Sonja Says

It’s been quite some time since posting anything at all so here are some super photos Katie took of our Vitex in the side yard.  These beautiful blooms are more numerous than in any other year since we’ve been here. 

The secret is MORE WATER – something we’ve been learning ever since arriving in Moab.  Years ago, when we first lived in Moab, there were a peach tree and two apple trees in our yard.  One afternoon an elderly neighbor of ours leaned over the fence and asked if we liked apples and peaches.  He recommended MORE WATER, as apparently he was keeping track of our watering methods.  After that, peaches and apples were juicy and delicious.

Our next adventure is coming up in September when we will be visiting as much of Italy as we can in three weeks.  Each of us, John and I, have some different interests so we are deciding on some balance of art, architecture and history, food, and vegetation, not to mention cities each of us would like to see.  Part of the excitement will be flying standby and using EuRail plus public buses and spur lines to see our chosen destinations.  You’ll be reading all of the gory details when we return.  Meanwhile, we’re trying to learn some basic Italian in case there are no English speakers in smaller towns.  We are assured that language is not that big a problem.

Would love to have your comments on my blog!

This past Saturday, I was introduced to the new rage among GPS owners and users, Geo Caching.  Katie took me, her list and hand-held GPS  on a journey to see if we could find sixteen geo caches.  We found fifteen.  I liken this to scavenger hunts of the past.  In this case, there is no prize at the end;  however, there is great satisfaction in locating caches, logging one’s success in the cachers’ books and bragging rights on the geo cache website.  Along the way, we saw new things we hadn’t been aware of and, as the weather was superb, had a great afternoon.

Anyone needing an excuse to get out of the house and have some fun, this is definitely recommended by me.  It’s an inexpensive pastime and won’t max out anyone’s credit card.

  
Saturday, November 1st, John and I decided to take our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches out for a picnic lunch.  We went north on Hwy. 191 headed for the Dead Horse Point Road.  For those of you who have  been lucky enough to have visited Moab, you’ll know what I’m talking about.  About one half mile from the Colorado River Bridge, traffic was totally stopped, then moved a few feet, stopped again for about ten minutes.  There were sherriffs deputies in vehicles ahead of us and we assumed it was an accident.  Much to our surprise, when we rounded a slight bend in the road, we saw a herd of cattle headed for the bridge where they would cross to get to their winter range.  Because of the delay, when we were able, we went up the river road, found a lunch spot and ate.  On our way back to town, we decided to follow the cow pies across the bridge to see just how far the cattle drive had gotten.  They were just about to Arches National Park entrance road and, of course, we had to turn around because the road was closed.  It was an unexpected and exciting thing to see.  Anyone from the eastern part of the US visiting here that day had a treat in being able to see part of what happens here each spring and fall.

In the center photo, there is a small rider at the far left rear of the herd.  This youngster was still short enough that his legs didn’t reach the end of the saddle.  Even so, he was very confidently perched on his horse moving cattle with the best of the rest.

John and I encourage any and all of you to come out to experience the west.  We’d be glad to show our part of it to you and other parts as well.

Thanks for checking my ‘blog.

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to say anything via my ‘blog because we have a new computer which is taking me a while to become accustomed to.

There are two mystery plants, which I’m hoping someone can ID. The first is a plant from the florist’s (the green shiny leaves with white flowers) and the cute blue bells, which are wild flowers I photographed along side Lake Oowah in the Lasals where we spent the fourth of July sitting in the shade and enjoying the cool.

We were prepared to catch dinner and there’s John holding a lovely rainbow trout. Delicious!

This spring, after swathing my Asiatic Lily with chicken wire to prevent squirrels from chewing on the tender buds, we got this lovely group of very fragrant flowers.

The last photo is of what John likes to call the Desert Nasturtium. The Sensenbrenner family seems to have a penchant for nasturiums. This is an Adenium obesum, called a desert rose. This one has made me proud because it actually survived my care for a year to bloom.

That’s the current news. Next week we’re headed for Idaho and the Lolo Trail and Bitterroot Mountains to follow some of Lewis & Clark’s trail. Should be very interesting.

It’s been a wonderful spring for bird watching.  While hanging clothes today, an unfamiliar bird song floated through the air.  Sitting in a juniper close to the patio was a never seen before black-throated sparrow.  To make certain the ID was correct, I checked the internet for it’s song and, yes, I was right.  My life bird list is growing.

I am posting some nice things that are around here this spring.  I hope everyone enjoys them!

First, here are my blooming Geraniums.  They spent their winter in the garage, keeping John company.  They are blooming beautifully!

Next is a small cutting from Katie’s Crassula ‘Morgan’s Beauty’, which is growing really nicely.  Katie says it looks a lot better than hers.

Here is my ‘desert cabbage’ (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora), which I am putting outside every day, to try to get it used to being outdoors.  I am hoping for a little red color as it gets more sun!

This is a Lithops.  I have 3 of them.  This one shed last years leaves in January, and it’s finally ready for water and growing!

Last but not least, John’s little fruitless mulberry trees in the back yard have been accepted by the bird community, it seems.  It’s surprising that the little tree held up this nice, big raven!  The second picture shows the raven in flight.

Hope you all enjoy the first installment of spring stuff!

Now that the dust has settled somewhat and visitors for Jeep Safari in Moab have gone home, I can say that we had a super week. John’s 3-D trail had fifteen vehicles with great drivers. We had a beautiful, non-windy, day which doesn’t always happen at this time of year. There was one woman who had bought a Jeep the day before safari and ran the trail without difficulty. Personally, I’d want to become a little more familiar with a vehicle before taking it on unknown terrain. I have some photos and will post them as soon as I’m taught how.

Katie’s and my next adventure will begin April 7th through the 10th, when we are going to Phoenix. Our destination is the Desert Botanical Garden. It is newly remodeled through the generosity of a bequest and has been closed a year for renovations. Can’t wait! Also on the list is the Boyce Thompson Arboretum and the zoo and, on the trip down, we’ll stop at Sunset Crater.

P.S. A buck in our back yard:

This has been quite a twelve-hour period starting with the lunar eclipse last evening.  We were able to enjoy that spectacle for a limited time as the sky clouded over about an hour into it.  Should have guessed that the clouds were bringing three more inches of snow.  Oh well, winter’s got to end sometime.

A little finch had a collision with our dining room window this afternoon.  He was just lying on the ground on his back, so Katie went out and picked him up, and moved him under a bush.  He has flown away now, so he’s alright.  Here he is: