Daily observations of my simple life.

Weather:

I'm always amazed at the weather here. It's monsoon time and the news said big storm was coming. Outside it was hot but pleasant, no storm in sight. An hour later, what a difference, lightning and thunder, rain begins. Forwarned but unprepared I see a hen trying to get back in the chicken house and I think of the chicks I have put out in an old bathtub full of dirt.  I'm watching the lost dog out in the horse pasture looking anxious as the thunder rumbles and lightning strikes. She has made her home by the water trough in an old packing crate where Luchia, my peahen and her chicks lived last year. Yes, I now feed her and she continues to look longingly at me like, " be my friend".  I feel sad for her because I see she is afraid and anxious but we are only getting acquainted so I let the sadness be.  I think about the chicks and decide an old ice chest set on it's side in the bathtub will provide shelter from the storm for them and head out the door just as the rain pelts down. Soon soaked to the skin I grab the ice chest and cross the now muddy field to set up the shelter for the chicks. I open the chicken house door and let the hen in.  All secured, I head back for the house now dripping  and look out at the pasture at Sage and Cheriki.  Nothing I can do for them, they can choose shelter but seldom do, prefering to stand against the rain in the field. The lost dog is now in her crate house hiding from the rain.

Inside the house the lights go off , lighting strikes close and thunder makes me jump,Manna is under my bed. Rain pelts down with huge drops and the property looks like a lake.  Still after dark the lighting lights up the courtyard and rain drowns the earth. I dream of drowned chicks, and scared dogs and horses and burros who should be locked in a secure barn through storms, in a restless sleep. 

Next morning wet and clear I go out to view the surroundings.  Glad for the rain, the trees look happy, I walk to check the chicks sure they may have drowned but they are happy and comfortable in their icechest shelter. All is fine and the dog survived. I took her some milk bones and spoke to her, she looks up at me with sad and longing eyes. I am touched sure now that she must have been dropped off in the desert by some uncaring owner and wondering if the pups died. She is not pretty but she is polite and when frightened tucks her tail between her legs but she actually smiled at me and wagged her tail yesterday and when I went into the garage to feed the cats she followed me. My dog Manna is not welcoming her and she politely does not challenge but I can see in her eyes she wants a human friend.

Sage and Cheriki call me and we do hugs and scratches and I go in for carrots. The storm is past and all is quiet and cool again. 

Posted by: cactusandquail at 17:57 | link | comments (2)

Little Red Truck:

I was working in San Jose, California at the time, driving my good and fairly new white Subaru. I decided to check out the Toyota dealership one day at lunch time and walked out without my paid for white Subaru and with a red kingcab Toyota pickup truck and of course payments. That was 1991, it was a good truck, and saw me through a lot of memories.  It had about 250,000 miles on it. No major work but several starters for some reason. One day last Spring I was watering my trees with a load of water on board, driving from tree to tree. I stopped to water a tree and couldn't start it again. So there it sat, month after month, put in a new starter, had it looked at by several shade tree mechanics. Finally I called a mechanic who came out and told me it was the timing belt. He said he'd probably be able to do it for $1000.  I wasn't expecting that and not too sure if I was being lied to. So last week I stopped at a shop where I had watched who I thought was the owner do business. I was very impressed as this man spent 45 minutes helping a poor couple who had very little money diagnose their auto problem for free. Honest man, I thought, I'll do business here. I stopped in, he wasn't there but I asked the man behind the counter if they towed.  He said they would and I gave them my address.  When I got home from town the little red truck was gone. I called a couple days later and was told the timing belt went out and it would cost $2000. or more. I asked if I could sleep on it. I talked to my daughter and son-in-law and they sugested I put in a rebuilt engine instead of just a timing belt.  It was thought that would be comparable labor wise. So I called the shop and was told that would be about $3500.

More over night let's sleep on this. Next day I had decided. I would not put any more money in the truck, I didn't need it.  I put an ad on the Bargains spot and a gentleman called, we made a deal and he'll keep it and fix it. Tomorrow morning I'll go in and finish it all up.  Bye little red truck. 

Posted by: cactusandquail at 01:30 | link | comments (1)

Morning

It's my favorite time of day. I roll out of bed in the half light, put in a cup of water to heat, run to the bathroom and then coffees ready to go out and sit on the front porch drinking my morning cup watching the colors in the sky change, the mountains take on many colors and creatures are busy stirring. This morning Cheriki comes in early for her morning hay. I walk over and give her a flake, check the chickens, go to the garage and feed the cats.  Puff has already been out following me while I take care of the horse and chickens. At the garage door Tangerine curls waiting for the morning feed.  He follows me in the garage and the new cat who arrived to have her kittens peeks out from behind a shelf.

