Wednesday, March 27, 2013

JUST WEDNESDAY

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LITTLE GIZMO SAYS, OH PHEEBE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, COME GIVE ME A SMOOCH 

Standing in our front yard Cactus Garden last night watching the full Moon rising over the Weaver Mountains I couldn’t help but think, ‘it’s going to be a long time before I see another big dusty desert Full Moon again’.   Felt sad about that.

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Not one of my better days.  Allowed myself to slide into a Blog funk first thing this morning & it hung around all day.  I enjoy doing a daily blog but every once in awhile it’s like trying to push a loaded 642 ton manure spreader up hill.

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It seems the Nopal Cactus pads I have been planting lately are very edible & commonly used in a lot of Mexican food dishes.  Had been doing a little research on them when an email came in from reader Phil saying Food City, owned by Bashas had the Nopal Cactus leaves on sale in their flyer at 3 pounds for .99 cents.  I also saw on the internet where foot long Nopal Cactus pads ready to plant were selling for $8.49 apiece.  If all the pads I planted happen to grow we just might be in the Nopal Cactus pad business in about another 40 years. 

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A commenter had a very real concern about our new rain barrel.  Easy for small critters such as cats to fall in & drown.  At the moment I have a lid on the water filled barrel held down by a heavy rock.  Matthew our neighbor is going to make a screen top to prevent critter accidents.

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WATER FILLED RAIN BARREL WITH LID & HEAVY ROCK

Have decided not to put that ‘reply’ gadget on my posts.  Thought about it for a couple days.  There are pros & cons of course but in the end it’s just not for me.   I could see myself getting all caught up in the whole comments & replies thing & that is just not where I want to be.  For sure I would cause myself stress over the whole thing.  I happen to be very good at causing myself stress you know.  The ‘reply’ feature is nice for folks who like that back & forth interaction & for sure it has to be a great way to boost blog ratings but I have decided it’s just not my cup of tea.  Might have been a few years ago…..but that was a few years ago.   

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RELAXING IN THE BACK YARD TODAY

Schools still out on the ‘Ad’ thing but want to make it clear I know better than to junk my site with a bunch of tacky ads.  In fact I’ve written posts about that.  If we decide to do an ad it will probably sit very quietly & discreetly somewhere on my sidebar. 

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With a week & a half left before heading back to Canada I’ve noticed a rather subtle difference in feelings.  In the Fall with only a week & half left before departing for the southwest I’m anxious, impatient, & excited about getting on the road & heading south.  Not so much so with our upcoming journey back to Canada.  Things are low key & we both feel kinda sad about having to leave our house.  This year’s departure & arrival time home will be our latest in the past 6 Snow Birding years.  Two years ago today we rolled into Bayfield on this date & other years it was earlier than that.  I’m afraid our packing the rig & getting ready to head home has been a bit half hearted this week.

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THIS MORNINGS CLOUDY FULL MOON SETTING IN THE WEST

GROANER’S CORNER:((   I liked this one Ivan sent in an email today….

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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.

16 comments:

  1. Gizmo is a cute little guy!

    I hate it when I get myself into a state of dulldrums! Sorta hard to snap out of it sometimes too! I do hope you enjoy your last few days in the desert. I will sure miss your photos from there when you leave. Well, sorry...I'm sure that didnt help your dulldrums! But I am excited too because I am a new follower and look forward to pictures from Bayfield!

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  2. It's alright to take a day off from blogging. Some days it's just not there. Some days there's just nothing going on.

    Enjoy your time in AZ but once you get going north, you'll start really looking forward to returning.

    Pam
    ohtheplacestheygo.wordpress.com

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  3. If you can somehow figure it out for next year...April is the most beautiful month in Congress, Az...so many people go home at the end of March and they just miss the best month...next year Kelli and I will have to exchange reading lists..

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  4. I lov3 your photos of the cardinal. He's gorgeous!

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  5. Maybe it will help you to know that Congress gets beastly hot in summers and well into fall. It will cool down with the summer monsoons but get right back into heat after the humidity of the rains pass. Staying through April might be pleasant but then you have to start traveling in heat after that. Better to leave thinking how lovely Congress is then leave believing the hot hinges of Hades have fallen off the gates.

