Mother Nature at last had mercy on us and the blasting winds stopped on Sunday morning. What a relief! The temperature also dropped a bit, into the 80s.
I decided to move our three little goats from the northwest pasture to the old turkey pen in the southeast corner of the front yard. Of course, one cannot just move animals without some changes and forethought. The turkey shelter, while plenty big enough for the little goats, was too close to the fence. We moved it so that the goats would not be able to jump on the roof and high-tail it over the fence and down the hill. Steve also added an overhang at the back for additional cover from the sun and rain. We also moved the feeder. It is a big strong wooden box so we placed it on the wagon and rolled it onto place. Then we had to remove the old chicken wire that kept the turkeys in so that the goats can get the hay out of the feeder. After cleaning up the area and moving water buckets, we were ready to move the goats.
Frankie and Georgie have collars so all we had to do was get a hold on the collar and snap a lead on them. Billy does not have a collar. He was given to us by a neighbor and is somewhat skid-dish. He loves to get cookies out of my hand but he stays just out of reach, not allowing petting or catching. So, we figured we would have to lasso him and drag him, kicking and bleating, over to the new place. Steve was walking Frankie and Georgie down to the gate to close it. Those two walk pretty easily on the leads. Since goats are herd animals, I thought maybe Billy would follow them instead of having to be dragged. I went in the barn and got a can full of grain. I opened the gate and started rattling the can and calling Billy. Steve walked ahead of me while I called and coaxed Billy, rattling the grain can all the time. I stopped and let Frankie and Georgie have a taste of the corn which caused Billy to take note. He wanted his share of that treat too. He started following! All the way to the new pen! Wow! Sometimes quiet and gentle beats foolery and force. Lots less sweat too! Ha!
In honor of Memorial Day, thanks to all the veterans and people who serve in the military. We would not be America today if not for their brave and selfless sacrifice. And, as a former military spouse, I thank all the spouses too. Their support and sacrifice makes lives easier for those who serve. Thank you all!
And, Happy 30th Birthday to our son, Sam. Our love and prayers are always with you!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Here we are nearly at the end of May! Wow! The year is hitting it's half-way point.
Yesterday afternoon we watched the eclipse through specialty cardboard glasses. The shades were so dark it was like having a blindfold on except when you looked toward the sun. It was fascinating watching the slow but steady progress of the black moon crossing over the blinding orange sun. I heard that is not going to happen again here in my life time! Glad I got to witness it.
As I said in my previous post, the cactus have been going crazy blooming since we had the rain. My desert willow tree is also loaded with blooms. I took lots of pictures to share.
Our weather has been about the best we get lately. The only time I notice the wind is when it's NOT blowing cuz it just blows all the time. We are not getting the monsoon thunderstorms in the afternoons yet. There is just not enough humidity in the air. It was about 10% yesterday. Once the humidity goes up to about 50% and the wind changes to the right direction, the monsoon will come. Usually not until about the 4th of July.
This morning I watched as 2 Gambel Quail crossed the back yard followed by about 10 little ones. They are so cute and too fast to get a picture. I did get a picture of the Gilded Flicker that has a nest in the top of our Saguaro Cactus. I also saw a bright yellow Warbler sucking nectar from the Desert Willow flowers. Our yard is overflowing with birds. The swallows have completed their nest over the front door. They will be hatching babies in a matter of weeks.
Steve and the grand kids caught 2 scorpions and a centipede. They put them in jars for me to see. Creeped me out! Ugh! It was fascinating to watch the big scorpion kill and eat the smaller one though. Gruesome but fascinating! The remaining scorpion is the biggest one we've seen around here and it is so fat we are wondering if it is full of eggs. We have Bark's Scorpions. They aren't very big as far as scorpions go, but they have the worst sting. This one is probably a little over an inch long, not counting the nice tail with the wicked stinging barb at the end! Yikes!
The rattlesnakes are out too. We've seen some on the roads but have not had any close encounters so far. I pray that they avoid our little piece of desert this year. My daughter saw a skunk cross the road. The tarantulas don't usually show themselves til monsoon. So much to look forward too!
Enjoy the flowers!
Yesterday afternoon we watched the eclipse through specialty cardboard glasses. The shades were so dark it was like having a blindfold on except when you looked toward the sun. It was fascinating watching the slow but steady progress of the black moon crossing over the blinding orange sun. I heard that is not going to happen again here in my life time! Glad I got to witness it.
As I said in my previous post, the cactus have been going crazy blooming since we had the rain. My desert willow tree is also loaded with blooms. I took lots of pictures to share.
Our weather has been about the best we get lately. The only time I notice the wind is when it's NOT blowing cuz it just blows all the time. We are not getting the monsoon thunderstorms in the afternoons yet. There is just not enough humidity in the air. It was about 10% yesterday. Once the humidity goes up to about 50% and the wind changes to the right direction, the monsoon will come. Usually not until about the 4th of July.
This morning I watched as 2 Gambel Quail crossed the back yard followed by about 10 little ones. They are so cute and too fast to get a picture. I did get a picture of the Gilded Flicker that has a nest in the top of our Saguaro Cactus. I also saw a bright yellow Warbler sucking nectar from the Desert Willow flowers. Our yard is overflowing with birds. The swallows have completed their nest over the front door. They will be hatching babies in a matter of weeks.
