And a Happy New Year!

Tomorrow is New Year's Day and our son's birthday was the 28th, so off I went to Temecula.   It was gorgeous weather:   warm, dry, and clear!   I went to my favorite sandwich shop/bakery and ordered 3 different slices of cake:   chocolate, red velvet, and tres leches for his birthday.  And, I ordered a ham & cheese sandwich for me to go!   I was STARVING by the time I got there about 1:30.   I'm finding that with retirement, our meals aren't set at a specific time...we eat whenever we are hungry.   And, sometimes that is late in the afternoon.

Had a nice visit with the son and his family.   The baby is now 16 months old and ready to talk.   Both of her parents are very verbal, so I imagine she will be too!   The 4 year old LOVES to draw and color with Grandma, so we did that.   She misses me.   I need to get over the hill to see them more often.

Then I watched Jurassic World:  Lost Kingdom with the 9 year old...slept in until 6:30 the next morning and went to see the beavers.   NONE.   Not a sound.   Nada...Their creek is FULL of water and I saw some old beaver dams, but nothing new.   I'm not even sure they are around...

I headed home and returned about 11 a.m. and fed the birds.  A Cooper's hawk was on the telephone pole across the street cackling to his mother or sibling.   I believe there are 3 of them now in the neighborhood.   They do catch a dove every now and then.

I've picked up some books and am reading mysteries.  I'm not crafting right now.  I'm kind of in a slump.  I need to rethink this crafting thing.   It just isn't working out as well as I hoped it would and it IS an expensive hobby...I spent about 6 months changing my hobbies focus, from canvas to wood, and then finally making journals.   While I LOVE working with paper and creating, I need to really revamp my style.   We'll see...sigh...AND it is a very competitive endeavor. 

So, we're just staying in tonight.   Too old to go anywhere and hubby already has a couple bottles of bubbly...

Two of the little munchkins...

Just staying home for most of the day~Merry Christmas

We'll be staying home most of the day.   Papa (hubby) was up ALL NIGHT reading The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, so we are going to miss the 2 grand kids down here opening up their presents.   He needs to get about 6 hours of sleep.   We will be heading down there for dinner at some point, however...ham, chipolte sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts...YUM!

Just a quiet day.   I'm going to take the day and do some crafting.

Dog is inside taking his 3rd nap this morning.   We visited our daughter and her family last night and the 2 grand kids wore him out!

Merry Christmas to you and your family.
~Cheryl Ann~

SkyWatch Friday 12/14/18

As I was driving home from the horse ranch last week, I noticed this off to the side of the road, so I pulled over and took a photo.   Of course, just a few minutes later it was gone.

SkyWatch Friday for December 14, 2018.

To visit SWF, please go to this link:     http://skyley.blogspot.com/

A couple more photos from the park

I wasn't sure what to write about today, so I just chose these photos from the park.   Over at the rose garden, there are stones with names on them.   I could relate to the top one...LOVE the fountain at the park.   They also have a flowing water  thing on one side of the park.

Our civic park

I now enjoy taking my camera in the mornings (after I drop off Miss Ellie at kindergarten) and just leisurely walking around our civic park.   There are ducks, wood ducks, white ducks, but no Canadian geese.   Yesterday they were all across the street at the golf course (driving the golfers nuts!).   There is a small pond after last week's heavy rains here and they were gathered around it.

Here are some of my new friends at the park:

I'll be going back today!

Our World Tuesday for December 11, 2018.   To visit OWT, please go to this link:   http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

I'm behind on my photos, so here goes!

I'm way behind on uploading my photos, so this morning I uploaded 108 of them.   I'll do them in a few installments.

A couple of weeks ago I drove up to the horse ranch to buy pellets and check on the horses.   It was a cloudy and drizzly day.

 Lots of clouds...

 I love this old cottonwood tree.   It isn't on the ranch, but down the road.

 Chinaberries...we have a Chinaberry tree in our yard and it is HUGE.

Mr. or Mrs. roadrunner.   He cowers in the car garage when the hawk is out.   The ranch owner said he fed their babies all last spring, but has now run them all off.

 On one of the telephone poles...

Pretty clouds.

That's all for now.   I need to go out front with the weed eater and GET TO WORK!
~Cheryl Ann~

My misadventures with 2 of our grandkids...

