Restoration Cowboy Style

The days sure run together this time of year–no major projects, too windy to be outside very much–it is March. One of our friends had a health scare a few weeks ago and is still not up to driving herself to Tucson. On Tuesday I took her to Tucson where we chose new frames for her glasses at Costco. Geez that Costco on Grant Road is busy–we were there by opening time at 10am and our friend still waited at least an hour to be helped. I once again had my newer glasses and sunglasses adjusted without success–don’t know what the issue is with those two frames but it seems to be impossible to have them adjusted to the point they stay adjusted.

We enjoyed lunch at Eclectic and made a stop at Trader Joe’s where I purchased some beautiful tulips and a few other items the pantry needed. Back on the racetrack (I-10) we headed for home.

Wednesday our friends Jane and Paul stopped by for a one night visit–they had driven to Tucson from their Wyoming home to deal with some family business and are now on their way back to Wyoming. They had been staying in RV parks so their 2 year old golden-doodle was soooo happy to be “released.” She ran and and ran–that dog has way too much energy–Emmi avoided her! We enjoyed a fabulous dinner of beef stew, salad and a dessert from our past. When Jane’s first husband was alive we would drive from Montana, they would drive from Wyoming and we would meet at the Grizzly Bar in Roscoe, Montana. The Bar served the simplest dessert but it was so, so good. Ice cream balls rolled in mini chocolate chips and drizzled with raspberry sauce–very simple to make but so delicious! I just thaw raspberries, run them through the blender, add a tiny bit of water and sugar then press the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

Thursday we made a run to Mexico. We have traveled into Mexico many times in our lives even renting a house for two months in the small mountain town of Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. Traveling to Mexico is something I suspect we won’t do again due to the cartel violence. And we hesitated to even cross the border but made the decision that perhaps the border at Bisbee/Naco would be safe enough and it was. Louanne has crossed the border at Naco several times and agreed to not only drive but to also be our guide.

One of the medications the Cowboy takes on an as needed basis is absurdly expensive in the US but half the cost in Mexico and on Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus website. A cream for cold sores which I use is $126 with GoodRx (down from a previous high of $500) in the US but in Mexico it is $8 a tube. If I purchased the cream through my Medicare drug plan–$500!!!! In Mexico no prescription is needed for medications. You present your list to in this case a very accommodating woman who spoke English and laughed with us. Louanne and I walked across the border, into the pharmacy and back across the border into the US in less than 15 minutes–done.

Does it worry us to take medications potentially manufactured in Mexico–no more so than it worries us to take any medication. Did you know that a huge percentage of medications prescribed in the US are made in foreign countries or contain ingredients made in foreign countries? “About 80% of generic drugs were finished in foreign countries, and an even greater percentage had their API made in foreign countries,” he added. “In contrast to brand-name drugs, which are largely made in Europe, generic products and their API are typically made in Asian countries such as India, China, Japan, Singapore, and others.” https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/report-details-where-top-100-brand-name-rx-drugs-are-made

Why didn’t we just go see our doctor–have you tried to get a same day appointment with a physician lately? Not happening at least in this neighborhood–we would wait at least two weeks. Emergency rooms are not the answer. So–we know what works and what has been prescribed for this issue–Mexico was the answer. And I have a happier Cowboy!

The Cowboy’s garden has been producing more lettuce than we can eat! The grass is greening, leaves are appearing on the trees and the Mexican poppies are blooming–not to the extent they bloomed in spring of 2020 but still very colorful! It is March and it’s still windy making the ears on one little ten pound dog stand straight up!

Saturday afternoon we joined the gang at Linda’s to play Rummikub–we had so much fun! The Cowboy and I won three games each making us the “tournament” winners. I seldom win more than one game when playing with this gang–Donnie and Mo are good, way good as is Linda!! But as with any game, it’s the luck of the draw!

Angela and Ralph came for Sunday lunch. We’ve know these folks since about 2004 so we always have plenty to discuss. And geez did I ever feel stupid–we enjoyed a fabulous lunch as always–burgers, roasted potatoes and Cesar salad with apple pie for dessert. In the back of my mind I kept thinking–“is this all I cooked??” As we are solving the problems of the world I remember–the chili rellenos! When we went out to the ranch belonging to friends Robbie and Pam she made the simplest but best chili rellenos and I watched carefully as Pam cooked. On Friday I roasted the Anaheim peppers to remove the skins, took the seeds out and stuffed the peppers with cheese. Today all I had to do was pan fry the peppers just before we were ready to eat–except I forgot–the peppers were still in the refrigerator! So, the Cowboy and I will enjoy chili rellenos for supper and have leftovers for tomorrow! Good grief!!

