Saturday, November 24, 2012

Adventures In House-Sitting


Tucson Weather Today

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A couple weeks ago it stormed out in the desert. At one point I looked out the back window and saw a continuously changing colorscape over the mountain tops as the sun streamed through the rolling moisture-darkened clouds and painted the crests and valleys in differing shades of silver and gold and metallic earthtones out beyond and above the nearer living greens.


Eva seemed not to notice the shifting colors all around us as she trotted happily around the pool in her never-ending patrol of the property. She knows her protective duties as guardian of the homestead, and she performs them assiduously.


Rare indeed are the incidents that can distract Eva from the focused attention of her protective instinct. One of them, however, is the sudden and unexpected rise of a hard wind blow. Another is the explosive clap of thunder echoing in from the surrounding desert. Then she races over to me and whines for me to open the door to the house's protective interior.


 Inside dwells safety and a measure of security, and the never lessening pleasures of canine toys like the knotted tug-rope, and like a speedily rolling across the tile floor of a tossed tennis ball to chase after and triumphantly retrieve.

It's a true 2012 dog's life that Eva leads.

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WORD FOR TODAY

assiduous

adj.
- Constant in application or attention; diligent.
- Unceasing; persistent.

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY



William F. Buckley Jr.
Born Nov 24, 1925
Died: Feb 27, 2008

William Frank Buckley, Jr. was a conservative American author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, which had a major impact in stimulating the conservative movement. He hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, where his public persona was famous for a wide vocabulary. He also wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and wrote numerous spy novels.


Born Nov 24, 1784
Died: July 9, 1850.

Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States (1849–1850) and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass. He was a planter and slaveholder based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Known as "Old Rough and Ready," Taylor had a 40-year military career in the United States Army, serving in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and the Second Seminole War. He achieved fame leading American troops to victory in the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican–American War.


Born Nov 24, 1957
Age: 54 years old.

Denise Michelle Crosby is an American actress best known for portraying Security Chief Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation. She is also known for her numerous film and television roles and for starring in and producing the film Trekkies. She is the granddaughter of the late entertainer Bing Crosby.


Born Nov 24, 1853
Died: Oct 25, 1921

William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph. He was the brother of lawmen James Masterson and Ed Masterson.


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I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.
--William F. Buckley, Jr.

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