9/29 Anderson

To share our Saturday evening with us, click {here} !!  Enjoy!!!

Feels like we are in the middle of summer - temperature today is 99 and looking at the century mark tomorrow and no relief in sight for next week.  I can't remember going into the month of October with temperature at the century mark.  We had a warm period like this in 1996  - remember it well, we went to the lake with the jet skis on Thanksgiving Day, that was a kick. 

Out on the back patio last night, watching the moonrise.
 

Kathy is over her busy spell at work so we will be spending more of our time in Anderson.  We will be taking some vacation time in 3 weeks of which most of that time will be devoted to the Roses and Rust show at the Redding Civic Center.  Kathy has been working towards that show for some time.

I tackled the yard once again this week end - in both places.  Today, I took on the blackberry bushes.  I keep them trimmed up off the fence, so when they do dormant for the winter I am so tempted to set a match to them.  I may get the courage to do that this winter.  We have been under a burn ban all summer - high fire danger and we certainly don't want to burn out ourselves and the neighbors?@!!

Ron, tackeling the blackberry bushes.
 

Kathy has once gain taken on new and different direction in her artwork.  She is now devoting her time to mixed media, I am sure she will display with pics some of her pieces in this post.  I think she likes the creative aspect of this medium more than the other stuff.  Creativity is at the center of much of her work now and in the past  - she does get ideas from the many mags that come into our house.  She is keeping that business alive.  I see the newspaper and magazine business more in decline in he coming years.  The digital media will overcome it all with 5-10 years.  We are already in that direction - my prediction is that within 5-10 years our tv/monitor will serve us with all the news and entertainment we would ever want?  In Anderson we do not have TV - just Internet, I canceled the dish after 3 months because we never used it.  Had to pay a big penalty but it was worth it and we don't seem to miss the TV at all.  Kathy has taken on netflix for her shows and I watch the news and weather on the Internet as well.


Journal pages, Eastern influence.

Journal pages, this one reminds me of the Colorado Aspen.

 

I like the juxtaposition of a classic 17th century portrait in a 21st centry mixed media piece.
18" x 24" canvas

Speaking of communication, we ordered a I5 cell phone for Kathy for her birthday.  She wanted one and it should arrive in a week or so.  She is looking forward to the camera and other options the I5 has.  I saw a video which was a drop test for a Samsung - Galaxy III verses the I5.  They were both dropped on the cement at various heights, the Samsung broke after two and broke apart after the 3rd drop from 6 feet.

I was able to play golf twice last week - had a good time per usual.  I am dong pretty good, my short game has improved lately and my putting was very good on Monday, Wednesday was  not so good.  In fact the round on Wednesday was not as good as Monday overall, noticed it during the round and could not put my finger on the difference.  It is really comfortable in the early morning - temperatures are running about 55 and when I finish 27 holes around 11:30 the temperature has climbed to 90 or so.  I do have to wear a light jacket when I start and usually shed it by the 5th hole.  I did wear my new shoes on Monday - I thought they may have cut back on watering so much at night and that the course would be be flooded per usual.  I was correct they did have water but is was not like a swamp per usual.  I like the new shoes and hope they hold up - - I will give them a water repellent treatment and that may help to keep them from getting cracked across the toe as the last 2 pair have? 

Not much for news - hope you all have a great week. 

More later

Ron, Kathy, Tessie and Sammie

9/22 Tracy-Anderson

1st day of Fall and it feels like the 1st day of Summer?  The temperature is still hanging around 90 in these parts it will be nice when we get some cooler weather and great when we get some rain.  That may actually happen next week - - we are ready. 

We had a couple of very busy weeks, Kathy worked very hard at her work as they are closing the 2012 budget and opening the 2013 budget, she and her folks very hard to make the managers look as good as possible.  Money is moving in many directions in hopes the budgets are met.  She had to work yesterday, her normal Friday off so I went to Anderson to take care of the chores.  On Thursday of last week I ran the 5 K fun run at LM once again and finished 2nd again in my age group.  I did pretty good with my run, at the 2 mile mark I was 17 minutes out that puts me at a 8.5 clip and I normally run 10, that is what I did for the last mile and ended up at 27 minutes.  It was fun and I did get to see some of my old co-workers.  I got there a little early and looked around and did not see a soul that I recognized - - - many young faces.  During the race and I did see several people that I knew.  That was a fun outing but I did not enjoy the commute, it took me 2.5 hours to travel 64 miles - the traffic seems to be much worse that I remember, sure don't miss it at ALL!!   The rest of the story is that the next day Ron was super sore.  His quads were absolutely burning and he was hobbling like an old man.  The reason for the soreness is becuase he hasn't run a lick in 4 months!!!  I guess golf works a different set of muscles!

Runner Ron

We had house guests last week end, 2 of the ladies from Redding came down to participate in the art show at Goat Hill in Los Gatos.  They spent Thursday and Sunday nights with us - Kathy and the ladies had a great time.  These ladies are also with the Redding Handmade group which Kathy is part of and she really enjoys working with them.  They all had a good time and I suspect that it will be a repeat performance in the future.

