Azi

The Home Depot Is Kissing My Butt

2010-02-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

I posted a critical entry about the Home depot in January.
Tinsley from the Home Depot in Atlanta contacted me shortly thereafter and we discussed the issue. I still have not heard from the local store, but I feel comfortable that Tinsley did her very best to put The Home Depot back into my good graces. I accepted a $30 gift card which they sent to smooth things over.
Yesterday we went to the HD to get the prices for lumber to build a treehouse, so I think we are back on track with the store.

Ick - Tick

2010-02-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

On Sunday my partner and I were scouting his large property in the foothills for a location to build a tree house. We were looking to find a clump of pines growing close enough to build the platform, their location a bit to the side of main traffic paths. We had to get into the brush and we found a great spot. More about that later though.
Returning to the house we checked the dogs for ticks, sprayed them to keep the ticks off.
When I got ready to shower a few hours later I noticed that a tick had landed on my chest, just inside the shirt's neckline. Ick, ick, gross. The insect was removed but left an area that was itchy and swollen. Gradually, two days later, the skin in returning to normal.
The whole idea that some creature is biting into me and eating my blood is just grossing me out. Ick to the multiple!

Friends

2010-01-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

I have several really good friends, some across the country, some close by. I also have siblings.
So, when something important happens in my life and I share it with some friends and my siblings, how come the friends come to support me and my sibling blows me off? It's really quite hurtful and very disappointing.
Therefore, I will continue to stay with my friends, some have been in my circle for close to forty years, gather new one as often as I can and enjoy my life, with siblings on the periphery only.
Clearly I must downgrade my expectations of my sister so when I get little I won't be disappointed.
Did I mention that I really like my friends?

The Home Depot Sucks

2010-01-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would say this, but I was almost cheated by an employee from The Home Depot.
As I'd written before, I was ready to select carpet to replace the worn one in the spare room.
I had found what I liked at The Home Depot and made arrangements for installation. I had the measurements, but no, a professional had to come from Sacramento, two days later. (Turns out my numbers were exactly the same as his, imagine!)
Another two days later I went to the store to make the purchase and was told a specific person alone sets up the installation schedule and she was not there. Over the next few days I called and left messages for her, to which she did not respond. Once a helpful person offered to pull my file and see how far this rug business had progressed and, importantly, exactly how much this would cost. I already had a close idea.
The total cost had risen by $97, about 25%! Say what? What did I buy? Carpet, padding, installation, and tack strips. Tack strips? I have tack strips, don't need tack strips. How many could I use anyhow?
And wait, who's in charge of my purse anyway? Oh, it's me!
I had the strips taken off, purchased the rug, with a three day cancellation option. Still no contact with Laura.
This whole mess was bugging me so I decided to get a refund, stopping at Carpets Galore on my way to Yuba City. I shared my story there, and my paper work. I found a rug there I liked, better quality as well. Those folks took a little more money off to make sure it would all cost less.
After leaving HD with my cash, having given the reason for canceling to the clerk, I got about a mile away when the phone rang. Of course it was Laura, the so, so, so sorry Laura. I pretty much blew her off, too little, too late.
I emailed the store management asked them to look into this and give me a call. Nope, they have not called me either.
This will cost them, as I will learn where things are across the street at Lowe's.
This morning the installer form Carpets Galore was here. The job took an hour, he used a short section of tack strip (part of the installation, no extra cost) brought his own vacuum cleaner, took the old rug and left. And he was nice to my dog! I will work with them for ever.

Cold and Shiver

2009-12-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

Not many people tuck their trees in at night. I'm one of those people.
I have three citrus trees no taller than I am and I cover them up at night. I clip sheets, (that I keep for utility purposes) together and drape them over the branches before dark. The lemon tree is loaded with fruit right now and will bloom in the next few weeks.
It has not been this cold in ten years! 22' F this week, let's wish for clouds!
I can deal with replacing flowers and little bushes, but fruit trees are expensive and take years to produce so I want to protect them.
Nighty night!

Scraping, Filling, Painting

2009-12-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

One of the bedrooms at my home is currently not in use. I took this opportunity to update the space. There was still the 70's look with the "cottage cheese" textured ceiling which I had to remove, apply a very light texture, prime and paint. The ceiling looks higher now. Walls also needed primer and paint after I'd filled in even the smallest holes and nicks. In itself it's not such a huge job, but it involved a fair amount of time consuming attention to detail. The electrician had to rewire the ceiling fan/light. I took out the extension phone wire as phone extensions now only need power to work, which gave me more holes to fill. I didn't want to overpower the air with paint fumes on any given day. All that's left to do now is to finish the trim painting around the door and the door itself. I already bought a new lock set, mind you, the old one was a bear to get off. Next month I'll decide on new floor covering.
So, that's what I've been doing.

More About B.

2009-11-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

Although I'd planned to download some images, that was delayed for the moment.
Most every week I take Brighton to the youngster's gym hour. There are a number of kids waiting for their own class to begin or their sibling's to end. One girl especially and B have taken to each other. The girl pets and mushes B's face, ears and body and B. is loving it. On Friday they sat side by side on the bench watching the activities for a long time.
Norman Rockwell would have used this interlude for inspiration.

Therapy Dog

2009-08-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

Brighton will be getting her "Therapy Dog" tag any day now. I'm very excited about that.
At this time I take her any place I can. She was quite the charmer at the Ford dealership this morning. First we did a bit of training amongst the cars and then we joined the other waitees.
Later I took her to the elementary school at dismissal time. She sits and lets herself be adored and it gives me an opportunity to instruct the kids about approaching a dog.
She spent the last three hours in the yard with the big girls. And, yes, she's sleeping now.
Next I want to coordinate with a place for her to visit the folks in a care facility.

Hot Summer

2009-08-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

I've been keeping a secret. I don't enjoy the summers here as much as I used to. There I said it!

I just don't know what to do about it. Clearly, I can't change the temperature, only how I live with it and my activities during the hot days.

I've cut back on my yard plans, and upkeep. I've cut back on water use as that's expensive now that it's metered. I also have a much better idea of how much I need to use to keep my plants healthy, not just surviving.

Perhaps my poor attitude has to do with the fact that we've been in the 90s and 100s for a bit now.
During the hot days I am inside the house or car which reminds me of winter when it's too cold to be out.

Deja Vue

2009-08-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

While Mosker was here we took a drive into the Sierra foothills to visit my friend. Mosker had not been to the house in twenty-three years, and that had been during a cold and wet time. (This time I was able to give Mosker a tour during the pretty time of year.) My friend was getting ready to leave town for a few days. As it turned out her timing was excellent.

On the drive we had noticed several areas where the chaparral had burned - perhaps backfires - so the hillsides are very dry.

Next day a red hawk flew into a power line and sparked a fire that is still burning, growing in fact. Many residents are without power. So, once again, we, here in the valley, are dealing with smoke filled skies. Of course that's nothing compared to what the folks that are in the middle of it are putting up with.

Who knows what the landscape will look like when the fire is out.

Deja vue.

Cheese

2009-08-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am hooked on cheese!
I really enjoy eating fine cheese. I'm not speaking of Kraft slices for toasted sandwiches, but rather the specialty cheese that are such fun to find.
This is Friday evening, I'm going to Marysville to visit the Farmers Market. There is local produce and fruit, flowers, honey.
Tucked among them with a little table and a large cooler is the cheese lady. Usually she features three or four different cheeses and has samples to taste. Generally she has hardened (aged) cheeses as well as new. I have become very fond of the goat cheeses.
We had some on hand this week for the big adoption party along with the standards. Mosker took half of what was left with her. (I was not thinking clearly, she should have taken it all.)
The market will end next month and I will need to find out where I can get her product after that time. When Ray comes to visit he'll want some also.
Meanwhile let me get a load of money out and head to town. This stuff is not cheap.

