Tummy Tickling Tuesday - just for laughs!
(Thanks, Wally)
Today is the second day of Spring, in the year 2022.
But the temperature here in the Central Highlands of Arizona is running in the 50's and it's accompanied today by a sharp breeze which puts a bit of an edge on The New Season.
Not only that, look what appeared since yesterday on the Bradshaws, just south of town.
Yes, Gentle Readers, those white spots are fresh snow!
But never fear.
The flowering fruit trees here in the more civilized city are taking their cues from the calendar, not the Weather Gods.
So Spring actually has made it's entrance and it's going to make itself even more apparent as this week moves on.
By next weekend, the mercury is predicted to have warmed into the 70's here and, Arizona Haters, into the 90's already down in the Big Valley of Phoenix.
And it's still March.
Up here in the north, it is, indeed, the day of the Vernal Equinox.
On this day the sun is directly over the Equator, which means that every place on earth has exactly equal amounts of sunlight and darkness: 12 hours.
But up here the weather will slowly get warmer while south of the Equator, it will get cooler.
Allegedly.
And there's this:
Some early birds among us are already perusing seed catalogs or visiting plant nurseries to rush the season.
Others just take the changing seasons in stride and with total boredom.
If you're like Ella Fitzgerald, singing . .
Spring is here
Why doesn't my heart go dancing?
Spring is here
Why isn't the waltz entrancing?
. . then you may understand the ennui of that feline above, our Visiting Cat, Matty, catnip sedated and ready for his nap.
I was curious about this pickup truck parked seemingly forever on a rocky mound in front of a new strip mall being built nearby.
So I went to check on it.
Well, surprise!
This "pickup" wasn't going anywhere.
It appears to be sculpted.
But what's even more surprising was what the rear of the "truck" displayed.
That's right.
A constantly flowing gusher of water.
But it wasn't pouring off into the street.
What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is someone's idea of a fountain.
What will they think of next?
How are we all doing today?
Head ache a little from all that Hibernian Hell-Raisin' yesterday?
Well, if St. Patrick can drive the snakes out of Ireland, I can surely drive the pain out of your body with a little humor.
In respect to those aches and pains our subject today is aging.
Brace yourselves.
There now.
Feeling better?
Me neither.
Oh well, as long as you can still laugh you're all right.
So always remember to keep laughing and have a cautiously wonderful weekend.
Here, kitty-kitty . . .
(. . . oh, ouch . . .)
For those of you steeped in mythology (or green beer), your time has come.
It is St. Patrick's Day!
Last night the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame defeated Rutgers in TWO OVERTIMES to make their way into the 64-team field who begin competition today in the annual NCAA Basketball Tournament.
It was truly March Madness so once again the Irish among you have something to celebrate.
As for the other mythology of the day, there's this:
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Sláinte!
I broke my fast early this morning with a sizable slice of that Dutch Apple Pie my beloved baked yesterday.
And I topped it with two small scoops of vanilla ice cream.
All at around 8:30 a.m.
It was wonderful!
And now that Pi Day has been noted and celebrated, we can get on to the next festive mark on the calendar.
Far be it from me to attempt to bake a pie on Pi Day.
But that may be because I have one of the finest chefs in the world living under my roof.
She took up the challenge.
Here is her product, fresh out of the oven.
That's Judy's Dutch Apple Pie.
What makes it a "Dutch" apple pie, you may be asking.
I did.
She told me it's because it has a crumb topping rather than a second crust.
I just know that I love it.
And I love her.
But not so much that I couldn't play around with it a little bit.
March Fourteenth.
I guess you know what that is.
Yup, it's PI Day - 3.14.
Thank Wacky Wally for reminding you.
We had one of those days yesterday that makes one realize how ingrained the Internet has become in one's life.
Our router had died sometime Friday night and we no longer had the Web.
Or Netflix or Amazon on our t.v.
And a tech could not come out until today.
But he has been here and installed a new router and everything is all right with the world again.
So I can post a meme that Comical Carol sent me on Friday and which I had intended to post yesterday.
Some books you might wish to seek out.
Here we go again.
It's over.
The week is over.
And it's time for a scintillating weekend, y'all.
Or should I say y'all y'all.
Whichever it is, have yourselves a lovely weekend.
And always remember to keep laughing!
Here, kitty-kitty . . .
A friend who knew me 50 some years ago sent me a photo she'd found of me recently.
While I recognize myself with the growing mutton chop sideburns and a trace of a nascent moustache I have no memory of the identity of the charming young lady sharing the picture with me.
Over the years I've been writing this blog . . .
(. . . 14 now! Will he never shut up?)
. . . I have from time to time thought I should explain how I picked the name of my avatar - Catalyst.
It's pretty simple.
An on-line dictionary defines that word as "a person or thing that precipitates an event" and uses as an example "the governor's speech acted as a catalyst for debate".
I don't pretend to be a governor or any other politician.
I just wanted to act as a precipitator of thought, of discussion, and - more and more these days - of humor.
But various and sundry of my commenters have referred to me from time to time as Cat, shortening the word.
And I can appreciate that for my love of a certain species.
So I thought I'd take you through the years with some of my friends.
Way back in 1972, as we were proceeding merrily from Indiana to Arizona, camping along the route, we had our first two members of this tribe with us.