BIRDS ON A WIRE

 I may have posted about this before but it continues to fascinate me.

There is a power pole at the end of our neighborhood that I pass anytime I go anywhere.

Nearly every time I go by - morning, noon, or night - the wires leading from that pole, and only that pole, are full of pigeons.

It seems they are always perching there, this passel of pigeons, and there is always one white one in their group.

They're kind of like a gang, with one guy leading them.

I tried to crop the photo down to give you a closer look but the camera in my phone was not really equal to the task so the next picture is a little bit fuzzy.

By the way, the Almighty Google tells me that one of the alternative names for this bird is "a dropping of pigeons".

Somehow I think that's most appropriate.

TURNING THE PAGE

Wanna see a really corny cartoon?

Halloween is over and now, as I saw in a meme yesterday, we can all begin blasting Christmas carols.

Well, not around this house.

We can say Feliz Día de los Muertos to our Spanish-speaking friends though.

To the rest of you that's Happy Day of the Dead.

Two festive days of celebrating those who have gone before us.

November 1st seems to me to be a proper day for such an event.

It's always seemed to me like a day that marks the dying out of a happier season with colder weather and snow ahead.

At 7:00 a.m. today in my part of Arizona it's 31F/0C.

I haven't seen a long range forecast so I don't know if we'll get snow here this coming winter but it's always a possibility.

Somehow November the First seems like a time for stews and chile and baking.

We had Spanakopita and Hummus for our evening meal yesterday.

Don't think I've gone all that ethnic in the kitchen - both came pre-made from the supermarket; just had to throw the Spanakopita in the oven for awhile.

A few days before that, though, I did bake a dozen rolls from a recipe for German Farm Bread.

They're made with a combination of rye, whole wheat and all purpose flours.

Hearty.

Judy likes them - must be her German heritage.

So another month and another season are upon us.

Let's enjoy them. 

Oh, one more Halloween thought.

I actually like candy corn.

ARE YOU FRIGHTENED YET?

This was the photo as I turned the page on my daily calendar this morning.

The caption read, "I have frightened the neighborhood children, just as you asked."

So, it must be Halloween.

Here is my final collection of funnies for the Special Day!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

ONE MORE DAY

Yes, Faithful Readers, we are on the eve of All Hallows Eve.

Only 24 hours and we will wake to the Horrors of Halloween.

I refer, of course, to countless children ringing our doorbells, pounding on our doors, demanding candy, candy, candy!

There are differing ways to handle the situation.

For example . . .

I don't care if she does live with the witch . . poor kitty-kitty.

CONTINUING COUNTDOWN

 Only two more days of calm and peace before the howling banshees take over the dark hours.

So brace yourselves as you plan your costume, your make-up, your intentions to frighten the daylights out of your friends and or enemies.

Or frenemies, in the argot of the times.

It's almost Halloween.

There's always that one kid.

HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN

It's still a few days until Halloween but since it falls on a Tuesday this year there will be many festivities relating to the Hallowed Eve this weekend.

Curiously, the old Humor Bank (Humour Banque) is loaded up with wicked wit and frightful funnies.

So I'm going to devote the next four days to marking the Horrible Holiday.

Today, I'll show you why dogs hate Halloween.

Dog owners take heed.

I think I'd be careful if I lived with a dog and submitted him or her to that kind of treatment.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Hey, it's Autumn and the frost is on the pumpkin!

So I snuggle in my cozy bed and sleep in a little, okay.

I know I'm late this week but I won't keep you waiting any longer.

The sun has risen on a pun-derful day!

I'll bet you thought it was going to be all-Halloween today, didn't you?

Well I like to pitch a curve once in awhile.

Speaking of which, don't forget the World Series begins tonight as MY Arizona Diamondbacks try to finish their season with another title.

The last one occurred in their fourth season as a team, 22 years ago.

So it's their turn again.

But whether you cheer for them or their lowly opponents, the Texas Rangers, have yourselves a wonderful (not pun-derful) weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . uh oh, let's see, I've lost count . . )

GETTING READY

 As noted yesterday, Halloween is approaching.

I recall some years ago when I was working for a radio station in Prescott, I went up to Mt. Vernon a day or so before the big day and interviewed a number of people who lived in some of those grand houses.

I wanted to know what their Halloween night was like when police blocked off the street and turned it into a pedestrian wonderland of people in costumes with their hands or buckets out screaming "Trick or Treat", demanding candy.

I was invited into one house and shown literally barrels . . BARRELS . . of candy that the homeowner had stocked up for the onslaught.

I remember thinking "How does someone afford all that?" but then I remembered these marvelous old homes are not inexpensive living places themselves and anyone who could afford to buy one could afford the candy AND the decorations for Halloween.

As for Yorkshire Pudding's query yesterday about the Taylor Homestead, we haven't decorated our homes for many years and this year we have no candy to hand out and will keep the lights off except in our rooms.

Trick or Treating has just gotten to be too much for us this year.

We're not Grinches but with Judy's soon to be surgically repaired knee hampering her it's a hassle, not a fun event.

But just to get you in a bit of a mood for the witching night, sing along with me now.

(If you need a hint, it's a song from "The Wizard of Oz")

HALLOWEEN HORRORS!

 A good friend and former neighbor of ours, Crosstown Lori (as she's known here) sent me a handful of photos from a walk she and a friend took in Prescott.

Our neighboring city goes back many decades before ours ever came into existence.

Think Doc Holliday and the Earps, for example, along with a ton of other historic figures from the days of the real Old West.

Think Whiskey Row.

But today think of Mt. Vernon Avenue with it's block after block of historic homes.

It's a place that goes all out for Halloween and gets thousands of visitors from as far away as Phoenix on the Witching Night eager for the candy handed out by the homeowners.

And, courtesy of Lori's photos, have a look at their decorating enthusiasm.