House Guest and Fish

2009-08-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

My house guest has departed.
While she'd been here I talked much about goals one might have, and follow, to give purpose and direction to life. She can't seem to face facts having spent much time, years in fact, flitting about with no plan for the future and no intent to make a plan, other than relying on friends to help out. She was at times moody, sometimes sitting in the room - not feeling well - just a bit of passive aggression there.
I am being harsh, as she'd been taking care of herself until last year's job loss and a very severe health issue that arose this year. I'm a firm believer in making plans, so the job loss would not have put me in such dire straights.
Now my cat can roam again in every room of the house.
There is some saying about house guests and fish after a few days.....

Refresher Course

2009-07-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

This year I've been less than enthusiastic about gardening chores. (Did you notice I called it "chores"?)
My house guest has had moments of 'need to do something worthwhile' and was pulling and snipping around the plants. That has served me to get reinvigorated about yard work. Between us we have trimmed bushes and she has cleaned up among the plants. Thank you, thank you!
Not to be outdone I went out early and did some cleanup of spent flowers.
I remember now why I like to garden.

Dog, Barbie Things and Guests

2009-06-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Wow! Again time has flown without an entry. Tonight is doggie training class. The ten weeks have been extended as the instructor has been ill at times. She's canceled the next class and has invited all of us to come back anytime for the class beginning in July. But only with the same dog. Duh! I've enjoyed going to the class, meeting new folks. Even the dog has picked up some useful things.
I've made some Barbie furniture and bedding. I made a little bench that I want to upholster and I need to made a couple of benches and table to match. I want to pick up varnish that is other than mahogony. I used it to varnish a four poster bed I made in Tudor style. It turned out quite nice, with curtains on rods, fancy gold trim, upholstered headboard and more. Michelle made the tiebacks and fancied up the turned posts. All for Barbie sized dolls. I enjoyed making them, got really sick of the materials laying around. I used my outside workspace for the woodwork, but the sewing was an inside job.
I cleaned up a couple of closets, storing seldom used things somewhere else. Maybe I'll donate them. I'm making space for a houseguest who will arrive the beginning of July. We can always get new stuff for her to make her life more comfortable.

Stupid People/ What The ....#4

2009-05-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on my way to a party, my friend asked me to stop at Long's so she could buy a card. I stayed in my car (my lovely two days old vehicle) with the AC on.
Out of the store walks a grandma, a young woman and two little boys. And a huge, really huge bunch of balloons. Grandma opens the small sedan's doors and everyone pitches in to shove the balloons into the backseat. Then the front seat. Then the proverbial light bulb goes on. Gee, how are we going to get the family home? Grandma gets on the phone while the rest are scratching their heads. Others, whom they seem to know come out of the store and more discussion ensues.
You noticed I said I'd left the car running with the AC on? That's because it was a 90' + day.
OK, so the young woman and boys go back into the store, presumably to keep cool. Grandma gets in another car with those, "others". I'm assuming they are off the find a larger vehicle. And no, they didn't take even some of the balloons with them.
Grandma is smart though because she locks the car up with the windows tight. (Nobody is stealing those balloons!) As she slams the door a final time I hear a pop. I'm sure there were only shreds of balloons when they came back. At least there was room to get the family home then.
That's what you get when you let stupid people buy balloons without plans on how to get them home. On a hot day!

Easter

2009-04-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things work out just as planned, sometimes not.
It was my turn to make the Easter meal, provide the entertainment.
Michelle had organized the Easter egg hunt, laying in the supplies, keeping the dogs away. She and I had shopped for items and put them aside. One night last week we stuffed the plastic eggs and pinata and shoved then into the freezer.
The daughter of our neighbors was invited to join us for breakfast and the hunt, also the pinata smashing.
I planned the menu, cooking and baking most of Saturday. Among many other things I made an almond paste filled Brioche, as did the girl from next door for her family. We colored many chicken eggs and today loads of them got cracked though are still usable.
Saturday morning it was slow to warm up and we had so hoped that we could eat outside, I feared it would be just as cool on Sunday. Well, after the egg hunt, the smashing of the pinata, the chasing down of a lost bracelet in the tall grass, the divvying up of the treasure it was late enough and warm enough to sit outside and really enjoy the morning.
Except for the over-baked, ruined cinnamon rolls, all the food was yummy and filling. The only meal we needed today.
(The girls drew pictures over my front patio with the new chalk and after about four hours together they actually began to bicker.)

It really had been a lovely day.
Happy Easter!

Ah, Grocery Stores

2009-04-10T17:12:00.001-07:00

I love statistics! One can be so creative with them.
I heard that two local grocery stores are rated among the top ten. Two others are rated among the lowest.

Bel Air and Raley's are considered among the best. Here's why, in my opinion. They both have wonderful products some of which are hard to find. They are also expensive and people that shop there clearly are willing to pay the higher costs. The service is excellent as is the ambiance, what with the cozy lighting in the deli and bakery area. They know my name (if I pay with a check or card) haul my purchases out and stow them in the car.
In addition I suspect that the clientele is mostly literate, willing and able to answer a questionnaire about about their store.
These two stores are a bit far for impulse shopping, so I don't get there very often.

On the other spectrum is Food Maxx and Wal-Mart both of which I patronize . Food Maxx has a great indoor fruit and vegetable market cheap prices, good quality. There is new management and when I can find a worker they seem eager enough to help.
And then there is Wal-Mart. OMG the service at the deli is so slow. So very slow! No,
no one there seems to know that 8 ounces is the same as .5 pounds. It's pretty much a self-serve store after all. I generally use the self check-out, but when I pay to a cashier, no, they don't know my name, nor will anyone load my car for me.
I suspect that a good many of the patrons don't speak English and many of those that do are probably unwilling to bother with a customer satisfaction survey. (Those are, perhaps, the same people that shop wearing their pajamas) Another reason Wal-Mart's rating is low is because, well, service there really sucks!

Today at Food Maxx I selected a shell of raspberries listed at $2.99. At the check-out the price had become $4.99. After a discussion with several employees, some insisting that that was indeed the price, people backed up behind me glaring, the vegetable clerk came up with the sign that agreed with me, $2.99. That means that I got the berries for free, as per store policy. The day has not yet come where I will pay $5 for such a small amount of berries.

Splurge

2009-03-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

I rarely spend money extravagently.
(Perhaps when I travel, though I did pass up an opportunity to sky dive.... but that's another entry.)
Last week I went with Michelle into a store that she wanted to check out and as I meandered I checked out shoes. I saw stylish athletic shoes (how's that for an oxymoron?) and with my recent foot problems I thought it wise to give them a second look. Michelle did not help when she stated the obvious, "try them on". So I did!
Yes, I did spend the rest of my clothing allowance (plus $6 borrowed from the food budget), and have been wearing these shoes ever since. Well, no, not to bed.
Wow, am I glad I bought these. I have been walking in comfort ever since.

Doggie School

2009-03-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

This spring I'm continually delayed in achieving the little milestones I laid out for myself. I've been wanting to take regular walks with Brighton. Walking with her now is like following a dog that's chasing rabbits.
The community college catalog came about a month ago and I finally opened it up yesterday. The one course of interest beginning yesterday evening was the dog training course. Ten sessions for $75, plus $10 for parking. So I went.
The instructor came in, a very formidable woman, laid a bunch of scary looking metal implements on the table. About that time I questioned my philosophical compatibility. Turns out that the scary dog restraints she'd brought are examples of things we do not need. We had not brought our dogs, introduced ourselves and explained our issues. Of the forty people there there are seven dogs that are small like Brighton, or smaller, the rest are big. Shepherds, dobies, labs, even a mastiff.
I went to the pet store with Brighton this morning and bought her the required choke collar and a leather leash, sewn, not riveted.
I've been walking her in front of the house in the Cesar Milan way with fair success.
Maybe when I get back to the class next week all my Brighton problems will have been solved.
Not likely!

Insensitive ? - Perhaps

2009-03-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

Breakfast deal at local diner:

Octo-Special
14 eggs
no sausage
and....
The people in the other booth have to pay for it!