Here is my latest knitting project–a Stephen West shawl–yarn and pattern purchased from a small yarn shop in Malvern, Arkansas in 2020.

The weather in Montana has been awful the last few days, 30 inches of new snow at Lonn’s and he is calving–ugh!

Last Sunday we drove out to the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains to visit the ranch owned by friends Pam and Robbie. Pam is also our realtor. What a gorgeous place with views which would make you want to never leave home. A ranch tour and dinner was on the agenda. They have a very comfortable 4 seater side by side Polaris Ranger and with Robbie at the wheel we were off. The creek which runs through their property is still running high from all the rain and snow this corner of Arizona has had this winter.

The ranch belonged to Robbie’s grandmother, then his parents and now he and Pam own the ranch.

They’ve recently added some water upgrades for the cattle–a new well, solar, piping to distant tanks, etc.

We had a ball bouncing around for a couple hours touring the ranch Robbie and Pam both love. The ranch is miles and miles from anything but they neither one would live anywhere else.

This is one of several water tanks (in Arkansas we would call this a pond) located on the ranch. Runoff from rain/snow fill these tanks during the winter and monsoon seasons.

Back at the house Pam and Robbie had us quickly sitting down to an amazing meal–grilled steaks, salad, asparagus and the absolute best chili rellenos!! I watched Pam make the rellenos and I’ve all ready purchased the ingredients for making more for us! We so enjoyed our visit with them and look forward to spending more time with Pam and Robbie.

Haircuts, pedicure, trips to Tucson, a party–the list goes on and on making for a busy week. And we’ve been entertaining!

Tuesday evening Louanne and Dan served an amazing dinner to a group of folks which included Jerry and Kathy, the Cowboy and I, Janice and Linda. Gosh that food was good!!

The Cowboy has been busy puttering around outside and working on more stained glass animals. He absolutely hates to be sent to the grocery store but for some reason doesn’t mind going to the local dollar store for me—wonder why??? We have yucca plants in our yard no more–they harbor pack rats and the Cowboy has been fighting an ongoing battle with one particular rat who seems to think tunneling under our garage would be a good thing. The backhoe and the Cowboy made short work of the 3 yucca plants in our yard. The rat seems to have given up and gone elsewhere–we can hope!

Thursday the Cowboy’s cousin Pat came for an overnight visit. Our friend Shauna was heading back to Wyoming on Friday so she too came for dinner. Hamburgers without buns, roasted red potatoes and a vinaigrette dressed salad using the Cowboy’s home grown lettuce. Dessert was leftover strawberry cake from the contribution I made to Dan and Louanne’s dinner.  It’s so much fun to listen to Pat and the Cowboy tell stories!

Friday Louanne and I headed to Tucson for a day out. We shopped and shopped some more but took the time to have an amazing lunch, dining outside on the patio of Locale, an Italian restaurant. I had pumpkin ravioli and swear I almost asked for a spoon so I could scoop up all the sauce–it was a fabulous dish!

I have never been a fan of frozen pizzas–never! There is always something off putting–the crust, the sauce, etc. During one of my times away from home the Cowboy purchased a four pack of Kirkland frozen pepperoni pizzas. They are actually not bad. I add green peppers, black olives, onions and lots more cheese. The curst is on the thin side but not bad and there is no off putting taste. When I’m tired or too lazy to cook I dress up one of these pizzas, put the pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees, then cook the pizza for about 10 minutes. The stone and high oven temp keeps the pizza from being soggy.

We’ve had a pair of buzzards hanging around lately–I asked the Cowboy if the buzzards maybe knew something we didn’t!

We had Sunday lunch at our house today with Milton and Lucy, Dan and Louanne, Janice and Linda. Once again (it’s starting to sound like a broken record) we dined like kings. The table was groaning with delicious food–brisket, calico beans, potato salad, strawberry jello salad and a green salad. Louanne made a fabulous blackberry pie.

