Thursday, November 29, 2012

WE SAY GOOD-BYE, PLANT SOME PLANTS, & A LONG TIME BLOG READER AT THE GATE:))

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HAD TO FILL IN FOREGROUND HOLE LATER BECAUSE I CLUNKED INTO A WATER PIPE

How nice this warm weather has been for us since arriving in Arizona.  Neighbor’s & locals have told us it is not usually this warm at this time of year.  Hoping it continues through December.

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SAYING SOME GOOD-BYES THIS MORNING

Sad to see our good friend’s Jean & Skip, Big Jake, Sophie & Louie roll out this morning but I’m sure our paths will cross again.  They are all welcome here any time.  They really, really, like this area…..just as we do.

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GOING, GOING, GONE………

Pheebs knew her Pals were gone because immediately after they left she walked over to their site & laid on the ground with her head down. 

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I’ve been wanting to try out a few ‘non-native’ plants so we took a drive over to the Congress Depot this morning.  Owner Judy came out right away with a big smile on her face pointing to a nice smelling Rosemary plant in a 5 gallon pot.  Jean & Skip had just dropped in after leaving our place & bought us a plant.  I had told Jean I was going to drop in there this morning & have a look at some plants.  Now, how’s that for thoughtfulness.  Thanks guys:)))))

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AT THE CONGRESS DEPOT PICKING UP SOME PLANTS…THIS IS WHERE OUR YUMMY PIZZA’S COME FROM

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PICKING OUT A FEW ‘NON-NATIVE’ PLANTS

We are constantly surprised at the friendliness of the people here in Congress.  Couple ladies stopped in on their morning walk.  One was the local Librarian.  Yes, Congress has a Library. The 2 water utility guys who first helped us out with the Yellow Jackets have twice stopped in to see how we’re doing.  People wave going by.  I sometimes think we have landed in Mayberry RFD.  For anyone driving through Congress & not seeing anything moving, they would be very surprised to learn that we have a medical clinic here, fire department, writer’s club, cancer support group, an Art club, 3 weekly AA group meetings, Tai Chi classes, TOPS, (take off pounds sensibly) computer classes, etc. etc.  Even got some line dance classes going over at North Ranch.  Yaaay PAT.  And, if Pat can’t get your crazy legs a movin right for ya, she can sure teach ya how to shoot straight……10-4:)) 

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I’M THINKING THIS OLD TIMER & HIS HORSE ARE HEADED FOR THE CONGRESS POST OFFICE TO PICK UP MAIL

Kelly picked me up a good Cactus book at a garage sale today & I can see I have probably mis-named some Cactus already.  Those Beaver Tail’s I have been talking about may just be a different variety of Prickly Pear.  Just looking at this book called, ‘70 Common Cacti Of The Southwest’ I can already see where I am in for about 70 ID mistakes.  Would you believe there are Tuberous Prickly Pear, Brown Spined Prickly Pear as well as Purple, Santa Rita, Engelman’s, Texas, Pancake, Bearded, & Spiny-Fruited Prickly Pear.  Oh dear, this learning curve is getting waaaay too steep for me!!

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DEFINITELY A PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS, BUT WHAT KIND OF A PRICKLY PEAR I HAVE NO IDEA 

A pleasant surprise this afternoon as I was working on getting our 3 plants in the ground.  Start a hole, add water, wait for the ground to soften & dig some more.  It’s the way holes are dug here in the hard desert floor.  Had our Rosemary & Valentine plants in the ground & was just about getting ready to take the Salvia out of the pot when a car rolled in & up to our closed gate.  Oh Oh I thought.

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AT THE CONGRESS DEPOT, WITH MY CAMERA SLUNG ROUND MY NECK, I ACCIDENTALLY TOOK THIS PHOTO WHILE CARRYING A POTTED PLANT BACK TO THE JEEP…THE POT BUMPED AGAINST MY TRIGGER BUTTON & I SHOT MY SHADOW…I NEVER TRAVEL WITH THE SAFETY ON:))

Set my shovel aside & headed for the gate as a fellow stepped out.  He said something but I only heard the word ‘fence’ & thought ‘Oh Geeeeezzzz, somebody’s mad about the fence we just put up.  I kind of have a habit of always thinking the worst is about to land on me.  Writing a sometimes opinionated daily blog, I know there are some folks out there who would probably like nothing better than to throw a couple rocks my way.  But, not today & not this guy.  Fellow RV’er Leo has been following our blog since the fall of 2008 & said he & his wife never miss a day reading it.  He said a lot of other nice things too but for me to mention them here would only be seen as blowing my own horn.  Don’t want to re-ruffle too many feathers again here in Blogland you know.  Invited them in but Leo said they only stopped for a minute to say Hello, as they were checking out some boondocking sites in the area.  They had their 2 little dogs, Frankie & Pudge with them too.  I later got myself into a bit of Dickens with Kelly for not calling her out of the house to meet these folks.  But, I did tell them to come again:)) 

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STILL MISSING HER PALS BUT FEELING A LITTLE BETTER

As many readers know, I am quite a ‘self doubter’ & get down on myself & my blog from time to time.  It’s called depression & there is no other flowery word for it.  However, todays visit from 2 long time readers had nothing to do with depression & everything to do with perking me up.  As I have said before, growing up under the heavy hand of criticism, it is often difficult for me to understand, recognize & accept genuine compliments when they do come along.  But Leo kind of drove it home for me today….and for that I say, Thankyou folks:))  (hope I got Leo’s name right, couldn’t remember Mrs’ Leo’s name but did remember Frankie & Pudge)

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MOON GOING DOWN OVER THE DATE CREEK MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING     

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Signs you may be a computer age Redneck……….

*If your computer has a sticker on it that says "Protected by Smith and Wesson"
*If you've ever doubled the value of your truck by installing a cellular phone
*If your wife said either the computer goes or she goes and you still don't miss her.
*If your computer is worth more than all your cars combined
*If you refer to your computer as "Old Bessie"
*If your e-mails all start with "Howdy y'all"
*If you've ever used a CD-ROM as a coaster to set your beer on.
*If your e-mail address ends in ".over.yonder.com"
*If the bumper sticker on your truck says "my other computer is a laptop".

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .
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stargeezerguy@gmail.com

8 comments:

  1. I just call all them paddle-shaped thorn bearing cacti prickly pear.

    Going to have to come down and try some of that pizza.

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  2. Your going to have that place too fancy to leave next Spring.
    I hope you will keep count of all the people and dogs that come a visiting this Winter.

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  3. sad to see those BC friends hit the road but you know they will return, one day!
    poor Pheebes! made me sad to see her laying down, missing her new friends!

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  4. Oh Pheebs, don't be sad. I bet new playmates are right around the corner.

    I can sure relate to your comments on depression, Al. Thanks for keeping it real. Not everyone understands that particular thorn in the side.

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  5. It is nice to have people drop in for a short visit, meet followers and fellow bloggers.
    Looks like you landscaping is all coming nicely together, while you are having too much fun.

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  6. Jake has been pretty sad since leaving your yard. Us too!
    Hope your plants all take.

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  7. I suggest you and kelly start a Bayfield Bunch South guest book...for all the peeps that come to visit...It might surprise you how many you get, and you can get their ph# and address in there too! (and email)..

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  8. The prickly-pear looks like it could be either Opuntia phaeacantha, or Opuntia engelmanii?

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