We now have 5 grandkids (2 here near us and 3 over the hill in Temecula).  We don't see the Temecula clan more than once a month, but I drive the 5 year old to kindergarten every morning from daycare and I pick her up Wednesday afternoons when she has an early release day.   We've been to 4 different libraries here in our desert, the local nursery, to Whole Foods (twice), to Gelson's for watermelon (when it was in season), to the car wash (she LOVED IT), and to the Children's Discovery Museum in Rancho Mirage.   This week it was a trip to COSTCO because Nana needed birdseed and coffee.   She pranced and danced all around and people thought she was "adorable".  (Yeah, if they only knew...)   Oh, and we went to the local park too because I had to kill 2 hours until I had to go BACK to daycare and pick up the 2 year old brother...

ANYWAY, she had to try out EVERY SINGLE piece of playground equipment at the park.   Then, she spied the roses as we were leaving and she had to smell EVERY SINGLE ONE.   Then I heard her say, "Nana, come see this BUG!"  By that time, I was exhausted from trying to keep up with her.   So, I shuffled off and yup...there was a beautiful mantis on one of the yellow rose bushes!   It was... HUGE!   So, we had a little lesson about mantises.   It's always good to have a life lesson, eh?

So, this morning she asked, "Is Papa going with us to the Wildlights tonight (at the Living Desert)"?????   HUH?   Um, no.   Papa doesn't care for that kind of thing.   He would prefer to stay home, crank up the portable heater until the house is 90 degrees, and wrap himself up in a blanket.  So, NO, he isn't going.   I told her, "um, no...Papa isn't coming" to which she replied, "Why not?"

Because he is old and tired and CRANKY (and that's what I told her).   So, of course, she asked, "Is he older than YOU?"     (aaaahhhhh...the frankness of 5 year olds)...Yes, by 2 years, but he acts like it is 10.

I need to get him on Vitamin D so that I DO NOT have to suffer him through another winter of SAD (seasonal something disorder) (not enough sunlight)...

In the meantime, Miss Ellie went skipping to school this morning...

Later...
YES!    Our local mountains have SNOW this morning.   I haven't uploaded my photos yet, but I'll do that later.
~Cheryl Ann

Sunflowers~ Our World Tuesday~ November 21, 2018

I forgot to post these, so I'll do so now.   I think we could all use some sunny sunflowers!   I took these photos when the kindergarten granddaughter went on her field trip to Oak Glen.   These are at the Wildlands Conservatory property, right next door to the Los Rios/Riley's Farm apple ranch.

As I went walking up the walkway, I met a woman who had been hiking up in the hills and she remarked, "I just saw a bear up there!"    Oh, my!

Our World Tuesday for November 21, 2018.   To visit OWT, please go to this link:     http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

7 p.m.? WHO stays awake until 7 p.m?

Al, over at Travel with the Bayfield Bunch, wrote about going to bed around 7 p.m. here:

http://thebayfieldbunch.com/2018/11/im-as-tall-as-you-are-now-she-said.html

7 pm?   Who stays up that late?

Hubby and I ate dinner at 5:20 last night.   We ordered chicken tenders and fries from GrubHub and they delivered it within 30 minutes.  We watched 2 episodes of Narcos, 2 of The Last Kingdom, and by that time, I was half asleep.   We still have Sunday's episode of Outlander to watch...maybe tonight. 

The dog and I usually konk out by 8 p.m., although with the time change, it is now 7 p.m.   It's DARK.   It's dark and colder.  And, I can't keep my eyes open much beyond 7 p.m. so when I have to babysit the grand kids until 9:00, I give them their bath and put the 2 year old TO SLEEP by 7:00.   The kindergarten kid usually konks out about 8 p.m. (fortunately)...

I sold 3 journals yesterday, including the writer's journal, which sold within 30 minutes of my posting it on YouTube and ETSY!   YAY!~  I'm going to need that money for my new glasses which I'm going to have to get at COSTCO because I have to pass the eye exam for my drivers' license before my birthday in February.   Has anybody purchased eyeglasses at COSTCO?   I HAVE to do this because I no longer have insurance and I'm NOT driving to Mexico.   HA!~  I may not be allowed back into the US!!!!   Who knows?   Things are so weird right now...

