I thought it would be appropriate to write something this last day of 2011.  I looked through all my pictures that I had taken over the year.  I must like storms, I took lots of storm pictures.  I took lots of animal pictures too and the grand kids, of course.

In January I had Steve take some pictures of the fat me.  So that I could compare to when I lost all the weight over the year and could then have a skinny picture taken.  Well, that didn't happen!  Ha!  I am still a fatty!  

I took pictures of the alpacas in the snow and the new goats in February.  One beautiful iris came up in my pathetic garden in May.  Then in June we had big fires all around us.  A gila monster visited in July.  I took some fantastic sunset photos, if I do say so, although, the credit for them should probably go to the maker of the sunsets Himself.

I think the two hardest things to accomplish are losing weight and saving money.  Those will be 2 of my resolutions this year.  I want to keep on taking pictures and helping others when I can.  I want to worry less, enjoy life more and continue in thankfulness for each day.  That is really all we have after all, just today, just now, or so they say.  I feel like I also have the love of my family and friends, the memories of what has been and the blessings of the Almighty.  I pray that you will also enjoy your memories, the love of the people who matter and many blessings from the Lord  now and in the New Year.

"We're off to see the wizard..."  No, that's not right!  They're off to see the Mouse, the Disneyland Mickey Mouse, that is!  Yep, all the kids and grand kids and Grandpa left about 6 am this morning to spend Christmas in the land of magic and dreams.  They left poor old grandma home to take care of the reindeer, I mean the alpacas and the goats and dogs and cats and chickens and whatever the heck kind of animals we have now.  They are all grateful, the animals and the family, I'm sure! Ha!  I hope they have a wonderful magical time.  I know I am enjoying not fixing meals and watching whatever I want on TV and the peace and quiet.  I am also glad they will only be gone for 3 days.

We had a beautiful Christmas Eve-eve party last night.  The table was full of food, shrimp cocktail, jalapeno roll-ups, hot wings, marinated mushrooms, cheeses, crackers, summer sausage, pepper sausage, taquitos, salmon bruscetta, pumpkin cream cheese roll and, of course, cookies, cookies,and more cookies.  The kind of food that one can just graze on for hours especially if you have wine and birthday cake vodka to go with it! No, I'm not kidding, there really is a "Birthday cake" flavored vodka.  It smells delicious but I did not think it would be good to mix with the wine I was drinking.

We had plenty of gifts and the room was trashed by the time we finished unwrapping everything.  Our family is big enough to make the whole occasion seem like total chaos.  My daughter had wrapped a special box for each child so she saved that til the end.  She had the 4 grandkids sit in chairs and open their Mickey Mouse boxes all at once.  We all waited expectantly for them to get their ears and then read the invitation that said they were going to Disneyland the next day.  It took awhile and Jake finally realized what he was reading.  He got this incredulous look on his face and asked, "Is this for real? We're going to Disneyland?"  The little kids didn't have a clue really.  The grown-ups were more excited than the kids! 

I went to the jewelry store in Sierra Vista and bought myself this huge diamond ring......Not really.  I did go to the jewelry store to pick up my ring that Steve had gotten a new setting for.  He got me a new band last Mother's Day with three Princess diamonds.  I picked a new band for my first diamond and had the 2 bands welded together in one nice setting.  It is beautiful and makes me very happy just to have it on my finger.  I never knew I was such a "material girl!"  He also got me a nice teardrop sapphire necklace.  Young girls have their own natural beauty, but when you get old like me, you need a little enhancement. Ha!  Thanks Steve!

I drove down the hill to my daughter's house about 8 pm to feed her dog and let her(the dog, not my daughter) out for a little while.  It is so still and cold.  The stars filled the heavens as bright and beautiful as the diamonds on my finger.  I was awestruck and just stared up at them until I couldn't stand the cold anymore.  We are so blessed.  I pray that you are all blessed this Christmas Eve and everyday of your lives.   "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

We are having cold and snowy weather.  We had a bad storm last week, lots of rain and snow up higher.  Then we had a real foggy morning.  It is kinda cool as it puts one in the mood for Christmas.

Yesterday we had a big "cookie" party.  Shawna and I made cookies and the kids decorated and ate! Ha!   Now I have tons of cookies of all kinds all over the house. Yummy! Next I am trying to wrap all the gifts in time for the Christmas Eve-Eve party on Friday.  Standing on my feet making cookies and now wrapping gifts is hard on my back and feet.  I will get it all done a little at a time and rest after Christmas.  No one has mentioned anything about a New Year's Eve party!  Thank goodness!  But we will probably celebrate our youngest grandson's birthday on New Year's Day as everyone will be driving back from Disneyland on his actual birthday, December 27.  Yeah, my daughter planned a big surprise for all the kids.  They don't know yet that they are going to Disneyland for Christmas.  It will be the last gift they receive at the party on Friday. They will be so excited there won't be much sleeping that night.  It will be for the best as the trip will take about 8 hours.  They can sleep in the car.  I get to stay home, take care of the animals and have 3 whole days of peace and quiet!  Can't wait!

I am out of hay for the goats and alpacas.  Steve will have to stop at the feed store after work and get some more.  The alpacas have gotten out into the field since there isn't much for them to eat in their barn.  The goats and the alpacas all look at me when I go out.  They think I've forgotten them I guess. Mikey just stays in the barn all day under the heat lamp I got for the chickens.  Lazy old cat!  Can't say I blame him though.  When the weather is cold and wet like this, all I want to do is curl up under a nice alpaca blanket and read a good book.

As I write this it is pouring down rain outside.  I got the Christmas tree up and decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving.  We had a little party and let the grandkids do the work.  Lots of fun and food. Since then I have been in gathering mode, shopping for a gift here, another there.  I've also been sewing up a storm.  I completed shirts for two of my grandsons and continue to work on one more shirt and a dress for my granddaughter, Eden.  I also made two new blankets, one for Logan who misplaced his treasured old blanket and one for Eden whose blanket has seen better days.  

The animals have been enjoying our cooler temperatures, at least until today and the rain.  They are all hiding out of the wet today.  One of my little goats was injured by another one when they butted heads.  The base of his horn bled a little and he seems to be staying clear of any battles lately.  The bleeding didn't last long so I think he will be OK.

Mikey, my barn cat, has killed two squirrels this week.  I think they were stealing his cat food so he put an end to that.  One of the squirrels was eaten and looked like he had his revenge by the looks of the vomit on the floor.  Course Mikey didn't clean up the mess.  He did the hunting after all.  Loki, my house cat, has been mostly staying in the house.  He doesn't like the cold, the wet, or the coyotes! He prefers to watch me cut out shirts and lay in the middle of the work table until I remove him to a less intrusive locale.

The remaining alpacas seem to be healthy for now and I have not taken them back to the vet.  I'm pretty sure I will be trying to sell them after the new year.  The deaths of Tinker and Kardigan have taken the thrill out of alpaca farming for me.  Perhaps it was a mistake to just get males or maybe a blessing.  Either way, I learned a lot and enjoyed them most of the time but I think it is time to move on to something else.

There will probably be more snow on the mountains since we are having rain down here.  I'm glad we do not get much snow but sometimes I do miss the green that comes from living in a wetter climate.  Only 12 days til Christmas!  Reminds me of that song, "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."  Enjoy the holidays!

"Christmas is coming, and the geese are getting fat..." Ha!  We don't have geese, thank the good Lord, but Christmas is coming anyway!  We decorated right after Thanksgiving and I am hoping to finish up the shopping this week.  I have my cards addressed and signed but I am having a little trouble with the letter this year.  It went so fast and I am trying to remember the good things to report but so far I am only recalling the bad things.  So I will work on that for a few days and, hopefully, get it done by Monday.

Thanksgiving turned out very nice.  I was a little worried about the turkey.  It thawed in plenty of time but it was one that I raised and I was afraid it would be too tough to eat or tainted in some way.  It actually produced quite a tasty bird.  It was leaner than a store bought bird and there was less breast meat because it was a heritage breed and not the big breasted kind that is bred for Thanksgiving and not for breeding.  I was pleased that it was tasty and that we had plenty for the day with some leftover for later.  