2009 Gardening

2009-03-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

Suzanne started some tomato plants a few weeks ago. I am now eager to get my hands on a couple of those and put them into the ground. My planters are in a sheltered spot that gets full sun. I want this to be the year when I have fresh tomatoes in May.
I need to get the mower out and do a first cut of the lawn.
My fruit trees are blooming and sprouting leaves.
I have a flower bed which I plan to plant with red, yellow and green peppers this year.
I am so ready to get out as I spent a fair amount of time waiting for my foot to heal since last fall.
Maybe this weekend I'll pop in the the Home Depot or the Walmart garden shop to check out their offerings.

Bok Kai, the Water God

2009-02-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

No wonder that I've been silent this month. My calendar is filled with February appointments.

I went to the Bok Kai parade this morning. Two hours of observing the participants: Smelly old cars, undiciplined school bands, loads of Ben Ali go-carts. Also wonderful lion dancers and for the first time ever, two dragons. One appeared for the final time and the second had his premiere. It was the 129th year for the parade.
We had intended to go to the renovated Bok Kai temple but were too achy after standing for that length of time. The temperature was in the sixties and sunny, quite nice.
Many people had brought their dogs. However, of all the parades to which to take a dog this is not the one. It is loud, drums and clashing cymbals are many. Firecrackers are lighted by the hundreds, so best plug your ears and give the doggies a break and leave them at home.

Mundane Musings

2009-02-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Seems I've not taken the time to write. The sun's been shining and I've been puttering outside. The spring garden is emerging and I've been weeding, raking, picking up. Rain is forecast, let's hope we get it.
I had Brighton spayed about ten days ago and she's not supposed to be too active. Therefore I've kept her away from the big girls, keeping her company outside and attempting to teach her proper manners.
I checked out eight books at the library and I'm working my way through those. Three light mysteries and five biographies. I'm reading my way through the British monarchs. I've come to the conclusion that in many ways those rulers of three hundred years ago and the current ones are very much alike. It's really pretty sad. Currently I'm consuming a recount of Alexandra, the last Tsarina, who was Queen Victoria's granddaughter. Next I'll digress to Australia's prison colony and read in detail about the boatload of people that almost got away from Botany Bay. They made it to Timor, Indonesia, an incredible journey, only to be recaptured.
(Too many books to read - not enough time!)

Bread

2009-01-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today I picked up Suzanne's dog at the vet and took her to her home. She'd had surgery and riding in the back of my van is more comfortable for the dogs.
Here's the great part: When I got there Suzanne had made a loaf of bread for me. It looked very nice. Crusty crust, nice shape, wonderful smell. Best of all, it tastes quite delicious. She uses a different method than what I'm familiar with. So this nice daughter has bought me the book of instructions which should arrive tomorrow. It changes everything I've learned about bread baking. This evening I made my way to Target and bought a baking stone.
Rest assured between Michelle and I the loaf is nearly finished off.

Projects and Dog

2009-01-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

Last year I promised myself to scale back from getting involved with Projects. Projects can spiral out of hand, become larger in scale, as well as in cost. I have been very good at choosing what to tackle.
The house next door to me has changed hands again after being empty for most of a year.
Bad news: It will be a rental house, once again.
Good news: The owner's dad is handling the details of repairs and control of tenants. ( The owner is away, working on his PH. D. in nuclear science.) My point is that they are no dummies.
The fence around the front is being fixed up with pickets and will look very inviting. Next to that is my sixteen foot section of old plank board fencing. Yuck. I collaborated with "dad" . We are continuing the pickets all the way to my driveway. It will add to the appeal of his house, and mine as well. Today I took out the old section, piled up the wood. Dad says he has a couple of "gorillas" (handymen) in the house that will load it up onto his trailer and haul it away. How nice is that?
"Dad" gave me a shopping list and for $100 and some elbow grease we will pretty up the front. Next week Michelle and I will be working on that. I am looking forward to some curb appeal. There is a reason why it's called "First Impression".

Brighton Report: She's suffering from Cabin Fever. I know she'd like to be out playing with the big girls. Wounds are healing well.

More on Brighton

2009-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

The SPCA organization called Saturday morning stating that they had a cancellation and if I could have Brighton there in thirty minutes they would spay her then. Good thing I was street ready already as it took twenty minutes to gather the beasty and make the drive. There will never be any little Brightons now.
She was pretty loopy until Sunday afternoon when she was eating and drinking again as she should. By then she was licking her wound and I took her to PetCo to fit her with a collar.
She shouldn't romp with the big girls for two weeks, or even take long walks. In other words the street training has been delayed another two weeks. I'm so ready to take her to town to walk with her.
She is, however, learning the sit, stay, wait, commands. She also waits to get through the door until I invite her to. Mostly. In both directions. (Azi was like a bullet out the door, not a good thing for so many reasons!) The house training is going very well also, made more challenging by the fact that she not a whiner that sits by the door to be let out.

Meanwhile as I keep track of her in the front yard I've taken the opportunity to do some trimming and cleaning up of the planting beds. The spring bulbs have emerged. Some things
froze this winter and I need to replant.
Instead of flowering plants I'm planning to plant some peppers and Basil instead. Cucumbers would work well, as well as ornamental gourds.

We did have some rain, need lots more. Today we have sunshine and it feels much warmer than it is.

Pizza

2009-01-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

My son left some Papa Murphy pizza in my freezer when he left after Christmas. I don't have it very often, so I really enjoyed those left-over slices. Yum! Thanks!

Brighton's First Walk

2009-01-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

This day started out cold. The ground was frozen when I got up, let Brighton out, retrieved the paper, fed the cat her soft food, fed the big girls. By then I was almost awake. I read the paper, drank a pot of coffee.
Finished a book, "The Saint of Lost Things", which I enjoyed and could relate to. It is about a family of the Italian Neighborhood of Baltimore and the new immigrant bride.
Before I noticed, the day had become warm enough to enjoy the outdoors. I cleaned out my tomato planters, trimmed some roses.
I took Brighton to PetSmart to get her fitted for a harness that's easy to work and she won't chew off. She was so happy to see other little dogs in the store she barked a whole bunch. The store's dog trainer tried to shush her with limited success.
I was looking forward to this walk since she now has all the shots to protect her from doggy deceases. Once back home it was time to attempt the walk around one block. A measly half mile! There seem to be so many more dogs than there were seven months ago when I used to walk Azi. She's easily distracted, oh ya! I carried her at times to get away from the noise. She pulled ahead of me, which I don't like, being a sign of her thinking that's she's in charge of the pack. For an eighteen pound dog she has a lot of strength. There were a few yards where she seemed to get the idea of walking beside me, but it didn't last long. Overall, let's say the walk was not enjoyable for either of us. When her neck is thoroughly healed I will put her on the leash and hope to have better results. She will learn to walk like a civilized dog should!
Sitting outside in the evening sun I spend some time trying to have her drop the retrieve toy after I pitch it and she brings it to me. That had much better results. I've been using the clicker with a treat to have her come when I call her, so she responded to that.
All these activities must have been harder for her than I thought. She came inside, ate and found a cushion to curl up on and is sleeping now.

Old vs. New

2009-01-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

My automobile is several years old. It is very easy to to get and out of. Roomy enough to bring home all my purchases, even those boxes from IKEA. Registration and insurance are not a huge expense either. When I take this car to the garage to have some work done, I always tell the mechanic:"Tell me when I need to buy a new car!" So far the response is: not yet, it's still a good car. This week the car was in the shop, the symptom being those dash warning lights were on, and , oh ya, the interior light wouldn't turn off. There was a short, a wire was touching the ground. And those dash lights were on for a reason. How about leaking brake fluid and needing new rear brakes. Even though it was a costly repair, it was so much cheaper than making a payment of the same amount every month to a finance company for a new car.
How much longer can I make this car last?

Problem Solved !

2009-01-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

On these cold days and nights the cement around the house gets very cold. This fact is not lost on Alani.
We provide the dogs with a large area covered with a thick foam cushion, carpet in the washroom and garage, and yet she needs her own chair.

