We are scheduled to have 3 days of triple digit temps here this week, then temps move down to 99, 97, and then the 80's next week.
YEE HAW! (not the triple digits...the 80's)...
It was 99 degrees here yesterday and it was 80 degrees by 10 a.m., so we closed up the house and turned on the damn air conditioner. I HATE to have to turn it on before June because we actually get an extra "allowance" for the hot, summer months. So, when hot weather hits us in February or March or April, or even May, we get penalized. We've lived here in the desert now for 42 years (in this house) and I actually remember a year when we didn't even turn it on until after July 4th! HA! NOT THIS YEAR or last year!!!!! We got a whole new system let see...it will be 3 years ago in August because our 17 YEAR OLD system finally sprung a leak and it wasn't cooling down the house properly and we got a $500 energy credit that tax year for the new system. (BIG DEAL...we still owed taxes that year!) We both LOVE the new system. It is modern, efficient, and quieter. And, it puts out the air! So, yesterday we HAD to turn it on.
We are also noticing that as we get older (which we hate to admit...), our bodies tolerate the heat less and less. We drink about 2 gallons of iced tea A DAY. Hubby's main job now is to brew and keep the ice tea pitcher FULL. We enjoy the TAZO wild orange tea, which hubby orders BY THE BOX from WalMart and they deliver it to the front door! Amazing, eh? That's also how we got our 2 new recliner/rocker chairs, which we both enjoy. He set up one of the oscillating fans in the living room and that helps keep the air moving, cooling us down too. We notice that Ripley, our black lab, likes to plunk herself right in front of the fan!
So, we have to get through this week and then next week we will have some relief.
I finished the 2 books about the Franklin expedition (one fiction and one non-fiction) and now I'm reading about... PIRATES! I actually have an ancestor who was a Dutch pirate and who was lost in the Atlantic Ocean. I'm reading Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton and a non-fiction book which I ordered from the library. I don't buy books anymore...I just order them from our library system. If they don't have it at the local branch, they order it from another one and I usually get it in 2 days. It saves money! $$$$$
I'm really enjoying this Spring here in the desert. The birds are gathering materials for their nests, they chatter all day and the mockingbirds sing at night. Hubby even looked up from his laptop to ask, "What bird is that?" the other evening. DUH...a mockingbird...I see doves picking up twigs for their messy desks, birds flying off with some of the horse hair I spread out on the ground, and in general, just acting like...birds. The grosbeaks have left, as of yesterday. I didn't hear their little noises and I only saw one briefly all day. Today, they are GONE! I did, however, see a woodpecker at one of the orange I left out for the grosbeaks. I don't know where they go, but every Spring they do stop by here for a couple of weeks. The Canadian gees will be heading out soon, although I have seen them still at the city park in May. I DID see a few of them this past weekend when we drove to the park to feed the ducks with the grandkids. I miss seeing flocks of them overhead, but I don't always get out by the freeway and they seem to follow the freeway through the pass to travel north, just like us!
I worked on and finished 3 journals yesterday, so they will be listed in my ETSY shop this morning. Time to start 3 more...
Take care.
~Cheryl Ann~For some reason my photos will NOT load this morning.... :-(
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Had a good visit with the herd yesterday
Hubby threw out his back a couple of weeks ago and I've been driving him to his chiropractor appointments twice a week.
He complained about sleeping in our bed, so he bought himself a recliner and now I can't get him OUT of it! He LOVES IT!
Anyway, he was SNORING at 8 a.m. yesterday, at 8:30, at 9:00, so I left and went up to the herd. I knew I had to buy pellets for them (for their lunch snack), and I needed to worm them. AND BRUSH THEM! I came home with a whole pile of hair for the birds nests here! I hope the birds appreciate all that hair!
Quad was the worst! His hair was literally falling out! Scout, of course, has the densest hair, but even she had a bunch coming out. I even trimmed Sunni's and Gigondas' tails! Sunni's tail has now completely grown out. Remember Quad chewing on it a couple of years ago?
They all got wormed and then a snack of pellets.
You know, they are ALL such loving animals! Even Gigondas let me love on her! :-) That's a big step for the aloof human-hating mare that she was years ago.
I unloaded my 6 bags of pellets and picked up some loose alfalfa for my garden. I bought some yellow squash at the local feed store/Ace Hardware. ORGANIC, of course! I already have pole beans coming up out back, along with sunflowers, hollyhocks, sweet peas, lavender, and even the Chinaberry is blooming! (see pics below)...
Ripley and my outdoor cat, "Mr. Gray" ALWAYS help me!!!!
A view of my garden...
Chinaberry blossoms
A bee was in one of the holly hocks
He complained about sleeping in our bed, so he bought himself a recliner and now I can't get him OUT of it! He LOVES IT!
