Windy weather

 

For the last couple of days and especially yesterday and last night, we have had some major wind and gusts. Over 100 mph on Mt Shasta and some clocked the winds around here at close to 80 mph with gusts. Sounded like a plane landing at times. We had to take everything down in the yard, bird feeders, chimes, wall art, and anything that could be a projectile in this wind. The back fence held - both our side and the neighbors have it propped up really well. 

I don't like the wind. I am thankful this wasn't in our dry summer with 105+ degrees - that is how fires spread. That is what really scares me. Makes me dread summer and what is to come. 

Foodie rode his electric bike home during this wind and said he almost fell twice. I keep telling him to let me know and I will drive over in the van to pick him up - it's no trouble at all and he works close by he doesn't like to bother us. Grrrrr. 

Source: Internet 

Saturday we drove down to Red Bluff to just look around at their shops. I love this historic western town about 30 minutes south of us. They have some really cute shops. We had lunch in a saloon - really good hamburgers. It was nice to get away, and I was planning to take some photos of the Victorian homes but my husband's back started really bothering him, to where he could hardly walk. We both have ruptured discs and as we age, our backs just give out now and then. I think it is the weather - Last week we had mild temps but very cold at night and in the mornings. 

Anyway, so I drove home very carefully, so as to not cause any jarring...He's better today but still needs to watch it. He wanted to mow the lawns, and I told him not to, in this wind. He'd be just fighting it. He doesn't know how to relax like me. He's always on the move. 

This morning I did some financial chores - activating new credit cards that we never use but keep around, just in case. - and cutting up the old ones. I uploaded Laydees' latest Vet bills to the Insurance company and filled out a fraud report to the bank over those fraudulent charges last month. It amounts to $263.63.

I'm looking forward to a new month - how about you? 

Take Care

Debby

Good News, Dry cleaning and Photo Discs

 

Source: Mike Krueger

This is what a Sierra snowpack of over 200% of the average for this time of year looks like from the sky.

Today, Good News from the State Water Resources:

“We are pleased that we can increase the allocation now and provide more water to local water agencies,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the state Department of Water Resources.

Today was another mild day - 70 degrees- but it sometimes felt warmer. I even turned on the AC in the car. I have the front door open, and all the windows. I've got a Vegetable Lasengna in the oven so that it heats up the house but once the sun sets behind those mountains it gets cold. More rain in a few days but just regular rain - not the three back-to-back atmospheric rivers that we had a month ago.

I am fighting the urge to start gardening...

WHEN DID DRY CLEANING BECOME SO EXPENSIVE?

We rarely dry clean - because we don't wear heavy coats that much during the winter. I do have one wool coat that I've had for 25 years and it is still in excellent condition. I paid $10 at the Goodwill in the bay area - It's an Ann Taylor. I dry clean that if I have worn it a lot. This year I've only worn it once. 

 

I wore this raincoat  a lot this past month. It belonged to my mom and it must be ancient. It had a stain on it so I took it in. With what I shelled out, for this raincoat alone, I'm pleased they got the stain out. They no longer guarantee stain removal. I got lucky!

The last time I dry cleaned it was like $11- a couple of years ago. The owner told me, they can no longer use waterproofing because the State of California outlawed it last year - it's a carcinogen. I could go to the sporting goods store and buy a natural repellant and spray it on the coat. I'll take my chances and wash it from now on. Seems my mom always dry-cleaned it so I just did the same. I think she had this coat when I was a teenager - that is how OLD this is. 

Yesterday I found some photo discs from the 1990s - 

I had forgotten what was on them. 

My son, Navy is #20. Red Shirt

Navy playing basketball in high school. 

Here he is making a shot

He's behind the coach - looks like he is touching his ear.

So I sent them to him and he was pleased. 

Those were good times. Climbing up those bleacher seats I surely couldn't do today. I'd be afraid I'd lose my balance and fall. Then sitting there without a solid back - no wonder I have lower back issues. 

But they were the best of days! 

I hope today has been the best day for you. 

Later - 

Debby

Less is MORE.

I have started placing the few Valentine's stuff I have. I thought I had more.

The little pink doily my Mom made for my bedroom, to place my lamp on when I was a child. This one is the only one that survived all these years. 

I will get out some "couples" photos - old wedding photos of my husband's parents, my grandparents, etc and trickle that throughout the bookcases and shelves. Other than that, I really don't do Valentine's Day that big. Fall and Christmas are the big ones. 

