Verna and Bob's Weblog

Holidays

Friday the 13th Sunset

While taking the dogs out on their “dusk walk,” I noticed that we were having a colorful sunset after a cloudy and sometimes rainy day. I happened to have my little Kodak PixPro FZ152 camera in my pocket, so I took this and a couple of other photos with this nice, but seldom used camera. The Samsung S23 with its built-in camera are usually my choice when not carrying my Canon EOS Rebel SL3. Click on the image above to enlarge.

This is a photo of the little pocket-sixed Kodak that I used:

It is a pretty good little camera with a myriad of functions and capabilities to include panorama mode, webcam mode, sport mode and various others. I only used the basic “Auto” mode with the zoom lens to capture the image at the top.

P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day tomorrow.

February 13, 2026 by Arizona Culture Holidays Photography 0

Groundhog Day 2026

So, we don’t have any groundhogs (captive or not) in our corner of the Sonoran Desert, therefore, a Ground Squirrel will have to do. The little guy saw his shadow and the resulting forecast is for six more weeks of Arizona Awesome.

Alexa‘s take on today:

Groundhog Day is a quirky North American tradition celebrated every February 2nd, where a groundhog (most famously “Punxsutawney Phil” in Pennsylvania) emerges from its burrow to “predict” the weather. If the groundhog sees its shadow, legend says we’ll have six more weeks of winter; if not, spring arrives early.

Origins & History

The tradition traces back over 2,000 years to ancient Rome, where people observed hedgehogs on February 2nd to predict spring’s arrival. German immigrants brought this custom to America in the early 1800s, switching from hedgehogs to groundhogs since hedgehogs weren’t native to Pennsylvania. The official Punxsutawney celebration began in 1886 when a local newspaper first acknowledged the tradition.

The Prediction

While the ceremony remains wildly popular, scientific studies show no consistent correlation between shadow-sighting and actual weather patterns. It’s pure folklore—but that’s exactly what makes it charming! The tradition connects to “Candlemas”, a Christian festival where clear weather was believed to foretell extended winter.

It’s essentially a delightful excuse to embrace winter whimsy and hope for spring—regardless of what Phil actually “sees”!

Click on the image above to view “Arizona Andy the Antelope Squirrel” enlarged.

February 2, 2026 by Arizona Climate Critters Holidays Photography

New Years Portraits

This is our posed portraits to kick off 2026. Verna got New Years themed tops for us to wear explicitly for this photo.

Wishing all of our readers a happy and prosperous New Year!

Photo equipment and set up:

  • Tripod: Velbon CX690
  • Camera: Canon EOS Rebel SL3
  • Copyright (c): BOB ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
  • Shutter Speed: 1/125 seconds
  • Aperture: F4
  • Camera Program: Normal
  • ISO Speed Rating: 100
  • Focal Length: 38mm
  • Lens: Canon EF-S17-55mm IS USM
  • Shutter Delay: 10 seconds
January 1, 2026 by Arizona Family Holidays Photography

Happy New Year!

I’ve been fooling around with some AI lately and I understand that some users have been using AI to write code. So, I tried my hand at asking it to write a script for a countdown to the new year. I asked for JavaScript to be embedded in HTML and it produced the result seen below. The AI (Google Gemini) produced JavaScript, HTML and the Style Script (CSS). All I had to do was provide the HTML Header and Body and, voila, the counter worked right off the bat. Link to Gemini Code.

If you see “Happy New Year” instead of the counter, then It is already (MST) 2026. The counter is now set for St. Valentines Day, 2026.

I’m posting this some 29 hours or so before the new year so visitors to the site can see the counter. I may (just for grins) change the code to countdown to 2027 after the new year.

So, from both Verna and I, we wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year in 2026!

UPDATE: I changed the target to St. Valentine’s Day 2026! And a happy St. Valentines Day, too!

December 30, 2025 by Culture Holidays Nerdliness

Merry Christmas 2025

Wow! This year has gone by so quickly! I guess that’s what happens when you keep busy in retirement, travel a lot and get caught up in everyday routines. At any rate, it’s time to wish everyone a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year in 2026.

The Birth of Christ according to the Gospel of Luke (summary):

The account of Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Luke is one of the most famous narratives in history, focusing on the humble circumstances of His arrival and the celestial celebration that followed.

The Journey to Bethlehem
The story begins with a decree from the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, calling for a census of the entire Roman world. Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of David, to register. He traveled with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was pregnant.

The Birth in a Manger
While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth. Because the town was crowded with travelers for the census, there was no guest room available for them. Mary gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped Him in cloths (swaddling), and placed Him in a manger—a feeding trough for animals.

The Shepherds and the Angels
Nearby, shepherds were living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.

The Message: The angel told them not to be afraid, announcing “good news of great joy”: a Savior, the Messiah, had been born in Bethlehem.

The Sign: The shepherds were told they would find The Baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

The Heavenly Host: A great company of angels appeared, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The Visit to the Child
Once the angels left, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem. They found Mary, Joseph, and The Baby exactly as they had been told. After seeing Him, they spread the word about what the angel had said concerning the child, leaving everyone who heard it amazed.

The chapter notes that while the shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God, Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

December 24, 2025 by Family Holidays Religion

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy and blessed Thanksgiving! We enjoyed our Turkey Dinner this afternoon consisting of good breast of turkey with Dressing, Veggies and Cranberries. We had gravy on the turkey and dressing, of course.

We posed for this holiday portrait earlier today:

Click on either image to enlarge.

Deuteronomy 28:12 (NIV)

“The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.”

November 27, 2025 by Arizona Food and Dining Holidays

Avalon 1998

Categories

Archives