PHEEBS CAN NOW STRETCH OUT ON HER NEW LOVESEAT…YOU REALLY DIDN’T THINK WE GOT IT FOR US DID YA

WE HAVE FINALLY ATTRACTED SOME HUMMINGBIRDS TO OUR FEEDER

With company arriving in a few days we busied ourselves doing some cleaning this morning.  Isn’t it amazing how fast a place can be cleaned up when one knows company is coming.  Way I figure it is the more company one has the cleaner one’s house is gonna be.  Makes sense:))

THIS PYRRHULOXIA (SILVER CARDINAL) DEFINITELY IS KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON ME

 

A U-Haul rental truck rolled into our yard about 11:45. this morning.  It was the furniture from our shopping day in Surprise at DESIGN WITH CENTS.  The fellas weren’t long in unloading our loveseat, recliner, & painting & they weren’t long in loading up our 2 heavy Mission chairs.  Glad I didn’t have to help with that.  Did my share of heavy lifting with moving jobs many years ago.  Had myself a little chuckle when the fellas asked how long we had lived here, did we like it, & where would we buy groceries.  Coming from the large mega-Megapollis of Surprise & Phoenix I understood their dismay at someone living way out here in the seemingly forlorn dusty desert outback of Congress Arizona.  I was once where they were in their thinking & they may one day, like me, understand why & for what reasons we are where we are…….today:))  By the way anyone reading this in the area who is looking for a place to pick up some great pieces of quality furniture I’d suggest you drop into ‘Design With Cents’ in Surprise & have yourself a look around.  Nice folks here & easy to deal with.  They are tucked in behind the Goodwill Store that can be seen from highway 60 in Surprise’s North end.  West side of 60. 

  

SOME FURNITURE GOES IN & SOME FURNITURE COMES OUT

I think we few folks who are not into the ‘smart phone’ mode are definitely in the minority.  I’m still way back at trying to talk myself into carrying a cell phone, period.  Oh I understand very well all the logical reasons for carrying a cell phone & do agree it’s definitely a right idea.  But a ‘smart phone’ stretches my limits.  Cheryl over at DEEP CANYON loves her smart phone & for many folks I can understand why they do but I’m just not one of those many folks. You may find it interesting how & why Cheryl’s first smart phone, an IPhone ended up on the floor all smashed up.  Just click on the colored DEEP CANYON above & see why:)) 

  

But hey what’s this……….Found out this morning we do have a smart phone.  What!!  As so often happens with my memory these days I had totally forgotten that we do indeed have a Blackberry.  Guess I should back off the ‘we’ word there.  Kelly has a Blackberry smart phone her daughter gave her last summer but she just hasn’t been using it.  Said she is going to fire it up shortly.  We have a conventional cell phone she uses.  Now, I gotta back up a couple more steps here.  She texts with that conventional cell phone.  Kelly had to get with the ‘texting world’ years back because of her job at Deer Park Lodge.  Her kids are all texters as well so she communicates with them that way too.  So just to clarify……yes we (Kelly) do have a smart home.  And yes, Kelly does text with her ordinary Samsung cell phone & has been doing so for about 6 or 7 years now.  Guess it shows how much attention I pay to some things & just how much my memory has been slipping……:((

OF COURSE WE ALL KNOW THE REAL REASON FOR THE LOVESEAT

Back in August of 95 I had myself a nasty motorcycle crash & one of the things I broke that day was the big toe on my right foot.  Doctor said I would likely lose the toenail & he was right.  I did lose it……..18 years later!!  And by golly if I’m not growing myself a healthy looking fancy new one.  Amazing what our bodies can do.  Groovy:)) 

THE PAINTING WE BOUGHT REQUIRED A BIT OF TOUCHING UP FIRST

  

THIS PAINTING WILL NOT APPEAL TO EVERYONE BUT THE 3 EMBOSSED FACES CAUGHT MY FANCY RIGHT AWAY…I LIKE THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT & A BIT OFF CENTER:))

JUST WHAT I NEEDED FOR THAT BLANK WALL SPACE OVER MY BED

Someone asked what to put Cookie Butter on.  Toast, buns, celery, flat bread, whatever??  For me it’s best just scooped right out of the jar in a big wad on the end of a table knife.  Will I buy another jar?  No I will not!!  It is just too yummy for an overweight person like me to eat.  And them’s just the plain hard facts.