Life is good.

This week while my friend Shawna and I were out and about she mentioned that the owner of Curry Farms–Ed Curry had invited members of the church to tour the farm and have lunch. The Cowboy thought it was a great idea so off we went. Curry Farms grows 85-90% of the chiles for seed in the world. The farm can process a semi load of chiles per day. Some of these chiles are grown here in Cochise county, the majority are grown on farms in Mexico. Ed told us that in the beginning stages of Curry Farms, they sold seed to small farms. Today most of the seeds are sold to huge farming operations. They also grow other crops–garbanzo beans, baby lima beans, rosemary, etc. Did you know they plant corn between rows of crops to keep the bees from cross pollinating?? It was such an interesting talk, I wish I had taken pad and pen so I could have recorded some of the things Ed said.

We were then invited to Ed and Jeanette’s home for enchiladas New Mexico style–with an egg on top! And chili rellenos. I am so glad Shawna mentioned the tour and so glad we went!

These chili growing folks love their dogs which is OK with us–this big guy, a great Dane was incredible. I think he wanted back inside!

Gay and Joe were heading to Whitewater Draw on Monday and we decided to tag along. The two of them had never been to see the cranes and were we all disappointed! In all the times we’ve been to Whitewater Draw we’ve always seen cranes. There were no cranes and very few other birds–I guess they’ve all flown north??? As we were about to have our picnic lunch a flock of about 25 did fly in and land–latecomers to the party I guess.

On Tuesday I took a friend of ours to her doctor in Willcox and on Thursday accompanied a friend to Sierra Vista so she could have her car serviced before headed back home to Wyoming for the summer. Gay and Joe are staying in a RV park in Willcox and invited us to join them for lunch on Thursday. Our wheels have been turning! Friday was a garage sale day–I found a beautiful handmade cutting board and the Cowboy was lucky in finding some colors of glass he had been searching for to use in his stained glass work. And speaking of stained glass–we have a flock of hummingbirds–

We’ve gone from wintery like weather straight to summer. Warm days and nights with wind and clouds which makes for beautiful sunsets.

Ragamuffin Emmi getting some early morning loving!

Sunday we enjoyed a fabulous day at Pam and Robbie’s ranch out near the Chiricahua Mountains–more on that trip next week!

It’s been a busy week of watching it snow, yes, snow in the desert again, a gathering and a coffee date. Mixed in with all that was a happy hour with Dan and Louanne plus a trip to Tucson and a book club meeting, my first!

The book club–last season I asked at the library if there were any book clubs in the area. Only one which didn’t surprise me but our wonderful librarian told me the format for this book club was a little different. Instead of all the members reading the same book and discussing it, members came to the meeting with a list of the books they had read or not read the previous month. The meetings are held in member’s homes and this meeting was at Shauna’s–a woman from Wyoming I had previously met at church. I came home so wired and excited–ask the Cowboy, I couldn’t stop talking about the meeting!

So many books, so little time!! I have always been a fiction reader but do read non-fiction on occasion. One of the members is a big reader of non-fiction and gave some great suggestions. I came home with a mile long list of books I want to read! And hopefully gained some new friends!

As for a list of books a member read or “not read”–most of us were of the mind set that life is way too short to finish a book you don’t like. We may have converted a couple of the members to our way of thinking. I downloaded an audio book Saturday night thinking to listen as I knitted. I wasn’t two chapters into that book when I hit the delete button sending it back to the library. The main character was snarky and nasty and the entire premise of the book was ridiculous, or so I thought, not for me.

On Monday after the book club meeting on Thursday the phone rang, it was Shauna asking if I wanted to head over to Willcox for coffee. We do have a coffee shop in our neighborhood but during covid they went to take out only or sitting outside on their patio and never had dine in again. It’s been way too cold for outside dining so off to Willcox we went with not much success in finding an open coffee shop, ending up at McDonald’s of all things!! The coffee was good and the company even better.

