Here's Lady!!!

Meet "Lady".  She is a rehomed 6 year old registered German Shepherd.  A colleague of mine actually was the one who rehomed her, but then decided a German Shepherd just wasn't the dog she wanted.  So, one day last week, she asked, "Does anybody want a German Shepherd?" and I said, "I DO!"  She had her in a small condo, worked late hours, and just didn't have the time for her.  Plus, she wasn't used to German Shepherds, who really are "people" dogs.  They follow you from room to room, sleep on the bed, and want to be near their owner.  That was just too much for my colleague.  I'm so thankful that she let us have her.  She is a WONDERFUL dog!  She's already trained and potty trained.  She has very nice manners.  She made friends with all the cats and is getting along with our two other dogs, including the Weimeraner.  She's not agressive or pushy.  She's very calm.  The breeder who had her for 6 years did an outstanding job with her and my colleague did, too.  She's already settled into our home and our routines.  She hasn't taken a nap yet, so she must be exhausted from her exciting day!  As you know, we lost our male shepherd, Rommel, in December.  Our home just wasn't the same without a shepherd to keep an eye on us!

new shepherd???

A colleague of mine has a pure bred 6 year old German Shepherd that she can no longer keep in her tiny condo.  Both of her kids are grown and gone and she often works late.  Plus, she enjoys taking her weekends and getting out of the desert.  She's bringing the dog by this morning so I can check her out and I may take her.  I really miss having a German Shepherd.  I see other people with theirs and I sigh...they are such "people" dogs!  She is already 6 years old, which means she is housebroken, so I won't have to deal with that!  :-)  And, we have plenty of room her.  I can close the back gate and keep her in her own area until she becomes one of the pack...I'll let you know later!  She REALLY needs a good home...

Still sick

Well, I'm STILL sick with this stupid bronchitis!  I barely made it through the day at school yesterday...sigh...it seemed like I was also coming down with a cold!  I came home, took NyQuil, and passed out for 10 hours.  I'm groggy today...I REALLY need some horse time!

Fall is coming

I'm keeping an eye on the maples and aspen up in our local mountains and at the horse ranch, waiting for them to show me the first signs of autumn.  I love autumn, don't you?  For us here in the desert, autumn means an end to triple digit daily temperatures, which is extremely important!  That means we can turn OFF our air conditioners and open up our windows (YES, even when it is 95 degrees!).  Really, you have NO IDEA what it is like to be able to enjoy fresh air again.  Well, you probably do if you live in a cold climate and you have to go through this same thing every WINTER!  Yes, I get "cabin fever" in the summer.  I can't go outside from...8:00 a.m. until, well...pretty much the whole day.  One can function from about 5:00 a.m. until about 8:00 during the summer. Then we "desert rats" have to go inside, close the windows and doors, and hibernate, like the desert animals.  Yes, we even take a siesta!  So, for us, autumn means we can throw open our doors (like I did this morning), open the windows and actually enjoy fresh, cool air (it's ONLY 78 degrees here this morning...) I've found a couple examples of the return of fall already and I'm anxious to find more.  Unfortunately, my bronchitis laid me nearly flat on my back all day yesterday.  I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and by 9:00, that was it.  I was exhausted...I never made it up to see the horses.  I'm hoping hubby will ride along with me today as I need to buy some pellets for them...sigh...we'll see. I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately, but this bronchitis has really laid me low!!!   :-(

Bronchitis (already...)

I have a nasty dose of bronchitis and I doubt I'll even get up to the horses this weekend.  Frankly, I'm just too weak.  I straggled into school Wed., Thurs., and Friday, after taking Monday and Tuesday off to REST at home with my coedine cough syrup.  Today, I'm already tired and it's only 9:00 a.m.!!!!  I need to take a few naps today and get my energy level back up to normal...