A HANDSOME & PROUD LITTLE FELLOW I’D SAY >>>

Always felt like maybe I was the only one who sadly always said goodbye to favorite places I have enjoyably been.  Goodbye mountains, goodbye trees, goodbye favorite hiking trails, goodbye morning sunrises & evening sunsets, goodbye campfire rocks.  Goodbye to all you who have brought me so many pleasant memories of bright sunny days & moonlit starry nights.   But coming across Speedy’s post from SOMEWHERE IN TIME this morning I see I am not the only one as Speedy says goodbye to some favorite things in Colorado.  I have always been much better at saying goodbye to places than I have been at saying goodbye to people.  Just seems to be the way it is for some of us emotionally challenged folks to deal with things………..

  

IT TOOK A SHUTTER SPEED OF 1/4000th OF A SECOND TO STOP ACTION THOSE WINGS

Great weather today as we made it into the 70’s again.  This year sure has last year beat so far.  Sun was so hot I could only sit for a short time in the back yard taking a few bird photos.  Our Hummingbird feeder has so far attracted 2 Hummers & a Gila Woodpecker.

 

IT IS THE EYES OF THE BIRDS I ALWAYS HOPE TO CAPTURE

Hans from METAMORPHOSIS ROAD just joined the Bunch on our ‘Friends’ list.  Welcome aboard Hans & we’re hoping to have the wheels rolling again for another boondocking getaway around the end of this month.  I see your hanging out in San Diego.

GROANER’S CORNER:((Heard on a public transportation vehicle in Orlando.  "When you exit the bus, please be sure to lower your head and watch your step."
"If you miss your step and hit your head, please lower your voice and watch your language. Thank you."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

COOKIE CLUTTER OF THE TUMMY NUTTER

WE ALWAYS KEEP A CLOSE EYE OUT FOR COYOTES ON OUR MORNING WALKS

I don’t know who is in charge of the big wind machine in these parts this year but they can turn it off any time!!  Had to hang onto our front door this morning as I stepped outside.  Mats off the porch again & our wind sock was straight out indicating the gusting winds were coming from the North.  Back it off will ya Canada we’re trying to enjoy our great Arizona weather down here!!

<<< PHEEBS KNOWS KELLY IS HIDING A TREAT FOR DALLY UNDER HER COAT THIS MORNING

Started my day off with a big scoop of Cookie Butter.  Not too darn smart I’d say.  Figure I should have listened to a fellow shopper Monday at Trader Joes.  I was standing in the aisle looking over the Peanut Butter & Cookie Butter selection.  A lady beside me casually mentioned she liked the Almond Butter far better than the Peanut Butter.  I replied I had been looking at the Cookie Butter.  She reached over to the shelf lifting off a jar & started reading the ingredients label.  With a loud audible ‘AWK’ she quickly returned the Cookie Butter jar to the shelf saying, “I would never eat that”.  With that resounding endorsement I quickly dropped a jar right into our cart.  Oh Dear………

 

HEY THAT’S NOT A HUMMINGBIRD ON THE FEEDER….IT’S A GILA WOODPECKER

First order of business this morning was moving furniture & re-arranging things in preparation for our loveseat & recliner arriving Wednesday.  Trying out some different table & chair combinations.  I always enjoy re-arranging things from time to time.  Nice to change things up & keep one’s perspective on the move.

PEERING OUT OF A SAGUARO CACTUS IN OUR FRONT YARD

Kelly sure had the house smelling great this afternoon with all her chocolate chip cookie baking.  If I ate one cookie I ate 500.  I am so doomed to never see my shoes again.

IT IS THE EYES ON THESE CURVE BILL THRASHERS THAT ARE SO INTRIGUING >>>

Just remembered Donna from TRAVELS IN THERAPY had a few photo questions in which she asks, “ Just wondering what ISO and shutter speed you use to get the stop action on the birds? Are you shooting through a window or outdoors”? ……… I generally use an ISO of 1000 or 1600 & my shutter speeds vary but are often around 1/2000th of a second.  And the majority of my birdshots here in Congress are taken from outside & not through glass.  In Bayfield it is the opposite as many of my bird photos are taken through glass from inside our sunroom.