The gathering–Wednesday we hosted a gathering of friends we’ve met through RVing and blogging. Pam and John, plus Susan and Dave had come from Boulder City, NV and Wickenburg respectively in their RVs to spend two weeks together at a RV park in Benson. Gay and Joe live near Tucson, Jodee and Bill live in Tombstone. The ten of us had such a good time telling stories, reminiscing and eating fabulous food. I cooked a brisket and the other folks contributed beans, coleslaw, macaroni salad and dessert. The hours went by quickly and soon it was time for all those jeeps to head home.

From bottom left, Jodee, Gay and Joe. The Cowboy and Dave were on a home tour missing out on the photo session and I was the photographer! 

Susan brought me these gorgeous tulips which have made me smile all week!

Have you ever made pimento cheese spread? Dan started this trend in our group and I’ve jumped on the bandwagon–it’s delicious! Leave out the salt in the recipe–my first batch was way too salty!

Pimento Cheese

By Jennifer Segal

Servings: About 3½ cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 (8-oz) block sharp Cheddar cheese (a good supermarket brand like Tillamook or Cabot is fine)
• 1 (4-oz) jar diced pimentos, drained

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Food processor instructions: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Process until smooth and evenly combined. Remove the blade, scraping any of the mixture back into the bowl. Switch to the grating blade. Cut the Cheddar cheese into pieces that will fit into the feed tube. With the machine running, add the cheese through the feed tube until it is all grated in. Transfer the contents of the food processor to a large mixing bowl. Add the diced pimentos and stir everything together to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more salt, but it depends on the saltiness of the cheese.)
2. Mixer instructions: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Beat until smooth and evenly combined. Coarsely grate the Cheddar cheese and mix in along with the diced pimentos. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (It’s a good idea to taste the pimento cheese on the crackers you plan to serve it with, as the saltiness can vary.)
3. Transfer the spread to a serving bowl and serve with crackers and/or crudités. If serving later, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Friday the Cowboy breezed through the local/annual garage sale coming home with nothing, nada! And we were off to Tucson where I had a doctor’s appointment. We “enjoyed” a fast food lunch, picked up our groceries at Walmart and stopped at Costco. Emmi was glad to see us as always.

Saturday was exciting–a trip to the landfill transfer station and another trip through the local/annual garage sale where this time the Cowboy found treasures! We don’t pay for garbage pickup. We have three outdoor trash containers and when those are full (about once a month) we head to the landfill transfer station. Trash pickup in this area is right at $30 a month. It costs $7 to take it to the transfer station.

We saw the below photo on our local TV news station and then it appeared on Facebook–I do not know who took the photo but it sure is cute!

Sunday morning involved some weed spraying after breakfast cooked by the Cowboy. After our walk I said to him, “let’s see if Dan and Louanne want to go to Douglas for late lunch.” They were game! The historic Gadsden Hotel is always a pleasure to visit–what a gorgeous building and the restaurant is great! The guys had unbelievably huge burgers, Louanne and I opted for shrimp dishes–every meal was outstanding. The next photos are from the lobby of the hotel–

The stained glass is Tiffany, the staircase marble–a very special spot to dine!

A great, busy week–life is good!

While I was in Arkansas the Cowboy dealt with an entire week of miserable weather–cold, rain, snow, wind. I flew back to Arizona on Tuesday and Wednesday in Arizona was also nasty. The wind was worse than anything we’ve experienced in Arizona. We have a heavy metal two person swing on our front porch–early Wednesday morning we heard this loud clunk–made Emmi bark! Outside we found our swing in the front yard–that was one powerful wind gust!! It rained/sleeted most of the day and Thursday morning, the mountains are snow covered.

I’m glad I can cook (most of the time) and cook well as eating out has become so danged expensive. We ate in our favorite Mexican restaurant in Willcox on Thursday and our tab was $42 without the tip. And tipping has gotten beyond ridiculous. At restaurants which use the auto tip calculators I’ve seen “suggested tip” amounts at 25%!! It’s a good thing we don’t dine out often!

Friday I cooked making chicken noodle soup for a dear friend experiencing a sudden illness and snacks for our Friday evening activity–playing Rummikub at Linda’s. The four of us had a great time, we played several games with each of us winning at least one game.

On Saturday we made a run to Sierra Vista for groceries and to grab the two items we found on Craigslist–a western vest for the Cowboy and a bargain–a Reisenthel collapsible basket. I have one of these baskets which resides in Arizona given to me long ago as a gift by my friend Jeane. I have considered ordering another one to have in Montana but just never hit the “buy” button–the baskets are not inexpensive. The one we purchased from Craigslist is brand new and was half the price of a new one–score!! I use the basket to haul food/drink to gatherings–it’s an awesome carry-all!

