Desert Color

April is the most beautiful month in the desert.  Everything is in bloom.  The colors are all so bright and vivid.  It’s hard to imagine that plants can actually thrive in the desert climate.  It amazes me every year when I see all the blooms along the roadways.  The desert is full of wildlife too.  I always feel so sorry for them having to endure such miserable conditions all the time.  I think the desert would be a nice place to visit in April.  I’m not sure why anyone would want to live here full time.  Of course, the poor critters have no choice.  But people do and yet I’ve been here almost thirteen years.  What’s wrong with me?

 Paloverde tree in my yard

 

Cactus and other desert shrubs all thrive in this arid climate that can be below freezing during the winter months and hot as a firecracker in the summer.  Usually we go from summer to winter and vice versa, but if we’re lucky, we actually get a short spring and fall that lasts long enough to enjoy some days with the windows open.

 Lady Bank's Rose in my front yard (a bit out of focus)

Some winters we get a couple of skiffs of snow, but this year we’ve had a lot of rain and because of that everything is so green.  This little bit of water is enough for the desert landscape to put on its magnificent display for us to see. 

The trail behind my house 

By May the flowers will dwindle and the first of the hot, dry weather will be here.  But we do have a few bloomers all year, such as the sage bushes and the chaste trees that bloom in intervals and usually about four times a year.  Those along with the cactus are hardy enough to withstand 115 degrees and strong, gusty winds, as well as the teens and twenties in the winter.

 Cactus blooming on the parkway and behind us in the desert

More desert blooms along the parkway

 

The winds can be brutal blowing away anything in their path.  All my water pans have rocks in them to keep them anchored in place during the wind storms, which also kick up a lot of dust.  It’s impossible to keep the house clean because the red sand seeps in every crack and under the windowsills.  Despite this dusty mess, sometimes the breeze feels so good that I want to open the windows.  The stiff breezes can happen all year long, but in summer and fall they’re a great reprieve from the scorching heat.  I always know when it’s over 105, without looking at the thermometer, because going outdoors is like stepping into a blast furnace.  I always feel it burning my skin.  However, this is still preferable to me instead of the cold.  I don’t do well at all if it’s 40 degrees or below.  Heck, even 40 is too cold for me. 

 One of our spectacular sunsets

 

Somehow we always get the most beautiful sunsets here too.  I’m not sure why this is the only place I’ve ever lived that has breathtaking colors at sunset.  Maybe it’s just the desert conditions.  I could ponder that a while and probably still not know the answer.

I have thousands of pictures.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the few I wanted to share.

Mysterious and wonderful cats

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as cats are concerned.  I love everything about my furry felines.  I’ve had them all my life and I’m sure if I live to be an old woman I’ll always be surrounded by cats. 

It all started out on the farm where I was raised in south Texas.  We had many cats there that were mousers, but we also had some favorites among the group of forty-two that called our farm home.  We named the favorites.  We lived near the main highway and people going by would drop cats off from time-to-time.  Naturally, they multiplied over the years, even though some wondered off, got run over, or drowned by the torrential rainstorms. 

But there was always something mysterious about the cat that intrigued me.  They’re aloof and independent and definitely live life there way, all the things I aspired to do when I grew up. 

 This is what Max looked like

Well once I was off the farm and in my own house; it wasn’t long before I had a cat to keep me company.  He was a yellow kitten that one of my sisters gave me.  I called him Max.  Max went everywhere I did and was the most traveled cat I’ve had in my adult life.  He lived in four different states and put me through turmoil when he got out of the house while I was living in Alaska.  My grandmother was visiting me at the time and wasn’t used to house cats, so she felt awful about letting him out.  We looked all over for him.  I’m sure he was snickering at us from the bushes nearby.  Max did come home after a few hours.  I imagine he decided he had it pretty good indoors after all. 

Koki

Sukie

Wizard

 

 

Tootie

Comet

 Ceaser

Raven

Since that time back in the 70’s I’ve owned lots of cats, each with their own personalities.  The crazy things they do really make me laugh.  I’ve lived with daredevils and curious little rascals.  Kitten hood can be a disaster when they’re exploring because everything is “new” and a possible toy.  This is a sign to pick up all the breakables and start thinking like a cat.  They manage to jump to incredible heights, get trapped in the weirdest places (and always in the middle of the night) and bring all sorts of things to bed.  One of my cats actually fished the drainer basket out of the kitchen sink one night and I woke up with that thing in the bed the next morning.

This is Raven.  All cats love sinks.

 The four pictures above are Koki when she was younger.  She still does these things though.

