‘BREAKING NEWS’….WE FOUND FROGGY:))

And he’s intact & well too:))  Just after posting Thursday night’s blog I decided to go out & have a look in an area I had overlooked because I thought it too small for Froggy to have been pulled into.  If you look at the photo of Spencer & Froggy I had in Wednesday night’s post you will notice a small opening in the background between the wooden porch & the cement.  Although I had looked under the porch to the right of that area where the gap is wider I had not looked under the porch where the cement is raised.  With flashlight in hand I kneeled down with my face nearly on the cement & shone my light into the dark area under the deck.  ‘Bingo’ there was Froggy about 8 inches under there sitting upright looking right back out at me.  Noticed a bunch of dried grass & stuff gathered about so right away suspected a Pack Rat had dragged Froggy in there.  Could barely get my hand & arm in but I was able to get a hold of Froggy & pull him out.  He didn’t look any worse for ware with just a bit of mud on one leg.  After walking all around the property Thursday I found Froggy last night just 2 feet from where he had originally vanished from.  Needless to say I won’t be leaving Froggy outside on Spencer’s back again.  And that darn Spencer never even lifted a paw to help his little buddy when the Pack Rat dragged him away…………

 

AND IT’S JUST NOT ALL BIRDS IN OUR TREES AROUND HERE

The folks over at Good-Times-Rollin in a comment asked, “Al, how do you clean the dust off your camera? Have you ever used the cans of pressured air?  Yes I have used that pressurized air in a can but I didn’t like it.  It can spit out propellant at times & the strong blast of compressed air can force fine minute dust particles into your camera & lens workings.  I use a soft blower brush to dust off the lens & I use moistened Q-tips for cleaning in around the eye piece viewfinder & corners of the cameras exterior.  And Gaelyn from GEOGYPSY in a comment asked, “ I like the looks of that telescope on the camera. Any of these shots taken with it?”  Yes, the 4 photos from my bedroom window of our cactus garden were taken with that Stellarvue Nighthawk telescope & camera set-up.

 

Not a lot going on for us today.  A trip to Wickenburg this morning for Kelly to pick up her blood test results at the Medical Center.  Checking her numbers with previous tests she noted everything was in line & nothing amiss.  Some numbers a bit on the high side but they have always been that way since her first tests a couple years ago.  The Wickenburg Medical Center faxed a free copy to Kelly’s specialist in London Ontario anyway.  Aside from tiredness usually in the afternoon’s Kelly’s feeling pretty good considering how she was feeling just a couple weeks ago.

ONE HAS TO ALWAYS BE WARY WALKING THE STREETS OF WICKENBURG

THERE ARE VARIOUS DESERT CREATURES ON THE SIDEWALKS WHICH ALTHOUGH LOOKING VERY LIFELIKE ARE IN FACT JUST REPLICAS OF THE REAL THING………….:))

Now here’s a curious thing.  When taking the photo of the above model of a Diamond Back Rattlesnake I noticed some lint or piece of fuzz hanging from the snakes chin.  You can see some more white lint further back on the Rattlers body.  I knew it would make a better photo if I just reached over & removed that lint but do you think I could bring myself do that.  No Sireeeee the mental image & that ingrained human fear of snakes would not let me reach my hand anywhere near that fake snake.  No problem I thought, I’ll just remove that lint with my photo editing program when I get home.  And that’s what I did.   Much safer that way wouldn’t you say:))  PICASA 3.9

CLOUDS OBSCURED A CLEAR FULL MOON TONIGHT BUT HERE IS THURSDAY NIGHT’S ALMOST FULL MOON

GROANER’S CORNER:(( An investment counselor went out on her own. She was shrewd and diligent, so business kept coming in, and pretty soon she realized she needed an in-house counsel. So she began interviewing young lawyers.  "As I'm sure you can understand," she started off with one of the first applicants, "in a business like this, our personal integrity must be beyond question."  She leaned forward. "Mr. Peterson, are you an *honest* lawyer?"  "Honest?" replied the job prospect. "Let me tell you something about honest. Why, I'm so honest that my father lent me $150,000 for my education and I paid back every penny the minute I tried my very first case."
"Impressive ... and what sort of case was that?"
The lawyer squirmed in his seat and admitted, "He sued me for the money."

