Finally bit the bullet today and did something I’ve been contemplating a long time

My new smart phone

I’m talking about getting a smart phone and coming into the twenty-first century.  I had a call phone with a texting keyboard, but finally gave that up after 6 years and got a new smart phone today.  Now it’s figuring out how to use it.  And this one is a small enough footprint to still fit into my pocket, although barely.  But it’ll work.  Now the learning curve begins because I have to find out what it does and where all the buttons are, etc.

 My background color is more like this right now

 

So that’s my project for the next few days between times when I’m not at work.  More stories to come later.

I did it

This is totally off the beaten path, but it’s nice to change it up once in a while and give you some desert news, other than we’re burning up from the heat here.  LOL.  I’m talking seriously hot here.  It’s been at least 110 every day for the last two weeks.  Somedays it was higher than that and we did hit 116 one day.  Everything is suffering from the heat.  We’ll see if any of the landscaping survives this summer.

Over the last few weeks I’ve watched a pair of roadrunners collecting dead lawn pieces and twigs in our yard.  I knew they were building a nest.  So I kept my eye on them and eventually had a clue that the nest was on the vacant lot next door.  There are some very big tamarisk trees over there. 

I googled roadrunners to find out about their nesting habits.  I’d totally be having withdrawals if google didn’t exist. 

He's proud of his hunting skills

Late this afternoon, the male was over in the yard hunting and drinking water.  He caught a lizard and went straight to the vacant lot, so I decided to go and investigate.  I’ve wanted to do that anyway, but it’s been so blasted hot that it’s like stepping into a furnace to go outdoors.  Today we had lots of clouds, so it only got to 105.  I decided to brave it.

Well I found the nest right away about eight or nine feet up in one of the tamarisk trees.  I took about a dozen pics but it’s so brushy in there that I could only get so close.  I wish I had a ladder and could get in there to see the inside of the nest, but one of the roadrunners was sitting in there.  It’s so brushy I don’t think I could even get a ladder through all the stuff anyway.  And I would hate to scare the parents off, although roadrunners don’t seem to be afraid of much.  However, nesting birds might be different.

 Probably hard to make out, but the bird is there on the nest

 

This isn’t a very good pic but if you look closely you’ll be able to see the head and beak of one of the parents in the nest.  I did what I could with my small camera.

If I have it figured right, the young chicks should hatch between July 4 and the 15^th.  But I read they only stay with the parents for two weeks and then disperse into the desert on their own.  They must grow up quickly.  And I bet you didn’t know that the parents will actually eat the runts of the newly hatched birds.  Roadrunners are brutal birds.  Perhaps calling the young ones chicks is too nice a name for them.

Happy Summer Solstice Everyone

I have a couple of things I want to post but have limited time right now and because today is the first day of summer, I thought this was appropriate.

We’re definitely off to a very hot start here in the desert southwest.  It’s scheduled to reach 115 today.  It was 110 in the shade on my patio yesterday.  I hung laundry out there and it was dry in about thirty minutes.  I hope this isn’t a sign of what’s to come in July and August, which are the hottest months here.  We’ve had to put the outside sunshades on the house already and we never do that in June.

My sister Scherri. This is from a couple of years ago, but I sure did like this hairstyle.

I hope everyone has a great summer.  Happy birthday to my sister, Scherri, today.  I’ll be breaking years of tradition tonight when I’m not up at midnight to wish her happy birthday when it’s hers in Texas and mine here.  We’ve always lived in different time zones since we’ve been adults.  So I do apologize for that, but I have an early morning mandatory meeting at work.  I have to get up at 5 AM and that will be torture.  I hate mornings.

Have a great day everyone.  Stay cool and hydrated and safe.  Until next time…

Family

Visits aren’t just about seeing old people.  It’s also very much about family.  I didn’t realize I was so hungry to visit family and get caught up with everyone.  Time flies so fast and the little ones I knew are now grown up. 

This is my brother-in-law with his Texas barbecue pit

The family barbecue was so nice.  My brother-in-law is the best barbecue man in the world but this was also a time for family and the main reason for the barbecue was my great niece who was turning one on the 25th of May.  Of course she had no concept the celebration was for her birthday. 

