BLUE SKIES

 I wandered out to the driveway a little while ago to take advantage of some of the voluptuous bright sunshine today.

It's a balmy Arizona day - the thermometer registers 54 degrees F - 12 degrees C.

And to those of you who think all of Arizona is the desert with winters in the 70's and 80's, this is typical Thanksgiving week weather for where in the state I live.

As I've explained many times previously, we are 80 miles from Phoenix and in the low mountain range at approximately a mile high.

That compares with the Phoenix Valley at around 900 feet elevation.

So anyway, there I was in the driveway and the coolish sunshine and I thought I'd snap a picture of our beautiful blue sky.

Pretty pristine, huh?

Not a bird in the sky to disturb my reverie.

But wait!

What's that droning sound?

Aha!

There's someone else out to enjoy the day.

I'll zoom in.

Yup.

Seems like there's always an airplane in the neighborhood.

Oh well, at least this one is high enough that I can barely hear his engine(s).

What's you neighborhood look like today?

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

(Update to the below. After changing the battery in the remote opener, watching a short video on Google and employing their tips, the garage door opener is now working properly and remotely.)

So we waited two months for a repairman to come and fix our garage door.

He was here yesterday and got it all done and working again.

All except the remote, which he said is probably worn out and can't be repaired.

So we still have to get out of the car and go inside the house to push the button that raises or lowers the door.

But I'm not giving up.

Today I'm going to search the Google Empire for a possible solution.

In the meantime, to turn my (and yours, perhaps) frown upside down I have another installment of the goofy stuff, beginning with our friends the turkeys.

Now, don't let your frustrations get the best of you at this pleasant  shopping time of year.

Relax this weekend and have an enjoyable two days off.

But always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(. . . aha, just as I thought . . .)

A SPECIAL EDITION

 Gentle Readers, you are reaping this week.

Today I'm bringing you a special bonus edition of The Friday Funnies.

You could call them The Sunday Snickers.

And since they're all about food that might be a great title.

You're getting them for two reasons.

Number one is because I am over the moon about the results from the mid-term election so far.

And Number two because one of my Faithful Purveyors . . let's call her Gleeful Gayle . . sent me a huge batch of memes this morning.

As I have often written here, you don't need to thank me for bringing you a constant stream of humor every week.

Compliment my suppliers who keep the Humor Bank/Banque full of comedy.

So with that, let's take a look at this collection I think of as "What's Eating You?"!!!

Have a fine rest of your weekend, friends!

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 First of all, something that isn't funny.

Today is Veterans Day.

Let me offer a salute to all who have served or are presently serving.

They protect us.

And, you might have surmised if you read the titles of these posts, today is also Friday, a day given in my household to random attempts at humor.

So let's see how we can do this week.

Well, lookee here, that's all I've got for this week.

Now tomorrow is Saturday and the next day is Sunday.

So plan ahead and have yourselves a positively scrumptious weekend.

And, oh yeah, always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

LESSON LEARNED

 I made Baked Ziti yesterday.

I found the recipe on the Weird World Wide Web and followed it religiously.

Well, to the letter anyway.

In the Notes section of the recipe it stated that it would be okay to add ground beef to the fixins if one wanted to.

And I did so I added a pound that had been heated on the stovetop until it had lost its color.

Everything went well.

Except . . .

. . . it wasn't bubbling and juicy when it came out of the oven.

And when we dug into it at the dining table it was dry.

Post-eating diagnosis came up with the probable solution.

When I added the pound of ground beef to the recipe I did not add any additional marinara and what was in there apparently was absorbed.

BTW, that photo shows only half of the recipe.

An equivalent portion was put in another pan and frozen for later.

We will have to add some sauce to it before we bake it, I think.

Oh, and it was quite delicious, even though it was a tad dry.

Mangiamo!

INDICATIONS

 There are sure signs today that it is mid-Autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere.

One of the big trees in our new front yard has changed from its green leaves to a blaze of red.

It's neighbor, on the other hand has remained green.

The two colors are a fine match for a beautiful blue sky.

Remember all of that snow the Weather Gods had predicted for us the other day?

I saw one or two lone flakes drifting in the sky before they gave up the ghost.

As a doctor I visited commented, "Those weather forecasters are never right. Maybe they should try a different line of work."

The other sign that Fall is upon us with Winter not far ahead?

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Here in most of Arizona, it never began.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Folks, it's time for some humor.

The neighborhood kids have been here beating on my door and stealing my candy.

(Judy: "They were trick or treating for Halloween, you idiot!")

The plumber finally acknowledged payment was made for their services after trying to send their bill to an incorrect name and address.

And then last night I nearly got into a fight with a neighbor.

Hark!

I hear the pitter-patter of little feet.

Oh, never mind, they're mine, dashing hither and yon, trying to avoid the thrown tomatoes.

So, bobbing and weaving, I shout out to all of you to have one hilariously fine weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Or groaning, as the case may be.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oh, yeah, I know what you mean)

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

 Today is the last day of the holiday known as Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead.

It comes across the border to us from Mexico where ofrendas or altars are erected, often around the graves of the departed, to welcome back their souls.

I had forgotten it until my longtime friend Diane mentioned it in an email to SWMBO.

Once years ago she had visited us where we were living in Mexico at the time of the holiday and we had taken her to the graveyard in the town of Ajijic to see the decorations.

Graves are decorated with great numbers of flowers, both real and paper, and favorite foods and drinks of the departed ones are brought to welcome him or her.

Music is played and picnics are held at the sites.

It is not so much solemn as joyous as memories are renewed and celebrated.

Here in Arizona, which has a large Mexican population, the event is celebrated in much the same way.

Once after our ex-pat years in Mexico I spotted this piece in an art gallery in Jerome and purchased it.

But someone who lives here says it gives her the creeps so it remains unhung.

UPDATE: I just discovered that Sharon has a wonderful post about the event in Phoenix on her blog today.  Check it out by clicking on Phoenix Daily Photo.