On Saturday after Thanksgiving, we had a "Decorating Party."  I invited all the grands over to decorate the Christmas tree and made lots more food for the occasion.  We had chicken wings, blue cheese puffs (my daughter made, very good), cheese and summer sausage, a relish tray, jalapeno poppers, (made by daughter #2's boyfriend), cookies, fudge and fish sticks with cocktail sauce. Yummy!  I was stuffed and off my diet, of course!  Ha!  I am off my diet til next year.  There is no sense in torturing myself.


Our weather has been pretty mellow and nice, sunny, breezy and warm.  That is supposed to change drastically over the next few days.  It is supposed to snow down to 4000 feet, which means we may have snow in our yard as we are at 4800 feet elevation.  My #2 daughter, Sara, and her son Logan are traveling to Missouri today by way of Denver.  They are visiting Logan's other grand parents.  I am worried about them because Denver is supposed to get snow today.  The snow storm looks bad on the weather channel radar.  They will return on Sunday, the good Lord willing.  


I'm posting Thanksgiving pictures today and maybe some Christmas tree and snow pictures next time.

Our weather has been rainy and foggy, cold and warm again.  We even had a dusting of snow a couple of weekends ago.  The jet stream is to blame, moving north and then south again.  A fickle thing the weather is.

Steve and I tried to take Stewie, our beige alpaca, to the vet for a scheduled check up yesterday.  I had to call at the last minute and cancel.  We could not get the stubborn animal in my SUV.  We would lead him up to the tail gate and each of us would pick up one of his front feet to lift him into the car and he would cush!  Just lay down and refuse to budge.  It was impossible for Steve to lift him as he weighs over 100 pounds and he was resisting with all of his might.  I guess it was bad planning on my part.  We really needed three people to lift him.  But, we had managed to put two other alpacas in the SUV by ourselves before and I did not really think it would be a problem. I figure the other two were too sick to offer much resistance.  Stewie seems perfectly healthy and when he saw the small interior of the vehicle he just decided,"Hey!  You people are crazy!  I am not going in there!"  I still have a scheduled appointment for Prince on Dec. 6.  I will try to get another helper to load him.  Then we will have the vet show us how to collect blood from the alpacas.  That way we can just take the blood sample in and have it tested for Valley Fever instead of taking each alpaca in.  I really don't know what good it will do to find out if they have Valley Fever or not.  There doesn't seem to be any way to prevent it or cure it.

The coyotes have been out in full force since the nights have gotten colder.  They were howling very close to the house last night and seemed to be all around.  Buddy, of course, stays on full alert all night.  I bring my favorite cat, Loki, inside .  He seems to prefer to be in the nice warm house at night.  Mikie comes into the barn and sleeps under the heat lamp that I have up to keep the chickens warm.  Steve wrapped all the exposed pipes so, hopefully, we won't have any frozen ones this year.  It hasn't really been that cold yet but I'm sure it will be in a couple more months.

I am thawing out our huge Royal Palm turkey in the frig in preparation for Turkey day.  He takes up a whole shelf all by himself.  Next week I will be making pies and planning our dinner down to the last details.  Tomorrow I am off to Tombstone.  I saw an item there that I think will be a great Christmas gift for Steve.  Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Pumpkins and zombies and ninjas! OH My!  Lots of dressing up and fun stuff in October.  The McDoles all went to the Zombie walk in Tucson again this year.  I am always impressed with the imaginative make-up job my daughter does on all of them to turn perfectly normal people into horrible zombie creatures! Ha!

And the yearly trip to Apple Annie's for pumpkins that turn into fantastic looking jack-o-lanterns.  They bought me a scrump-didly-licious apple pie with crumbles on top, my favorite.

I have been sewing like crazy too.  My sewing machine of 35 plus years finally gave up the ghost and I bought a new one which I haven't taken out of the box yet.  But I will, for there are many sewing projects to get done especially stuff for Christmas.

Our weather is changing again but not nearly as dramatically as places north of us.  Our temperatures have cooled off to the 80s, yes, we suffer so! This weekend it is supposed to drop down to the 60s for highs.  If that happens I will have to bring in my plants because it will be in the 30s at night.  Steve is trying to get the bump-out painted before we get any precipitation or freezing temps.  He also built a little platform for Buddy to sleep on so he will not be right on the ground.  I don't think the dog has set foot in his sleeping area since we put the improvement in for him.  Go figure!

We had three of our tom turkeys harvested.  They were huge.  I kept one and he is taking up most of the freezer space until I get him out for Thanksgiving.  We gave the other 2 away.  I sincerely hope they turn out to be good.  I am thinking of moving the 2 remaining turkeys and two old hens back to the empty pen next to the barn.  That way all the critters will be close to the barn for the winter and I will not have to go so far to get them all fed. 

It is hard to believe it is November again.  I will have to get Christmas shopping done soon if I want to avoid the crush in December.  Shopping in Tucson after Thanksgiving is a total nightmare.  Also must review my blogs and diary to see what fun things I can put in the Christmas letter this year.  Busy, busy, busy!  Well. Praise the Lord!  It's better than, well, my friend used to say, "It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick."  Yep, much, much better than that!

While others I know are selling their alpacas, I am having to put another of mine down.  The vet called on Friday afternoon and told me that Kardigan's white blood cell count was off the charts and that he did test positive for Valley Fever.  His breathing had deteriorated and he was really suffering.  He would not take all of his medication on Friday morning.  The vet said she did not believe that he would make it to Monday.  So late Friday afternoon about 5:30 Steve and I loaded Kardigan up and took him for his last trip to the vet.  I hugged him good-by and he was gone before we even got back in the car to go home.  I was sad to see my beautiful black alpaca go.  I will miss seeing him in the pasture.  But more than anything, I think I was angry, angry that this disease took another animal.  And helpless because there was nothing I could've done to prevent it.  

The vet said that I was doing the right thing and I know in my heart that letting him go was the right thing.  I just wish I could've prevented it.  I am also afraid for the remaining 3 boys.  I asked the vet if moving them to another pasture would make a difference.  She just said that I could try.  She said no one can predict where the spores will show up and sometimes they just get blown in by the wind.

I made appointments for the 3 alpacas I still have, Prince, Cimarron and Stewie.  They will be checked by the vet and she will take blood to test them for Valley Fever also.  Then I plan to have her vaccinate them against anything else that she recommends for alpacas.

I cannot in good conscience replace Tinker or Kardigan.  I would not want to risk the health of other alpacas by putting them in this environment.  Like I said before, maybe alpacas are native to South America and not here for a reason.  So, if the three are free from Valley Fever , I will try to sell them.  If they already have it, I will keep them for tax deductions for our little farm.  Either way my days as an alpaca farmer are done.

Steve took off from work half the day on Wednesday so that he could assist in taking Kardigan to the vet.  Kardigan was a very good boy especially since he had never been loaded in the back of my SUV before.  Steve managed to lift his front legs in and then push him in the rest of the way.  The alpaca stayed cushed the whole way to the vet without stressing or jumping around.  We had to wait about half an hour before the vet got to us.  Kardigan let me pet him and rub under his chin while we waited.  His breathing was not good and I could hear rattling in his throat and lungs.  The vet took blood and listened to his chest.  He weighed about 138 pounds but looks like skin and bones.  The vet confirmed my suspicions, that Kardigan has Valley Fever.  We have to wait for the blood test results to be positive.  They should come back in 3 days or so.  I have not heard from the vet yet.  In the meantime, she prescribed two medications for Kardigan, 2 different pills.  One prescription is for 6 pills twice a day and the other is for 3 different ones, also twice a day.  I tried grinding the pills up and adding water to them the first day.  Then had to administer them with a turkey baster.  This takes two people, one to hold the alpaca and the other to force the medication down his throat.  Not fun!  So I got some sweet feed and have been crushing the pills and dumping them into the feed.  The alpacas love sweet feed although they do not really need it on a regular basis.  I also bought a small red feeding dish so I can feed Kardigan his medicated feed while I toss some un-medicated feed to the other boys.  This keeps them busy so that he can eat his in peace.  So far it is working pretty well.  I will feel better when his breathing gets better.  However, it may not.  If the medication does not help, he may die or have to be put down anyway.  If he does get better, he may have to be on the medication for a long time or the rest of his life.

