Deep Canyon is DEEP!

My computer was so slow this morning, I just shut it down and avoided the aggravation of having to deal with it.  So, I didn't do a post.

Right now, I'm on hubby's laptop (since he isn't home...)  When he is home, he is CONSTANTLY on it.  Maybe I'll get a post done before he comes home from work!  :-)

I cropped this photo from the Toro Peak webcam this afternoon because it so clearly shows Deep Canyon in the middle.  YES, it is deep!  Highway 74 runs along it on the western side...VERY close to the edge.  Obviously, this isn't my photo, since I haven't been to the top of Toro Peak, but I think it does show you how big, wide, and deep this canyon it.

NO rain here yesterday...

Well, we didn't get any rain yesterday, but some parts of the desert did and I'm sure our mountains did.  Apparently the storm diverted to the south and east of us.  It was a sticky, humid day instead!  (i.e. BAD HAIR DAY!)  And, I didn't have to leave school and go to jury duty, so that was a bonus, too!  I don't have to appear today either, so I'll get a full day with the kiddos.

Speaking of kiddos, these hummingbirds were busy up at the ranch Sunday morning!  There must have been about 20 of them!  I now have 4 or 5 in my yard.  They come to feed early in the morning and late in the afternoon.  It seems I have a couple of males and 1 female that have hung around pretty much all summer.

Quad...doing what he does best...EATING!   :-)

I spent the afternoon going through my archived photos...

I spent yesterday afternoon inside the house as it was 106 here yesterday.  I did make it up to the horses and got two of them out for some R&R, but it was too hot and windy after 11:30 to do the other two, so I'll do them first next weekend.  

Our son stopped by and noticed how hot my Sony laptop was running, so he blew out the dust and VOILA!  Now it doesn't shut off and overheat!  I also got a stern lecture about placing it near the window, but I'm NOT changing its location!

Anyway, I decided to go through some of my archived photos and put a few on Facebook (which I did).  I was intrigued by these window photos and reflections from our visit to the Laws Railroad museum, which is a few miles outside of Bishop, CA.  We were there in 2011, right after school was over for the summer.  If you haven't been to the Laws Railroad museum, which I think is one of the finest museums, you should go!  Not only do they have trains, but they preserved the depot, workers' houses, and parts of the little town.  It is an interesting tour and I hope hubby and I can return there again.  Both his father and grandfather worked on trains back in Pennsylvania.

Here are a few of the window photos I took.  I may post more photos tomorrow, since, once again, I don't have many new ones to share with you.

Not much new here...

Hubby is working all weekend.  Our plans to return to the Owens Valley are scrapped.  He is just too busy from now until Thanksgiving.  Oh, well...

Nothing new here...same old, same old....off to work...too tired to do ANYTHING on the weekends.  i NEED to get up to the horses this weekend.  Maybe I'll have the energy tomorrow.  I definitely do NOT today!   :-(  And, besides, tomorrow there is a 40% chance of rain up there, so I'll be able to get pics of the clouds.   :-)

I was going through my archives and came up with these from August, 2011.  These were all taken on the road up to Big Bear from the Coachella Valley in 2014.  This is the area where we had a huge fire this summer...especially around Jinks Lake. We haven't been back up there yet to see what was burned.

 Ferns near Jinks Lake, San Gorgonio.  This is where the huge fire was a while ago, so the ferns are probably gone.

 Oak leaves...

Woodpecker tree

Do you use Facebook?

Do you use Facebook?  I do, but under a different name.  It's because so many of my friends know Quad...my goofy horse!  I once used my own name, but hardly anybody knew who I was.  But, Quad is FAMOUS!  (or infamous?)...and all my horse friends know about Quad.

Anyway, now my colleagues and I use it daily and I keep in contact with my family through Facebook.  My daughter and I chat every morning.  Hubby doesn't use it AT ALL, but he will spend HOURS on the Los Angeles Times website, reading every article they publish!  I guess that's a good thing...

Our son doesn't use Facebook either.  I just email him if I have a computer question or want to get hold of him or message him on my phone...

Anyway, if you want to wander over to Facebook, I'm Quad Dean...send me a request and I'll friend you, but please let me know who you are!  I post a lot of horse stuff there, so you may be bored...

Cheryl Ann

We had RAIN yesterday! (...doing the happy dance...)

