A TIRE FIXED, A NEW CACTUS, AND OUR FIRST WARM AIR DAY IN A LOOOOONG TIME

GILA WOODPECKER ON ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD SAGUAROS

How nice each morning to step out our front door & actually see 5 Planets in the pre-dawn sky.  From East to West it’s Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars, & Jupiter.  Venus is the bright one low to the horizon in the Southeast with Mercury below & to the left.  Saturn is left of the large constellation Scorpios while Mars in is to the right of Scorpios in the constellation Libra with Jupiter the other bright Planet further off to the West.

I headed off to Wickenburg first thing this morning.  Notice I said I & not we.  Had to leave the little Pheebers at home because I was headed for the Wickenburg Tire garage.  Been noticing a slow leak in the Jeeps passenger side rear tire so wanted to get that looked at.  I recall a slow leak in one of the rear tires last summer but can’t remember which side it was.  Could be the same one.  I was pleased with the quick service at Wickenburg Tire & I was in & out of there in about 20 minutes.  It’s a ‘first come-first serve’ type garage.  In that 20 minutes they found the valve stem had a slow leak so replaced the valve.  I also had the tires rotated while there too & all tire pressures checked.  Fifteen dollars for the valve stem replacement & fifteen dollars for the tire rotation.  Thought that reasonable.  We will definitely be doing further business there & plan to take the Big EEE in for a tire check before we begin our long haul back to Canada next month.  Wickenburg Tire is for us conveniently located on Tegner Street very close to the round-about at highway 93 & Tegner.

  

We know it’s our kind of weather when we can begin leaving our windows & doors open all day long again & the last couple days that is just what we have been doing.  About time too after this long cold winter here in the Southwest.  Today was the first day our air was actually warm even with a slight breeze blowing.  Sure hoping our cold weather is behind us now.  Of course night’s are still cold but that’s the way it is in the desert.  Starting today our long range forecast is calling for sunny 80 degree temps each & every day. 

THIS IS THE WEST END OF A GILA WOODPECKER TRAVELING EAST THROUGH A PRICKLY OCOTILLO PLANT

Spent the majority of my day sitting quietly outside reading while soaking up & thoroughly enjoying our beautiful weather.  Finished my book by American fighter pilot Arthur Donahue called ‘Spitfire’ & am now well into The Last Enemy which is another autobiography by an RAF Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain. 

ANOTHER NEW ARM GROWING ON ONE OF OUR SAGUAROS 

IT’S NOT OFTEN WE GET A FLICKER AT OUR FEEDER & NOT SURE IF THIS A NORTHERN OR A GILDED

 

‘SARGE’ BROUGHT US OVER A NEW CACTUS THIS AFTERNOON SO I WASN’T LONG IN GETTING IT INTO THE GROUND

GROANER’S CORNER:((   An elderly husband and wife noticed that they were beginning to forget many little things around the house. They were afraid that this could be dangerous, as one of them may accidentally forget to turn off the stove and thus cause a fire. So, they decided to go see their doctor to get some help. Their physician told them that many people their age find it useful to write themselves little notes as reminders. The elderly couple thought this sounded wonderful, and left the doctor's office very pleased with the advice.  When they got home, the wife said, "Honey, will you please go to the kitchen and get me a dish of ice cream? And why don't you write that down so you won't forget?"  "Nonsense," said the husband, "I can remember a dish of ice cream!"  "Well," said the wife, "I'd also like some strawberries on it. You better write that down, because I know you'll forget."  "Don't be silly," replied the husband. "A dish of ice cream and some strawberries. I can remember that!"  "OK, dear, but I'd like you to put some whipped cream on top. Now you'd really better write it down now. You'll forget," said the wife.  "Come now, my memory's not all that bad," said the husband. "No problem, a dish of ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream."  With that, the husband shut the kitchen door behind him. The wife could hear him getting out pots and pans, and making some noise inconsistent with his preparing a dish of ice cream, strawberries, and whipped cream. He emerged from the kitchen about 15 minutes later.  Walking over to his wife, he presented her with a plate of bacon and eggs. The wife took one look at the plate, glanced up at her husband and said, "Hey, where's the toast?"