Another winter storm is on its way!

There is a severe weather alert out for a winter storm bearing down on us December 30 and 31st.  Nighttime temps down to 28 degrees, so our daughter picked ALL of her lemons off her tree and she got 2 bags full of them!  I took about 10 of them home and I've been sipping hot water with lemon and cinnamon (organic, from Whole Foods).  Sure is good!

I'm going to have to cover up my 2 year old lemon tree out front, however, so I'll make a note to do that.  It MIGHT have lemons next year (I'm hoping...).

Photo is from our last storm, about 10 days ago...the San Jacinto mountains.

After the storm last weekend

Sorry I've been AWOL...lots of stuff with family & work...AND I have two other blogs that I try to maintain daily (or at least once a week!)...

ANYWAY, after the huge storm last weekend, I took a drive through the sand dunes off the Washington Street exit near Indio, CA.  A side road meanders through the sand dunes there, which border the Coachella Valley Preserve, so there are no houses or mini-malls to interfere with them!   :-)  It's always so enjoyable to drive through the desert after a storm.  Everything just sparkles!

I'm BACK! :-)

Sorry for being AWOL (again).  I have two other blogs that I try to maintain on a regular basis.  My Deep Canyon one (http://rav4adventures.blogspot.com) and desert horses (http:deserthorses.blogspot.com) blog are the two that I now focus on.  I just don't have time to maintain three...sigh...

Please head on over to Deep Canyon if you want daily posts and deserthorses if you want info on my horse herd.

Thank you.  I WILL appear here every once in a while, but it will be sporadic.  Thank you for your understanding.  I don't wish to close the blog, but I just don't have time to do three a day.
~~Cheryl Ann~~

I've been AWOL!

My goodness!  I didn't realize until today that I haven't posted in a MONTH!  With two other blogs, and one that I TRY to post on daily, I got behind!  My bad...

We took last weekend and drove to Rancho Bernardo (before the San Diego fires).  It was a nice weekend.  Friday night and Saturday morning, fog rolled in, but by Sunday, all was clear.  It's great being only 2 hours from the ocean.  We are planning on taking some time during the summer to return.  Our son and his family joined us and we had rooms across from one another.  The Residence Inn in Rancho Bernardo has a nice BBQ setup and table right next to the pool area, so we did a family BBQ for two nights.  Then, Saturday we drove out to a park at La Jolla and walked around.

The change of scenery was refreshing!   :-)

More flower pics and some birds that come to visit them...

We have finches, sparrows, hummingbirds, and even a family of grosbeaks (and many doves) come visit the bird feeders and flowers in the back yard.  I haven't seen the grosbeaks for a few days, so I don't know if they are still in our area, or whether they have moved on to their summer habitat.  Several hummingbirds come visit the feeders.  I actually have two feeders.  This morning, finches were feeding at them.  I need to go clean them out and put new solution, so I'll do that.  Oh, and you can see how tall the sunflowers were.  That's a 6' fence out back, along the dog run.

Flowers from my garden

My sweet peas did very well this year and my sunflowers have done well, too.  But, yesterday it was 107 degrees here and Friday it was 108 and I'm afraid that is THE END of my sweet peas.  They are all going to seed and drying out.  SUMMER IS HERE!  Today, however, it should be 10 degrees cooler.  I have quite a few sunflowers and when they are done, the finches come and enjoy them, so I just let them go.  I don't have a garden out front this year...not with the drought.  Oh, well...there's always next year.  I've been throwing our old coffee grounds on the sweet peas and they have responded by climbing almost 6 feet, along our dog run fence!  :-)

RAIN yesterday!!!

We actually had rain here in the desert yesterday, and especially up in our local mountains.  It was cloudy all day and I read the forecast that there was rain in Anza, so I didn't drive up to visit the horses.  Why bother if is it raining?  And, it's a 45 minute drive.  So, I stayed home and did all the dishes in the sink...got them all rinsed and put in the dishwasher.  We had Good Friday off (both hubby and I), and I took a long morning nap.  I had to drive to Indio to babysit the granddaughter and I saw how dark and rainy it was up in our local mountains (see photos).  Plus, it was actually raining along Interstate 10 and even at our home!  Everything got a nice wash and the desert smells SO GOOD!

Flower pics from my garden

Back in January, I planted sunflower, sweet pea, and a desert mixture of seeds along the dog run fence in our back yard.  After lots of attention, they are now blooming.  YEAH!  I do need to go out and do some weeding, however, as the pesky weeds are everywhere.  I've tried to grab out the larger ones, but I need to spend some serious time in the back yard today.  Fortunately, it will be in the mid 80's instead of the mid 90's here today.

I've had a horrible cold now for 10 days.  I got 2 days off work (urgent care) and I lost ALL of last weekend due to this illness, which has now become full blown bronchitis.  I drove up to visit my horses yesterday and I only lasted 1 hour up there.  I usually stay for 2 to 3 hours, groom all 5 of them, and let at least 2 of them into the arena.  Nope.  Didn't happen.  I was totally exhausted after just giving them water, pellets, and psyllium.  I'm still not back to full strength yet, and it has been 10 days.  Fortunately, there are only 4 days of school this week.  WHOOPIE!   :-)

HOME!

