November 18, 2007

How cool are THESE! The pillow case on the left has Little Man Warrior's drawing of a Star Destroyer and the pillow case on the right has Bonnie Lass's drawing of a Fantasy (complete with Unicorn!). Steve and I sleep with these every night!

Close up of Fantasy.

Close up of the Star Destroyer.

November 17, 2007

More blooms. This is a bougainvillea on the back porch. Michael just loved this when he visited last month (it was blooming then, too). The pink "petals" are actually modified leaves, called "bracts." The flower itself is a tiny little thing in the center of all that pink. I was sitting on the porch this afternoon and thought I would try to snap a picture with the bracts back lit by the sun in the west.

November 16, 2007

I've been working out in the garage - which I've taken to calling "Studio Butler" - all week. It's been warm enough that I can keep the side door open and thus can hear the burbling of the waterfall in the pond. It's quite relaxing.

Our roses are blooming right now, too. That just seems odd, doesn't it? It's November, nearly Thanksgiving, and our flowers are still blooming! It's always this way and yet in the twenty years that I've been living here, I still marvel at how warm it is this time of year.

This is a sugar pine cone - the largest of all pine cones. I have one on the back porch and it just struck me as pretty. I had the camera in my hand and so, voila! There it is.

November 15, 2007

Today was the City of Phoenix BOPA (Batteries, Oil, Paint, and Antifreeze) Collection Event. Essentially, it is for disposal of Household Hazardous Waste and the City accepts more than just the "BOPA." Electronics, pesticides, etc., can also be brought to the drop-off.

I collected some old paints, aerosols, nearly empty propane canisters, and other flammables that we had been storing, along with the drained batteries I had been saving and headed over to make my deposit. I was quite pleased to see so many others doing the same! These events prevent these hazardous wastes from ending up in local landfills where they can pose a threat to groundwater supplies and the good people that operate these facilities. If you're just dumping your household hazardous wastes into the trash - Stop It!

November 14, 2007

This morning I met Desert Songbird for coffee at Starbuck's. Lucky me! This is a new Starbuck's and there is a Pei Wei right next door. Very cool.

I had a pumpkin scone and Desert Songbird had a pumpkin muffin with cream cheese filling. Yummy!

Desert Songbird saying something to the effect of, "You will NOT take my picture!" Alas, I did anyway. (hee hee!)

November 13, 2007

Yesterday, Steve won back "The Plate." This hotly contested piece of sterling silver has its roots in the Colorado Four: Steve, Brian, Mark and Bob. The tales are sordid and of the stuff from which legends are made (it involves dark nights, deep forests, and escapades you wouldn't want to share with your mother). Keeping history alive, the Colorado Four have an annual competition through the green with the ultimate winner adding his name to the plate and earning the right to display it proudly for the coming year. And so, The Plate comes home to Phoenix once again. Now, I need to go find a stand and some silver polish!

November 12, 2007

Yes, it is a proud moment. That's me with a grape in my nostril and my hair clip between my teeth. Pretty, no? Thank goodness I shaved my armpit (I think).

November 10, 2007

I was sitting at my desk in my day room and these doves caught my eye. Generally, they toddle around on the ground pecking seeds. This is the first time I have seen them packed on a feeder. I count five in this photo. I have noticed that the cats kind of like to hang out around the feeder, too. (Duh.)

November 9, 2001

Wow, for once I had my camera in the front seat of the car and was able to take a photo when I saw something I wanted to get on the fly. Apparently this dude is very proud of his Chevrolet. I have a Chevrolet Blazer and am amazed the thing is still limping along. We won't take it on long trips because we are afraid it will leave us stranded. We use it mostly as a storage unit on wheels. The advantages are that the registration and insurance are cheap and it's paid for.

November 7, 2007

Today I tried to donate blood, again. Sigh. Last week I was deferred because my hemoglobin levels were too low. I was advised to increase my consumption of bananas, raisins, and prune juice (I don't eat red meat) and try again. Well, it didn't work (and man, that prune juice really makes me fart!). So, now I'm deferred yet again. I will try in another month.

November 6, 2007

Truth be told, I'm amazed I've made it this far with regards to my photo project. No. It's not every day. And it's probably not going to be every day from here on out. Sometimes it's fun but sometimes it's like a monkey on my back. Isn't that strange. I really don't like feeling like I must do something - Even if that must is self-imposed.

