What was I thinking?

Just got back yesterday from my trip to Vegas. First time I've been there since moving to the wilds of NE Arizona. The trip usually takes 6 1/2 hours and I made it in 5 hours and 20 minutes. I can't figure out how I got there so fast. Maybe I went thru a worm hole? Anyhow, when I came down the hill from Boulder City and saw Henderson and Las Vegas, my first thought was " How did I manage to live here for 30 years? What was I thinking?" It was so drab and brown with a curtain of smudge hanging over the city. It held no appeal for me at all. Before driving clear across town to my families home, I stopped by Savers and inhaled the entire store. Now that is one place I really missed. Then went to Michaels' craft store and then to the other Savers where I usually shopped when I lived there. I got a new pair of K-swiss tennies for $10.00! and two pair of denim capris pants. Since it was Sunday, I couldn't shop at Hobby Lobby since they close on that day so their employees can go to church and spend time with their families. Since my daughter had to work Monday, I hit a couple of stores with my grand daughter. Graduation was that night.

 Here's Sarah! Isn't she beautiful? I guess she isn't fond of dresses but she should wear them more often. I don't blame her, I don't like dresses either. Give me jeans anyday!

 Lady in red! Wow, I can remember the day she was born. Seems like yesterday. I got to see her a few minutes after she was born. You've come a long way, Sarah! Now real life begins!

 Graduating 2012!

 Here's their principal. He's pretty handsome! No wonder the girls like attending Arbor View High School!

 The long march. Sarah is the last in line here.

 Getting ready to call her name.

 Diploma!!!!!

 Mr. Handsome congratulating her.

I think there were 600 kids graduating in her class. We went out to dinner afterwards with other family members. I think we had 11 people at dinner. There is a new shopping center called Town Center that has all these yuppie places to shop and eat. I had a Peppered Gorgonzola mushroom carmelized onion hamburger with fries. Delicious! But boy was that place noisy. Especially when I am used to peace and quiet.
On Tuesday, I had an appointment to get a mammogram. I like to get mine done at West Valley Imaging because they don't believe in squeezing you as flat as a pancake and you get your results before you leave. I got a clean bill of health. Then I went to ARC Paper to stock up for Katie and me. I got 3 boxes of cardstock. Then went to Hobby Lobby and got some trim to finish my Victorian lampshades. I love Hobby Lobby!!!! Then Costco, only to discover our card had expired. They let me make one purchase and I had better get it renewed or else! Since there is no Costco near us, I just might let it drop. We now have a Sams club card and it is only a 3 hour drive away! I stopped to visit with our former neighbor, Betty. We had a great visit. I was exhausted after that day and when I got back to my daughter's house we had BBQ pork ribs and the best potato salad.
Cathy, my daughter had Wednesday off so we hung out and went to church in the evening. My grandson Aaron led the worship songs. I was so proud of him. He is going to Bible college in California and I am really proud of his life choices. Way to go Aaron!
Left Vegas at 5:30 Thursday morning. It took an hour to get across town on the freeway! I am so glad I don't live there anymore!!!!! I stopped in Flagstaff and did a bit of shopping at Tuesday Morning and Savers. Hey, I won't be able to shop in Saver's for months so I had to get my fill. I got home around 2:30. Lordy it was hot! 96 degrees in the house. When I went to bed I got my hair wet so it felt cool enough I could get to sleep.
Looking at my garden, something ate all three rows of my spinach while I was gone. I bought two rat traps and set them last night but didn't catch anything altho something ate the bait. This morning I discovered something mowed down my Peony plant I had in a pot. They didn't even eat it! I wouldn't mind if they were hungry and ate the darned thing but to just mow it down? This has been a terrible year for gardening for me. Tom isn't having near as much trouble as I am.
Well, guess that catches us up for now. Toodles!

Desperate Measures

 Pa and his best friend taking an afternoon nap. No this isn't a desperate measure.....unless you're tired.

 I made this birthday card for our grandson, Parker. I thought it turned out pretty darned cute!

 One of our snakes was out wandering around. He is over 5 feet long.

 I'd like for him to take up residence in our garden to take care of what ever is eating everything in there.