They can sound like a heard of elephants running when they're chasing each other upstairs, or perhaps like bowling balls rolling across the floor.  The can scare me to death when they walk the railing on the banister, or make giant leaps to see if they can go someplace off-limits.  And of course a sack, or any other container, is never safe in the house for long.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change a thing.  They always love me too and never make a fuss about anything I do.  They’re there to comfort me if I’m sick and very intuitive about things.  I could go on and on, but I think I’ll post a couple more pictures.

Koki napping on my computer

 

Comet in a box.  Boxes and sacks are always the cat's meow.

 

Raven loves to get in the garbage bag when I'm changing the cat litter.

And cats love to cram themselves into spaces.  Raven and Sukie are below. 

Thanks for reading.

 

The amazing blueberry

Blueberries are small fruit that have a sweet taste and a dark blue color when ripe.

Blueberries grow on bushes and are harvested in North America starting in May and lasting through the summer.  In Australia, fresh blueberries are available about ten months of the year (from July through April) due to the geographic spread of the blueberry farms and the methods of cultivation.  Harvest in the UK is from June to August, while in Mexico it’s from October to February.

Blueberries are traditionally harvested by hand using a special rake, but modern farmers use machines. 

Blueberries can be sold fresh, or processed and made into juice, jam, wine, pies, muffins, snack foods or added to breakfast cereals.  Of course, as we all know, fresh is better because processing does diminish some of the health benefits of any food.

Blueberries are high in B vitamins, but also contain protein, the minerals manganese and potassium and vitamins C and K.  They also contain anthocyanins, polyphenols, and phytochemicals, which are antioxidants that can boost brain power, help dry skin and may prevent some cancers. 

I always throw frozen blueberries into my breakfast smoothies.

What’s so special about apples?

We’ve all heard the saying “an apple a day will keep the doctor away.”  I always eat apples daily, but I decided to research this and found there is some truth to this old saying.

Some other fruits have individual properties to help your health, but apples have them all.  Plus, they’re easy to pick up and eat, so if you’re in a hurry there’s no excuse not to be healthy.  Here are some of the benefits of eating apples.

They contain vitamin C, which helps our immune system.  A lot of people lack enough vitamin C.

They help to prevent heart disease.  The reason is that they contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants.

They’re low in calories with the average apple containing between 70 and 100 calories.  This is the better way to go when you’re craving candy.  Apples do contain some sugar, but only about a fourth as much as a candy bar.

They help prevent cancers.  Apples target multiple cancers, such as colon cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer.

Apples contain phenols, which reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.

They prevent tooth decay.  The juice in apples contains properties that can kill about 80 percent of the bacteria in your mouth.  Bacteria are what cause tooth decay.  An apple a day should also keep the dentist away.

Apples protect your brain from brain diseases.  Apples have phytonutrients and those help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Apples give you healthier lungs according to research done at the University of Nottingham.  If you eat five or more apples a week you can lower respiratory problems, even such things as asthma.

Apples taste great.  They are crunchy and delicious and come in a wide array of flavors and colors, so you can easily find a favorite among the long list.  Have I inspired some of you to run to the market and stock up on apples?

A Tribute to Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry Oct 1926 - Mar 18, 2017 

RIP

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

I’ve wanted to write this post since I read the devastating news of his passing on Saturday, 18 March 2017.  We used to listen to him as teens and when we took up the guitar, growing up, we tried to learn his songs on the guitar.  I still have a close friend who plays the guitar very well.  He grew up playing tunes by Chuck Berry.  I was so sorry to hear of his passing, but I know none of us lives forever and at least he made it to the age of 90, which is longer than most musicians.

Now I’d like to tell you a little about his life.  He was a pioneer in the rock and roll genre.  His career spanned seven decades.  That’s a long time to play music, but that’s what he loved and it’s always nice to be able to make a living at what you love to do.  How many of us really get to do that?

I know some of you have heard some of his best hits, which are “Johnny B Goode,” “Roll over Beethoven” and “Sweet little Sixteen.”

 Chuck Berry

 

Chuck Berry was born Charles Edward Anderson in October of 1926.  He actually transformed the music industry in the 1950’s by taking R and B and creating rock and roll.  John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Huey Lewis were all influenced by this man who helped shape their own careers.

Chuck Berry is survived by his wife and two children.

On Saturday, April first, we start the A to Z Challenge again, so I wanted to post this now because the next post will be part of the challenge, which runs the whole month of April.  I hope to keep up with that along with working and my police class.  We’ll see how well I can manage my time and multi-tasking.  Of course, you all know determination is my theme song, so somehow I’ll manage to get it all done, I hope.  During the challenge, I'll be posting whatever crosses my mind.  Hopefully, it’ll be worth reading.

Many firsts

Citizens' Police Academy continues

Now that isn’t a bad thing at all.  This citizens’ police academy has been such a nice experience that I would encourage anyone to sign up; if you have a program like this where you live.  So much has happened since I last wrote about my classes but I don’t want to bore any of you with everything that goes on, although nothing has been boring to me.

