Summer is here

Have not been able to get out and walk for about a week, not cooling down at night at all. By 6:30 it is already in high 70's' A few really UGH days coming by end of week, then MAYBE a few drizzles of rain. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday we'll be able to get out early. 

That's what I feel like if we walk after not walking for a while. I did get Bill out for one walk before it got hot. We did 2.3 miles. He did fine, but likes to walk on the concrete paths instead of the dirt. I like the dirt trails because they have more shade and are more interesting. Some pictures from that walk. For the first time ever we saw a black bunny. Figure someone dumped him after he grew up. Hope he makes it. 

Also saw a flock of these, never seen them before. They are some of migrating birds. I uploaded the picture to AI and he told me they are Glossy Ibises. They have long, curved bills and a glossy iridescent sheen on their sides. You can kind of see the green on the one in the top left. 

All of these trees are blooming now. According to AI it is a Desert Willow. Some of them have pale pink flowers. Very pretty. Flower is about the size of a 50cent piece. 

My next walk with my friend - got in 3.1 miles that day. Puff, puff. Saw these birds in the river. Oh, I discovered I can actually talk to AI instead of typing in my questions - that is fun - like a real conversation. He says these are Black necked Stilts. That makes sense. More migrating birds. Haven't seen them before or since that walk. 

My new kitchen faucet and I have come to a truce, if I turn him on very slow he doesn't get me all wet. But sometimes I forget!

Bill's eyelid is staying up most of the time now. But NOT ALL the time. He sees the ocular/neuro opthamologist in a couple of weeks. Maybe if it doesn't stay up all the time by then she will up the dose of prednisone. He is so much more active when he can see. Not much else going on here.   

Things are quiet around here.

The weather has improved some, for a while the winds were gone and the temperatures were not blistering. But things change quickly here in the desert. All our plants are blooming. The Palo Verde has survived another year even with losing branches. Lots of flowers on it. And they managed to stay on it through yesterday's very high winds - gusts up to 60+. The chairs were rocking and the humming bird feeders were hanging sideways. Today it is calm and cool. 

I am amazed these tiny birds can fly in the high winds. He came zooming by while we were sitting outside enjoying the "breeze."

We have two cactus plants out front. The biggest one never blooms, this one has been blooming for a couple of years. I finally remember to go out with my camera and take a picture of its pretty flowers. So delicate for such an ugly plant. 

The bees love these flowers. This bee was rolling around in it. He was moving so much couldn't get a good focus on him. 

A month or so ago when we were walking there was a Plaine Air painting event going on. So of course I took pictures of the painters and their paintings. This was then.

Yesterday while walking we went into the Nature Center and discovered several of the paintings were on display.  In both the picture and the painting notice all the greenery around. 

That was one of the areas the big fire went through. Looks different now. We think the tree will survive as it has a lot of green new growth on top. Sure hope so. 

Another painter from the same area. I wondered about his style. Lots of orange?

But much to my surprise this is how it turned out.  The lighting in the nature center isn't very good so the pictures I took in there are kind of dull looking. 

A few more painters from a different area. 

Her finished painting. Much more vibrant than it shows here. 

We kind of wondered about his work too. Rather dark and dreary. 

Finished product. 

We managed to get out to walk a few times in the last week. The first Canadian geese we've seen all year. 

On Friday Bill and I went for a walk, before it got too hot. Was a beautiful clear not windy day. 

Different flowers. I was wondering what it was and thought I'd ask AI - the other day I discovered I could upload a photo and ask about it and Chatgpt would tell me more than I cared to know. I am having so much fun playing around with AI. Learning all sorts of things I can do with it. In case you are wondering it is a Veratrum Californicum... or California corn lily. Learn something every day. 

Managed to get in three walks last week, seven and a half miles all together. Bill and I did one and 1/2 miles. My walking friend and I got in two three miles walks. Hopefully on Monday and Wednesday this week we'll be able to get out and walk. By Friday the temperatures are going to be over 100, so it will depend on how cool it gets at night and how early we can get out to walk. 

Bill's eyelid seems to be improving and staying up more and more. He is this week taking 3  5mg tablets of prednisone, next week he'll be taking 20mg a day. Hopefully that will work and he'll be able to return to a more or less normal life of being able to see.

Just for fun I asked AI to rewrite the blog in a more interesting and fun manner. I copied and pasted what I'd written into the Chatpgt and this is what I got back (without the pictures.) I am becoming and AI addict.