I asked the vet about moving the alpacas to another pasture because Tinker and Kardigan both got Valley Fever and have always been in the same pasture.  She said that I could try it but it is hard to say if it will make any difference.  There are just places around here that have the spores and places that don't and no one ever really knows where they will show up.  I have heard of breeders in this area losing whole herds to the fever.  I am not happy having had 2 out of 5 alpacas get the disease.  Makes me wonder if that may be the reason they are native to South America and not North America.  It also makes me wonder if I am in the right business. 

I attended the Farmers' Market in Sierra Vista yesterday.  They had a lot more vendors and people than the one I have been going to in St. David.  I found a lady selling, you guessed it, alpaca stuff from her own farm.  It was great fun talking to her and exchanging info.  She said she sold almost all of her stuffed alpaca and llama dolls too.  We talked about hay prices and alpaca people we know.  I don't know that I will try to sell my stuff in Sierra Vista though.  I'd rather not compete with her.  She had lots of yarn and finished stuff and she was very nice.  She told me to contact her and she would tell me where she gets her fleece processed and other good stuff.

There was also another vendor selling aprons.  They were only half aprons, that is, they did not have a "bib" like my aprons and they did not have the water-proof backing that mine have.  She was selling them for only $12 though.  Seems like that would make my $30 aprons seem a little high priced to customers.  I guess it would depend on what they wanted and how much they are willing to pay.  My aprons are definitely worth the $30!

Farmer's Market wasn't so hot last weekend.  The city of Benson was having their annual "Butterfield Days".  I think that diverted people who would normally come to the market.  I did sell some fleece to a lady who was recovering from breast cancer.  She wanted to use it in her bra instead of the usual stuff because she said it was warm, light and comfortable.  What an excellent way to use alpaca fleece!  

On Monday I visited the home of one of the ladies I have met at the market.  She raises the vegetables she sells in a greenhouse that she and her husband built and I wanted to see that.  She was a gracious host and shared the greenhouse and lots of her agricultural knowledge with me.  Thank you Lorna!

On Wednesday my good friend from Lakeside, AZ came down for a visit.  We spent the day over in Tombstone.  I bought a new necklace of sterling silver with a little koko-peli pendant on it.  Koko-peli is made of turquoise and another brown stone.  I love it.  And Tombstone is always fun.  We looked in the haunted "Birdcage Hotel", ate lunch at the Crystal Palace Saloon and, of course, shopped at all the old interesting shops.

I have been wanting another goat but really hadn't found one.  Then I got a phone call from my neighbor.  She said her female goat had died and she had a wether all by himself that she was feeling sorry for.  She asked me if I wanted him! Ha!  So now I have another little goat.  He is beautiful and has blue eyes like Frankie.  Afraid my neighbor didn't have much imagination when she named him though.  She said his name was "Billy".  So now Frankie and Georgie and Billy all live in my pasture together.


On a sad note, my black alpaca, Kardigan, is not doing so well.  He has had a cough for awhile which I thought was due to the pellets.  His cough has not gone away since I changed them back to timothy hay however.  The last 2 weeks or so I noticed he is losing weight and the last 2 days he seems to have labored breathing.  I made an appointment at the vet which is on Wednesday.  I don't know what is wrong but I think it may be the Valley Fever has struck again.  I really hate it when an animal gets sick or is in pain.  I hope it is something less serious than Valley Fever.  And I'm wondering if all the alpacas are eventually going to get it.  I will ask the vet about changing their pasture or something so they don't get it.  I will keep you posted.

I have been reading "The Dirty Life" by  Kristen Kimball.  It is about a couple in their 30s who find some land in New York and build a big old fashioned farm.  Their goal is to provide local people with all the food they need using organic methods and horses instead of tractors.  The work they do is incredible and back breaking.  The book covers the first year up to their wedding and then sort of summarizes and highlights things that happened in the 6 years after that.  They actually succeed which is amazing and, at least to me, surprising.  In most of the other books I have read like this, the author usually gives up and moves on to something less demanding.  

When I first started my little farm, I too thought I would like one of those all around old fashioned farms but I only wanted to feed my family, not 100 families in addition to mine.  I have discovered just how difficult it is and how demanding.  I cannot even begin to do it all myself and it is a good thing that Steve still has a job.  Perhaps if he was a full time farmer we could make a go of it.  I have friends that do but most of them also still have income from something other than their farm.  Maybe if we were younger or more dedicated we could do it, but I don't think so.  I think now that it is something people did because they absolutely had to to survive.  I am grateful for the little farm I have.  I can manage most of the work by myself and I am not totally dependent on the success or failure of my tomato crop.  It was an interesting book that I would recommend, especially to anyone who is thinking of farming.

I had the most successful day at the Farmers' Market this week that I have had so far.  The art lady was very pleased with her apron.  She took it out of the bag and wore it all around the market showing it off to everyone!  Great advertising for me! Ha!  I also sold a teddy bear and another llama doll.  People seem more excited about the soft fleece blankets, gloves and hats now that the weather is cooling down some.  The Farmers' Market runs til the end of October so I hope to sell many more items over the next few weeks.  

I have decided to stop feeding the alpacas pellets because of the choking hazard they present.  The cost of timothy bales has gone down some and they still carry them at a Tucson feed store.  Sometime this week Steve and I will go get a truckload.  Steve is also planning on rebuilding the goat shelter this week.  The straw bale shelter is not very stable and the goats, active as they are, tend to knock the bales around and knock the roof off.  We'll probably pile the bales around the new shelter once it is completed to give them more insulation when it gets cold and something to climb on.

The monsoon is lingering longer than anyone ever thought it would.  We had rain and thunderstorms again today.  It is starting to cool off though.  I re-potted two big plants today, a fern and a large leafed tropical one.  I cut off most of the tropical leaves and put it in a hanging basket.  I asked Steve to drill some new holes in the Arizona room to hang more of the plants when I have to move them back inside.  He should be able to get that done sometime this week too.  As for me, I hope to get more aprons made and maybe some Christmas stuff.

Thanks to everyone who sent me cards and well wishes for my birthday!  I am 58 years old today.  Seems like a long time but I don't feel like I have lived over half a century.  Been too busy I guess! Ha! 


Last weekend my girls took me out for an old fashioned English Tea.  We went to a tea house in Tucson called "Chantilly Tea."  The place was very frilly and feminine with pink walls and table cloths, lots of little tables and lacy curtains.  They had all kinds of vintage tea cups and pots.  We were invited to pick a cup to have our tea in.  We each chose according to our own taste.  I chose a cup with a gold rim and pretty purple violets all around.  Then we got to choose our tea, two different kinds from a menu of about 100!  We chose a chocolate mint and a white ambrosia.  They were both fabulous.  Along with the 2 pots of tea came a plate for each of us filled with all kinds of petite little sandwiches made of different breads and filled with mouthwatering fillings.  Oh My! They also provided scones with clotted cream, lemon curd and raspberry jam.  Needless to say we were all quite stuffed by the time we left.  It was a cool and different gift.  We really enjoyed ourselves and agreed to do it again sometime soon.

At the Farmers' Market last weekend I sold one of my llama dolls and someone asked me to make them another special order apron.  This time it is for an artist.  She wanted me to make one in blue and green,"artsy" fabric.  I finished it yesterday.  I could not find fabric that I envisioned but I think she will like it anyway.  Can't believe another week has gone by and it is time to load up the car again for the market tomorrow.