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  6. I'm really sorry if anyone thinks I answer my comments to up the ratings. I don't even know what that means. People were talking about that the other day and the number thing, I was lost. I blog because I like sharing our life with our friends, family and other potential full timers. I like to reply because I want people who take the time to comment to know that I appreciate their compliments, encouragement and support. I am hoping to meet some of this people some day in person. And some people ask questions and I don't want to be rude and not answer them. I have asked questions on about 3 other blogs (not yours) and I never get an answer. I guess this is just my personality and others have theirs. That is what makes this world of blogging so great, everyone is different. Great Cardinal picture by the way. :)

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  7. Al, now that is a beautiful cardinal!! What a brilliant Red. Is that at your house in the desert or in Canada where you live?

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  8. I thought about you as I snapped a few shots of the rising Moon. Our plans to spend time in Tucson and drive up to meet you guys got canx. It will be high on the list for next Winter, hope you are not charging for photo ops by then.
    We are just over a month away from leaving Florida and our Summer home got almost 2 feet of snow yesterday and the temp is 12 degrees right now.
    Enjoy your cactus farm and may it pay you in food or money someday.

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  9. We will be heading for Arizona in about two weeks. After a week long Alfa Rally we will be in Surprise for one night to visit my brother who has a park modle there. Too bad we will miss you. Maybe next year we will be able to stop by.
    It would be great to give Pheebs a belly rub.

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  10. as the snowbird season winds down for those of us who have just been sitting idle..it sure seesm like it went by very quickly this year!!

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  11. I enjoy replying to people who take the time to comment, if they have a question they will get an answer or I just appreciate the interaction with these people. Some I have met or hope to meet on down the road.
    Tried the add thing and made $135.00 after a whole year. Check was mailed to us and when we cashed it adsense put a stop payment on it, invalid clicks on the ads, not us thats for sure, hmm...

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  12. Well, if it's a '642', at least it's not the liquid kind. That's good, right? (I had to look that up, I don't know THAT much about manure spreaders. Sheesh!)
    I'm having trouble thinking up anything I even want to blog about on a daily basis, since life goes on here and it's certainly not all that interesting. And that, as they say, is that.
    Your mileage may vary.

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  13. Oh Al, your comment on the blog just me made cry. That was so sweet what you said. YOU didn't upset me, really. What upset me was I didn't know what everyone was talking about. Made me feel dumb. You see I didn't even set my blog up my oldest daughter did it for me. I have learned to do a lot of changes on my own now, which I am so proud of :)
    Please, please don't stop writing! I just found you not long ago, and I don't want to loose your blog as one my favorite things I do everyday~~is read it!!! I could understand totally if you wanted to cut back I don't know how you do it everyday. Your photography skills just amaze me and since this is a new hobby for me I get ideas from you. And if I didn't get to see Pheebs well that would be crushing, she is such a cutie pie.
    Again, thank you so much for your sincere and much appreciated comment. You and Kelly are wonderful people and I am proud to be able to call you guys my "blogging friends."

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  14. Al, I blog because I love to write and I also love to take photos. Those two things are my relaxation. Plus, just getting out into nature helps me unwind. I was in a real funk after my palomino mare, Cali, died of colic in December and I hardly blogged for about a month. I mean, what could I say? I do get in ruts, but they usually don't last too long. I'll miss your Arizona adventures, but I'm sure you'll have plenty along the road home and once you do get home!
    Take care~
    Cheryl Ann

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  15. I no longer blog but sure have fun reading other blogs. I guess there just wasn't that much interesting going on that I felt anyone would be interested in.
    I sure wish I had your eye for photography though, so talented.

    Keep up the great blog and looking forward to reading of your travels back to Bayfield.

    Are you going to get a Bayfield sticker for the new Motorhome like you had on the old one?

    Cheers!

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  16. I just started the "reply" thing,and so far it is OK...I'm sure most peeps don't go back and look, but I do have fun imagining that they do...
    That full moon..I actually grabbed my phone and took a photo of it coming up through our bedroom window...I did all this from our bed, propped up on my pillow..pretty lazy..

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