A Typical Morning At The Lake

Another beautiful Estrella lake sunrise.


Lolly Bee wants to play--at 5 a.m.!!!

My first cactus flower in over a year! I could have posted 20 more photos because I was so excited. Isn't she a beauty?

I'm hoping to post more- trying to get back into the blog scene. It's been a long time....

Minor Miracles

A friend wrote and said she was tired of seeing "that darn turkey" on my last blog entry, so I decided I needed to update. I have a lot of excuses as to why I haven't blogged, so here goes. I can't sleep, so I can't focus during the day! However, I guess if I could sleep I wouldn't be able to enjoy the beautiful sunrises. This was photo was taken yesterday morning--then today, there was zero visibility--an unusual fog enveloped the Valley! It was so dense I couldn't even see my backyard.



My granddaughter has been visiting the past two weeks and I try to spend my days enjoying their company, because they will soon return home. Ryder is 15 months old now and at that stage of destroying everything in his path!

I am running after him every second. Might lose a few pounds in the process!

Out the door and onto the swing.....

back inside....

climbing on furniture.....up and down the stairs....

Then... just as quick--he becomes a little angel!!!

My Army grandson will be here today--if the Midwest ice storms allow the planes to fly. He will be home for 14 days then off to Afghanistan. We are trying to be positive and not wonder, WHY?

Hubby's truck was broken into--radio and tool box stolen--steering column has to be replaced along with the door locks. We were lucky in that it was not stolen! No theft insurance--the truck is just too old to justify the premiums. It is a 1994 Chevy, very popular in this region as it is a great landscaper truck! It was stolen and stripped four years ago and that cost us $3,000 to get it up and running then. This time it only cost $400.00. Again, lucky us.

Once again I lost my billfold! On my way to a friend's who had broken her ankle I stopped to get gas. It was still dark at 6 am, and I must have left my wallet on top of the car while pumping. I know, I should focus, but I'm not wired that way, dammit! But wait--there's more--A Christmas miracle! A Good Samaritan found it about 4 miles down the road, looked at the driver's license, got my address, left a note that everything was intact and they would bring it to me! It had been ran over and only two cards destroyed!! From planning my suicide to save my family from the grief of placing me in a home,or worse, my sister scolding me for another screw up. HALLELUJAH!! Saved, once again!

And then, another miracle--granddaughter is pregnant! Couldn't get any better than this, unless it would be twins or triplets! My father was a triplet and he also had twin sisters. Some one, some day should get lucky in this family that way--might as well be her! (She may disagree with that!)

All in all, we have been blessed many times this year. Hopefully the USA will be blessed again. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Store Opening Calls For Big Bang!

This celebration wasn't for my homecoming after my recent trip to North Carolina--the fireworks were for the grand opening of the first grocery store in our community! A long time coming, but with mixed feelings about the growth and changes in our area. The impressive display was equal to the July 4th celebrations in the area. They must be anticipating large profits.

Already missing North Carolina and my 'lil guy. Beautiful flowers cover most of the mail boxes in the neighborhood. We were too early for the fall colors but we did see just a hint of the red and gold on the way.

Tea is served sweetened at all the restaurants we went to in North Carolina. It took a few requests before they understood we wanted unsweetened tea! It's always fun to run into these regional differences.

All around the shopping area were beautiful Angel Trumpet plants. The cutting I got from Dee last October didn't last through the summer at my house.

I'm trying out my new camera--and not sure I will keep it. I bought it for my trip after the old one stopped working. Of course, the old one broke the day of my flight! I bought the Kodak Easy Share M580-8X. I have a month to try it out. It even has a program for fireworks! Not that I had time to adjust it for the local fireworks. They were almost over by the time I even found the camera. What's new??

Lost But Not Found

If I didn't have the blessings of daily drop-dead gorgeous sunrises like this one--I would think I might be hexed! I've lost my glasses again! Walked out the front door, rolled up the soaker hose, walked back to the car, and my glasses were gone off my face! Poof. Just gone. Now, tell me how that could happen? I have been searching for three days now!

