Hot; Just Hot

Today is the first of September.  The days are getting shorter and the nights are normally cool.

But we are not having normal weather.  When I left work this afternoon, this was the temperature (Sacramento).

I stopped at the grocery store, half-way home.  It was hot there, too.

At home, it was a bit cooler.  But when its this warm, hot is hot.  Whether its 93 or 97 or 100, it is plain old miserable doing chores.

Kersey is the smart one on the ranch.  She does this multiple times a day.

Surviving the Deluge

All week the weather forecast on the NOAA website, for our area, was red: flood warnings, wind warnings, you-name-it warnings.  The rain was so heavy that I worked from home Tuesday, yesterday and today.  The roads were flooded, blocked by fallen trees, eroded, and some had sink holes.  We have had about 9.5 inches of rain since Monday when the storm started.  We were getting about an inch, or an inch and a half every day, until yesterday.  We measure the rainfall every 24 hours, at 7am, and then I report it into a National weather database that is accessed by NOAA and the National Weather Service, among others.  From 7am until 4pm (when we did the evening chores) we had just over an inch.  As I was climbing into bed last night, and Brett was brushing his teeth, the rain started to beat on the roof and the windows.  It continued all night long.  This morning, there was 3.5 inches in the measuring tube and it didn't let up until mid-morning.  The ranch was flooded; the drains and streams weren't able to keep up with all the water coming from the skies and flowing from the neighboring hillside properties.

This stream looks more like a ditch when it is dry, than a stream.  Standing in the bottom of it, I can rest my hands on the banks.

The pond in the donkey pasture overflowed its banks, towards the hen house, and ran in an ankle deep river down the driveway.  It took big chunks of the asphalt with it, and rocks.

You can see the bottom of the driveway emerging from the water just past the well house.  Fortunately, the well house did not flood.  The railroad tie you see "floating" in the water is actually the top of the bridge that goes over a stream.

 There was way too much water for the banks to contain.  There were rogue streams everywhere.

The water was kissing the bridge over to the girl's pasture.  There are two large pipes under that bridge -- they couldn't keep up.

Fortunately, the rain did stop.  There is no more rain in the forecast... until next Wednesday.  They are predicting another large storm.  I never thought I'd say this, but I'm ready for summer.

The Hazards of Winter

During our first winter here in the Sierra Nevada mountain foothills, we experienced an unusually cold winter with record snow.  Lucky us.  In addition to pipes bursting through their cold protection wrapping, I slipped on the ice and fell.  I wasn't hurt but I was sore for a few days afterward and, ever since, I've had a healthy respect of ice.

Yesterday, it was Brett's turn.  On his way down the driveway to get the newspaper, he slipped on ice that had formed in an area where water flows over a dip in the driveway.  Normally, the ice is thin and his boots crunch-slosh through.  I typically avoid that area all together, stepping onto the frozen grass and hopping over the stream.  Yesterday, the ice was not particularly thin so instead of breaking through, Brett's boots slid from under him, flying forward, and he landed smack on his back.  When he fell, the ice did break and all that icy water flowed under his pants and jacket.  He wasn't hurt; but he was sore and he was not happy.

To all of my readers who live in icy winter climates, please be careful out there.

Shavings for Lucy

All of the horses have been happy in the barn this week.  Of course, with nine inches of rain in the course of four days and howling winds, the barn was a much nicer place to be than the pastures.  In the pasture, you have to dodge falling trees and streams criss-crossing every-which way, not to mention thunder, lightening and bobcats.  (the bobcat doesn't seem to concern the horses, but it bothers me).

This is the view from Lucy's stall door to her run-out.  Can you see Tuffy's head poking out of the donkey pasture shelter?  And the dressage court way off in the top left hand corner.  Nice view, for the horses, of the misty hills.

In the barn, there is room service -- three times a day.  Plus snacks.  Last night, Brett forgot to turn off the radio that he plays when working in the barn, so there was country music for them all night long.  I'm not actually sure that they think that's a good thing.  The best part for Lucy is shavings.  Yesterday, Brett brought a bag of shavings into her stall to replace the dirty ones he had removed.  She walked over to help; grabbing the top of the bag in her teeth and ripping it open.  Brett couldn't dump the bag fast enough for her; she stood next to him, pawing at the pile of shavings he shook from the bag.  When he left her stall to throw away the bag, she promptly rolled.  And rolled and rolled and rolled.  Shavings: they are the best.  (when you are Lucy, anyway)

Lucy always has some shavings on her back and in her tail when she's in the barn.

