And So On

This past weekend gave us here one of the worst rains we have had.  Once in 2001 we had 7 inches of rain over night.  Vast flooding in the low part of town.  I am located on the highest point in town (and that's pretty high)  so no concern for me insofar as my house being washed out is concerned.  I think we had more than that but in three days and nights.  I will have to go to the weather Service website and see.  The sun is partially out today and yesterday so the worst is over.

I hurt one of my Achilles tendons now four days ago.  I can't take anti-inflammatory such as aspirin and ibuprofen or any NSAID.  I am extremely allergic to them.  The tendon area is swollen and I am concerned to be walking in a recreational way for fear of making it worse.  It was pressure on the tendon that did it.  It has  been" touchy" for years, but four days ago I put on a new pair of shoes with sling back heels...a strap...and I could tell it was too tight in that area of the heel, but did that stop me from wearing them? Why no.  I walked quite a bit in them and have paid the price.  The very sensitive tendon area was extremely irritated with the pressure from the heel strap and it looked like half a golf ball under the skin by way of swelling.  It is down a bit.

Guess I will go in and get my face disguised (makeup) and comb my hair and head out anyway for a very short walk.  Can't stand sitting about. Oh for the days gone by when I used to drive around all over the world to pick up blogging friends to go shopping. We had such fun on our pretend trips.  Sitting in the drive way honking the horn to hurry them out.  It was a buncha we women...going to make the rounds of the dress shops and so on.  Buy buy buy!  It was such a fun blog set with all of them.  Those days are gone.  Most are not on Blogger; and several have passed away.  I will miss them always and forever, those who passed. You get very fond of folks.

See ya later, gator.  Gotta assume my disguise as Southern Belle! ❤️

My Sunday Selfie

It WORKS!

I never have liked bananas.  I buy them all the time in the past two years but I sure don't like them.  They are rarely tasty.  The ones I get, the two big brands...I don't buy the off brands...and usually banana colored mush sticks with almost no flavor no matter their peel color.  Yellow, spotted, you name it.  But when you get a really truly GOOD one, you see  why people like them.  I got a bunch a week ago with the label from the  "D" corporation...I won't spell it out. THE best I have had in probably 5 years.  Sweet, perfect texture.  It's a crap shoot each time I buy them.  Usually not in my favor.   Now what I am leading up to is:  Fruit flies.  Winter, any season at all, when bananas or peaches come into the house, there are swarms of them.

I finally got a clue and googled  making a home made fruit fly trap.  It WORKS!  I had a good dozen within half an hour.  I saw one more a few minutes ago that didn't get into the trap over night.  I'll take 1 over all I had.  I about don't want to buy fruit that has to stay out of the fridge.  Even with my trap.  That vinegar smells awful in the whole house.

I am hoping the price of grapes goes down soon. They will of course as they become more in season.  Speaking of which, In February no less, a grocery store here in town had out boxes and boxes of lush looking red strawberries.  I opened a box and they were hard as baseballs and had no smell at all.  So I guess they were gassed to turn them red as they do with tomatoes grown in hothouses.  Those two produce items were hard as baseballs and not worth the high fee charged.  If they were giving them away, I wouldn't have any.  I noticed the strawberries went from $3.98 a box to .50 cents. I think no one wants them even for .50 cents.  Tasteless and hard. Give your money to someone who needs it instead. :-)

Here is one I took and posted to Flickr a few days ago.  I swear, it took 25-30 attempts to catch him still enough for a second, so as to take his picture.  Always moving.   This was taken with my Nikon DSLR, with a close up lens.  I only carry my big camera when I am on a quest for macros.  Or landscapes.  Biggafy if you like to see him in detail.

FLOWERS

The pansies in the header are some I saw this morning on my walk.  I took the picture with my iPhone. I don't carry the DSLR around on walks, so glad I have a good camera in the phone.
Getting quite warm nowadays and I find I am much more likely do do all my daily steps if I start no later than 9 am for my walking.  I was going in the late afternoon but not now that it has gotten so warm.

I did get the DSLR out however and headed to several dogwood trees in town that aren't totally finished with the blossoms.  Mostly they are gone and those that are left are decaying.  Time for just leaves.  I took a photo of some pink ones and then I decided to go to the arboretum.  Not many flowers there either as has sadly been the thing for four years now.  There are columbine and some "stop overs" for the monarch butterflies.  I saw one there enjoying the plants.  Maybe there will be more as the season goes along but I won't hold my breath.

I put a bee visiting a flower in Flickr this afternoon.  It has been fairly popular.  I usually put my better ones in Flickr.  It took about 25 attempts to get the bee still so I could get him in a close-up.  I had to delete all the others.

