Sunday, April 30, 2023

Better days lately.

Thought I'd give you a break from the Wetlands. Though I did walk there - 3 miles - on Friday and have some neat pictures. They will keep.

Here is a picture of a very happy Bill. He has mentioned that his eye seems a little better. Up until a week ago he could not do anything on his computer even with the help of a magnifying glass -not because he couldn't make out the letters and images, but because they moved. Either like waves, or doubled or jumped around...I know hard to understand. Well Friday with the help of his magnifying glass he was able to play and win a game of chess. But then the magnifying glass broke!!! So Amazon to rescue and he got a new one yesterday. One step at a time. 

I got out one of the puzzles he had bought for me last summer and got it set up. Pretty picture. One thousand pieces!!! And most of them are dark orange and brownish. The color of the table I work them on. 
Little pieces about the size of a nickle and real weird shapes. Should keep me occupied for a while. 
Bill has had about four days in a row where he has been up and about more than being in bed. Yesterday morning we went to market because he wanted the ingredients to make apple bunuelos. Here we would call them apple fritters. Cut up apples deep fried in a pancake like batter. Here he is mixing the batter. I have to admit I was kind of mad at him for doing them. He really wasn't feeling good and was having a hard time getting around. But I shut my mouth and stayed out of the way. Amazing, yes I can do that once in a while. 
Here he is cooking them. By this stage he was feeling better, so guess he knew what he was doing by keeping busy.
Apples cut into small pieces. Batter with the apples dropped into hot oil. Sprinkled with sugar when cooked.
We both pigged out on them, them I put the rest of them in the freezer for another day. 
Our back yard is really blooming. The jasmine tree/bush smells so good. Wish the flowers would last longer. 
One of the lantana plants that was planted in the fall last year. 
Already booming. 
The Palo Verde tree is just starting to bloom. Soon it will be covered in these pretty yellow flowers.
Don't remember what this plant is called, we have two of them in the corner of the yard. Both blooming.
And both of these have their flowers. 
This is one of the bigger lantanas, it is just starting to bloom. But somehow one of the "I don't remember its name plants" managed to seed itself right in the middle of the lantana this year. 
This is a bougainvillea - when we got home I thought it was dead, seems to be fine now. 
Three oleander bushes planted next to each other to shield our back yard from the street. They are all flowering too. 
Also our geraniums are doing fine. Even with the 90+ degree heat the last few days. 
I had planned on watching the NASCAR race today, but it has been rained out. So will clean up and back up my computer in hopes it will run a little better. It is running Windows 7 so one search engine and some programs don't want to work any more. 

Friday, April 28, 2023

Friends in The Wetlands

Not doing too much but did get out for another walk on Wednesday. Have to get out early as the weather has heated up quite a bit. Sunday will be close to 100! One of our neighbors has some beautiful iris blooming. 


Walked alone again. Kind of at my own pace, just enjoying nature. So hard to believe all this is just behind our home and in Las Vegas desert. Some of the trees are starting to bloom. 
Found my way to the Boardwalk Pond. Guess it is called that because there is a wooden deck type path to it. The geese were there again. I still can't tell the male from the female - their tails look the same to me. Males have rounded tails, females have pointed tails...
How many turtles can fit on one rock. A whole bunch of them. 
These guys are either anti social, or didn't find a space on the big rock. 
This one is ignoring every one, likes the water better. 
Whoa! Had my back turned when he flew up on the railing. Though he was after me for a second. 
Nope just hanging out.
Then he started in honking. Turn up your sound. Lots of other birds around too.
Rested enough time to start moving again. Just a little creek along the trail. 
The bench in the Willow Grove was calling to me.  I gave in and visited it for a while. 
Don't know who was more surprised me or him when suddenly he was in front of me. 
Another one of the ponds with lots of visitors in it. 
It is a fairly big pond.
Looking out towards the mountains in the south east valley.
Another creek. So much water in here this year. 
And this is Vern's Pond. Ducks and bullfrogs. Can't see the bullfrogs but can sure hear them. 
More flowers blooming in the desert.
One of the trees with the pink blooms, the whole tree is pink. 
The last path leading to home. Walked 2.03 miles. With all the sitting took a little over an hour. So nice to be outside.
On Thursday Bill went to our primary doctor. I called Wednesday and had the appointment for 9:45 the next morning. Wow?! He agreed it is long Covid, but wants him to get his lungs checked - just to make sure nothing else going on. He also has an ear infection, that he got antibiotics for. Boy can anything else go wrong for him. That doctor is 13 miles away and there is major construction going on every road that goes there. Grrr..... Bill says he can see a very little bit better with his eye. Two weeks today since the first shot. Hope it is working. He actually had a good day yesterday, only a nap in the afternoon. Today he seems pretty active too. I, however, took a nap after my walk this morning. 

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Pictures from walk.

 Went for a walk by myself Sunday morning. Took it easy. Only did 1 and 3/4 miles, but better than nothing. Just the beginning of the walk by the playground. Getting more green daily. A beautiful day.

The first time I've walked through the playground since we've been home. They were just finishing it when we left last year. 
There is a nest with three eggs to play in. 
A pretty area to walk through.
More information about flowers, bees and ants. 
Some play equipment. The bench is made to look like a leaf. 
Some ants to play on.
And an all important bee. 
Coming up on to one of the ponds. 
He is here all the time.
Who wouldn't like walking here. So pretty. 

The Canadian Geese passing over. 
Desert mistletoe in the trees. 
Hi bunny.
He is a jack rabbit. Long ears and legs. 
Spent the afternoon sitting down watching the race - I've seen better racing on Boulder Highway! But it did have a good ending. Still surprised at how quickie I get tired when I do something like taking a walk or running the vacuum or mopping. Need to build up my stamina. 
Bill is still having problems. He'll have a good day when he is up and about, then it takes him two to three days before he has another good day.  Hard on him.