Our good friends Angie and Ralph help caretake a shooting range/ranch near Tombstone living there in their fifth wheel RV. They’ve been on the ranch for several years now and have decided to start a new adventure, leaving Tombstone soon. On the way back from Sierra Vista we stopped by to visit them and spent some time catching up. Always good to see them!  Angie is one of the most good hearted people you will ever meet. She is kind, always ready to help someone in need, adores animals and would give you the shirt off her back. She rescued a cat recently, one that just happened to appear in the RV area of the shooting range. It was emaciated, not neutered and had a broken leg. Angie found a vet to see this cat on a weekend $$$, found a clinic that specialized in ortho surgery for animals in Scottsdale, traveled to Scottsdale and had the cat’s broken leg repaired.$$$$$$ She named him Cowboy, had him neutered, taught him to walk on a leash, taught him to ride in a vehicle–I call Angie the “cat whisperer!” Cowboy is one lucky cat!! Some of you may remember Angie from this blog post I did when her partner Ralph was in the hospital in Tucson with covid.

On Sunday morning as I type this section of the blog we are in the midst of a rain/snow/wind storm which dropped our temperature from 50 degrees to 36 degrees. Emmi dashed outside and dashed right back inside! This is the same storm which hit southern California so hard.

The Cowboy continues to garden harvesting our first radishes and we will soon have fresh lettuce.

Sunday we were invited to the home of Lucy and Milton (our caretaker) for Sunday lunch. Lucy’s brother Dennis and his wife DonnaMae were visiting from Wisconsin. Louanne and Dan plus Ted and Jeanne were also there. We enjoyed such a good meal and some great conversation. After lunch was finished and everyone departed, Milton and Lucy brought Dennis and DonnaMae out to our house so they could see our handiwork. Milton thinks we did an amazing job remodeling this house.

The rain/snow has stopped but the wind continues and just think–March is right around the corner!

Tuesday morning way too early for this retired person I was on my way to Tucson. The Cowboy was awake, dressed and outside starting the truck and loading my luggage, Emmi declined to move from the heating pad in her bed.

My travel day was uneventful, an endless four hour layover in Denver but uneventful. My sister retrieved me from the Little Rock airport and soon we were walking into my childhood home. Mom hasn’t been feeling well the last month or so and I came home for a bit to see if a visit from me would perk her up!

It’s almost spring in Arkansas and the weather can be stormy. It was much too warm on Wednesday and a thunder storm briefly charged through in the early morning making the skies moody and golden.

On Thursday Mom and I headed to Little Rock where she had an outpatient cardioversion procedure. Resetting her heart rhythm made all the difference in the world in how she feels—way more energy now.

I’ve been walking and am now up to more than two miles. The scenery along my walk is a little different than the Arizona scenery.

An old house sat in this field and these daffodils have bloomed in the location for as long as I can remember. It’s now one of my brother’s hayfields and he sort of tolerates the flowers!

Lots of time visiting with family and enjoying some great meals! Sunday after church the entire family gathered at Danny and Ann’s house for brisket, smashed potatoes, salads, Pioneer Woman apple crisp, chocolate pie, etc. We always eat well in Arkansas!

This is a common tree in Arkansas, a sweet gum which drops these sweet gum balls. The balls aren’t as lethal as they look!

After lunch my sister and niece decided we needed to take another walk—two miles again, the knee is doing well! I’m here a bit longer then it will be time to head back to the Cowboy and Emmi girl. Life is good!

If you’ve been reading this blog for very long, you know  I taught my Mom how to knit in 2020 when she spent a month in Arizona with us. At the time she was 83 years old which lays to rest that old adage about teaching an old dog new tricks. She has embraced knitting and taught herself so much about knitting by watching YouTube videos on her iPhone. When I was last in Arkansas with her in September, 2022, I asked her to knit something for me. I purchased the yarn, a gorgeous Malabrigo Rios 100% merino wool yarn. And on Thursday, the small blanket arrived in the mail–it’s beautiful!!! I need to wash and block it but that will have to wait a bit.

