First Week of April

Another week of shopping, shopping, shopping...for all those thousands of little things that you don't give a thought to after keeping house for decades. I jokingly said to Rich that we should give ourselves a new house "shower" and register at Target or WalMart...but I AM JUST KIDDING! At WalMart this week I did nearly have a meltdown searching for, of all things, a fly swatter (called a fly smacker by our Shelby!). Have you ever tried to locate lots of little things like that in these mega stores? It is an exercise in frustration.

Monday, April 1st

Monday evening the sky to the west was so unusual that it seemed like the perfect backdrop for a photo of our saguaro that Rich has named "Mickey Mouse." Have you ever named any of your landscape plants? After I posted this on FB, one of our nieces commented that her late dad had named his saguaro, Sammy, when they lived out here. It must run in the family! This is also a perfect example of what I love about FB. Since rarely does anyone comment on the blog, I would never have heard that story about Ted and his saguaro.

Tuesday, April 2nd

I still have PT two afternoons a week. This week after using that manual suction device on the edema that had built up on the inside, she applied this Kinesio Athletic Tape on both sides of the ankle. The purpose of this special tape is to correct muscle function and improve circulation of blood and lymph to relieve the edema. Through activity it gently massages to move fluid up the leg...somehow, magically, I don't know.

While I was at PT, Rich had taken the girls to the vet for a follow-up and all is well with them; the ear infections have cleared up this past two weeks!

Last winter we went to Filly's bar nearly every Wednesday evening with our KOA friends but that was yet another thing that changed while I was laid up this year. With many of the snowbirds winging their way back to their other homes, the outdoor dining area was nearly empty Tuesday evening. We both thought the food was better though, so there may be an advantage to going there when it's not so busy!

Wednesday, April 3rd

This was near meltdown day at WalMart. This evening we sat out front for a while as evening fell. The bird perched here on one of our ocotillo is a Curve-billed Thrasher.

Looking toward the west, this was the streaky sunset behind our neighbors' beautiful saguaro.

Friday, April 5th

We were out early (for us!) this morning to check out The Dump when it opened at 10:00. The Dump is a huge furniture store that is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. What you see is pretty much what they have; there are very few things that they have warehouse stock on because they deal in closeouts and overstocks.

After all that looking, comparing, and decision-making (yes, we bought something!) I relaxed with a refreshing but very chilly swim.

While we were out there, Rich took down a section of the reed-like privacy fencing so that we have a better view of our desert garden and the Superstitions from the pool and patio. Shawn had suggested that last Sunday; what an improvement!

Saturday, April 6th

While enjoying my morning cup of coffee, the birds kept me quite entertained. this is a Ladder-backed Woodpecker drinking his breakfast from the flowers of one of our aloe vera plants out back.

This Roadrunner is the first I've seen at our house and I was shocked to see it land on a small branch in our Ironwood tree behind the pool. There was another branch in front of the one it was sitting on and by the time I stealthily made it outside for a clear shot, it had flown over the fence into our yard.

After taking the photo of the Roadrunner, I shot this gorgeous Strawberry Hedgehog. They are in bloom everywhere! If you are ever planning a trip to this area, it seems to be the most colorful in April.

This is Kunu, the Hawaiian name for Chuck. Can you name that movie? It is from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and when Shawn pulled up the movie clip last Sunday, the name stuck! We were thrilled that the seller left him here for us. When Rich took that section of fence down, we moved him from there to his new home under this palm at the other end of the pool. Isn't he just the coolest dude?

Sunday, April 7th

I was so thrilled to get this photo of a female Gila Woodpecker drinking her breakfast this morning from another of our aloe vera plants out back. What a view I have from my computer at the kitchen window! I had noticed that both kinds of woodpeckers live on our property and with photos of both in this post, you can clearly see the difference. A male Gila Woodpecker would have a small red cap on it's tan head.

Much of our bird population lives in this Ironwood tree. It sheds its tiny leaves into the pool and is covered with nasty thorns on the trunks as well as the branches. That is why I thought we should have most of it cut down, leaving only the fabulous sculpture composed of its many trunks. Now that I see it is a habitat for so many species of birds, it has earned a reprieve.

See how incredible the trunks are at the base?

The kids came as the furniture was being delivered; they were so excited because we had told them we weren't getting any furniture, other than our bed and the picnic table, until we return later this year. That's what we thought until we found The Dump.

Oh yeah, a triple recliner sectional!

The Girls are so happy too! They finally have somewhere to sit with us.

Our new kitchen set! I love this table, chairs, and benches...such simple lines and a butterfly leaf!

Shelby and I swam for a while before dinner. Dylan finally joined us but no one got any photos of him in the pool.

However, Grandpa did get this short video of Dylan jumping into the pool with his feet on the green noodle...quite a trick!

Another incredible week in this fairy tale that is my life!

Lovin' Life ~~ Ever Grateful