Fall down go boom.

Well today didn't turn out the way I expected it too. We were going to go visit the big Veterans Memorial here in Vegas and drive around looking at the new murals downtown. But first we stopped for breakfast...Well, grace here, managed to trip up the curb. Cannot believe how fast I went from standing to banging my knees and hands. My first thought was, "Is anything broken? and Did anyone else see me fall?" So I moved my parts and was glad to discover everything moved as it should. Bill extended his hand to me to get up but I just wanted to sit for a few minutes. Still taking stock of my parts. Then I thought, I'd better get up before anyone else saw me sitting on my behind in the parking lot. It did take some pulling from Bill to get me upright again. Hands and knees took the brunt of the fall. My left hand, around the pad of the thumb, was black and blue by the time we got in the restaurant. 

And by the time we left just below my left knee there was a big lump that was starting to get purple. 
My other knee and hand just have some road rash. I figured out that the toe of my sandal just caught the edge of the curb...then down I went. Used the restaurant restroom to clean off the pebbles and dirt.
Then we went on to the market and the 99 cent store. Surprisingly enough I don't hurt anywhere [yet]. Doesn't hurt to walk or to type. But think I'll be wearing long pants for a few days. 
Tomorrow we have to go to the mall - I kind of think I'll be sore but we'll see. 
Little by little we are getting things ready to leave. Have bags of stuff in the laundry room waiting to go into the RV. Will load everything up on Wednesday. And our son is sending his ladies over Wednesday to clean the house. 

Meeting a new friend

Didn't realize it has been so long since I posted. A lot has gone on since then. 
On Thursday evening we had the pleasure to meet one of our long time readers from Canada. He was in town to go to the NHRA Nationals at the Vegas Speedway. He is interested in going to Mexico so we spent a lot of time talking about our experiences there. Very pleasant evening. He brought us a bag of goodies that are available in Canada and not in the US. I am slowly working my way through them. Yummy.
We also found out we have another great granddaughter on the way. She is due in March. So had to pull out my sewing machine again and get busy. I'm using the Sampler quilt squares I had made to make a crib sized quilt. Here it is sewn together with the batting and backing pinned to it reading for basic quilting. 

So the sewing machine, iron and cutting table are all out again the the carpet is full of threads. Today while watching the race I'll do the hand work on the binding. Then will look for some designs to machine quilt on it. 

Don't know if I'll get it done and mailed or not. But I have till March. I did mail the Christmas gifts to our son and daughter-in-law in California and finally the angel to our friend in Indiana. I let UPS pack it I sure hope it gets there okay. 
Been having strange weather here again, more rain and today the winds are supposed to pick up again. 45 mph gusts! There go the pine cones and needles again.
Bill has been working on the Jeep getting it ready to hit the road. 
Our plans have changed again but I not going to write them down. When we leave we leave...We did get our mail box for our mail and a temporary change of address is in with the Post Office. We have enough Pesos for a month of travel etc and enough medications to start our own pharmacy. Good Grief three bags full! But will last until we get home. 
This morning I had to take the pill for my bones. Have to take it with water and cannot have anything else to eat or drink - no coffee - for one hour. Also cannot lay down after taking it for an hour. That is the longest hour! At least there was a pretty sunrise to amuse me a little. 

Our neighborhood has been quiet for a few days, nothing coming or going. Our new neighbors on our right - old home, new owners, are supposed to move in sometime this week. Hope it's not the same time we want to have the RV out front. 

End of the month so time to back up my computers. Think I'll back up and then put everything on to my laptop and stop using my PC. That will be one more thing off the check list. 

Big change in plans.

I mentioned that the other day we went "way across town" to run some errands. It is actually quite a ways - around 10 miles from our home to just beyond The Strip. It was a cloudy overcast and humid day. Haven't taken any pictures of VEGAS lately so thought I would take a couple. Tropicana and Vegas Blvd. 

 The new, this year, hockey arena. Of course there is no hockey team yet...but there will be for next season. Going on the "build it and they will come" idea I guess. The area around it is supposed to be really nice, lots of greenery and art work. We haven't gone to check it out since the hotels started charging $15 for valet parking and almost as much for self parking. Now all the news is about building a new football stadium for the Raiders. And hopefully a couple of billion dollars they too will come. 

