The days continue to pass

 Another letter from the management where we live. They had done another "4-sided" inspection - what now? was my thought as I opened it. Well...it was a congratulations letter for keeping our house so nice. Just wish they would take care of all the living potted plants we have to replace the beautiful, colorful artificial ones we had. And we had another day with out water while the valves in the community were being replaced. 

I know I've been remiss on posting, but lots of days nothing to post about. Summer has arrived in Vegas. I don't mind the day heat that much, after all everything is air conditioned. But when it doesn't cool down at night it interferes with my walking. When the coolest it gets is 72 getting out to walk is a challenge. Sunrise is around 5:30 - so I pretty much need to be out before six to get in a decent walk. Before the sun gets too high. But at that time I can't find any one to go with me. When I have someone to walk with I'm more apt to go. I did walk Monday but only got in 2.08 miles. And I'm finding now that when I walk I NEED a nap in the afternoon. I believe that is due to the covid, not that I'm getting old and lazy. 

One day last week I walked over 3 miles, ended up with over 10,300 steps that day. 

We have been busy the last week with weird things. Our electric company does home visits and gives you ideas on how to save on electricity. They also give you a new thermostat. Ours was very old and not accurate. This is the new one. I can even set it with an app on my phone! - Little by little I'm being forced to use more "apps". They also gave us two outdoor light bulbs that come on at dusk and go off at dawn, by themselves. And six LED bulbs to replace old light bulbs. A freezer thermometer and two refrigerator thermometers. And a doohicky that goes on the furnace/AC filter that will whistle when the filter needs changing. And a new energy saving power strip. The service is entirely free, just had to call and make an appointment. 

Took me a few days to get the new thermostat set where both of us are comfortable all day and night. It is for sure working for us better than the old one. I am hot most of time and Bill freezes when it gets too cool. 

I've also been doing some cooking. This is corned beef and etc in slow cooker. It is a great recipe  - what makes it great? it is made with a can of beer. I had everything already to go when I discovered we didn't have any real beer. Bill drinks Heineken Zero -no alcohol. And I think the alcohol it what makes it good. So at 7 o'clock in the morning we were at Albertson's buying A CAN OF BEER! The beer makes the foam. It turned out delicious. 

Also made a marble cake with dulce de leche and walnuts in the filling. Had to give half of it to the neighbors. Too much for us to eat. 

And another meal I made was Puentas de Res. (Beef tips) it is a meal I like to make in Mexico. So while there this winter I got the recipe. In Spanish. At the time that wasn't a problem, just have Bill translate it. But now he can't see it to read to me. I managed to figure it out, pretty simple and it turned out great. Also made, from box, Mexican rice to go with it. YUM!

Have put up my patriotic decorations for Memorial day to July 4th. 

Made the placemats a long time ago. 

I don't have to go to The Wetlands to see wild life. One afternoon we had four bunnies in the back. Two of them didn't like each other. Funny. 

The one on the right was very aggressive Kept going after the one on the left. He'd jump straight up in the air and try to land on the other one.  Simple things amuse simple minds kind of time. 

Our pretty plant at the back of the "front/side" yard is blooming now. 

It will bloom most of the summer. The flowers are so pretty and delicate looking. 

On Sunday we had a home visit from our medical insurance company. They do it every year and pay us for it. We each get a fifty dollar gift card for CVS  (or Smith's or Subway???) We choose CVS then use them next time we get our prescriptions filled. This time it was a Nurse Practitioner who came. She is also a member of the Air Force medical corp. Her husband is with the Marines medical corp. Both are stationed at Nellis AFB. She does this part time. They check your meds and make sure there are none that you shouldn't be taking. And that you know why you are taking them. Also vital signs and mobility and self care questions etc. Then report goes to our primary doctor. 

Yesterday I walked in the morning, only two miles. Then spent the rest of they day watching NASCAR - and I do mean all day. Lots of rain delays. 

So that is what we've been doing. Bill has an appointment with an ophthalmologist tomorrow to check the pressure in his eyes. Though retina doctor says it is lower then before. So might cancel the appt until later in the year. 

Been a busy time.

A lot been going on since last I posted. Bill's eye continues to improve slowly. We were out running an errand and he says,"I think I can drive now." I don't think so...But he could read the street signs, something he couldn't do a couple of weeks ago. I spent the weekend watching NASCAR races. Some of the worst "racing" I have ever seen. The racing is better on Las Vegas Blvd. Monday I thought I got an early enough start - 6:30 - to avoid the heat...NOPE. Any way I got in a three mile walk, not on purpose. As I was headed home I took a wrong trail and ended up having to turn around and find another way home. Got home at 15 to eight and it was already in the mid 80's!  Also ended up doing errands later. Grocery store, gas in car at $4.34 a gallon! I thought it was going down. CVS for more medication for Bill's ear and out for breakfast. Spent afternoon sitting down reading.  Ended up with over 10,300 steps that day. So more pictures from Wetlands. 

One of the trails I like, a lot of shade in the morning. 

A little creek 

I wonder is this a coyote trail, it isn't a walking trail. 

Isn't he cute. 

More water fowl. Different pond. 

These bushes have such great flowers on them. Kind of look like orchids. 

Two different bushes, different colored flowers. 

Pretty big bushes and covered with flowers. The flowers are only about 1 1/2 inches big. 

One of the very few palm trees in the wetlands. 

The Wetlands is where all the reclaimed water from town is treated before going back into the lake. 

Guess he found something good to eat. 

Had to do a lot of back tracking around this closed section. This area has one of my favorite ponds in it. Hope they open it soon. 

Weather has been really warm, snow is starting to melt. 