Update--it's been five days now--we started looking in all the obvious places, like the fridge, trash, and then Hubby started opening drawers in the closet that hadn't been opened in years! Nothing. This bad luck with my glasses (I lost a pair, then had the bike wreck and lost another pair) must have some underlying meaning. Like, maybe I should have purchased that damned insurance! I know it is just old age but it is getting more annoying all the time. The best is when everyone says, "pay more attention!" Well, how can you pay any more attention than putting them on your face! Next time, I will start looking for them before they are lost. Yes, that's the ticket! How can I ever get ahead financially when all my money is going for replacement glasses? Good thing the sun comes up in the morning. Left to me, we'd live in darkness!

Summer Confusion

I waited all night for the rain to come! Not a drop! Weatherman was wrong yet again. The beautiful sunrise almost makes up for the waterless clouds.




Waiting for sun...this sight always takes away my anxious feelings...if only for a moment.

The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty

are the only hours when we really live.

~ Richard Jefferies

Turr Tull was looking for his food this morning...


Oops! This is not food. He is a very slow learner, or he has poor eyesight. Maybe both.



I can't keep up with all the eggplants on this bush! It loves this 110 heat, and I will definitely plant this again next June.




Another project for Hubby! This will be the second remodel--maybe the third--I see two wall paper patterns under the existing mustard colored sheet rock wall. The stairwell closet was full of collector dolls. The hall and bedroom are the new storage places until we finish. I am skillful at stumbling over confusion--having practiced all my life! A few months ago I made the mistake of selling my large desk and two large bookcases. I replaced it with an unsuitable computer desk . I miss having my books close by, so down came the stairwell wall! Let the fights began! My Hubby and I don't work well together, but our love of doing projects usually overcome the battles that follow! We only stay mad until he understands that I am right. It doesn't take very long at all, and it does place a terrible burden on me to know everything and have to always be right. He doesn't understand that part yet for some reason. After 35 years, you would think....

Photos Again!

I was awake this morning to capture yet another gorgeous sunrise!






I watered all my plants and thinned a few radishes, along with the carrots and kale. The bare spots will soon fill in.






The runner beans are growing fast! The plant in the forefront is a pineapple salvia. So far everything is doing very well.








Coots have come home to roost!! The winter rye was planted earlier this year--bfore the coots got here to eat the seeds, so now they are just leaving green droppings all over the lake sidewalks. They are nasty birds!






The Texas Sage in bloom around the neighborhood. It's to bad they don't stay in bloom--they are beautiful and bloom in reaction to the humidity or rain.







Finally...... a cactus that bloomed! This Submatucana madisoniorum and it's from Peru . I'm not sure if I will get any more--this is the first time it has bloomed. I bought this one last year.







The stalk is about 6 inches tall and the cactus is the size of a small peach. The wind started yesterday afternoon and will blow in some cool 65 degree weather for today. I would like to turn off the air. Last winter I never turned on the heat. We had a very warm winter. I only burned three logs and that's a good thing because the Java Logs cost 6.99 each!They are all natural made from coffee. They have a pleasant order without the stinky petroleum smell.

I fixed my card reader dilemma for only $9.00. Just plug and play with a USB card reader/writer. How cool is that? I figured it would be some kind of big box that had to be hooked up in back of the computer, but it's so simple I'm still in awe.

Not Perfect, But Still Good

Just to let you know that my life is not perfect...even though our sunrises and sunsets are....

My camera's memory card or computer card reader is screwed up and I can't get my photos! And...we have had record heat here. It was 103 degrees yesterday! Most all of my sprouting wildflowers have bit the dust. The sudden heat wave was just too much for many of them. I have used record amounts of water trying to keep my other sprouts going, and so far, I've lost only a few so far. The alternator on the truck is going out again--the third time in the past 18 months. And, to top it off, I have been on Jenny Craig for 3 weeks and I have not lost a pound. When life seems difficult as things pile on, I gaze into my perfect great grandson's eyes and all the wonderful little things that I take for granted flood into my mind and then I know that my life really is pretty darn perfect!

