Baby Apples!





This is how the apples look today.  And if all goes according to apple growing, they will be ready to harvest in two and a half to three months.  My mouth waters just thinking about that.  Favorite apple is a Pink Lady.  There are numerous trees here of that variety.  They are a late apple, so October is when they are ready.  Favorite caramel apple is a Granny Smith with chopped nuts in the caramel.  Yummmmm.  Patience!  For now I shall enjoy all of the many other fresh fruits that are currently available.


I was sitting at the kitchen table a few days ago and a hummingbird came to the outside corner of the kitchen window and started picking at the cobweb.  Apparently there were remnants of insects that had fallen victim to the cobwebs owner.  It was fascinating to watch this little hummer dart in and out of the web.  I could actually see it's mouth open as it approached what it was wanting to get.  I think now, that it is important for me to leave these cobwebs so the humming birds have extra food sources.  Probably isn't a good idea in the house, so I guess I'll just have to remove them as quickly as they are established.  This year that has been a frequent occurrence.  There seems to be an abundance of various species of spiders.  Some of them move way too quick for me to capture and put outside.  Thus, they end up in spider heaven.  Sorry.


I have a favorite pair of Docker pants I purchased, oh, I guess maybe eight years ago.  Needless to say, since they are my favorite pants, they have been washed many, many, many times.  The very sad thing is now there are tiny holes at the edges of the pockets and at the bottom of the zipper,   On the back, along the side of one pocket there is a small tear.  The material has gotten quite thin and the bottom hems and top of the waist band are frayed.  They are at a point that someone may accuse me of indecent exposure should I wear them in public.  However, with what is being sold in the stores these day, I may be just in style.  Finally, I have arrived.  Right!


So grateful to currently live in an area where there are many varieties of song birds, fruit trees, sunny days, cool breezes and awesome trees.  Prayers and blessings to those affected by the fires, floods and high temperatures.  Heartfelt thanks to those assisting with the aid of people and animals displaced, the clean up of the areas devastated by the natural events and those working to bring a sense of balance.  


The RV search continues.  Looking at units.  Friends calling with information on possible units.  Parents of friends living in far away locations checking out units.  Local dealerships searching their distant sites for inventory.  Talking with the bank and other sources.  Lots of activity around this part of my Adventure.  I'm having dreams about motor homes and traveling, so this may be close.  Sorting, of course, is ongoing.  Getting things ready for the eventual estate sale.  It is actually a liquidation sale, as everything is going.  And not with me.  Feeling lighter every day and a greater sense of peace surrounds it all.  Very cool.


Enjoy the fresh produce!

Frozen Grapes

Summer offers so many wonderful fruits and vegetables that sometimes it is difficult to choose.  On more than one occasion I have over purchased and would run out of time before the produce would start to be too ripe. (Which is a polite way of saying, start to rot.)  Years ago a dear grandfather figure introduced me to frozen grapes.  So now, when I buy grapes, I keep a couple of days worth in the fridge and then I remove the stems, wash, dry and freeze the remaining grapes for a later time.  It is wonderful to eat them right out of the freezer, while they are still frozen.  When it is hot outside and I want something cold to eat I have the perfect solution.  There is a lot to be said for the shared experiences of others.  Thanks to all of you who share.


So, I recently put the heaters away for the summer and this morning I awoke to 46 degrees.  I am very grateful for my down filled blanket that I ALWAYS keep on my bed, just in case.  It always seems to work out this way.  It is the same when putting away winter clothes and then there is summer for a few weeks and then a cold spell arrives just when you are feeling  warm. There is a little voice inside that tells me this is going to happen.  Hopefully one of these days I will listen and respond appropriately.  For now the little space heater is working hard to take the chill off of the living room.   Since I just washed and hung the sheets out to dry, all I can do now is pray the rain stays in the mountains.  Otherwise, the dreaded dryer.


The elephant went to its new home yesterday.  It was one of those things that I bought at Pier 1 and absolutely did not need.  He became a good friend who stayed in the living room and greeted people as they entered.  He stands about two feet tall and probably has a wire frame.  He is covered in some kind of light brown intricately woven plant fiber.  His big ears stick out and his tail and trunk go upward.  Even though he is void of facial markings I could feel his happiness of just being. I always felt happy just looking at him. There is definitely a void in the space he used to occupy.   I am certain he will adjust well to his new surroundings.  I just couldn't bring myself to take his picture and I am glad I never gave him a name.    His image is perfectly etched in my brain.


I have started the process of disbursing items that have a new home to go to.  The elephant, plants, pots and a few items to my son and daughter-in-law are in their new places.  My son and daughter-in-law will be on the receiving end of more items, as living where I am winds down and I leave on my adventure.  There are some things which will be sold at a yard sale when it is time.  Some things to be donated.  This liquidating experience is strange and interesting all at the same time. I shall contemplate on this and share my thoughts.  Coming soon.


I need to go outside and feel how the sheets are doing.  It is getting cloudy and windy and not really warming up much.  It is just after 1 pm and it is only 64 degrees.  Not the best temperature to dry sheets outside.  Maybe the wind itself will do the job.  Here's hoping...


Enjoy sharing your experiences!

The Mugs

Here is a picture of the four mugs/cups I am planning to take with me on my Adventure.  The first one is a Happy Birthday cup my Mom gave me many years ago.  The second one is from a good friend in Morro Bay, California.  The third one is from a dear friend of almost 40 years.  And the last mug is one my niece, Jen, made for me.  Obviously I will probably use only one at a time, though it seems important to take all of these special drinking vessels with me.

