Yesterday’s temperature didn’t reach the predicted high 90s – the thermometer stopped climbing at 95 degrees! I spent most of the afternoon indoors reading a book.

Sometimes when I’m lying on the sofa reading, Ozark the cat flops on the floor next to the sofa. I mean she really flops noisily on her side and stretches out. She wants me to rub her belly when she does this. If I start rubbing her belly, she’ll roll from side to side and take it all in. What a funny cat – she seems more like a dog at times.

Ozark stretched out waiting for a belly rub

At 4pm, Donna and I headed out on the Spyder. I wore jeans in spite of the heat. The burn on my right calf is nearly healed and I’m trying to limit the amount of direct sun on the tender skin.

We rode east to Apache Junction. Our destination was the Handlebar Pub and Grill. We planned to meet Andy and Donna King at 4:30pm. Andy wanted to eat early before he took the stage at 6pm with the String ‘Em Up bluegrass band. We joined them for a drink and waited for our friends Brett and Cheri Miller to arrive before we ordered food.

Bluegrass music is fun and we had a great time. The String ‘Em Up band played a lot of standards and even threw in a nice version of The Weight – a song originally recorded by The Band.

Donna, Donna and Andy with mandolin player and singer Frank Hamilton sneaking into the photo

Cheri and Brett Miller

Brett’s selfie with all of us in the background

The String ‘Em Up band – Andy is hidden with his Dobro behind Frank

We had dinner at the pub. Donna had wild Alaskan salmon and I had a green chili hamburger. Their burgers are excellent and came with a side of blue cheese potato salad that Donna plans to recreate at home.

Today we have overcast skies and a change in the weather is coming. It’s actually humid here today in Mesa, Arizona. There’s a chance of showers this evening and cooler temperatures with scattered thunderstorms in tomorrow’s forecast. I’ll believe it when I see it.