Glowing...

This is my oldest grandson wrapped in glow sticks. Now, this takes us back years and years when he was 6 or 7and loved fireworks but didn't like the noise.  So, for the 4th of July, I bought a bunch of glow
sticks for the kids to play with instead of the noisy fireworks. I ordered them online and they didn't get here by the 4th. They got tucked away in my craft room and now years later I find them!

Amazing that they still glow after all these years. And that grandson, he just got his driver's license!

Christmas Surprise

I've given up making picking out the Christmas tree a big drama. As long as it is green and smells good, I don't care about anything else. We pick one that is taller then we are and bring it home still tied up in the twine. And what ever will be will be!

When we cut the twine on this years mystery tree it was perfect. We didn't even turn it to the left or right. Perfect... and it smelled so good.

The lights on the outside of the house look so pretty through the frosted glass and I love the warm glow. We've had a beautiful Holiday.

Strawberry Fields Forever...

The strawberry fields weathered the 5 days of rain just fine. They are planted on high mounds that are covered with plastic. The plants were planted in November and they will be producing strawberries in February or March. We are always ready when the time rolls around. Nothing better than berries and whipped cream!

We and the strawberry plants are both ready for some sunshine.

Here Comes the Train

We were stopped by the barricades and waited patiently for the train to pass. Here it comes... no, that's not the train. It's a truck pretending to be a train!

Actually it was a jacked up truck riding the rails spraying weeds!

They Left... All Gone

The campers up and left, and I don't blame them. The favorite spots by the creek are under water and it is still raining. This is six days of almost none stop rain.

Even the ducks are wondering what the heck is going on.

We want sunshine... we want sunshine!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Today is Monday. It has been raining since Friday and I took this picture on Sunday morning. In addition to these 5 inches, we have gotten 2 1/2 more. And the weather gurus are saying two more days of rain before it is through for this storm. This is unusual for our area. We seldom get steady days of rain like this. We will be very happy to see the sun!

Wet Rocky

This yard art bird I've named Rocky. That is because his body is a large river rock. He stands guard over the rain guage and is taking his job quite seriously this winter. We had a short little break in the rain and the sun was just trying to break through. It didn't last long. It's been a very wet December.

The Grass is Always Greener

Johnny took himself on a little walk about. We came home from shopping to find him grazing on the front lawn.

He has learned how to open the gate to get out of his pasture. If we don't show up with alfalfa hay by about 4 PM, he feels justified in opening the gate and going to the front lawn. I went to the barn and banged and clanged his bowls around and he came running right into his stall. Food is all powerful!

OK, you silly, fuzzy boy. Now you are back where you belong and don't give me that look! Tomorrow I need to do something about that gate!

Wannabe Hunter

Callie made an escape from the house once again. She can be tricky and waits for the door to open and then streaks out behind your back.

Once out, she plays little chasing games until she is tired and ready to come in. When hubs saw her distracted by this gopher hole, I was able to just walk up and nab her. Shame on you, you naughty kitten

Fall Flair

The cold snap we had last week turned this little Japanese Maple from green to yellow and red almost over night.

We love this spot down on the lower patio by the fire ring. We've had many a good marshmallow roast down there.

On the Street Where We Live...

This is our street. I love all the trees until it's time to clean up leaves and bark. It comes down year around and then more so with the wind and rain. But I still love it here.

Shoes to Fill

I just love to see all the boys shoes by the door. It makes me happy. I know they are somewhere close by. The people that fill those shoes are truly special.

Our Thanksgiving Day was wonderful. We cooked 15 pounds of mashed potatoes, roasted a 22 pound turkey and had three different kinds of pie, plus all the sides to go with it. Now, we did have leftovers... but that is how we planned it!

Our daughter's shoes aren't in that bunch. She wasn't out playing football in the muddy field and she didn't get 3 footballs caught up in the trees! She wasn't the one up a ladder with a camera either.  She was helping in the kitchen with her shoes on and is equally special. I am so thankful for my kids and grand kids. They are the best!

P.S. Those brown shoes belong to hubs... they've been by the door for some 47 years. And trust me, for that I am REALLY thankful.

We Found the Answer

On November 20, I was wondering about this mystery plant we had growing in the pathway. Well, on Monday we cut off a large branch and went to the Ag Office. They sent us to the Farm Bureau where there was a master gardener. Three employees gathered around and speculated and then they called in one more. The consensus is: Datura ferox or the common name is Fierce Thornapple. I certainly agree with the fierce part because of those spiky sharp pods.

This is not a desirable plant to have around and is poisonous. As you can see we chopped it down and put it in the garbage. They asked that we put it there instead of the green waste. Now there is no chance of it reseeding. The seed was probably brought here by a bird or was in one of the bags of commercial bird seed that we buy. It is also in the same family of plants as the Loco Weed found in the mid-west. We don't need any Loco Weeds here... we are pretty loco all on our own!

At their request, we left the branch we brought with them. It is rare around here and they did not have a live specimen. Now they do!

So... now we all know... Fierce Thornapple. Who would have thought?

What is This?

I don't know what this plant is that came up as a volunteer by the fence. At first I thought it was a sunflower. It had rather thick dark green leaves. But then it got bushy and grew wide instead of tall.

The flowers are white and never fully opened wide before this strange looking pod developed at the base of the blossom.

They are sharp, very sharp and look like a prickly hand grenade. I sure would like to know what plant this is and where it came from.

I think we will take pictures down to the Ag office and see if they can identify this wicked looking thing!

Apples to Apples

Apples are falling off the tree. They are ready to be made into apple sauce, dried apples or apple pies. Today I made all three. I started with the dried apples.

This handy dandy tool peels, slices and cores. It makes this whole process a lot faster. I filled up the drier with apples first, then made a big kettle of apple sauce. I saved about eight of the best apples and used them for an apple pie.

I'm sorry I didn't get pictures of the pie but by that time I had really run out of steam! I was DONE with apples for the day!

The Trap

Nature works in such amazing ways. A spider has made a web on the ground to catch something to eat. I wonder how many hours he had to work to get a web of that size. There is a hole in the very middle with a little tunnel going down. I guess he is down there just waiting for some unsuspecting little bug to make the wrong step.

Broccoli at Sunrise

The early morning sun poked over the hill to shed its rays on all the little Broccoli plants that are only a few weeks old. This is the "Arroyo" of Arroyo Grande and is at sea level. The soil is rich and dark and we have seen it flooded a couple of time from heavy rain in the 14 years we have lived here.

These fields are in constant production and they average four crops each year. Plow, plant, harvest... over and over, and over again. They rotate crops between broccoli, celery, cabbage, bok choy and many different kinds of lettuce. I can't remember these fields laying fallow. Well, maybe when they were flooded, but only until they were dry enough to plow!

Seagulls Fishing

This Sea Gull dropped his lunch. Was it a fish or a clam?

Leaf on Rocks

The Japanese Maple is shedding its leaves. A sure sign that our winter is upon us.