We actually had RAIN here yesterday!  It was cloudy in the morning and by lunch time, it was sprinkling at school.  Oh, joy!  Teachers NEVER like rainy days! :-(  It means we have to give up our prep time and take the kids back to class.  Fortunately, however, the sprinkles stopped and the kids got their much-needed lunch recess!  But, by 2:00 p.m., it WAS raining.  They ALL immediately had to go to the bathroom (NO SUCH LUCK!) and I kept them inside.  Why is it that when it rains, they ALL have to suddenly go to the bathroom?  OYE VEI!  It even rained at our house.  The street was wet, the yard was wet...I stopped on my way home and took this photo of the clouds...

Aren't the clouds gorgeous?

Silly Quad

Out of all the horses I've rescued (8 of them)...QUAD is the goofiest!  And, that's overlooking the fact that he came from the Secretariat line, as well as Affirmed and Man O'War.  He's JUST GOOFY.  PERIOD.  He doesn't have the competitive drive that a racing thoroughbred must have.

Now, my feedlot thoroughbred mare, Gigondas, SHE DOES!  Man, can she run!  I don't know her ancestry.  She doesn't have a lip tattoo, but she has the heart of a competitive thoroughbred.  It took her a good 4 years to relax and trust me and I can now lead her around with a very loose lead rope.  Last weekend, she stood at her corral gate, patiently waiting for me to lead her to a larger paddock for some "free time".  She gets to graze there and she's right across from the 30 year old gelding who is her corral neighbor, so he doesn't freak out.

Anyway, I captured Quad's true personality last weekend in these photos...ENJOY!

See what I mean?  TOO GOOFY!

Silly Quad!

Quad is my off-the-track thoroughbred.  Let's be honest...he was a FAILURE at the track.  Out of 7 races, he never won once.  For a thoroughbred, that's a sure sign of heading to slaughter.  FORTUNATELY, he and 2 other geldings ended up at a horse rescue, where I saw him about...2008.  Hubby and I were visiting the rescue and the owner brought him over to me and said Quad and I would be a good match.  He's VERY laid back...not competitive enough to be a racing thoroughbred.  I already had 5 horses at that time and I couldn't take on another, so I declined.  He went off to foster care and I guess that didn't work out because 9 months later, Joe went and collected him and brought him back to the rescue...hmmm...not sure what happened there.

After one of my horses died in a freak corral accident, however, I was down to 4 horses.  Another blogger who I've known for several years knew Quad needed a home and I was down a horse, so she arranged for Quad to be sent down to me.  I remember the night the huge trailer arrived at the horse ranch and he stepped out of it.  That was 2009 and I've had him ever since.

Quad is a real goofball.  He is gentle and loving and will make the perfect horse for the grandson to ride.  He doesn't like adults on him anymore and I suspect he has a back problem, but a 6 year old would be fine.  He is a great-grandson of both the great Secretariat AND Affirmed and he also has Man O'War in his blood.  I traced his gray lines waaaaaayyyyy back on his pedigree and he is actually a descendant of the three original Arabian stallions who make up throughbreds today.  Most thoroughbreds have one of them in their lineage.  Quad has all 3.  He just didn't like racing.  He is more of a pocket pony!  :-)

Now that I'm down to 4 horses, I won't be getting any more.  I'm going to retire in a couple of years and I will have to maintain these 4.  That will take some time and $$$.

Here is Quad rolling:

And, here he is running off after his nice roll in the dirt:

Double digit temps FINALLY!

Well, it is ONLY going to be 98 degrees here today!  That's a big drop from the 113 and 114 we had last week.  And, our nights are cooling off.  In fact, I ran around the house and opened up all the windows this morning!  We have a slight breeze and the air is cool, so why not take advantage of nature's air conditioning?

I'd like to take a drive over to the Whitewater Preserve sometime this weekend...maybe Monday.  They just cleaned out one of their ponds and I'd like to get some photos.  Honestly, I haven't been taking any photos lately. I've been too busy getting ready for school and then getting through the first 3 weeks.  I had a stomach virus last weekend and I was sick for 3 days.  Ugh.  NO FUN!  Everybody around here has a sore throat now, but I'm drinking water with freshly squeezed lemon juice and I think it is helping.

Here are some photos from our visit to the Preserve in November, 2015.

Have a safe weekend!
Cheryl Ann