Winter

2009-01-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

One of the things I like about being stuck inside the house for much of the cold season is the way the sun shines inside. Most of the year I don't have direct sunlight inside, on the south side. (That's actually a good thing!)
Around the end of every year for about a half hour, just before sunset I get a lovely display of the sun's work on the wall.
Of course many winter days are rainy and dreary and I get this display often enough to enjoy it, not often enough to grow unappreciative.

Brighton, being a baby, likes to chew. She's using leftovers from Azi, but has discovered the bones the big girls have outside. She's tried to sneak one in the house. She goes through the rawhide bones pretty fast. Today she will get her very own, clean for now, chew bone. The non-staining sort.
Beside seeing the laser beam, she also pays attention to the TV screen and was looking at the computer monitor.

I'm baking rolls for Suzanne today. So far she's always ending up with leftovers, today she'll get the whole batch.

Brighton

2009-01-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

So here it is three weeks since the last post.

Christmas is past. The new year has begun. I've had a lot going on. Family and friends have visited, eaten, toasted and talked. It was a whole lot of fun.

To add to the mix I adopted a puppy a few days before Christmas. Suzanne read about her on line and she, the dog - not Suzanne, was only across the river at the Sutter County Animal Shelter. She had been picked up on the loose. She is a Beagle mix, weighs only seventeen pounds. The vet thinks that she's about six to seven months old. She's almost got the house rules down.
So as soon as she's had her booster shots, next week, I get to take her out on walks. She's not so sure about the leash thing, but we leash her sometimes to potty, so she's getting the idea.
She and Alani have become fast friends. Alani is so gentle and patient, teaching her doggie smarts. Unlike Azi she's not much on barking, and unlike Azi food is not a huge motivator. She's a bit on the skinny side, but she'll get the hang of this eating business.
I'm glad that I have her by my side.

Master Waffler, That's Me!

2008-12-16T18:38:00.000-08:00

The past few months without Azi have been really hard. I miss having him. I miss having my own dog.
I checked the county shelter for a pup, but none seemed right for me. Then. Besides, I have a hard time being there and not crying. I went to the adoption day at PetCo, but didn't find my dog there either, yet.
I still want a small dog, but one sturdy enough to run with kids and not as fragile as the mini-dachsies are.
I thought that a Corgi would be a good match for me. Smallish, sturdy, outdoorsy, pleasers and an even temperament. Don't forget short haired fur. Would I drive to Southern California or New Mexico to get a rescue dog? I don't think so!
I broadened my options and included Beagles for similar reasons. They tend to bark more and are not quite so willing to obey. They are hunters after all.
I found a Beagle mixed with a forty pound dad on Petfinders website. This pup is with a foster home in the Davis area, a good hour away by car. Very doable distance. But, there's a huge but! I was asked to fill out a five page adoption request which will be reviewed and the SPCA will dicide if I am suitable. I will be interviewed by an adoption councellor to see if I can provide a suitable home.
Frankly, I found many of the question very invasive. All adults in an adoptive home are to be there for the adoption interview and be evaluated. I am asked to provided my driver's license, every adult's name (that lives here), their age. My vet's name. Do I own this place, why do I want a dog. Have I had dogs before. Have I ever had to have a pet euthanized. Why. Who will care for the dog, train it, feed it. Where will it sleep. On and on and on. No, they did not want to see a bank statement!
Though I was excited about one of the Beagle puppies, I will rethink this plan. This was not meant to be.
I will continue to look locally. I will let the rescue groups in the area know what I'm waiting for and then I will wait. My new buddy is out there and we will meet. When it's meant to be.

December Rush

2008-12-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

Somehow the time slipped away from me. What with appointments to keep, books to read and socks to knit. Yesterday I had one of the screws removed out of my foot's bone. After which I had to lay down because I felt weird. The second break is a bit slow to bond, so that hardware will stay in a bit longer.
So when the mail carrier arrived with a Christmas card I knew it was time to get organized. Today I spent writing cards and baking bread.
Tomorrow the cat sees the vet because she has a sore under her arm pit and is not feeling well. She hasn't moved far in twenty-four hours. You know something is wrong when she won't eat a bit of ham from the deli. I carried her to and from the commode and now it's nap time on the couch. That's a change from the fur covered bench.
Friday I will go to the Sacramento Auditorium with Suzanne's youngster's class to see TheNutcracker. I never managed to work my schedule to go while I worked for the school district. I don't mind the bus trip. I enjoy sitting up higher for a different perspective and not be concerned with the practicalities of driving, and parking in the Capitol.
Monday the pest control guy will........
.....to be continued

The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker

2008-11-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

I don't eat meat very often. I bake my own bread. With the advent of electricity I don't have much need for candles, or candle sticks, for that matter.
That being said, in the last seven months I have needed a handy friend, a handyman, an electrician, no, two. The bug guy shows up every couple of months. I've hired a contractor, had the heating/cooling system serviced. The plumber came to snake out the sewer line. Again I'm waiting for a plumber to fix the leak that has developed on top of the water heater. The hourly rate for a Saturday job is $125. It has not flooded the garage, yet. So far only the rug in front of it is being soaked. Shel placed a basin under the leak that we empty periodically. Good thing it hasn't dripped over night, not everything in the garage is waterproof.
This will make the ninth service guy here in a short time.
I'm doing my part to keep things rolling economically.

The Blue House

2008-11-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

I've had little news to write about this past week.
The little blue house across the street has changed hands. The next door neighbor bought it for a song. So I've been watching the transformation this past week.
The house began during the Depression as a one room dwelling with dirt floor garage attached. The siding had been opened tin cans, flattened and nailed to the boards. "Old" Joe lived there for many years, like a hermit. (he was hard of hearing)
Then, twenty-five years ago, a retired woman saw some potential. She turned the one room into kitchen and bath, as well as dining area. The garage became her living room, having added a fireplace and cement floor. She added another room in which she slept.
Though the house is small, it became too much for her to take care of alone. Little did we know how messy and unhealthy it had become. She'd stayed with family this past year but was reluctant to sign any papers to sell the place. Finally, the county's code enforcement agency got involved. Clean it up, sell it, or pay fines, was their judgement.
So the 'kids' came, got what they wanted.
The new owner is a guy who's always on the move. He has many friends willing to help. The new roof has been laid. Another section has been taken off and rebuilt to current specs.
I'm happy to see that the property is being improved. I wonder how they will use the house.

Autumn

2008-11-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

Once our summer was over we'd gone straight to cold.
I'm happy to report we're in the middle of autumn now. Light breeze, sunshine, open kitchen door, no heat on in the house. Nice.
I might have to find be a sheltered spot and sit out there with a book for a while.

Huge Waste of Time

2008-11-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

I drove for more than an hour today to get a friend to an appointment out of town. We were delayed, having taken a wrong turn. We had to ask for directions and arrived at the location with three minutes to spare.
And were told that our appointment had been canceled! "We tried to call...blah blah blah.. the number we have is .....( clearly not our number.)
We stretched a bit, got back in the car and I drove back.
I entertained the friend at my house since her ride home was delayed.
I am tired tonight, but my friend must be totally wiped. Her day had begun much earlier. My guess is that she probably already asleep.
The next time I will call ahead before I get in the car and end up driving that distance without reason.

33 Years Ago Today...

2008-11-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

...the Edmond Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior. This ship sank fast, very near to safety, no one survived.
Legend has it that should a ship sink during November, the lakes won't give up the dead.

Multi Talented

2008-11-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

I was watching this William Shatner clip when Elton John's Rocket Man was playing on the radio. So I took this as an omen to send this out to you.
Enjoy!

Progress

2008-11-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

Four days and eighty yards of trash.
That's how long it took the two children, and their spouses, to clean out the little house of our neighbor, and fill two of the largest dump bins. All that remains are a few pieces of dated, cheap furniture and a dusty mess on the floors. There has been some water damage to the ceilings, but all in all it's not in bad shape. There hasn't been any maintenance to the house in twenty-five years.
Now here's the good part: It looks like the neighbors in the adjoining property are buying the place. They like the land, clearly the house is not a selling point.
Hopefully the squatter has moved on. It's creepy to know he, or they, are there. (Let's hope they are not moving into the empty house alongside of us.)