I’ve truly had more going on in my life the last month than I’ve had in a long time.  Last Thursday’s class we all met at the jail in the next town over.  I hardly ever drive there, but I found it just fine. 

The sheriff’s department is also in this building.  We had a simulator on three giant movie screens in their training room where we gathered and could actually strap on a laser gun and answer dispatch calls, as if we were the police officer responding to the calls.  This was very interesting.  Then we got to interview a prisoner in the jail.  They brought him into the room in shackles.  How many of you out there have ever done that?  It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.  The man is serving a twenty year sentence for murder that he got reduced to manslaughter.  It was his first offense.  He gets out in three years and seems to have changed his life while in prison.  He’s spent his time going to school and has earned two bachelor’s degrees.  His intention is to help future parolees obtain jobs and help them to adapt back into regular life.

 I took no pictures in this class and the following pictures will be equipment only and not any people.

The only disappointment in this night was that we didn’t get to see the booking process firsthand.  I’ll ask about that in a future class, if we’re allowed to make suggestions.  Of course I would have actually liked to have toured the jail itself, but I imagine they thought it might be a danger to us so that wasn’t offered.

 This is some of the bomb squad equipment

 

Saturday’s class was a morning one so I had to drag my butt out of bed and get my act together.  Thankfully the shooting range is only about ten minutes from my house.  It was drizzling and a nasty day with highs in the fifties, but we all assembled there and got to watch demos from the bomb squad, SWAT team and the motorcycle patrol.  Their training facility for some of this stuff is up there at the shooting range.

 This is one of the explosions I took a pic of

 

This coming Tuesday we get to meet the canine patrol and view a demo by the drug dog, Emma.  In conclusion, I have to say they have put together a great program that must have taken many man hours to prepare.  I have a three-inch binder full of information now.  Plus I have some business cards in case I want to interview any of these people later when the serious rewrite for my books begin.

I finally had to break down and do it

I’m talking about going to the doctor, which I hate to do.  I always try home remedies first and usually only see the doctor once a year.  I keep a positive attitude and am always optimistic about things, even when times look bleak.  Usually I can fix whatever it is myself, but sometimes it takes the advice of a sister or friend.  This usually always works.

In mid-December I had to go to the doctor when I came home from work with a fever and still had it the next day.  I had a bad cold and a sinus infection.  I think I probably wrote about that in a previous post.  The situation now is a bad case of athlete’s foot I can’t get rid of.  I’ve been trying home remedies for the last few weeks.  I attribute this to having to wear socks and sneakers daily at work.  My feet do not like socks and closed-in shoes.  I like going barefoot and wearing my flip-flops.  The first thing to come off after work is the shoes and then all the other clothes I have to put on for the job.  Anyway, this foot problem is an ongoing thing and I expect it to be as long as I have to work and wear this “uniform.”

After burning my feet with a vinegar bath twice a day, I had to call that quits after three days.  I was intending to kill the athlete’s foot fungus.  Well it seemed to get a bit better, but it also burned the rest of my feet.  Being the determined person I am, I put up with soaking for thirty minutes each time.  After the third day, even my strong will power figured I was doing more harm than good so I went back to my green alcohol and medicated Gold Bond powder.

 Birdbath fun

Just inserting a few pics here to break up the text.  Believe me you don't want to see my feet. 

 

Then I decided to unwrap my poor patio plants and water them and let them get some air.  That led to cleaning up the whole patio and getting rid of leaves and dirt and all the stuff that drifted in over the winter.  Naturally, I was wearing flip-flops to do this entire job, which took a few hours.  That finished my feet off, not to mention my poor aching back.

 Blooms on our Bradford pear tree

 

Since then I’ve had the worst blister on my big toe.  And of course the athlete’s foot is still there too, but not as bad as it was.  It was finally time to go and see the doctor again.  Good grief!  Twice in three months.  I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come.

To make a long story short, I have two new prescriptions to pick up at the pharmacy tomorrow.  Tonight I start my Epsom salt bath for my feet that I have to do twice a day.  “Stop all the home remedies” the doctor said, but the Gold Bond powder is okay and I can continue to use my ointment for the athlete’s foot until I get my prescription. 

This stuff better get rid of these foot problems because I can’t wear my flip-flops until that blister is gone.  I’m crossing my fingers here.

 Raven wanting to play

 

On a cheerier note, I got my car fixed and it looks great. The weather has been fantastic.  I love the 80’s and having the windows open.  And the cats continue to amuse me every day with their antics.

 A beautiful sunrise on the first day of spring

 

I’m still attending the citizens’ police academy and learning so much.  The chief of police came to talk to us tonight and Saturday we get to go to the shooting range and watch a demonstration by the SWAT team.  I can’t wait for that.  More later.