On Friday I passed a milestone. I am now four months out from my knee replacement. I am walking well with no limp, having way less pain and swelling–life is good!

Have you heard of billionaire Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs?  When friends Geri and Larry told us about Mark Cuban I was skeptical. A few months went by and we started reading and hearing more about him. We watched an interview with him where he declined to tell the person doing the interview how much this plan to reduce drug costs in the United States was costing him. He only said, “it’s costing a lot, but it’s worth it.”

One of my medications is a slow release pill, Diclofenac, taken for arthritis. The Diclofenac costs $120 for a three month supply through my Medicare drug plan. Through Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs it costs me $24.20 for a three month supply which includes a $5 flat shipping fee. I simply could not believe it!!

Is it more difficult to get medications through Mark Cuban’s company–the first time, not really difficult but different. Cost Plus Drugs does not have all medications, in fact they have few of the millions of medications out there but every time I check out of curiosity, they have added new drugs. The first time I had to create an online account, print a form and take that form to my provider who was able to electronically search her pharmacy data base finding Cost Plus Drugs with no issues. My order was placed, I paid for it online through the account I created and the meds have shipped.

Wednesday was a Tucson day and we left the Emmi girl at home, snoozing in her bed. We left early arriving at Costco just as they opened but it was still a zoo. Our list wasn’t long and we were soon out the door on our way to meet Gay and Joe for lunch. After two lunches together we feel we know these two as if we’ve been friends for years! We whiled away at least an hour, probably longer talking and solving the world’s problems. A stop to pick up our Walmart order and we were on our way home to Emmi.

Thursday I had an appointment in Willcox with my nurse practitioner, the one who filled the Cost Plus prescription for me. I like her, she listens and comes up with a plan. The Cowboy has also seen her and likes her–that’s another plus!

Dan and Louanne also were in Willcox on Thursday and we met them for lunch at Isabel’s. Good Mexican food!

When we began looking for property in this area we contacted a realtor, Pam. She showed us several properties, we made an offer on one which was rejected and eventually we purchased this property with Pam’s help. We’ve communicated over the years and have met her husband Robbie who has lived in this county all his life. They have a ranch out near the Chiricahua Mountains. Saturday evening they came for dinner and we had one fabulous time! And of course we ate well! The conversation flowed and flowed. I grilled a tri-tip, baked potatoes and made a caesar salad with homemade dressing. For dessert I made a dutch apple pie. Pam and Robbie brought the wine–a really good red blend.

And here is another page from the Before and After book I created–

We have a few birds coming to our suet feeder–what we think is a mountain chickadee and some other small birds I haven’t identified. They also like the bird bath–there is so little water in the desert.

Sunday afternoon we all journeyed to Linda’s for Rummikub and dinner. Some of the guys gathered elsewhere to watch the game joining us for dinner. There are lots of us in this group, men and women who could care less about the Super Bowl–so we played Rummikub, talked and laughed. The food was delicious–pulled pork and chicken, homemade rolls, beans, coleslaw, deviled eggs, brownies–we ate well once again!

Life is good!

The moon going down over the Dragoon Mountains Sunday morning.

I swear my next laptop is going to be an Apple product! In spite of the cost! Like many of us, I am set in my ways about the methods I use to process photos, write and send email, move documents/photos around on my laptop and write blog posts. Quit messing with my stuff Windows!!! I downloaded photos from my iPhone this week and tried to move them into my Photos Go Here/2023/January in File Explorer. YIKES–nothing looked the same! Files along the sidebar would not expand so you could drag and drop photos into those expanded files. This was a serious problem–at least to me! I finally sat down Sunday morning and attempted to solve the issue, Googling the problem–Google tells me I’m not the only one with this problem–finding one solution–it didn’t work. So, I took matters into my own hands and told Windows to restore my computer to an earlier “build.” Problem solved–my File Explorer appears as it always has since I first started working with computers!! Who sits around in these software development places and comes up with ways to drive us all crazy???

Same old weather pattern this week, temps only in the 50’s and windy, freezing every night. Folks who have lived here a long time such as our friend Linda say this is the coldest winter they have ever experienced in southeast Arizona.

