Friday, November 23, at home in Arizona
The fence supplies arrive!
Reggie and Roger are inside the house because the double gate is wide open in preparation for the delivery. The boys have no way to see what’s going on in the back yard.
Oh, I see how this works. He parks the truck in the street and brings the stuff in using the forklift hanging on the back.
First thing the driver does is come over to me with the paperwork to review.
Then I show him where to place the posts, fence panels, and bags of Quikcrete. He brings in the Quikcrete first.
Next he goes around to the other side of the truck and picks up a bundle of fence panels.
I count each load to make sure we receive everything that Dennis ordered.
Four bundles of ten fence panels each. . . . That’s a lot of fence!
Last are the pressure-treated posts:
The driver hops out of the forklift with a small tablet in hand. I sign with my finger, we exchange a few friendly words . . . .
“Well, I’m off to my next delivery and then I’m done!”
“Thank you!”
I close the double gates behind him and head for the back door.
“Okay, cuties! You can come outside now. There’s something different about our yard. Go check it out!”
Roger doesn’t hesitate.
He makes a direct line to investigate the stacks of lumber, trotting confidently, showing no fear.
Reggie’s approach is much different.
He detours around the back of the Best Little Trailer, hesitates, and then very tentatively circles this massive “thing” that has invaded his yard.
He’s particularly wary of the plastic wrap on the bags of concrete. Of course. This is the guy who barks at plastic bags flying in the wind.
“It’s okay, Reg. Don’t be nervous.”
He slinks around to the other side.
Reggie musters his courage but the slightest flapping of the plastic startles him.
The boys have distinct traits.
While Roger immediately detects whether an object is animate or inanimate, Reggie isn’t sure until he inspects. Eventually Reg realizes there is no threat and relaxes.
Meanwhile Roger is roaming with his nose to the ground.
“Those are some big tracks, eh, Rog?”
Tomorrow the work begins! I’m so excited. The fence is going to totally change the back yard . . . .
“Does that cedar smell good, Reg?”
~ ~ ~
Saturday, November 24
Dennis arrives early with another man. When he introduces us, I stumble over the pronunciation of the Spanish name. They laugh and suggest I call him Gilbert.
The men get right to work.
You may wonder why so many fence panels — forty in all. That’s because not only will the new fence go across the back, it will also come up the sides of the back yard. Since the wood’s appearance will change over time, it’s best to have the entire fence installed around the same time.
The back yard will become our private sanctuary!
In the photo below the chain link and posts on one side of the yard have been removed. Dennis and Gilbert use an auger to dig new holes for the new posts. (The old posts were 10 feet apart; the new posts are 8 feet apart).
The men work throughout the day until dark.
I’ll show you their progress in the next post!
rvsue
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Y’all know how much I love my Paperwhite e-reader. Recently a blogorino mentioned how he enjoys being able to carry over a thousand downloaded books with him wherever he goes. I recall reading my Paperwhite by its own light in the dark of the Best Little Trailer. Good times! — Sue
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~ ~ ~
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG!
Good morning
Good morning! Wow! A close competition for first place!
CONGRATULATIONS, PAM!
Good morning everyone.
Good morning, Norman!
First?
Good morning, Elaine!
Wow! You weren’t kidding when you said big changes! That wood fence is going to look so nice in the yard! It is really interesting to see the different personalities of both the boys and how they approach things in a different way. Different, but the best of friends, we could all learn from that!
Good morning, Pam and Maya!
Good morning! You’re up and at ’em pretty early.
It’s almost an absolute: cedar is always good. It gives so many good qualities to almost any wood project that it’s usually the best choice. (The only thing it doesn’t have going for it is light weight, like balsa.) I look forward to the next posting on it.
Good morning, Calvin! It’s nice to receive approval on the choice of cedar. 🙂
Wow! I haven’t been this close to the top in months… and I read your post. Everyone must be shopping, sleeping in, or gone to church. I know y’all will be happy to get a new fence and it will look sooo much neater. Hugs to the boys.
Hi, Cat Lady! On behalf of Reg and Rog, thanks for the hugs!