I hardly got my coffee this morning but it's time to get on with it. I know full well the heat of the day will soon be on me. I rake out the chicken house, then get the shovel and work awhile sliding it under weeds severing them at the roots. As a sweat comes on I stop and make sure all plants are watered and the animals have fresh water. Sage has come in from pasture so I toss her a flake of hay too. She is adjusting to the foot trim. It was an adventure, she managed to get out of her small pen twice and undo the rope. Sunday evening I got her in just before the shoe'er came out.  I'm grateful I've found someone who will work with her. She was actually quit good considering she's never had her feet trimmed before. We got a halter on her and after the trimming he worked with her a bit to teach her the beginnings of rope leading. Yes, I'm grateful to have someone help me. I asked what it cost. He said $ 35.00.  I gave him $50.  He came out on an extremely hot day and worked for an hour on an animal that most shoe'ers wouldn't even consider. He's worth his pay.

My days are cut into bits. I spend time in the house and then time outdoors to keep from getting over heated. It's breezey and cooler today, still hot but not so hot. My freshly laundered clothes blow in the wind. A stray pit bull who looks as though she just had pups has been hanging around. She hops in the horse trough to cool off and then lies in a wooden box for shelter. I wonder if she was dropped off. I have been noticing all the dry cat food is eaten in the mornings and wonder if that is what is feeding her. She is polite, keeps her distance but watches me as though she's wishing for a home. Sigh. A stray momma cat, a stray momma dog and the population grows.

Posted by: cactusandquail at 23:10 | link | comments (2)

Contentment

I sat out on the front porch in the warm evening breeze and ate my bowl of brown rice and butter. It's quiet, the full moon is rising and I feel content. I've come to terms with the new mobiles surrounding me, course no ones moved in yet. I love it here. Earlier I had walked down to the back wash and was relieved to find the last rain had washed away all the atv tracks. I felt in possesion again and a couple of burrowing owls flew up as I walked at dusk. Happy to see them and happy that they have stopped mister big developer from moving forward. Yes, the burrowing owls must be moved before the development can go forward. They can come stay at my property. I love them.

Early this morning I sat out on the back porch and again enjoyed the warm breezes. Bunnies chased each other and mom and pop quail escorted a string of little ones across the field. A cactus wren was busily building a nest in the cross post of my new back porch.

After the morning coffee routine I went out to the pasture and began working with Sage and Cheriki. I go out now with a rope hanging from around my neck so they will get used to it. I set up a small enclosure by the barn which I will close once Sage is comfortable with it and goes in un afraid. She needs her feet trimmed so I must have the shoer out. Most don't want to do burro's so I have had a hard time finding someone. Still not sure if the fellow I called earlier this week will show up. I put the rope on Sages back and around her neck while I was brushing her. She was not afraid. Eventually I will tie it around her neck so the shoer will be able to work with her. It will be a big event, I'm sure.

I have one hen and her chick running loose. She snuck into the garage and sat on her eggs till she hatched out this one chick and then left the other eggs. Undetected she reapeared with her lone chick. I have 5 hens setting in the chicken house but it seems as though they should have hatched out some chicks by now. One hen keeps moving to different nests as soon as she sees some eggs. I think she has been setting for almost two months. There are three hens setting in one nest . It must be hot in there.  I have cactus blooming too, so beautiful, like lovely water lilies. Yes, I am content.

Posted by: cactusandquail at 21:48 | link | comments (4)

Awakened:

I rolled over from my sleep after a difficult night. I was up and down a good part of the night. Through sleepy eyes I see a shadow at the window, the shadow of a horse. There stood Cheriki and Sage looking in the window watching me sleep. The front gate was open they could have gone off to the mountains but no, they wanted to be close to me. Two wild creatures now part of my family.  I crawled out of bed and walked out to greet them and remembered last year when they joined me on the back porch for coffee. I would enjoy that but they are so hard on my trees. I walked over to their corral and put out the hay, opened the gate and found the place where they had moved a panel to get  out. I headed to the front of the property to close the gate and they went right back in their corral. They are endearing.

It has been a busy move into summer. I have had to go to California 3 times in a month. First I went with my daughter for a visit, then my father died the following week, finally this past week my son had another operation. Dispite the circumstances I had good trips and saw family and some beautiful places. Home again ,work has finally closed on the new front and back porches, and pergula. The house has been painted and it's becoming a quiet oasis.  Pleasant.

My son is doing very well. My father was 93 and lived a full life and life is peaceful.  

Posted by: cactusandquail at 05:54 | link | comments (2)