Forgot

Oh, I forgot to tell you that the bear came through last evening.  Gracie was growling all evening, barking and generally acting weird.  My neighbor called after 10 p.m. after she had arrived home to say that the garbages had been tossed, of course it was garbage to the curb night.  Gracie kept the low growl going even after I had closed up the house for the night.

This morning we walked down to get the can and Gracie was shaking and sniffing at everything along the way.  The garbage men did a good job of picking up most of the garbage and about six feet from the cans was a large pile of bear poop, with plastic from the garbage in it.  I went up the hill and got the trailcam's memory card and sure enough it caught the bear coming down the hill about 8:30 p.m., it just caught it from its shoulder back...looks like the same bear to me, but of course no way to really tell.  It would have been nice to see it, they move so quietly for being so big and don't leave any prints...just poo. 

More Bits 8-27

It is retracted.

This ugly creature was rousted out of our grape vine by Gracie the wonder tomato hornworm hunter dog.  She would touch it with her nose and it would swing around which would make her jump.  This must be the inspiration for the caterpillar worm in Alice in Wonderland...give it a little houka to smoke and it is IT.  I didn't know what the heck she was after until I got a long stick and moved the leaves around...my response was EWWWW.  I hadn't seen one this large and I wasn't sure what it was....it wasn't on the tomato plant and the grape vine hadn't been eaten.  Well, the next day Gracie was back at it and she found two more of them.  They must smell or make noise when they wiggle because she knew they were in there.  At least she didn't eat them after she tussled with them for awhile.

These two juvenile golden eagles were being overseen by the parents,
one was soaring so high it was a blip most of the time.

Juvenile golden eagles have those white patches under
their wings.

Last week having breakfast out in the garden I almost missed seeing these guys.  I heard a strange cry and from the direction thought it was some bird in a tree but my inner voice made me look and there they were soaring around just above our big pine trees.  They were playing and practicing their dives and my camera had a hard time getting a bead on them.  They hung out for awhile.  A couple of days later they came through again following a vulture on the thermals.  I had read that the vulture is the best at catching the thermals and that other birds of prey will follow along so it was cool to witness.  They are big, beautiful birds.

Cutie!  This little guy was running all over the
place after bugs.

The hummer is enjoying Larry's tomatoes.

The weather has been perfect!  Loving it a lot !

Trailcam 8-26

I am going to try this, multiple posts so I can get caught up.  When I get overwhelmed and over think it, then waste time composing in my head, it just gets so big, or I just cut out stuff.

Just a pair of twins from our local does this year.

This month was baby out in the world month on the trailcam.  Plus a couple of other interesting characters.

Here's Mama Racoon and five babes

Fox and kit

Fox doing its business.

Me collecting turkey feathers with Gracie

A quick hello 8-25

Every day I think about posting a blog and I run out of time or inclination.  It has been two weeks today since Gracie came to live here and the same since Larry left.  He is on a different fire now up south of McCloud.  It is in an area with little access and they foresee it getting quite large before they can get a handle on it, which translates into days and maybe another week or two before Larry gets released.  It could all change in a heartbeat and largely depends on the weather and resources available.  He met up with a bear on the road in his first night...the silly bear kept veering towards him and hit the side of the trailer and there were bear sightings at the helibase this evening.


I've been entertained by weird worms, golden eagles, hawks and hummingbirds.  I have to get the pictures edited and posted on here...hopefully tomorrow.  Gracie has been great company and is meshing in nicely.  Her only bad trait is she LOVES rubbing her body all over the carpet...well you can imagine how the carpet will look after several months of that, in spite of doggie baths and rinsings.  I guess I better check out some carpet steamers.

The weather has finally cooled down, first into the low 90's and the next several days into the high 80's...love it.  So I am off for my beauty rest.  Hello, good night and all is right in our world.

Today's dinner, just so pretty I had to take a picture.
The tomatoes and zucchini are from my garden.

Gracie and the Garden 8-16

This bright hooded oriole stopped by for a sugar drink.
It was taken through the screen so fuzzy looking.

Gracie and I have been having a good time.  She is a very smart dog.  She needs training for the basics but when we were out in the car by the third time getting home she knew where we were.  She isn't a yappy barker.  She chased the deer from inside the garden fence and never barked, but she's so quick she certainly made them scatter, they looked back at her wondering where the heck she came from.  She doesn't chase the birds either, which makes me happy because I like to sit out in the garden and watch them in the birdbaths and eating the seed off of the flowers.  She is a little digger which will be a problem, but she knows what no means.  It just takes time.  Today we had our first pee in the house...we had just come inside, but she was to busy watching everything to do her business apparently, at least it was in the bathroom, easy cleanup.

