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LIBRARIES

She writes again.

My beloved wife, SWMBO, has some thoughts on her mind.

I turn it over to her.

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I just read a long article about book banning in schools and small town libraries around the country. (USA)

It scares me to consider that that might come to my town.  But it could.  I live in a very conservative area of the country.

When I was very young, my grandmother took me to the local library, where her cousin Nellie ruled.  She showed me around the whole place, then to the children's books.  When I left that wonderful place that day I was the possessor of a brand new library card with my name on it and four books.  Four books I could keep and read for two whole weeks!  I was rich!

My life has been enriched beyond measure by libraries wherever I have lived.  The idea that a few radical operatives could start deciding what I can and cannot read makes me afraid for my country.

I hope it does scare you too!

NONAGENARIANS

Some time back I posted about a friend of mine in Phoenix who I had recently touched base with after many years.

I hadn't realized how many years it had been until Sam Lowe told me he was now a nonagenarian, i.e. a person who had lived into his 90's.

Fortunately (as the case may be) I find that I am far, far younger than Mr. Lowe.

I'm only a sprightly 83.

A mere octogenarian.

But then a picture came to me of a gathering of old-timers and I realized the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.

It was taken over 70 years ago when four young men were about to go their separate ways in life.

They are, from left to right, Jack Burbidge (who just recently passed away at 91), Wayne Taylor (my big brother), Bob Jensen (who provided the photograph), and Jack Edwards.

The latter three are all 90 years old now.

They are pictured, I believe, outside of what was then the Presbyterian Church in Stanley, North Dakota, a small town where they all grew up.

They were collectively known as The Four Horsemen.

It was a different time then, an era of double-breasted suits and wide neckties.

I doubt that any of them, in those sun-dappled days of youth, ever entertained the idea that one day, they might become known as nonagenarians.

Who among us ever thinks of growing old?

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 So how's your week been so far?

Fun?

Frolic?

Phantasmagoria?

Well, okay then, let me try to cheer you up.

IT'S FRIDAY, GOLDARN IT!

There, feel better?

Well, there is always some humor on this day.

Pecks . . pecs . . see?

Whatever.

That's it folks.

The rest is up to you.

The rest = go out and have a gorgeous weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . ohhhhh . . )

THE ARTIST'S LATEST

 Our very talented daughter, Gayle, aka The BAD (Beautiful Artistic Daughter) has yet another new project she has added to her amazing output.

She calls them Solar Lamps.

I think I'd call them Solar Light Towers.

And I think I'd also call them beautiful.

Like their creator.

What do you think?

A GATHERING

It's become a thing - these gatherings at "The Pie Place".

I think I picked the spot years ago because it is about midway between Prescott Valley, where I live, and "The Valley", the metropolitan area centered on Phoenix.

It's the Rock Springs Cafe, famous far and wide for their huge selection of pies.

In case you're new here, this is all in Arizona, U.S.A.

The gatherings are lunch groups of half a dozen or so former colleagues in the television news business who worked together at KPNX-TV (formerly KTAR-TV) in Phoenix.

Since I'm writing this I can disclose that the ages of the participants are now in their 70's and 80's.

Yesterday's gathering was prompted by the visit to the Valley of Tim Dietz, who was a photographer at The Dozen (a relatively new title prompted by the station's Channel 12 location).

Tim only spent a few years with us.

He was a Midwest boy who was appalled and nearly overcome by the heat of Phoenix summers.

He escaped back to Denver, Colorado, where he had interned at a sister station while in college, and spent the rest of his long career there, ending it as a vice-president of the business.

Tim and I have remained friends through the decades and when he contacted me and said he'd buy me lunch if we could meet somewhere halfway of course I suggested The Pie Place and began rounding up some other pals of days gone by.

So, here they are . . older, grayer, heavier . . but still friends.

Wally Athey (photographer extraordinaire), Ron Brooks (instant sportscaster, deputy sheriff and whatever), Tim Dietz (the sort of retired exec), Roger Ball (photographer, assignment editor, news director), Bruce Taylor (your scribe), Mike Martin (film editor, computer whiz), and the ever-young Baseball Steve Torbeck (photographer, 12 Country one-man band).

Now you might think that senior members of our society like these would be a dignified lot.

Well, you'd be wrong, and apparently our waitresses caught the vibe.

