Back Yard Happenings...

 

This was Saturday - our first water lily of 2023. 

And this morning, our second one! 

The grape vines are doing well - with many baby grapes 

My pink Oleanders are in full regalia -

They LOVE the HOT dry heat. 

On Saturday we came home to this. 

Our back neighbor had taken down a section of the fence. He told us, he would have it back up and done - it was his first time ever - working on a fence so I'd say he got a little ahead of himself. My husband and the neighbor finished yesterday. 

I am pleased that he came down from wanting a brand new fence to just replacing the fence posts - and I love that he kept the fence boards and even the screws! Now that is being frugal as well as being a good steward. 

The little chair I made last year out of an end table looks a little worn out but I have not given up on it. I shall FIX it, or repurpose it. It is not done yet! 

A few years back I bought this little electric heater at a garage sale for $20. It finally bit the dust but if you know me, I don't throw things out if I can help it. 

So I cut the cord off - and will use it as a garden accent. The old cast iron teapot belonged to my dad - on his pot-bellied stove. 

This hung on the section of the fence that we replaced - so this lantern was taken down temporarily. Once again, it belonged to my dad - and has hung exactly where he placed it some 25 years ago. 

Finally, today we ordered some rocks to be delivered for my little yard area. We saved over half - in price and got more and that includes delivery by going to a landscaper place, rather than buying it from bags from home depot. We got double the amount and still paid less. 

Well, that is it for me - I need to cook our dinner. 

Hope you have a great evening. 

Debby

Until we meet again -

 

We're heading out - toward the Trinity Alps. Not that far from us by helicopter. 

You can see just a glimpse of snow in the distance - 

I was so ready for this - 

They did all the safety checks - asked for our weight again. Ugh!

Got in the seats, and had to show the pilot that I knew how to get out of the 4-point seatbelt harness - FAA regulations. 

I also had to show him I could unlock the door. More FAA regulations - 

So he turns on the engine and my door pops open. 

I close it tight - and it locked. 

It pops open AGAIN. Finally, my husband got out and helped with the door. 

This gave Char some major anxiety. 

And we're OFF...

Sacramento River 

And this is why I love this area of California - 

Whiskeytown Lake and Mt Bally

We had on headphones - because it is loud and that is the only way we could hear each other talk. 

What looks like a slight gray haze is actually a coastal fog bank -  I was actually taking a photo of that passing cloud.

My husband sat next to the pilot on the left-hand side and I sat behind my husband - Char sat beside me on the right.  The guys were in their own smaller helicopter. 

We're in the mid 90's today - but boy, when you're flying at 8000 ft and among snow-capped mountains, it's cold. 

We had the windows open so we could take in all that cool mountain air. 

We noticed that Trinity Lake is not full like Shasta Lake - but I was reminded that all this snow will eventually make its way down to the lake and fill up. 

This is one of our major water sheds for California. 

Some rugged country down there - 

Before we lifted off, he told us all safety stuff - the guys made some jokes and we all laughed but we listened. I think people tend to do that. 

We didn't see any roads, houses, people, or animals in all that snow. The little patches of blue are frozen lakes. 

These Alps go on and on - 

We were getting close to the drop -

I felt perfectly fine - this was long overdue. 

My husband and the guys know where the scatter place is so they can hike there - once the snow melts -  it's near a cluster of alpine lakes. 

I'm just glad that after 20 years, I finally set him free. 

You can see an alpine lake - still frozen. 

We circled around the area - and the pilot came in at a closer angle -

Seeing his ashes disperse was beautiful and touching. 

  

We're headed back now - That is Mt Shasta in the distance. 

Funny, Blogger wouldn't allow too many of my videos - so I had to do the longest one on Youtube. 

You can see Mt Lassen in the distance - I told you I am surrounded by Volcanoes. They are considered active but at this time they are dormant and there is no indication we'll see an eruption in my lifetime. 

I don't know if it was the windows or what, but it seemed hazy. 

Shasta Dam in a way I have never seen. 

and Mt Shasta in the distance. 

