Monday, September 21, 2020

Saturday, September 19, 2020

A NICE CLIMB

 


For you, maybe. Not for me.

Friday, September 18, 2020

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Oh yes it is.

It's Friday once again.

The day when you put all your troubles aside and enjoy the Friday Funnies.

Shall we begin?
























Whew!

Is that enough?

I think so.

Once again, I want to thank all my contributors for helping me keep this weekly spell of lunacy going.

Keep 'em comin'!

Now if your moods have improved sufficiently, let's all have a great weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(uh-oh, once again)



Thursday, September 17, 2020

ThrowBack Thursday - SNOW!

 A few years ago, I was living across town when a little winter storm blew through.


I was retired so the blue birdbath suffered the most, I think.




This was the view in the front of the house.



But to really see some snow you have to accompany me to North Dakota back in 1966, when a record setting three-day blizzard hit the state.

When the storm finally let up, I began to dig my car out of a snow drift that formed around and over it at the side of my house.


You can see my ham radio operator call sign license plate.

The Chevy Impala was all-white so if I hadn't known where I parked it I might have searched for it for days!

I just thought you folks in the American Southwest and on the West Coast of America might appreciate this little cool-down post.

Monday, September 14, 2020

Saturday, September 12, 2020

SMOKY

 We are far from the California wildfires but the smoke has drifted east.

This was our sunset last night.



This morning's smoke created a strange optical illusion in the sky.



Our sincerest sympathies go to all those affected on the West Coast.

Stay safe. 

Stay strong.

Friday, September 11, 2020

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

What a week!

It seems I start every Friday post with the same whew, am I ever glad that's over!

It just keeps going on and on and on.

So, let's get to the business of the day by beginning with the latest contribution from Wacky Wally.














Okay, something in that collection surely must have made you laugh and improved your general outlook.

I'm not feeling alliterative today so I'll just urge you to have a wonderful weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(awwwww)


Thursday, September 10, 2020

ThrowBack Thursday

 Seven years ago Judy and I visited our longtime friends, Tom and Lana, at their retirement home in Cambria, California.

It was a time of dyads.





Good friends and good art.


Good food.




And good conversation.



Tell me, do you remember the "good old days"?

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

ROAD TRIP

Yes, we did take a little road trip yesterday, in spite of an amazing haze that was blown over from California's forest fires by strong winds.

It was amazing to see the area covered with a gray haze that blocked our normal views.


We drove to Cottonwood, about 50 miles by the route we took and toured Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

There's an amusing story about how that name came about.

Back in the late 1940's a family from Minnesota came to the area looking for a ranch to buy.

They toured a number of ranches and one of them had a dead horse lying near the road.

At the end of their tour the father asked his children which ranch they liked the best.

They were unanimous in saying "The one with the dead horse!"

So they bought it and named it Dead Horse Ranch.

Many years later they sold it to the state to be made into a state park with the proviso that the name remain.

It's been beautifully developed, with three lovely lagoons and many camping areas.




The wildlife we had hoped to see was not abundantly evident, though I did spot a duck.


He was diving and reappearing and diving again, apparently having his dinner from whatever fish lurked below.

Then SWMBO spotted something right next to our parked car.

It's sort of hidden in the shadows under that tree.


Using a telephoto shot we got a closer look.


It was a flock of ducks taking a breather and a nap on this windy day.

Later in a different part of the park we spotted one of our more eccentric birds.


It's the wily Roadrunner!


But rather than run along our road he soon disappeared into the tall grass.

Our park visitation done we headed for a brave destination, one planned for this trip.

Lunch at a favorite restaurant, the Tavern Grille.

And yes, we did dine inside, our first indoor visit to a restaurant since last March.

We were masked until food and beverages arrived.

All of the employees and some of our socially distanced fellow diners were masked as well.

I asked Judy how she felt and she said with a laugh, "It seems so noisy!"

Lunch was great.