Cotton Pickin’ Time in AZ

It’s October so that means it is time for the Indian’s to harvest their cotton fields.  I always find this process interesting.  I grew up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin—NO COTTON THERE!!  So anyway when I went to the library Friday I drove by the fields and took these pictures.

This is a shot of the cotton field ready for harvest.  These plants are a beautiful green before they dry up to indicate they are harvest ready.

This is a cotton plant….really interesting!!

A close up of the cotton and an unopened cotton pod.

Today’s “cotton picker”.  I wonder if it has any resemblance to Eli Whitney’s cotton gin??

The harvested bales lined up for shipment.  Each bale is large enough to fit on a flat bed trailer. 

As I said before this is a really interesting crop for me.

SUNDAY/MONDAY

SUNDAY AND MONDAY ARE OUR USUAL DAYS OFF, AND YOU CAN’T GO TO VEGAS EVERY WEEK-END.  LAST WEEK-END WITH HANS AND RENEE WAS SURE A BLAST ON FREMONT STREET DOWNTOWN.

ONE E-MAIL WE RECEIVED COMMENTED ON HOW THERE ARE NOTHING BUT BIG SMILES ON THOSE BLOG ENTRIES.  WE GOT A CALL FROM TODD AND DI, WHO MISSED THEIR ANNUAL TRIP TO LAUGHLIN LAST YEAR, SAYING THAT IT WAS CHEAPER TO FLY TO VEGAS AND STAY DOWNTOWN THAN IT WAS TO FLY TO LAUGHLIN.

LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER TRIP DOWNTOWN VEGAS IS IN OUR FUTURE AFTER THE HOLIDAYS !!!  CAN’T WAIT !!!

AT WORK, MARY AND I WERE SELECTED TO DEAL THE “SURRENDER YOUR BOOTY” BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT .  A SPECIAL TOURNAMENT FOR OUR REGULAR PLAYERS AND HIGH ROLLERS.  THEY PLAYED SLOTS, VIDEO POKER, AND THEN BLACKJACK.  THEIR TOTAL POINTS WERE ADDED UP AND PAYOUTS WERE MADE TO THE TOP TEN PLAYERS.

THE DEALERS FOR THE TOURNY WERE ALL DRESSED IN BLACK T-SHIRTS WITH A PIRATE THEME.  THE TOURNAMENT RAN FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM AND THEN, A BY THE POOL PARTY AFTER.  IT WAS GREAT FUN AND MANY OF THE PLAYERS WERE SLOT PLAYERS AND HAD NEVER PLAYED BLACKJACK BEFORE.

BESIDES ALL THE FUN, DECORATIONS, FOOD, AND COSTUMES WE WERE DONE WORK AT 8:00 PM ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.

NO PACKER GAME BUT BRETT FAVRE AND THE VIKINGS WERE PLAYING SUNDAY MORNING AT 10 AM (NV TIME) AND THIS WEEK WE WERE OFF TO THE RIVERSIDE CASINO TO WATCH THE GAME.

THE RIVERSIDE SETS UP 10 TV’S IN THEIR COCKTAIL LOUNGE FOR VIEWING THE SUNDAY FOOTBALL GAMES.

THE FAVRE MAGIC IS STILL THERE AND SOMETIMES I WISH I WAS A VIKING FAN.  MANY IN THE ROOM HAD ON THE PURPLE #4 JERSEY WHICH LOOKS REALLY UGLY TO ME, BUT …..

“LOSERS’ LOUNGE” IS THE NAME OF THIS COCKTAIL LOUNGE, AND THAT NAME, IN A CASINO, JUST CRACKS ME UP.

 

STILL CAMPING AND COOKING

MARY AND I TAKE THE CAMPING LIFE FOR GRANTED, AND SOMETIMES A DAY “OFF” IN CAMP JUST COMES AND GOES LIKE ANY OTHER DAY.  WE BOTH STILL ENJOY THE LIFE STYLE AND SUNDAY INCLUDED A COOK-OUT AFTER THE FOOTBALL GAMES.

HERE I’M FIRING UP THE VOLCANO AND DUTCH OVEN TO MAKE MARY’S AWARD WINNING SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE.

WE LOVE IT WHEN SAFEWAY OR SMITH’S OR HAS THE 8 OZ LOBSTER TAILS ON SALE, REGULAR PRICE $13 ON SALE FOR $6 OR $7, AND PICK UP A PACKAGE OF THOSE LITTLE BACON WRAPPED FILLETS AT WALMART.  FOR LESS THAN $20 WE BOTH ENJOY STEAK AND LOBSTER.

FOOTBALL – CAMPING – COOK-OUT, WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THAT FOR A DAY “OFF”?

YUP, YOU GUESSED IT …..

 

“SUNNY & 80”

FAVORITE BARTENDER

EVERYBODY HAS A FAVORITE BARTENDER.  YOU KNOW THAT ONE THAT CATCHES YOUR EYE, OR ALWAYS REMEMBERS YOUR DRINK ORDER, NEVER LETS YOUR ASH TRAY GET FULL,  VISITS AND LISTENS, AND GIVE YOU EXCELLENT SERVICE.

I'VE HAD SEVERAL FAVORITE BARTENDERS OVER THE YEARS.

