More Rain

We had another 2 inches of rain on Tuesday evening. That is more in the past few weeks than we have had in the past 5 years. Now the humidity and flies are driving us nuts. I ordered fly predators from www.spalding-labs.com about 10 days ago. the little fly predators were ready to release on Monday. I am sure most of them drowned in the foot of rain we had in our yard on Tuesday. So I ordered more today. I will wait until after this next weeks rain to let them go as we are expecting rain off of Dolly for this weekend.

Heat Safety

It's July 21, 2002 and it's HOT. And where I live it is very humid. We are not used to humidity. It feels as if I am going to pass out when I try to do any work outside during the day. I would like to remind everyone that hot weather can be very dangerous. Especially when it is different from what you are used to. Take a moment to remember this when you are planning those outings or even around your own home. Remember to drink plenty of water and make sure that your children and pets have lots and lots of fresh water available at all times. The last thing we want is a doctor or vet visit because we didn't offer them enough water or make sure that the toys, sand, sidewalk, playground equipement or what ever isn't to hot for children or pets. You may have shoes but your dog doesn't. they can burn their paws so easy, as can your kids if they take their shoes off.
And never, never, never leave anyone - child, adult, dog, cat, or other pet, even a reptile in a car for even a few minutes. Cars heat up so very fast, and death can come very quickly inside. Can you think of the horror of coming back to find a baby or dog dead because it was left in the car. It happens more than we want to think about.
And that pony or horse. He/she is fun to ride but try to do it in the early morning or evening. The humidity seems to bothering my horses as much as it does me. they arn't used to it any more than I am. Again they need lots of fresh water. sometimes I feel that all I do is clean and fill water buckets for the horses, dogs, cats, and the wild birds that have come to depend on me for their water.
If you start watering wild birds you need to keep at it as they can easily die with out it when they are used to you putting it out. they may not have any other sourse of water.
Of course this is just my personal opinions and hope I haven't offended anyone but I see adults that don't seem to have enough sence to hydrate themselves let alone their children or pets. Please keep in mind that water is the essence of life.

Recycle Electrinics?

I have an old computer and printer that I wanted to recycle and keep them out of the landfill. On checking who would take them, I found that my local garbage company and landfill doesn't take them. I did find that several electric stores in Albuquerque do but they charge you $10 for each item, and that would be on top of the gas to go the 50 miles to the store and return home. Althought most do take other things as keyboards, and mice for free. (I wonder if they want my live four legged mice that run around and squeek.) I do have several phone stores near by that will take the old ccell phones I have.
So is it any wonder that so many of the unwanted electrics wind up in the landfill or tossed out on the desert, and some even on the dirt roads near my home?

Complain

We find ourselves complaining about the blowing sand and them begging for a bit of breeze when it is still to try and cool things down some and blow the flies away.

We complain about not having rain and then complain about the humidity when we do get rain.

We complain about the cold in the winter and then complain about the heat in the summer.

Moisture

Finally, some rain. We had about an inch last Saturday night late with a scarey thunder and lighting storm.The flashes of lighting were so bright they were blinding and the thunder was super load. And of course I got caught out in it and soaked. It was just spitting a little bit and I went to move horses around so everyone did have a shelter, Just in case it really did decide to rain. While moving the it surprised me and came very suddenly. the time I was able to move one horse and give up on moving another, I was wet through and through. I decided I was an idiot to be out moving horse in an electrical storm and took shelter in the hay shed with my husband. It slacked for a minute so we dashed for the house, and it came down harder than ever. But with in a half an hour it was all over with.
Since then we have had about another half inch in several days of lighter showers. Again with lots of thunder which is driving the dogs nuts. I can not figure out how my dogs got so afraid of thunder, fireworks, backfiring cars and other load noises like that. Nor can I figure out how to get them not to be afraid anymore. I try to ignore them when they try to crawl under my chair or desk as being nice to them and loving on them seems to make them worse. When it gets really bad I do have tranquilers to give them. I also have learned that keeping a bit of noise going in the house like the TV or music, or the dishwasher helps.
My son who lives about 200 miles south of us said he thought they had about 4 inches of rain in a couple of hours. He was in water almost to his knees in places while he was taking care of his horses. At a nother town in New Mexico there was 7 inches of rain reported in one day. And several other places have had an inch or more. We really need all that moisture so we can't complain.

Cactus

Here is another photo of the cholla cactus. This shows the cactus itself better as well as the flowers.

Cholla Cactus

The cholla cactus (pronounced chaa-ya )are all over the desert where we live. We had to remove several when we moved to our place here to keep the horses, dogs, cats, and, yes, us, too from getting into them. They are sometimes called jumping cactus. It seems like they jump on you when you get close even tho they really don't. They can be anywhere from a few inches tall to 6 - 8 feet tall. When they die the skeleton or wood from the cactus are used for making all kinds of craft items. Especially lamps. The skeleton is hollow up the center and has interestingly shaped holes in them. They can be from a couple of inches around to usually about 6 inches. The other day we decided to ride out across the desert to see if they were blooming. I have added a photo in the right corner of a really nice close up of a blossom. Under it you can see some of the stickers or thorns. To the right side and slightly blured is a piece of a skeleton. The blossoms are such a beautiful, vivid shade of purple. They attract all kinds of insects and bees. There were bees in nearly every blossom we looked at, and they were so loaded with pollen they could barely fly. After the flower fades it makes a yellow fruit that is eaten by many desert rodents and a few birds. It isn't as well liked as the pricklypear cactus fruit, that a lot of people use to make cactus candy and jelly. I have done that but it is very time comsuming to pick the fruit, cook it, until the stickers on the fruit are soft and the fruit is ready to be put through a strainer and makes a juice that can be used for jelly, and candy. Pricklypear cactus have a yellow flower with purple fruit, the opposite of the cholla. I haven't found but a few pricklypear blooming yet.
This year the flowers have been few and far between. The cactus blossoms better and has better fuit when there is better rain. Out drought is keeping a lot of the desert flowers from blooming this year. Still it made for a nice drive and fun to watch the bees making fools of themselves trying to fly with all that pollen. And I have never found a bee hive in the desert. Most are a type of bee that makes a small nest under ground. I would like to know more about them.