This weekend, starting today, there is a Quilt Festival in Tucson.  I decided, since it is my birthday, to take the time and go.  I spent the first 30 minutes in Tucson trying to locate the place.  Silly me, I went west when I should've gone east but I did find it.  There were lots of gray-hairs there, of course, but what was surprising to me were the number of men.  Some of them were vendors but some were not.  There were some surprising things, like the new sewing machines and iron-on beads.  The lady I bought my angora goats from was there with her fabulous yarns and scarves.  She was spinning as usual and we talked for awhile.  Seems she is planning on moving out of the Tucson area soon.  She said Tucsonians do not appreciate her artistic fiber creations and only like traditional, "in the box" stuff.  I can certainly understand that after the 25 cent lady at my table. Ha!  The Tucson Wool Festival is on Oct. 22.  She said it may be the last one she puts on.  That is too bad for all of us fiber lovers in Tucson.

Our weather is changing once again.  The wind is picking up big time and the humidity is blowing away.  Dust storms are everywhere and the temperatures are dropping into the 50s at night.  Soon the mosquitoes will dry up too and it will be pleasant to spend the evenings outside gazing at the stars.  The swallows have already left but I still see bats at night.  They will leave soon too.  October should be heavenly.

What a week we had!  Thunderstorms and rain every day except Friday.  Wednesday was the worst.  My daughter thought it was the worst storm she has witnessed since living here for over 10 years.  It seemed to be very localized too.  I had to take someone to town for an appointment in the middle of the storm so I noticed that it was dry and sunny at the next exit, only 5 miles down the road and sunny again in town, only 7 miles down the other way.  I drove  through the the storm twice!  What a mess!  The rain was so bad that people were either slowing way down or pulling off the highway altogether.  Then there were these loud POP!POP! POPs, almost like gunshots.  It was hail!  My daughter ran out and saved a few chunks of it.  It was the size of quarters.  She said it lasted for 20 minutes!  

On the way home from town I had to rescue my son-in-law and the grandsons who were on their way home from school when the storm hit.  The washes were so flooded that Jeff could not get his little Honda across and up our big hill.  The washes ran for hours because the rain was so heavy and lasted so long.  They were still flooded when Steve came home at 5pm.  We have never had that happen before.  The water usually subsides after an hour at the most.  Not this time.  Needless to say, our dirt road is an absolute mess now.  It is full of holes, ruts and gully washes, not to mention rocks and sticks and other debris.  I'm wondering when the county will send out the road crew to fix it.  Maybe they won't if there is no money left.  I bet someone local will do it if that happens.

Speaking of local, I was once again reminded that going local is a good thing on Friday.  We had a beautiful chestnut horse running loose.  He got into the property next to Shawna's house that has been deserted for some years now.  He was trying to get to the neighbor's horses behind us but was stopped by various fences.  He was magnificent to watch as he paced or raced with head and tail high back and forth along the fence line.  We called the neighbor to see if one of her horses had gotten out.  She went out and bridled the horse but he was not hers and he would not let her lead him any where.  He would just drag her in circles back to the fence line near her horses.  She finally gave up and let him go.  She would not call anyone though and kept giving me excuses of all the reasons why she couldn't do anything.  But, she was concerned that the chestnut would eventually hurt himself by trying to jump the fence to get to her horses.  There was also a lot of barbed wire fencing laying on the ground where he was pacing.  So I got on the phone.  Keep in mind, this is late on a Friday afternoon, about 3:30.  I called everyone I could think of who might be able to catch a horse and put him in a safe place.  I started with a number I have for wild animals in trouble.  She gave me a number for the Arizona Livestock Department.  They gave me a number to call for the person in charge of collecting livestock.  That gave me a recording saying to leave a message cuz that person did not work on, get this, Friday, Saturday or Sunday!  Don't they know that all animal emergencies happen on the weekends?  OMG!  I then called Benson animal Shelter,  a horse rescue organization, who gave me a number for another horse rescue organization, supposedly "closer" to us.  The one  I called was only 20 minutes away but she wanted me to call one that was in Sierra Vista which is 35 minutes away!  I was going crazy!  And it was getting later and later.  Finally, I thought it made no sense to get someone so far away to get this horse when he probably belonged to someone right here in our neighborhood.  So I called our local feed store!  Ha!  She was amazing!  She had heard of someone who had lost their horse just near us and gave them a call.  Not 10 minutes later, one of the neighbors called and asked where we were so they could come get their horse.  Wasn't I amazed when my alpaca neighbor pulled up in her pick up truck!  What a relief!  I told her I should've known to call her first.  She knows everything and everyone in this neighborhood.  She walked right up to that gorgeous high spirited horse, put the bridle on him and walked him right home!  I did notice that he tried to walk her a different way a few times but she just kept talking to him and walking him back home!  I loved watching that beautiful animal go back where he belonged.  I also learned, once again, it is best to go local!  


I managed to get some more aprons made for the Farmers' Market but I didn't sell any this time.  I did sell a pair of alpaca gloves.  Maybe some of the lookie-luus will buy more next week.


S

"It's a gray, gray gloomy day, a strange and moody-blues day..."  That's an old Carole King song if any of you are fans.  It seems to fit the atmosphere here today.  We have been having severe thunderstorms with lots of lightening and tons of rain over the last few days.  Then this morning we woke up to heavy dark clouds and rain.  That is unusual to say the least.  We usually have beautiful sunny mornings and the clouds build up over the day til the storms break out in the afternoons.  It feels unusual to be having this kind of monsoon activity this late in the summer too.  It is supposed to be dry and cool now, the start of fall weather but not this year.  Nope!  This year we are still sweating and melting in mid September!

I attended the St. David Farmer's Market again on Saturday after taking the hot summer off.  I was mildly chastised for doing that.  The manager of the market reminded me that people come one week and see something they like but may not buy it til the next time they come.  He said being here is the way to build up a clientele.  I'm sure he is right,but I'm also sure that people are not interested in buying blankets and fuzzy warm things when it is 102 degrees in the shade!  I did sell 2 aprons, one with chickens on it and one with dogs.  Now I have to make two more this week to take the place of those two.  I got some fabric for Halloween and some for Thanksgiving.  I am looking forward to figuring out the designs and sewing them.  Some people showed interest in my alpaca teddy bears too.  One little girl asked if she could buy one for $5.  Sadly, I had to tell her "no" as I purchased them for much more than that.  I am trying to make a profit after all.  

I discovered this time, or should I say once again, why entrepreneurs must develop a thick skin.  I had all of the raw blanket fleeces from my alpacas lined up just under the edge of my table so that they were open and on display.  A "lady" came by and admired them and asked me if I just sold them as a whole fleece.  She then said she would just buy a small amount and grabbed a handful of Prince's beautiful brown fleece.  As I put it in a bag for her, she exclaimed, "Oh, you haven't washed it either!"  I said, "No, it is RAW fleece."  I told her I wanted $5 for the handful she had pulled out.  She about freaked!  "Oh my gosh!  I won't pay that much!"  When I asked her how much she would pay she said, "Twenty five cents!"  Then she told me all about some store she went to that sold all their fleeces for that much all the time and how they had ALL the colors etc.  Needless to say, she did not buy anything and I was not sorry to see her go.  I know we all want a bargain and I have been known to barter myself, but sometimes it is unreasonable.  People often work hard to bring their products to market and it just doesn't seem fair to cheapen that labor by offering next to nothing for a product.  I will think twice before I bargain with someone next time.

I

We spent Labor Day weekend visiting friends in Northern Arizona.  We drove the I-10 through Tucson and went up state route 77 through Globe and then, in Showlow, turned east on state route 260 to Lakeside-Pinetop.  It is beautiful desert country.  We had to drive through the Salt River Canyon which is a mini Grand Canyon.  I made Steve drive through the canyon because it is winding and steep but I did do some of the driving.  It took about 4 hours.

The guys played golf both days we were there, Saturday and Sunday.  My friend and I hit the antique shops and other interesting stores.  It was cooler up there than down here in Southern Arizona.  So we enjoyed the reprieve from the heat.  Also, the scenery it quite different in the White Mountains.  There are lots of pine trees and lakes.  Beautiful!  Thanks to Ron and Valli for their friendship and hospitality!  