But, here is today's photograph. My neighbors recently cut down the two citrus trees in front of their home. I'm always sad to see a tree die. I don't know what the life-expectancy of an orange tree is, but the trees in front of our homes have probably been there since the 1940's. I'm nursing ours along. I prune and fertilize them and have started - don't laugh too hard - to hug them. I mean, you never know, right?

Well, subsequent to being chopped down, the stumps had to be ground. The good people that came to grind the stumps sprayed wood chips all over the fucking place - including my driveway (which is what you see below). I even had chips land on my front porch. That's fine, except they didn't clean them up. Nope. Just drove off and left it there. That kind of shit really pisses me off. I don't like others making more work for me - I've got enough of my own, thank you very much.

So, off I go with my broom and dustpan and before you know it, I'm doing a regular clean up in the front yard and enjoying it! I really like working in the yard. So in hindsight, the slobs did me a favor by getting me up and out the door.

November 3, 2007

Lots of hummingbird activity going on, lately. I know Matt and Denise have feeders next door, and I am keeping mine filled with nectar, too. Autumn in Phoenix is almost like a second Spring. Although it is dry in the desert, the flowers in the watered yards are blooming in profusion. No fledglings but the birds are busy defending their territories nonetheless. (In fact, I can hear a hummer chittering right now!)

November 2, 2007

I know I should be taking my own photos but so often the photos that others send to me become representative of my day. Like this one. It's a photo of the changing leaves in the aspen in my parents' front yard. I think it is absolutely beautiful. Beauty signaling the end of long days of sunlight and ushering the long days of darkness.

Well, we don't really get that so much here in Phoenix. But there is still that part of me that relishes the darkness that is soon to be sprinkled with holiday lights and cheer. Autumn is my favorite season (with Spring running a close second), and I think it's because it is like a door. It closes Summer behind us and opens towards family gatherings and good tidings in front of us.

November 1, 2007

Today was our Open House at our new office. For the first time EVER the entire staff, all seven of us, were in the same room at the same time! (And no, I don't have a picture of us!) I do have a picture of Steve in his office getting ready for the party.

Open House Scene. The tall guy in the blue shirt is Dave, our Tucson office manager. Tucson is really the Mother Ship. Our office is a "satellite." (Which I guess makes my garage an escape pod.)

Had to get a picture of the bar tender. He was very efficient!

October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween! Is it the end of October, already?! I can't believe that I'm still running the air conditioner! Argh! Anyhoodle, Cousin Lesley sent this adorable picture of Grace and Natalie all dressed up to go Trick or Treating. Aren't they adorable!?

Steve found this card that I had made for him in a book - it was being used as a place marker. I thought it was kind of fun to look back at and appropriate as I had made it for him for Halloween! ha!

October 30, 2007

This is my kitchen. Today, Michael made a fabulous squash soup. The squash came from Liz and Marshall's garden in Silver City, NM (my home away from home). I have been truly blessed to have friends and family that like to cook, 'cause I like to eat!

October 22, 2007

I love old family photographs. Lately, Steve's folks have been sorting various files and they sent down these fun pics. The photo below is of Steve's maternal grandmother - the cutie holding the basketball.


This cutie (below) is Steve's mother. I always knew she was a beach bunny! ha!

And this is Steve's dad! How adorable is that! Love the little cap!

October 20, 2007

Oh, yeah! Got a late birthday box from my sister which included SOCKS! And not just ANY socks, but HAPPY BUNNY Socks. I loooove Happy Bunny! This is one pair of my new socks that I'm wearing with my Happy Bunny pajamas. (Yes, it IS all about me!)

October 19, 2007

The Little Mother has been spending some time working on renovating her birdhouses (which actually see some use, which is pretty cool!). Dad took these photos of her efforts and sent them to me. I think they're so cute! Hopefully, I'll be in Truckee in the Spring to enjoy the new residents.

Octobet 18, 2007

Hey! Look! It's my new desk in our Tempe office! I really like the green walls. I have my calendar flipped up to November because our open house is on November 1st and I don't know if I'll be back before then! ha!

Also, today was CPR training! And guess who introduced the training program (via video, but still...)?

