Doing puzzles and getting out some.

I'm always surprise so much time has gone by since my last post. It isn't that I am that busy - it is that I spend so much time doing nothing, I get nothing done. So then I have to do it the next day too. I think I mentioned that Bill bought me five new puzzles - good ones, not the cheap stuff I usually do. Four of them are 1000 pieces and one is 2000 pieces. So this is the first one I did. Took up 1/3rd of our dining room table when all the pieces were spread out.  Here is about the 2nd day - I only work on them when I feel like it or as I go passed it. 

The final few pieces to finish it. It took about five days. Like I said I might only work on it 30 minutes to an hour all day, in short spurts. When I spend over a few minutes without finding a piece I leave it till later. It was fun to do. 

In between puzzles I do have a life. I discovered my new phone takes amazing pictures, especially of sunset and sunrises. But I have a hard time holding the phone comfortably - and trying to keep my fingers away from the lens - biggest fear is dropping it. So Bill found me strap to put around my wrist when I'm using it for photos. The strap clips off when not using it. Makes me feel more secure. The phone and I are still having discussions. It has facial recognition but only recognizes me part of the time. Grrr...Us older ones don't work so good with new tech sometimes. 

And this is the second puzzle I did. Actually this is the full sized picture of it that comes in the box. Pretty isn't it. But there is a whole lot of blue sky. I got the outside done and started on the sky. And worked on it and worked on it and left it and came back to it. Then I noticed there was writing on the back of the pieces. Hummmm......

There were alphabet letters on the back. The area I was working on were all A's. OH MY goodness the whole puzzles was marked by sections A through H.

Here the pieces are divided by A, B and C.  So much easier to do. Bill said it was cheating. I said if the company put the letters there it was so I could/should use them. 

It still took quite a few days to finish it. And it was NOT cheating. 

Picture of sunrise over the Wetlands taken with the phone. 

We have left the house a few time. To go for breakfast and grocery store. And drug store to pick up prescriptions. Got a shock with one of them. The actual cost of the medication went up $500 since last time we got it filled. From $1759 to $2348 for 90 day supply with out insurance. Thank goodness for our insurance. But it too went up from 60 to 100 dollars for 90 day supply. Without the insurance we'd be up the creek. 

Got my mustang detailed yesterday, it looks so nice now. But will have to spring to have it repainted one of these days. Lots of scratches on it that wont buff out. But it is 22 years old. 

I continue to work on the wall hangings. Every one we know is getting one for Christmas - want it or not. 

Our weather continues to be very weird. We've had more days under 100 than over this month. But with the lower temperatures came clouds and lots of humidity - not used to that. 

So we are starting to plan for going to Mexico for the winter. Need to make reservations for one campground in Arizona for sure. 

In the last month and a half five bodies have come up out of Lake Mead. Two of them were in barrels - sounds like the mob to me. Three were just bones. Heard today one was identified, a man who drowned in 2002. Hope they can identify all of them. Maybe one is Hoffa! 

So not much else going on. 

A mural I like.

Wow! Just got a scare. All of a sudden my computer went black. A blue screen came up and told me to try restarting the computer - that Windows had encountered a problem and shut down. Lucky for me every thing has started up fine. But first thing I did was back up my files to an external hard drive. Just in case.

Here is the sight we encountered on our way home from the doctor on Friday. Looking towards where we live, just a few blocks away the really black sky was right over our house area. There were heavy buffeting winds too. They even knocked the car around. We stopped and went for a late lunch and when we got out of the restaurant the sky was blue. When we got home the rug on the patio was blown around but not a drop of rain.  Not for us any way. Parts of town flooded. A couple of the casinos had rain in their gaming areas, a couple of schools had rain inside and the washes were full enough to drown a couple of people. Yes! it does rain in the desert. And it remains humid - about 50% humidity, not used to that. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon.

Bill had the appointment with his heart doctor. The doctor has decided not to do an angiogram at this time. The problem isn't bad enough to do any thing that invasive. Bill has no symptoms i.e., pain, shortness of breath etc. So he told us to go enjoy our winter and he'd see us in the spring. Although he really would like to see Bill in January, but understands why we don't want to drive home then. 

This was the sunset last night. As is the header too. Clouds and stray storms are still around. 

Haven't seen the bunny for a while, so was surprised to see him last evening in the back yard. 