The men have arrived so I’m going out to watch them work. 🙂
Good job on fencing material. I love the R&R’s reaction to the arrival of the fence. Stay warm. Hugs….
Hi, Sue,
I am excited for you! The privacy fence is just one more thing that makes your house a cozy home! Cedar should hold up well and age nicely. My best friend’s hubby is a custom contractor who specializes in creating beautiful wood things (barrel ceilings, doors, cabinets, etc). He has told me that a wood fence can last a lifetime if it is cared for properly. Reggie and Roger are going to love protecting their upgraded fortress! 🙂
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, Sue! Sending you and the boys lots of love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! After a nasty, cold, couple of days (rain added to the mix yesterday), it is a beautiful, bright, sunny day! It is still cold, but it is wonderful to see the sun again! Now I am motivated to get some chores done! 🙂
Good morning Sue! The fence looks awesome! What a nice, private sanctuary you are going to have. Reggie’s reaction is so precious. Roger’s confidence is impressive. Sorry I missed responding in your last few folks. I’ve been busy visiting with family and enjoying the holiday. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving 🦃!
Can’t wait to see the new fence installed.
Last couple of weeks for me have been busy and interesting. I have been volunteering, dog-walking at my local shelter.
Back in early October a bonded pair of Terrier mixes were returned for the 2nd time this year. I had been walking them regularly since there return and fell in love despite my best efforts not to as I’ve been working hard to get healthy and felt spring would be a good time to adopt again as it has been a year and a half since I lost my Max only a year after losing my Aaron. Also, I have always adopted senior dogs as they are so hard to place so thought these two approximate 4-yr old cuties would easily find a new home.
I soon realized they had some serious behavioral issues due to no one really training them when younger and after talking to the shelter manager, realized they would be hard to place without risk of being returned again. I decided to take the plunge and brought them home. Getting them home and getting them acclimated, I realized their issues and training was an even bigger job than I feel qualified to handle so I made a very difficult decision to send them to Obedience boot camp with a trainer a friend had recommended. He will work with them for 3 to 4 weeks and then add me to the mix training me on the correct handling of these two balls of fire.
Anyhow I dropped them off Friday afternoon and miss those two hellions terribly.
I’m not all that fond of the name George but not sure if it would be fair to him to try and change the name. I tend to call him Georgie. They were originally rescued from a hoarding situation at about a year or so (there is about 9 months difference between them) and I believe the shelter came up with the names. George and Jefferson…kind of funny but I’m just not that thrilled with the names…hopefully they will grow on me.
I had Thanksgiving week off but unfortunately was sick the whole week and then woke up Thanksgiving morning with no heat…coldest Thanksgiving in my lifetime. Thankfully, I use a good heating oil supplier that has someone on call during holidays so we (my boys and me) were warm and toasty again before noon.
Happy belated Thanksgiving to all.
It’s easiest to change an animal’s name if the new one is similar to the old one. When our female kitten named Taffy turned out to be a male that enjoyed attacking moving feet we changed his name to Tacky and he accepted that just fine. Maybe you can come up with something similar to George that will work?
That’s what I did. My newest was named Diamond, I changed it to Daisy.
It is totally easy to change a dogs name. Just quit using the old one and use the new one when you give it a treat. It won’t be more than a couple of days before the dog comes running when you say its new name which of course means “treat” no matter how in human language it is spelled or pronounced. There are multiple words in human language for treat, some of them invoke associated behaviors such as come, sit, stay, etc.
Hi Jan, what an angel you are to the two boys. Since you are having them at the trainer anyway pick the names you like and give the trainer their name. Like Susan said the dogs don’t care what their name is as long as there is a treat.
Thanks all for the wonderful suggestions and tips on change names. I also figured if I was going to change, it was best to use a name similar to the old name. I just haven’t been able to come up with new names. I don’t mind the name Jeff and have been considering renaming George to Jake or Jack. Doesn’t seem very creative but couldn’t come up with anything similar to George. I’m open to suggestions if anyone has any other ideas to replace the name George?
Thanks for the warm thoughts and suggestions!
