A day with Max

Max came for a sleep-over.

  We had a lot of plans!  Mostly he wanted to beat me playing cribbage - which he did.  By 67 points!!  OUCH! 

The next morning, almost before his eyes were totally open, he had the game set up again and we played before breakfast.  I won.  That slowed him down a bit! 

The pool at Cholla is closing for the winter in a few days, so we decided to spend some time there.  With no other kids around, and only a few adults wandering by, we had the place all to ourselves - pretty nice! The pool was cool, the jacuzzi was very warm - just right for a gramma!

Max is a real water-baby.

 And loves his picnic lunches - peanut butter rules!

We spent some time painting birthday cards for Greatgramma Griffin - she will be 85 in a few days, so we were happy to get the cards mailed in time!

Max is great fun to hang with - we will be having another round of cribbage soon, I'm sure!

Cactus Wren

Collin and Max took me for a morning walk to one of the many "pocket parks" in their neighborhood.  This one is arranged along both sides of a wild area filled with scrubby brush and several types of trees.  It looks to be at least 20 acres total.

At the entrance stands this saguaro (Cereus giganteus).  They don't grow "branches" until they are like 50 years old or so.
There were pieces of long grass sticking out a hole near the top - a number of different birds and animals claim these big cacti as natural "apartments" - when a hole is deserted, another critter moves in!

After a few patient minutes of observing....

Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is the largest wren.  A pair of Cactus wrens will maintain several nests at one time and may raise three broods a year, changing the nest at the beginning of each cycle.  After the young have left, the adults continue to make repairs, since the nests are used as winter roosts.

I was surprised to see this pair actually in the cactus hole.  Usually their conspicuous nests are a domed affair woven of plant fibers, leaves, twigs, etc, with a tunnel entrance 5 or 6 inches long.  It is typically placed in the arms of a big cactus or on a branch of a thorny bush or mesquite tree.

The birds were foraging in the dry wash below the cactus, where I watched them for quite awhile. 

This was a new addition to my Life List - it's so fun to find a new bird, especially to be able to watch it long enough to be sure of recognizing it again!

My new home base

Adapting to Arizona has been much easier and quicker than I anticipated.  Having visited Percy's a few times over the past 6 years helped, getting small doses of the weather and terrain plus the indoctrination ("It's DRY heat, it feels cooler than the thermometer says, honest!) - thanks, Kathy and Larry!

It took a bit of looking over several weeks to find my new home.  I'm living in an apartment complex (146 units), which is something I never dreamed I would do.  I'm a nester at heart, but seemed to have become something of a nomad the past 6 years.  Takes some mental adjusting, courage in hand, and willingness to "bloom where you're planted". 

Buckeye was established in 1888; elevation 672'; edge of Sonoran Desert; current population 37, 500 or so.  Carrie lives about 15 minutes away, in "upper Buckeye", just off I-10, where there big housing developments and shopping centers.  So the population is really spread out, with big pockets of farmland inbetween.

I think one of the reasons I'm so comfortable here is living in a farming area again, in a small town environment.  There is something about the rhythm of crops and watching the growth to harvest that is soothing and reassuring.  I grew up with dairy farms in Tillamook, enjoyed the many huge farms with dairy, corn, wheat and other grains  in Wisconsin, and now am learning about cotton and sorghum!

So here's a quick tour of my new home.  It's called Cholla Ranch Apartments  (Cho - ya), located in "old town"  or "lower" Buckeye.

My apartment is on the left, ground floor.  The evening sun is reflecting off the patio door and my bedroom window.  It's a 2 bedroom 2 bath unit.  More room than I need, but it's what was available - and now I'm spoiled!

Look across the way from my patio, there is a Blue Palo Verde tree.

There are two Desert Willow trees by the patio, which are super for bird and butterfly watching.  Also provides filtered shade, very welcome in the afternoon, with a south-facing patio.  I have plans for some plant pots on the patio - herbs and a tomato!

One of the changes I am enjoying is living a much simpler life.  Less "things", less clutter around me.  I've let go of literally a ton of books and many other items.  It feels good, a weight off my shoulders and mind.

This view is of my living room.  On the other side is a long table and all my art supplies - the living room is actually my art studio now!

Hall art - I'm finally using mostly my own art for decor.  It feels good to have it out where I can "connect" again.

Guest bathroom.   Photo art by Anne Kizerian.

The second bedroom is morphing into a guest/sitting room - essentially becoming the "living" room.  I have free cable, but no TV, and don't think I'll probably get one.  I'm liking the quiet energy of just my art, music and meditation time.

I love having this quilt where I can see it all the time.  It was made for me by  loving friends in Dr. Kay's office, a friendship/memorial quilt when Dennis died.  Sometimes I go sit on the daybed/couch just to look at it!

 I found this dining set with simple clean lines suited my idea of "less is more". 

I have always perferred art on my kitchn walls, to having more cabinets.  So this open end wall is perfect, I love having the cardinal art up where I can enjoy them again.  No microwave or toaster.  Just simple whole natural and mostly raw foods.  I am feeling healthier and more energetic every day.  Love my kitchen!

