Tuesday, December 17, 2013

KELLY PUTS UP THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, I STAIN THE TRAILER SIDES & WE BOTH WATCH ANOTHER MOONRISE

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THIS MORNING’S MOON SETS BEHIND A ROCKY RIDGE

A setting Moon is quite often just as awe inspiring as a rising Moon.  And so it was this morning as I watched the full Moon sliding down over a high rocky ridge about a quarter mile behind our house.  Another nice way to start yet another mighty fine Arizona day.

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A ROUND BLUE CAMERA LENS REFLECTION

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A MORNING MOON

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Noticed our Mexican neighbor Raphael putting up her Christmas decorations Monday so that lit the Christmas spark for Kelly this morning as she busied herself hanging colored lights in our Mesquite trees.  Sure is different from years ago when we would put up decorations outside with winter hats, mitts, coats & snow boots on.  Now it’s short sleeved shirts.  I helped with putting up the decorations by finding a couple extension cords.

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Had a couple little ‘fix-it’ things around our main fuse box & then it was off with the lid to the Cedar stain & away I went staining the wooden sides or our utility trailer.  A nice easy low stress job for AL.  I like that:))

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Kelly rustled herself up a Skype call this afternoon with her daughter Rebecca, baby Ella, & husband Ricardo.  They had just returned from a 3 week holiday in Spain.

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KELLY WAS ABLE TO STEP OUTSIDE WITH HER SMALL ACER NETBOOK & SHOW THEM OUR ARIZONA DIGS

For a second night in a row we were once again able to watch yet another beautiful Moonrise from our front yard.  Think we got up to around 70F today & that made being outside tonight comfortable.

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Some of our Cactus plants from last winter that I thought were dead & gone from severe Sheep trauma are slowly making a remarkable comeback.  Once trodden upon & nibbled on I am seeing signs of green emerging from what I thought were dead & blackened plants.  Cactus are a hardy breed with their harsh desert living conditions & I am seeing their tough resilience now in our Cactus garden.   

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KELLY, OUR IN-HOUSE ARTIST PERSON HAS BEEN BUSY AGAIN…WELL DONE I’D SAY:))

Sure glad I brought two of our older wooden bird feeders to Congress with us time.  I had stopped using them back home in Bayfield because they were too easy for the Squirrels to jump on & tip the birdfeeders over knocking them to the ground.  We do not have any pesky Squirrels here so those feeders are working out perfectly.  Our Arizona birds sure love them.  So much in fact I think we are going to go broke just buying birdseed again this winter……………… 

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SPOTTED THESE 2 RING NECKED DOVES SITTING ON A POWER LINE THIS AFTERNOON WITH A ‘SUN DOG’ IN THE SKY BEHIND THEM

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A parent's night before Christmas…………………

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,
In hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required."
The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
While Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
A kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's town house to boot!
And, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!

We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat....
Let no parts be missing or parts incomplete!
Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
If we can't get it right, it goes in the basement!

When what to my worrying eyes should appear,
But 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,
With each part numbered and every slot named,
So if we failed, only we could be blamed.

More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
All over the carpet they were scattered about.
"Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand."
"Honey," said hubby, "you just glued my hand."

And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
That all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
To keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
With "assembly required" till morning's first light.

We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
Till our eyes, they went bleary; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
Before we attached the last rod and last pin.

Then laying the tools away in the chest,
We fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.
But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
"This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.

Tomorrow we'll cheer, let the holiday ring,
And not have to run to the store for a thing!
We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
For the perfect, most perfect, Christmas, I bet!"


Then off to dreamland and sweet repose I gratefully went,
Though I suppose there's something to say for those self-deluded.….I'd forgotten that batteries are never included!

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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. I really love Kelly's artwork. It's amazing what you can do with Skype if you can get it to work. Skype and Google Earth are two programs that I have never been able to deal with - I just get too frustrated.

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  2. Love Kelly's artwork, and your paintings pretty fine too.
    I hear you on the bird seed, we are
    going through it like crazy, and it's a little pricey here in Borrego.

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  3. Kelly's paintings are great and so appropriate in the desert setting.
    Keep it up and you'll soon have a market for them.

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  4. Your moon pictures are awesome and I'm really impressed about Kelly's rock art. Absolutely beautiful and very inspiring.

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  5. Love the moon pictures and Kelly's artwork, ready for Christmas I see.

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  6. Amazing moon photos & beautiful artwork, Kelly! One of the highlights of my life was watching the moon set over the Pacific Ocean with my Mom & 2 of my sisters. 70 degrees? Excellent!!

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  7. Beautiful moon photos...rising and setting!
    Love Kelly's art work on the rock borders!

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  8. Sandstone makes such a wonderful backdrop for painting! Good job Kelly! Al, you and the moon... such good images! We have so many trees here, hard to see moon rise or sunrise! I appreciate you showing me yours!

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  9. Remember all the birds at that little house in the country outside Elfrida??

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  10. I really like the moonrise picture at the top of today's post, Al. Great job!
    Bob

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  11. This post definitely shows you are both fantastic artists, each in a different medium. Love the photos and the rock art.

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  12. Love Kelly's rock art. She could sell those at a craft show if she wanted.

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  13. Hi! You really got me in the Christmas spirit.. ) ! Lovely photos and artwork...really enjoy your posts...Thank you for sharing...:)

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  14. I attempted to take a pic this morning too..but none as good as yours.!

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  15. What a great post! Thanks for the moon rising photos. Sure was a gorgeous big sight.

    An artist in residence...how cool! Beautiful rock paintings:)

    Skype sure has made staying in touch so much easier when missing little ones.

    Decorating for the holidays in short sleeves just doesn't seem right to me. Still struggling with that one after four winters in warm weather.

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