Jan… Try brainstorming for a name by going over the dog’s history as you know it. For example, Roger’s name came from the tiny village where he met Reggie and me… Rogerson, Idaho. (Reggie was named by the rescue organization.) Think about the features or characteristics that make your dog different or special to you. I don’t think the name has to be close to the sound of George. Good luck!
Thanks for the tip, Sue…I’m working on names :).
Sometimes a great name has no reason behind it other than it fits…. Like Cynthia’s “Sammy” or my “Spike” and “Bridget.”
The fence will look very nice! Remember to keep it treated every couple of years and it will continue to look nice. We have a three rail fence (over 600 feet) in front of our property and Bret and I re-stain and seal it religiously every 2 years. It looks as good as it did 18 years ago! Its a big project, though. I imagine the fence will look better simply cause you don’t have the rain like we do! I personally love chain link. Not much maintenance there! I like to grow vines and honeysuckle on ours. Enjoy!!
I wanted to plant morning glories on our chain link fence until I discovered they are poisonous and our neighbor did day care. So we planted grapes. Big leaves to hide the fence and fruit we could pick. Win-win.
Nice choice on fencing. We had a cedar sided house when we lived in Georgia. It was beautiful and we loved it.
We had just a wood fence around the pool at our last house. We really liked the privacy it provided. It was there when we moved in. We replaced it after a few years and then pressure washed and sealed it after 3 years. It went from the garage to the end of the house and back about 50 ft. creating a courtyard type effect with a grassy area. Angel would have loved that, being able to run around. The way Reggie and Roger approach newness is funny. Angel is like Reggie being cautious. She is on high alert when the leaves blow around the street.
Happy Fencing!
xo Suzi
Sue, you wrote “I show them where the roses will go”, when you posted about a cordwood cabin that you loved, though you wanted to spend winters in Arizona, for the warmth and beauty it offers.
Now you have a home that’s comfortable in all the seasons…with rosebushes… in Arizona. How wonderful it is to see the combination of your dreams coming true. I know you dreamt of cabins in the woods because you pictured them as being isolated. You have always treasured solitude and privacy. That was true long before you started blogging. So I’d always hoped that someday you would have your own private hermitage somewhere. The fence will transform your property into that.
Congratulations, dear lady, you deserve to be blessed with nothing less.
I’m touched by this comment, weather. Repeatedly I find myself doing something or in possession of something that I had wished and/or prayed for in the recent and also distant past. I’m humbled and filled with gratitude.
As I blurted out to Dennis when we were planning the fence, “I’m so excited! All my life I’ve wanted a privacy fence!” He laughed and said, “Really?”
“Yeah, because everywhere I lived there always was somebody else’s mess to look at!”
Little things, too…. At the thrift store I bought a jewelry box that is also a music box. I didn’t know why I bought it, since I never wear jewelry and don’t own any. At home I opened the box and immediately the song “These are a few of my favorite things” began to play. I burst into tears, suddenly recalling a moment in my childhood when I dearly wished I had such an item that belonged to a friend.
God shows his love in different ways, most which we ignore….
Your last sentence is so true, Sue…lots of times I think it is a timing issue…it is so hard to wait for the things we want (even very good and appropriate things). I am happy to see you enjoying so many different areas of your new life. I hope all continues going well!! I also am keen on privacy!!
(In a way, this little vacation last week with our girls was at least 22 years in waiting to happen…so a bit of hope to others out there also hoping…and there are still other painful parts of our family issues…so we are not all the way there yet).
Just chiming in here to send you a hug, Elizabeth xxoo
Thank you Weather…sending you hugs back dear lady!! xxoo
He knows our hearts, and can remember things we’ve long forgotten. What a moving story about your musical jewelry box. Whether or not you keep anything in it, it’s a precious thing to have an old wish come true. Just for fun you may want to look at a sweet and inexpensive item to place in that, and maybe to wear on occasion. It reminds me of how often He’s shown us His love by sending birds to be near us. It’s ASIN is B0764BXC1H
Here it is: Bird Heart Glass Pendant
Sweet. 🙂
Aw really sweet!! Reminds me of an old song I heard Ethel Waters sing when I was a young teen.