 So, here are my desperate measures. Anything green, including these potatoes are being eaten at lightening speed. I have no more carrots, lima beans, lettuce, radishes and the spinach is being munched on more every night. I came up with this idea. I got some hog wire and made cages to go around each potato hill. I used compactor garbage bags (they are extra sturdy) to go around each cage and then cut out the top and folded the edges in. I used bamboo BBQ skewers to hold the bags in place and tent poles to hold the cages in place.

 Here you see my cantelopes, squash and asparagus being covered with milk cartons. The cantelopes and squash will outgrow their containers and then I'll have to go to plan "XYZ" I've used up all the other plans!

 Something completely devoured the sweet potato vines so they are now covered with shade cloth and some old fridge shelves. I had to replant some.

 The broccoli outgrew their milk cartons so they are surrounded by plastic bags.

 Here are our tomatoes. Yep, good old compactor garbage bags! I planted some extra tomatoes in one of the planter boxes and something knocked over the milk cartons and ate those.

 Here are the Desert Spiderworts all secure in their little cages. If I removed one cage, the plant would be gone over night.

 I had to buy new grape vines since ours froze. There it sits, in it's own little prison.

All my flowers have cages around them. Something got into the planters and ate the petunias down to the bone. Pa had to put up a makeshift table for the other flowers Mice can still climb up the legs tho. Each of my green bean plants have milk cartons over them. Of course eventually they will out grow them. My next plan is to get some hardware cloth and staple it to the planter boxes so it sticks up a couple of feet and then tie some shade cloth over it. That way, the plants will have room to grow. But that will have to wait till next week because on Sunday, I am heading for Vegas so I can attend my grand daughter's graduation. And hit the thrift stores. And hit the craft stores. And get my mammogram. Did I mention thrift stores? I'd like to get some things to alter and some capri pants. I just redid my t-shirt drawer and got it organized. I definitely don't need any more t-shirts. I'm going to visit ARC paper store since they are open to the public again. My buddy Katie has an order in for red cardstock which I need also. They are having a mega sale right now. I need various shades of grey, red, green, black, blue............. Oh Lordy, I'll need to take out a loan!!!!! Anybody got a dime?

Good bye Maggie RIP

Well, the decision was made, by me, to have Maggie put to sleep. Poor little thing, she'd squat to pee and fall over on her nose or just sit down. She had trouble getting up the doggie door steps and would fall off as often as she could make it up. If food was dropped on the floor, she couldn't pick it up. But when we'd take her outside, she would run around like a little pup and have such a good time, then her back legs would give out and she'd fall over. So it was a hard decision to make. Pa took her to the vet in Springerville. He said she wasn't nervous at all and one shot and it was over in seconds. He brought her home and buried her under a tree in the back yard. I just couldn't go and watch her take her last breath. The house is so quiet at night now because she would wander all evening and half the night before she could get comfortable and go to sleep. I finally put the carpet shampooer away. I was getting so tired of mopping up pee and blood ALL day long. So she was put to sleep on Tuesday.
 Pa decided to go get some water from the community well on Monday. He was gone for HOURS and I got kinda worried so finally called him. Turns out he met a new guy who had just moved in and they chatted for hours. Then my pal Katie came over to play on Tuesday and the new guy showed up also. Pa had gone to get another load of water at the community well so he wasn't here. Katie and I talked to the new guy, whose name is Wayne, by the way, until Pa got here. Poor Katie didn't get to do much in the way of crafting but we did manage to exchange files and have some lunch.
Pa and I did some exploring yesterday on the way home from the dump. We had a pick up load to get rid of. We wandered around Carrizo ranch for an hour or so trying to find a way over to our ranch. I guess none of the roads connected. We were so close to our place and no way to get there except go across country but thought better of that idea. Then we stopped by Wayne's and invited him over for steaks tonight. Then stopped by Tom's and invited him also. I don't know why men with women don't move out here! Here I am surrounded by men........Oh darn! Am I lucky or what?
so here's the newest member of our community, May I introduce Wayne to you!

He gave me permission to post his picture. He has two dogs and two horses........did I say horses? Yipee! They are both pregnant but he said they can still be ridden. Did I say Yipee? Well, I'll say it again, Yipee!!!!