THIS PHOTO TAKEN AT 300mm TODAY IS ISO 1600 F 5.6 AT 1/2000

Humorously enlightening & right on the money for me is Debra Argosy’s latest post over at FIND AN OUTLET.  I went right down my mental checklist ticking off & agreeing with absolutely everything she had to say about smart phones.  We do not have a smart phone for the very simple reason we do not need a smart phone.  I have never sent a text message to anyone & it is unlikely I ever will.  Wouldn’t know how for starters & I have no interest in learning how.  But rather than me telling you my opinions on smart phones I’ll just let you go read Debra’s post.  She’s got it nailed………….

  

I SUSPECT THIS MAY BE A COOPERS HAWK…IT CRUISED THROUGH OUR BIRD FEEDERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME & I WAS ABLE TO GET A COUPLE QUICK SHOTS OFF AS IT LANDED IN A MESQUITE TREE FOR A FEW SECONDS  

A post by klbexplores entitled ‘STRADDLING TWO WORLDS’ caught my eye this morning as well.  Not all RV’ers who are able to travel….are able to travel.  Could be medical, could be financial, could be family obligations, etc.  How would we feel about that if we had to change plans & remain home.  I know how I would feel about that!!  But check out how klbexplores feels about that.

WE HAVE LOTS OF GAMBLES QUAIL SKITTERING THROUGH OUR YARD EVERY DAY

Some days are just lazier than others.  Some days start out that way & other days just seem to get that way.  Today I had one of those day’s that just sorta got that way.  But I guess I kinda got it that way myself.  No doubt about it, my tummy today was suffering from dough overload also commonly known in the medical profession as……Cookie Clutter of the Tummy Nutter:((

HERE’S PHEEBS ENJOYING ONE OF HER TRADER JOE’S TREATS TODAY

GROANER’S CORNER:((  And here is an extremely important tip which applies to absolutely everyone regardless of who you are….'Don't believe everything you think!!' 

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

SURPRISE SURPRISE WE WENT TO SURPRISE, AND TRADER JOES AND 5 GUYS, AND……….

An unusually strong & unsuspected north wind in the night blew our mats off the front porch, knocked an ornament off an outside wall & tipped over a couple campfire chairs.  Kelly had trouble sleeping when one of our aluminum shed doors had a habit of flapping & banging.

OF COURSE PHEEBS SLEPT RIGHT THROUGH ALL THE WIND NOISE
We have had our second hand Mission Recliners for over a year now but despite the chairs solid quality in their day we just came to the conclusion they were not as comfortable as we had hoped they would be.  A bit of internet research, a few phone calls, a consultation with her husband, & Kelly made the decision we needed a furniture change.

BOTH OUR MISSION RECLINERS CAN BE SEEN IN THIS LAST YEAR PHOTO…PHEEBS TOO:))
She found a neat-o used furniture store in Surprise Arizona called, Design With Cents – High End Resale.  With address in hand & instructions saying it was a block south of Trader Joes we hit the road at 11 a.m. arriving at the store 40 minutes later.  I liked this store right away.  It was jam packed with just the kind of furniture & décor we like.  And it’s all good stuff.  Not junky.  We also found the staff to be on our level & easy to talk to & deal with.  We settled on one recliner, one loveseat, & one painting.  While Kelly did the dealing I went & lost myself behind a sofa somewhere.  I am not a wheeler dealer & do not like all that haggling baloney.  They will deliver our stuff Wednesday afternoon.  And they are taking our 2 Mission Recliners as trade-ins as well.  A good deal all way round.