It's Good Friday and soon to be Easter.  I will be here alone which is not unusual for Easter.  I won't cook as no kids will be here.  I had two invitations but turned them down in order to observe by myself here and get things accomplished that I must.

You all have a wonderful weekend.  I haven't had candy in 10 months!  Easter is when I could crack and eat till I busted wide open.  I love coconut eggs.  However, if none passes my lips, then I needn't worry.  I'm still "going straight". If I eat it, I can't be responsible for not continuing.  Best thing is not to buy it.  I do eat a heckuva bunch of graham crackers though.

Bye!!

Seriously Spending MONEY!

Guys, I went over the mountains...no snow to scare me and I spent money all over the place.  I bought this:

 And I went to my fave consignment shops...you know me!  And I have two pictures on Face Book of my idol...my hero.  I came upon him at a moment he would rather I'd not I betcha!

AND I made a new friend!  Who could resist?  I did not buy him.  Just showing what was offered.

Biggafy to read his sign. 

THIS will be perfect for my clothes IF it doesn't scare the heck outta me and the cat in the middle of the night if I get up for some reason.  I didn't buy this either.  Just got a kick out of it.

I have more to bore you with.  I LOVE those stores!!!

Off to see the Wizard

Me and the car are headed--- we HOPE, over the Mountains in the morning.  Trouble is, they are solidly predicting snow in the mountains...even elevations as low as 3500 feet.  Accumulating snow and high winds.  If that remains so, I have to stay home.  I have asked my son about next weekend and he said rightly to wait till morning and see what it says.

Now my wallet is busting to be emptied in the shops in the big city!  I love that shopping.  I have "rounds" I make each trip and I never come back empty handed.  I always show you some of the things or at least what I see what I wish I could have!

I have an assortment of outer wear already hanging up in the car.  The temps will be low in the mountains and I gotta get out at least a time or two.  Want to be warm if I do while in the 30's temps and wind.

He's a teacher, the son I am going to and he has promised a grading party when I get there.  Not my favorite thing but at least I can help a little bit.  It's Science.  AND we are going to watch a video he has and make up questions to of with it to teach the kids about the city in which I live.  It's rich in history.  You can join us!  We could use the help!!

One of my tulips.  The temps are going so low these next several days I fear for them.

Sure hope I get to go in the morning.  See you later Gators....

What a Difference

What a difference.  There were torrents of rain all day yesterday until about 5 pm.  (See?  I didn't say 1700).  It was horrible. MY fit bit said I didn't get the requisite 250 steps in per hour at least, never mind 10000. So when I saw a glimmer of sun at 5, I left the house for a good walk.  Here is what is was like at the Civic Center where I went this time.

water water everywhere 

So instead of dodging dog piles, I got to get extra steps in walking around water "masses".  But it was so nice to be out and walking. Besides, it got me extra steps in.  When I got home, I decided to do what I usually do these days and start walking around the house before going in.  It is a minor work out as my home as are all of them on my street is built on a hill.  The back of the house is a lot higher than the front of the house though it is a one story home. As I descend down to the back of the house, there is a slant to walk along until I start up the side yard to the front.  Across the front and do it again.  Fitbit gave me a "floor" for each pass through the side yard walking upward.  A floor is indicated by a change in elevation.  I got a total of 7000 for the day.  Beats the 2750 I started out with at 5 for a walk.

I headed to the park instead this morning but the mowers were there to dodge.  Can't win.  BUT it was a sunny warm walkie.

Home stretch to the car again.

Heading Over the Mountains Soon

I'll be headed over the mountains Friday.  Thing is, snow sometimes happens even in April there in the mountains  I got a bad  snow surprise once only, but there may be a second time.  You never know.  I won't be gone long.  My usual.  And I hope to come back with a lighter wallet after going to the better consignment stores as I always do when I go see my son who lives over there.

Ir's raining enough to drown everything out there in the yard.  But the past three days have been heavenly.  Warmish, sun.  Sun is the most important thing for me.  We see so little of it here.  MY walks get more and longer when it's not cold, raining and so on.   Thank  goodness the lawn mower will be here tomorrow IF it doesn't rain.  Looks really really bad out there.

This time I won't have either of the usual pet sitters.  One that has sat for my pet for years and years is quite ill with vertigo, and the other one is awaiting the arrival of her first grandchild.  She texted that she's not taking any business during that time.  I have requested Katie's Vet Tech's assistance and she said she would.  Some folks may think "Oh, it's just a cat.  Throw down some food and water and leave".  But I don't. She is a family member and when I pay a pet sitter I liked knowing she was well treated and played with as well during the times of visits for feeding.  This will be a new experience for me and for Katie.  I trust the Tech or I wouldn't hire her-- so I am looking for another good experience.

Well, see ya on the other side.  I am about to head out into the rain.

Taken at our Marina