The trip back home went smoothly and without incident.  We came back a different way.  From Globe we took state route 70 to Safford and then 191 back down to the I-10 which comes out east of Benson.  That way we avoided the traffic and the drive through Tucson.  Also we got to see different scenery and some big mountains.  Mt. Turnbull is over 8000 feet  and Mt Graham is over 10,000 feet.  The drive home was mostly cloudy and overcast.  I was also taking pictures from the moving car.  I didn't think they turned out so bad considering those circumstances.

Home again, home again, jigged-y jog! Ha!  All is well at home.  The turkeys are still gobbling, the chickens still laying eggs.  The alpacas are leaving too much hay on the ground so I will let them eat that up before I give them more.  Buddy managed to stay away from skunks and the goats are still butting heads and messing up their shelter.


We had another scaly visitor last evening.  A small rattlesnake slithered across the sidewalk in the front yard and decided to take a nap there.  Not a good choice on his part.  Steve nearly walked right on him!  When he did see him he yelled for me.  Don't ask me why.  I went and got the shovel and chopped its head off.  Sorry but small young snakes are more dangerous and harder to see than the great big ones.  I've been watching where I step ever since!

On Monday morning we hit the road to Klamath Falls, Oregon, our first "home" the place where we met, fell in love and married.  The first part of the journey was on State route 29 which was a winding mountain road through trees and up and down hills and valleys.  The morning sun was blinding in places making the going slow.  We came out on State Route 20 and then the I-5 at Orland , California.  

We stopped for lunch in Chico and then headed up the I-5 to 97.  We were in Klamath by 3 pm.  We stayed with Steve's Mom and had dinner at the Sizzler Steak House that night.  While in Klamath Falls we visited with Steve's sisters and their families, we went to the Kla-moy-ya Casino in Chiloquin, Oregon and spent an afternoon at the movie matinee.  We saw "The Help" which was one of those funny, sad kind of movies.  It was pretty good and stuck pretty close to the book which I had read before we went.  The ending was slightly altered from the book  but that made it better and a little more "happily ever after" which the book was not.  

On Friday, August 19, we said our farewells, packed up the car again and headed for San Francisco again.  Since it was very early I took the wheel and let Steve sleep a little longer.  I stopped at a vista point and took these great pictures of Mt. Shasta.  I tried to take some on the way up but the car was moving too fast and the mountain was obscured by clouds.  I love Mt. Shasta.  It is just breathtaking and the perfect example of an active volcano.  There is almost always snow blanketing her slopes and she just makes me think of all the good times of my youth and my first real experiences in the great Northwest. Awesome!

The traffic heading into San Francisco was a nightmare as usual.  I decided that we will go through Sacramento from now on when we go to Oregon.  Sacramento airport is so much easier to travel to and from and the traffic is as nothing compared to SF.  I don't know what would have happebned if I had not gotten directions before we left from Mapqwest.  We would probably still we driving around trying top figure out where the hotel was!  OMG!  


We finally did find the hotel which was exactly on the Pacific Ocean.  It was gray and cloudy and cool.  We walked on the beach and had dinner at the only restaurant near the hotel.  The hotel seemed to be in a mostly residential area.  I found out that my leg and ankle problems, called "Charko-Marie- Tooth" after the doctors who discovered it,  has definitely gotten worse since the last time I walked on the beach.  I had to walk slowly and hold onto Steve.  My ankles kept turning and that caused my knees to twist too.  Not a very fun sensation.


In the morning we discovered that the SF Zoo was not far from the hotel.  We decided to spend the morning there before heading back to the airport.  It didn't take us long to get through the zoo.  It is a little small but it was ok as my legs were still sore from walking the beach.  We bought a few t-shirts for the grandkids and then dragged out the map and headed for the airport.  Like I said, next time it's Sacramento!  We got home without incident at about 10 pm on Saturday night, the 20th.


All is well at home.  No one died or starved to death.  The weeds grew as if we'd been gone for a month instead of a week.  I guess there were monsoon thunderstorms and rain everyday we were gone.  It is still hotter than blue blazes.  Seems like it didn't bother me as much before I spent a week in cool 80 degree weather.  It is good to be home though.  As Dorothy said, "There's no place like home!"

Our second day in Calistoga we visited several wineries.  The tasting fee ranged from $10 to $20 per person or you could share a tasting.  Some places offered as many as 6 wines for tasting.  Since Steve likes red and I like white, sharing was a good option for us.

The nicest distillery that we visited was the Montelena Chateau.  It was a real castle with ivy clinging to her walls and a moat and pagoda outside.  This particular winery is famous for putting Napa Valley in the world's winery establishment.  In 1976, they entered a white wine, a chardonnay, in the world competion in France.  It won first place and the French immediately demanded a second judgment.  It won again and a third time.  I tasted the wine that won the award.  I throught it tasted a little grassy, but then my taste is more toward the sweeter wines.  I ended up buying a very sweet dessert wine at Montelena.  We also enjoyed the grounds with the ponds and flowers.  Ducks and swans floated around.  What a relaxing bucolic setting.

We visited several other wineries and ended the day with dinner at a local restaurant, the Flat Iron.  Steve got bbq ribs and I had fish and chips.  We just had water with dinner because we had several bottles of wine back at the hotel waiting for us.  The pool and hot tub felt especially nice after hiking around those wineries and the hard tasting choices we had all day.  Talk about stopping to smell the roses!  We really enjoyed ourselves, tasting wine, in addition to smelling roses!

The next day we packed up and headed north to Klamath Falls, Oregon.  More on that later.

Steve and I just returned from our vacation on Saturday night about 10 pm.  We went to Calistoga, California, Klamath Falls, Oregon and San Francisco, Ca.  The weather for the whole trip was absolutely gorgeous.  We enjoyed sunshine every day with temperatures in the 80s and cool breezes.

I think of our trip in 3 parts so I will report it that way.  We flew out of Tucson at about 9 am on Saturday, August 13th.  We landed in San Francisco.  It was sunny and beautiful but the traffic about blew our minds.  It took us about 2 hours to get out of the city and head for Napa Valley and our hotel in Calistoga.  

Calistoga is famous for its natural hot springs and wineries.  Our hotel had a pool and hot tub.  The pool must have been heated by the hot springs because it was as warm as a bath.  I got in the hot tub just to make the pool seem cooler.  Our room was a small suite with a bedroom, kitchen, bath and living room.  We were within walking distance of restaurants and shops.  The first night we ate at the only Chinese restaurant in town.  It was pretty good.  We walked around and took pictures of some of the inns and mountains around Calistoga.  It was very relaxing.  People were friendly and, compared to Tucson, dressed up! 


The second day in Calistoga we drove around and visited some of the wineries.  We had been to Paso Robles wineries when we lived in California so we thought we knew what to expect.  We were pretty shocked to be charged a "tasting fee" at every winery.  Most of them waved the fee if we made a purchase though.  I just love visiting wineries and trying their wines.  They are usually beautiful establishments and the country itself is breath-taking.  I'll post winery pictures next time.

The second group of baby swallows is getting ready to fly the coop.  They are so cute sticking their heads out over the edge of the nest.  My grandson happened to get a picture with the mom landing.  He's only 3! 

A big hawk landed in the mesquite tree by the pool the same day that we took the swallow pictures.  He did not stay long enough for me to capture him on film.  Beautiful bird.

It has been cloudy and overcast most of this week but we haven't gotten much rain.  It has stayed a little cooler, in the 90s instead of the 100s.  So that is something.

I have not been feeling great this week.  I have a pain in my side and lots of aches and pains, more than normal.  I think that I need to go back to the doctor and have my thyroid medicine re-evaluated.  I got a new book about natural cures and the causes of various ailments.  I seem to have a lot of the low thyroid symptoms.  So we shall see.