RECENTLY IN VEGAS UNCLE HANS DEVELOPED A FAVORITE BARTENDER AT ONE OF THE OUTSIDE STREET BARS.....

UNCLE HANS WAS ADMIRING HIS NEW FAVORITE BARTENDER FROM AFAR, THE BAR INSIDE ACROSS THE STREET, TO BE EXACT.  SHE WAS HAVING A RATHER SLOW BUSINESS AFTERNOON.

AFTER THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF MILLER LITES, UNCLE HANS MAKES HIS MOVE.

OPPS, WE BETTER KEEP THE PEACE ON THE HOME FRONT.......

SERIOUSLY, OVER THE SUMMER ON OUR MANY TRIPS TO LAS VEGAS WE HAVE DEVELOPED A FAVORITE BARTENDER, AND SHE PRONOUNCES THE WORD "BAAARTENDER" JUST LIKE IN THE COCKTAIL MOVIE WITH TOM CRUISE.

NAE TENDS BAR AT THE VEGAS CLUB WHERE WE ALWAYS STAY, AND HAS BEEN MOST VALUABLE TO US ANSWERING OUR MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT FREMONT STREET AND GUIDING US TO THE MANY ATTRACTIONS. 

IF THERE IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO CHECKOUT WE SIMPLY FIND OUR FAVORITE "BAARTENDER" ENJOY A FEW COCKTAILS AND KNOW EXACTLY WHERE, HOW, AND WHEN TO FIND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

NAE, OUR FAVORITE "BAARTENDER", WE LUV YA !!!

LAS VEGAS

VEGAS BABY !!! (YES AGAIN)

OUR DAYS OFF THIS WEEK WERE SPENT IN VEGAS AGAIN.  LOOK WHO WE PICKED UP AT THE AIRPORT FIRST THING SUNDAY MORNING.

YUP, IT’S UNCLE HANS, RENEE, AND MARY.  WE DIDN’T WASTE ANY TIME ON THE OVER PRICED STRIP, BUT INSTEAD HEADED RIGHT DOWNTOWN TO FREMONT STREET FOR A DAY AND EVENING OF GETTING CAUGHT UP AND TYING ONE ON.

SEE THE SUNSHINE ON THESE HAPPY FACES?

 

 

NO TRIP TO FREMONT STREET WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A BUCKET OF BEER ON THE PATIO AT FITZJERALDS TO CHECKOUT THE LIGHT SHOW.

THESE GUYS WERE FROM CALIFORNIA, AND WE HAD QUITE A VISIT. 

OF COURSE I HAD TO CHECK OUT THE BLACKJACK DEALERS…….

AND YOU KNOW, YOU MUST ALWAYS TIP YOUR DEALERS…..

INTERESTING UNIFORMS!

IT WAS REALLY FUN TO MEET RENEE AND SEE UNCLE HANS.  WE ENJOYED OUR VISIT VERY MUCH AND THE REST OF THE STORIES ………

WELL, YOU KNOW, “WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, STAYS IN VEGAS”

 

DEFENSIVE LINE MEETING

ONE PLACE I WOULDN’T WANT TO BE TODAY, IS IN GREEN BAY AT THE DEFENSIVE LINEMENS MEETING. AFTER ALL THE “SACKS” ON RODGERS LAST NIGHT SOMEONE SHOULD BE FIRED !!!

MAN OH MAN, WHAT A FOOTBALL GAME TO WATCH?  YOU COULDN’T HELP CHEERING FOR BOTH TEAMS, AND MARY ACTUALLY TOOK THE VIKINGS ON THE MONEY LINE AT THE SPORTS BOOK.  SINCE WHEN DID WE START BETTING AGAINST OUR BELOVED PACKERS?

ON HER $20 BET BET SHE ONLY WON $9.25 BECAUSE THE VIKINGS WERE FAVORED TO WIN THE GAME.

REVENGE IS SWEET

BRETT FAVRE TURNS 40 YEARS OLD NEXT SATURDAY. A 40 YEAR OLD QUARTERBACK HAS NEVER WON THE SUPER BOWL.  WILL THIS BE HIS NEXT RECORD?

SPEAKING OF RECORDS, BRETT HAS NOW BEAT ALL 32 PROFFESIONAL FOOTBALL TEAMS. HE WAS 31 OUT OF 32 MANY YEARS WITH THE LAST TEAM HE NEEDED TO BEAT WAS THE GREEN BAY PACKERS.

THE BEST QUARTERBACK WON !!!

IN MY OPINION THE BEST QUARTERBACK WON THE GAME LAST NIGHT.  WHY OH WHY, DID THE PACKERS FIRE BRETT FAVRE TWO YEARS AGO?

I’LL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT REALLY BAD DECISION !!!  NOW MORE THAN EVER THE PACKERS NEED TO FIRE THOMPSON AND MC CARTHY !!!  I THINK THEY SHOULD BE FIRED NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON, SAY ON HALLOWEEN, JUST BEFORE FAVRE AND THE VIKINGS PLAY AT THE HOLY LAND, LAMBEAU FIELD.

COME ON YOU CHEESEHEADS, BRING THE PACKER TRAIN BACK TO THE STATION AND THROW OFF THE GENERAL MANAGER AND HEAD COACH, NOT JUST THE DEFENSIVE LINE COACH!!!

GO PACKERS !!!