So home again. On Tuesday Bill had another medical appointment, which he didn't want to go to. But went any way - you know that old saying "happy wife, happy life!"  It was for a CT scan of his lungs. His theory is he can breath fine, didn't need it. Luckily we were in and out of there pretty quick. Had to laugh, though it really isn't funny. They gave him a bunch of paper work to be filled in - oops, can't do it. He can't see and my hands shake so much no one can read my writing, including me. So they offered to fill it all out for us. Thank goodness. Also on Tuesday our community water was shut off from 9 to 4. And for some reason our Cox Internet was out. Called them and couldn't get through in the morning. By afternoon, still not working, managed to get recording. "Your area is experiencing a problem we are working on it." Finally came back on about six in the evening.

And I managed to get out of the house to meet my girlfriend for lunch. We are trying to do that every month or so. We used to work together at the LA School district. Nope not a teacher. We were both supervisors over many cafeterias. 

Finally finished this 1000 piece puzzles. The blue sky took the longest to finish. 

I still have a 2000 piece puzzle Bill bought me. It will take the entire dining room table to set it up.  So that has been our week. Didn't walk yesterday or today, but plan on it tomorrow, as temps should be in high 60's early in a.m. 

This is not your tourist's Las Vegas

For weeks we had temperatures below normal. Loved it. Now suddenly they are well above normal with no change in sight. Also almost every day there is a slight chance of rain. Yesterday we got about 26 drops of rain in the evening. There might have been a few more but the dried up before I could count them all. But we had a HUGE gust of wind that rolled up the patio rug and almost tore the cover off the car. Left as fast as it came. The airport had a gust of 68 mph. 

Last night just around sunset - that when we got our few drops of rain - also a pretty rainbow over the desert. 

I could see lightening and hear thunder in the far distance too. 

Yesterday Bill went in for his 2nd eye shot. We were there almost four hours. First check to see how his eye was working. I was amazed he could read the letters on the eye chart. A month ago he could not make them out.l YES!! Then out to waiting room until he was called to have something injected into his veins - had to wait for it to travel. Then lots of pictures taken of his eyes. Then more waiting to see shot doctor.  The shots really bother him, In fact today he is still hurting and eyes is puffy. His next appointment for 3rd shot is June 16. I hope the improvement continues. 

Unless it cools down some my walking days are over. At 6 a.m. it is already over 70 out. By 7 over 80. So these are from a 2 and a half mile walk I took a week ago. I went through the children's playground. Lots of fun things there. All kinds of critters in the walkways. 

A beaver and a frog to climb on. 

A dragon fly. Located in the Dragon Fly Pavilion of course.  

The Boardwalk Pond. Nothing there, it is under maintenance. Only the bull frogs still around. 

All kinds of little flowers are showing up. 

I like walking on the dirt paths. Seem to have less travelers. 

Even this pond was quiet. 

As I was walking away I heard something moving around. From where I was I could see red and it looked like a chicken they way it was walking. A chicken? So went to check. Nope not a chicken. 

Majestic old tree.

Have only seen a few road runners this year. Not seen any coyotes or snakes yet. 

A river in  he desert. 

Heard these geese before I saw them. 

They are hanging out in the river now instead of the Boardwalk pond. 

Posing for the picture. 

This is a bat house. And there for sure are bats around. Several must have visited up the other night as one of the hummingbird feeders was completely empty in the morning. And lots of drops of nectar on the patio under it. 

This time of year everything in here is so green and/or blooming.

I think this is two different bushes entwined together. The yellow one is mesquite. Not sure about the pink one.

Making headway on my puzzle. Also have a sun catcher stained glass piece to solder - if the garage ever cools down enough to go out there. 

More walking and more doctor's appts.

Finally getting around to doing this. Most of these pictures are from a walk I took a week and a half ago. Got in only two miles that day. These quail were sitting on our shed in the back yard. They hang around here most days. 

On into the Wetlands. More and more trees getting their blooms. 

These weird looking blooms are on a Mesquite tree. 

This leads to the Boardwalk pond, one of my favorite places in the park. Always some kind of fish, turtle or bird to see there. 

One of the dirt trails has this cement area on it. There is a Thunderbird decapitated on it. 

That trail leads to the Hidden Pond, and it is hidden. Took a while the first time to find it. A couple people have told me they've seen beavers in it REAL EARLY in the morning. Like 5:30 when it is just getting light. Someday hope to see them. There are over 80 beavers in the park in the different ponds.

Just looking up through the tree at the bright blue sky.

Really weird bark on this tree.

Another pond. Another bird. 

He was at same pond. Hard to believe all this is in the desert in Vegas. 

One of the bigger ponds. 

Cut it down and it grows back. 

And one more pond. 

He lives here. 

Over by the Nature Center building I managed to catch this mama and her many babies. 

A road runner, doing what he does best. Running. 

Almost home, the playground trees are also blooming. 

The climbing wall for children in the playground. 

Our Palo Verde tree is in full bloom. Took this last night when the sun was going down and lighting it up in spectacular fashion.

Our weather is in a strange phase lately. Temperatures from 95 to 100 and chance of rain every day for the next week. We didn't get any rain but parts of the valley had thunder showers. 

I've started another 1000 piece puzzle. Working on it slowly. Getting the easy part done first. The rest of it is blue sky and blueish water. 

I have no idea what he is doing, but at least he can kind of see to do it. 

Today he gets his second shot in eye, hope it improves the eye as much as the first one did. But I have to call the doctors office because in the last two days they've sent me three texts with different appointment times??? Called them, to my surprise he has two appointments today. One for getting pictures of inside of eyes then one for shot...And said the third time they sent me just ignore...Going to be a hot ride - up to 100 today. Ugh!