As is often said of gatherings like these, the lies and the gibes flew fast and furious.

Good times, good pals.

NO GRATITUDE

I just came home from a quick trip to the grocery store to buy cat food.

I told Sweetie Pie that I'd brought home *twenty* cans of her favorite.

She said, "Only twenty?"

Some cats can't be satisfied.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Wow! What a week, eh?

Never thought it would happen.

The Diamondbacks traded for a relief pitcher and then sent him immediately to the Minors.

Who'da ever imagined.

Oh yeah and there was some other stuff happening in the news but we'll just leave that to others.

What WE'RE here for . . and YOU, I'd venture to say . . is to have our ribs tickled.

So shall we begin?

We shall.

What's that?

TWO Star Trekkies?

I'm sorry, I just couldn't decide.

But you can now decide to have a delicious and decadent weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

TRAIL OF TEARS

 

Or maybe they're just clouds.

MONSOON SKY

 

I call them "thunderbumpers".

They piled up yesterday afternoon but we only got a brief evening shower this time.

LEGADO UPDATE

 Some of my (you) readers commented unfavorably on the Legado project in downtown Prescott Valley that I reported on the other day.

Yes, right now it looks very ugly.

But as I've been trying to say, that is the parking garage and it will be enclosed with apartments and retail businesses.

Here, courtesy of Legado, is one picture of what it will look like when it's done.

It will have a rooftop restaurant, a smaller Arcade dining spot and a market at ground level, all operated by the well-known Prescott chef and restaurateur Barry Barbe.

So you see, it's not urban blight but a stylish addition to our town.

Patience, dear friends, patience.

GROWING

 The Legado Project, which I told you about earlier this month (click here) continues to grow in the heart of Prescott Valley.

I took this photo yesterday through my rainy car windshield.

Once again we had heavy rain and occasional hail.

And a power outage in the evening that Judy says lasted a couple of hours.

I've been busy re-setting clocks this morning.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Well here it is Friday, time for some amusement, and it's going to be hard to top that Paul Newman story from yesterday.

But mine is not to court delay but proudly rather to leap into the fray.

Yeah, I know.

I blew the iambic pentameter in that one but here we go anyway.

Well that's all for your period of amusement or bemusement or mild hilarity or whatever.

Now let's all have a wonderful weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty .  . .

( . . . y'know our cat is kinda like this . . . )

BLUE EYES

 I've heard this story before but I want to thank a blogger friend, Kate Mura, for posting it once again on Facebook.

A Michigan woman and her family were vacationing in a small New England town where Paul Newman and his family often visited.

One Sunday morning, the woman got up early to take a long walk. After a brisk five-mile hike, she decided to treat herself to a double-dip chocolate ice cream cone.

She hopped in the car, drove to the center of the village and went straight to the combination bakery/ice cream parlor. There was only one other patron in the store: Paul Newman, sitting at the counter having a doughnut and coffee.

The woman's heart skipped a beat as her eyes made contact with those famous baby-blue eyes. The actor nodded graciously and the star struck woman smiled demurely. 

Pull yourself together! She chides herself. You're a happily married woman with three children, you're forty-five years old, not a teenager!

The clerk filled her order and she took the double-dip chocolate ice cream cone in one hand and her change in the other. Then she went out the door, avoiding even a glance in Paul Newman's direction.

When she reached her car, she realized that she had a handful of change but her other hand was empty. Where's my ice cream cone? Did I leave it in the store? Back into the shop she went, expecting to see the cone still in the clerk's hand or in a holder on the counter or something! No ice cream cone was in sight.

With that, she happened to look over at Paul Newman. His face broke into his familiar, warm, friendly grin and he said to the woman, "You put it in your purse."

CAN THIS MAN REALLY BE 80?

 

Sir Mick Jagger celebrated his birthday yesterday!

FIRE AND RAIN

Regrettably once again it is fire season in Arizona.

Two fires are burning in the mountains to the northeast of us here in Prescott Valley.

The Racetrack Fire, to the right and a little over 20 miles from our community, has forced evacuation of some residents in the small town of Cherry.

Meanwhile the Grapevine Fire, to the left, has forced evacuation of residents of White Horse Ranch.

Both fires are believed to be lightning caused and more rainy weather, which can produce lightning, is forecast in the immediate future.