On Tuesday and into Wednesday Montana had some awful weather too. Interstate 90 was closed from Big Timber, MT to Livingston, MT (a stretch of about 36 miles) for over 24 hours!! Friends posted photos on Facebook of semi trucks parked everywhere in Big Timber. The high school did not have school on Wednesday as the parking lot was packed with semi trucks. The motels were full to the brim with people sleeping in the lobbies and hallways. Restaurants opened up and stayed open for extended hours to feed people. The folks who purchased Nat’s (the Cowboy’s Dad) house took in a stranded couple from Alaska along with their two puppies. I told them Nat would have approved! This is a photo I’m not sure who took of trucks bumper to bumper once the freeway opened on Wednesday afternoon.

So what have we been doing while the weather is icky–eating! Thursday Louanne and Dan made breakfast for us–sourdough pancakes, bacon and eggs. So, so good!!! Thursday we went to the VFW and had tacos–again, very good! I don’t know where the VFW gets their salsa but it’s dang good!

Saturday the weather changed and we had a glorious why we come to Arizona day. We celebrated by taking a side by side ride up to Soren Pass in the Dragoon Mountains. We didn’t see any critters but did see some of that lingering white stuff and a whole lot of people. There was a jeep-ing group of about eight rigs, an ATV group of about eight rigs and a single jeep that we followed part way to the top. Such a beautiful day everyone was out and about.

Standing in the abundant sunshine we enjoyed our lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches plus chocolate cake then headed back down the mountain. Along the way we spotted this saguaro. This is not saguaro country–too cold in the winter but this cactus is so large and in the middle of an open field, it must be native???

Our friend Janice is celebrating a birthday this week and we had a party for her on Friday evening. We dined like kings once again–what else is new–right! Prime rib that Dan and Louanne found for a truly bargain price around the holidays, Pioneer Woman mashed potatoes (you really need to make those) and a salad with dressing homemade by Dan. The best chocolate cake was served while we sang to the birthday girl. A special evening!

Saturday evening I played Rummikub with Linda, Mo and Janice. Mo won the most at 3 games but the rest of us all won one each–we all went home happy!

Sunday we spent some time with friends/neighbors at a local shooting range, enjoyed the abundant sunshine and just relaxed. Leftovers for lunch and pizza for dinner.

Life is good.

 

Cochise County is known for its bird population and bird watching activities. We see lots of hawks sitting on power poles and yucca stalks and swooping through the air in search of prey. We were walking yesterday morning–Emmi was about 20 feet out ahead of us when a hawk flew over our heads and swooped down over Emmi. She dodged and then began barking at the hawk who took refuge in a mesquite tree. Emmi continued to bark at him but the hawk was undeterred. The Cowboy walked very close to the hawk who had flown on a little farther and was sitting on a fence post–he/she finally flew away. We have always worried about the owls getting Emmi and keep her close to us when they are around but have never thought much about a hawk bothering/hurting her!

I was in Tucson again on Monday taking our friend Louanne to the airport. It snowed (yes it snowed) at our house early Monday and the local roads were actually slushy!! By the time we reached the interstate, the roads were dry.  I attempted to do a little shopping after dropping Louanne at the airport but just couldn’t get excited–bought a couple things and headed for home. The season is wrong–it’s chilly in southeast Arizona and I was looking for long sleeve, warm clothing. Everything in the stores is spring wear–short sleeves, short pants. I did take this photo through the windshield while at a stop light.

While it’s been sunny, it’s dang chilly and usually windy so lots of inside time this week working on those jigsaw puzzles. We finished the one borrowed from Louanne.

We have a great little library/librarian and used bookstore in our community. On Friday we made a stop at both picking up some seeds for herbs from the seed exchange in the library and finding three new to us jigsaw puzzles at the bookstore–so expensive–fifty cents each! We’ve discovered a new addiction.

The before and after project I’ve been working on came this week–we are pleased with the finished project.

While Louanne was away Dan came for lunch one day and on Friday evening we had the pleasure of dining at Janice’s along with Dan and Linda. Good food and great company.

The Cowboy’s plants continue to thrive in the grow box in spite of our chilly night time temps. The blanket he throws over the box and a light inside seem to keep them from freezing.