I had a very quiet birthday.  I was learning my way around my gift from my Sweetie...a Kindle Fire, so that kept me busy much of the day after I returned from my morning pilates class.  Yes I went on my birthday, what better gift could I give to myself but the gift of fitness...made ya gag didn't I !!!   Tee hee!  I had started the day with a stiff neck so I didn't feel like going anywhere.  I made myself one of those microwave chocolate cakes in a coffee mug...YUMMY...Happy Birthday to me!

It has been in the 100's all week and the nights wouldn't cool down below 75...yucky.  Last night was cooler though and today didn't get as hot.  There are fires all over the place and they have gotten huge quickly, so I may not see Larry until winter...unless I go crash with him wherever he is.  Helicopter bases are not very relaxing places to hang out...

Tomorrow we go for Gracie's heartworm test...seems weird that the vet I got her from didn't do that...it couldn't have cost as much as the spaying they did to her and her shots. Oh, well, she was cheaper then if I had gotten her at a shelter, so I will not complain any more.  I'll get her micro chipped next month I think.

That is all for us.

My yummy cake.

This bad squirrel was in the garden this
morning, and Gracie ran it up the tree.

She was soaking up the sun while I was having my breakfast.

Looks like she is smelling the flowers, but she is
checking out the buzzing bees.

From a couple of nights ago.

FINALLY, 49 YEARS TO LATE!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/prison-officials-say-onion-field-cop-killer-gregory-powell-has-died-in-a-california-prison/2012/08/13/c44dfa82-e566-11e1-9739-eef99c5fb285_story.html

Another Honor for Dad 8-11

Awhile back Glynn Martin and Cliff Armas came up with the idea of memorializing the location of my Dad's beginning of his end.  Where my Dad Ian and his partner Hettinger made the stop and where they were kidnapped from.  Glynn was tired of always hearing about Powell and Smith in the news, so though the articles about this honorable event make it sound like the local county Supervisors did this, I am here to tell you otherwise.  They were part of the machine that needed greasing to get the signs posted on city streets and of course had to be center stage, but that is the way of things.  I was supposed to say a few words but the supervisor never gave me a chance...rude of him.  I didn't have much to say, but I was robbed I tell ya!


It was a very nice presentation made special by Captain Girmala being there, we like her a lot, the playing of Amazing Grace by the LA Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums and the attendance of the current officers of the unit (wrong word but you get the idea) my Dad was in.  They stood in two rows at attention through out the presentation.  The Captain gave me an opportunity to meet the officers and I went down both rows shaking each officers hand and giving them my thanks.  Such an honor for me to be able to make contact with some of LAPD's warriors and know that most were genuinely glad to be there.  Cliff was one of the pipers which is always special and along with the sign, Glynn graced me with a lovely bouquet of red roses.

James Ellroy gave a moving tribute to my Dad and Larry and I enjoyed meeting and talking with the author before the ceremony.

At the end of this post I'll put in a couple of links to articles that had pictures.

Glynn had wanted this to happen earlier in the year, and even earlier in the day, but at least it happened.  Larry and I weren't sure we were going to be able to make it with fire season taking off this year.  He was still here on Wednesday and after getting a revised time of the ceremony from Cliff it lit a fire under us and we decided to go.  

Of course old Murphy jumped in and Larry's  trailer did get requested to the fire up in Lassen Park, so I contemplated making the drive by myself, but Larry really wanted to go too, so he and his boss came up with a plan.  Larry drove out of here after 5 P.M. taking his trailer up to Quincy, dropping it with the boss man and then driving home...he was back by midnight.  Thursday morning we were on the road by 8 a.m. for L.A.  We took the truck which is more comfortable for the long hauls then the caddie.

Cliff was gracious enough to have us stay with him...he was home alone...the wife and son were busy elsewhere.  We got to his place about 5:30 and after he got home from work he took us to a mexican restaurant in Placentia that was THE BEST ever mexican food we have had anywhere...even Mexico!  I love enchiladas verde and the tomatilla sauce was home made as was everything we ate and made well and tasty!!!  YUM.

Thursday morning we were able to relax and catch up with Cliff and then we followed him to the location of the ceremony...which made it nice for us...just follow through the traffic and interchanges...the route and stress was all on him. :)  

We were heading out of Hollywood at 2:30 for home.  Horrible traffic until Santa Clarita and then again south of Buttonwillow...road construction there and it took about 5 miles of crawling to get two lanes down to one moving lane and boy howdie was it HOT out there. We saw 112 degrees while moving and when we were stopped, the heat from the roadway drove it up to 124...  What a difference a few decades make in car design, no one we saw overheated...it is never an issue for our truck.  

