From My House To Yours

The day after it sprinkled.

What a beautiful morning - the day after we had cool temps and sprinkles.

The sprinkles of July 27, 2021. We never received more than just that. It was all day though and the air cleared out and it smelled so fresh and nice.

The fish enjoyed the sprinkles.

Their names are Sharkie, Gil, Fin, Corona, Casper, and Flo.

The first bloom - water hyacinth

It usually starts blooming in June but perhaps it was too hot or the smoke just delayed it. We're happy to see them starting to bloom.

With the drought, just about everything is bloomed out or just dead.

Drought

The sunflowers grew to over 12 feet tall so I had to stake them using my dad's old paint ladder that I painted last year.

My garden was a bust this summer - drought conditions made it to where we just did not plant what I usually plant so as not to waste any water. Then again, is it a waste to water plants that bring joy to your life?

I still couldn't justify it especially when my friend lives in an unincorporated area that is in a severe water shortage due to poor management and her community is having to purchase water from my town.

We maintain what we have; training the lawn and the plants to drink less and so far they are surviving. Fortunately, most of our plants are drought lovers -

I've been a bit down this summer because I am not gardening like I should be.

This little sunflower broke off so I brought it inside and placed it in a vase and put the vase inside a pot that belonged to my niece. My cat likes to knock my flowers over and this way, it made it a bit harder for her.

I'll be glad when it's Autumn and we get some rain.

July 1

I took these photos at 6:30 am this morning.

They love the dry heat.

The rest of my plants seem to be drying out -

we're at a 25% voluntary water reduction due to the drought.

Taller than the roof

Some people are creeped out by sunflowers.

Is it because they can get as tall as the roof? (or taller?)

Was there a horror movie about giant-eating sunflowers taking over the earth?

I love to get photos of them just before they bloom.

Watch out, or they may just suck you in...

How could anyone, not enjoy an innocent sunflower?

Free Weeds

I want this!

Bees and Sunflowers

What can I say that I haven't already said - I LOVE SUNFLOWERS and every summer, they just get more beautiful and bring me so much pleasure.

Do you see the bee and the lower right?

This particular sunflower grows in bunches - not as tall as the mammoth but doesn't fail to please when it blooms.

These orange lilies are so bright and festive in the sun.

Unfortunately, our 110+ temps are starting to dry out the flowers.

Another bee on the upper right-hand side of the sunflower.

It's just too hot to be out in the yard. Supposed to hit the 120's next week.

I hope they are wrong.

From the backyard: Fruit and some nuts

The Agapanthus - around town are blooming. I have white ones that haven't bloomed yet. Just the little bulbs are showing. Supposed to get real hot, the next week - up to 111. Things will start popping then!

We have almonds - they look really big from this photo

And the figs are coming in.

I don't believe we will get any grapes this year - we had an insect infestation last summer and my husband drastically cut them down. They are slow to vine out this year. Usually, by this time we have little baby grapes.

Backyard flowers 2021

The very first of my sunflowers. I didn't even have to plant this one. A good bunch of them came up on their own.

This is a dusty miller that has gone to seed/flower. Beautiful.

Grows wild in my yard because I don't cut them back too often.

I want to see their beautiful flowers.

Orange Iris, comes up every year.

This is a Pomegranate blossom. I don't know how I did this but the photo looks almost fake. I assure you it was the angle on the sun. Beautiful peach color. Soon they will turn into fruit.

My nasturtiums are not doing well this year.

The hot pink oleanders

These are actually red oleanders.

My sisters favorite flower - Gerbera Daisies

Even the fish are waiting for their water lily to bloom.

We've had one bloom already.

A dusty miller without flower. I love to place them around the garden for a different color. They are beautiful year-round.

My spent lavender - I didn't get out there soon enough to harvest them.

They'll bloom at least once more.

My Oleanders

June is the best month for oleander blooms.

They love the heat. They are native to the Mediterranean and California is perfect for oleanders since we have a Mediterranean climate. They practically grow wild here. I have a neighbor who has oleanders that are 20 ft + all in white blossoms.

I wasn't aware that they grow in other parts of the country as well - they are drought resistant and are very hardy. People even pot them and grow them inside, provided you have no children or pets because they are toxic.

They can be messy - they do some shedding of their seed pods and it's like brownish fur.

With our 109 heat this past week, they are flourishing.

REFI - UPDATE

We close on Monday the 14th. We got out a little extra money to add to our savings to buy a new vehicle so that hopefully we will not have to finance it. We really need a vehicle that is reliable. We'll keep the old van, for hauling and camping.

13 years in our home today

Last week we decided it was time to refi our house. My son had been bugging me about it and I knew it was time. So we applied - got in all the documents needed and Monday the appraiser comes. We locked in a low percentage rate of 2.5%. We are saving approximately $350 a month. Now we are in a better position to make double payments. Already the interest rate for Re-fi's has jumped up to 2.78%.

We'll be here till we die.

My sister and I inherited the place from my mom after she passed. It was paid off. My sister wanted to sell but I liked it so we bought my sister out. I've never regretted it.

We've done a lot to make it ours. We've installed wood floors -

done our share of painting.

I painted the cabinets and redid the kitchen to be retro. All new appliances. Now we have wood countertops.

New carpet in the living area and 1 bedroom.

Installed a new HVAC, new roof, and new windows in the whole house. We had a garden window installed in the kitchen for the cat.

New washer and dryer.

Last summer, we extended the patio and made a small garden area for my sunflowers.

Planted a lot of trees and plants

Each spring my California poppies bloom in a big vibrant way.

A beautiful red flower that comes back every year.

Spring Iris

One can never have too many sunflowers

Last summer's morning glories.

My dad planted this cedar tree when they first moved here.

It's now the vocal point of our front yard.

And to think we are not done.

We do have the costly stuff out of the way and if we didn't do anything else, it would be okay and I would still love my cozy little home.

The senior brown bag and box

Last week we signed up for the senior brown bag and box here in our city. We were picking it up for our 80 yr old friend who doesn't drive and was told we qualified as well. We're seniors and my husband is a retired veteran. Wow. So they gave us a box and a brown bag and it had a lot of food. We were shocked.

Now I know where my other friend got all the potatoes and yogurt - she gave to us. Now she'll have to find someone else.

We received:

tomatoes and tomato sauce

canned pears

black beans

green beans

1 gallon of 2% milk

1/2 gallon of chocolate milk

4 pork chops

1 lb of ground beef

1 chicken

2 cans of tuna fish

red potatoes

onions

carrots

oranges

apples

strawberries

pears

yogurt

sour cream

oreo cookies

2 boxes of Cheerios (my husband's favorite)

pepper jack cheese slices

elbow macaroni

spaghetti noodles

rice

We plan to stockpile some of the food - and what we don't use, or need or like - we will pass it on to the Loaves and Fishes food bank for the homeless.

Yesterday I made a sour cream potato salad with the red potatoes (skin on) We'll eat that tonight with our Costco Hot dogs - the only ones I will eat.

All of this will really help us out.