My weekend entertainment~Our World Tuesday~091812

I was entertained all weekend by the antics of the blue jays and squirrels up at the cabin in Idyllwild which we rented.  If I threw out peanuts, the blue jays would swoop down and get them before the squirrels.  If I threw a peanut directly at a squirrel, it would get the peanut (MOST of the time!)  Sometimes the squirrels would chase off the jays in a scattering of blue.  It was fun to watch them! Our World Tuesday for September 19, 2012.  To visit OWT, please go to:   http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Weekend in the mountains

Well, the good news was that we had a great weekend in Idyllwild with the grandson and his parents.  The bad news is that both he and I were sick.  I have full-blown bronchitis and all I did ALL WEEKEND was cough.  I'm taking today off and going to urgent care.  The grandson had green snot coming out of his little nose.  We DID feed the blue jays and squirrels, and we did drive down to see the fire station, but that was about it.  Neither one of us felt good.  And, that's a shame because it was so nice up in Idyllwild...55 degrees at night!  I left the bedroom window open to hear the crickets and we all went out about midnight to view the stars.  We had a 3-level cabin that had 3 queen beds and a pullout, so there was plenty of room.  Hubby made chicken, steak, and lamb on Friday night and Saturday night he made pasta with panchetta. By Sunday morning, however, I had NO appetite and I just wanted to get home and sleep (which I did...)  Hubby made a HUGE pot of chicken and rice soup, which we had for dinner last night, then I konked out for the night.  Here are some pics of the cabin. I was so sick yesterday we didn't even stop to see the horses!

Boarding facility~Friday's Fences~091412

This used to be a thoroughbred breeding farm up near Garner Valley.  Now it's a boarding facility and its fences are in need of paint.  I often drive by it and stop to take photos in different seasons.  I liked all the clouds last weekend.  Friday's Fences for September 14, 2012. To visit Friday's Fences, please go to:   http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Quail and squirrel

These guys and the blue jays were my entertainment this past weekend.  We are returning next weekend, but to a different cabin, one that sleeps 10 people.  The grandson and his parents will join us!  Can't wait!

Weekend in Idyllwild

Hubby and I spent the weekend in Idyllwild.  I was on the verge of bronchitis (already...) and we just wanted to get out of the HEAT and REST.  So, we rented a cabin up at 5,000 feet in the tall, tall pines overlooking Strawberry Creek.  It was a restful weekend.  I spent most of it either sleeping or throwing peanuts out to blue jays, squirrels, and throwing birdseed out for the quail who came to visit twice a day.  I am feeling so much better now!  Thunderheads came overhead Saturday night and I do believe it sprinkled up there today after we left.  Here are a few pics. Even hubby enjoyed feeding the jays!

Thunderheads

We've had some awesome thunderheads here in the desert lately.  I've been taking my little Nikon COOLPIX with me every day and I often stop to take a quick photo of them.  More thunderheads are forecast for today.  We've broken an old record for rainfall, over 1/2 inch in Palm Springs, last week.  We've had afternoon thunderstorms and the roar of thunder is becoming a daily occurance.

Look who is coming to see me!!!!

I saw these cutie pies today while driving through Garner Valley.  I've never seen them before.  They headed to the nearby pine tree and began to eat the needles.

Aunt update

Well, my aunt came home from the hospital yesterday.  My cousin drove up from San Diego to take her home.  However, she needs shots twice a day for the weekend, and I can't do that, but my son-in-law can, so he is giving them to her.  I'm not sure what kind of shots they are (uuuuuugggghhhh!), but apparently he's okay doing it.  Yes, to those of you who commented, heat stroke DOES creep up on you.  I didn't know I had it several years ago until I felt dizzy and disoriented.

More good news...I survived the first FULL week of school!  Whoo, whoo!  And, my class of little ANGELS this year won the weekly "spirit award" by wearing their T-shirts, so they ALL got a frozen treat for lunch yesterday!  Aren't they adorable?  They are just so DIFFERENT from last year's class! We've been studying the solar system, so yesterday afternoon I asked them to draw a solar system picture, using crayons, then I sprinkled glitter on it for the stars and comets.  They were THRILLED!  I don't think they had ever seen glitter on a picture before (and this is 3rd grade!)...Isn't that sad?  We just don't have time anymore for music, art, science, or social studies.  BUT...I'm DETERMINED to sneak those subjects in this year!~ What's really awful is that we have state standards for those subjects, but they aren't tested, so they aren't emphasized like they used to be....CAN you believe it?  I put on my Beethoven CD one afternoon and one boy said, "Is that CLASSIC music?  My dad told me if it doesn't have words, it's CLASSIC music!"  I giggled...aren't they cute?