leaves and restore them to that ridiculous stub.

My more pragmatic view is the one I expressed when the original tree blew down.

Never tweak the Weather Gods.

GUEST BLOGGER

She's back.  

SWMBO (Judith Taylor) writes today about the food of her childhood:

Produce

When I was growing up in the middle of Indiana we lived on a four acre family compound consisting of my grandparents' house down a long lane toward the creek and our house up by the road.

We grew much of what we ate.  

Today, for some reason, I started thinking of all the things we took for granted.  

There were many trees that produced cherries, pears, yellow apples, red apples, paw-paws, peaches and  persimmons.  

There were also Concord grapes on an arbor and blackberries and raspberries in a briar patch.  

Asparagus and rhubarb came up spring after spring.

Then the hard work started as soon as the weather warmed a bit.  

Huge gardens were planted.  

Salads grew in our back yard, consisting of leaf lettuce, green onions, radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes.

We also planted old dependables: yellow onions, green peas, green beans, white potatoes, sweet corn, pumpkins, squash and cabbage.

Although they weren't on our four acres, if we went back into the woods in the spring we could sometimes luck out with a discovery of a big bunch of morel mushrooms which my mother would dip in beaten egg and flour and fry in lard.  

It was hard to wait for them to reach the table.

Throughout the summer, as things came ready, we canned everything that could be canned, looking forward to the long winter.

Pears and peaches were preserved in a light sugar syrup and my grandmother would drop a few Red-Hot candies into the jars of pears before they were sealed.  

They made the pears slightly pink and yummy looking.

Apples became applesauce before canning.  

Grape juice was bottled, but never became wine.  

Persimmons were turned into pulp and made into pudding later.  

Cucumbers became pickles and were saved in big crocks with heavy lids.

The root cellar at grandmother's house held bushel baskets filled with potatoes, apples and onions.

Bees made all the honey we could consume, right there in the orchard.

And we were considered poor.

OH, LORRAINE!

My favorite cook, SWMBO, made a Quiche Lorraine for our Sunday brunch meal today.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was French.

TOWNES VAN ZANDT

I learned from reading The Writer's Almanac by Garrison Keillor that the legendary Texas song writer and performer, Townes Van Zandt, was born on this day in 1944.

One of his most well-known songs is Pancho and Lefty, which was recorded by (among others) Willy Nelson and Merle Haggard.

Before we hear it, though, listen to Van Zandt himself telling how he came to write it.

Townes was a troubled man, suffering from what is now known as bipolarism and addicted to alcohol and various illicit drugs.

He died on New Year's Day in 1997, at the age of 52.

In this video of Pancho and Lefty, he can be seen several times in cameos.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Good morning Gentle Readers and all you other screwballs!

I hope your week was better, you look good in a mask, and you're about ready to have your lives disrupted with Daylight Savings Time.

As you may have guessed, it is time (heh-heh) once again for the Friday frolic.

Brace yourselves.

Okay, here come the puns:

And finally . . .

With those wise words, I shall wander willingly and wryly away, whooping wickedly, off to check Wall Street and the weather and wishing you all a wholeheartedly great weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .