Just surviving

I didn't realize it has been nearly 3 weeks since I last posted here.  I'm finding that most of my "free" time is now devoted to taking care of hubby.  He is on 3 different medications and frankly, I think they are making him loopy (loopier than usual!).  He is forgetful.  His short term memory is SHOT.  He sleeps 8 hours, and then sleeps again another 4 hours during the daytime.  He SITS in his chair ALL DAY!

Sometimes I just HAVE to get out of the house!  I've visited with my friends (2 of whom retired the same time I did) and another colleague who has been out on disability.  I FINALLY went up to visit the horses.  They are all woolly and ready for winter.  I TRY to get out every day, but some days I, too, just stay at home.  I've got my autumn decorations up and the winter ones ready to get put outside.

I'm reading Stephen King novels and drinking brandy every night, trying to cope with the election results.  Oh, and we DO NOT watch the news anymore...just too depressing!

I took a car load of school stuff over to Goodwill and I have another load of clothes and books ready to go.  After working for 30 years, putting two kids through 5 years of college (each), frankly it is good just to be AT HOME!   :-)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your loved ones.

Just some random photos from the last several weeks:

 They TRY to grow grapes up in Anza, but they freeze!

 Pretty tree and fence up in Garner Valley...

One of the sycamore trees up at the horse ranch.

Geranium~Macro Monday~November 7, 2016

My local family-owned nursery had just watered all their plants the day I wandered up there.  I like to go there every couple of weeks.  They have nice plants, but their prices are much higher than Home Depot or Lowe's.  I often just look at all the plants and wish I were a bit richer!
To visit Macro Monday2, please go to:   http://macromonday2.blogspot.com/2016/11/peeling-bark.html

Macro Monday for November 7, 2016.

Desert Shadows~Shadow Shot Sunday~November 6, 2016

I love to take an early morning walk at the Santa Rosa Mountains Visitor Center, which is at the base of Highway 74 before it winds up into the Santa Rosa mountains.  There is an excellent view of the desert from there and I can smell all the desert plants.  Doves, cottontails, hummingbirds, and lizards are frequently seen.  If you take one of the trails, people do see bighorn sheep.  It is just a great place to go, walk, and relax!

 Shadows on the walkway.  LOVE those long, morning shadows!

 More shadows on the walkway.

LONG morning shadows!
To visit SSS, please go to:    http://shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com/

Santa Rosa Mountains Visitor Center

The Santa Rosa Mountains Visitor Center is only a couple miles away from our home.  I often stop there to either take a walk or to visit their gift shop.  They always have interesting things there!  I like to walk there because they have nicely maintained trails and a variety of vegetation.

Here are some photos I took a couple of weeks ago:

 I loved seeing the doves in the dead tree.

 California fan palm.  You can see where it got its name.

 Lovely walkway...

Nice view of the desert toward Palm Desert.

Update

So, both hubby and I went to our doctor yesterday.  I went because Tuesday I was so dizzy I couldn't walk straight or even sit down without falling.  Turns out, it was vertigo from all the stress!

Hubby is doing well on his new meds.  Since all of his tests were negative, our doctor believes that since he didn't eat breakfast and only had a Jamba Juice smoothie (LOTS OF SUGAR), he passed out.  He has now changed meds, too, since that was part of the problem.  NOT EATING breakfast, skipping meals, eating a fatty diet...all contributed.  He (and I, as well) are now on a low carb, less wheat diet with lots of lean protein and fruits and vegetables.  We had salmon and a salad for dinner last night.  He is also eating smaller meals several times a day (usually fruit)...instead of one GINORMOUS meal at dinner.

Lesson learned.

I am to take him OUT for exercise at least once a day, so yesterday we walked around our city park.  He didn't want to go, but since I was driving, that's where the car ended up.  I think he actually enjoyed it, although he complained the whole time.  He just has to get used to his new lifestyle, which includes diet changes AND exercise!!!!

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.  He seems to be doing fine.
~Cheryl Ann~

I put up these pretty fall leaves outside the front door...

Hubby is HOME!

After 4 nights in the hospital and umteen tests (all negative), hubby is home.  His heart rate dropped to 30, causing him to lose consciousness.  It turns out his medication was the culprit.  He had fatigue, dizziness, a rash, and a couple other symptoms from it.  However, none of us connected those to his medication (beta blocker).

PHEW!

That was too scary.  He is at home now, resting, and reading the newest Michael Collins book.

Thank you for your well wishes.  I appreciate it.
~Cheryl Ann~

Husband

My husband is in the hospital in Temecula and I don't know when I'll be online again.  He went there to visit our son and his family and had a low heart rate (30) and fell unconsious at the kitchen table.  Our son called the paramedics and it happened again.

Please send your kind thoughts and prayers.  I'm travelling between there and home for the next few days.

~Cheryl Ann~

Pumpkins and Fence, Oak Glen~Friday Fences~October 28, 2016

There was a fence in the background, but it is hard to see.  Do the wagon wheels count?

Pumpkins and fence up at Los Rios apple ranch, Oak Glen, California last week.