Tex is in the stall to the left of Lucy.  He is a very nosy horse.  Whenever we go into her stall, he wants to know what we're up to.  You know that feeling of having someone watching you intently?

He's more cautious about the aisle.  Lucy, Flash and Pistol all hang their heads out, into the aisle, to make sure that you notice they are famished and in need of a snack.

Tex will touch the window with his nose, but he won't hang his head all the way out.  Just a whisker.  On a good day.

Meanwhile, the streams did an excellent job of carrying all that rain off of our property.  Many properties were flooded, with streams cresting their banks and flowing into vineyards, orchards, fields, houses and roads.  Further up the highway, there were rock slides and avalanches.  The highway was closed at the top of the Sierra.  This morning our county was declared to be in a state of emergency. We consider ourselves fortunate.  I was afraid that the fallen tree would inhibit the flow of our largest stream, but the water just carved a path around it and  kept on going.

The tree is massive.  Well, we knew that.  Standing on the grass next to the trunk, I can't see over the top.  This is the view from my eye level -- and I'm a tall girl (5'8" and some change).

Yesterday, Brett ordered a massive chain saw.  The small one he uses on projects around the property isn't going to work with this tree.

Random Friday

1.  This week has been wicked hot.  This is what our forecast for the week looked like on Monday.  We are usually a few degrees warmer during the day, and a few degrees cooler at night, than indicated but nasty nonetheless.

2.  When the weather is this hot and miserable we bring the horses into the barn during the day and turn them out at night.  Additionally, Brett's friend Richard has been visiting all week and they have been working on replacing another section of fence in the girl's pasture.  So, at night, Lucy, Jackson, Pistol and the donkeys are all together in the donkey pasture.  Tex is getting lots of practice being haltered and led back and forth -- and he excels at this so is feeling pretty good about himself.  He was very good for the farrier, and soft and friendly with Brett who held him while he got his shiny new shoes.

3.  Monday night, after putting the horses back in the pasture and mucking out the stalls and run-outs, I apparently did not latch Tex's back gate.  I think I the latch was slid into its hole, but I didn't clip the chain closed.  I say I think the gate was latched because Tuesday morning I was in Tex's turnout combing his mane and I didn't notice the gate being open.  Of course, I also had not had any coffee yet so it is possible that I just didn't notice; not likely.  I left for work and Brett got busy setting things up in the pasture for the fence.  He looked up from his pile of lumber, and there was Tex, standing close by and watching him.  Brett didn't want to fuss with the halter -- he puts it on differently than I do and Tex worries when things are different -- so he got a bucket with some grain instead.  He let Tex take a sniff and then walked back into the stall with Tex following, willingly, behind.

4.  Tuffy had his little feet trimmed by the farrier as well.  The donkeys usually wear down their hooves enough that they don't require require regular trims.  Tuffy, who is a very active little donkey, only needs a trim once a year or so.  Finessa is quieter so she needs a trim more often.  She is very good for the farrier, standing quietly and eating treats while she gets her pedicure.  Maybe its a girl thing because Tuffy HATES getting his feet done.  He's the braver, more outgoing donkey, so we find this surprising.  True to form, he pulled Brett back and forth before being cornered in the run in shed.  When he couldn't run or kick, he tried laying down.  As soon as all four feet were done, he turned from Mr. Hyde back to Dr. Jeckyll -- accepting love and attention from the farrier like they were old friends.  Here he is with Camille a few weeks ago.  I can count on Camille to visit and take pictures of all the animals when she comes to visit.

5.  Brett and his friend, Richard, have made amazing progress on the fence in the oak pasture.  Brett's goal was to replace a section, measured by nine fence posts, extending the existing new fence further along the stream bed.  I made Brett promise to drink gallons of Gatorade while he worked in the 100 degree heat -- and to make sure that Richard did as well.  The two of them worked their tails off; setting 19 new posts.  Thursday, they took a break and went up to Wrights Lake with the kayaks for a well-deserved rest.  Brett can manage the cross-rails on his own once Richard returns home.  Honestly, I don't know how they did it.  I tied to help with the chores after work but couldn't handle the sun beating down and had to retreat to the house.  The boys didn't want to wait until sundown to do the chores (they were hungry and wanted dinner) so they powered through while I wilted.