I enjoyed reading this thread. Thanks, ladies!
Hi, Annie, I hope you get the chance to go south for a while again this winter if you want to. We may have quite the snowy and chilly season ahead 🙂
Being in possession of something we’d wished and prayed for can be humbling and fill us with gratitude, Sue. A painting from 1872 was displayed in the antique store for 3 years by a dealer who always over-prices her items. Hoping to actually sell it she lowered the price, twice, and my friends that own the store offered to chip in 25% of the recent lowest price as my early Christmas gift, so finally on Sunday I bought it.
It depicts people harvesting barley, and reminds of the biblical story of Ruth, who did that. To me it’s a metaphor of how Providence rewards faith, love and good works done for the sake of others with a life better than we ever expected to have. That metaphor could also be applied to you and your current situation.
If you have time you may want to read your “Towing to beat the wind” post again. In it you wrote –
“…We keep going…it looks like we’re going to make it…all I know is it is where I want to be…I want to be in this brown desert place…Oh. I’m glad we came here…We’re home!”
That day you were given a temporary haven that ensured your privacy, now you can enjoy having that all the time, how awesome!
A web search of images for “painting of barley harvest” brought up several paintings that anyone would be fortunate to own. I’m glad you finally got the one you admired and that it “speaks” to you. 🙂
How exciting! Your yard will be wonderful! Perhaps someday you could have a pool out there. We used to have one of those blue above-ground pools with the inflatable ring around the top edge. It came with a small electric filter, and with a cover, it was quite easy to maintain. It was about 3-1/2 feet deep, enough for a nice cool soak and float on a hot day.
Hi Blogerinos! I got permission from Sue to ask this Question of you all;
Do any of you have any ideas for our Winter Boondocking, as this is our first year, and we would like to research all ideas, and then try some of your favorite places.
1. Ajo area in December. Right around the corner!
2. Salton Sea? Sue camped at Corvina Beach, but I understand it might be smelly sometimes?
3. Anza Borrego Desert
4. Borrego Springs
5. Blythe– (I’ve got good ideas from Sue, but any others who want to chime in, feel free!)
6. Lake Havasu? (I may be visiting a family member, and well, we may want to have our own digs, “wink” “wink”, and still be fairly close to them. They live in Havasu City, up on “the hill” whatever that means?)
** And anywhere else you all may like a lot, that is peaceful, quiet, and at least very inexpensive.
Thanks all, and a very happy Sunday to you!!
Suzi, Larry, and Kitty =^,^=
There is a spot north of Lake Havasu visible from the main road where there always rigs boondocked.
Further south in Parker there are some spots.
One of my favorite spots is Organ Pipe NP where it is $7 with the senior pass.No hookups but there is a dump and you can take on water.
If you want a relaxed few days to visit Tucson try Casino del Sol.It is spacious and there are usually a couple dozen rigs on the spacious grounds.They seem to welcome boondockers.A number of people seem to stay all winter as we see the same trailers as we pass through coming and going two months later. It is shaded and very dog friendly for walking the pooch.
South of Aj0 near Why there are a lot of rigs out in the open desert.It is a fairly short trip to Organ Pipe where you can dump and take on water.
Not sure where you are coming from but if you are coming from the east make sure you cut down from I 40 on the Natchez Trace down to I 20.One of the nicest drives in America and they have 3 boondocking campgrounds with shaded wooded pullthroughs which are NEVER full that time of year.All free and first come first served.
Death Valley is also a favorite.There is a free campsite as you come in from the Trona Area (might be Panamint Springs) Not many spaces though and is still first come first served I believe.North of Death Valley there are spots between the park boundary and Beatty Nevada.I have camped in a number of them for a day or two.If you cannot get a spot you can always resort to the gravel lot near Furnace creek.I think it is still less than $10.there is so much to see in Death valley and it is so big you really won’t be bothered by the parking lot ambience of Furnace Creek.If you have a good higher clearance vehicle make sure you do the Titus Canyon drive entering on the road from Beatty.The last 10 miles are through a wash through a slot canyon.One way only, entering from the road to Rhyolite where there is a cabin made from beer bottles during the 1905 gold rush.