CORNER GAS MOVIE OPENS TO GREAT REVIEWS & SOME RAINY DAY PHOTOS

It was a big noise on our roof that woke me about 4 this morning.  Kind of a dull roar & a sound I had heard before.  We have a metal roof & there was no mistaking it, we had a heavy rain going on.  Of course my mind right away took off thinking, ‘did I put up the Jeep windows, did I leave anything sitting out, is the front porch furniture moved back far enough, oh-oh bet the shed doors are open, did I close the big garbage can lid?????????

YEP I WAS TAKING THESE PICS IN THE RAIN

CORNER GAS - THE MOVIE opened in selected theaters to great reviews on Wednesday December 3rd.  I’m sure none of those theaters will be anywhere near where we are here in Arizona but the movie will air on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV Two, and CTV GO.  All Canadian channels of course.  In many of the TV episodes a radio could be seen in the background up on a shelf behind the Corner Gas counter.  I just happen to have that very same kind of radio & it sits in my bedroom atop my dresser drawer.   I’ve that that radio since the early 80’s & my Uncle Fred had the same model radio years before that.  While at the Corner Gas set in Rouleau Saskatchewan back in October I picked up a small stone lying in the gravel just in front of the gas pumps.  I also bought a Corner Gas key chain in Rouleau’s convenience store.  Below are pics of all 3 of the above mentioned.  Fans of Corner Gas will understand this paragraph while others may not.

FOUND A GRAY ROCK WITH A WHITE CIRCLE IN IT…WONDER HOW MANY TIMES THE CORNER GAS GANG WALKED & SCRAMBLED OVER THIS LITTLE UNASSUMING ROCK THROUGH THE YEARS

I KNOW THEY HAVE HEAVIER RAINS DURING MONSOON SEASON BUT THIS IS THE MOST RAIN KELLY & I HAVE ENCOUNTERED HERE

At the optometrists a few days ago the lady there did mention to me about the transition glasses not working well in a vehicle because of the surrounding treated glass.  Said sunglasses while driving would probably still be needed.  I have clip-ons but they are pretty scratched up & as the lady pointed out they can scratch one’s glasses.  That’s true so I ordered myself a pair of COCOON'S:))

 

SET UP MY NIGHTHAWK TELESCOPE WITH CAMERA ADAPTER TODAY FOR SOMETHING TO DO…THAT’S MY NIKON D3100 HANGING ON THE END OF THE SCOPE

Kelly spent a chunk of the morning watching some Madmen DVD’s so that pretty much knocked out TV as one of my rainy day options.  Occupied my time with indoor puttering & some reading.  Rains did finally let up about mid afternoon & that seemed to bring on a lot of singing from the Cactus Wrens outside.  Computer radar showed the big green rain Monster is moving off across mid & eastern Arizona to New Mexico & beyond. 

A FEW PHOTOS FROM MY BEDROOM WINDOW OF OUR CACTUS GARDEN ON A RAINY DAY

  

Retired Rod suggested I look in the rafters of the shed for Froggy & Jean said to have a look in the rafters of our front porch.  I had actually checked both those spots but to no avail.  I am beginning to think a Pack Rat snatched Froggy & hauled him off to his house somewhere.  Seems to be about the only logical explanation left.  But where that Pack Rat’s nest is I have no idea. 

CACTUS MAN FALL DOWN & GO BOOM…SEEMS IT’S NOT THE WIND THAT TOPPLES HIM BUT THE SOFT GROUND AFTER A HEAVY RAIN

And by golly if the sun didn’t start poking through the heavy cloud cover late this afternoon.  I’m a thinkin we might see some blue sky & have us a nice warm up Friday morning sometime.

