SKYVIEW

 

And a less-cropped version.

I remember a while back a neighbor of ours standing at the edge of his roof with a long pole and some kind of chopper device at the end of it, lopping branches off that "tree" in the lower left of the above photo.

I remember thinking, "that crazy fool is going to fall off that roof!"

But he didn't, just leaving the scars of his work on that growth.

Speaking of which, you might be pleased to hear that Judy is progressing fairly well, though she may not think so.

But she said yesterday she was able to put some weight on the leg in which she had a knee replacement surgery one week before.

And do it without pain!

Then she went for her first PT session, had a rough night last night and is taking it much easier today.

But she's moving better and, take it from me, progress is definitely being made.

As a reward, I'm baking a loaf of her favorite whole wheat bread with dried cranberry pieces embedded in it.

Well actually the bread machine is doing most of the work.

But I got it started!

HONOR THE VETS

 

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Wow!

I don't know how it's been in your world but this has been a week to behold.

Not to live through again, just to look at it and ask ourselves "How did we (she) ever get through that?"

I won't bore you with details except to say that SWMBO went yesterday (Thursday) to her first Physical Therapy appointment since her surgery (Monday).

Seems to me that's faster than moms get back into the swing of things after having a baby.

With less pain.

Okay, okay, don't jump on me, I may be wrong about that.

But after all that, you'd think no-one around these here parts would have a sense of humor, or humour.

Well . . . you'd be wrong!

Oh, I love those guys.

Really, I do.

Well that's about it for my sense of humor for the week.

I hope you had fun and that you'll have a fun-derful weekend full of joy and cornfields and trying to find the very best turkey.

This turkey has some advice for you: always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . uh, no, kitty, not there, please . . )

SHE'S HOME! (Updated)

The Mistress of the House, She Who Must Be Obeyed, my Beloved Spouse, aka Judy, has returned.

With one arm bandaged where they yanked the i.v. tube out, with a walker close at hand and with her loving companion, Sweetie Pie, come to sniff those awful hospital smells.

I saw her, SP, go into Judy's room several times this afternoon and look around, seemingly confused by the absence of her friend.

And once Judy got into her chair she came up to the arm to joyously greet her and celebrate her return.

Judy had a total knee transplant Monday afternoon and spent about 48 hours in the good care of the hospital staff.

OOPS: As commenter Barbara Anne pointed out below, Judy had a total knee REPLACEMENT, not a transplant. Please excuse this error by a tired but happy Catalyst.

But she was getting stir crazy today and anxious to come home.

Tomorrow she goes to her first Physical Therapy session.

But tonight she is back home and because of the drugs she is taking for pain she can't even have a cocktail.

Never mind.

I'll make up for her.

PROGRESS REPORT

Judy had her knee transplant surgery yesterday.

Her doctor said everything went fine.

She spent the night in the hospital and says this morning that she's had quite a bit of pain.

But she is moving about, with the aid of a walker.

Her first PT guy suggested she could stay in the hospital for another day if she wanted.

She asked him if he thought it would be a good idea.

He said he thought it would.

So she'll most likely be there for another day.

She's obeying her caretakers and following all the rules.

Grinning and bearing it.

She is aware of all of your good wishes and appreciates them.

Somewhere down the line I'll encourage her to write a post to tell you all what this has been like for her.

In the meantime, we both thank you.

THE FUTURE?

 SWMBO, aka Judy, my spouse, goes to a hospital in a couple of hours to have a knee transplant.

She's been dealing with pain and struggling with a rollator (that's a 4-wheeled-walker) for months now.

She is definitely ready and hoping to be able to walk without that machine in the future.

I have a vision of how she'll be once the knee is replaced and the surgery healed and the post-surgery physical therapy is in her rear view mirror.

Well, okay, that may be a bit much to expect.

But, wish her luck!

On a slightly calmer front, I was down to the duck pond (Urban Lakes) a few days ago and found that the ducks had NOT abandoned us.

They may have been hiding in plain sight when I was there before, clustering in the shade by the shoreline.

Ducks or not, the lakes are a peaceful place to go to escape the trauma in our world.

Stay safe and stay sane, my friends.

ISN'T THIS EARLY NOVEMBER?

 It's not just the retailers.

The other day (reminder: this is November 5th) I was out by the Civic Center and what did I see?

Yup.

A work crew had put up a gazillion-foot tall Christmas tree on the grounds.

Once again, a reminder: this is November 5th!

Isn't this rushing things?

Oh well I guess the citizens are ready for the Christmas holidays to begin.

A little later I was driving around a neighborhood fairly close to mine and what did I see?

Yup.

To this homeowner, Santa Claus is already set to soar.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Never mind Thanksgiving is still weeks away and many homeowners haven't taken their Halloween decorations down yet.

Pretty soon it will be just one big year-long holiday season.

Or is it already?

( . . grump, grump . . )

I'M NOT DOING IT!!!

 

Yes, for you unenlightened people, it's time tonight to change your clocks.

Daylight Savings Time comes to an end once more.

And once again the debate roars through the populace.

Some people don't ever want to see it again.

Some people think it should be year around.

'Course then it wouldn't need to be called Daylight Savings Time, would it.

We could just go back to the days before 1918, when it was created.

Then it would just be "time".

Or maybe back to 1,500 BC (or BCE) when sundials used by Egyptians and Babylonians separated each day into parts.

Before then "time" was a concept that hadn't been invented.

Here where I live and in most of Arizona Daylight Savings Time is not used.

We're on the same time all year round.

So with the exception of screwing around with our schedules of television programs we don't have to worry about it.

But for the rest of you, here's a quick guide to your travails.

And don't forget to begin fattening that turkey!

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 It seems like Friday was just here, doesn't it?

That's what happens when they put Halloween on a Tuesday.

But now that that's out of the way, we can get back to normality.

Right?

Oh no, just when you thought it was safe to come back out in public, more holidays are slamming into you.

I was listening to NPR in the car the other day and it was reported that some people begin their Christmas shopping BEFORE November.

And even more unbelievable some people are ALREADY DONE!

As for me, all I can do is begin thinking about Thanksgiving.

And yes, I know, you folks up in Canada have already had yours.

But down here in the Estados Unidos . . .

Wow! A double whammy from the Treksters!

Well, that's it again for another week.

Now get busy on your Christmas shopping, you procrastinators, and finish those Holiday cards.

And have a festive weekend.

(Oh, stop gnashing your teeth.)

But above all, always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . ah, suspicions confirmed . . )

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.