The 5 min. storage bin project.

Assembly takes only 5 min. according to the writing on the carton. Hah. Took me 20 min, to get the carton open. Right there I knew it was a lie about the 5 min assembly. Took me 10 min, to get to the part where I needed 2 pairs of hands to hold and lift and snap the top on. Took 20 min. for my friend to come over with the required extra hands. Then took about another 20 min. to snap it together and find the right screw drivers. ( Yes, 6 screws used one size end and 4 screws used another size. ) I now have a great big storage container for all my patio chairs and pillows. Even room in it for the fold up bike.the fold up bike. pretty neat ,eh.

Things that go thump in the attic.

For the last week have been hearing strange thumps above the kitchen and the bathroom. Think a chipmunk dropped in through the bathroom fan vent.! The vent tubing was lying on the floor of the attic, and daylight was showing through the roof vent. Put a stick of wood up to the vent, hoping the little devil would run up the "ladder" and glorious freedom, before I attached the tubing. Which I haven't done yet as don't want to trap whatever it is in the attic. No such luck. Think it invited its relatives in. Or had babies in the nice warm dry attic. Yesterday heard a great racket in the partition between the bathroom and kitchen. Think something fell down . Unfortunately all the commotion is in an area that is all enclosed, so can't see in . Much scuffling and chattering , and even crying went on for about 3 hours. Sounded like it was dragging something back up the walls. Called the condo management, and they called the pest control people, but everyone was too busy to come. Supposed to come today to take a look. Hope they bring a live trap, but perhaps have to leave them until babies(?) big enough to survive . Hope it isn't a skunk or raccoon . My Mom was visiting for a few days and Janice came on Sunday. Look how tall Janice looks compared to her Grandmother. ( the clock on the top of her head doesn't help any, guess I had better be more careful with my pictures.)

spring Ontario style

The snow is almost all gone from the ditches and these are the few flowers blooming in my garden. Can a real spring be far behind? I am putting out the humming bird feeder and the bird bath just to encourage it along and make me feel it really is going to turn warm . Also a couple of lawn chairs. ( I really have high hopes here) Keep you informed.....

Facts the travel mags. don't tell you...

Driving 3,500.Kilometers in 4 days by yourself is tiring.
Driving through 3 time zones is even more tiring.
All the best campsites appear at 10 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon. after 2 , there are no more camping areas...
2 in the afternoon is too early to stop, if you want to make it home in 4 days.
Everyone in the motel rooms next to you, get up and shower at 4 in the morning.
There are no Tim Horton coffee shops in America.
Americans do not know how to make decent coffee.
Leaving Arizona in 90 degree weather and arriving in Ontario to see snow on the ground 4 days later is rather a shock to the system.
Travel tends to make this driver very grumpy. But I am sure with enough coffee and sleep she will recover.
Happy Easter to all.

This and that

Tomorrow I leave the desert and Jacquie for the drive home to Ontario, Canada. A neighbour hosted an appreciation party from the community, for Jacquie last afternoon and evening. People came early and left late. Guess that means everyone had a good time. Lynne presented Jacquie with this blanket she made for her. It's white with red maple leafs , quilted in white thread with lots of images of the desert ( cactus, cowboy boots, etc. Names of animals in Jacquie's life, past and present, and info about Jacquie. The picture doesn't do it justice of course. Needless to say Jacquie was surprised and pleased. Jacquie is sitting in the left hand side of the picture wearing a "tiara" ( princess of Cascabel for the evening!!!!) She will be sad to leave this friendly community when the time comes.
I will miss all the great people I have met here as well.


Cactus bloooming in the desert

one of the donkeys giving me the evil eye. He likes to eat the vehicle windshield wipers if he gets a chance.

walk to the mailbox

Its just a short walk down the steep laneway, through the gate , along the side road, to the mail box.

First , have to wait for the traffic to passThen get Kam , the dog, to come along for the walk, He likes to stick his nose in all the interesting holes along the way. Hopefully all are empty( no hibernating snakes, packrats, baby bunnies, or any creepy crawly things that bite.)
I stop and admire the many wild flowers managing to survive along side the laneway.
Mail delivery every other day. No horses, donkeys, trucks or cars on the Cascabel road.
See more wild flowers on the way back
Faithful Kam waits for me as I slowly walk (climb)back up the steep laneway.

Phoenix

Spent last weekend in Phoenix. The state park was full at noon so went to a very noisy K.O.A. campground . It was clean and people were friendly. Sat. I toured Taliesin West , in Scottsdale . The winter campus of the late architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Was an interesting 2 hour tour. Beautiful site , but I forgot to take my camera, so no pictures.

The next day I was up bright and early to try and get a campsite at the Lost Dutchman State Park. My site under the superstition Mountains in the Sonoran Desert. Those jumping Cholla cactus seem to follow me everywhere... Was a much nicer campsite . Met the same young couple here that where at the K.O. A. asked me to there site for a drink. Hey, I had to be friendly didn't I? nice wine. Supposed to be a fabled lost gold mine somewhere in this park , hence the name , "lost dutchman". Lots of hiking trails, and the wild flowers were everywhere. Was very hot , so I got out my lawn chair and read a book in the shade of the cactuses , a hummingbird kept buzzing around me. Thought my colourful hat was a flower, I guess.Monday, I stopped at Biosphere 2 which is north of Tucson and had a tour of the large sealed glass building that was the home for two years ,of 10 people who took part in a self sustanabilty experiment. Again it was very hot outside and really hot and humid under all the glass . It wasn't a real success. I sure wouldn't want to live in those units. I won't be signing up for the moon habitat living.

Drove the 30 miles of dirt road to Jacquie's , as came in the back way from Tucson. The donkeys met me in the laneway.