Naivety

2008-11-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

It's been fifty years since the radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds". I drove Suzanne's auto, the CD was in the player, so I listened to it.
It is an interesting sci-fi story, not generally my genre of choice.
Hindsight being perfect, it strikes me how naive the listeners have been to truly believe there was a Martian invasion.
The story's airtime was less than one hour. Scientists were trying to explain seismic activity on Mars and subsequently on Earth.
Bulletins fly from New York City to a farm in New Jersey. Remote broadcasts are set up within minutes. Fires flare and are put out in minutes. How did the fire department arrive in practically negative time? Martians emerge from their ship, military groups are called to service with their equipment and, poof, there they are. The same with squadrons of Red Cross workers. Poof. All before wireless communication, and the government didn't work any faster then than it does now. Supposedly many people were fooled into thinking this was a real invasion.
Or were we fooled into believing that people bought into the story? Where were the people that said:"This makes no sense at all?, but it's a great story."
One would like to think that our children are smarter than we, the parents, are. Were we so very gullible only half a century ago?

Actually....

2008-11-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

....it was more than seven months since we have had a countable rain.
I measured 2 1/2 inches of precipitation during these four days.
That would be 22,500 Gal of water on my property alone. Meaning six weeks worth of minimum use for this household. Not everyone has this much space per ca-pita.
We need more rain!!

Birthday Cake

2008-11-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

This is how the cake looked when it was finished! You remember! The cake I made for a friend the middle of October.
Youngsters especially like to get a leaf - or two, or several - with their slice.
White cake, butter cream, a thin layer soaked with current jell, topped with a sheet of marzipan/almond paste. All coated with semi-sweet ganache.

Santa Claus! Santa Claus?

2008-10-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

Santa Claus! Is this really You?
I actually met one of these gents in 1995. He's an inkeeper in Pforzheim, Germany.

Gas Prices

2008-10-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last year in August I posted an image of the gas price sign. Regular gas was selling for the large sum of $2.67 per gallon. It seemed like a huge amount to pay. We became accustomed to it, learned to pay close to twice that much.
I'm happy to report that the same station, once again charges the same amount. I haven't needed gas for a bit now, but the last time I filled up I paid $3.17. Prices are falling fast and I'm nearly ready for a fill-up.

Our Short Rain

2008-10-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Recently we had our first, and only, rain in seven months. It was refreshing and held a promise of more to come. But so far that was it. Waiting, waiting!

Sit! Stay! Smile!

2008-10-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

I had no idea how difficult it is to photograph this cat.

Bishop's Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a lovely autumn day and I took the opportunity to drive the ten miles to Wheatland and visit the pumpkin patch. When the kids were young we would go most years but I'd not been there for a while now.
Wow, has the place changed. It's now a mini Disneyland. I took the little train for an overlook. What used to be a circle is now a figure eight track.
There are so many visitors, especially on weekends, that the activities needed to be spread out for better traffic flow.
To eat get in line for BBQ, or at the bakery. Buy candied apples, or cider from the cider mill. Bring your own picnic or schedule a party.
Take a ride on the hay wagon. Visit one of several playgrounds. Gather your own pumpkin from the field or pick one from the box. Buy souvenirs from one of several shops.
An important part are the animals: birds, large and small. Cattle, sheep, pigs, burro and goats.
In the image it's clear that the little goat was stuck in with the burro and wanted to join his kind again. He kept jumping on the donkey's back waiting for the right location to get back. Eventually the donkey angled toward the fence and the goat made a running jump off the donkey's back and cleared the fence.
It was fun to soak up the ambiance of the pumpkin patch again.

Blue Bellied Lizard

2008-10-22T21:15:00.001-07:00

When my son was little we were visiting the Kelly Ridge Center by the Oroville Dam where he saw one of these and called it a baby alligator.
These guys are quite common in the valley and chaparral, but not usually in gardens and around homes. We have had only one brief rain in seven months, the ground is very dry. The property next to us is unoccupied and I assume they are breeding in that ideal habitat.
We see them scurrying up our breezeway wall or running into the front yard to get away from the enemy dogs.
( I have no idea how I managed to get the image into the middle of the text!)

Near the End

2008-10-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

It's all about the dogs!
Or is it?
All these years we shut the door and didn't give much thought to what the dogs might miss until Alani came along, grew tall, and stood up to look into the kitchen. She wants to know what her human pack is doing. (She has these long nail and pretty much wore away several coats of paint)
So this new door is steel coated, double pained glass glass lets in twice as much light and is so much more energy efficient.
Before, Sholeh didn't have a clue what we were doing inside since she's too short to peek in.
This door is great! The girls can hang out, see in, and they love it. No more standing up against the door and ruining it.
I reversed the hinge, so no more licking of the dishes when the washer is being loaded either.
I am looking forward to a winter in a kitchen that's not drafty anymore with lots of light coming in.
I am nearing the end of my current list of home projects.

Season Change

2008-10-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

That's all that remains of the wall we ripped out of the garage. Every week I shove all I can into out toter and have the debris hauled away.
I have turned my attention back to the yard. I'm in the process of turning over a large bed, amending the soil and replanting it with very different plants than before. I'm not sure what will work. The space has full sun in the winter and mostly shade in the summer. I found that flowers in the space can be nice, but often look messy. Not very inviting so close to the door. So far I have decided to put in some Pansies, but that's only for this winter until the new planting becomes established.
More later!

Sleep! What Sleep?

2008-10-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

As you've read the electric puzzle is solved. Having gotten up early to wait for the contractor I was ready for a good night's sleep when evening came around.
I was sound asleep when 'Shel came into my bedroom shouting: "Get up...house on fire!" I took my glasses, shoes, a cover and got up thinking that the electricity was after all still fouled up. Damn!
'Shel was on the phone giving directions to the dispatcher for the fire department. As I exited the house I didn't see any fire evidence.
The fire was across the street and flames were shooting twenty-five feet or higher. On closer inspection it became evident that the storage shed behind the blue house was engulfed. The fire department arrived and in due time the flames were put out. I went back to bed leaving the pros to do the cleanup.
I got back to sleep around two only to get up at six to feed the dogs. Back to sleep to be awakened, again, by a knock on the door around seven. A fire damage cleaner upper man stood there. He'd heard we'd had a fire, he was offering his services. Grrrr!
I started on the day. Got in line for the flu shot at the health department parking lot. Picked up some groceries. I left before noon to spend the day with a friend in the foothills, stayed for dinner.
Another looong day was done. (Not what I planned for my retirement at all.)
So off to bed I go around ten. You guessed it, to be awakened by the doorbell and knocks after eleven. Sheriff's deputies looking for information regarding the fire. (Let me guess, arson is suspected?) They went to every home on this block, waking a goodly number of residents. Even advising us to keep a look-out for empty homes. Isn't that exactly what we have been doing for the last few years?
Shall I hope for sound sleep tonight?

Puzzling

2008-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

We have the great electric puzzle on our hands! I short circuited an outlet in the garage. It wasn't really a problem since I wanted to get rid of the whole outlet, Romex, all the way to the breakers as far as I was concerned. This little incident caused the overhead light in garage, as well as the light outside the garage to stop fuctioning. Power to the washer and dryer is out also. The electrician spent five hours trying to solve the wire puzzle without luck. ( He's only done this kind of work for forty years, after all, what does he know? ) He did not charge me for his time.
Tomorrow at the crack of dawn, another guy, from a well known company in town, is coming out to look at this problem.
Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope this will be solved soon.

Cake and More Cake

2008-10-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

No matter how many images I download, there is always one more I wish I had ready.

While sorting through the garage last week I came across a long forgotten set of cake pans. I explained to 'Shel how to make a checkerboard patterned cake, but it's always best to show how it's done. I missed a bit on the ratios but not too bad.
Suzanne's youngster loved her piece, says it tasted like brownies.