THE ‘DESIGN WITH CENTS’ STORE IN SURPRISE ARIZONA
 
LOOKING & LOOKING & LOOKING

FINALLY DECIDED ON THAT LOVESEAT IN THE CENTER & THAT PAINTING WAY UP HIGH ON TOP OF A HUTCH AT THE RIGHT…THE LARGE PAINTING WILL GO ON THE WALL OVER MY BED
 
I LIKE THESE KINDS OF STORES FOR THEIR COLORS, DÉCOR, & COZINESS

WE WEREN’T CRAZY ABOUT THE LIGHT COLOR OF THIS RECLINER BUT THE PRICE WAS RIGHT & IT WAS COMFORTABLE FOR ME & I’M THE GUY WHO WILL BE SITTING IN IT…WE’LL COVER IT WITH A BIG COLORFUL MEXICAN BLANKET
Having been to Surprise half a dozen times before we were kinda familiar with the huge mega-mall complex in the north end of the city.  Familiar enough to know where 5 GUYS was & we weren’t long getting ourselves over there after leaving the used furniture store.  Burgs & fries were great but I would have liked to get my hands on the volume knob of their music source.  There is no need to blast loud annoying noise like that.  That’s my biggest beef with 5 Guys.

LAST TIME WE WERE HERE AUNT JEAN WAS WITH US & IT WAS LAST WINTER
 
KELLY SCOOPS ALL THE FREE PEANUTS SHE CAN CARRY & THAT’S OUR BURGS IN THE BAG
Around the corner from 5 Guys Kelly remembered a Yogurt place beside Starbucks.  Slipped on over there & got myself about 5 ounces of Carmel Yogurt.  It’s a neat idea they have in that store with Yogurt prices being based on the number of ounces of Yogurt one buys.  At .45 cents an ounce I had a $3 dollar dish of yummy Yogurt.  Kelly slipped next door & grabbed a coffee to go.  Not caring for Starbucks coffee I passed.
 
EACH ONE OF THOSE WINDOWS DISPENSES TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF YOGURT…JUST STEP UP WITH YOUR CONTAINER, PULL A LEVER & PUT AS MUCH YOGURT IN YOUR CUP AS YOU LIKE
Didn’t take us long to find our next stop.  We backtracked up highway 60 to Trader Joes.  Couldn’t help but notice the crushing & congested traffic of course.  You couldn’t pay me enough to live in an area like this.  But back to Trader Joes……  Kelly grabbed a cart because with the blog reader’s list she had in her hand we knew we would definitely be needing a cart to get everything back to the Jeep.

THAT’S KELLY HER VERY SELL WITH THE WHITE TOP & RED CART GOING IN THE DOOR
 
CHECKING OUT JOE’S OLIVE OIL & GRINDING SOME OF JOE’S COFFEE
Now we didn’t get everything on the list of course but we did spend a half hour in the store getting familiar with TJ’s products even stopping clerks with questions.  As you all well know I am not a foody guy but I think our trip to TJ’s today kind of gave me a liking for this place.  Saw a lot of organic stuff, etc.  And we both agreed the prices were reasonable.  And the peanut butter pretzels we bought never even made it out of Trader Joes parking lot before I had them open.  Yep, we will be back to TJ’s alright:))

ROLLING THROUGH WICKENBURG WE NOTICED LOTS OF WESTERN HORSE ACTIVITY

Rolled northbound out of Surprise at 3:15 & we were home by 4.  From Surprise to Congress it is pretty much a straight shot with much of it being a 4 lane highway.  Aside from the traffic it’s a pretty easy drive.  Even Wickenburg’s 2 round-a-bouts are feeling more familiar.       


First thing I opened up when we got home was the Cookie Butter.  Didn’t take me long to make a huge dent in that small jar.  Had to fight with myself not to take the Cookie Butter to bed with me & put it under my pillow.  Oh Dear, not the start of another addiction I hope……………..

HERE’S A FEW THINGS WE BROUGHT HOME FROM TRADER JOE’S TODAY
When’s the last time you saw a bunch of Alligators together.  From a safe distance I would hope.  Have a look at what these folks over at IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR DREAMS stumbled across out on a hike at MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK in Florida.  Keep on scrolling down through their photos.  Alligators, Alligators, Alligators!!…….  And have you ever had a nightmare oil change done to your RV?   Why would that oil change take 3 days & end up with your rig on the end of a tow truck?  You can read all about the Hollingers personal oil change nightmare at WHAT AN OIL CHANGE THAT WAS!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A young and foolish pilot wanted to sound cool on the aviation frequencies. This was his first time approaching a field during nighttime, and instead of making any official requests to the tower, he said, "Guess who?"
The controller switched the field lights off and replied, "Guess where!"
-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.