Wow! Chas, awesome information, thank you so much! I’m pasting to an email for later review as we travel.
We just came from Death Valley, but did not boondock. Instead, we stayed in Mesquite Springs near Scotty’s Castle (closed right now), and it was inexpensive and not crowded at all! We hiked the Ubehebe Crater, and fell in love! We will definitely be going back.
We are traveling from the West right now, headed AZ way from SoCal, and are going to try and see what we can see along the way. We don’t have an itinerary, except to enjoy life and discover new things.
Thanks again for the information. It gives us new places to consider during our first Winter in the SW. It’s all so new to us, and very exciting. 😉
Suzi
Hi Suzi!
Are you only looking for milder weather in western AZ? How comfortable are you on decent forest back roads? Are you interested in true boondocks (out in the boonies and away from civilization) or dry camping on a paved lot without hook ups? You tow a Casita, right?
March and early April are usually delightful at the mid elevations of the state, around Prescott for example. But you can run into a renegade snow fall. I’d be glad to offer a few suggestions for some boondocks in the southern tier of AZ from Tucson east and even some in southern NM. These areas have more elevation than what you may be looking for and so are colder, especially at night. I don’t have much knowledge about boondocks or camping in western AZ.
At the moment I can only think of a few places that may interest you. None are free but if you drop the trailer and do some recon you can find boondocks in the area. Check out Lake Roosevelt campgrounds–gorgeous scenery and low elevation. Nice camping but very popular over the winter months. Also, Burnt Corral Campground on Lake Apache. Getting to Lake Apache can be a bit hairy if you don’t like driving one lane dirt roads with twists and turns. I take my 13′ Scamp back there without any qualms but some folks thinks I’m nuts for driving such a primitive road towing a trailer. It’s really not bad and it is a very scenic route. Both lakes are located in the Tonto National Forest and have fees associated with use but put you in a position to scout out freebies.
Have you considered the Virgin River Gorge along I-15? BLM in the northwest corner of AZ with easy access from the interstate. There is a fee I think–$8? I understand it is beautiful there. Sue has stayed there more than once.
I hope you’re using some of the helpful sites like Campendium, freecampsites.net., and Ultimate Campgrounds.com. These are all helpful in the planning stages. Google “flyovers” can give you an idea of the immediate area you’re considering. Planning is so much fun! I wish you luck with your trip this winter. You’ve got some fun times ahead of you.—Audrey
Hi Audrey,
Thank you so much for writing such a nice note. Yes, we tow a Casita, with a large cargo van, similar to Sue’s. We are fine on dirt roads, as long as they are not 4x only, as our van is not 4×4. Larry is a good driver, more so than I, and he’s game IF he knows there’s a turnaround. If not, we walk it.
Yes, boon docking far away from others is desirable, as long as services are not so far away it becomes impractical. We like to unhook and take day drives, or go hiking, or go into towns to explore. Yes, to scouting out other boondocks, while camping in one location over a few days.
We are not limited to Western AZ, no. We have been through some pretty cold nights getting down here from WA State. We are equipped, but we don’t desire to hang out somewhere that is below 35* consistently. We have friends in Prescott, but they’ve advised us to wait until Spring for a more enjoyable visit, and to be able to do some sightseeing with them, without fear of those rogue snow storms.
I love all of your ideas, and will paste them into an email for further research. I’d like to add, you can get ahold of me via IG, at (Suzi, I removed address for a couple reasons. Audrey, let me know if you didn’t get it. — Sue)
Thanks again for taking the time to write! The first year feels a bit overwhelming, as I’ve been in the NW for 28 years, and I’m totally unfamiliar with this part of our country! I’m learning! 😉
Suzi
Wow! That’s a lot of fence! PRIVACY!!! Yay! It’s gonna look great when it’s done! We have 3 panels of fence like that in our RV Park space. It was there when we got here and is sufficient to provide privacy between us and the RV next door!
