Verna and Bob's Weblog

Christmas Eve 2024

First of all, Happy Birthday to my sweet wife, Verna! She got a new Iona Celtic Cross and chain for the occasion. It’s 14k white gold (the chain too).

As to the Arizona Christmas Eve Sunset, we’re quite lucky to get these quite often. Always a beautiful sight. Click on the image to enlarge.

We will be quietly spending Christmas Day here at our desert abode, just the two of us, since closest family is over 300 miles away and some even further out. We will be talking and/or texting to some of them, however, via the various electronic and social media. Our Christmas Feast will consist of Chicken and Dumplings, a wonderful southern favorite modified slightly for Keto diet purposes.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Remember the reason for the season – Christ the Savior is born!

December 24, 2024 by Arizona Food and Dining Holidays Photography Religion 0

Winter Solstice

Today marks the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. It is also the shortest day for us with only nine hours and fifty-six minutes of daylight.

In Wickenburg, we’re enjoying a nice sunny day and expecting a high temperature today in the mid-70s Fahrenheit. It is also The Sabbath, God’s Day of Rest. We will be preparing our feast of “Gumbolaya,” which is a combination of Gumbo and Jambalaya, two very favorite Southern (Cajun) stews. If we add okra to the Jambalaya, it becomes Gumbolaya.

Tomorrow, for Sunday Dinner, we will be having Crockpot Roast Top Round of Beef. Check the Food Blog for photos of the eats.

Image above: Waning Gibbous Moon over the big Saguaro Cactus in front of the Garage.

December 21, 2024 by Arizona Climate Food and Dining Nerdliness 0

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we gather around the table today, we are reminded of the countless blessings in our lives—our families, friends, and the love that surrounds us. May we take this time to reflect on God’s grace and the many gifts He has given us.

Let us give thanks for the strength of our bonds, the beauty of shared moments, and the joy that comes from loving one another. May this season of gratitude inspire us to live with compassion, generosity, and faith.

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving filled with love, peace, and happiness!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

— Psalm 100:4-5

November 28, 2024 by Culture Family Food and Dining Holidays 0

Rosemary Flowers with Dewdrops

Here we are in the middle of November and the little Rosemary shrubs behind the RV drive (which goes around the house) are getting their little blue flowers. In this image (click to enlarge), the dew drops gather at the bottom of the petals to form little prisms/lenses.

The “dew drops” may actually be residual water droplets from the irrigation system that runs for ½ hour at 4AM to water the landscape flora.

We never have to shop for rosemary in the supermarket, since it is abundant and available year-round on our shrubs all around the rear of the house. Just look at the beautiful sprig in the photo. Image is from Bob’s Samsung S23 Phone Camera.

We’re still in “second spring” with day temperatures still in the high 70’s to low 80’s, but that will soon give way to our usual winter weather over the next few weeks.

November 19, 2024 by Arizona Climate Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Portuguese Bend in 3D

This is a repost of an old 3D photo that has been recaptured to get a better and larger view of the image. Both the 3D and 2D images shown below were taken from Google Earth™ and processed to produce the 3D and 2D images here.

It is tragically interesting to note that the landslide at Portuguese bend has taken out many homes and other properties in the area, most notably the Wayfarer’s Chapel which will be restored pending several complicated moves to another location.

Here’s the 2D image of the aerial view of Portuguese Bend:

Click on either image to enlarge.

December 22, 2024 update: The description of the bell tower removal and other progress information is available on the Chapel’s Instagram Account — https://www.instagram.com/p/C9jJ1vJNSzy/

November 4, 2024 by Bob's 3D Stuff California Nerdliness

Samhain – Cross-Quarter Feast

OK – We’re both descendants of the Irish/Celtic stock and we observe their cross-quarter feasts because – well, just because. This particular feast – Samhain – is the gathering of the harvests and stocking provisions away for the winter months ahead.

We will be celebrating this year with a feast of our own, namely a traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner with Low Carb Veggies. You can see the results of the feast on our Food Blog.

November 3, 2024 by Culture Holidays

Avalon 1998

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