RAINY DAYS = BIRDLESS TREES

 

And here’s another opinion on what happened to Froggy.  Chinle over at SPOTTED DOG RANCH in a comment writes: “Maybe Pheebs needs some chewies. This would also implicate Kelly, who would have to be the one who hid the body”.  Hmmmmmm, I think Chinle just might be onto something here………………..

TONIGHT’S MOON IN CLEARING SKIES

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A rich Texan walked into the offices of the president of a small Texas college and said, "I'd like to donate a million dollars tax free to this institution. But there's a condition - I would like to have an honorary degree."  The president nodded agreeably, "That's not a problem. We can certainly arrange that!"  The rich man then added, "An honorary degree for my horse."  "For your horse???"  "Yep, you betcha. She carried me for many years and I owe her a lot. I'd like her to receive a Tr.D., a Doctor of Transportation."
"But, we can't give a degree to a horse!"  "Then I'm afraid I'll have to take my million dollars to another institution."
"Well, wait a minute," said the president, seeing the million slip through his fingers, "let me consult with the school's trustees."  A hurried trustee meeting was brought to order and the president related the deal and the condition. All of the board reacted with shock and disbelief, except the oldest trustee. He appeared to be almost asleep.  One trustee snorted, "We can't give a horse an honorary degree, no matter HOW much money is involved."  The oldest trustee opened his eyes and said, "Take the money and give the horse the degree."
The president asked, "Don't you think that would make us look ridiculous?"  "Of course not," the wise old trustee said. "It would be an honor. It'd be the first time we ever gave a degree to an ENTIRE horse." (might have to think about this one for a minute:))

FROGGY’S MISSING & NOBODY’S TALKING

EASY TO SEE WHY ‘CURVY BILL’ IS CALLED A CURVED BILL THRASHER

A heavy cloud cover rolled over us early Tuesday & has remained.  Light rains began Tuesday night & have hung around on & off for most of the day.  Temps in the low 60’s.  Water pooled in our yard giving me an indication of where the low spots are.  Not a good day for a walk with the Pheebs.

DON’T THINK SHE’S INTERESTED IN GOING FOR A WALK ANYWAY

The upside of downside rainy days are indoor projects.  Not that we really had any but I did manage to fuss about with my camera gear for awhile plus rustle around through some boxes of odds & sods to see what had totally escaped my memory the past couple years.  Of course every time I saw something I instantly remembered it but had I not seen the item in the first place it would probably have remained out of my memory forever.  Now that is a long time to not remember something you already had forgotten………………..

Bit of a mystery going on here.  Spencer’s best buddy Froggy is missing.  The same little green frog which used to ride around on the dash of the Jeep.  Same little green frog that has been lovingly clinging to Spencer’s neck for the past year or so.  I noticed him missing first thing this morning but nobody’s talking.  Spencer as well as Pheebs & Kelly have all been tight lipped about it.  I scoured the entire property this afternoon but Froggy has vanished without a trace.  Now I know the little green & yellow fellow did not hop off on his own accord so who or what has taken my wee buggy eyed amphibious little Pal I just don’t know??

SPENCER & FROGGY JUST A MONTH AGO

Kelly’s been feeling better this week & today drove herself to Wickenburg & back.  Hit a few stores including the Wickenburg Medical Center.

PHEEBS IS A LITTLE PUT OUT ABOUT KELLY SITTING ON ‘HER’ COUCH

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Andy came to work one day, limping something awful. One of his co-workers noticed and asked what happened.  Andy replied, "Oh, nothing. It's just an old hockey injury that acts up once in a while."
"I never knew you played hockey."  "I don't," said Andy. "I hurt it last year when I lost $1,000 on the Stanley Cup playoffs and put my foot through the television."

---

A tired homemaker opened the front door of her home to find a young minister from the neighborhood who said, "I'm collecting donations for the new children's home we're building. I hope you'll give what you can."
"To be sure," said the beleaguered woman, "I'll give you two boys, two girls, or one of each."

