Pismo Beach Monarchs

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend we went down to see the monarch butterflies. It is only a couple of miles from our house. It was a cold day and the butterflies were all cuddled up on the branches of the eucalyptus trees. We only saw a very few flying around. Over the last few years the numbers have been going down. I noticed that the parks department have been doing some planting of butterfly attracting plants such as milkweed and yarrow. They are trying to lure more monarchs to this area and I hope it is successful.

Sunlight on Grass

I've recently discovered how beautiful grasses can be. The light catches them in special ways and the slightest breeze moves them to and fro. I almost let this one die and that is hard to do with grass. The drip line to the pot was not working and I didn't notice for a long time and it was brown and brittle. I have revived the poor thing and will be more diligent in the future...I promise.

Our Special Day

On November 17 we took a  trip up into the mountains. This was our special day to celebrate all the years we have spent together...46 to be exact! It is amazing how quickly the time has passed. Can it possibly be getting close to 50 years. That is a milestone for OLD people and I don't feel old. I still have things to do and places to go but I think we better get going on the bucket list. Thanks Ron for sticking with me all these years. It's been a blast...mostly. lol. To those who have asked how we stayed married all these years, I say...have patience to wait out the bad times. Because there WILL be bad times. It's patience or stubbornness. I don't know which! All I can say is that I'm happy to be where I am today with the man I love.

Gathering the Winter Squash

We brought all the winter squash up from the garden. Johnny was very interested in what we had but in the end he prefers alfalfa hay. The butternuts were small and we didn't get many banana squash but there are lots of acorns. I have a place in the breeze way of the barn to store them for the winter. Guess what we will be having for dinner!

The Monarchs are Here

We live a few miles from the Pismo Beach Monarch Grove wintering site. The butterflies arrive for the winter about this time of year. Quite a few choose our yard to hang out. They love the Lantana and will feed there for hours. This part of their life cycle is peaceful and relaxed but what about all those miles they fly? They seem so small and fragile for that daunting task. Welcome butterflies...you can rest here.

Sunken Pumpkin

Well, how sad is this! When we returned from our trip, this is what the giant pumpkin looked like. I really am not surprised. It was not looking good before we left. I think a gopher came up from the bottom and ate a hole and then it rotted. It was fun watching it grow. We may try to save some seeds in case we want to try again next year. Anyone want some?