Going further west on Tropicana I see the center divider has some new metal plants in it. They look really nice and don't take any maintenance. 

Got a lot of "things needed to do before leaving" checked off our list. And now we aren't leaving! Not for a couple of weeks anyway. We had plans to leave this coming Monday and go to California for a couple of weeks. But things have changed. We'll stay home another couple of weeks then leave. Going straight to the border. 
Much to our surprise the house we thought they were replacing the siding skirt on was getting reading to move. The next day it was ready to go. 

And yesterday it was gone! So in the last year two houses near us have left. And so far two new ones have moved in. 

The one right next door to us. Workers have been doing a lot of work inside it. and some work outside it. All the dirt is still piled on our side of the property line. 

Speaking of property - I am steamed! Remember when they were going around inspecting all the properties for maintenance, painting, trash etc. Well we got a letter from the park yesterday we got dinged because "There is an excessive amount of pine needles and pine cones that need to be removed." WTH. I went out and gathered the 20 pine cones up, put them in a bag and was on my way to the office to dump them on the front desk. Bill caught me and put the bag in the trash.  Are we supposed to run out every day and pick up the cones? As for the pine needles, they are almost impossible to get rid of. They don't come up with a blower, will have to be picked up by hand. And what - every time there is a wind we have to run out and gather them up. My thought is to tell the park to cut down the three pine trees - they belong to them not us. According to their rules they maintain the big trees - well maintain them right out of here. 

I had put everything away in my sewing room for the winter. Now guess I'll drag everything out again. Just found out we will have a new great granddaughter in March - that makes eight great grands.  

Rain drops and Sunset.

It rained all day Sunday while the people next door, in house that just sold, were moving out. They live in So Calif. The entire I-15 from here to the ocean was having rain. Hope they made it okay. And someone was working removing the skirts from the house on the right side of the street. We thought they were just going to replace them. Turns out the place is going to be moved somewhere...

 Pretty sunset last night. One thing the clouds so well. 

Heard the coyotes yipping out in the desert last night. I like listening to them. 
Spent a good part of today running around on the other side of town. Went to the stained glass shop Glass
Art Studio and visited for a while with our friend Lee, the owner. And got a couple of things I needed. Then we went to the Mail Box place and rented a box for our mail while we are gone. Then stopped to visit with our son and daughter-in-law at their office. Gave them their Christmas quilt and apron. 
Finally picked up the last of our prescriptions for the next 6 months. So can cross a few things off our list today. 
High humidity here today, real unusual. Even had fog in parts of the valley. Weird kind of weather.

Rain in the desert!

Wow! Surprise awakening this morning. Rain, lightening and thunder. I knew they said "chance of rain" but really didn't expect quite so much or so much noise.

 After it stopped right over us it was still storming to the southeast. 

Been working on setting up my pattern for a stained glass window for my bathroom. This is the pattern sized to fit the window. It will look kind of like the colored picture of it. Depending on what glass I use for it. I printed two of these large patterns. 

Each and every piece will have to be cut out then transferred to glass. I'll have to be careful how they are placed on the glass as I want the pattern to run a certain way AND I don't want to waste too much glass. Not going to do it until we get home in the spring, but we will be going to the glass store this week so I wanted to make sure I have what I'll need.

This was the sunrise from a couple of days ago. This rain today was proceeded by lots of clouds for the last couple of days. So we've had a couple of nice sunsets and rises. 

This little guy came out right after the rain. He sat in the yard until Bill threw him the carrot. 

 He took a good size chomp out of it. I'm writing this about four hours later and there is not a speck of carrot left out back. 

Went out to run a few errands between rain. So a couple of things to check off the "do before" list. Had a hard time finding strawberry JELLY. All kinds of jam and preserves. Finally saw it on the very top shelf. Had to get a clerk with a ladder to get it down. Also bought a pair of those glasses "As Seen on TV" - the kind you can adjust each side to your eyes. And they work pretty darn good. Might get another pair to keep in the car or RV for when I forget to put mine in my purse. 
The older house next to us that has just been sold was being emptied out by the seller today. And the new house next to us other side was being worked on inside. Lots and lots of traffic around here again. My car can be seen just behind the red pickup as we couldn't get it in the garage when we came home. 

