Hello everyone and thank you so much for caring if I blog or not. That makes me feel great! And I miss you a lot. I hope this finds all of you well and that there are no more fires, hurricanes, floods, etc. out there. A thunderstorm came through after I wrote last with the kind of wild lightning I really haven't seen since New Jersey. It set 50 fires in our county -- one of which threatened homes in Tehachapi, but at the other end of town. No fires started in our canyon -- something to be grateful for. All the fires are out now and the weather was really great for a few weeks, then the heat came back again. But nights are cool in the high 30s low 40s. I worry about the veggies and frost now. We started them too late for some to ripen before the cool weather, I think. But then I always find something to worry about.
I have no idea what to write about and I think this is taking the shape of a letter to my blogger friends instead of a "real" post. On my way here I saw a flock (? - or what ever it is called, I'm sure flock is wrong) of turkey vultures. I was driving and had to look up at their beauty as they soared on the wind. Turkey vultures come through the Tehachapi pass by the thousands in October and they are a sight to behold.
Soldier had another encounter with a toad and got sprayed with their uncomfortable defense poison. They never learn, these dogs. See something moving and they have to get it. After Bandit got bitten by a rattle snake, he was looking for it for weeks to retaliate, or so it seemed. Same with Soldier, he's still looking for the critter.
I am working with Samson and it's going well. He is very willing and able to learn and responds really well to praise. Nothing else is needed, no biscuits or anything like that. Now that I am feeling much better and can do this, started to brush him every day and that has cut back on all the fur left around the house, and, of course, made him look very pretty, which I hope is not going to his head. You never know with Samson. And he does miss his blogging. He misses his Gracie too. He told me he wondered if she would think him very handsome now that he gets groomed so often.
It occurred to me that I could upload some photos from Picasa, but now I'm running out of time, so here is just one, showing a bored Samson, saying: "I have so much to blog about, Mommy, and now that I can't I'm so BORED! So I do what I do when all else fails: Take a nap! Bye everyone and have a nice day! Yawn!"
That said: Fran don't worry about the computer though. I will get it when I get it and that's good enough for me.
First, thank you for your comments and good wishes. Bobbi, Samson misses Gracie too. He also misses his blogging a whole lot. And I miss all of you so much. Second: Welcome to my new followers. Once I get my computer at home, I will add links to your blogs (if you have any) and welcome you a bit more in detail. It's great to have you sign up at this time when I have been so out of touch.
The latest on the computer: Fran got her new computer and she loves it! There are still some files that need to be transferred from her old one to the new one before I can get the old one. Her nephew, who is helping her with this, is away for a few days, but after that I will get it. Thank you Fran (again, yes I know)!
I have a ton of ideas for blog posts and some nice photos too. Yes, I will let Rachael know you liked her pictures -- I do too.
My husband and I have had a great summer. He has been up here a lot and we have had fun together. In the veggie garden where we only put seeds in the ground after he tilled some rows, we now have corn, cucumbers, squash, watermelons, okra, radishes and mint. The trick here is watering, which we do two or three times a day, depending on the heat. We are really tickled about our garden and have big plans for better soil prep and lots more veggies for next year. He is also designing a chicken coop in his head and thinking about where he wants to put it.
It has been unbearably hot here for a few weeks, but today it is cooler. I think the library, where I am right now may have an air conditioning problem, because their doors are open, but it is still nice in here. A fly has taken a liking to me and with all the people in here, I am trying to make it go and visit someone else. I'm just not used to blogging with a fly on my arm!
We had one fire on the other side of town, where an small plane crashed, and over 14,000 acres have burned with 32 homes lost. It was 91% contained as of last night, but today it's so windy here, that I just don't know what will happen. Another fire has broken out and one can see the smoke behind the mountain toward Bakersfield. There are many, many firefighters in town here from all over. Many left to fight the fires in Texas, I heard on TV last night. These guys are really heroes. And I am so sorry to hear about all the terrible fires in Texas and all the flooding on the East Coast. I hope you my blogger friends are OK. TV, yes, we now have it. After my husband had been here for a while, he had to have TV. So we now have TV reception again and it really is good for things like fire updates and other weather news. Bakersfield stations are now our local stations and I, for one, am glad to not have to listen to the Los Angeles news any more.
I'm feeling a lot better and spend several hours outside every morning, walking dogs, working in the garden, hanging laundry on the line, and so on. I love it! I have started on Fosamax, the generic for it whatever that is called and so far I have had no side effects. So things are looking up and I'm happy. I just can't wait to share my pictures here. Take care, and have a great couple of weeks until I can get back here or blog from home.