Hubby has gone hunting--we don't talk about Bambi or football--that way I don't have to deal with things I don't like, so this time of the year all my thoughts are on the garden! I planted a pineapple salvia, and a big leaf cordia that I'm sure will be too big for the space it's in. The sweet peas finally came up. Better late than never I guess! Nasturtiums have filled the pot and now I have to thin them, and you know how hard that is for me! I'm going to try to transplant them into another pots--the more the better I say! I did thin out some of the radishes and kale, and the carrots are next! This is my first time growing fall vegetables other than an occasional tomato or pepper plant, and I am excited about the whole process! The runner beans are about 3 inches tall and a couple have been eaten, but not sure by what. I'll have a few pictures to show soon--I hope. Since I have no idea how to fix the problem if it's a card reader problem, I hope it's the memory card. That's easy to replace.

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth... and no culture comparable to that of the garden...But though an old man (woman) I am but a young gardener."

- Thomas Jefferson

Afternoon Surprise!

This morning started with a beautiful sunrise--promising a wonderful day ahead!

And then, this afternoon, I was presented with a gift of pure bliss! My first great grandson, a baby boy--6 lbs. 11oz and 19 1/2 inches long.

It can't get any better than this! Mother and baby healthy and happy!

Ups and Downs...

This morning's sunrise. All my mornings start off with a beautiful sunrise, and for this I am thankful.




After my healthy Masculana hugeinimus 'Horny' cactus became limp and all dried up, it reinforced my belief that I'm not a suitable caretaker for these intimidating desert dwellers! I was ready to ship all my remaining living cacti and succulents off to Claude and Julie! Then......

I was presented with this breathtakingly display! Sunrise, cacti blooms and air conditioning-- what more could I need?

Sorry guys, I'll just keep them around a while longer!

The Day Unfolds....

This morning's sunrise--

A few minutes later, it looked like this.

The bell peppers will soon be ready for picking!

I picked three zucchini this morning! They are about five inches long. I read that to obtain the very best flavor, they should be picked at about 4 inches long, so it's time. Yum yum!

This is my first year growing cucumber, zucchini and watermelon. It has been fun, and I want to start a square-foot garden next year. The box is 6-8 inches high, about 4' x 4'. The smaller bed can be easily reached around the entire area. The box will be divided into grids--up to 16 1'x1' spaces. It's a great way to garden for small areas and saves on water. I will have it on the patio so it will have a wooden bottom . I can't wait for fall!!

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After the tomato worm rescue and my placing the thing back on the tomato plant, when I got up this morning the whole top of the tomato plant was gone and by afternoon, so was he. I think he may have burrowed into the container soil, where he will stay for three months to three years before emerging as the Sphinx Moth. Looks like my simple rescue has turned into a possible three year project--once I committed to the worm, I have to see it through. I'll need to find a place for container where I won't have to look at nothing but dirt for a long time, and then, I may find out he wasn't in there to begin with. When I act with impetuousness, there are always unforeseen consequences. Next time I'll read up BEFORE committing!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Just a few of my favorite things, in and around my backyard garden. To see the sunrise each morning is by far my greatest joy! Or, maybe it is...






My most favorite of all. I bought this wind chime because it sounded like the church bells that I heard and loved on my trip to Switzerland. This chime is tuned just like them. Or maybe it is...

The fast growing Orange Jubilee that keeps the hummingbirds coming back to my garden day after day. Or...

Maybe it's this stained glass sun catcher created by my friend. But then, it could be...

The "weeds" that I almost pulled up last year, knowing I didn't plant anything where they were growing. I let them go, and...they turned out to be beautiful flowers! This is a large stand of them that reseeded from last year. They are either Oriental Poppies or Orchid Rock Roses. Don't know which for sure.

I just saw another favorite thing! It's...

One of this year's birthday gifts. It is is getting a good workout with all the winds we are having! This year we've had a record number of days with wind.

But, the best of the best is being surrounded by all my family, enjoying a tranquil spring day, eating my favorite home cooked meal, my favorite birthday cake, and wondering .... Lord, how did I get here? I never dreamed I could be so blessed, and I am so thankful for all my blessings!