We hadn't eaten since breakfast with Cliff (except for a nut bar from our stash in the truck before the presentation) and didn't want to stop until we got through the traffic issues so it was 5 p.m. before we ate anything.  We stopped at Denny's in Buttonwillow and actually had a pretty decent meal and ordered and served in a timely manner.  Good thing because we still had a LONG way to go and a short time to get there...not really, a short time, but that song always comes to mind when we say we have a long way to go.  Good ole Jerry Reed.

We stopped in Rio Vista for more sustenance, I wanted a BK mocha frappe...yummy, and also fuel for the truck and home bound again.  At 10:48 in Roseville it was still 86 degrees.  Our house being closed up was 90 inside...we opened all the windows AND flipped on the A/C while getting everything in, unpacked and ourselves showered and ready for bed.  I can't remember when we hit the feathers...12:30, 1:00 or somewhere thereabouts.

Us crazy kids!  Larry had to hit the road then this morning to get to work...woo hoo!  Momma needs a new pair of IKEA bookcases...hahahaha!


















THEN, today I got to meet my new friend, a rescue dog that I saw one of my Facebook friends had posted that was ready for adoption from the Animal hospital.  When I saw that face I just thought...there is my dog!  She was being fostered by a local Vet.  She being a 2 year old Chihuahua/Jack Russel terrier mix that someone had thrown from a moving car (the witness picked her up and took her to the animal hospital) and the picture I saw of her she had all four feet/legs bandaged up.  But she has been spayed, is in good health, has no bandages, is healed except she is still short a few toenails...hell of a way to get her nails cut...and the doctor and staff loved her to death so I knew I had a winner.  

She doesn't appear to have any horrible habits and has a cute personality so after going to the store to get doggie stuff I brought her home.  We are doing great together and she'll be bonded to me and settle in before Larry gets home, whenever that will be, and then she'll get used to him...and he to her as far as that goes.  She is really smart so with some training she is going to be a great friend.  She is just under ten pounds and not a yippy, whiny yapper.

It is hotter then crap here today....100's so we have taken quick little walks...I worry about her paws burning.  Oh, after some thought over names, my best friend Mary's husband saw the dogs picture I had emailed Mary while I was talking to her on the phone and he said, look Reina...la reina, the queen.  Which fit because I had thought earlier that she was going to be Queen of her domain once she settles in.  My sister suggested Roadie, because she was almost road kill...jeez...when she said roadie I thought Rhodie, like the shrub/flower.  We went over some more names and we came up with Grace or Gracie...which I may like more then Reina...so we'll see.  Maybe I'll just name her Spot.

http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/city-officials-gather-to-honor-officer-ian-campbell#photo-10977317
and from the L.A. Times:
http://soc.li/y794qKO

Garden Pics...mostly 8-4

echinacea, purple cone flower

The boys are back home.  Michelle's family went home Sunday and Ian went home on Monday.  Larry returned home early Monday afternoon, he had left on Thursday afternoon for a fire.  It was just me and the two boys for over 24 hours until Michelle and Darel showed up late Friday night...wow, I was exhausted, I missed my ...I was trying to come up with some witty sports player word and came up with nothing...so I missed Larry being here to help and referee, ah there's one.

double delight roses

The flower garden peaked a week or so ago.  Everything that could be was in bloom.  Now the gladiolus are done for the season, but the roses are going into their second flush of the season, I will get another one towards the end of September.  There is still no lack of color for sure.


The plums were a trial, they were all ripening while the boys were here and the honeybees were on the split plums like it was their crack.  That tree sounded like a hive. I would roll all the plums on the ground into a pile and then we would scoop them up to get them out of there...they would be covered in bees and the bees don't just leave, they hang around looking, looking.  Picking was a challenge too, you had to be really careful you didn't grab one that a bird had pecked and opened so the bees would be on it.  We finally got tired of giving the tree a wide berth and worried about the boys getting stung, so we pulled off every last plum we could find so the bees would leave...and then it took a day before they quit looking.

lavender Simplicity roses

The two weeks with the boys went by so very fast!  It was far easier for me this time...due totally to getting in shape with my Pilates classes the last seven months...what an enormous difference!  It sucked feeling so old the last couple of years...I'm getting my mojo back now.

That is where we sit in the shade of the huge asian pear tree having our breakfast.

 These last pictures are some that Ian took.  He took quite a few good ones which I'll post later after I go through them all.

Ian of course :)

Me sans any make-up ready for bed, thanks Ian, at least
the wash of the flash hid stuff...haha.

Larry, he always looks good!  Yum...tee hee.