Steve and the grand kids caught 2 scorpions and a centipede. They put them in jars for me to see. Creeped me out! Ugh! It was fascinating to watch the big scorpion kill and eat the smaller one though. Gruesome but fascinating! The remaining scorpion is the biggest one we've seen around here and it is so fat we are wondering if it is full of eggs. We have Bark's Scorpions. They aren't very big as far as scorpions go, but they have the worst sting. This one is probably a little over an inch long, not counting the nice tail with the wicked stinging barb at the end! Yikes!
The rattlesnakes are out too. We've seen some on the roads but have not had any close encounters so far. I pray that they avoid our little piece of desert this year. My daughter saw a skunk cross the road. The tarantulas don't usually show themselves til monsoon. So much to look forward too!
Enjoy the flowers!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day!
On May 9th, we had our first big thunderstorm of the season with rain and hail. Now all the cactus are blooming madly and are quite beautiful. It is getting hot too. We hit 100 degrees today. Of course that temperature is the signal to start swimming again which we did today. The water is still quite invigorating to say the least.
On May 10th, we had the alpacas sheared for the year. We had a new shearer this year, a young lady named Lacey and her helper from a neighboring farm, Melissa. The ladies were fast and efficient, completing the 3 boys in just about one hour. All the boys had fighting teeth removed again and Prince finally had his huge front teeth cut down to size. He seems much more comfortable now.
After the shearing all the alpacas seemed rather dazed. They would not even come near me when I fed them the next morning! Ha! Didn't trust me after that is my thought. They are slowly coming around again. Now that it is hot again they cannot stay away when they see me drag the hose over. They love to get sprayed with a nice cool shower of cold water.
The girls, my daughters that is, a friend and I took a "girl's day out" and went to La Encantada Mall in northwest Tucson. We ate lunch at an upscale restaurant. Some of us had mahi mahi tacos and some of us ate salmon and fried spinach. It was quite a treat. After lunch we walked around the mall and checked out all the interesting shops and stores that we don't usually get to visit in our neighborhood shopping centers or Walmart. We visited Victoria's Secret, Cold Water Creek, Anthropology, Crate and Barrel and Williams-Sonoma to name a few. The mall itself is different in that it is 2 stories and has a big outdoor courtyard with fountains and huge trees. It is also high above Tucson and the views of the city from there are spectacular. What a great Mother's Day treat for all of us!
Also this week I got through my yearly check up with flying colors. I have to continue on a couple of medications but do not have to add any. I hope to get a call from a dietician sometime in the coming week. In spite of using my treadclimber faithfully, I am not losing weight so the doctor recommended the dietician. He or she will probably tell me I am eating too much, but we shall see. Sometimes getting older really sucks!
I got my workroom cleaned up and reorganized after purging stuff for the yard sale. I have plenty of room now to get some sewing and writing done. Hopefully this week I will feel motivated and get myself in gear. Then again, the pool whispers to me...
On May 9th, we had our first big thunderstorm of the season with rain and hail. Now all the cactus are blooming madly and are quite beautiful. It is getting hot too. We hit 100 degrees today. Of course that temperature is the signal to start swimming again which we did today. The water is still quite invigorating to say the least.
On May 10th, we had the alpacas sheared for the year. We had a new shearer this year, a young lady named Lacey and her helper from a neighboring farm, Melissa. The ladies were fast and efficient, completing the 3 boys in just about one hour. All the boys had fighting teeth removed again and Prince finally had his huge front teeth cut down to size. He seems much more comfortable now.
After the shearing all the alpacas seemed rather dazed. They would not even come near me when I fed them the next morning! Ha! Didn't trust me after that is my thought. They are slowly coming around again. Now that it is hot again they cannot stay away when they see me drag the hose over. They love to get sprayed with a nice cool shower of cold water.
The girls, my daughters that is, a friend and I took a "girl's day out" and went to La Encantada Mall in northwest Tucson. We ate lunch at an upscale restaurant. Some of us had mahi mahi tacos and some of us ate salmon and fried spinach. It was quite a treat. After lunch we walked around the mall and checked out all the interesting shops and stores that we don't usually get to visit in our neighborhood shopping centers or Walmart. We visited Victoria's Secret, Cold Water Creek, Anthropology, Crate and Barrel and Williams-Sonoma to name a few. The mall itself is different in that it is 2 stories and has a big outdoor courtyard with fountains and huge trees. It is also high above Tucson and the views of the city from there are spectacular. What a great Mother's Day treat for all of us!
Also this week I got through my yearly check up with flying colors. I have to continue on a couple of medications but do not have to add any. I hope to get a call from a dietician sometime in the coming week. In spite of using my treadclimber faithfully, I am not losing weight so the doctor recommended the dietician. He or she will probably tell me I am eating too much, but we shall see. Sometimes getting older really sucks!
I got my workroom cleaned up and reorganized after purging stuff for the yard sale. I have plenty of room now to get some sewing and writing done. Hopefully this week I will feel motivated and get myself in gear. Then again, the pool whispers to me...
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