A closer view 

Coming in to land - That is I-5. 

And that is a wrap! 

Fun fun fun. We couldn't stop talking about it. 

Then we all went over to Navy's place and ordered pizza - Michael's favorite and just had a good time, laughing and cutting up. 

It wasn't a sad day at all and that's when you know, it was the right time. 

I'm exhausted - so probably will get to bed a bit earlier tonight. I am greeting at church in the morning. Then the rest of the day I plan to chill and savor the memories of both my sons, who I am blessed to have. 

I hope you enjoyed this trip - I'm pleased that Blogger didn't give me any issues. 

Love,

Debby

RIP Michael

8/7/77 - 5/8/03

A post without images due to a Blogger glitch -

Here is where I would have posted a beautiful scenic photo of the Trinity Mountains. 

NO IMAGE because Blogger is acting wonky once again and I am not able to post any images - no new ones,  no old ones. 

I'm telling you, I think they are messing with me. 

 I'm starting to get excited about Saturday's helicopter ride. 

The weather forecast says clear and sunny. 

We're all going to go over to Navy's house afterward and eat. I will feel so relieved, I am sure. This is 20 years of holding on...

https://www.from-my-house.com/2023/05/the-yucky-part-of-gardening.html

Sorry, but Blogger is not letting me post any new images. 

We are working on the yard and are not finished. The husband went back to his part-time job today and Friday and while a lot was done it is still a mess. I’ve not ever seen so many weeds. We’re having a hard time controlling them and when you hack some down, seems there are more to greet you by the next day. Grrrrr. 

Our neighbor in the back who approached us a couple of months ago, saying he wanted a new fence has now changed his tune, after pricing wood fencing materials. He has now decided the fence is not that bad and he will only replace one section. We saved $500 in cash for the fence and keep adding cash in the envelope for our half. 

I have more to say but I’m distracted by the fact I can’t post any images. So basically this post is a bust - I'm all about posting images. I checked on Google and others have been reporting as well. But it does seem to be hit-and-miss. I’m seeing posts coming through with photos. 

Hopefully, it will get worked out so that I can post video and photos of the helicopter tour on Sat.I was so looking forward to that as well. 

 I won't be posting until they fix this glitch. 

Debby

PS If I can’t post photos Sat, I will at least let you all know how it all went - without photos. You’ve all been so kind. 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 If you want to join in the fun - Answer these questions on your own blog, then back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. Thanks to Janice for hosting these Hodgepodges every Wednesday. 

1. What surprises you the most about people? 

That they (and I include myself) are still using Blogger - 

Gosh, this platform drives me up a wall but I have tried WordPress and was not satisfied with it. Let's face it, Blogger is easy and it used to be good. For the most part, it is user-friendly compared to other platforms but I suspect Blogger might be easing us out. 

2. Would you rather have a chauffeur, nanny, gardener, maid, personal shopper or cook? Tell us why that one? 

I'd rather have a Maid that cooks. 

3. May 18th is National Notebook Day. No idea what that means but let's run with it anyway. What's something you currently keep in a notebook? 

I like notebooks - pretty ones and always grab one if they are to my liking. I don't spend a lot - I buy them at the 99-cent store or Dollar Tree. 

I bought about 6 of these - at the 99-cent store. Each one was a different Fruit of the Spirit. More like a journal, I use them for prayer requests. 

Now this one was too cute to pass up - It's blank right now. 

Have you seen the movie The Notebook? On a scale of 1-5, how does it rate? (5=a favorite, can watch and re-watch and re-watch again) 

No, I've never heard of it. 

4. Do you like mushrooms? The last dish you made or ate that had mushrooms on the ingredient list? Your favorite dish that calls for mushrooms? 

I like mushrooms in some recipes. Chicken Marsala and caramelized onions and mushrooms over a sizzling grilled steak. 

