We are having such amazing weather I went out front and cleaned off the porch!

The week after this week we will once again have temps in the 90's, but this coming week it will only be in the 80's and here in the desert, that is PERFECT!   We can still leave our windows open and allow the fresh air inside.  When it gets to the mid-90's, however, we close up the house and turn on the air conditioner (we set it to 79 degrees)...being in our mid-60's, both hubby and I feel and react to the higher temperatures much more than we used to...

But, for now, the weather is wonderful!

In fact, it was SO WONDERFUL that I went out this morning and cleaned off the boxes of books and STUFF that were sitting on the front porch!   I even swept it (I did not use the hose due to water restrictions).  And, the birds are all busy.   We have been visited for a week now by 4 grosbeaks who like to appear every afternoon at the feeder right outside my office window.

And, yesterday hubby and I brought in my new chair, threw out the OLD, USED, dog-smelling COUCH, and another chair.   They are awaiting pickup by the trash company today.  So, now hubby and I each have a recliner/rocker in the living room.   He has taken over his "MAN CORNER" and I'm next to the front door.  I like it there.   I can open that window and hear the birds.

I brought back some horse hair for the birds, but they haven't touched it yet.   Hmmmm....I know the birds up at the ranch LOVE IT for their nesting material.  I'll give it a few more days...

My hollyhocks are doing just fine.  I think next fall I will plant them along with my sweet peas all along my chain link fence.

That's all for now.
~~Cheryl Ann~   Well, SOMETHING isn't working so I can't post photos!    :-(

A hollyhock and a busy bee...

I was out photographing my hollyhocks a couple of mornings ago and I did notice a bee in one of them.  And, it was a VERY BUSY BEE!   It was COVERED with pollen...

No other words necessary...

I went out into my garden and was lost in its beauty~Rambling Woods

Yesterday it was 99 degrees here and I wanted to get out this morning to take some photos before I lost my sweet peas to the heat.   Right now I have hollyhocks, sweet peas, lavender, and sunflowers.   I have sunflowers blooming and some just sprouting, so I hope to have them all summer (as long as I remember to water them!) My three lavender plants all survived last summer's heat and it was DREADFUL here last summer...some days were 120 and 122 degrees!   Ugh.

I am constantly amazed at the hollyhocks.  I tried them last year and only got 3 plants.  This year those 3 (which survived over the summer because I DID remember to water them every day!) are still with me and 4 more!   I have white, light pink, dark pink, and 2 more that haven't opened up yet.

My sweet peas are AMAZING this year.  Last year they got zapped EARLY with triple digit temps, but I just checked them and they all survived yesterday's heat.

The sunflowers just do their thing...grow and smile.

You know, it IS so relaxing just to go outside and marvel at this beauty.  I have finches and sparrows and verdin who now come to visit the sunflowers.  Bees come to the lavender and hollyhocks.  I set up 2 chairs to just sit and watch the birds, bees, and hummingbirds.  I seem to be down to just one male hummingbird right now.  There were 3 that over-summered here and were here, but they seem to have moved on.  This one is content to stay.

We have such a short spring here before the triple digit temperatures hit.  I am really enjoying watching everything right now!

~~Cheryl Ann~~

Linking to Rambling Woods:   
https://ramblingwoods.com/

Spring in the desert~Rambling Woods~

 One of my daisies...

 Purple salvia from local nursery

 Some cosmos from a wildflower mix

 Bougainvilla next to my front door

 Bougainvilla out front from Lowe's

 One of my many, many sunflowers from seed out back.   This year I just threw out the sunflower seeds from the birdseed and they have sprouted!

I'm not sure what this is...

Spring in the desert is a subtle thing.  We certainly aren't having a super bloom this year!   The lack of rain has been very noticeable.  I hardly saw any lupines last Sunday when we drove from the desert to Temecula.  It is a very dismal year for wildflowers.

However, I do have several things blooming in my yard right now.  I see the light about 7 a.m. is the best, or about 4:30 in the afternoon, so I may try to go out this afternoon or tomorrow morning and take more photos!

Until then, please enjoy these!
Take care.
~~Cheryl Ann~~
Rambling Woods for March 27, 2018
To visit Rambling Woods, please go to this link:     https://ramblingwoods.com/

Frugalwoods!

I just finished reading the book:   Meet the Frugalwoods

https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Frugalwoods-Achieving-Financial-Independence/dp/0062668137/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522014532&sr=1-1&keywords=frugalwoods

and I must admit it has been one of the most influential books of my life!   (at 66 years young, I might add)...

It's TIME to take CONTROL of our finances!   Sheesh.  We've both been retired now for nearly 2 years and I'm tired of having $35 left over at the end of the month.  ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ENOUGH!

So, I'm instituting a "NO BUY" month next month (April).   NO extra spending.  NO fabric.  NO Michaels.  NO JoAnn's.  NO Hobby Lobby.  I'll be making journals with the supplies I have on hand.  I need to complete 3 to replace the 3 I've sold this month already.

If you haven't read her book, the link is above.   She also has a blog:   http://www.frugalwoods.com/

I can't WAIT to make homemade bread, but we currently have some from a bakery up in Bishop that we need to finish off.  I'm looking at applesauce bread recipes right now!

Until next time,
Cheryl Ann

Snowy mountains and sand dunes, oh my!

I had to drive to Indio and back yesterday, so on the way home, I took a shortcut through an often-unused road that is right next to the largest sand dunes in our valley (Bermuda Dunes).  Our mountains were getting snow and the sand dunes were covered with ripples!  I made 2 YouTube videos of that road and they are linked below:


snowy mountains:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyb80iXni0

sand dunes:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUpTFGcgENs

And, if you are interested, I also did a video about my sunflowers in the back yard.  ALL of these were from the bird seed that fell out of the feeders!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98mYJA7tqzo
Aren't they amazing?  All different sizes and colors!

Take care.  Enjoy your day!
~Cheryl Ann~

I've been BUSY!

I'm busy making journals at home now that I'm retired.

I have an ETSY store: 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesertsandBeyond?ref=pr_shop_more

AND,
I now devoted one of my blogs JUST to my journals:

https://storiestheytellus.blogspot.com/

Here are some photos of the journals I currently have in my ETSY shop:

Please DO stop by and take a look around!

~~Cheryl Ann~~