Anyway, please let me know if you have purchased glasses at COSTCO.   I'm going in there next month for the eye exam and glasses...

THANKS!

~Cheryl Ann~

From the mouths of babes...

Miss Ellie, who is now 5 1/2 and in kindergarten, can be quite profound some days.   We have some heavy and serious discussions in the car in the morning during our 7 minute ride from her daycare to her school.

One morning it was this:

"Nana"...

"Yes, Ellie"....

"Is Ripley dead?"   (Ripley was our 11 year old black lab who passed in May)...

"Yes, honey."

"Was she old?"

"Yes, honey."

"ARE YOU OLD?"

...hummm....this is going to take some thinking...

"Not as old as Ripley in human years." (Ripley would have been 77)

"Are you going to die, Nana?"

....oh, the heavy thinking going on here...

"Someday, honey..."

"WHEN?"

(Like she's in a hurry to get rid of me?)

"Well, not today, and hopefully not tomorrow..."

"Like my fish Goldilocks?"   (her goldfish who was found one morning floating in her bowl, upside down...)

"Yes, honey..."

Then it was on to nursery rhymes.

Such are our morning conversations.   I should write a book:  "Conversations with Miss Ellie"...

She CAN be adorable, like when she says, "Nana, I LOVE YOU!"

Awwww.......

I'm thankful for my Thanksgiving break!

I now have 9 days of peace & quiet, since "Miss Ellie" doesn't have to go to school ALL NEXT WEEK!   Thank goodness for Thanksgiving break!   Now I can make coffee and eat my breakfast whenever I want!   And, I won't be losing 90 minutes every morning transporting her to school!   Whoo, whoo!   I'm ready to PARTY!

Not really....sigh...

Grandpa is driving to Temecula for our grandson's last baseball game and I'm staying home with the dog.  It is too exhausting to have to take HIM to the game, walk him, supervise him (he wants to chase every ball that comes over the back stop!)...besides, I was babysitting all afternoon yesterday and until 8 p.m. last night and I'm TIRED (and cranky!)

So, I'll stay home and rest and have some QUIET TIME!   I may even tackle a few piles of stuff out in the living room!   :-)

So, until next time...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

(Miss Ellie in her Pilgrim hat she made at school)...and her music box for SHARE DAY!

SMOKE in our valley

So, as I was driving the kindergarten grand daughter, Miss Ellie, to school this morning (which I do EVERY school morning), I noticed streaks of smoke across the eastern portion of our sky.   It must be smoke from the Fontana/Rialto fire (which I forget the name of...).   How sad to see.  It seems the big fires are now about 35-50% contained and northern California should get some rainfall by Thanksgiving. 

I went to my local WalMart supercenter this morning and asked if they were collecting items for the fire victims.   They said, "NO, just our valley".   They have a drive for the needy here in our valley.  Hmmm...don't the fire victims need items, too?   I think I'll just make a donation to the Red Cross.

Not much going on here.  We don't go anywhere.   Gasoline costs too much.   It was up to $3.89 and $3.99 here, but now it seems to be down to $3.69.   I filled up my car at Sam's Club and paid $3.29 a gallon and saved $6.00 from what I previously paid at our nearby Shell.   Driving Miss Ellie to school every day, I have to fill up my car once a week and, believe me, I keep an eye on gasoline prices!   YIKES!

Just a couple of photos from a few years ago.   I haven't been up to the horses for a month and I doubt I'll get up there until everyone is off school next week.

 Fall leaves up in Garner Valley from a couple of years ago...

Fall leaves up at the ranch from a few years ago.   I haven't seen the leaves yet this year.   That's my gelding, Sunni...

Papers, fabric, lace....oh my!

I usually stay home every day now after taking THE MISS ELLIE to kindergarten.   However, Wednesdays are farmers' market days and I do enjoy walking around the Palm Desert one.   I was sent out last week to purchase the "Beekeeper special" honey that is a mixture of blends and which is supposed to help one's allergies.   Our daughter wanted a bottle of it.   So, off I went.

Tuesdays, after dropping off the kindergartener, I usually stop by Gelsons and get my 10% "locals" discount.   I can only afford to shop there once a week now.  I pick up a pack of beef knuckle bones (usually 2) for the dog and that keeps him busy for a week.   Their produce (I buy organic) is beautiful, so I head over there for lettuce, onions, even zucchini.   They have stuff that the farmers' market doesn't carry too.  And, then I go home.