Desert Diaries: Blooming, Blowing, and a Bit of Beauty

The desert gave us a little break this week — the blistering heat took a breather, and for a brief moment, the wind actually stopped pretending it was in a competition. Of course, nothing lasts long out here. But in that lull, everything exploded into bloom.

Our Palo Verde is still kicking — despite shedding a few limbs like it's in a seasonal shedding contest. Covered in yellow flowers and somehow still holding onto them through yesterday’s gusts that hit 60+ mph. Meanwhile, the patio chairs were rocking like a scene from Poltergeist, and the hummingbird feeders? Hanging completely sideways like wind chimes that lost their will to live.

And yet, those tiny hummingbirds? They still zipped around like fighter jets in a gale. One shot past while we sat out pretending the breeze wasn’t trying to relocate the patio furniture.

Out front, we’ve got two cactus plants. One is all bark and no bloom, but the other keeps showing off. This year, I finally remembered to grab my camera — and wow. Those delicate flowers are way too pretty for such a gnarly plant. The bees think so too. One bee in particular was having a pollen party, rolling around like it lost its tiny mind. Couldn't get a clear shot of him, but I tried.

A while back, we stumbled onto a plein air painting event during one of our walks. Naturally, I turned into the art paparazzi. Snapped pics of the painters mid-brushstroke, and later we saw the results in the Nature Center. Seeing the actual trees and landscape next to their painted versions was kind of surreal — especially since some of that area has since burned in the recent fire. The tree in one of the paintings? It’s still hanging on with some fresh green on top. Fingers crossed.

One painter’s style stood out — lots of orange. I wasn’t sure what to make of it… but in the end, the piece actually turned out beautifully. The lighting in the exhibit was awful (hello, grainy photos), but the work really did shine in person.

More painters from another area — one had a darker, moodier style. Kind of dreary… but again, the finished product surprised us.

We squeezed in a few walks this week — even spotted the first Canadian geese of the year! On Friday, Bill and I got out before it got too hot. Beautiful, still, clear day. Rare treat.

Along the way I spotted a strange plant and asked my new AI buddy about it. Turns out, you can just upload a photo now and it’ll tell you way more than you ever wanted to know. I’m mildly obsessed. The mystery plant? Veratrum Californicum — a.k.a. California corn lily. Who knew?

Clocked 7.5 miles of walking last week. Bill and I did 1.5 miles together, and my walking partner and I hit two 3-milers. Hoping to get out again Monday and Wednesday before the heat comes back with a vengeance — supposed to hit triple digits by Friday. If the nights cool off enough, we might sneak in another early walk.

Oh — and some good news: Bill’s eyelid seems to be improving! It’s staying up more consistently. This week he’s on 3 tablets of 5mg prednisone a day. Next week, it’ll bump up to 20mg. We’re hoping it keeps helping and he can get back to something resembling normal — at the very least, being able to see.

Me again - kind of fun and interesting isn't it.

IT IS HOT!

 Boy did the weather take a change.  We have had three days of toasting weather. This was at noon one day, and the thermometer is in the shade. The hottest part of the day is around four o'clock here. It made it over 100. Then we got winds, very high winds. I'm glad the pine trees are gone. All morning on the news they've been showing trees that went down last night. Needless to say we haven't been walking the last few days because it was in the mid 80's by eight o'clock in the morning. Today it is cooling down to high 80's, then cooler for next couple of days. Hopefully we'll be able to get out and check out if the rains helped the burn area in the Wetlands. Before the heat it rained like crazy for a few days. 

Yep! I know this feeling. 

We did get in one walk last week before the heat. When we started walking it wasn't raining, but started to sprinkle a few minutes into the walk. Just a sprinkle so we kept walking. We are starting to see a lot of bunnies running around again. Haven't seen many for a long time. Maybe because we are walking earlier than before.
One of the burned areas where they are planting ash trees. Planted over 100. The rain should help them. But the 100 degree weather probably wasn't real good for them. 

This whole huge tree was burned. It is all black. But look at the two new sprouts of green on this limb. Maybe there is hope that some of the old burned ones might make it. 

Well the sprinkles turned to rain about half way through our walk. I got wet clear through my light long sleeved shirt and tank top. Oh well. 