5. What would you say is the most annoying thing people do in public? 

Don't pick up after their dog

Road Rage

Talking on their cell phone LOUD where everyone in the restaurant can hear them. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This is the second time I answered these questions and my answers were much better. I had it scheduled to go - and then went back to upload the notebook photos and I couldn't find it. 

Whoosh - it's gone. 

The yucky part of gardening

 

I don't understand why this rose is so grumpy - 

This one seems fine. 

Good Afternoon Everyone! 

I hope this day has been good for you. 

For us, it started with doing some yard work - this morning. We had the longest rainy season ever - so most of this would have already been done by March. 

We moved the planter under the bird feeder.  Attacked the weeds using the weedeater. 

I will plant my sunflowers here - (as well as in other areas of the yard. 

So, I wanted to place a weed barrier and then the soil - but the husband thinks that will cut into the growth of the sunflowers. 

I didn't argue with him. The sunflowers grew perfectly fine when used with a weed barrier. So tune back, next year. We may be putting in a weed barrier or maybe I am wrong. I'm fine with that - the main thing is I want to eliminate pulling weeds. That is hard when you have shoulder issues. 

After the weeds are gone, we'll lay down a weed barrier - and then a combination of pavers and rocks. 

Out-of-control weeds that have grown in the last couple of weeks. We're having a hard time keeping up. 

The smaller of two side yards I have - 

These particular weeds only grow in the spring and summer. We should have put a barrier down there, years ago, before the rocks. 

Was out there, moving things around, and found 2 alligator lizards mating. At first, I thought one was eating the other but upon a closer look ...

Don't Look! 

On the ether side of the house - is where our grape vines are. 

We have baby grapes. 

We also have what is either thrips or leafhopper infestation. 

Either a dishwashing soap or Dawn - 1 tablespoon in a bottle of water with the sprayer. I often use way more than that - 

You spray the underside and the tops of the leaves make sure everything is saturated give it a few hours to dry out in the heat and then wash it all off

Wait about an hour and go back and look to see if you have anything left on your plants repeat as needed.

If that doesn't get rid of it - then we're looking at Demetrious Earth (food grade) 

If that doesn't work - we do what we did last year - we cut down the vines. 

 And this little cutie - a pond turtle was found at the Cal Veterans Home - trying to get inside. My son said they escorted him back to the pond. 

These Mariposa lilies (what we can them here) haven't been seen around in years (like in decades) and they are popping up around hiking trails and in yards. 

Native to dry soil from South Dakota to Washington and south to Oregon and California. Its white flowers are variously marked with yellow, purple, and lilac. The edible corm of the sego lily was used for food by the early Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake Valley, and many other species have a long history of use by Native Americans.

The flower is so delicate. 

I find it amazing how some species of plants lay dormant during hard droughts and we think they are dead - they are waiting for that certain amount of rain that brings life to them once again.

I went to see my Surgeon - and he was pleasantly surprised at how well I responded to Physical therapy. So no surgery for me. I will continue to use my 2 lb hand weights - and my bands to keep the muscles moving. 

It's not to say, I won't ever need the surgery because I do have several tears - but he also said, I could go on, and not ever need the surgery. 

That is my goal. 

At this time I am armed (haha little pun there) with the exercises that will keep my shoulder well - I know what I can and cannot do and I have no pain whatsoever.

The gauge is when I start having pain that keeps me up at night - that is when I might have another tear or it's getting worse. 

Tomorrow the husband goes for his MRI - 

That's it folks - I need to get dinner ready.

Sincerely,

Debby

650 steps later and lived to tell about it

looking out to the Lake between the trees 

Friday I got the great idea to go over to Shasta Caverns for a geologic adventure.  I booked tickets online for the Saturday morning tour at 10am!  

A 2-hour tour. 

In the 16 years of living here, we still had not yet made the tour. We're only 20 miles from our house to the Caverns. There was always something - extreme heat, fires, covid, state mandate, more fires, and more extreme heat. Not to mention, at least half of our time here has been spent in drought - Lake Shasta is beautiful when it is full but reminds me of a moonscape when it's almost empty. 

This was the year to go! 