ORDERED ME SOME NEW SPECS, TEMECULA RV CALLS, & A DELIVERY TO ARKY’S PLACE

I have been way overdue for new glasses for quite awhile now so this morning we set the wheels in motion for a new pair of specs.  But heading into Wickenburg to the Optometrist on Yavapai street wasn’t our only mission.  Had a parcel to pick up for Arky.  Monday morning when I drove him to Rileys Auto Parts for a new alternator he also ordered a new steering assembly for his old bus.  Picked that up on our way home from the eye glass place.  John Schrolucke, O.D. Optometrist

Quite a time deciding on frames but I knew I wanted to spend more time on the frame selection than last time when I just basically grabbed whatever off the Optometrists shelf & disliked my decision every day thereafter.  Going to try something new this time.  Transition lenses.  My new glasses should be ready in about a week & a half.

Arky was a pretty happy guy when we dropped off his heavy boxed steering assembly late this morning.  Kind of like a kid with a new toy & he was going to get right at it.  Arky’s real name is Frank McClure & he told me on the way home Monday the late actor Doug McClure was his nephew.  Arky said it was cigarettes that prematurely ended Doug’s life.  I remember Doug McClure best from a couple TV series, The Virginian & Checkmate.

 

Les, our happy gardening guy dropped by this afternoon to have a look at a couple little projects needing fixed.  Kitchen taps, a ceiling patch, & a new piece of wood for a doorway between the kitchen & living room.  Les, ‘jack of all trades’ is the fellow who looks after keeping the weeds down in our yard during the summer.  He also put up the wooden posts for our porch a year ago this month.

Temecula Valley RV in Marietta California called early this afternoon saying they had bench tested our Magnum inverter & determined it was the control board in the inverter that malfunctioned.  Knowing it was probably going to either be the control board or the more expensive FET board we were relieved to hear it’s the cheaper of the 2 boards.  They didn’t have that particular board in stock so have ordered it.  They are thinking they should have the control board installed later this week & will ship the inverter back to Solar Mike sometime early next week.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A hobo came up to the front door of the neat looking farmhouse and knocked gently on the door. When the owner answered, the hobo asked, "Please, sir, could you give me something to eat? I haven't had a good meal in several days."  The owner said, "I have made a fortune in my lifetime by supplying goods for people. I never give anything away for nothing. However, if you go around the back, you will see a gallon of paint and a clean paint brush. If you will paint my porch, I will give you a good meal."  So the hobo went around back and a little later he again knocked on the door. The owner said, "Finished already? Good. Come on in. Sit down. The cook will bring your meal right in."  The hobo said, "Thank you very much, sir. But there is something that I think you should know. It's not a Porch, it's a BMW."

WHEN ARKY TAKES A BREATH I KNOW IT’S TIME TO NOD MY HEAD & SAY ‘YEP’

YOUR EYES WILL GO TO THE RED CARDINAL BUT DON’T MISS THE LITTLE FELLOW ON THE LEFT HURRIEDLY WINGING HIS WAY IN FOR SOME MID AFTERNOON SEEDS

Sun was still sittin low in the east when I drove myself down to the end of Ghost Town Road this morning.  A right hand turn lead me out into the desert.  I was looking for Arky’s camp.  Wasn’t hard to find him in the low scrub.  He was waiting for me.

Arky you may remember was the fella a few days ago who’s old 81 Chevy pea soup green school bus broke down in front of our house.  A neighbor towed him back to his camp.  Arky managed to get the bus going again & dropped by yesterday wondering if I could drive him into Wickenburg today to pick up a new alternator at Riley’s Auto Centre.  With Arky in the Jeep this morning we were soon on our way.  Arky’s quite a talker & hard of hearing so I just kinda nodded my head whenever he’d pause long enough to take a breath.  By 9:30 we were heading back from Wickenburg with a new alternator sitting on the floor.  Think I managed to get 3 ‘Yeps’ in on the way to Wickenburg & 4 on the way back.  I got that extra ‘Yep’ in at a construction slow down.   Arky was eager to get back to camp & begin working on his new alternator installation & I was just as eager to get him there.  Needless to say I was happy to be back home listening to the sweet sounds of gentle birds chirping again……..:))

