Dogs and horses we've said goodbye to...Memories...

I was looking through my feed and saw that Carson over at the 7 MSN hasn't posted since the loss of her beloved dog, Smooch.   I didn't post for about 6 weeks after I lost Ripley.   I just couldn't talk about it.   Or Beauty, or Cali.

I was remembering when our kids were toddlers.   We had 2 collies, a brother and sister.   BJ, the male, looked like Lassie.   Heather, the female, well, she looked like a collie but with German Shepherd tan coloring.   She had the long, collie hair, but no white mane.   BOTH of our kids would grab onto their fur and toddle along beside them!   It was hilarious!   They were good dogs.  We had BJ for about 11 years and I think maybe he had a stroke one afternoon.   My husband was out of town and I was alone with the kids (who were teenagers by then...).   He was screaming in pain.   I ran to my neighbor's house and she helped me lift him into the back of my pickup and off to the 24 hour emergency pet center I drove.   They put him down there.  I came home with an empty truck and a bucket full of tears.

Heather we gave to my grandparents.   She was an excellent watch dog and she spent the rest of her life with them.   She followed my grandfather all over his yard and NEVER let anybody she didn't know into their yard, which was a good thing, because by then they lived on a street with a lot of traffic.Their little, old house and a neighbor's were the only 2 residences left on the street.   Their home was torn down just a couple of years ago.   I don't think anything is there yet.   Oops!   I stand corrected.   THIS is what is there now:     https://www.google.com/maps/place/53+E+Duarte+Rd,+Arcadia,+CA+91006/@34.1299208,-118.0288269,3a,75y,353.95h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sW8buqNpM2vsquBhMSo_Q7g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2dbd040980b8b:0x52ee970ff24e22f8!8m2!3d34.1300334!4d-118.0288323

My grandfather's victory garden is long gone.   The elm tree is gone, as well as his greenhouse.   My grandmother's geraniums are gone.   All I have are the happy memories of their house.   They used to walk down to the corner to buy their eggs.   Grandpa grew onions, radishes, rhubarb, turnips, corn, and he even had an avocado tree.   They walked me to the bus stop from the time I was in first grade through fifth grade, never missing a day.   Now it is I who transports my grandkids from school home or from day care home.

Enjoying these days of autumn

I'm loving the soft, autumn light that comes through my craft room window every afternoon.   It has that golden touch.

Birds are returning to the desert.   I went to COSTCO 2 days ago and bought 5 bags of birdseed for $5.99 each.   They are the 20 pound ones.   Today I'm going to WalMart and buy 2 bags of sunflower seeds for $8.99 each (I think they are 40 pounds?).   Anyway the Cooper's hawk is keeping the birds away pretty much now.   They fly in early in the morning, stuff themselves, and then leave before he/she swoops down from above.

Hottest day this week will be tomorrow (of COURSE...the day I have to go pick up the granddaughter from school at 1 pm).   Then, temps go back down into the low 90's and upper 80's, which are PERFECT DAYS here!

Just a few pics from this summer below: (all photos taken at the Living Desert Reserve here in town)

Hummingbird encounter!

Yesterday morning I noticed that my 9 hummingbird feeders ALL needed a cleaning and refill, so I took them all down, scrubbed them, cleaned them, and refilled them with sugar water.   While I was taking one out to the back yard, the female hummingbird who seems to like to stay in our yard all summer came up to the feeder as I was holding it and took several LONG drinks.   She cautiously eyed me, but didn't fly away, content to get a nice, fresh, nourishing breakfast!   And, I got a nice look at her.   What an experience!

I'm sitting here now at my desk and 2 verdin are in the acacia tree right outside the window.   I bought a thistle seed sock at WalMart and yup!   There they go...right to the thistle seed!   I'll have to stock up on it.   They are making the little sounds I heard yesterday morning, I guess, because I hear it again today.  And, the other one is answering back.   It is a male and female.   The male has a LOT of yellow on him!!!

I'm going to meet a friend at the Rancho Mirage library this morning.   They have an Aspen Mills little cafe there where one can buy coffee, bread, or GINORMOUS chocolate chip cookies!   I like to take the 6 year old there, but her mother said "NO MORE SUGAR!", so we definitely won't be going there for cookies!

Oh, wait...there is ANOTHER bird with yellow here this morning...he is in one of the feeders and I can't really see him, but I saw his yellow underbelly!   MORE VISITORS are returning to the desert!   YAY!

I listened to the crows go to sleep last night and they were calling until about 10 p.m.   I was reading one of the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child agent Pendergast novels (Still Life with Crows) and I couldn't put it down, but my eyes got heavy...FINALLY!

Until next time!
Cheryl

FALL is here!