RV hunting has been interesting and continues to be informative.  Test driving units, stepping inside some, only to immediately turn around and step back outside due to a foreign smell.  I have talked with some interesting owners and/or sales people, that have made me feel nervous.  The "as is, no warranty" stickers at dealerships makes one look very closely at every aspect of the unit.  Some sales people tell you something one day and then tell you something different a few days later.  Imagine that!  This is a most curious experience and process.  One day the perfect unit will present itself and then, watch out!  I will be on the road.

I failed to get a picture of the sunset last night.  There were some high cirrus clouds that, due to the smog in the valley, turned various shades of orange. The colors continued to intensify as the sun slowly went down.   It appeared as though the sky was on fire.  It was beautiful though felt a bit strange.  I imagine the people in all of the states where wild fires are burning are seeing a lot of this. Good thoughts and prayers to them.  We have had some rather hot weather.  A bank sign showed 109 degrees in Roseville yesterday.  Yikes!!!  I just spoke with my niece in Maine this morning and she was enjoying much cooler temperatures.  May have to go visit her very soon.  Alright, where are my wheels?

I finally put the oil radiator heaters away for the summer and have all the fans, including two window fans, up, in place and running.  Between the one window air conditioner and all the fans circulating the air, the inside of my house stays very comfortable.  The window fans are great for pulling in the cool night air, and then reversing and blowing out the warm inside air during the day.  A great invention.  I simply need to stay inside on the crazy hot days.  (Except to periodically go outside to move the watering hose around on the lawn,)

I continue to go through things and recently removed all of my family pictures that I had placed on one side of my refrigerator.  I also have a collection of various decorative magnet,s that had honored space on the refrigerator, which I removed as well.  So, now I have this big white refrigerator which to me looks naked.  I suspect that this whole little house will look that way eventually as I remove items I have sold and rearrange things until they do.  It is just this amazing process of purging and shifting and eliminating stuff.  And a lot of it is just that.  Stuff!  The special things, pictures, gifts, momentos, etc., will be carefully packed and stored for a future time.  The funny thing is I actually have two boxes I had not looked into for awhile, and when I did,it  brought back many happy memories of other people, places and times.  Very sweet.....

Time to move the water sprinkler.  

Enjoy your drinking vessel!

Everything is Clean!

We had a wonderful rain yesterday which cleaned the air, trees, plants, roads, etc.  It started to sprinkle off and on early in the morning and then about 11:00am it poured for several hours.  A good ground soaking rain.  Then the wind came up and shook tons of flowers from the Catalpa tree.  (Well, maybe not tons of flowers)  Once the flowers get wet they shrivel very quickly.  Those left on the trees will also shrivel and fall.  That is just the way it is.  This morning it is so clear and beautiful with a few left over clouds floating around and a crisp 51 degrees.  I can skip watering for several days. Yay!  


Thanks to Bill and Jill I had baked fresh bass for dinner last night.  A little dill and lemon juice made for tasty eating.  Yummm.  I think fresh fish is one of my favorite things to eat, though ice cream runs a very close second.  I discovered years ago that if I have an upset stomach, slowly eating vanilla ice cream calms things down almost immediately.    I probably need to do more research on the health benefits of eating ice cream.  For now it is pure pleasure.


I have added Chaco Canyon, New Mexico as a place to experience once I am on the road.   Hopefully that will be fall or spring.  There are many places that beg for spring or fall visits.  It will be interesting to see how this will all come together.  Once I have wheels and determine my departure date I will have a better idea of where to go first.  I suspect Morro Bay, California will be my first stop, so I can see dear friends before venturing forth.  I so enjoy the Central Coast of California.  I think, at this time, it will probably be my final resting spot when all is said and done.


There are a few motor homes I intend to look at this week.  A young friend who restores old cars and trucks has agreed to examine potential RV's for me to make sure that what I am considering is sound and  travel ready.  What a peace of mind this is for me.  I prefer to look it over first to make sure the roof is free from water leaks, and the home part of the vehicle is something I could live in comfortably, before dragging him all over to look at  something that is initially unacceptable to me.  Thanks, Bryan.


So, getting on with my day....right now that is breakfast.


Enjoy the air!

Snow Coming?

The past several days have been rather hot, in the low 90's.  Now N.O.A.A. is predicting rain with high's in the upper 60's and snow in the High Sierra.  Let's see, this is early June.  The weather can be changeable, however, this does seem a bit odd.  Of course there is nothing to do except enjoy whatever it turns out to be.  The clouds are moving in.  Love California!


Finally back to RV hunting.  Being gone for a week and sick for two weeks and working steady for a week left little time to search.  I now have time to get on the internet and look at local dealers and private sellers to see what is currently available.  Continuing to sort and move things around.  The good news is the things in the to go pile have stayed there.  This is a big plus.  Still, lots to sort through and look at and decide about where it will go.  Things I haven't seen in a few years make me wonder why I still have it with me.  These things are definitely in the to go pile.  


The Catalpa tree continues to bloom and drop flowers.  Everyone who visits marvels at the shape and scent of these amazing little treasures.  I wonder if I could Bonsai one of these trees.  Needless to say taking plants with me will be tricky, but a Bonsai Catalpa sounds very awesome.  Something to look into as a possibility.   I have already decided on one of my bamboo plants as a to go with me on the adventure item.  I am fairly sure I will be able to keep it alive and it will take up little space.  Something alive inside my travel home sounds so right.


People ask me what I plan to take with me on my adventure.  Well, seems basic needs only.  That would be food, clothes, books and yarn.  If it is equipped with a TV/DVD player, maybe some DVD's.  This is not a necessity.  It is amazing how I have become used to using so many electronic things.  I almost feel sometimes as though I am taking a step back in time to when I was young and none of these things were even invented.  This will be interesting, to say the least.  I am excited to experience all that presents itself.  


Have a  Happy Birthday tomorrow, Jody.


Enjoy today's weather!