Random Friday

1.  We had a hum-dinger of a storm come through Wednesday night.  During the day, it was breezy with brief spats of rain filled wind gusts, followed by relative calm.  That all changed in the evening.  The wind began howling through the trees, whistling around the corners of the house, and shaking the windows.  At 8pm, we lost power.  I lit some candles and sat on the couch with my iPad, playing solitaire in the dark.  I did not light the wood-stove because I didn't want sparks flying out the chimney - even with a spark arrester, I wasn't taking chances.  So, I sat under two blankets.  Brett sat in his recliner and worried, with no TV to distract him.  The wind died down an hour later and then the skies opened and buckets of water were dumped over us.  Kersey refused to go outside and pee before bed -- and she's a lab, she loves water.  No power meant no well pump and no water. Fortunately, we had already taken our showers but we worried about the horses getting water in the barn since they have automatic waterers there.  There were about 4500 residences that lost power so we were not alone.  We woke up 3am when the lights came on.  

2.  Someone left a comment asking how tall Tex is.  Good question.  I looked at his papers but they don't give his height.  We have never measured him.  My guess is that he is about 16h.  Flash and Jackson are both 15.3 and Tex is definitely taller than both of them.

3.  I'm feeling a little blue today.  My mom died on this day in 2014.  I think about her all the time; I miss being able to tell her about this-or-that.  Some days are harder than others.  Today is a hard one.  FB did a flash back yesterday; you know... the ones that start with "here are some memories from this date in past years"... and there it was, a post from 2.18.14, the day before mom died. I had posted a status of how she was doing and seeing the post took me straight back to that hospital room and the yo-yo, up-and-down of rallying and failing that happened that week.  I'm going to take Kersey for a long walk when I get home tonight (if it isn't raining too hard) and that should help.

4.  We do have a good weekend on tap.  Kyle and Ana are coming up tonight so they can ski in Tahoe tomorrow.  We will have Brett's birthday dinner tomorrow night and are going to a wine-pairing dinner Sunday.  In less than a week, we will be at Alisal for our annual vacation there.

5.  I've been thinking about bucket-lists lately.  You know, that list of things you want to do or accomplish before you die.  Brett and I have been working on our respective lists over the years and we don't really have much "big" left to accomplish.  I would like to complete the training to become a master gardener but I'm guessing that won't happen until I retire -- since it is a large time commitment.  The two activities that bring me the most peace, that put me in a place where I completely lose track of time, are riding and gardening.  What's on your bucket list?  Where do you find solace?

Clouds

We have stormy skies every afternoon, continuing through this week.  We don't expect to get any rain out of it, but the skies sure are spectacular.  I took some pictures with my new camera; playing with some of the settings.  Which is your favorite?

"Monster" Storm

All week, the newspapers, the radio and the TV have been telling us that a monster storm was coming our way.  This storm is a blend of two systems; one is the pineapple express which is fairly common and brings heavy rain from Hawaii via the Pacific Ocean.  In this case, an extra strong pineapple express (the kind that comes around every 6-8 years) joined forces with a high wind system and started throwing all that rain, with all its windy might, at Northern California.  This morning, 50,000 people lost power in the San Francisco Bay area and wave after wave of power outtages followed the storm, through Napa and Sonoma (where a university campus was closed due to flooding - in the middle of finals week) to Sacramento and then up into the Sierras.  We had wind and light rain this morning.  Just before 2:00 in the afternoon, the deluge began.  Knock on wood, we still have power.

There are tree branches scattered across the property as expected and water is filling the streams to the top of their banks and then crossing under our road into a larger stream as it continues its journey downhill.  The goats are safe and warm in their side of the run-in and Pistol is standing on her side.

That picture was, obviously, taken on a drier day.  The rest of the horses are in the barn where they have each other and Passage for company.  She patrols the aisle and the hay stacks -- good barn cat that she is.

The donkeys are staying in their run in shed as well.  We got two eggs today, from chickens who hardly left the dry safety of their hen house.

The heavy rain will continue over night and then lessen a bit, but continue, through tomorrow.