Yesterday it got up to 70 degrees and warm temps are back - not our summer temps but nice mild temperatures. While it is nice to warm up and dry out, it's always a bit unnerving. Last year we had beautiful sunny and warm temps from mid-January to March - when we should have had rain. Our almond tree was tricked into thinking it was spring and then in March we had a frost. The tree never produced almonds last year. 

Even though I am enjoying the warmth, we really need our winter rain, since we don't get rain in the summer like in other places. 

Well, I'm not going to worry about it  - it is just a concern that I can't do anything about. 

Doggone it, he did it again. My husband misplaced the FOB for our car. I have mine so we're not stranded or anything. It's just annoying. Not that it will make a difference for now, but I did finally order the Tile tracker; mainly for him. 

He misplaced it last week and we found it in his shoe. His mind is going a hundred miles an hour and when he is preoccupied, he misplaces things. I don't think it's dementia or anything. His mind is still sharp. 

A while back, I made a wooden box and told him the only thing that goes into that box will be the keys. Key to the mailbox, keys to the car, the house, etc. It worked until he started putting other things in the box and it is so overwhelming, to look for a key in that box. He still has his work badge from CalVet in there. 

So that is getting cleaned out. 

He also carries the fob around in his pocket when we are not using the vehicle. Why? It doesn't have our house key on it, so why carry it around and run the risk of losing it?  The replacement can cost between $260-300. He will pay for it out of his part-time money. 

The tile tracker comes in 5-10 days. 

Once again, it's an, "oh well...not much I can do about it."  All I can do is show him the same grace he always shows me when I do something. 

 

Tuesday doings

Isn't this cute? I picked this up today at the 99-cent store. 

Yesterday I started taking down most of my "winter" decor - and will start slowly trickling in Valentine's Day knick-knacks. I only started putting a few things out last year for the first time. I used to decorate back when my kids were young and when I had a small family daycare in my home. 

Last year I was coming off of Covid and wanted some prettiness and looked around my house for all the red and pink (very few) and placed them on my shelves. 

During the year,  I found even more stuff I can use. So I am excited to display it. 

Also, the 16th is our wedding anniversary. We'll be married for 21 years (2nd marriage for both of us) 

I'll have our loved ones over sometime in the month - It is also Navy and Sara's 3rd wedding anniversary (29th) 

I went to the 99-cent store for just these almond cookies. 

I love them with a cup of jasmine tea. 

 

My husband knocked out this little house today - You know those little free libraries? Well, this is what this is going to be. Placed in our front yard for anyone who wants to partake. 

It will have a window in the door so you can see the books. It's not as fancy as some are - we'll make it nice enough. 

Here are some that are really fancy. 

Do you have one in your yard? Are there any in your neighborhood? 

Around here businesses and churches have them out on their yards. 

So that's all I have for you today on this glorious Tuesday. The weather is 68 and sunny. The nights get very cold though and it's chilly in the shade. 

Gung Hay Fat Choy

 

Chinese New Year 2023 is a Year of the Rabbit, more specifically, Water Rabbit, starting from January 22nd, 2023, and lasting until February 9th, 2024. The rabbit is the symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese Culture, 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope. 

 As I mentioned before, I always enjoyed the Chinese New Year as a school kid. One year our teacher gave out the red money envelopes - with a dollar in each one, which back in the '60s, was quite generous. 

 After church, we had Chinese for lunch. Our regular place was closed - so we went to another place and since it was just for lunch and I am not a big lunch eater, I had chicken chow mein and a vegetable spring roll. It was delicious. Oh and a fortune cookie! 

 Did you know that the fortune cookie is actually from Japan? The fortune cookie likely arrived in the United States along with Japanese immigrants who came to Hawaii and California between the 1880s and early 1900s, after the Chinese Exclusion Act’s expulsion of Chinese workers left a demand for cheap labor. Japanese bakers set up shop in places such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, making miso and sesame-flavored “fortune cookie-ish” crackers, among other treats. 

As a kid, we were taught that San Francisco was the origin of the Fortune cookie at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park somewhere in the 1890s. Back in the 1980s, I remember a public riff between San Francisco and Los Angeles as to who owned the bragging rights. The court favored San Francisco and determined that the cookie originated with Hagiwara and the court ruled in favor of San Francisco. Subsequently, the city of Los Angeles condemned the decision. The battle no doubt continues... 

 During the War, with the Japanese being interned, Chinese bakers picked up the slack. 

 Lord willing, next month we are planning to go to Weaverville for the Chinese New Year parade. The Joss House (Chinese temple) will be open as well.

One reason I love California is the diverse culture we have always enjoyed. 

