Our Tele-seedling 2-28

Hmmm, maybe if we water this it will grow?  Our four year old, last of the boxy picture tube type TV's died on us a few days ago.  Larry brought in our TV from the trailer...it is 22".  After a lot of research Larry has made a choice on the replacement, I'll keep you posted.


One of these days I will remember to take my camera to Pilates.  Trying to describe some of the stuff we do on the reformer would be too confusing.  It is hard enough to figure out when the instructor talks us through the steps and we are seeing what she is doing.  It is like...you want us to turn and put our bodies where?  Our feet in the straps?  Tummy in, pelvis level, shoulders down, hands and feet relaxed, breath in, tighten the glutes and push what where?  It is getting easier, even while it is getting harder...


We were really cold, windy and cloudy today...no snow and hopefully it stays that way.


The clouds were really pretty yesterday.

Finished this last night for a friend.

Jeez, Another Week Gone 2-27

Here I am again with another week gone before posting.  We had good weather up until yesterday and now winter has decided to raise its chilly, wet head.  We don't want a repeat of last year...snow on the fruit tree blooms, which resulted in not a single plum.


Larry got all the rest of the rose bushes' wells dug out and mulched.  They are very happy and vigorous, I am looking forward to lots of stunning blooms this year.  I won't have to be so stingy cutting them to bring them inside.

My Pilates is going well.  I am making great progress as long as the old bod cooperates.  I was really sore last week, but not necessarily from the exercise...who knows, it could have been something I ate or the way the planets were lined up.  I am getting stronger and really noticing how we sink into our pelvis's if we don't have a strong core...meaning tummy muscles.  Without a strong foundation so many alignment problems arise and we use the incorrect muscles to propel our frame through the day and create pain.  I am just hoping that I will maintain this path throughout the rest of my life because I can clearly feel and see a difference.


This past week I have been really busy with getting ready to get back into doing professional massage therapy again.  I've had two invitations of locations from two different people in the past year.  I wasn't really sure if I wanted to go back into business, but the second offer will take me in a better direction.  I still have my portable table, but had to get sheets, towels, oils, business cards etc.  I am looking forward to providing healing to people again.  I will be working in a peaceful, controlled private location.  This will be the first time since becoming a massage therapist that I won't be maintaining a "public location".  I won't be decorating and maintaining anything.  I will have to transport, set up and break down each day, but as I won't be doing it 5 days a week it shouldn't be too bad, it will be very part time.

Tulips peaking out, dutch iris already tall.

So that is about it for us this week.  I'm guessing it'll be another week before I get back here.  I thought I would post some pictures of the garden in its breaking out of winter state.  Watching these rose bushes leaf out is exciting...see, doesn't take much to thrill me. :P

This kumquat was here, we don't do anything with the fruit and I was going to have Larry
dig it out and put it in a pot so I could "bonsai" it.  But we decided to try
pruning it in place for now and see how it likes that.

It was shading and restricting the growth of
one of my rose bushes, so I flattened it out with
some heavy pruning.

This is Tuscan Sun

This plum tree is loaded with millions of buds.

We hope it gets to bloom out completely this year.

Yard Work

Yesterday we got started on reworking the wells around the rose bushes.  We only got about thirteen done, we are making them larger so I'll have an easier time caring for them and we are putting a thick mulch layer under them to keep the weeds down and insulate them through the heat of the summer.  We didn't get nearly enough mulch so back to the store.  


Today was kind of a lazy day, but I did get the pansies and primroses planted, just a few  bright spots scattered around make such a huge difference.


Tomorrow I start month two of pilates, I am amazed at the healing, strength, and flexibility I have already.

This is the before, how the roses look now.

This is the after.  They are going to be fabulous
this year, strong canes and strong sprouts.

Shots of the garden tidied up and waiting the growing season.

My latest struggle with watercolor.  A friend inked
the rooster, I painted the rooster and then decided
he needed a background, he looked lonely on the white paper.

Cold & Cloudy 2-18

Time is sliding by again.  Valentines Day was lovely in spite of the cloudy cold weather. Pilates, red roses and a lovely dinner in Auburn.  


Yesterday we drove to Rodeo for the memorial of an old friend and a volunteer fireman for 30 years where Larry used to work.  We left a little early because you never know if there will be an accident or something to slow ya down.  The fruit trees are blooming and the orchards were just getting started, it was a beautiful drive.  The fire department gave a Bob a traditional firemen's send off and I thought I might get through this service easily as I didn't have an emotional attachment to the family.  HA.  They had a bagpiper....ah, dang it.  As he inflated the bag I thought it is just a song, just a beautiful song...well, F.  About five notes into Amazing Grace the emotions started welling up and as I didn't want to start blubbering like a baby I just sat there turning red and breaking out in hives and trying to breathe through it.  I guess it will just always get me.