Patriotric Songs

I found a long list of patriotric songs as well as lots of other wonderful songs at
http://www.scoutsongs.com/categories/patrioticsongs.html

The Star Spangled Banner

And I would like to think that everyone knows our national anthem.

The Star Spangled Banner
Composed by Francis Scott Key, "In Defense of Fort McHenry", September 20, 1814.Congress proclaimed it the U.S. National Anthem in 1931.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.O say, does that star-spangled banner yet waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly sworeThat the havoc of war and the battle's confusionA home and a country should leave us no more?Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.No refuge could save the hireling and slaveFrom the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued landPraise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

America The Beautiful

America the Beautiful
Words by Katharine Lee Bates,Melody by Samuel Ward.

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stressA thoroughfare of freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self their country lovedAnd mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for halcyon skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea!
O beautiful for pilgrims feet, Whose stem impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrim foot and knee!
O beautiful for glory-tale Of liberating strife When once and twice, for man's avail Men lavished precious life! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till selfish gain no longer stain The banner of the free!
O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee!

God Bless America

This is still such a wonderful tribute to our country.

God Bless America
Words and music by Irving Berlin© Copyright 1938, 1939 by Irving Berlin© Copyright Renewed 1965, 1966 by Irving Berlin© Copyright Assigned to the Trustees of the God Bless America FundInternational Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.Used by Permission

"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea, Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free, Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
" God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home

Freedom

It's time to celebrate! To have cookouts, fireworks, picnics, camping trips, parades, speeches, car shows, rodeos, pet shows, horseback rides, or just sit around our homes and yards with family and friends, or even all by ourselves and enjoy the life we have in all of our 50 wonderful states.
But let us not forget the men and women that protect us and give their lives for us so that we can have the freedoms and life that we have in our wonderful United States of America.

Picasa Web Albums

I just found this Picasa Web Album where they keep all the photos you have put on your blog if you belong to blogspot.com as I do. You can long on with a gmail email address and password and see yours. You can see all of mine at
http://picasaweb.google.com/TazziCatt/TumbleweedCrossing?authkey=67vBOM7qMNM

13 Sayings

Found on the internet.

1. Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends. Life is short and friends are too few.
2. I smile because I don't know what the hell is going on.
3. The trouble with life - there's no background music.
4. A picture is worth a 1000 words, but it uses up 3000 times the memory.
5. He who dies with the most toys- is still dead.
6. Ever stop to think and forget to start again.
7. Out of my mind. Back in 5 minutes. Maybe.
8. Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
9. I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute.
10. Some people are alive because it's illegal to kill them - like politicians, lawyers, and neighbors.
11. Don't take life to seriously - on one gets out alive.
And my favorites.
12. Being over the hill (or mountain) is better than being under it.
13. The original point and click was a Smith & Wesson, or a Colt.

Votes for Naps

For all of you who voted for naps - a word of caution - it can become a habbit.

Consciousness: That annoying gap of time that comes between naps.

Lightning

We are having a dry lightning storm this evening. That means that there is wind, dark clouds, and lighning and thunder, but no rain. This is a typical New Mexico rain. Another words everything except the wet stuff. We need the moisture so much. There are lightning started fires scattered all over the state. Remember the big fire to the east of Albuquerque in May? There is another one in the same area, causing evacuations and threating homes.
We need the rain as does California, Arizonia and other drought states while Iowa and areas along the Mississippi River don't. Sure wish there was some way to explain this to Mother Nature.

Nap Wins the Vote

As for doing housework or a nap or what, the nap won out for a bit. But then the computer got some time in, and I even managed to do some of the housework. Like laundry, changed sheets on the beds, did dishes and cleaned the kitchen really good, including the refregerator, and microwave. Wheeee - that wore me out. So I am back to the computer for a while. Then it is off to feed the horses their night time feed and then I think I have a good book waiting for me.

Want a Drink?

Traveler drinking from the water hose while getting his bath. He did a lot better than I expected for his first one. Me, I just look really hot and tired. And I was.

After A Bath

This is Stormy. He was yawning after getting the spa treatment. I gave him a good bath. He looked so shiny and cute.

Housework?

Is there any one that really likes housework. I know people who insist on a spotless house. Good thing me and my family don't much care. The dust must be an inch thick around here. I keep trying to dust but keep finding more important things to do. Like playing on this here computer. Or listening to music or watching the TV or playing with the dogs, or cats, or horses. Or maybe I'll just do some gardening. Or try to in this here 100 degree weather. Or maybe I'll just take a nap until it cools off a bit.