My tomatoes continue to grow and produce more fruit.  None of them have turned red yet though.  I continue to water them every day.  Morning glory vines have taken over my other garden area.  They are climbing up everything including my blueberry bushes.  They haven't gotten any blooms on them yet either.  Steve wants to cut them down as he says they are weeds, but I won't let him.  We have a pact.  He can cut down whatever he wants outside of my gardens but nothing inside my raised beds.  Seems to be working ok so far.  I would let him cut them down if they were anywhere near the alpacas or goats.  Morning glories are toxic.  So are oleanders.  I thought that was common knowledge but found out it is not.  At the Tucson Zoo recently they lost a big male giraffe.  It was discovered that one of the zoo employees had fed him and the female a bunch of oleander which is planted all over the zoo!  I guess the USDA inspected and now the zoo is removing all the oleander.  Thank goodness.  You'd think all those zoo officials and biologists would know what plants would harm their animals.  Just blows me away!  The female giraffe survived and is doing well now. 

It is hot and humid all right!  I don't see why the weather people keep putting us on that chart showing the record highs and dryness the mid-west is experiencing though.  It is always this hot here this time of year and we are getting rain. Oh well, what do I know?

The garage roof is going to be repaired on the 22nd.  The pool pump was fixed on Friday.  It is so quiet out there now when we swim!  We can actually hold a conversation without shouting! 

We had some company yesterday afternoon.  A lady that I met at the ST. David Farmer's Market and her husband came to pick up her aprons.  They wanted to see the alpacas.  As we walked in the pasture the lady stumbled a little as the pasture is full of rocks and sticks and all sorts of stickers and rocks.  She took her shoes off and walked barefoot!  Wow!  I was impressed!  She said that was easier than stumbling and twisting her ankles!  Said she does it all the time! Ha! Not me!  I'll keep my shoes on! Thank you very much!  We had a nice visit and she ended up buying another pygora fleece from me too.  They live in Tucson right now but have purchased a property in St. David and plan to have a real farm out there soon.  I wish them the best and hope that we will have a long association.

The other morning was so beautiful out that I went out with my trusty Kodak and took pictures of some of the wild flowers and stuff that is growing around our property.  Keep in mind as you look at these lovely flowers that quite a few of them will turn into really nasty sticker bushes.  I also wanted you to see what happens around here when we do get a little rain.  Everything goes crazy!  The weeds grow as tall as the 4 foot fence lickety-split.  There is no stopping them.  We quit buying weed killer cuz it is a waste of money.  Steve can hardly keep up with the weed-whacker or the shovel.  But, bless him, he does try.


The flies are going crazy too with all the moisture.  I sprayed Buddy and his little space on the front porch to give him some relief from the pesky things.  I also went out and caught the alpacas yesterday, with help from my wonderful husband.  He held each one while I sprayed bug spray in their ears and then sprayed their bodies with the fly repellent.  I then sprayed a rag til it was wet and rubbed their faces and top knots with that.  They really seemed to enjoy having their faces rubbed.  Poor babies!  I hate to see them shaking their heads all the time to keep the flies away.  I noticed they did it less after I sprayed and rubbed them but it is an uphill battle.


It is fairly overcast today.  I am wondering if we will get thunderstorms this afternoon.  Sometimes as the clouds build up during the day they are so beautiful.  Makes me want to just lay down and look up at the sky all day.  Can't do that though, gotta figure out what to have for dinner tonight, feed the animals, water the flowers, clean water buckets, straighten up my work area,balance the check book...well, you get the idea.

Here it is August already!  I don't know where the time goes!  I have been up since 4:45.  Steve and Sara left for work about 5:45 and I am waiting for my grandson to wake up!  Lucky little guy, sleeps as long as he wants!

We had some pretty good rains lately but the weather people are still saying we are behind in our yearly allotment so the drought is not over yet.  This morning it is clear and sunny with a cool breeze blowing out of the southeast.  This is in contrast to yesterday morning when it was 70% humidity and to move was to sweat...profusely!

We sent in a deposit to have the garage roof repaired.  I haven't heard back yet so don't know when that will be fixed.  Then, Steve announced yesterday that the pool pump had seized up.  He is taking part of Friday off so that he can be here when the guy comes out to replace that.  I'm sure another small fortune will pass through our fingers in order to keep the pool operational.  It really is worth it, though, especially when the weather is so hot and humid.  So I am thankful for the luxury of having the pool.  

The alpacas have been getting along very well lately.  The little goats must be getting fed better than at their previous place.  They seem to be getting a little chubby to me.  I did figure out that they are both wethers for sure.  Even though Frankie seems to have his testicles, it is just the sack.  The last time we trimmed their toenails, I copped a feel, and there are no hard little rocks in there, just a soft sack.  The chickens are laying eggs like crazy.  I have a refrigerator full in spite of sending about 4 dozen to work with Steve every week.  Buddy is all fluffy and white from all the rain and brushing out his winter coat.  I still ought to take him to the groomer though. 

The rains have been very good for the plants outside.  Steve spent many hours this weekend cutting down weeds with his trusty weed-whacker. The weeds grow by leaps and bounds every time we get even a drop of rain.  My tomato plants are huge and finally getting little green fruits on them and my flowers are doing great.  My red Texas sage has bloomed several times and is big and gorgeous. (Thanks for that plant Liz!  Bet you thought it would be dead by now! Ha!) We did not get a storm yesterday even though there were several around us, so I will be watering all the plants today.

Wednesday evening we got hit with a major monsoon thunderstorm.  Lightning flashed and thunder crashed for hours.  And the rain!  Oh my!  Some places got 2 inches in a couple of hours.  Every day since then we have had clouds all day and/or a thunderstorm in the evening.  This morning I woke up to booming and crashing and my little red dog trying to hide under my covers.  Everything is soaking wet and the roads and driveways are rutted or covered with sand.  The sun is peaking out now but with Hurricane Dora sitting off the Baja we are expecting more downpouring tonight.

I received some of the alpaca stuff I ordered from Florida.  I am very pleased.  The blankets are 55% alpaca and 45% wool.  The teddy bears are very cute, as are the llama toys.  I hope I can sell them for good prices in September.


We have been having spectacular sunsets with all the storms.


Our roof sprung a leak near one of the skylights due to all the rain. Steve put a temporary fix on it  and it did not leak during yesterday's downpour.  We have had two contractors out to give us estimates on fixing the roof on the house and the garage.  We are still waiting on the second estimate as he was only just out on Friday.  The first guy to come out only does roofs so he would not even consider fixing the patio cover that Steve and Jeff removed last summer.  The second guy is a general contractor though, so he would do that and lots of other improvements I have in mind.  If only I would win the lottery! Ha!

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."  I Thes: 4: 11 & 12

I have been restless and trying to escape my life lately by looking at houses and buying things to sell and daydreaming about new places and "what ifs."  Then the other morning, reading my Bible, I read this passage and it was as if the Lord spoke to me.  I realized that I have a good life and it doesn't matter if I don't "make it big" with my business, or if I don't buy more animals or if I never have a vacation home on the beach somewhere.  I am surrounded here by my family and friends.  My husband loves me and my kids and grandkids do too.  I have plenty of food to eat, clothes to wear and a roof over my head.  These are not small blessings but large blessings.  All of my needs are met just as Jesus said they would be.  Hallelujah!  What peace this brings!  What freedom!

We have been having gorgeous weather the last few days, sunny and hot, cool breezes and pleasant nights.  I took some pictures of our sunrise and moonrise.  

Buddy is finally shedding his heavy winter undercoat.  I have been able to pull big hunks of hair off and also brush a lot of the dirty brown stuff out.  This usually happens in June but is a little late this year.  I will probably still take him to a groomer because I will not be able to get the mats and mess out of his tail.  He will get his teeth cleaned and toenails done too.  He'll feel much better.

Stewie and Kardigan got into a big fight the day before yesterday.  They were spinning around in circles trying to bite each others hind legs and undersides.  It looked like Stewie might have injured one of his teeth as his mouth was bleeding a little.  He is not showing any signs of trauma today and is still eating and spitting at his fellow alpacas.  It is always amazing to me how violent these docile creatures are when they fight.  I think they are trying to re-establish their pecking order.  Kardigan seems to be trying to be the boss and Stewie is no longer a baby and wants to assert himself too.  Prince acts like the big older brother and just kind of oversees their quarrels.  Cimarron rarely fights with any of them.  He's pretty laid back and minds his own business.