And that’s about it for this week in Arizona. I’ve said several times this week–“it’s so good to NOT have to do something–such as move a wall, lay tile, paint!” I have a little magnetic plaque hanging on our refrigerator which states, “How beautiful it is to do nothing, then rest afterwards.”  Physical activity is good for us but so is taking pleasure in being relaxed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                         

The pantry and freezer had bare spots–it was time for a trip to Tucson but we had a more exciting reason for the trip than grocery shopping. Emmi had a minor vet appointment in Green Valley which is near the home of Gay and Joe of Good-Times-Rollin fame. We have communicated for years, read our respective blogs but had never met until Wednesday. It was as if we were meeting life long friends–we had the best time in the two hours spent at Manuel’s–I think we could have spent the entire afternoon chatting away. What awesome, positive people with whom we have so much in common.

After Gay and Joe met Emmi who had been patiently sleeping in the truck we headed for Tucson. As we are zooming along I-19 in heavy traffic I spotted a small crested saguaro alongside the freeway!!! Of course there was no stopping for photos! Our Walmart pickup order was ready–that store was busy–then it was off to Costco. The nose piece on one pair of my glasses had fallen off and my sunglasses which were purchased at our Montana Costco last summer have never fit correctly. Costco optical departments are notoriously busy–you can wait a very long time to see an optician. Wednesday I walked right up to the counter and an optician who said, “how may I help you?” I told her I was heading straight out to purchase a lottery ticket, it was my lucky day!! And it was my lucky day–that young woman spent 15 minutes helping me with the nose piece and the fit of all three pairs of glasses. Typically in our Montana Costco it’s a 2-3 minute process and you walk away with glasses that still don’t fit correctly. I should have bought a lottery ticket!!

I’ve passed a milestone–I’ve given up my registered nurse license. In Montana it was easy to maintain the license which I’ve done all these years even though I have been retired for a long time. It was time to renew in December and I just decided it was time to no longer be a license carrying nurse. Do I have regrets–not one.

The garden box is doing OK in spite of our frigid temps here in sunny Arizona! The Cowboy puts a light inside the box and covers it with a blanket at night. We hit 22 degrees Wednesday night and the box was above freezing Thursday morning. Sunday morning it was 20 degrees outside and the grow box was 31 degrees inside–good enough for radishes and lettuce. And the lettuce has sprouted!

During coffee hour on Thursday morning (or maybe it was coffee hour #2) we were treated to a wildlife happening–three extremely fat javelinas waddled past the porch door and out across the yard. As Jodee recently talked about in her blog post–I stayed in the moment, just watching the waddling, not worrying about jumping up to find a camera.

Our weather has been awful–I keep reminding myself that even though we are in Arizona, it is still winter. Sue sent me an email early saying it was 29 degrees one morning in Quartzsite–that’s cold for Yuma, AZ country! We had a half inch of rain, gusty, strong, bitterly cold winds and frigid temps. The forecast for the next week continues those frigid night time temps and chilly days–but at least the sun is shining!

The ice maker in our refrigerator started to leak last season forming one big impossible to use mass of ice in the bucket. It wasn’t a priority for the Cowboy but all of a sudden I made it a priority!😋. Friday my handy husband installed our new ice maker and I’m a happy camper!

Several years ago the Cowboy and I started eating our main meal at lunch time–some time between noon and 1pm. We would then eat a lighter dinner–popcorn and fruit, soup, a leftover from the refrigerator, etc. While we all enjoy the ambiance of a nice dinner party, none of us sleep well after indulging in all that food later in the evening. Dan and Louanne have also recently started doing lunch as their main meal. Today they came to our house for Sunday brunch and even though it wasn’t evening we still dined like kings. I cooked bacon in the oven, made a fruit salad and a very sinful/unhealthy coffee cake–it’s made from canned biscuits of all things! Some people refer to the coffee cake as monkey bread, my recipe is for cinnamon nut ring. Whatever you call it, the dang thing is delicious! Louanne makes the best scrambled eggs so she was in charge of those when she arrived. Yep, we dined like kings!

The Cowboy grew up doing jigsaw puzzles, I did not. We didn’t jump on the pandemic puzzle wave but recently decided to give it a try, borrowing one from Louanne. It’s addictive!

I’m off to play Rummikub with the ladies and will schedule this blog to post later this evening. Life is good!