Winter Wonderland

Our local mountains turned white overnight Thursday night and Friday morning I was itchin' to drive up and see the snow.  I only had to drive 15 minutes.  There was fresh snow in Pinyon Pines, where my friend Barbara lives.  And, at 8:30 a.m, it was still snowing!   :-)  I cruised around her neighborhood.  I didn't wish to intrude on her family or her chores, so I stayed in my nice, warm, comfy car and took photos from the driver's side.  HA!  I know...that's cheating, but, hey, it was COLD!

 The now empty Sugar Loaf Cafe.  I sure hope somebody buys it and turns it into a market!  This is at about 3900 feet.

 Taken from the empty parking lot at the Sawmill Trail...

 I liked the snow on the fallen agave.

 Looking back toward the road toward Palm Desert...

 Again, from the parking lot at the trail head...

 Cold mailboxes!

 Outdoor furniture covered with snow...

 I liked the red truck against the snow...

 Barbara's red barn...

Another view of the mailboxes before I left to drive home...

Just hanging around the yard

I'm really enjoying our 80 degree weather.  However, by tomorrow, a cold front is moving in and there might be SNOW up at the horse ranch!  YES!  Brrrrr.....!!!

So, yesterday I went back to the garden center, bought 4 more snapdragons (since the hummingbirds like them), 2 verbenas, 1 mint, and 3 packages of a miniature sunflower.  These only grow to be 2-3 feet tall, so I planted them next to the railroad ties raised bed, so they won't block the afternoon sun.  I had 7 cabbage plants from school on Friday.  Every 3rd grader got to take home a cabbage plant, and there were about 16 left, so I took 7.  They are now happily planted in the raised bed, along with the mint.  I figured the mint would discourage some of the cabbage moths....???

I'll go out this morning and take some more photos.  I'm really enjoying my front yard garden this year.  I hope the plants do well with all the El Nino storms forecast!

Here are a few photos from yesterday:

 My daisies...

 My 20 year old cat who insists on being in EVERY photo!  Oye!

 Snapdragons...

 Snapdragons and daisies...

More snaps...

Nursery visit

I'm slowly buying a few plants every weekend to add to my garden out front.  It was dormant all summer.  I now have daisies, lavender, purple salvia, red salvia, snapdragons, and a couple of things that I don't know their names.  I have yellow, orange, red, and blue and purple flowers.  I like to see some color in the winter because I sit for HOURS every day, at my computer desk, looking out into the front yard, and it would be nice to see some color.  I'm focusing on plants that don't need a lot of water.

So yesterday I went to visit our local nursery, which is just up the street from our house.  It's been there 40 years and is family-run.  It backs into a canyon at the end of the street and there are quail, hummingbirds, finches, sparrows, and even a couple of crows that live there.  There are a LOT of hummingbirds there!  I only wish I could get better photos of them!  They fly so fast!  I love to go up there on a weekend morning and just walk around with my camera.  The staff is pretty indulging.  I've been up there often enough and I buy enough that they don't bother me.  And, yesterday, I saw two vintage WWII planes fly right overhead!

I came home and planted the 5 little plants that I bought, but I'm thinking about returning today to buy more snapdragons.  The hummers really enjoy those!

Here are some photos from yesterday:

 I did manage to get this hummingbird photo!

 Cute johnny jump-ups!

 This is the canyon.  People hike on the trails above the nursery.

 Tacoma stans

 Another hummingbird.  I had my camera set at 1/200th of a second, but that was too slow to capture the movement of its wings.

Vintage WWII planes that flew overhead.  There was some kind of exhibition in Palm Springs yesterday.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! :-)

I have a big announcement.  At the end of this school year, I'm RETIRING!  YES!  I can hardly wait! 

And, my district MAY be offering a nice financial inducement, too, if enough teachers decide to retire!

After 30 years, I'm completely burned out.  I'm TIRED.  I'm constantly getting colds/viruses/whatever germs the kids bring to school.  I had to go to urgent care last Thursday because I had horrible stomach cramps for the 2nd time.  Fortunately, after 2 days of a Z-pak, I was pain free!  

It's TIME.  The kids, I hate to say, are getting DUMBER and DUMBER.  And, they are so apathetic, too!  They want EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW and they whine and complain if they don't get their iPads on time or some other ridiculous thing.  OYE!  What a spoiled generation.

Additionally, I'll have another grandchild in May, and I need to give my own family some attention. Our daughter is having another child (this will be her 2nd...) and I need to be around to help her.

So, June 11, 2016....I'll be doing the HAPPY DANCE!

Horse ranch last November

It is wonderful and refreshing to have Veterans' Day off today!  Ahhhhhhh!!!!!  I have a day to catch up on laundry, dishes, and planting seeds, as well as honoring our veterans.  My dad fought in the Army in WWII, and was stationed in the South Pacific.  He never talked about his war experiences.

Anyway, after I get my chores done here this morning, I'll be driving up to the horse ranch.  I wonder what the trees along the driveway will look like.  Here are some photos of them last November.

Just around the ranch last weekend

Just a few photos from around the horse ranch last weekend...

Quad update

Quad is now passing MANURE with SAND!  Whoopie!  It's getting out of his system!  Phew!

We are moving him up to their round pen, which is now filled with manure.  At least he can eat off the manure, instead of sand.  And, we'll be moving his rubber mats up there, too.

Oye!

I think I had sympathetic pains Saturday night (Halloween).  I had stomach cramps, bloating, and lots of pain.  Probably a virus, but it was enough to keep me home and miss Halloween with the granddaughter.

I'm driving up this morning to check on him.

Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers.  It does look like he is pulling through!   :-)