Anyway, he was SNORING at 8 a.m. yesterday, at 8:30, at 9:00, so I left and went up to the herd. I knew I had to buy pellets for them (for their lunch snack), and I needed to worm them. AND BRUSH THEM! I came home with a whole pile of hair for the birds nests here! I hope the birds appreciate all that hair!
Quad was the worst! His hair was literally falling out! Scout, of course, has the densest hair, but even she had a bunch coming out. I even trimmed Sunni's and Gigondas' tails! Sunni's tail has now completely grown out. Remember Quad chewing on it a couple of years ago?
They all got wormed and then a snack of pellets.
You know, they are ALL such loving animals! Even Gigondas let me love on her! :-) That's a big step for the aloof human-hating mare that she was years ago.
I unloaded my 6 bags of pellets and picked up some loose alfalfa for my garden. I bought some yellow squash at the local feed store/Ace Hardware. ORGANIC, of course! I already have pole beans coming up out back, along with sunflowers, hollyhocks, sweet peas, lavender, and even the Chinaberry is blooming! (see pics below)...
Saturday, April 7, 2018
SUMMER? ALREADY???????
It is supposed to be 100 degrees here Tuesday and in the upper 90's the rest of the week.
...sigh...there go my sweet peas.
On the other hand, my beans and squash will be enjoying the warm weather! That's what is so unique about the Coachella Valley. Farmers can get in 9 (NINE) different crop rotations throughout the year. I always watched what they were growing on my way to school every morning. In winter they raise broccoli, lettuce, green onions, cauliflower, and other cool season crops. They get 3 rotations of corn: an early corn, a June crop, and then another one before they plow everything under in August and just let the fields lie empty. In summer they grow CORN, melons, squash, beans (not pole ones), watermelon, peppers, and I'm not sure what else. I don't follow that route any longer since I'm not working.
We had to turn on the air conditioner yesterday. We HATE to do it, but when it is 85 degrees in the house and we are both sweating, well, it HAS to be done. I love to have the windows open and listen to the birds, but not when it is in the high 90's.
So, enjoy your weekend!
~Cheryl Ann~
These are all blooming in my front and back yard right now:
...sigh...there go my sweet peas.
On the other hand, my beans and squash will be enjoying the warm weather! That's what is so unique about the Coachella Valley. Farmers can get in 9 (NINE) different crop rotations throughout the year. I always watched what they were growing on my way to school every morning. In winter they raise broccoli, lettuce, green onions, cauliflower, and other cool season crops. They get 3 rotations of corn: an early corn, a June crop, and then another one before they plow everything under in August and just let the fields lie empty. In summer they grow CORN, melons, squash, beans (not pole ones), watermelon, peppers, and I'm not sure what else. I don't follow that route any longer since I'm not working.
We had to turn on the air conditioner yesterday. We HATE to do it, but when it is 85 degrees in the house and we are both sweating, well, it HAS to be done. I love to have the windows open and listen to the birds, but not when it is in the high 90's.
So, enjoy your weekend!
~Cheryl Ann~
These are all blooming in my front and back yard right now:
Friday, April 6, 2018
Still pluggin' away!
I'm STILL HERE! I'm just BUSY! :-)
Honestly, I don't know how I ever found time to work!
My ETSY shop is running smoothly now. I need to make about 3 or 4 more journals next week and get them into my shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesertsandBeyond?ref=pr_shop_more
I've made 44 journals so far and I've made 21 sales. PHEW!
The grandkids are keeping me busy, too. I met our daughter and her kiddos at the Living Desert Reserve this past week and we had a good visit, but it got warm. It is going to be 100 degrees here next week...YIKES! Too hot TOO EARLY!
I need to get up to the horses SOON! I'm sure they all need brushing. Anybody want to come and help?
Ha, ha!
Later...
~~Cheryl
***SOLD***
***SOLD***
***SOLD***
***SOLD***
***SOLD***
Some of my cosmos
I have a back yard FULL of sunflowers and hollyhocks! (not pictured)
My aloe vera bloomed this year!
Honestly, I don't know how I ever found time to work!
My ETSY shop is running smoothly now. I need to make about 3 or 4 more journals next week and get them into my shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesertsandBeyond?ref=pr_shop_more
I've made 44 journals so far and I've made 21 sales. PHEW!
The grandkids are keeping me busy, too. I met our daughter and her kiddos at the Living Desert Reserve this past week and we had a good visit, but it got warm. It is going to be 100 degrees here next week...YIKES! Too hot TOO EARLY!
I need to get up to the horses SOON! I'm sure they all need brushing. Anybody want to come and help?
Ha, ha!
Later...
~~Cheryl
***SOLD***
***SOLD***
***SOLD***
Some of my cosmos
I have a back yard FULL of sunflowers and hollyhocks! (not pictured)
My aloe vera bloomed this year!
There is usually a dove on the top of our DEAD cottonwood!
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