I finally got my butt in gear yesterday and today and got some Mermaid Tears ready for The Shop, our customer in Apalachicola. Still have a few more to go, but should have her order ready by Wednesday!💗 YAY! 😂
Reggie and Roger really are different personalities aren’t they? Such a pair!😂 Radar and Tater have pretty much the same personality. Both too old to want to argue! Haha!
I love how your place is really coming together nicely! You may never want to get on the road again!! 😵 keep in keeping on, we will follow you on or off the road!💗
Hug the boys from us! Keep warm!
Hello Rv Sue (and Reggie and Roger),
I have no idea why I found your back fence story riveting but I do :). You are a great writer. Thank you for continuing your writing, even while “not on the road”, I really enjoy them.
Hi guys! I’ve been away for a bit! Good to see everyone.
I don’t want to drone on about it but I have been having some health challenges, AGAIN. Seems to be my lot in life. I have discovered that I can’t go above 4000’ without desperately needing oxygen, and although my breathing is better during the day I have to have oxygen at night so .i guess it will be with me forever. This severely hampers my ability to travel and I’ve been pretty depressed about that. But I have found some new authors I enjoy and continue to do campaign work from home and try to make the best of things.
I had bought a rib roast I meant to have a week ago and got sidetracked so .i wound up making that for Thanksgiving. I still have some leftovers but now I’m going to make some Thanksgiving food. I’m going to make cornbread dressing, Brussels sprouts au gratin, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. I don’t care about turkey, I just like the side dishes. So that’s my today project then I’ll probably be eating that for 3 or 4 days.
I am doing physical therapy for my bad back, and I go to the chiropractor so that’s 3 trips into town for me this week. I’m also going to go to Penzey’s Spices and pick up some Christmas gifts. You can go to Penzeys on line as well, but we have a shop here. In case you don’t know these are fantastic spices and spice mixes! I love Sunny Spain (lemon pepper with no salt); yummy on my cottage cheese. Pico Fruta is one you sprinkle on sliced fruit. It is a bit sweet, a little spicy and makes fruit delicious! And so many more. Vietnamese Cinnamon That is much richer. Hot chocolate mix. Really good stuff. And they are a fabulous company. Highly recommend. And affordable.
I ordered a couple things on line during the Friday sale and .i think that is the big chunk of Christmas. I’m going to give a few neighbors and friends some spices, maybe some candy. And that’s it. If my back is doing any better I may try to make a little Christmas trip, not sure where. Probably over to CA to see friends. Or I’ll be home again.
I was surprised to see Sue is still feathering her nest. I thought you were done with nsesting Sue, but apparently not. I love your duck lamp. My place is too small to do that sort of thing. I only have 380 sq feet. Tiny. But big enough for me and Chloe.
I hope everyone had a great holiday!
Hi, Ginger,
Sorry you’re still having to deal with health/breathing problems. Good to see you here! Always enjoy an update…
Amazon sells Penzey’s:
Sunny Spain Seasoning By Penzeys Spices 2.4 oz 1/2 cup jar
Vietnamese Cinnamon Ground By Penzeys Spices 1.7 oz 1/2 cup jar
Pie Spice By Penzeys Spices 2.3 oz 1/2 cup jar
Hot Chocolate Mix By Penzeys Spices 16 oz bag
There are several more choices.
Yeah, I’m still nesting in Arizona! Take care, Ginger, and enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner. 🙂
Hi DG,
Good to see you here. Sorry you are still having health issues. HEy did you take that work from home I referred you to? Just curious.
Sorry to hear of your health issues, Ginger…hubby and I seem to be on a slide too…but I guess we have little choice in life about a lot of things. My dear mom was on oxygen many years. She decided to make it her friend. Not easy to do. Hope you can find ways to cope with it all! Best wishes…
Have, Desert Ginger,
Glad to see an update from you! I, too, love Penzey’s spices! I have been a fan for many years, when Bill Penzey was just starting his company. I ordered through mail order/their catalog for years, and was thrilled when they opened a store in Richmond! Some of my favorites: BBQ 3000, their taco seasonings, and the pasta sprinkle. And I love the Vietnamese cinnamon! I’ll have to try the Pico Fruta.