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL BOYS

Well it’s December 1rst already.  A year ago today I wrote a post looking back over our Snow Bird years since 2006 & reflected on where we were each December 1rst.  LOOKING BACK ON DECEMBER 1RSTS

Thought Gaelyn had herself a good post this morning describing something a few of us out here know only too well.  Gaelyn has it, I have it, & sometimes I wished I didn’t have it.  Nothing I can do about it though.  It’s just the way some of us are & we probably all deal with it in different ways.  Gaelyn writes, What Makes My Feet Itch To Be On The Road

Not a lot going on for my mind to grab onto tonight so rather than chase myself down a whole slow moving herd of faded memories I’ll just cut myself loose & call it day…………………

GROANER’S CORNER:((  While touring historic buildings in Alexandria, Virginia, we visited an old church. The guide told us that George Washington had attended services there and pointed to his pew.  A reverent silence fell. The guide, encouraged by this, went on to tell us that church services back then had been very lengthy -- frequently lasting three hours or more.  The mood of the moment was shattered when an anonymous voice whispered loudly, "So George Washington slept here too!"

---

As a history buff, I was looking forward to staying in a hotel in Salisbury, England. This hotel dated back to the 13th century.  When I arrived, the hotel clerk gave me some bad news -- my room was in the new section.
Disappointed, I asked when the "new" section had been built.  "In the 1600's," she replied apologetically.

ANOTHER MIGHTY FINE ARIZONA DAY

She waits patiently on my bed every morning.  Waits for a change in my breathing.  Waits for a movement different from my rolling side to side in the night.  Even with eyes closed I know she is there & her presence is given away by the sounds of solid thumping on my bed.  She has a powerful tail & I have a powerful love for my dog.   

With partially cloudy skies we stayed in the low 60’s today but no matter cause I had my new warm cowboy vest on as I puttered about outside with little projects here & there.  The fact it’s a bit big actually works in my favor because I can wear heavier flannel shirts or a jacket under it.  And I’m sure it will fit well over my leather motorcycle jacket back home in Bayfield.

  

MY OUTSIDE COOLER WEATHER WORK VEST & MY INSIDE DUDE VEST & YES I KNOW ABOUT THE GRUMPY FACE I’M STUCK WITH

Any Canadians thinking border crossings are a breeze had better read Contessa's latest post.  Her & Colin really got run through the meat grinder a few days ago crossing from B.C. into the State of Washington.  I suggest Snow Birding RV folks read this & take heed.  And ever wonder where the word ‘boondocking’ came from & how has boondocking changed over the years.  Another good read over at the RV BLOG FOR FRUGAL RV TRAVEL.  And ‘oh-oh’……..RV SUE crunched up the rear door of her Perfect Tow Vehicle recently.  Not so swell:((

 

WISHED CACTUS MAN COULD RUN FAST ENOUGH TO CHASE ALL THE CACTUS EATING RABBITS OUT OF OUR YARD…THEY HAVE SO FAR DESTROYED ABOUT 75% OF EVERYTHING I PLANTED:((

THIS ORIGINAL CACTUS WAS TRAMPLED BY SHEEP TWO SUMMERS AGO BUT 4 NEW CACTI ARE NOW EMERGING FROM THE TRAMPLED ONE

 

AT LEAST THE RABBITS LEAVE THE ABOVE TYPE CACTUS ALONE

Hopefully we’ll find out this week the status of our troubled inverter.  Soon as we know what’s happening we can figure out when to head back to Solar Mike’s.  Feeling better the past few days Kelly is hoping to make that return trip as well.  Could be closer to the end of this week or the following week.

 

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A crook tried to hijack a bus full of Japanese tourists.  Fortunately the police had 5000 photographs of the suspect.

---

Soon after our last child left home for college, my husband was resting next to me on the couch with his head in my lap. I carefully removed his glasses.  "You know, honey," I said sweetly, "Without your glasses you look like the same handsome young man I married."  "Honey," he replied with a grin, "Without my glasses, you still look pretty good too!"

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.