I love sitting at my tiny desk, with my laptop in the morning watching all the birds come to the feeders for breakfast and there is quite a crowd this morning!    On the mornings when the Cooper's hawk is on the hunt, however, like yesterday, the front yard is quiet and empty.   But, today it is happily full.   I heard the call of a new little bird this morning, so I'm thinking the migratory birds must be back.   Then I heard the soft reply of its mate.   That really perked me up!    Our neighborhood woodpecker was out pecking and cackling in the mesquite yesterday and I need to fill up my hummingbird feeders this morning.   So many chores to do before 7 a.m.!!!

I've got hollyhock seeds planted in the back yard and they have already sprouted in our 95 degree weather last week, but this week will be cooler.   It was 57 degrees on our front porch this morning, the first morning to break 60 degrees overnight.   Even the bees were huddled in their hive up in the cottonwood.   NONE were outside.

...life goes on...

Not much going on here...

Not much going on here.   I did make a trip up to the horses on Tuesday because our mobile vet was coming by the ranch to give the herd their shots and to check their teeth.   And... SURPRISE!   NONE OF THEM HAD ANY SAND in their gut!    A MIRACLE!   AMAZING!   INCREDIBLE!   The ranch owner has switched them ALL to pellets!!!!  Only Miss Scout didn't need her teeth done.   Sunni got his done and I think it is only the 2nd time ever.   Of course, Quad was a perfect gentleman!    Cathy, the ranch owner, had to give Sunni his shots and his sedative because he wouldn't let the vet (also a woman) get near him.   He was a REAL BRAT!   But, they got the job done!   Gigondas was a GOOD GIRL and stood quietly for her dental drilling.  I'm GLAD that is over for another year!

My garden was doing well out in the front yard until 2 days ago when a huge branch of the damn mesquite came down.   We got some guys to come out and remove it and they completely trampled my flowers, so I'll go out and pull 90% of them out....sigh...The branch landed on one of our bougainvilla shrub, so I'll also have to go out and trim it.   They are returning today to cut 2 more heavy branches which are hanging up over the house.   Better to get it done NOW than risk one or both of them falling on the house!!!!

I'm still working on my journals, but business is SLOW.   One would think with Christmas coming, they would move out of my shop at a quicker pace...sigh...

I've already started planting my hollyhock seeds in the back yard.   I want to put in some sugar snap peas (I have 3 packets of them) and some herbs in the front yard, but the front yard will have to wait until these guys finish today.

So, that's all for now.

Gigondas stood quietly

 Quad stood like the pro he is.

 Sunni had to get sedated by the ranch owner and she also gave him his shots.

Sunni gets his teeth done.   He was SUCH a BRAT.

Just trying to survive the heat!

Not much going on here.   Hubby and I, the dog, and the cats are just trying to survive the summer's heat.   However, this summer has been NOTHING like 2018!   That summer nearly did us in!   We had many days over 118.   So far, this summer, I believe we've only had 3 and one was yesterday.   (okay, it was only 117!)....But today it will be 118...So, we just stay indoors all day. 

I go out in the morning, water my plants, feed the birds, change the hummingbird sugar water, and do about a 15 minute yard cleanup.   We have, however, been able to open up our windows until about 9 am. and then I run around and close them ALL.   Poor Bodie (our dog)...it is too hot for him to be outside during the day, so he sleeps ALL NIGHT and then naps ALL DAY.  I've never had a dog who slept so much!   Maybe he thinks he is a cat?

My hollyhocks are drying out and probably next week (or when it is a cool morning), I'll go out, rip them all out, and use the weeder.   I've been procrastinating doing this because they DO provide a nice barrier from street noise and views.   I still do have my sunflowers and my zinnias and cosmos, however.

Here's a link to my YouTube video (the most recent one).   I need to do one either this morning or tomorrow...     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFX88YW_jVM&t=9shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFX88YW_jVM&t=9s

I need to go out and do a garden update.   I didn't realize the last one was a month ago!

That's all for now!
~~Cheryl Ann~~

Just enjoying a few days before the HEAT arrives

All last week we were able to open up our home at night and let the cool 60 degree air inside.   NOT yesterday morning, however.   The remnants of hurricane Alvin came into the valley and it was 78 degrees at 6 a.m. and HUMID!   Ugh.   So, I hibernated all day and finished another journal.

Today, however, it is back to 68 degrees out on the front porch and so all our windows are open.   68 degrees on July 1st!   Incredible.   Northern California is supposed to have a hotter-than-normal summer, while Southern California is expected to have a less hot summer (THANK GOODNESS).   Our last 2 summers have been absolutely HORRIBLE!    We need a break.   Hey, as long as I can open the windows for an hour or two in the mornings, listen to the birds, and feel the somewhat cool air, I'm happy!