Today we had to go across town to visit our primary doctor. All done with doctors now till next year. Every time we go there we  pass a great set of murals. So this time remembered to turn off the main street and go into their parking lot so I could get some pictures. These guys are out front of it. 

And more pictures of aliens around the lot and building  It looks like they are preparing the back building for something. Maybe more mural. 

But the following are the murals I really wanted to get pictures of. One side of the building. We see this as we go to the doctor.

The other side, we see coming home. Excuse the antenna from the car. Forgot we weren't in the Jeep - have taken its antenna off so it doesn't get in pictures. 

And this one takes up the whole side of another building. It is amazing. Wish no one was parked in the way of the photo. 

So much detail in the background. This is the back end of it. 

The middle. 

The front. The colors are amazing and so is the work. 

Hope you enjoy them. 

More weird weather and Christmas trees.

Our weather continues to be very weird. I don't ever remember so many days under 100 in August. Humidity continues to be from 30 to 60 percent - depending on time of day. It even feels sticky in the house. 

Had to have blood drawn this morning. I forgot how long the fasting time feels when you can't even have coffee. So first thing we did after the vampire had his go at me was go to Denny's for breakfast. And of course I woke up at 3:30 in the morning and then just dozed off and on until I finally got up. 

Still in the quilting mood. I decided to make a smaller version of the the tree. Just left off every other strip. I like the way it turned out. Didn't use so much material. The big on is 32" x 22 and the small one 22" x 16" - I might take it with us for the RV. 

And then I decided to trim it. That is the fun part. Except for my on going ineptitude with the glue gun. 

Next time I'll make the trunk shorter. Didn't even think of that when putting it together. 

The humid weather makes for some interesting skies. Last night's sunset.

And the sky this morning just after sunrise. Looking at the weather map we might get a big storm later today. Coming from Arizona. 

Oh goody, son just called and offered to send a couple of his ladies over - he owns a maid service. Of course he can. So sitting in computer room letting them do my work. Easy to get used to. Oh boy, Bill bought me some puzzles - four 1000 pieces and one two thousand pieces. When I start that one, we won't be able to eat at the table for a couple of weeks. 

Weather, sewing, puzzles

 Well I don't have much to write about but trying to do better about posting. Before I go any further does any one use hankies any more, does the younger generation even know what a hankie is? Can you still buy them? That's what happens when you don't have any thing to do - your mind wanders to weird things. 

The Las Vegas valley has been having a lot of rain lately. My girlfriend who lives in Henderson has had rain every day. We have had NONE since the two nights of storms. Had some black skies, some wind and thunder but that is it. But, it has remained under 100 for almost a week. Today and tomorrow will be about 102, but then more rain will come and temperatures will be in the 90's. Which sounds good, but humidity is way up Dew Points in the mid to high 60's. UGH. Muggly weather.

Our ocotillo loves the rain and humidity. It is just full of lush fat green leaves. 

Saturday and Sunday we kept getting alerts on the TV and phone about flash flooding - which was taking place in some parts of the valley - not a drop of rain where we are. Trees came down and power was out and intersections flooded. People here do not know how to react to rain. 

I was watching the NASCAR race - wreck fest. 

Finished another Christmas tree. Might or might not decorate it. Still haven't made it to Hobby Lobby or Michael's to look for stuff. Now I am working on a smaller version. Doesn't use quite as much material. 

Started this puzzle the other day, only 300 pieces but took a while to finish after doing the doggy. All those leaf pieces looked alike. 

But it is done now. Fun to do. 

Like I said not much to write about. I haven't seen one of these in years. He has been hanging out on our patio screen for a couple of days now. 

Speaking of the patio, I looked out this morning and one of the hummingbird feeders caught my eye. It was missing the entire bottom. The part where the birds drink the nectar! The bottle was still hanging there but the bottom was gone. Went outside to look for it and can't find it any where. Wonder if the raccoons managed to get to it...

And on that note - another RV was stolen from the storage/parking areas here where we live. A travel trailer, some one just hooked it to their truck and drove out. They also broke into two other RV's in that lot and tampered with the ignitions and stole stuff out of them. Also broke into one RV in the lot where we park ours. So we checked ours out and it was okay, no tampering. Kind of makes us mad. 

Been doing so much sewing I've worn out my ironing board cover, guess I need a new one. Bill went on line and ordered me one. I'm kind of surprised they are still sold. 

Right now he is making chicken Milanese - lots of it. So I'm staying out of the kitchen - way too hot in there. 

That's it for now.