I am happy here.  I am so blessed.  And so grateful.

Having the grandpunks so close is pure icing on the cake!!

Southwest Guac

One of the great things about growing up was having cousins.  I have treasured memories of fun times and adventures with a number of my cousins, and we still get together from time to time.

Than got to spend some time with his cousin Kate in Salem, while on a really fast weekend trip with me to Oregon a few weeks ago.

Katie served her mission in southern Texas.  Now she is a budding chef, specializing in ... yep, Tex-Mex goodies!  Than got a lesson in making avocado dip, while helping Katie fix dinner one night.

 I don't recall Kate's recipe, but it was simple and really tasty!

My spin on GUACAMOLE:  Mash two ripe avocados until creamy, mix with  2 chopped roma tomatoes, about 1 T of fresh lemon or lime juice, 2 T. minced red onion, a clove or two of garlic minced, one more avocado cut into chunks, salt and pepper to taste, a tiny smidgen of cayenne if you like a bit of heat. 

This stuff is addictive, don't say you weren't warned!  Serve with a good brand of corn tortilla chip as dippers.  Or thin with a bit of water, for a superior taco salad dressing.

That strange looking yellow and green contraption?  Oh, that's a lemon/lime squeezer. Mine is used daily.  An amazing tool!

Goin' to the dogs...

Desert days can be described in one word - SCORCHING!  During the summer months, the nights aren't much better, I've heard. 

But now it's fall.  While the day temps are moderating (low 90s instead of over 100), night temps are dropping dramaticially.  Sometimes a 40 degree difference. 

The reason I mention this, is that public park use escalates as fall and winter roll around.  Not so much during the day yet.  It's EVENINGS (often late evening) that folks turn out to walk and play and enjoy the nippy (that's comparatively, mind you) weather.

Recently a brand new multi-use park opened near Carrie's home.  The Sundance park has it all - multiple playing fields, volley ball (sand!), several really super children's play structures to suit all ages - and a DOG PARK!!

Being a doggy family, we loaded into the 'burb and trekked on over for a Family Home Evening excursion.

Carrie and the mutts took a good look around and made sure "company manners" were in place, before heading for the two huge fenced dog areas.

Happy, the blonde labradoodle, minds the pack leader really well.  He's 8, almost 9 now (we know that because he is the same age as Max!).  Briston, at only 5, is still a pup at heart.  We understand St. Bernard's don't muture until long after 3, which seems to be true. These two guys get a LOT of attention wherever they go - both for good manners, and large size!  Kids especially want to meet Briston, they go for that cuddly, slobbery look.

Yes, they are clipped.  It IS the desert, ya know...

As the sky begins the usual spectacular desert sunset show, the boys give the frisby a workout.  The streak in the middle is Lee, Max in red to the left, Jayden in yellow in the background, and Collin headed for the blue blob. Made me tired just watching them!

This 60 acre park, with huge light banks for the baseball and soccer fields, is open long after dark.  You can enjoy a family barbeque dinner under one of several pavilions, watch the kids enjoy the grassy fields and play areas, take in some fun ball games, play with your dog or let your dog play with the other dogs, catch a sunset - it's a great family place, out here in the midst of scrubby desert and multple housing developments.  It's well used all week long.

 Happy and Briston have added a new word to their vocabulary: PARK.  Up come the ears.  Real chaos takes place if you open the drawer where the leashes are kept. (Someone had the bright idea of keeping the car keys in the same drawer...you have to be reeeally sneaky, getting those out without the dogs hearing!)

And if you say WALK, you'd better be headed for the door!

Fairy Dusters!

A whole new world of flora and fauna!  I love learning about plants and critters in areas I've never lived - so one of my first excursions was a trip to the library for some ID books.  Another trip to Barnes and Noble for a couple of handly little field guides to help me learn new birds, butterflies, trees and flowersn now I'm loaded and ready to roll!

One of the first flowers I fell in love with here is the Baja Fairy Duster.

This particular bush is in the front yard here at Carrie and Brent's home.  I haven't quite figured out the flower structure yet, but I suspect that the long red gizmos are stamens, and there is a little whitish yellowish dot on the end of each one.  Further research happening...

Calliandra californica loves hot dry sunny sandy areas.  Check.  That's the front yard in a nutshell.  It's a very popular landscaping plant in desert Arizona, having low water demands.  And it's colorful!

Another plus - butterflies LOVE it!  This little pretty is a Marine Blue. At about 1", it provides some scale to the Fairy Duster blossom, which is usually about 1 1/2" to 2" long.

Growing to about 5'x5', Fairy Duster is often kept smaller with judicious pruning.  It blooms spring through fall.  The fine foliage is "semi-evergreen". 

I've only lived with REAL evergreens.  Trees, that is.  I'm curious to see what this "semi" business looks like...

In the meantime, I love taking pictures of this cheerful, exotic addition to my new Nature in the Desert notebook!

When the dust all settled...

A new home.  A new beginning.  A new view out the window.

A NEW BLOG!!

This place is just like living at the beach in Oregon...

without the ocean.

Come along - I'll show you.