I enjoy many of the recipes that have been in their catalogs of the past. Basic Chilli and Crockpowr Chicken BBQ are 2 of my regular recipes in rotation.
Take good care of yourself and little Miss Chloe! **hugs**
For blogorinos interested in trying or gifting Penzey’s spices;
BBQ 3000 By Penzeys Spices 7.6 oz 1.5 cup bag
Pasta Sprinkle By Penzeys Spices .9 oz 3/4 cup bag
Thank you for adding your Amazon links, Sue! 🙂
A helpful hint: Keep the glass jar after you use up the spices. As seen in some of the links above, many of the spices can be purchased in bulk bags for a significant savings. Refill the jar as needed. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! 🙂
🙂
DG… See Barbara’s comment. It came in under my reply.
Sorry to hear of your breathing troubles DG, I’ll keep you in my prayers.
I love Penzy’s too. We’re fortunate to have a Penzy’s shop near where I live. The absolute best spices and herbs. I bought some bay leaves and chili powder just this week. The difference in flavor over the supermarket spices is amazing, I will often buy spices for gifts. People love it, since it can be a bit of a splurge that they wouldn’t spend on themselves.
Vietnamese cinnamon, oh my! Oh the bread pudding and snickerdoodles!
Wow! This fence is a major project but will give you the opportunity to turn the backyard into your own little oasis – I can’t wait to see the finished product. Loved the photos of the boyz exploring the fencing materials, each in his own way. Animals truly have unique personalities, just like people do.
We left the day after Thanksgiving to camp with my brother and his family at a near-to-us state park. Unfortunately, Sammy’s difficult breathing (which is a condition he’s had for months and has been treated ineffectively with prednisone) got really bad and we had to rush him to the emergency vet. After doing a bronchoscope, they determined he has laryngeal paralysis. I’ve never heard of it but apparently it’s not uncommon in large breed dogs. After getting approval from us, they did a “tie back” surgery and resected his soft palate – the goal of which is to open his airway. He was in the hospital two nights and $9,000 later, we picked him up last night. Thank God for pet insurance, which should pay about 80% of that. I slept with him last night and he did well and is breathing normally. We have to keep him quiet and feed him very small quantities of food and water for awhile so that he doesn’t aspirate into his lungs and get pneumonia. We are emotionally and physically drained from the whole ordeal, but so grateful he seems to be doing better.
Gee, quite a Thanksgiving story, Cynthia. No wonder you’re worn out (and grateful). Sammy is very fortunate to have you taking care of him and I’m sure he is comforted and his healing promoted by your loving tenderness.
Get better soon, Sammy! Your mom loves you!
“Yeah, get better, buddy! Do what your mommy wants, okay?” — Reggie and Roger
Thanks Sue, Reggie & Roger! My mom is taking great care of me but I’m sorta “milking” it cuz I like all the extra attention. She’s actually hand-feeding me, can you believe it? Soft food and cream cheese with these hard little things inside – mom thinks she’s hiding my medication – don’t tell her, but I know what it is! Love, Sammy
Be a good boy, Sammy. 🙂
Hi, Cynthia,
Sending some healing thoughts and prayers for Sammy. Please take good care of yourselves, too. **hugs**
Sue, that’s a lot of fencing, and when I thought about the logistics, my mind said, “Ka-ching” a couple times. I’m not being rude, not at all. In fact it’s complementary because I can appreciate what you are putting into your sweet little home so that you can have the privacy that you crave. I’m with you on having to look at other people’s crap. I don’t much care for that either! We used to have a renter next door, and they were terribly “trashy”. I longed for them to move. After 3 years, they finally did. Lol. It was a long 3 years!
I’m sure you are putting a post together with photos of the fence job. I’ll keep this short: We are sitting in one of your old boondocks, looking out at the same view you had. I couldn’t believe it when I looked it up on your page. I typed in “Borrego” in the search box. Funny thing is, you posted it (the one I first read) on November 26, I believe Monday, 2012. We settled in on Monday, November 26th, yesterday. Odd, but kind of cool. 🙃
They’ve closed off boondocking out where you were, due to overuse, but we are close. We passed the huge “parking lots” full of class As and the like, to head toward Dry Lake, but were stopped by signs and blockades to the spur roads.
