Our Monsoon has been in full swing lately.  We had major lightening and heavy rain in the middle of the night last night.  I woke up about midnight to shut down the computer and let Buddy into the Arizona Room.  Now that he is getting older, I don't like to make him stay out in the bad storms or extremely hot weather during the day.  I'm afraid he is getting spoiled and has learned a new trick.  He bullies his way into the house when the grandkids are running in and out.  I usually coax him outside again with a treat.  Boy, does he love that! LOL!  He must've done it about 10 times on Friday when the grands were here.  

Buddy has developed a few lumps and what looks like a big wart on one of his toes.  I am planning on taking him to the vet about those.  But he was extremely dirty and matted in places.  So yesterday we took him to Sierra Vista PetSmart and had him cleaned up by a professional groomer.  Wow!  What a difference!  Please note his tail in the pictures.  His tail was very matted and heavy.  The groomer said he actually wagged his tail as if to say how pleased he was when she cut off all that old dead hair!  He looks gorgeous now and I'm sure the vet won't yell at me about his dirty coat at least.

I got a new car when we got back from our Oregon trip.  My old car, a Mitsubishi Montero Sport, had 250,000 miles on it and had begun to overheat whenever I drove it anywhere.  I had that car for 10 years.  My new car is not a whole lot different.  I got the same color, silver.  I also got a V-6 engine and a third row seat, which I did not have in the Mitsubishi. It is a Kia Sorento.  I cannot believe all the computer stuff that is on the new cars.  My cell phone automatically connects to the BlueTooth system in the car.  There are buttons on the steering wheel so that I can call or answer a call without taking my hands off the steering wheel or trying to hold a phone to my ear!  It is amazing!  It also has a camera for backing up so you can watch what you are doing right on the dashboard instead of turning around backwards and straining your neck and back. Of course, force of habit keeps one turning and looking back anyway, and for safety.  The gas mileage is about the same as the old car, about 25 mpg.  But it is so smooth going up my hilly dirt road, not like the hold your dentures ride the old car had.

This morning dawned bright and sunny after the big storm last night.  I was puttering around the yard, watering the plants on the porch, checking for new tomatoes and zuccinni.  I walked around to the east side of the house and WHOA!  There was this huge blob hanging on one of the mesquite trees.  As I got closer , it turned out to be just what I expected, a huge swarming mass of BEES!  Yikes!  I told Steve he better not plan on doing any noisy outdoor work today and we told our daughter to be extremely quiet and cautious if she came up to the house by the path between the houses.  I can look out the computer room window and the hive is hanging right there!  We are hoping they will fly away, but if they don't I will have to call an exterminator.  Bees are nothing to mess with here in Arizona!  

My iris that has been growing all summer finally bloomed.  Boy was I surprised when the flowers were this sunshine yellow instead of purple!  Amazing!