A Dessert Town

We recently took a mini vacation and spent three days in Las Vegas.  In the third week of September the temperatures were in the very high 90's.  Even with no humidity it was hot.  I can now say I have been to the dessert and Vegas.  I never did gamble any of my money.  I felt like the cabbies were enough of a money drain. 

A lot of the shopping was out of our price range. There was a whole store devoted to watches. Warren has a watch collection so we spent some time looking at watches of all sorts. I wanted to ask if they carried Timex. The well dressed clerks did not bother us as I suspect they doubted we could afford anything in the store.

On our trip home we were able to see the Hoover Dam from the air and miles after miles of canyons, dessert and desolate country.  I would love to go back and see the Dam and the Grand Canyon....... someday.

Remember

Queen For a Day

I saw this picture and was reminded that when I was young there was a television program titled, I think, Queen for a Day.  I recall one woman crying when she was presented with a new washer and dryer.  Something I take for granted day in and day out.  There are days when I still say a little thank you that even if the washer and dryer reside in what is the back entry to our home it is on the main floor.  Just off the kitchen, where it is easy to use, sits my working pair.  More times that I like to admit, the dryer is piled high with a load or two to be folded.  When we remodeled and brought the laundry to the main floor we also turned an upstairs bedroom into a bath.  It took one carpenter a couple of days to put the cloth shot in place from the bath to the laundry room.  It takes a right angle to get the clothes to their destination.  I still call it my $500 clothes shoot.  Well worth it in my opinion.  Time to fold laundry and be thankful I am not a pauper.

Cats and Buterflies

The other day when I went out to capture a picture or two of the monarch butterflies two of the cats were sunning themselves in our back yard.  Seldom do cats pose.  They are really Kelsey and Hannah's cats.  I can not even pet them as they are not the friendliest cats.  The gray one is Bud and the other is Oreo.  They either share the same mother or are cousins.  The other cat is the black one that the girls named Midnight. 

Joe Pye Weed and a monarch.

School Days

Because Kelsey and Hannah live next door we get to often enjoy their company.  They have been coming over for breakfast since they started going to school.  At first it was to help Malissa get to work on time.  I like to think that now it is because the girls want to spend a bit of time with their Grandma and Grandpa.  Either that or they like our food better. 
Yesterday was their first day back.  Kelsey is a senior and Hannah a freshman.  Finally they will attend the same school again.  Hannah has been a 20 + minute drive away.  Kelsey has been here in town for the past three years.

Cucumbers

This is my first picking of cucumber.  The onions are ready to pull and dry also.

One easy summer cucumber salad is to peel and slice them along with some onion and then add a bit of mayo. 

After they are refrigerated for a few hours the water in the cucumbers along with the mayo will form a delicious dressing.   Salt and pepper to taste. 

Blackberries

I went out this morning to harvest the first of my blackberries.

I have one bush.  Some years twice this is about all I have

harvested.  This year it looks to be my best crop ever. 

Sweet, juicy, berries from our own back yard.