Random Five Friday

1. We've had very weird weather this week. Monday night and Tuesday morning we had snow. Wednesday and Thursday were cloudy and comfortable. This evening when I drove up the driveway, I noticed piles of white on the roof of the house; three distinct piles. I put my foot on the brake, stopped, and stared. Tuesday, the snow had turned to rain mid-morning. It rained all day and there was no trace of snow left by evening. It was 44F when I got home; not cold enough for snow. I looked at the ground and noticed piles of white pebbles. Mystery solved. As I walked to the house with a bag of groceries, I called to Brett who was mucking Flash's stall, "When did it hail?" He called back, "just a few minutes ago." Tomorrow should be clear and cool; Sunday they are saying we will be in the 70s. April is unsettled here in the Sierras.

2. Yesterday, Winston had an appointment with a therapist; a cross between physical therapy and a massage. She said that he was sore but that the soreness was recent and superficial, consistent with being in work. He was very interested in her pockets. I suspected cookies. I was wrong. She had small vials of oil infused with different scents. He liked the lavender one but his favorite was one labeled "trauma." She unscrewed the cap and waved the bottle under his nose. He followed it all the way back to her pocket. She had five or six "flavors" but he only liked the two; and he liked them a lot. He was very entertaining while she worked on him; alternating between sleepy eyed relaxation and yawning to release tension.

3. The therapist also checked pressure points -- similar to acupuncture but using pressure instead of needles. When she pressed on the points that connect to the stomach, he flinched and yanked his foot away from her. All compass points seem to be pointing to ulcers.

4. Today after work, I took Winston for a walk around the barn property. We started on the wide path that leads from the barn out to the dressage courts. The wide areas of grass on either side where I had been hand grazing Winston, had been mowed and the smell of fresh cut grass mingled with the smell of rain. We walked past the dressage courts onto a muddy lane that ran along side the back paddocks. At the end of the last paddock, a trail led to the top of a levy. We followed the levy down to a fence and then scampered back down to the other side of the paddocks taking a single track trail back to the dressage courts. The grass was knee high so we slowed to a crawl while Winston greedily ripped at the grass and the dandelions.

5. Tonight for dinner we had a working woman weeknight dinner staple: stir fried vegetables over rice. I forgot to take a picture of the finished product -- we were hungry and dove right in. Bok choy, kale and a variety of mushrooms; a little garlic and ginger, salt and pepper. Simple. Fast. Tasty.

Warm Blankets on Cold Nights

In Sacramento last night, the temperatures hit a record low. The last time it was this cold was in 1972. I don't know if the Placerville temperatures were a record or not. I just know it was darn cold.

We don't blanket our horses in the winter unless they are clipped. If I clip, it is a trace clip in the areas where they sweat with work. If you ride and the sweat doesn't dry by dark, that's a recipe for a big time chilled horse. This winter none of our horses are clipped. Between my work schedule and the wet winters, I don't expect to ride more than once a week until the spring. Jackson is the exception to our blanketing practice. When the temperatures dip, he loves his blanket. His coat doesn't grow as thick as the others and he doesn't move around as much.

With all the hard frost warnings this week, we thought it prudent to blanket all the horses. Studies show that horses are comfortable without blankets in temperatures of 15F and above. We've seen some reports that say we will hit 12F tonight or Saturday night. With blankets on, the horses are fine in their pastures if it rains or snows. Since the water is turned off in the barn at night to protect the pipes, we want them in the pastures where they have access to their large water troughs. Jackson did a happy dance when he saw Brett coming with his blanket Tuesday afternoon. Flash stood stoically and allowed himself to be blanketed.

Winston was another story. Last winter, he had a trace clip and wore a blanket. He played games at first, refusing to stick his head through and running off with it half buckled. I refused to play and let him get cold that night. (I know, I'm so mean). The next night, he was good as gold and we didn't have another problem with him all winter. Brett brought out the blanket to the pasture and, after a couple false starts, Winston poked his head through the front and let Brett pull it back over his rump. Then he took off, bucking and farting, with the blanket flailing around him. He stepped on it, of course, and ripped off one of the front snaps. Brett retrieved the blanket and we let him chill in the pasture all night.

Last night when I got home from work at 9:30, Brett and I bundled up in our jackets and knit ski hats and went out to the barn. We brought Winston and Mufasa into the barn aisle where we could see with the barn lights on. While Brett put Mufasa in his stall to wait his turn, I held Winston's lead rope in one hand and his blanket draped over the other arm. Winston kept pushing at the blanket with his head, trying to figure out how to put his head through. I made him wait. Then while Brett held the lead rope, I slipped on the blanket and buckled him in.