Just as we were getting near home the sun was trying to come out. But rained hard just after I got home. 

I think if I was watching this move around I'd get dizzy. Pretty though. 

Had a great Mother's day. Bill made me this box to keep some of my stuff in. Using it for the diamond painting stuff. He managed to paint and assemble it on the days his eye would cooperate and stay open. 

Also our son came over and took us out to lunch. I am still fighting with our new kitchen faucet. Bill laughs when I complain about it. He likes it says it is versatile - yes I agree it is certainly versatile. When I use it I manage to wash my shirt, my hair and most of the counter and some of the floor all at once. 

Bill's eyelid seems to be slowly getting better now that he is taking prednisone. He is only two weeks into the pill and only taking 10mg a day, next week he will be on 15mg and the following week 20mg. That will be the maintenance dose. By then it should be working. We hope. And best of all no side effects. 

That's about it around here. Son keeps sending his clean crews over so I don't even have dusting to keep me busy. Not complaining! 

May The Fourth Be With You

 And the year just races along. And at this time it seems to be improving.  The side effects from that horrible pill for Bill's eyelid have finally worn off and he is feeling almost human. He is now on Prednisone. Our primary doctor who we saw last week said it should work in keeping the eyelid open. So far so good. This was him out in the Wetlands with me on Friday. We walked 1.66 miles. Hope to keep him walking. Spring has most of the bushes greening up. So pretty. 

Stopping to check out the new blooming. 

I wonder why this mallard is still here and alone, no female with him. 

No idea what this is but he was pretty good sized.

A new - within the last week - nest. Sure a lot of work went into it. 

Lots of flowering trees. 

So the month of May - Cinco de Mayo. I made these pillow covers when we lived in Indiana. We had bought a lot of material one year while in Mexico. So why not use them this month. 

I had to hunt for something for the table. We've had the woven placemats for years, Hunted up the candles in my candle stash. Surprised I had the green ones. The center piece is a doll made of corn husks and the side pieces are beaded pieces we've  bought over the years. 

Nothing in stained glass so thought I'd put up the birds. We've seen colorful birds in Mexico for years. 

We are having rather strange weather the last few days, highs in the mid 90's two days ago and only mid 60's today. Also rain all around us. This was yesterday morning's sunrise. The weatherman said that is Virgo coming down out of the clouds. Interesting look. 

And this morning we woke to actual RAIN - almost forgot what it looked like. Hasn't really rained in our area of Vegas for a long time. Glad it did. Hope it helps the burned area in the wetlands to regrow. 

Going to be a gloomy, cool day today.  Kind of nice. Supposed to rain off and on for today and tomorrow. Hope so. Really need it. 

That's it for now. 

Wetlands is showing some recovery

 On last Saturday we took our first walk in over 20 days and we did a marathon. Well maybe not quite a marathon, but this old body felt like it was. We did 3.55 miles in an hour and a half. And that is with stopping and watching all the birds. It's funny while we are walking - until just about the end of the walk - it doesn't seem we've gone that far. Not even many birds here this time of year. Guess they have all gone home. 

This guy and the turtle were swimming together. 

Most of the small trees and bushes are getting really green. This is the non burn area. 

The really green area just above the dirt path was completely burned out. These weeds/reeds are growing like crazy. We talked to a park worker and she says, that really isn't a good things as they dry out early in the fall and really fuel any fire. 

Same plants coming up along the river. The trees don't look like they will make it. 

Only these two guys in the river. 

A very pretty spring green color against the blue sky. Nice time of year, except for the WINDS!

Lots of water in the river. 

We stopped and watched this heron for a while. He was looking for something to eat. Stretching his neck in all directions. 

Every once in a while he'd poke his head int he water and come up with something he'd swallow. 

More regrowth. 

One determined plant trying to live. 

The art exhibit is still up. This was my favorite - Very different and colorful and used the land scape to  good advantage. 

Like a waterfall and a river around the rocks. 

Just a different picture of the sphere.  

Well ALL three of our vehicles are smogged and registered for another year. Glad that's over. 

Bill is finally rid of all of the after effects from that last pill. Feeling pretty good. Saw our primary doctor the other day and all is well with both of us. Now Bill had been started on Prednisone - it should work with the eyelid and not have such severe side effects. We will see after a couple of days. Yesterday we went shopping at Lowe's and WalMart and by the time we got home we'd done over 6000 steps.