My big desert willow tree out front has had a daily visitor lately.  Every morning when I am on my Mobia machine doing my workout, I see a bright yellow and black oriole flitting around the orchid-like blooms on the tree.  I tried to get his picture this morning, but being extremely cautious, he would not let me get near enough to capture him even on film.  He is a joy to behold never the less.

It is muggy and hot this morning.  It is overcast too which makes it worse.  

I got the new alpaca halters.  Yesterday I got tired of waiting for Steve to help me fit them on the boys so I took matters into my own hands, literally! Ha!  I quietly went to the pasture and trapped all the boys in one side of their shelter.  I then managed to catch every one of them, try on his halter and spray bug spray in his ears.  I caught Prince first.  He is the oldest and seems to have had the best halter training (kudos to my friend Liz).  His halter fit pretty good and he stood perfectly still once I caught him and allowed me to do all that was necessary.  Good boy, Prince!  

The others were not so cooperative.  I caught Kardigan, the black one next, only because he seems the most desperate to get away and the least cooperative once he is caught.  Then, Cimmaron, who is white faced and rose gray.  And finally little Stewie.  He seems like he is the most afraid but also the youngest and not yet set in his ways.  I think, if I worked with Stewie, he might make a good ambassador alpaca for our farm.   

I did not sell anything at the Farmer's Market last weekend.  I think it is just too hot for people to even consider buying fleece.  So I have decided to order some finished products and go back in September.  Today I ordered some blankets, gloves and toys from a company in Florida.  Most of their stuff is imported and they have really good prices.  I have also contacted a company in California who says they make things to order from alpaca.  I am waiting for an email back from them so that I can log on to their site and order some of their products.  I am excited about this.  I hope that my business will grow and eventually make a profit.  If I cannot afford to buy more alpacas, at least I can promote their products and benefits.  And it is something I can do for myself.   
It is great actually touching the alpacas and talking to them.  I feed them everyday, twice, but I don't always spend time with them.  I should do it more often.

Monsoon, Haboob and Gila monster!  Oh my!

Hope you all had a great 4th.  All fireworks were canceled in our area due to the extreme fire danger and the fact that several wildfires were still burning.  That did not stop us from having a fantastic light show.  Mother Nature stepped in and gave us the best lightning, thunder and rain we have had in months.  And she hasn't stopped yet.  Yesterday we had another even more fantastic storm that had all the dogs hiding under the beds and all the rest of us covering our ears and moving away from the windows.  We had rain that caused a white out and flash floods.  We even had hail and hurricane force winds.

In Phoenix there was a "haboob".  That is a huge dust storm that was 30 miles wide and thousands of feet in the air.  If you ever saw the movie, "The Mummy", it looked like the dust storm in that movie.  I thought we were going to have one of those here tonight.  I could see lots of dust and sand over Tucson this evening.  We also had thunderstorms again but nothing like yesterday and the 4th.  I suspect we may get more rain during the night.  Clouds were building south of us again as it got dark.

Saturday night Buddy started his snake alarm bark again.  I went out and he was dancing around the stump of the old pomegranate tree.  I could see a head close to the ground that jumped at him a few times.  I yelled at Steve, "I think we have another snake!"  I then went toward Buddy and told him to "Leave It!"  which is a command to help keep him safe.  Of course, he doesn't want to obey immediately.  Looking down I realized that there was no snake this time.  It was a 6 inch Gila Monster.  Steve got the shovel instead of the gun and we put the monster in a bucket.  It was hissing and jumping at us the whole time and I already knew they are also poisonous so we didn't take any chances.  I wanted the grandkids to see it though.  So we kept it overnight and showed all the kids the next day.  We discovered from our reptile book that we had a rare banded gila monster instead of a usual randomly spotted one.  We also discovered that they are all protected and endangered.  Steve called the Desert Museum to see if they wanted the monster.  They said they do not take animals.  So after everyone got a chance to look at him we released him in the wash at the bottom of our hill.  I hope he lives long and prospers.


The crickets are everywhere.  There is no place to go where you cannot hear their chirping and it goes on all night.  I killed several in our bedroom last night but managed to miss one.  I did manage to sleep in spite of the racket.  We searched and found more of the pests tonight but I haven't heard the one in our room yet.  Maybe he moved out!  Praise the Lord for small miracles! Ha!

Our little bird did not last the second night.  I was sorry it died but wasn't really expecting it to live as long as it did.  It was just too young and still needed its mother.  We enjoyed its presence while we could.

One little black cloud.  Two little black clouds.  Three little black clouds rushing together to make one big thunder cloud right over our little hill.  The Monsoon it finally here!  Hurrah!  Hurrah!  Yippee! The whole sky to the south and east of us eventually turned dark and nasty with lots of rumbling and sparks of lightening.  We watched and "ooohed and awwwed." It is great to have the moisture again!


While we were watching the storm, a creepy critter close to the ground caught our eyes.  The first tarantula of the season.  She didn't like us coming close to take her picture.  She arched her back and raised her front feelers high in the air as if to say "Back Off!"  We did and she hurried under a nearby rock.


As the storm got closer and the sun faded we headed inside.  Just as the door was about to close behind me, Buddy started barking loudly and insistently.  I turned in the doorway and could hear the loudest rattling I have ever heard!  Yikes!  "We have a rattlesnake!"  I yelled to Steve and Sara.  Buddy was at the gate pacing and barking.  I didn't dare let him out.  I looked toward the pool but couldn't see anything.  I could hear him though, loud and clear.  Then I saw our cat, Mikie, jump away from the big agave by the pool.  And that rattling kept on going.  I grabbed a long handled rake from the garage.  Steve came out with the rifle and Sara with the big flashlight.  We crouched down searching the agave, the tree trunks and the cactus where the unique sound of danger continued.  Finally, Sara and I could see the distinct diamond pattern that gives the diamond back rattler its name. The body we could see was as thick as my forearm. But no head!  Where the devil is the head?  Then low to the ground, tongue flicking we saw it in the center of the beam from the flashlight.  Steve got the gun ready but said he couldn't see the head.  Sara, lower to the ground said, "I'll do it!  I can see it!"  Steve handed over the gun.  Sara tried to balance herself but got the giggles for a minute so she shifted and took aim.  "POP!"  A single shot. A perfect hit.  The rattling stopped and the snake slid into the hole it was poking its ugly head out of two seconds before.  What a relief!  We couldn't see any more because it was completely dark now and the thunder storm was getting ominously closer.  We vowed we would find the snake in the morning.


This morning we searched for the snake.  We found the hole and figured he was dead down there under the agave somewhere.  That is probably a good thing as the smell will be hidden under all that dirt.  Funny how big the snake has gotten with the retelling of the story though.  Steve told Shawna today that, "We only saw the thing because it was so big it was trying to eat my truck!"
 

The fires seem to be almost under control.  It is a relief but we still must be vigilant until the rains come.   The weather has been extremely hot, over 100 degrees every day this week.  I noticed the wind had changed this morning when I was out feeding the animals.  It has been coming from the north or southwest for this whole dry time.  This morning it was coming gently from the southeast.  That is usually a sign that moisture and the monsoon rains are coming.  July isn't far away.  I hope the weather people are wrong and the rain comes at the usual time on the 4th of July instead of waiting two weeks into the month as they are predicting.  Many cities have canceled their fireworks because of the extreme fire danger.  That is just fine with me.

I sold another fleece at the Farmer's Market yesterday.  This time it was a fleece from one of my little angora goats.  It was the first sheering from one of them.  I got $20 for it, so a profit this time since it only cost $10 to have him sheered.  I also sold some rolags that I had made from some white alpaca fleece.  That was one ounce of fleece for $5.  Many people are stopping to talk about alpacas or the fleece.  My business cards are being asked for and given out.  All of this is a good thing for my business.  I also found a company that I can order alpaca products from wholesale.  They are having a special sale if I order by July 19.  Then I will have hats and gloves, scarves, socks and toys available for sale in the fall.  I am telling people that too.  This week I hope to have time to make a couple more aprons and maybe some Fourth of July pillows for sale next week.