We didn't have a blanket for Mufasa since he wasn't clipped last winter. I found Winston's mid-weight blanket and thought it might fit. Mufasa was a ranch horse before we bought him so we didn't know if he was familiar with blankets or not. He sniffed it a few times but otherwise didn't mind the blanket being swung up on his back, pulled down around his sides and rump, and then buckled at the front and underneath.

This morning, I looked out the window and saw Mufasa standing in the clover pasture... with no blanket. I scanned the pasture and saw a blue pile of crumpled fabric on the ground. Brett retrieved it while I sat in my car with the heater and defroster going full blast, trying to defrost my windows so I could leave for work. Yes, the display says 19F.







Looking out my driver's side window, the kitchen appliances on the porch almost looked pretty.




The snow will arrive tomorrow.

A Wee Bit of Snow

All day yesterday, the weather report kept getting worse and worse.  By the time I got home from work, they were calling for heavy snow in the evening and overnight.  We were expected to get in the neighborhood of six inches which is a lot for us.  When we went to bed, close to 11:00, it was very windy and we could hear ice being hurled against the windows.  But no snow. 

This morning, we woke to half an inch of snow and clear skies.  It must have also rained before the skies cleared and the temperatures dropped into the 20s because there was a thin sheet of ice covering the snow, the sidewalks and the patches of bare ground.  Walking down to the barn was a treacherous.  I thought of Lori and Kate falling on ice recently and walked extra slowly and carefully.

The horses were hanging out at the bottom of the pasture in the sun but they came running when they heard Brett with the hay cart.

The sun stayed out all day but the wind hung around as well so temperatures were far from comfortable.  It was, however, enough to melt the snow by noontime.  In the late afternoon, we let the horses out to graze a bit.

Poor Jackson can't come out and graze.  With his insulin resistant condition, grazing on green grass would put him into a tailspin.  He doesn't understand that of course.  He stood in his paddock looking forlorn and giving me the stink eye.

The donkeys begged to come out but they don't have grazing privileges either.  They look sweet and innocent here, but they REFUSE to be caught and we don't enjoy the "challenge" of getting them back into the pasture.

Monday was Brett's birthday.  I made his favorite dinner: barbecued ribs, scalloped potatoes, homemade rolls and sauteed mushrooms.  For dessert I made creme brulée.  You can't beat creme made with fresh eggs.

We have lots of leftovers.  Come on over!

Damage Control

Yesterday, for the first time since last Thursday, the temperature crawled out of the 30s into the 40s.  In the morning, all the water troughs, buckets and puddles were still iced over.

I did my routine of breaking ice, carrying buckets of hot water and scooping frozen manure.  The pond had a small hole in the ice where the water was circulating.  I broke the ice around the perimeter and carried water back up to the barn in Jackson's blue bucket to wash out the rest of the buckets.  I had the routine down.

In the afternoon when the sun had warmed the air to 50, Brett went down to the barn and turned the water valve on.  Water rained down in the feed room through the ceiling, it came out of the wall by the wash rack spigot, and the main line was split.  Ice and pipes don't mix.  We tried to drain the pipes before we left for the show but I think we were too late.  They were already frozen; packed with ice.

Brett turned the water valve back off and called our plumber.  I was at work; I missed the excitement and, no doubt, the profanity.  Brett has quite the colorful vocabulary when things like this happen. 

The plumber comes tomorrow.  Don't you just love unexpected and unplanned expenses for which you are not prepared?  Me, too.

Today, the warming trend continued but there was a stiff wind.  I was going to ride Winston but my throat is scratchy and I feel like I'm fighting off a cold or the flu or something along those lines.  I stayed in the house all day, working and resting.

We're a Weather Station!

I was reading a post on the 7MSN blog the other day about how Carson is recording her rainfall for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).  I noticed that she was using the exact same rain gauge that we use.  I have always been fascinated with weather and I have been recording our rainfall every year since we moved up here.  I enter the rainfall on a spreadsheet, recording the annual rainfall for a year running July through June.

  I also keep a log of the years to compare.  I have the year with the highest rainfall, the year with the lowest, and the most recent.