So, I made 4 Christmas journals and now I'm making 2 boho (Bohemian) style ones.   Maybe even 3...one is a straight boho, one a music themed boho, and the last one will be a writing boho.  I've got piles of fabric and lace all over my table and my sewing machine went through 2 bobbins on Friday!   I need to fill up 5 more!

I DID take time to watch the first 2 episodes of "The Romanoffs".   The first one takes place in Paris and I'm going to watch it again.   I didn't really care for the 2nd one.   It is in Amazon. 

Then yesterday I spent 3 hours catching up on "Outlander" because season 4 starts tonight and I wanted to be caught up.   Phew!   I'm... EXHAUSTED!

Let's see...oh, the puppy jumped up on the bed, turned on our light, and knocked down an old journal (#11) that I made last fall and tore it apart.   I didn't even know he was chewing on it.   So, there goes that one...sigh...I threw what was left of it away.

Not much else doing on.   Here are some pics of my recent journal covers and their insides sticking out all over the place!   I even made a Gertrude Bell journal for sale in my ETSY shop:   https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesertsandBeyond?ref=pr_shop_more

 This is my Bohemian one.   I absolutely LOVE all the threads and fabric!

 This one is called "Postcards"...more of a travel theme.

 This is my Gertrude Bell one.   I made it for a journal making challenge.   We were ONLY allowed to use certain items (4 were given and we got to choose 4 more)....It was called a "deserted island" challenge.   I chose Bell because, to me, she is an absolutely fascinating historical figure.   It is in my ETSY shop.

A side view of the "Postcards" one...

If you ever wish to view my You Tube channel with my journals, here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/deserthorses5    I make a video for every journal I make.   It helps me keep a record and I can also see my progress as a journal maker.