The girls went to another Steampunk event.  They looked great as you can see by the pictures.  The grands and I played in Steve's pickup while the girls got ready to go.


Steve and Logan found the tiniest baby bird I have ever seen in the yard yesterday.  I was at the Farmer's Market and they texted me a message that one of the turkey eggs had hatched!  Ha!  I knew as soon as I saw that tiny thing that it was not a turkey!  I put a quarter next to it so you can get an idea how big it isn't!  I think it is a quail baby.  We have lots of Gambrell quail running wild around our property.

It is still extremely hot but the winds have died down significantly.  I did not see any large plumes of smoke anywhere when I looked over the landscape this morning.  However, people were still being evacuated today.  The firefighters started a back fire in the Huachuca Mountains to try to keep the Monument fire away from population centers and the Army base.  It is still a dangerous situation.  

I got our important papers together today and placed them in a metal box.  My alpaca halters arrived and I bought two leads for them.  I looked online and found a place in Tucson that sells livestock trailers.  Steve and I will go on Saturday after the Farmers' Market and see if we can get a good trailer.  We may not ever have to use it but I will feel better having it available just in case.

We celebrated our granddaughter Eden's 4th birthday on Sunday, along with Steve's birthday and Father's Day.  I made Korean barbecued steak and chicken on sticks.  Shawna made a beautiful cowgirl boot cake for her daughter. And both birthday kids got lots of gifts.  It was a fun day.

On the front porch, we have a new swallows' nest.  Looks like they hatched the first batch of new babies this year.  I can see 3 baby birds in the nest but was not able to get all 3 in a picture.

It has been at least 100 degrees everyday and we have been in the pool every day.  It was much nicer today without the blasted wind.  Steve and grandson Logan have seen one rattlesnake so far.  No one else has seen one on our property this year so far...knock on wood.  The one they saw went off down the hill so I hope it stays away.  

The ground is so dry it fairly crackles when I walk across the yard.  Whenever we do get rain, it will probably not soak in because of the months of dry.  We will probably get catastrophic flash floods at first.  We are on a big hill so mostly it will run off our property.  We may have trouble getting across the arroyo at the bottom of our hill.  At this point, I wouldn't really care.  I would welcome any rain that comes our way.

Fire! Fire! Fire!  It is to the east and to the south of us.  The fire in the south, called the "Monument" fire started 4 days ago and has already burned 5700 acres.  It is very close to Sierra Vista and has burned 40 homes in Hereford, AZ.  Steve was contacted last night to see if he had any empty rooms at the base that could be used for evacuees.  The Cochise County sheriff believes the fire was started by illegals crossing the border in the night.  It is an extremely fast moving blaze and very scary.  Fire crews were taken from the huge Wallow fire to the north and east of us to battle this new blaze because it threatens so many homes.  It has been especially hard on animals, pets and livestock.  The news showed several horses who had been burned but are safe and recovering now.  One horse rescue organization lost a whole pasture and had to rescue all of their horses again. 

Personally, I am extremely worried.  I do not remember a fire season this bad in the 7 years we have lived here.  They are too close, too fast and it is way too dry.  I ordered new halters for all the alpacas.  I am looking for a horse trailer in case I have to move all the animals.  I am praying that we will be spared from this disaster.  

The other fire that we can see every day is to the east.  We can see it's billowing smoke just above the Cochise Stronghold and the Texas Canyon.  It is farther way but it is also huge, over 170 thousand acres.  It is called the Horseshoe 2 and it is near Portal, AZ.

Our temperature reached a high for this year, 105 degrees.  The wind continues to blast away every afternoon.  The weather people say the fires will burn and there may be many more before the monsoon rains come.  Usually we have dry thunderstorms for a week or so before the rainstorms come.  This will start more fires.  Monsoon usually starts about the 4th of July but this year it is predicted to be two weeks late. Scary! Scary! Scary!

It has been awhile since I wrote and I apologize.  Seems like I am apologizing a lot lately but never mind.  It seems like it has been terribly windy every day forever!  This morning it was very calm so I was able to hang clothes out to dry.  Of course, by the time I brought them in, the wind was blasting again!  While the rest of the country suffers from record rainfall and tornadoes, here in Arizona we are either baking in 100 degree heat or frying in the largest wildfires the state has ever known.  It is dustier than dirt and with 3% humidity, well, it is damn dry!  

I have started attending the local farmer's market with my alpaca fleece and mohair for sale.  It is only 3 hours on Saturday mornings, 9-12.  I have met some nice people and actually sold 3 fleeces and an apron.  One lady brought me two of her own aprons.  She wants me to add pockets and the waterproof lining to them that I have on my aprons.  The apron that sold is the one with the chickens hanging on the fence.  I plan on making at least one more apron this week and finishing the ones for the lady.  I found a book in one of my farm magazines that teaches how to make rugs by hand from your own fleece.  I think I will use some of the money I made at the market to purchase that.  I really hate having all that fleece in my barn just sitting there.

My grandson, Jake, had surgery done to correct his short heel cords.  Both of his legs are in casts for 8 weeks.  He decided his casts would be black.  Kids get to pick things like that these days.  His mom bought silver and gold markers so we could all autograph the casts.  He seems to be doing fine but hasn't learned to use the crutches yet.  He really isn't supposed to be using his legs at all yet so there is plenty of time.  He'll be out of the casts before there is time to worry anyway.

Sunday morning I had two dead chickens.  I sort of expected one to die.  She was my little wild escape artist.  She got out of the front pasture and was trying to get back in.  I found her all crouched down with her head just under the fence.  I guess Buddy probably scared her to death, although, to his credit, there were no signs that he had touched her at all.  The other hen that died was very surprising.  I have no clue what happened to her.  I found her on her side in her nest box.  Her head was bent at a weird angle as if she was in attack mode.  The garbage person does not come until Wednesday so to avoid the stench of death and attracting lots of insects, I put both hens in a plastic garbage bag and placed them in the freezer.

I still have had no phone calls about the alpacas or the turkeys.  Someone did ask me how much I wanted for the alpacas at the Farmer's market.  It was kind of a shock, but I realized that I am not that anxious to sell them.  They are all getting along fine and are no problem.  Sometimes it doesn't seem like much of a farm when there aren't any new babies being born.  I certainly have no shortage of eggs however.  The frig is full of them.  I guess I should take some over to the feed store or the local food bank.  

Memorial Day, a day to remember my Dad and Steve's Dad and all the brave men who fought for or served our great nation.  Thanks to all of them.

I spent a week in Northern California.  It rained and snowed about half the time I was there.  I enjoyed the rain but not the cold.  Since returning to Arizona, it has been nothing but windy and dry.  The sun is shining but it is so dusty and windy, it seems like a brown out instead of sunshine.  There have been several fires, mostly along the highway.  The Border Patrol was out with picks and shovels trying to put one out just down the road.  

It has been difficult to get back into the swing of things here at home after having a week off to relax with no chores to do.  I guess I am getting there though.  Today I am doing laundry again and, of course, have been caring for the animals since I returned.  Everything went well while I was away, no skunks or rattlesnakes.  Thank goodness!

I brought home a cute dachshund from my friend's rescue.  He is a 6 year old, black and tan, miniature.  I brought him for my daughter.  She named him "Chewy" and they are getting along very well.  I had to pay $75 to bring him on the plane as a carry-on.  I don't know why, just because I had a dog I guess.  Everyone else got to bring on carry-ons for free.  Some of them were a lot bigger than mine! 

I have posted the alpacas and the turkeys on Craig's List again for sale.  So far I haven't had any calls.  I guess the economy is too awful for people to even think about getting animals.  It costs over $50 every time I fill up the gas tank now.  Groceries are inching up and up too.  I can hardly get out of Walmart without spending a small fortune anymore.  Guess I'll have to start using coupons again and become a "Coupon Queen"  like those gals on the TV show.  It's hard to believe one could actually get $400 worth of groceries for only $4.  But, they seem to manage on that show.  It's just like ancient Rome all over again.  Bread and circuses!