Boy lots of thunder going on again. Raining so hard I can't see the mountains behind us. 

Doing laundry and going to watch NASCAR commentary later. Sure didn't like that race yesterday. If you're going to be in a race - RACE - don't ride around in back all day. I know it was the safest thing to get the cars in the next round but...none of the three JGR drivers were happy about it either. Team orders I guess. So guess we won't be leaving for Mexico until the end of November. We will be on the road though. A vague plan for the next few weeks. 

This will probably change a lot. Depending on when we leave and if we can meet up with our kids and Bill's brother in California. 

Every one is finishing projects

This picture was taken on Wednesday. The gas company workers had dug their hole and put a big metal plate over it. In fact they dug two holes on our block. Had big crews in here doing a lot of work. 

This morning the big metal plate was removed and the asphalt filled in. Guess the gas company's work is done here on our street. Pretty quick work replacing all the pipes.  Had to laugh at the guy running the tamping down machine. With each thump his pants slid lower down his backside. 

On Wednesday the park also moved in another house down the street from us. Its the lot where the big pretty bushes used to be. The first section moved in. A couple of guys were also working on the new home right next to us. Busy busy day. 

 This is right in front of us - the gas company. 

 And here comes the other half of the new home. 

 This is the newest home. All leveled and put together by yesterday afternoon. 

In the mean time I've been busy - finally finished the angel I'm making for a friend. Now just have to figure out how to pack it for shipping so it doesn't get broken

 Also finished my Irish sun catcher. Doesn't show it here but it is really pretty hanging in a window with the sun coming through it. Still have to put patina on the solder, but have to go buy some first. What I had leaked and dried up when we moved it here. 

Last night we met our son and his family for dinner at the Green Valley Ranch Casino. It was for Bill's 80th birthday which is coming up on Saturday. Walked around some while waiting to go to dinner. 

Guess I haven't been in a casino for a while. Couldn't begin to figure out how some of these slots work. One even had a "Help" button. So I pushed it and up came page 1 of 11. Gad need a college degree to gamble now days. They take no change - either bills or tickets. 

We ate dinner at Hanks Fine Steakhouse in the casino. It was one of the best steaks I've ever had! The entire meal was outstanding. Three people waiting on our table, Music was a little loud, but guess that is an old people thing. Attention and food was fabulous. 
Spent this morning on the phone with our prescription insurance - Silver Script. Got a couple of meds straightened out. The customer service there is really good, in fact every time I've had to call them they are very efficient and helpful. So by Monday we'll have everything we'll need for the winter. 
Took care of a few other - going away - odds and ends. And watched some of the practice for the races this weekend at the crap shoot Talladaga. 

Walking and watching

A whole lot of construction still going on around here. They were working in the street, across the street and right next door. 

To get a way from it all yesterday afternoon Bill and I went for a walk in The Wetlands. The weather was perfect for a walk, not too hot and a slight breeze. Green in the desert.

We walked out to the pond I'd seen the other day. This time Bill noticed fish in the pond. This was about a 24" Koi fish. Couldn't get a good picture of him as he swam under the dock just as we got there. 

Just looking out over the pond. There was a turtle out there swimming around, but couldn't focus on him fast enough. 

Love the sounds of water falls - even if they are small. 

Some kind of water fowl. There were two of them. 

Just different colored bushes and plants and a swift moving creek.

Another small pond. All of this is less than 1/4 mile from our house. 

Turning around and looking the other direction. Amazing what water can do for the landscape. 

Well, look who is here. Enjoying the sun. 

On towards home and the noise. 

One of the perks of the community is a key to the gate to the wetlands. Hate to cross back through. Two big cement mixers sitting on this street waiting to go somewhere. Turned out one was coming right in front of our house. 

Did I ever mention that we have a Black palm tree. At one time, before we lived here,  it was burned so the  entire trunk except for the very top is coal black. And it didn't kill it. 

No cooking today, eating leftovers. 
The other new home got put in today. Surprised they could do it with all the other trucks on the street.