It was wonderful to see so many old friends that we hadn't seen in thirty or more years...some were more recent but still the time could be counted in decades.  We drove through the old home town and the "old" road to Crockett for the luncheon afterwards past our high school.  Lots of memories there for us high school sweethearts.  It is nice to see that Crockett is looking a little shinier.  C&H is still chugging along and it is all overlooked by the big newer span of the Carquinez Bridge.  It was a sad occasion and so many of the people we knew we must know but THEY had gotten older and it took someone telling us who they were before we recognized them.  So enough about all that.  The drive home took an extra hour with the holiday traffic heading up to the mountains...

One of the first flowers on our plum tree today.

Today was pilates again with yoga thrown in, Larry hiked and then we just did whatever we do for the rest of the day.  I would have liked to work in the yard but it was just too cold.  Our fruit trees are just starting to open their flowers and the daffodils are starting to bloom by the house.

New shoots on the white clematis vine.

These are awaiting better weather so I can plant them.
I don't know why this looks so blurry here.

Larry and his loquat tree, we have to get
fencing to protect it from the deer
and then we'll get it planted.

Clouds, Sun & Rain 2-13

Not much going on here since Friday.  Saturday and Sunday we did some yard work and then last night the rains came and now it is cold, cloudy and drippy.

Oh, I forgot to mention that after waiting a year we finally have Larry's Loquat tree.  The nursery didn't have any last spring and the couldn't get any in from anywhere.  Week before last we got a call that they found some and last week we went and picked it up along with mulch for the roses and some compost for the large flower bed.  So that is about it for us.

Nature Day 2-10

Boy are the creatures in the wild kingdom getting into the "spring" of things.  The turkeys hung around out here all day and the males were putting on quite a show.  I was doing my exercises and kept getting distracted by a different bird song or seeing a fanned out turkey tail through the window and wanting to hurry up so I could get outside.

I snuck around the house to get these pictures of the turkeys and then after getting back onto the deck I was watching the birds crazy gyrations and off across the way I saw a fox go by but the turkeys didn't seem to be concerned.

The skunk carcass was still in the same place and when the buzzards got started on it again the smell sac caused the air to reek again.  Larry went out with the shovel and moved it across the creek where it wouldn't smell anyone out and where the buzzards could snack uninterrupted by traffic and people.  The buzzards found it again quickly enough.  Now Larry's shovel smells skunky.

After Larry returned from his walk I was watching the turkeys and trying to get a picture as they crossed the hill above the house when Larry spotted another fox coming across the hill above the turkeys.  It was a big one with a huge tail.  It stopped and looked at us, and the turkeys en mass all started heading towards the fox...the opposite of what we expected to happen.  They will take off flying if a coyote comes through but they apparently feel they can gang up on the smaller fox.






It slowly clouded up during the afternoon and by early evening it started raining and even poured a few times.  The last storm last week we kept hearing drenching rains coming and we got drizzle and today there was nothing predicted and we had downpours.  I am hoping it washed away that nasty skunk smell.

On Larry's hike today he discovered this deer carcass when the buzzards took off.  He is being very cautious on his hikes.  A couple weeks ago our neighbors were riding their horses along one of the trails and they saw a mama bear and three cubs...about a mile and a half from here as the crow flies.  Larry is a little reluctant to hike through there by himself right now.  If he does he makes lots of noise so he doesn't surprise a protective mother.  Larry has also seen that the snakes are coming out too.  Winter is apparently over and does not care what the ground hog predicted.

This squirrel seems to be wondering what we are looking at!

Skunkilicious 2-8

Today was warm, nearly 70 but there was a coolish breeze that would keep it from being balmy.  I had another wonderful Pilates session, I am getting stronger but am still challenged by this stubborn leg...oh yeah, patience, it has only been a short time.

While I was gone Larry had been tidying up the yard and doing some spraying.  He noticed a skunk smell and started keeping his eyes peeled for the smelly creature.  He soon spotted it and noticed that it appeared injured and near death.  After I got home and he told me about it we saw it start to come across the road which we didn't want...we were concerned it would get under the deck or in the culvert and die and then would get really smelly.  It wasn't long before we saw a buzzard swoop through for a look at the afternoon's menu.  The buzzard landed and sat with wings out and studied the situation and decided that dinner was still a little too lively.