For the first part of the tour, we head out to the boat for a 10-15 minute ride on the lake over to the Caverns. I really enjoyed being out on the lake - it was thrilling to see the lake levels so high. 

Over there, within that mountain, is the Caverns - which are a network of caves located near the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake and date back at least 200 million years, formed by flowing water. 

We had a total of 17 in our group - we were the only locals - the rest were from the Bay Area or Sacramento, and one couple was from Idaho. 

10 am is the best time to go - fewer crowds plus as our days get hotter, it's cooler. 

On the other side, we went by bus, up a very narrow road - the only road on this side so no worries about another vehicle using the same road. If you are afraid of heights, then don't sit on the right-hand side - because it is looking straight down and at times, it looks precarious. 

Note: If you click on the photo and look toward the left-hand side, there is the Pit River Bridge   - you can see how high the lake is - 

Looking toward the other side - 

By clicking on the photo 2 times, you will see 3 bridges. 

Dang, no wonder this is California's largest reservoir.  

It's huge and this is just a small part of the lake. It has other large areas -

I love the craggy mountains - 

We're almost there - 

Made entirely of limestone, these caves feature every type of possible formation, including stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, crystals, columns, and flowstone. 

The caverns were lovely and fascinating.

The caverns were part of life for the Wintu Indians, who lived in the area. In the 1870s, a fish hatchery and small town were built on the McCloud River and the cave was named Baird Cave.

A hatchery employee, J.A. Richardson, officially discovered the caverns in 1878. Since 1964, they have been open as a natural attraction to the public.

From tiny cave coral and gravity-defying helicities to magnificent cave drapery, there is so much to see! 

Inside the caves, it is a constant 58 degrees year-round. Never changes. When our temperatures get to 100+ degrees, this is a welcome reprieve. 

Due to the water always in the caves - humidity is high so it feels like it is 69-70 which is perfect. Just wear a hat - due to the water that drips off the stalactites

There is so much "cave stuff" to see and I couldn't keep up with taking photos and climbing the steps. 

Inside the cave, there are 650 abnormally steep steps - all going up. No place to rest - and with a group of people behind you, you can't stop. There is no place for them to go around you. 

At first, I was full of vim and vigor - like the teacher's pet, I was right behind the guide - wanting to hear all about the cave.  We came to the halfway part and she warned us, that it was going to get steeper - so now was the time to go back and watch the rest of the tour on a video in the lounge - I thought about it but decided at the cost of this - I'm getting my money's worth! ($80 per person) 

No one left and so we proceeded - 

then came the mother of all steep steps - the steepest, slippery, narrowest steps - all 80 steps in a row. 

Okay, I can do that! 

Well, I did it, but toward the end of it, I asked my husband to help me up the steps by pushing my behind. There was just nowhere to go - I had to do it.  My knee, the one I had the knee replacement a few years ago held up well. It was my thighs, hips, and my butt.  

OUCH!

After that, even 10 steps in a row, were hard for me. 

Paying attention to only myself, I do recall hearing a lot of moaning and a few curse words from the others on our tour. 

I was sweating bullets as my Daddy used to say - I'm glad I didn't overdress in warm clothes like the others who were peeling off layers of clothing just to get cool.  But I did it! Granted I started out at the first of the line and after those 80 freakin steps, I was the one lagging behind. I didn't care! 

There was a landing where people took pictures, caught their breath - and I sat on a bench that had a puddle of water on it. I didn't care. It felt so cold- refreshing and just what I needed. 

The last big "room" as they call it, had several hundred bats - adults and little babies. So darn cute. Did I ever mention I like bats? 

I hobbled back onto the treacherous bus - and back over to the boat and then across the lake (which I enjoyed again, especially with the wet bottom and cooling breezes) and then back to where we started. There were still more steps to take - fortunately, there were ramps, so walking up the ramps was easier than those darn steps. 

Came home, showered, and then crashed. 

All in all, it made for a fun, morning, and quite the workout!

Hope you enjoyed the adventure. 

Debby