Until next time!
~~~~~Cheryl Ann~~~~~

baseball game

Last Saturday's baseball game for our 9 year old grandson was rained out, but yesterday we all went to watch.   By "all" I mean me, hubby, and Bodie, our 11 month old lab mix who we adopted from the Lone Pine animal shelter back in June.   He knows a few commands now and he walks calmly (most of the time) with his harness.   We wanted him to meet the 3 grand kids and we both knew he would love all the kids at the game, as well as every adult he met, and he did!   He was well behaved except he started whining at one point.   I took him for a walk and he didn't do anything.   While on the walk, I realized how much I am missing my adventures up in our local mountains.   I could smell the sycamore trees, see the leaves falling, I heard a quail calling, and saw clouds up in the blue sky.   It was... MARVELOUS!

ANYWAY... (I digress...)

It was a good day for all.   The grandson got to pitch for 2 innings and got a single, a double, a walk, and I missed his final at bat because I was out walking Bodie.   The grandkids got to meet him and the 3 year old is absolutely IN LOVE with him!   She was very gentle with him and made very slow movements.   She's almost a dog whisperer!

It is a 90 minute drive there and then back home.   We got home in time for Grandpa to turn on the Dodgers' game and I fixed myself dinner and had a beer!   I toddled off to bed with Bodie about 7:30!

Pics below:

 Grandpa took this photo

 I took this one

 The grandson pitching.   Yes, he has LONG LEGS!

Baby Riley and her yogurt!   She has my maternal grandmother's hair color (reddish) and my blue eyes, which I got from my maternal grandfather.

Are our long travel days over?

Al, over at Travel with the Bayfield Bunch wrote an interesting post this morning about long distance commutes:

http://thebayfieldbunch.com/2018/10/rochester-new-hampshire-to-spencerport.html

I guess they are thinking that their long-distance travel days are over.

We're in the same boat.   Mainly, it is me.   I'm the driver.   Hubby is the navigator.   I don't like him to drive because (1) he gets dizzy; (2) he weaves; (3) he drives TOO DAMN FAST.   So, I drive.   He sits.

However, our last trip to the eastern Sierra, in June, I drove 5 hours home (with Bodie on hubby's lap) and only took 1 potty stop the entire way home.   YAY!   However, I was EXHAUSTED the next 2 days. 

And, GUESS WHAT we are planning in June, after school is over?   Yup... a 6 hour trip to the Grand Canyon!    OF COURSE!   Our daughter wants to take her husband and kids over to see the Grand Canyon and the trains there and in Flagstaff.   I doubt hubby and I will take the train ride (1) we can't take the dog on the train and (2) one of us would HAVE to stay behind with the dog...but that's okay.   Either hubby can go or I can go.   We do want to visit BearArizona and Flagstaff.  So, we'll see....

BUT...

That is ANOTHER 6 hour (or more) drive...sigh...which means I will have to do all the driving. 

And, take the dog...

So, we'll see...

In other news, I'm LOVING our cooler days and nights here.   The temps lately have been PERFECT!   I washed 3 loads of wash and hung everything outside on my ILLEGAL clothes line to dry, including the bed cover which had dog hair ALL OVER IT!   I have tried to hide it from the street because our city doesn't ALLOW clothes lines!   I mean, how STUPID is that?   In this day and age of energy conservation, everyone should have a clothes line (in my opinion)...

I'm also busy driving Miss Ellie to kindergarten every morning.   She is learning her letters and sounds and now reads a book after I pick her up from day care and on the way to kindergarten.  She spells words!   She sounds out words!   She is learning... TO READ!   :-)   Apparently they are having some kind of toilet paper party in class today (I'm guess they will be decorating their room). 

Cheers!
~Cheryl Ann~

More photos from Los Rios apple ranch, Oak Glen

I took all these photos up at the Los Rios apple orchard, which I believe is now called "Riley's Los Rios".   I think Riley's Farm bought them out.   Riley's Farm is actually further down the road and is the first apple orchard you come to as you drive up Beaumont Avenue.  If you take Interstate 10 to Beaumont, get off at Beaumont Avenue and follow it right up to Oak Glen.   The original Riley's Farm, down the road, has a huge white barn and the folks there dress up in Revolutionary War costumes.   They actually have a petting zoo right by the parking lot and a working strawberry patch and a gift store.  You can actually go inside the main building there, too.   It is a lot of fun.

However, we were at the Los Rios apple orchard, which is up the hill past the curve in the road.  They do have a petting zoo...I just don't know if the class got to see it because I left early.  They have a huge lawn and picnic area and they are next to the Wildlands Conservacy with its trails and sunflowers. They also have a large gift shop, apple store, and a cafe and bakery.   They always seem to be smoking ribs too!   :-)   During Halloween time, they decorate the place with pumpkins.

Here are more photos from our exciting day:

 Kiddos were learning how apple cider is made...

 Nana sat down and rested on one of these chairs!

Apple country ~ Oak Glen

So, Miss Ellie's kindergarten class went to Oak Glen yesterday.   It was her class and another one.   Her mommie took the day off from teaching and went with her on the bus.  Nana drove her own car and met them up there.   There was NO WAY I was going on a school bus!   I knew I wouldn't last until lunch time, so that's another reason I drove separately, and I was right.   I was DONE by 11:00.

So, I got to go with them on the behind-the-scenes tour of the apple packing plant, which I had never done.   Our 3rd graders NEVER went up to this ranch.   I do believe that the kindergarten classes did go to another ranch, but I don't know if they still do that field trip.

We saw where the apples are washed, dried, culled, sorted, and then boxed.   It was interesting to see the process.  Then "Johnny Appleseed" came out to one of the orchards and talked about the kinds of apples and when they bloom and when they are picked.   The kiddos were fairly attentive.   Off in the distance, however, I and another parent heard gunshots...maybe something bothering the apple orchards?

Then they went and sat down and each kid picked 2 apples to put into the apple cider press.   By then I was lightheaded from lack of water, the heat, and low blood sugar.   I left.   Fortunately I had a bean & cheese burrito in my car from my early morning stop at Bakers, so I ate that and drank a whole liter of water on my way down the mountain.  It was a warm day up there...86 degrees when I left.  And, the humidity was building up.   There were thunderheads building up around the mountains, but I was in too much of a hurry to GET HOME to stop and take photos.   Grandpa and I will return in early October since Miss Ellie has a day off school for staff development and I won't have to drive her to school that day.

Here are a few photos from yesterday... MORE tomorrow!

 Apples in boxes

 I liked this roof...

 Apples going up the conveyor belt to be washed

 LOVED this door!

 Apples in tree...

 Ladder

Nice clouds! 

More pics tomorrow...