October 17, 2007

Telecommuting: Gotta love it!

October 16, 2007

I read recently an article sent to me by a friend that addressed the grief over the loss of a pet. How it's different (of course) than the grief we feel when we lose a human friend or family member, and how the difference is often in the details. Very true. I still walk gingerly so I don't inadvertently kick the cat. It feels funny to leave the gate open. It's hard to bypass the Pet Care aisle at the grocery store. Guess it will just take time - like all things.

Meanwhile, my parents transported Maybe's "Estate" to California to give to my sister's kitty, Uzi. My sister sent me this photo today of Uzi enjoying the Boogie Mat and toys that I sent out for him. It's wonderful to see him with the toys - a bit more healing.

My sister sent me also this photograph of her and Jerry. A friend took it of the two of them. I think the blue is a fabulous color on Amy and makes a great background, too.

October 15, 2007

Do you have a morning routine? I do. It's a little bit different than it used to be now that I'm minus one cat; however, I generally get up and open the blinds in the dining room and then make a pot of coffee (Grounds for Change - Shade Grown and Fair Trade: socially conscious coffee - And now, back to our regular program...). I pad around checking the houseplants and opening the blinds in the rest of the house while the coffee brews. Once it's done, I either settle back in bed or, lately, take my coffee outside and nestle in a chair on the back porch.

This morning, I was arrested by the glow of the sun on this candle holder which sits on the dining room table. I love that "certain slant of light." The whole thing kind of shimmered in a lovely way.

October 14, 2007

Look! The little cactus that Michael gave me is making a baby! I'm calling them "spud" and the "spudlett."

October 13, 2007

Ever wonder what the inside of the remote looks like? Well, Steve dropped the remote to the VCR and being who I am, I just HAD to pull the thing apart and see what was up. Not much to it, really (one screw held the whole shootin' match together). Of course, when it's a simple matter of transmitting pulses of infrared light at around 980 nm (nanometers), I guess not much hardware is required.


Turns out, the LED (light-emitting diode), was broken when the remote was dropped. You can see the break at the bottom of the LED, which is protruding from the right end of the circuit board in the photo below. Can't decide if I want to try and fix it, or not. It's just hangin' out in a plastic baggy for the time being (like I've got nothing ELSE to do!).

October 12, 2007

Today, I retrieved Maybe's ashes from her veterinarian. I've had Hey Cat's ashes in a lovely ceramic pot with some of his toys, cards, and bits of hair. Maybe has now joined him and they are together once more.

One cat... or two?

Hey, what's that smell?

October 10, 2007

So, I'm sitting at my desk, talking on the phone and sort of staring out the window, when Uh' Clem catches my eye. He's under the lemon tree with something BIG in his mouth. I'm like, "What IS that?!" Hold the phone, I'll be right back!

I go charging outside to rescue whichever of the two needs rescuing (the cat or his lunch). Turns out it's this really big horn worm! Probably a tomato horn worm. Very colorful, but they can mow down a tomato plant in an evening - seriously! I tried to distract Uh' Clem with treats but he won't have any of that. Fortunately, as the horn worm stops flopping around, Clem loses interest. I'm just glad he didn't haul the thing into the house! Good kitty!


Uh'Clem mesmerized by his horn worm.

And, viola! The horn worm, itself. It really is a lovely green and nice and stripey. Too bad they can be so dang destructive. This one was about four inches long and as large around as my thumb.

October 9, 2007

Yesterday, everyone left. Mom and Dad went back to Truckee. Steve went to Silver City. My kitty is gone to Heaven. I didn't take a picture. I was actually feeling kind of sorry for myself. I did some cleaning and tidying, but nothing really earthshaking. I awoke about 3:30 AM to a loud booming sound and then the power went out. I don't know if someone hit a utility pole or what but it was off for over an hour. I went outside and could see stars (which can be unusual in the heart of the Big City). It was very quiet. I decided to take a hot bath and then I crawled back into bed. Felt kind of foggy this morning.

This is the best I could do. A picture of the basil on the back porch. I LOVE basil. It's one of my favorite herbs. Love to grow it, love the way it smells, and I love to eat it with sundried tomatoes and goat cheese on top of a sourdough baguette. Yummy!