Thursday, March 15, 2012

CACTUS PLANTING, VISITORS & ANOTHER HOT DAY….

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KELLY GETS A CACTUS THORN OUT OF PHEEBS PAW

If I am to get any outside work done it is now important to start earlier in the mornings.  It’s March & temperatures are on the rise each day.  By noon it’s just a little too hot for me to be scratching around in the dirt.  But, a good time to switch to cooler projects in the house.  Must say though, we are looking forward to some cooler weather predicted over the next few days.  Bring it on:))

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BOSE/iPOD MUSIC CENTER ATOP THE FIREPLACE…PALM FROND IS FROM THE SALTON SEA

Took ourselves for a walk around the block this morning to familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood.  Folks have really put some time & effort into their cozy homes.  No crowding, no junkyards & no fancy schmancy high end stuff.  Yep, I think we are going to fit in here just fine:)) 

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GREEN GRASS IN THESE HERE PARTS IS VERY UNUSUAL

The quiet street behind us opens right up into miles & miles of endless desert & mountains stretching to the horizon.  This will be our morning walk place:))

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THIS WILL BE OUR MORNING WALK AREA…MOTOR DID PRETTY GOOD BUT WE DID HAVE TO CARRY HER HOME

Spent my morning planting cactus & doing some watering.  Our next door neighbor who is also new to the area as of last November has totally cleaned up his whole lot & has big pile of cactus he had dug out.  I busied myself with that discarded pile replanting Prickly Pear & Whipple Cholla.  I will continue planting cactus every morning now that I have a free source.

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GOT MY WORK CUT OUT FOR ME TO TURN THIS INTO A NICE CACTUS GARDEN

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I’VE LEARNED TO WEAR GLOVES AT ALL TIMES NOW & CARRY A TWEEZERS IN MY POCKET   

We definitely have a few domestic things to get used to in our new neighborhood.  Lots of barking dogs at night but I’m OK with animal sounds, it’s human sounds that bug me.  Happy about the fact there are no street lights here but we do have a neighbor with a 95,000 watt light bulb on his house piercing the darkness of our front yard.  I am definitely going to have to plant some fast growing greenery on that side of the property to block out that big blast of light.  Thankfully our back yard is in total darkness.  Surprised by the number of Coyotes we can hear close by at night & another neighbor told us the Javelina’s are around at night as well.  In fact we were surprised when standing on the north side of the house this morning to see a Coyote nonchalantly walk by on the other side of the Motorhome.

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NEIGHBOR ‘BUD’ HAS A REALLY NEAT TRUCK CAMPER

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A SIMPLE CRANK HANDLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE PUTS THE TOP UP OR DOWN IN SECONDS

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SPACIOUS YET COMPACT

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This afternoon was spent cleaning house windows & pulling the stickers out of my fingers from the mornings Cactus planting.  We have decided to start our interior efforts with the heart of the house….the kitchen.  Painting is something I can do so hope to maybe start that within the next couple days.  We just have to decide on colors.  For sure everything we do will be done in a southwest theme using southwest colors throughout.  We have to go to Wickenburg anyway Friday morning to the title company so we’ll make a stop at a paint & hardware store along the way.

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WILL PROBABLY KEEP THE CUPBOARD COLOR THE SAME BUT CHANGE THE WALL COLOR

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LAUNDRY ROOM IS RIGHT OFF THE KITCHEN SO WILL PROBABLY PAINT THIS ROUGH PANELING SAME COLOR AS KITCHEN

We have a fellow coming in the morning to give us a quote on how much to stucco the whole house exterior.  In one fell swoop that would hide all the ‘Cowboy construction.’  Also goes a long way in insulating the house, not to mention making the house aesthetically more pleasing to the eye.

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WILL LEAVE THIS COLOR IN THE DINING ROOM FOR NOW

Happy to say our Verizon signal is much better since putting the modem on top of the Motorhome.  We definitely have to do something more permanent about our cell phone & Verizon service but will think about & deal with that over the summer before we return next October.

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WE WILL PULL  UP THE CARPET UP IN THIS ROOM & CHANGE THE COLOR

Had a couple surprise visitor’s this afternoon.  Patty & Peter live in Rainbow Acres near Quartzsite, Arizona & had been over to Scottsdale for medical appointments.  They are staying the night at North Ranch before heading on home.  Last saw them in Quartzsite 3 or 4 years ago.  Nice of them to stop by & say Hello.

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RELAXING ON THE FRONT PORCH WITH PETER & PATTY FROM QUARTZSITE 

Check out Ivan’s climb of Superstition Mountain over near Apache Junction.  He has some great photos from the very top.  Kelly & I did the same trail a couple of years ago but of course did not make it anywhere near the top.  Our hiking legs are just not what they used to be years ago.