While it is always good to get away for a couple of days and see new sights (or old ones), it's always good to be home.  And, hubby and I are just enjoying a nice, pleasant spring day here in the desert...a light breeze, NO blowing sand, mid 70's temps...ahhh...how enjoyable!  The birds are at the feeders, the lazy cat is dozing in the sunshine, and our two dogs and glad we are home.  And, boy, did we get an earful from Abby, our indoor cat!  Wow!

Here are some more photos of our trip up to Buellton and Solvang below.  I LOVED the old phone booth!  Isn't it adorable?  And, yes, it had a working pay phone in it!  Those stork things were all over the roofs in downtown Solvang ~ maybe to keep pigeons away?  That's an old windmill right outside of town...And, beautiful, green rolling hills everywhere!   :-)

Solvang and lush, green hills in Central California

Hubby and I visited Solvang, Buellton, and Los Olivos this past week.  He wanted to get out of the desert for a couple of days, and, of course, I tagged along.  It's so different up here.  Water shortage?  Um...the hillsides here are ALL green!  And, the fields are lush, including the agricultural fields.  Sure doesn't look like a drought up here.  We enjoyed our time up here in Central California.  I believe the first photo is asparagas, but I'm not sure...And, look how green the hills are in the second photo!  WOW!

Friday Four Fill-In for March 28, 2014

I found this meme on another blog I was visiting this morning and I decided to give it a try:

The statements:

1. I love to ____________in the _____________.
2. I _______________a lot when I’m ___________________.
3. My least favorite household chore is _______.
4.  When I walk through the ice cream aisle at the supermarket, I think _______.

You have to fill in the blanks and then post your answers, to here goes:

1.  I love to grab my camera and go hiking in the mountains.  :-)

2.  I smile a lot when I'm outdoors.  :-)

My least favorite household chore is to wash out the wine glasses.  I always break them!  We only have two left.

4.  When I walk through the ice cream aisle at the supermarket, I think, "WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR FOR ME!" and I keep going!

Okay..I'm done!  Now, wasn't that easy?

Linking to Feeling Beachie:  http://www.feelingbeachie.com/follow-friday-four-fill-in-blog-hop-week-156/

Fence and California poppies~Good Fences#1~March 28, 2014

We drove out toward Los Olivos yesterday afternoon and I spotted this beautifully kept white fence with California poppies.  I, of course, had to swerve off the road, nearly upending hubby, to take a couple of photos of it.  He wasn't too happy with me!  (OH WELL...) I mean, who could pass this up?  So beautiful and restful!  Los Olivos is a little town, mostly wine tasting shops, near Solvang.  There really wasn't much of interest there, but we did stop at Blackjack Winery just down the road and had a good time there.  Good Fences #1 for March 28, 2014.  To visit Good Fences, please go to:  http://www.run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

From the quiet desert to crashing waves

Hubby and I recently took a quick trip up north to Buellton/Solvang.  One afternoon we drove out to Surf Beach, rightly named.  A storm was moving in from the west and the waves were crashing!  We were the only people out on the beach that afternoon as it had rained there earlier.  What a difference from our quiet desert!

Santa Rosa mountains visitor center~Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors~032414

Today was the second day of my 9 day spring break and I was READY to get out and enjoy it.  Yesterday I stayed home all day in my pajamas, just completely exhausted mentally AND physically.  We had parent/teacher conferences last week and that was exhausting.  But, this morning, I felt refreshed and ready to hit the road.  There were many people parked across from the parking lot here and they were out hiking toward the west.  A few people had parked in the parking lot and they were out hiking before it got too hot.  I'm sure a good day was had by all.  It was in the mid 80's here today...just PERFECT!  I snapped this view of the desert from the back windows of the visitor center.  Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors for March 24, 2014. To visit WWDD, please go to this link:    http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/2014/03/whimsical-windows-delirious-doors-121.html

Flowers in my garden and SPRING BREAK!

I don't know WHY we are getting spring break so early, but we are.  It's next week!   :-)  YEAH! I also have Good Friday (April 18th) off, so that's another break.  Then, a LONG haul until Memorial Day.  Frankly, I doubt I can go that long without another 3 day weekend.  I'm finding that I just don't have the stamina or energy or the desire anymore.  Teaching really isn't enjoyable these days...30 kids, MANY disabilities (and we have to accommodate them), apathetic parents, administrative demands, Common Core...the list is endless.  A LOT of us are taking "mental health" days, including me.

So, I walk out among my blooming flowers and enjoy this BEAUTIFUL weather we've been having!  Days are 80 degrees, which is very comfortable here in the desert!  Nights are about 60 degrees.  Ahhhh....paradise!

All of these beauties are in my yard.

Scrub jay~Nature Notes~031914

Last weekend hubby and I drove up to our local mountains to check out one of the campgrounds there.  We were getting ready to leave when I spotted this fellow in one of the shrubs...a scrub jay.  He didn't seem to be frightened of us.  In fact, he clung to the branch and let me drive right next to him!  Isn't he gorgeous?  Nature Notes for March 19, 2014.  To visit Nature Notes, please go to:   http://ramblingwoods.com/

At the park~Our World Tuesday~031814

View of the oldest dwelling in Rancho Mirage through the snapdragons and other flowers growing at the park.  Our World Tuesday for March 18, 2014.   To visit OWT, please go to:   http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/