Next week I promised to make a cake for a friend's birthday. I need to make sure that the results are more polished looking. I plan to fashion that cake after the European Dominoes that are so good to eat at Christmas time. I will need to put in a jellied raspberry filling, a layer of rolled almond paste, topped with a chocolate glace.

Teenager in the House

2008-10-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Pepper is thirteen years old now.
In the mornings she likes to sit on my bed, look out the window and watch the birds feed.
She likes her nap on the bed that gets the direct sun in the afternoon.
Early evening she sits on the front stoop and catches a little breeze. (but I have to keep the door propped open)
Late night she checks on me in bed and makes sure my hand still knows how to stroke her soft fur.
She is a very sweet animal and I enjoy being her keeper.

RAIN

2008-09-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

I know I'm shouting! We had wetness from the sky.
As I was driving to town yesterday morning, I heard this noise like gravel hitting my car. What is this sound? Then I saw the raindrops hit the windshield. It had been so long I'd forgotten the sound of it all.
I drove another mile and by then had moved out from under that one small, lonely cloud. The air smelled great, for just a moment. Then it was done. I never even used the wipers.
Someday it will rain again, for real, I'm sure.

Beating on the walls, #2

2008-09-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about taking out a section of wall someone had put into the house before we bought this property. It divided the main part of the garage from the end that's used as wash area.
We liked what we had done, taking out a couple of feet of wall.
We mulled the project over for a day and came up with another plan yet. I checked up in the rafters to make sure the ceiling would not fall down. ( I found a couple of junk items and a few things to donate there as well.) Our handyman has a job to do here on Monday, we will ask him to secure one electric wire that we left dangling with the outlet attached.
Today we took out the last seven feet of wall and opened it all up.
The results are simply excellent, indeed!
Why, oh why had we never thought to do this before?
Many of the walls in the garage are already painted white, so that will make the completion of this project much simpler. We still have to move some shelves, restock them.
We have a pile of building debris, we were dusty, We are so happy with this job.

Hanging Out

2008-09-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

Alani likes to hang out when I sit on the patio. The princess doesn't lay on the ground, she uses the furniture like the rest of her pack does.

Beating on Walls

2008-09-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

The washroom is in dire need of a face lift. It's been more than twenty years since we painted it that startling yellow.
Last evening Michelle was picking at the brittle Japanese Garden, wall paper that still clung to the washroom wall. Very soon the wall was stripped and we were discussing what we could do to update the space. We pulled the shelves and hardware off.
We discussed patching the walls and giving them a fresh coat of paint.Than the proverbial light bulb came on. I decided to demolish part of the wall to the garage. We'd had a three foot wide opening with a header. Now we have a five foot wide opening clear up to the ceiling.
As it was, the handyman had been here and we asked for his input.
Michelle pulled the studs, all that remains of the demolition are a few nail ends to be cut off.
I think we will paint the space white.

Not Ready

2008-09-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Michelle and I went out to lunch on Wednesday. It was her treat so she was in charge of the activities.
She said I needed to begin the search for a new dog. We stopped at the local animal shelter to check out the dogs. Not surprisingly there is a large offering of pit bulls, and a number of other larger dogs. Some of those dogs are downright scary. They had a few pups, none really looked to be a good fit for me. There were some golden retrievers, but they really are a larger dog than I want in the house, although I like their personality.
The nice thing about a little dog is that I can carry his monthly food bag in one hand. The output is not a chore to pick up, and he can be bathed in a basin. Also important is that their bark is just as loud.
I'm glad we went, but I'm just not ready for a new dog.

The Fountains

2008-09-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Fountains is an upscale shopping area in Roseville, California. By upscale I mean the ambiance is very pleasant and the prices in the shops are high as well. This central fountain, one of several water features, has an ever changing pattern,reminding me of the display at the Bellagio in 'Vegas, just not so elaborate. (Nothing beats 'Vegas!)
Since I'm recovering from foot surgery I've been somewhat stifled in my activities and I'm living on memories of the big exciting world.
So, there you have it. Visit the lovely, expensive, exclusive Foutains!

Pond Maintainance

2008-09-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

It's pretty easy taking care of this pond. Every couple of months I put in some biological product that keeps the water balanced. I rarely check it anymore. The fish and plants are happy and the water is mostly clear-ish.
One end of the six hundred gallon tank is thick with an assortment of plants and only about three feet deep.
The other end is deeper, colder and has a stone shelf under which the fish can hide.
Today is the day I need to get out there, switch off the pump, pull the heavy filter out of the water and clean out the components. It's not a bad job if you like to play in water, and I do.
It's another story though in the winter when the water is very cold. At least twice every winter I end up cleaning it.
Today, however, I'll enjoy it since it's toasty out there.

Doggie Jail

2008-09-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

The folding dog kennel was a good investment. We use it to block the dogs out of areas as needed. We fold them up when the girls are free to roam.
This evening Alani put herself in solitary confinement.
The reason became clear in short order. She was trying to flush out the little tree frogs that find refuge under the log. She pursues them with great enthusiasm.
It's clear she has become comfortable with the kennel.

The Problem with Shirts

2008-08-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a girl with simple needs. A place to dig, food to eat, and some beloved human's shirt to toss around.
The problem this week was that she chose the clothes she shredded. Picked one of my favorite items out of a clothes basket sitting by the washer, unattended for just a few minutes.
Yeah, I'll continue to give her shirts with which to play, but I won't leave my laundry unchecked.

Thanks IKEA

2008-08-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

I understand, in theory, how to wire in a light fixture. When there are multiple wires coming out of the box, I'm stumped. The electric guy had no problem though (it's a conspiracy from the electric workers union).
So here are the new, energy efficient, fixtures. Enough bulbs to illuminate the art work and light the way.

What The....#3

2008-08-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

A Curb Pooping Thingy!
Caltrans (California Department of Transportation to you foreign readers) is building a Park&Ride lot a block from my house, by the freeway exit. Coming to a stop, waiting for traffic gave me an opportunity to glance at their equipment.
A cement mixer was loading its cargo onto a belt attached to a weird looking thing.
What the..? It can't be!
Yes, I saw it! It's real, an honest to goodness Curb Pooping machine.
I drove home, parked my car, got the camera and took a walk to capture the machine's production on film. There you have it.
I had no idea such a machine existed, but it's not surprising. It's so ingenious.

Don't Scare Me Like That

2008-08-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

So here I was, the happy dog sitter.
I took a break inside, came back out and here is Alani with a three inch wide, deep red smear running down the side of her neck. Seeing that gave my heart a big jump. I ran my hand over her neck to find the source. She was not in any distress. The red stuff on my hand had a familiar smell, but I couldn't identify it. Checked both dog's feet, checked the cement for blood drops. All clear.
I walked the yard still smelling my hand when it hit me. My relief was immense. Yup, she'd been rolling in fallen plums. She didn't even seem to mind getting washed up.

Yard Sale vs. Freecycle

2008-08-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

I like the Freecycle organization. I have benefited from the generosity of their members and have given away things I no longer need.

The neighbors are having a yard sale and offered me a space to add items for sale. I sorted through the garage this week already and came up with three containers of parts and pieces and added an extra large Dogloo, not large enough for our pets.
Needless to say if all my items sell at the requested price I'll have enough to travel the world. Or not.
On the other hand, the daughter contributed Barbies and accessories which Suzanne had me get for her child. My dog shelter sold and we are even with the Barbie trade.
So much for traveling the world.

Yard sales are great! To clean up regularly Freecycle is the way to go.

The Great Electric Puzzle...