 Here is my sister, Bonni, and Mama enjoying the festivities

 

Tables were set up in the barn with giant fans to keep us comfortable.  The humidity was never a problem the whole time I was in Texas.  The only humidity we had was the morning of the barbecue because it rained.  As anyone from the south knows, when it rains and then stops, the ground steams.  But it was still doable.  I think a great time was had by all.  

 The reason for the barbecue was my great niece turning a year old.  This is her with the proud parents.  I hope they won't kill me for posting this pic, but I think it's adorable

 

 I have no pictures of the food table but it was loaded with everything you can imagine would be on a barbecue table.  There were giant roasters (like you’d use for Thanksgiving) to keep everything warm.  There was more meat than I can even describe because when my brother-in-law barbecues it’s an all-night affair with him staying up all night to attend the pit of assorted meat. 

This is four generations - my niece, Jodi - my sister, Scherri, holding her granddaughter, Abbie, and Mama

Everyone else brought side dishes, which included ranch potatoes, beans, bread, onions, barbecue sauce, pickles, etc and there was a whole table of just homemade desserts.  Who can resist all that?

 This is four generations again with Abbie's other grandmother in the background

 

I rarely eat anything like this so it was a treat indeed.  I had great company besides so it was a great day.  The guests played horseshoes and other southern sports after the barbecue while others of us had a nice visit.  Of course we went and got Mama so she could participate in all the festivities.  I think the family outings do her good.

A good time was had by all.  I took it all in because I know I won’t be participating in anything like this anytime again soon.  This just isn’t a happening in my everyday life.

 This is my niece, Reesa, and her two kids, Rae and Riley.  It astounds me that my nieces are such good parents.  These kids have great manners.  That's something you don't see often these days.

 

It was so good to catch up with nieces and their kids who are growing up and to see everyone again.  And it’s the first time I’ve met my great niece, who will probably be in first grade by the time I get back for a visit. 

Mama was tired afterward and more then ready to get back to the nursing home.  We all took home leftovers.  My sister, Tedo, and my nephew-in-law, Chris, are helping her in the car while my sister, Bonni, is holding the leftovers.

 

 

Entertainment isn’t just for young people

As I mentioned before, they keep everyone busy with activities at the nursing home, although no one is required to go to anything if they don’t want to.  The staff makes things available only, but leaves it up to each resident.  They want the people staying there to feel at home and in control of their lives.  This is probably the right way to run things.

There’s a full schedule every month with about four things happening each day that residents can take advantage of.  Some people prefer to have coffee and cookies in the afternoon where they can visit in the dining room instead of go to events, or to sit outside if it’s nice.

These two ladies are two of Mama's best friends.

This is Selma.  She's 102

 This one blows kisses and is man crazy.

 

Mama’s friends are characters.  These women carry on a conversation with each other and they can say the same things over and over and no one knows the difference.  They’re simply enjoying each other’s company, so I guess you can’t ask for any better than that.  Almost everyone knows each other because the facility is so small.

 This is the man who entertained us with guitar music

 

One afternoon we were all treated to some guitar music played by one of the residents.  I don’t know this fellows name, but he was very good and played some toe-tapping songs until it was time for dinner.  I was told he does this every week or so.  I was glad to see it.  I don’t think anyone should give up what they love to do just because they’re getting old.

I’m so glad a few of these people have family to visit them.  I really feel bad for the others and think how lonely they must be, but I guess you have to make the best of things if you wind up in that spot.

One gentleman ate alone in there and sat in front of the TV all evening.  I was told his wife had recently passed away.  He must not have any other family because no one came to visit him the whole time I was there.

                                                    This is the facility my mother stays in.

My sisters and I did pitch in and try to help with the residents when they were trying to maneuver from their walkers to chairs, etc.  And we went and got the nurse, or dietician, for them if they wanted something we couldn’t get for them.  Hanging out with these people is a different experience.  A lot of them had a hard time speaking, so it was a guessing game as to what they wanted to say.

I’m so glad I was able to visit Mama, meet her friends and see her new home.