Just One More Visitor

Here Is Another Picture of One of Our Visitors                     He Hangs Out On Our Window Screens

Sweet Green Sunday

Today,  I am relaxing for the most part, getting up and once in a while and doing a couple of housekeeping chores.  I wanted to post pictures of some of my collections, just because I photo boothed a couple for another reason and so if the pics are on the computer already, they are easier to download to blog.  I love green.  It has been my favorite color for years.  Green gives me a warm, summery kind of feeling.  I like to wear green because it makes my hazel eyes look green.  Now all the talk about we need to be green seems right to me!  

We have our littlest car girl today.  What a character she is.  She is really talking lots.  

My DH gathered tomatoes this morning and is putting them into the crock pot to make a sauce...  perhaps spagetti or mexican.  Whatever, made from fresh tomatoes, it will be fabulous.

On The Hill

We live on a hill.   A rocky, red sandy, desert type hill.  It is at the bottom of a small but high mountain range.  On our hill grows a few sagebrush, rabbit brush, what I think I definitely identified as horse brush (very stickery), and a few grease woods, some wild grasses, prickly pear catcus, several different weedy looking unidentified plants and some other minor desert fauna that looks like curly thyme, and mosses.  I am sure there are others I missed but you get the idea.  We can see isolated red "hills" from our perch, and we look down on what we call the village whose night lights are lovely too.  We can look out over what we call the badlands to the south, the mountains to the north, red pinon and cedar covered hills to the east, and the village and some of its activities, like fireworks and traffic,  to the west.  We watch beautiful and colorful sunsets each evening, sunrises that surprise us at times, and the wildlife.  

In the last week, our "special" visitors have been, (I think) some migrating hawks.  The hawks and buzzards like to play on the wind currents, and we have them almost at eye level where our house sets.  Three, small sized, light colored with sort of half circled black lines on their tail decided to put on an arial show for us.  At times, it was as if they were suspended just off the side of the hill, really not moving.  Other times they would dive out of sight below the edge of our hill and view.  Suddenly, they might pop straight up and back into our sight.  They stayed for most of one day.  It seems like our summer residents, the buzzards, have left on their journey to where ever they go during the winter as I have not seen them flying by our windows of late.  Also, the big black noisy crows seem to be gone now, along with the humming birds, black birds, wrens, and finches.  We have had, at times what I call the "bobbin birds" which are possibly rock wrens, that run up and down a low rock wall we built from excess rocks from the foundation of the house, bobbing and hunting, but they seem to be gone too. The swallows left early this year, possibly due to no rain for nest building.   We think that soon, however, the robins and mountain bluebirds will converge on our red cedars and strip them of their showy blue berries and entertain us with their quarreling.  We have had one really huge robin that comes back each fall and wants all the berries to herself.  

As Bubba and I walked out to the back of our property this morning, we paused to watch a small herd of six or seven deer.  One, a doe, seemed to be parenting twins.  They did not seem to be concerned that we walked so close to  them , and simply kept munching their way along what ever path they were taking, checking on us often to make sure we did not venture too close to the half grown babies.  We stood still and enjoyed watching for some time.  

Last night, the most lovely of all creatures, the car girls and their mother plus two dogs walked up our dug way for a short visit.  They had a small treat of watermelon and cantaloupe, gave us much needed hugs and kisses then left us happier for the visit.  We are blessed!

 

Addicted Shopping

I was thinking about all the fuss everyone is making about being green because of a radio ad that talked about "cheap" people who re gift and buy at thrift shops and yard sales as being smart people because they are careful with their money, and how that is good for the environment (green.)  I drifted back through my life as a "thrift shopper."  I have been doing yard sales, and thrift stores since the very early 60's.  My kids had all kinds of fun things, because I bought stuff at yard sales.  The had every kind of camping equipment, sports equipment, toys, and high dollar clothing.  I was considered the yard sale queen in my family, because every time someone would compliment me on some decor in my house, most of the time my reply was "I found it at a yard sale."  I built up awe inspiring collections of depression glass for myself and my sisters, and even some of my nieces, cat figurines, one of a kind pieces of furniture, dishes, unusual kitchen helpers, camping supplies, yard decor, and the list could go on forever.  My kids, however, did not appreciate that someone might know our stuff came from yard sales.  So, one day as we were doing an activity that is now forgotten we started playing with the name ZCMI....saying ZCMeyes.  Most people would know that ZCMI was/is a high end department store started by the Morman church, and the church also manages the Desert Industries, which is a thrift shop.  So, to save my poor children from embarrassment, we started telling them we got whatever "treasure" we brought them, came from ZCMeyes.  They were happy, we were happy.  Nowadays, finding treasures in this way is considered chic and smart.  I know people who have plenty of money, are very careful on how they spend it, so I see lots of high end shoppers arrive at the yard sales in high end autos.  I still get a thrill at finding the wonderful bargain at these sales.  I am forever addicted.  It seems like whatever it is that I have been thinking about wanting or needing, bwa la... it shows up at a yard sale.  Serendipity!

My latest treasures?  Rolls of paper, knitting needles, crochet needles, and a journal! 

Mrs. Clean

Do you know how much cleaner your house becomes when you are full time "at home?"  I don't even feel like I actually "clean" but I do do at least one cleaning task each day, and bwa la, the place is looking much more cared for.  Today, I put Bubba's bedding and a couple of area rugs in through the laundry,  then mopped the garage floor on my side of the garage, and wiped a few black finger prints off the door jams.  I just kinda do whatever catches my eye as needed.  I feel like I am living in a much cleaner environment now!  It makes me happier.