2008-08-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

...is solved!
One afternoon last week Michelle and I took down two light fixtures in the hallway. Clumsy looking things from the '80s.
That evening we noticed that some of the outlets in three bedrooms were not functioning. I hated that since I had no reading light in the evening or radio to wake up to.
Michelle's dad came to sort it out. He made sparks fly, but admitted defeat.
I found a semi-retired electrician who spend four hours today chasing down this problem and installing four simple lights fixtures. Installation of those took maybe one hour, the rest was spent tracing electric lines in the walls and listening to his beeper tool. He disassembled outlets, put them back together. We moved a couch to get to the main switch box in the garage. I emptied two book cases and moved them to check the outlets hidden behind them.
Lastly we moved the bathroom cabinet to check the outlet there. Well, well, well, there was the defective safety plug.
So, it was strictly coincidence that we took the fixtures down and lost power on the same day. I'm happy to know that the jumble of wires that spew from the wall boxes is actually not a messed up mess as I'd suspected.
And it didn't cost me any limbs to pay for it.

Freebee

2008-08-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Pun intended!
At one point I purchased a packet of sunflower seeds and spread them out on the ground. Now I have clusters of sunflowers coming up amid the grass. I mow around it and end up with a patch of field.
When the dogs knock the plants down, I cut off their heads - the flower's, not the dog's - and lay them on the patio. The birds love that little treat and come in flocks.

Personal Moon

2008-08-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

The patio behind the house is a great place to sit, especially at the end of the day.
A fine place to have dinner, a drink, entertain visitors. A perfect spot to play a few hands of cards.
But the light was never just right. There are Fairy-lights mounted on the eaves about ten feet away, OK, fine, they are Christmas lights. Wonderful ambiance, not bright enough to read by or see cards well. We tried candles, too much glare, not enough light.
On our last trip to Ikea we found lantern parts that we used to hobble together our own moon. It's lightweight, won't drag the frame down. We fitted it with a CFL and it only uses 11W. How great is that?
So tonight 'Shel and I are already scheduled for some cards, by the light of the moon.

Does It Ever End?

2008-08-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

A dog's life is work, work work.

Alani might be saying, "The work around this place never ends! What with digging the holes in the boring lawn, chasing birds, harvesting berries, distributing toys all over the yard. Now these people have added cleaning the dishes to the list of chores. What are they thinking!"

She still makes me laugh!

The Sounds of Summer

2008-08-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

My windows are open to the mild breeze this evening. I hear crickets chirping. I am not aware that I heard others this year. Seems these are the first. It is one of the classic summer sounds.

Every two months a pest control service comes by, clears the webs away, sprays to kill whatever bugs are too abundant in a given season. The stucco stays clean. The eaves are not loaded with spiders, the ants no longer walk in as they please looking for the tiniest morsel. The products used are sprayed to a ten foot perimeter and won't hurt the pets. It seemed a bit extravagant when I first signed up for a trial time, but I am pleased with this service. I also believe it helps the house stay healthier, not so likely to become a dinner for insects.

Yet, I'm happy that at least ten feet out there are crickets communicating.

New Stuff

2008-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

This site is for those of us who love that store.

Did I mention that Michelle and I ripped out the broom closet/converted to a cupboard, cabinet, and replaced it with a pull out shelf pantry. It was tricky to put together as the components are versatile, can be used in many other pieces. We took our time and the instructions made sense after all. It takes up less space-width- than the original piece. All items stored are easily seen and accessible. Love it! Love it! The drawers have the easy close/quiet feature. It pulls itself close. A wonderful thing.

I want to go back soon and get a light to put under my patio cover. We like to sit out there in the evening, maybe playing cards, and the light is never just right.
As soon as I purchase another light fixture, to put over the kitchen sink, Michelle's dad will come and install it for us. I'm thankful that he's willing to do that for us.

Fruit Trees

2008-07-28T16:48:00.001-07:00

Landscape trees are planted for their beauty, function as shade givers, and are planted to be there for generations.
Here in the land of commercial fruit trees, we look at trees from a different perspective. A walnut tree, for instance, will produce a cost-effective crop from somewhere between three and twenty years. Then it is pulled out, replaced by a new tree that will, again, produce in about three years. Same thing with all other crop trees. You might say, it's like growing beans, when the plant is spent, till it under.
About thirty years ago someone gave each of us in the family, for lack of inspiration, a fruit tree as a Christmas gift. For a while we had spring cherries. until two years ago we had walnuts to pick up every year.
All these years we ate Satsuma Plums. Dark gray on the outside, deep plum color on the inside. It produces a tremendous amount of fruit every year. Several hundred pounds, enough to keep us, our dogs, the neighbors happy.
This year some branches have snapped as the branches were too heavy with fruit to support them.
This tree has certainly outlived its expected productive life.

Oh, the cat has nothing to do with the story. It's just a cute picture of a big guy hanging out in a kids chair.

Playing with Mud

2008-07-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

Once in a while even adults enjoy playing with mud.

Some years ago Mosker sent me a box with the supplies to make pavers. Included are letters to add some poetry or remembrance.

When my cousins visited, I asked them to inscribe a paver. They stopped their sunbathing to do that. After much discussion they came to an agreement, stamped a greeting, a thanks, their names, the date.
The paver is leaning against a little fence now, holding it in place. The paver catches my eye when I pass and I think of their visit.

From now on everyone spending at least one night here will be asked to play with mud.

Party On

2008-07-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

So, the smoke has pretty much cleared. Air quality isn't great, but so much more reasonable.

My family came here on the weekend to help celebrate yet another year of my life. Food and drink, conversation and games.
On the "real" day my good friend took me to lunch at the Il Fornio restaurant in Roseville. One of our favorite "fancy" places.
Then on Friday I will take a special young lady, along with some very nice neighborhood kids to the new swim complex in Yuba City for a session. Fast food after as a very special treat.
Did I say they are nice kids? They offered to do chores for me after that. Such as filling in dog-dug holes in the yard, shredding papers in my office, crushing cans, mulching flowers. I'll think of more. (Shhh, I've been saving jobs just for this day)

The cakes are gone, the cookies last and we party on!

Once in a Life Time

2008-07-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

When my son was a little boy he would listen to story tapes to help him fall asleep.
He listened to one, frequently, about the 1883 eruption of the volcano Krakatoa. One of the effects of that eruption was that the ash entered the atmosphere, reflected sunlight, cooled the Earth's temperature, eventually came down as acid rain.
I am not suggesting that our fires remotely compare to Krakatoa, but some similarities abound. At sunrise and sunset the sun has been bright red. Although it's light out now, there is no sunshine. Indeed it is much cooler -OK, less hot- than it was projected to be today, were it not for the smoke cover.
Outdoor activities have been cancelled, and should be. No concert in the park. The swim complex is closed.
We are actually located in between three fires. One in Napa, One in El Dorado County, (between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe), The third near the town of Paradise, not too far from Chico. (Again, there was a large fire just last month.) We spoke with a fire crew from the LA area yesterday. They said that the smoke's like this for one hundred miles south.
If one were to combine all the land that has burned, we'd have two-thirds of the area of Switzerland! Thank goodness, that's a small country.
Unlike the years it took for the after-effects of Krakatoa to clear, when these fires are out, a good breeze should clear our air. We will be able to go back outside and enjoy our outdoor life.

The Little Guy

2008-07-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Azi could not recover.
We miss him very much.

I Can What?

2008-06-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

I was driving back from town last night, close to midnight. I had been to see a play. There was little traffic but I saw many lights.
What? I could see for miles to the foothills, south toward Sacramento. Then it hit me! The air had cleared. I took a deep breath and smelled no smoke.
What a joyous feeling.
So we've had a little breeze come up across the Delta to cool and clean us. We needed that. Forecast for this weekend are the same conditions that started the fires to begin with. Let's hope the whole cycle will not be repeated.

Wild Fires

2008-06-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Fire crews in Northern California are still trying to put out over seven hundred (700!) wild fires. The air looks foggy, overcast for sure. I don't even see a red sun today. Although we are coming up on the middle of the day the temperature outside is 67'.
Outside workers have begun to wear masks to keep the smoke particles out of their lungs. There aren't even any fires burning in our County, just the neighbors to the north.
Weather forecasters tell us that it will be a few days longer before the smoke dissipates.