We are happy here in the spot near the end, in the Winter sun. 73* here today! : ) More later- next post!
Hugs! Suzi, Larry, & Mochi-Kitty.
Hi, Suzi, Larry and Kitty,
The cycle of boondocking…. Winter takes you to Borrego Springs. Your timing is very much like mine was those years ago! I think this is the better time to camp there as Borrego can become very windy after the first of the year and when spring draws near. The town is fun as are the metal sculptures.
Weather forecasts for the Southwest say very deep overnight lows in a few weeks.
Yes, the fence is a big outlay. Dennis is giving me a good price on the labor. When I found this house for sale, I bought it with the cost of a privacy fence factored into the decision. I haven’t shown how very ugly the property to the rear is and I think it is the reason the house was on the market for a long time.. The fence has improved the back yard view tremendously. Well worth the expense!
Hi, Sue,
You and the crew have been on my mind….more so than usual. I hope you are having a good day and that you are happy with the progress of the fence installation. 🙂
The other day I was chatting with a friend about my hope to downsize to a smaller home. She knows I have been researching neighborhoods and viewing properties for the last several years. She was warning me about “going too small”, because there would not be enough storage space. I started to laugh! I told her that I would have what I need. Maybe even more than needed, as I have been purging items no longer used or loved. 🙂
There is a huge difference in our thinking. My retired friend has always loved to shop. If there is a super sale, she will stock up whether she needs to or not. Her latest find was four pairs of black pants; she now has 24 pairs (!), yes (!) 24 pairs of the same black pants. They keep company with her 16 pairs of brown socks, and the list goes on and on…. It can sometimes be exhausting listening to her describe her latest haul. Grocery shopping is the same. If there is an offer of buy 1, get 1 free, several of those deals come home with her. Eventually, clothing will be sold (yard sale) or donated, many with the tags still on them, and expired food items will be pitched. Her daughter does the same thing. So wasteful. I don’t get it – so happy that I don’t have that obsession! I am blessed to have what I need. 🙂
Just finished a simple, dinner of fish sticks, fries, and steamed carrots. Made enough to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I will be baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies tonight. So-o-o much better (and cheaper!) than store bought! If I was in the neighborhood, I would drop by a bakers dozen for you to enjoy. Our home will be smelling heavenly in about 30 minutes! 🙂
Sending you, Reggie, and Roger lots of love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! Boys: make sure you snuggle with your mom! Have a good evening! 🙂
Hi, Denise,
Thank you for hoping the crew and I had a good day. It was! The fence project has to wait until weekends, unless the men take off from work. The job is a little over half done.
Your friend sounds like someone I know. They can’t resist the urge to buy. I guess it fills some need. Like you, I’m glad not to be that way.
From what you’ve shared of yourself and your life, I know you will choose the right property when it is presented to you. The fact that you’ve researched for years shows the care you are putting into this decision.
Fish sticks! I forgot they existed! 🙂 Sometimes simple is just right. Especially if dessert is freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Think of me some more when you eat ’em! 🙂
Hugs and love to you and Gracie pup! Sleep well tonight…
I have faith that all will fall into place when it is supposed to!
xo 🙂
The huge savings in the labor expense makes it worth the wait. Dennis and Gilbert must have the demo and installation process down pat to have the project half done! Kudos! 🙂
Hmmm dog names…where do they come from? Ralphie our little dog was named after the little kid in “A Christmas Story.” I have no idea how Chowder was named by my granddaughter but it might have come from the cartoon character. Izzy our female dog full name is Isabelle….because my son says ‘she looks like an Isabelle.’
HI, Y’ALL!
Thank you for your comments. New post will appear in a few minutes! — Sue
Hi Sue,
Just a quick note to say I placed a little order on Amazon through your site. I hope it makes your holidays a little brighter. Now I can go back and read all the posts and comments I missed.
Thank you, Lisa! I wondered why it became brighter around here. 🙂
I hope you are pleased with your purchases.