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LITTLE CORA IS STILL NOT EATING

Truly wished I could tell you our little Motormouse is perking up & on the mend…but she is not.  Try as we may we cannot get her to eat anything.  We managed to get a couple anti-biotic pills in her plus an anti-nausea appetite inducing pill, but no luck with any kind of food.  She is drinking a lot of water & sleeping a lot & she did manage to come out for a small walk with us this morning.

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SNUGGLES & SMOOCHES WITH LITTLE CORA THIS MORNING

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Women have a Passion for Mathematics
They divide their age in half
Double the price of their clothes &
Always add at least 5 years to the age of their Best Friend.

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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.

- Home is where your pet is:))

- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

24 comments:

  1. Hope you're keeping a close eye on the dogs with those coyotes around, especially little Cora. She wouldn't be any match for a hungry coyote. Even Pheebs could be in danger. Hope the little one feels better soon.

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  2. I was sure hoping you would be saying
    Cora was back to her old self. Good thing she is drinking lots.

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  3. Aww porr baby. I am sending prayers and positive thoughts out to little Motormouse.

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  4. Hoping your little Cora is able
    to weather this sickness through
    and revive!
    Wondering if you will eventually
    have a tight fence around your
    property for doggie safety?
    Also, any critters....ants,
    scorpians, mice in your vacant
    home?
    Your upgrading plans for house and
    property sound great. Hard work,
    but very rewarding!

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  5. the snuggles and smooches photo is so precious..hope Motormouse is feeling better in the morning..
    the two of you are making great progress on the new digs!!..

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  6. I'm sorry to hear little Motor isn't perking back up... :( I hope the next report is better.

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  7. So sorry to hear about the little dog...not long ago we went through the same!! Hope she recovers soon!!
    Elizabeth in NC

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  8. The fixer upper is being fixed up and gonna look great.
    Hope Cora starts feeling better soon.;

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  9. You guys are gonna have that place spiffy before you head home. Hugs for little Motormouse.

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  10. Al hope the Mouse comes around soon, that' worrisome when they are older like she is. Boy you guys have your hands full with the new digs, maybe some of it will get done quick and then you can wait until fall. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna..

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  11. Sorry to hear about Motormouse. Pets hold such a special place in our lives and we wish they could talk when they are feeling badly. You'll still be finding stickers in your hide when you get back to Canada :-)

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  12. My wishes join those of everyone else for a speedy recovery for Cora.

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  13. Couldn't you just get a landline for phone and Internet just for 6 months out of a year?

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  14. Looks like a great walking path out there. The electricity bill must off the charts for your neighbor, motion lights work just as well. Poor little motor, hope she gets her groove back. Love the hearth with your stuff on it! Home Sweet home. Virginia

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  15. Looks like you are making that place your own...Poor Cora...and she cannot tell you if she is in pain, that's what is soooo hard with animals...Hopefully, she just has a bug and will be back to Motormouse attitude soon.

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  16. I can finally see again after that last photo. Me, too, in hoping Motormouse starts recovering soon.

    I can't help but put my dos pesos in regarding planting a bunch of cactus. Remember, they grow fast and the weeds do, too. Weeds are hard to pull when they're surrounded by prickly cactus. :)

    Can't wait to see all the new colors. That wood in the living room is so pretty! Got a chuckle with the hats on the mantle.

    Looking forward to the cool weather coming our way.
    Grace ( in Tucson)

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  17. Please give little MotorMouse an extra hug from us. I sure hope she is feeling better soon. Maybe she is just homesick for Canada ???

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  18. I was wondering about the paws and cactus thorns. When Lady gets a thorn in her paw she won't let me get near it, so I let her limp along until she can work it out. I hate it, but she would need to be sedated I think.

    When I had Mandy (my ex's dog) she quit eating but drank a lot of water. I think it's a sign of things breaking down, and the best you can do is let nature take its course. My opinion, anyway.

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  19. Poor little Cora...we had a dog that went thru that, I used to take a turkey baster and fill it w/ chicken broth so she at least had something in her. Vet finally figured out she was allergic to fleas. Since little Motor is drinking maybe you could put something w/ some vitamins and minerals in it.
    Gosh it is so hard when our furbabies get older

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  20. poor motor praying she perks up soon....

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  21. Poor little Cora, hope she gets better soon :)

    Nice place to fix up, presents lots of great ideas for sure!

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  22. Poor little Cora hope she is back to her old self soon.

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  23. Thinking about Motor tonight and praying she is doing better. I'm worried about her but I know she loves the smooches and snuggles.

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