A lot of people find the buzzard offensive but they provide a very necessary service, they eat the freshly dead and we welcomed that so we didn't have to smell decaying carcass.  We learn so much here in our wild kingdom just by watching what goes on.  The buzzard waited until death took the skunk, and boy howdy do you know when the skunk died...the smell sac in its tail releases that lovely smell.  So much for having the windows open on the house.  We ran inside and closed everything up quick!  The buzzard landed a few yards from the skunk body and slowly walked its way up watching for any signs of life.  When it was sure its meal was ready it started in.  We couldn't see too much because the skunk was down in a bit of a ditch, but it pulled and rolled the body around to get it where it wanted it.  They drag the carcass around but they never carry it off as a hawk or eagle would do.  After an hour another buzzard showed up and after a bit of a discussion the first buzzard flew off and the second had its meal.

I walked to the mail box and felt like I was walking in a cartoon with the buzzards hanging out on the branches and one scared me when I heard its wings as it settled above me on a telephone pole.  I wasn't afraid, but it startled me being that close.

Larry put our motion camera pointing on the skunk carcass so we can see what else comes along to help with the clean up.

We had a pretty sunset this evening.

Bluebird of Happiness 2-7

It was a drizzly, cloudy day today.  This morning we had the bluebirds in the bird bath and zooming around like they do.  Every once in awhile one will sit on a branch or a fence post for longer than two seconds, but I either don't have my camera or they don't sit with their back to me....they have the bluest of the blue backs and wings...well the males do, as with most bird species the females are duller.  I dashed off for my camera and took these with my telephoto and through our double pane windows which is why they aren't as sharp as they should be.










I had another wonderful Pilates workout.  It is low impact, entails a lot of focus and concentration on form and breath and using the proper muscles while leaving all the rest still and the bones of my frame still.  You can do Pilates way into your elder years and many with major injuries are able to do some form of Pilates, people that have had knee or hip replacements, gunshot wounds and back surgeries just to name a few are able to get strong again after their doctor recommended healing times of course.  I am really amazed with my results already.  Now I just have to get busy building my cardio...I want to get a recumbent stationary bike soon, it is easy on my hips, so speak up if any of you have one collecting clothes and dust.

Happy Monday 2-6

This is blog posting 1,189 since I started this blog in June of 2006 as a way to show interested friends and family where we were and what we had been seeing in photos while traveling the country.  I am contemplating retiring the blog.  Right now I am just thinking about it and I may just restrict it to the people that are interested and block it from the general public.  If you are one of the few that get it in your email and do not want to any longer, would rather just go check out the blog when you feel like it, let me know and I'll drop you off the email list.  If I set it up to be members only you will just have an extra step where you'll have to sign in before reading.  I enjoy sharing my photos, but realize many of you may not care about what is important to me and I understand completely.


Here in northern California spring is springing.  Trees  are starting to bloom and early bulbs and mustard are blooming.  The birds have been really busy with their courting rituals singing up a storm.  It can get pretty noisy with all the bird song and twittering.  I saw a hawk go by with a big stick for its nest, the geese are noisily "chasing" each other around and the weeds are growing :( 


I was out pulling weeds from the flower beds today and while taking a break this pretty red fan of baby rose leaves caught my eye which got me started taking pictures of the rose bushes in their spring sprouting stage.  I also just finished another special order infinity scarf in school colors which turned out really nice.  I have been enjoying my Pilates classes and Larry has been hiking and mapping the trails with his GPS.  He has them all figured out and has found starting points for me so I don't have to go so far to get out to see new areas.  I don't mind hiking a few miles, but don't want to do 5-10 miles like Larry seems to find himself doing a lot.  The days are getting longer and we are enjoying this drier spring a lot.

Look at those wicked thorns!

Black sparkly scarf.

The little red "fan" that caught my eye.

Blue and Gold sparkly

Happy Today! 2-1

The past week slipped by without much happening worth mentioning here.  I have been doing my Pilates classes and loving the work, learning about my body mechanics and healing...woo hoo.  


We had a little drip of rain last night but it has been mostly sunny and pleasant.  My rose bushes are starting to bud out...seems awfully early, but I still haven't adjusted to gardening where spring comes before May, which is when we would finally see it when we lived in the mountains.


I have been working on a couple of special order custom infinity scarves, one down, on its way to its new home and one working up quite beautifully.  I'll post pictures after the recipients have gotten to see them first.


I'm not feeling very wordy tonight, I tried to blog yesterday but we were having internet server difficulties, but I thought I had better get something posted before Uncle Gene starts hounding me...kiss, kiss.

“What day is it,?" asked Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.”