Air Show

2008-06-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

I tried for three days to take a picture of these two planes in the same frame, without success.
The fighter goes through its routine, leaves and returns with his WW1 buddy.
Between the sunlight on my camera, the distance guess, it was not a good result.
There's always next year.

Azi's Down, Again

2008-06-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

Last evening I let Azi come outside with me while I watered some potted plants. He did the "Water Dance" for a bit, I finished watering. He sat in the sun. All this took little time, probably less than ten minutes. I went in, rinsed my hands, Azi came in, sat at my feet. He backed up to the cabinet, had an odd look on his face, and has not walked since. I carried him to the cushion in the front room. It was very scary.
I took him to the vet today and the regular vet was back from a little vacation. Azi is on an aggressive regimen of medication that we hope will pull him through. We discussed all options, there is a good chance for recovery.
I am hoping for the best.

The New House

2008-06-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

This is the little house that Suz bought for her youngster. She thought she'd read that it would take two people about two hours to assemble.
The box stated: two experienced people six to eight hours! Michelle and I worked four hours one hot day. I finished it the next day in another two hours. We must fit in the"experienced" category of assemblers.
It is cute as can be. A bit tight for an adult, but I can stand up inside. I made the left bench a bit higher, to make it easier to get up.
There you have it, the one room miracle!

PG&E

2008-06-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

PG&E periodically sends a tree crew down our street, and all other streets, to check on tree growth. If branches have grown to within ten feet of the power lines the trees are tagged and a few weeks later the work crew comes along to chop them back. It's a good idea to watch their work for they are not the most observant guys. They chop away to get the job done. If the tree looks misshapen when they get through, so be it. Here they are working on my neighbors' young oaks. Tagging guy had said they would take my Italian Cypress down about ten feet, but the trimmers only took a negligible amount. About five years ago I talked them into totally removing a Eucalyptus tree by my driveway that required frequent maintenance.
There is no direct cost to the electricity consumer. We do, however, pay high prices per electric kilowatt and natural gas therms. So we do pay for it, a little bit, all the time.

Azi Update

2008-06-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the phone calls inquiring about Azi's health. He's really perky today and walking normal. I feel positive about his full recovery. After a couple more weeks of limited activities and his medication for three weeks I'm sure he will be fine. Dachsie's backs are truly much more fragile than those of "normal" dogs.
I opened the kitchen door this morning and invited the big girls in for a bit. (I felt bad for not having spent any time with them the last couple of days). Sholeh made a quick check of the premises and left. Alani is laying next to Azi's pen, back-to-back. Kind of cute, she's the doggy sitter. In a little while I will move the enclosure, and Azi, outside and we can all hang out together.

Gerbera Daisies

2008-06-14T18:21:00.001-07:00

Azi's Big Ooops

2008-06-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Azi had an accident and is very sick. One of the big dogs rolled him on Wednesday, and he can not walk very well now.
Dr. Vet checked him out today and gave him meds. It appears one of the disks in his back is not where it needs to be. He is on three weeks of kennel rest and meds.
Then next week his back will be x-rayed to see if it warrants surgery. We hope not.
He seems happy in his portable doggy playpen.
To go to the bathroom, I'm to carry him and keep him on a leash.
Poor little guy. Lets hope for the best.

Neighbors

2008-06-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

I knew it would not last. The house across the street had been empty for seven months. Before that a quiet woman had lived there, regularly visited by her son. That son now has found renters and he already rues the day he let them move in. They are a nasty bunch. Loud. Their friends are loud, and there are many, many visitors. Extended horn honking during the night. The woman has a very nasty mouth, and clearly not too bright. Countless children run in the yard, climb the trees, pull down branches, make a huge mud puddle and play in it. Yuck.
No, I don't spend my day watching out the window.
I have a copy of the rental agreement, which the son sent to me after he had to be awakened late one night when there was a huge ruckus.
The dogs are having a hard time settling down at night what with the 2 am car door slamming and good byes.
Jeez, people knock it off!

A Gift

2008-06-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

I was told that this was written by Omar Khayyam:
A loaf of bread,
A jug of wine,
and thou beneath a tree
I rather doubt it, but it came to mind last night as Shel and I dug into our dinner.
Ray had sent a lovely assortment of cheeses from Seattle. Goat cheddar, cow cheddar from England, A goat cheese from the south of France (Basque), an Italian fontina. We added a baguette, and a great bottle of wine.
All are wonderful. We could not find our most favorite, all were so delicious.
Thank you for this wonderful gift!

Nothing But ...

2008-05-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

No pictures.
Normal weather!
No snakes!
No airplanes!
No visitors!

Just leftover food. Just cutting grass. Just conserving fuel. Just reading books. Just knitting hats and socks. Just checking other people's blogs.

Remembering why we observe Memorial Day!

Heat

2008-05-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Is It August Already?
I don't mind the hot summers here. OK, once it gets over 95' it can stop. But four days over 100', in May, enough already!
I would prefer not to use the home's AC unless I really need it, depending on the delta breeze to keep us cool-ish.
The heat put an end to the flowers of spring that tried to bloom a bit more. I will need to do some re-planting very soon. I was out there in the early morning, cleaning up some areas, filling a ninety gallon toter with yard waste, not suitable for my rolling composter.
The good news is that the raspberries have begun to produce and we get a bowl of fruit daily.

Gray Lodge and Snakes

2008-05-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

I've had a number of first time visitors to our area in the last couple of years. In order to show them what this area is all about, one of our destinations is Gray Lodge Nature Preserve. I wrote about it before. I've visited in all seasons and I always discover something new and interesting.
Although Mosker had grown up here, this spring had been her first visit. It was also the first time that I had encountered snakes there. I don't know enough about them not to get creep-ed when they pass on the path in front of me. That's not good! So after all this time here I decided to learn a bit more, it's silly, after all, to get spooked by a few ounces of muscle.
When I took my cousins there, from a snake-less land, I fully hoped to show them local fauna. Off in the distance we saw a raccoon. We saw a deer. I had nearly given up when one of them saw the gopher snake across the path. No rattle! No triangle head! Good! We watched it. We photographed it. We filmed it. We watched it travel across the path and disappear into brush.
Mission accomplished!

U-2

2008-05-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been posting about different interesting airplanes, so here's another one. There were two playing around the sky the day I shot this image.
They are painted dark to make them difficult to see at night. They are fast and maneuver well. Funny thing is, they can't land without ground assistance. There is no landing gear on the wing, so they will tip over unless the ground crew snaps portable wing tips with wheels on them. Every time they land!

Deja Vue

2008-05-16T12:02:00.001-07:00

Fontonelli's Restaurant, in the old mining town of Grass Valley, has a lovely outdoor eating area. They also have their very own patio cat. Fat cat, by the way. It strolls over to check out the newly arrived diners and then meanders off to do cat things. Such as resting in the sun on a wall, after which it's time for a long refreshing drink from her personal water fountain.

Including the spots, this reminded me of our own Alani drinking from my fountain pump while balancing on the rim.

SR-71

2008-05-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

This is a decommissioned, original stealth, plane. It was awesome to see, and hear, in flight.

Access to see it is limited, I try to take visitors to see it, as it's very special.

I took a young friend recently to walk around. I was surprised how very curious she was about the details. (She even found an operating flap on the body.)

Western Yellow-Bellied Racer

2008-05-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

They're back! Watch your step. Just because its bite is not poisonous doesn't mean the bite won't hurt.

KC-135

2008-05-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

These awesome flying machines don't live here any more. Their job is to refill other airplanes during flight. The nozzle, stinger, is visible near its tail. This day I paid a lot of attention to them as they seemed to fly and fly and fly.
Now I know that was the day they moved across the country to South Carolina, and the whole fleet, but two, was in flight. Those two flew away on Friday with a proper military send-off.
They'd been part of our landscape, sky-scape, for more than thirty years.
I'm sorry to see them gone.

Ettal

2008-04-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

This is the Monestary's Roccoco style church at Ettal, Bavaria. Simply beautiful.