Friday Fences for October 27, 2016.  Looks like we'll be getting more RAIN here tomorrow!
To visit Friday Fences, please go to:   http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

Water World Wednesday~Fountains~October 26, 2016

I went up to our local nursery (NOT Lowe's or Home Depot) last week and took my camera.  There are always so many interesting things to see there!  Sometimes I even buy something!

This time, I was fascinated to see all their new fountains!  My goodness!  I wish I had $1,500 to buy one!

Aren't they beautiful?  The birds in my yard get a plastic bowl as their bird bath and bird drink!

Water World Wednesday for October 26, 2016. To visit WWW, please go to this link:    http://www.kissess4u.com/2016/10/water-world-wednesday_25.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:

Daisies~Monday Mellow Yellows~October 26, 2016

I went through my Nikon camera folder from Mammoth last week and was pleasantly surprised to find all my photos of my summer garden on it.  Apparently I had NOT uploaded or deleted 329 photos!  Yikes!

So, of course, I started to go through some of them and I found these photos.  I LOVE my daisies and replant them every fall.  I actually had one plant make it through the summer heat and humidity!  I went to Lowe's yesterday and bought another one, which I need to plant today.

Here they are:

I love to spray water on them.  Aren't they sunny and cheerful?

Monday Mellow Yellows for October 26, 2016.  To visit MMY, please go to:   http://mondaymellowyellows.blogspot.com.au/

eastern Sierra shadows~Shadow Shot Sunday~102316

 I like the shadow of the cloud on the mountain on this one.  This is intake #2, Bishop Canyon.

 Tree shadows

Tree shadows on road

Shadow Shot Sunday for October 23, 2016.  Not many words needed~enjoy!
To visit SSS, please go to:    http://shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com/

Willy Nilly Friday~October 21, 2016

Just 5 random pictures from our 8 night trip to the eastern Sierra Nevada, with stops in Bishop, Mammoth, and South Lake Tahoe:

 Our black lab, Ripley, got to get her feet wet up in Bishop Canyon at Intake Lake #2...

 Some ravens were hanging out at the Minaret Vista, above Mammoth

 The Mammoth mammoth!

 The view from Old Mammoth Road, looking across the valley...

 Pretty fall leaves up by South Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe, from Emerald Bay...

Willy Nilly Friday for October 21, 2016.   To visit WNF, please go to:   http://monroega.blogspot.com/2016/10/willy-nilly-friday-5-no-103.html

Sierra Nevada sky and mountains~SkyWatch Friday~October 21, 2016

Storm in the Sierra Nevada can come up suddenly, as hubby and I discovered during our 8 days up there early this month.  We were up in Bishop Canyon when I noticed clouds moving in.  A couple of hours later, the temperature dropped and clouds were hugging the mountains.  We drove back to our motel, done for the day!

It was amazing how quickly the sky changed!  Linking to SkyWatch Friday:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Twin Lakes bridge~Good Fences~October 21, 2016

Between the two twin lakes above Mammoth there is a bridge which goes over to a campground.  You can walk out over the bridge or drive it.  On this morning I chose to walk it.  The bridge was covered with frost.  This was about October 6 this year.  I had just heard a pack of coyotes not far from the bridge, but fishermen were out & about, as well as the campers.  It was a lovely, crisp, clear morning!

Good Fences for Friday, October 21, 2016.   To visit Good Fences, please go to:   http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

"O" is for orange~ABC Wednesday~101916

"O" is for orange and we saw plenty of orange the first week of October up in the eastern Sierra Nevada!  Wow!  Hubby and I waited 6 years to return to the Sierra during the fall months.  We were both working then.

But this year, we are both retired, so OFF we went!

All of these photos were taken around OLD Mammoth Road, which is in Mammoth, CA.

ABC Wednesday for October 19, 2016.  To visit ABC Wednesday, please go to:  
http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

Eastern Sierra, Lake George ~ Water World Wednesday~ October 19, 2016

This is Lake George, above Mammoth, in the eastern Sierra Nevada. I headed out early one morning because hubby wasn't feeling well.  We had rented a cabin in Mammoth for 4 nights and this was about the 3rd morning.  I grabbed my backup camera, my old Nikon D40x because it does much better than my more expensive Canon in morning and late afternoon light.  It didn't disappoint me!

If you click and enlarge the 3rd photo down, you will see the bald eagle that took off from the shore on the left.  He flew across the lake and hovered over one spot for several minutes.  Unfortunately, my camera didn't refresh quickly enough to get a good photo of him!  But, I did see him and that will remain in my memory. He had just taken off when I snapped the photo!

Click on this top one to enlarge.  I got there early enough to see mist rising from the lake!  Amazing!  WOW!

 Early morning on Lake George

 Looking across the lake...do you see the bald eagle in the upper left corner?

 Probably a good fishing spot...

Looking back out across Lake George.  It was at this point that I heard a whole pack of coyotes across the lake, out by Twin Lakes.

I'm always thrilled to see lakes because we just don't have them here in our Southern California desert!

Water World Wednesday for October 19, 2016. To visit WWW, please go to this link:

http://www.kissess4u.com/