We are looking forward to next several weeks, Kathy will be able to take some extra time off with long week ends and some vacation in 3 weeks to go with the Roses and Rust Show.  Kathy will be busy as usual getting ready - this show will again be at the Redding Auditorium.  She likes that venue last year and is looking forward to the same kind of turnout for this show.  The last show was at a old barn and she was outside under a tent this venture is inside and much more comfortable for everyone!!  It is much easier to get in and the vendors don't have as much trouble setting up their booths.  It should be great fun!!

I've been busy doing some are journaling background pages and a mixed media canvas.  Here are some pics...

16 x 20 canvas.  Count you blessings.

 

Girl with a Pearl Earring - Original work by Johannes Vermeer

We did get irrigation water last week and the pasture, yard and trees are doing very good.  We have two of our starter trees that are starting to loose their leaves, night be because of last of water or it could be the change in the season.  Some of the other trees are also starting to turn color.  This was the 1st week end in 2 months that Mt. Shasta and Lassen were visible because of the smoke.  There was a 200 acre fire just North of Redding yesterday afternoon which messed up the view once again  but it was pretty clear this morning.  Back to the yard - the grass in the back yard grows very well and I pick up the trimmings and give it to the horses - see previous posts, really enjoy the nice green cut grass.  They pick on each other to get better position - they are all males so that is to be expected.  This morning I thought there was a rodeo - all three of them came running from the back to the front pasture lead of course by Bronc who is very fast and feisty.  I get a kick of out watching them and the way they treat each other.  Bronc is the younger of the 3 and the other two won't have anything to do with him during the day, makes him a loaner.  Guess he needs another horse to balance out the pasture?

Not much else for news from these parts - - hope you all have a great week(s).

More later

Ron, Kathy, Tessie and Sammie

9/8 Anderson

Very nice week end in the North country - the temps are hanging around 90, sky's are clear and for the first time in a month we don't have that much smoke.  It is definitely getting cooler at night - close to 50 last night.  Spring is just around the corner the trees are starting to loose their color and you can certainly feel the change in the air.

Missed the blog last week, still on the fence on this medium?  I would like something that is informative but not boring or self serving.  I may go to ever other week instead of each week as I have done for many years?  We did achieve one of our goals which was to get Kathy's input with pictures, she has certainly came through with those and I hope everyone has enjoyed them.  We always here that a picture says a 1000 words and for her pictures that is certainly the case!!  This does make for a complete package, hats off to Kathy for making that happen!!

Got the pasture mowed this week end, moved the back and side last time we were here and finished it up yesterday.  The fellow that maintains the irrigation system saw me on the little tractor and said " that is a big job for that little tractor"  yes in fact that little tractor does get a work out along with me!!  It always looks nice when completed.  I was a little disappointed this week as we missed out irrigating water - - - have to wait another two weeks for more water.  The folks that turn on the irrigation for us dropped the ball.  They had a 2:00 A.M. start time and missed the curtain call!!  I am more concerned about the trees than the pasture - have to water the trees by hand (buckets) in hopes that it will help.  On the flip side of that water issue, we have water running down the canal in the back pasture - that runs across our property and down the field in the adjacent property.  I have taken the opportunity to capture a little of that water with our small pump - it does pretty good and it appears that 3 heads going is about max for good coverage.

Driveway (lane of trees that Ron hand waters)
 

sideyard and front pasture
 

Sump pump  -  watering from irrigation ditch.

Today, I am headed over to Red Bluff to see and old co-worker, he is still working at LM and he is 71 years old, not sure why but he is?  He and his brother have a plum tree orchard and they are harvesting this week end, interesting process very automated, a shaker grabs the tree and another vehicle on the other side of  the trees catch the plums, some drop to the ground but the process is pretty efficient.  It will be nice to see and talk with him to get caught up on things at LM. 

Kathy is very busy with her project plus getting ready for the next show which will be here in 4 weeks or so.  She is also very busy at work with the annual old and new budget process underway.  She is pulled in lots of directions sure nice that she is able to put some of that behind her escape for the long week ends!!

Almost finished.  Need to make a cushion and then it's done!
 

$15 thrift store end table given a shabby chic makeover.
 



Working on these removeable lampshade covers.
 

Golf is very good, this week I had to get a new pair of golf shoes.  I purchased new news in the middle of August - decided to go with Nike this time, previous 3 pair were Foot Joy.  In less than a month I saw cracks in the toe - - not sure what the problem with that was.  I did treat the new shoes with water repellent but that could not have caused the cracking - at any rate, I took the shoes back and got decided to go back to Foot Joy.  The good thing about that - the Nike shoes were a little narrow in the toe and with heavy socks it pinched my toes together.  The new shoes, FJ have a nice wide tow box and I like that much better, I have not played with the new shoes but look forward to that next week.  The golf game is doing great - lots of golf balls, good exercise and lots of practice.  I did feel like a big jerk on Monday, played with 2 other fellows, 1 of them purchased a new Taylormade Burner - $400 or so, very nice club.  We made the turn on the first 18 holes and were getting ready to head off of number 1.  The marshall ( Vern) was talking to us and he also used a burner.  The fellow with the new club laid  the club gently down on a lava rock as we waited.  I picked the new club up to give a better view of the new club and proceeded to drop it on the lava rock and put a nice bunch of scratches on the shaft.  The owner was not a happy and I felt like a fool - - - - - he did get over  it after several holes.  Lesson learned, I will not be touching anyone's club in the future.

Babble - babble - - enough already.

More later

Ron, Kathy, Tessie and Sammie