Snow and the drive home

This morning, we took Laydee up to the snow. 

As soon as she starts seeing the white stuff while we're driving, 

she gets all excited. 

She loves to dig in the snow.

She had a blast - 

Me? My feet were cold and still are. 

It's a short scenic drive from our place - takes about 35 minutes to get into the snow east of us. 

Join me on the way back down...

Our view of the valley -  the snow-capped mountains from the West.

Excuse my dirty windows - we call it Laydee's nose art. 

That's Shasta Bally. 

Looking toward the North and that is the peak of Mt Shasta. 

This is all so pretty in the spring when everything is green and the trees have budded out. 

Nice ranches off the side of the road. 

There were many out on the golf course - we went by too fast for me to get a photo. 

Do you play golf? Do your husbands play golf? 

The only golf I have ever been interested in was mini-golf. 

I often wonder why people buy homes on the golf course and then complain about their windows getting broken? 

They call this the Millville Plains. 

This is cattle land. 

It is beautiful in the spring...with wildflowers. 

I usually do most of the driving. I tend to get car sick. I've never taken photos while the car was moving -  so this series was a first for me. 

The terrain has changed drastically. Rocks and rolling hills. 

Looking through the "nose art" does not do the rugged rocks any justice. 

Down below is a creek - on the driver's side. I couldn't get that picture. In the summer, many young people go swimming off the road in the creek. 

Getting closer...

and closer. 

The stop sign at our exit. 

Which way should we go? 

Almost home...

I see Mt Shasta every day when I am out and about. 

That was fun. I'll have to do that again sometime. Of course, the husband will have to do the driving - next time I will clean the windows. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. 

Thanks for coming along - I hope you enjoyed it. 

 

Sunshine, Daffodils, Cedars, and the Dam

Another beautiful sunny and clear day. A tad warmer. The wind is still brisk and cold, probably coming off the snow on the mountains. 

My drooping Daffodil. 

These have been planted for years so I am surprised they are blooming. Seems they are right on schedule though - after checking, they always bloom mid-January - drought or rain. They have their own little built-in timer. 

The teeny tiny roses love the winter. 

I'm a tree lover - this is the pretty bark on my incense cedar tree. 

The incense cedar is a large tree that has a conical crown of spreading branches producing soft, scale-like leaves. As its common name suggests, these cypress trees are highly aromatic and native to California and northwest Mexico.

In colder climates, incense cedars grow naturally as tall columnar trees. In warmer climates, its significant growth has a spreading nature that provides shade underneath. These elegant, ornamental trees are excellent as specimen trees in large garden landscapes.

I watch this show called Chef vs Wild. These chefs have a few days to forage natural ingredients and make a 5-star meal. Just last night, one of them infused cedar into a dish, and apparently, it tastes similar to coconut. 

Now I don't know if it is that way for the Insense cedar - these trees were in British Columbia. Foodie is very interested in foraging - You have to really know what you are doing. Our recreation center has classes on forging...it's getting to be popular. 

Well, the husband went to work today and I had errands to do - I started dinner in the crock pot; round steak with cream of mushroom soup. Quick and simple.  Then I bought us a deli sandwich and met him for lunch. Found out they closed down our local Bed Bath & Beyond.  Came home, started laundry, swept the floors, emptied the dishwasher - 

Decided I wanted to take a quick drive out to the Dam to look at the lake. 

I was the only person on the Dam. 

click to make larger x 2

Cold up on the Dam - (to the right) took my photos and came home. 

Those dry islands that were there a month ago are now gone. 

I don't usually take a panorama photo - I must have pressed it by accident. 

Simply Safe called my husband - told him our automatic payment failed in December. So he called me to take care of it. I had forgotten to update them after I received my new debit card last month. It's funny though - I called and spoke with a man who sounded like he was from India. I could not understand him. We went round and round - and he was nice, trying very hard to help me but we had a definite language barrier so I told him I would take care of it online. 

Then I went online and did it myself. Much faster. 

Good News - Navy told me the inlaws that have been living with them, are moving out at the end of this month. They bought a manufactured home in Butte County. I know my daughter-in-law will miss them and the little girl but they helped them for a whole year - footing the cost of 2 adults and 1 child so they could get on their feet. They did good but It's time. 

All the adult kids were boomerangs at one time and the husband thought they would never move out. We had a full house and Char was living in the motorhome at the side of our house. It was a crazy time.  I kept the faith - and they eventually did move.  It wasn't easy but we did it. It was all total of about 2 years, I think. 

That's it for me this Friday. Hard to think it's almost February in just 11 days.