So, I was hugely interested in Carson's post and wasted no time in going to the CoCoRaHS website.  I signed up to participate as a volunteer observer which requires that I enter our rainfall on the website everyday.   They track drought conditions so my many entries of 0.00 are important.  The website states that the data is used by the following: 

 CoCoRaHS is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals.  The National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, USDA, engineers, mosquito control, ranchers and farmers, outdoor & recreation interests, teachers, students, and neighbors in the community are just some examples of those who visit our Web site and use our data. 

Pretty cool, right?  And we already have the gauge that they require all observers to have.  Brett even had it set up exactly as they liked.  We were so ready!

 I submitted the online application and received a welcome email the same day.  Whoo hoo!  I promptly entered our rainfall for the day (0.00).  I wonder if bugs count for anything....  that seems to be all the rain gauge is catching these days.

There are online tutorials on the website for how to take measurements of rain, hail and snow.  The maps of all the recordings are really interesting.  I tried to find Carson's station but they didn't have a designation for 7 miles south of nowhere (7MSN).  All fifty states in the US plus Canada participate.  How cool is that?

Lesson with Gayle #6

Yesterday afternoon and evening we got hammered by a big storm.  There was high wind, rain and a lot of hail (but not as much as Michaele got).  Before we went to bed, I called Gayle and put our morning lesson on "maybe" status depending on the weather and state of the property in the morning.  I woke up in the middle of the night and the wind was still flinging hail against the windows.  I was pretty sure we wouldn't have a lesson.  But, I was wrong.  Brett was up before sunrise to get the horses breakfast and when he came back up at 6:30 he said the sun was breaking through.  We loaded the horses and went.

Winston was in a pissy mood.  He turned away from me when I got him out of his stall, he tried to turn and come out of the trailer, and he scooted all over the place when I tried to get him to stand at the mounting block.  Since he was dying to go, Gayle had me pick up the trot right away.  Afterward my lesson, I scribbled some notes to help me remember everything. 

1.  Keep my toes pointing in.  No more of this toes pointing out to the side business.  I need to roll my thigh on, even if that means grabbing it in my hand and putting it where it needs to be.  The difference is immediate in how secure and effective I feel.  Toward the end of the lesson, when we were working on canter, I started to get a cramp in my outside calf.  Then I realized my toe was pointing out so I was pushing Winston over/steering with the back of my calf instead of the inside.  As soon as I corrected, the cramp went away and Winston steered like a dream.  Courtney King Dye said this was a struggle for her (women's anatomy is not helpful at all) and if she had to work at, then I can too. 

2.  At canter, keep my right elbow poking into my hip and my toes pointing forward.  When my right side is my outside, I am a dorky mess.  If I point my toes forward, my elbow swings out.  I have to control BOTH of them.  Thankfully, my weak side is the opposite of Winston's. 

3.  When I ask for more, he has to give it immediately.  It doesn't have to be huge, but it has to be enough that I feel a definite difference.

4.  I need to kiss the seat of my saddle with my seat when I post.  I'm landing too heavy. 

5.  Keep the outside rein firm at all times.  I can soften when he carries himself but I can never, ever, give it away.  He needs to accept the contact and work through his body into that contact, back to front.  I especially need to keep the contact firm and steady in my upward transitions.  Don't worry about the inside rein or bend at this point; working in the contact comes first.

It was a long, hard lesson.  Good, of course, but hard.  While Brett and Flash had their lesson, I sat in a chair and Winston grazed next to me.  He took a couple big mouthfuls of grass and dumped them on my head.  I imagine there is a mesage there. 

Back home, the clouds had come back and it was cold and windy.  We turned the horses out in the pasture.  Jackson was bucking up a storm in his stall turnout so I let him out too.  His turnout is mucky wet so it couldn't be any worse to have him out on the firm wet dirt instead of sinking in mud.  He is determined, as Lori noted, and he wanted to be out.   

Flash and Winston discuss who gets that particular bin of hay.  Winston lost.

Jackson joined the group and I put Winston's blanket back on.  He walked right up to me and stuck his head through.

Remember when Bella cut her back leg?  She lost a lot of weight then.  She has gained it all back -- and then some.

Bella thinks she is Vanna White, showing off the aloe flower to me.  Kyle says we should call her Bellatrix.

First artichoke of the season! 

One of the families living in the eaves outside the great room windows.

I finished creating my blog book yesterday.  2011: January to June.  248 pages.  Hardcover.  8 1/2 x 11.  Upgrade to premium photo paper.  $70.