Birds and Cats

With no major construction around here this summer, it gets hard to find newsworthy items for the blog.  There are new homes popping up daily in the north 40 but I'll push Don out there to get some Maverick video soon.  He keeps using the excuse that the drone doesn't fly at over 104 degrees but he should still have an early morning before 9:00 to hit that 104.  Yup.  It's HOT here in summer.

The birds keep us entertained, however.  We were excited to see Mom and Dad quail on the patio yesterday......and they brought their youngster along with them.  Only one baby with them though which is not a good sign as they usually can hatch up to a dozen at a time.  They sure are cute!

Our small flower bed in front of the house is obviously the perfect place for the baby doves to congregate while they wait for their Mom to hunt dinner.  There are three babies taking refuge there.

I only got pictures of two at a time but look what happens when Mom shows up with dinner!

Link to YouTube:  https://youtu.be/BCL1h1z8PEk

All the outside activity keeps the cats very entertained and they run from window to window to follow the action.

Since we lost our nice shady roof, I tend to keep some of the blinds closed to block out the intense sunshine.  Mouse doesn't like that!!

And it sometimes makes him very crabby.

Kat likes to chill out sometimes and watch kitty TV.  He enjoys the cat and dog shows and will sit for long periods of time in his favorite TV position.

Earlier this week I spotted a vulture resting in the shade out on the golf course.  He was maybe waiting for an overheated golfer???

I couldn't get very close as he took off right away.  BIG birds.

In summary, all is well here.  No major storms lately and, unfortunately, no significant rain either.  We still have fun though as groups gather up in the Adobe room for cards almost every afternoon.

Have a GREAT day and enjoy your cool breezes for me.

Canola Fields

I received several photos from Canadian friends this week showing the BEAUTY of the flowering canola fields.  Awesome!  

Susan McArthur sent this photo of a Saskatchewan sunset to match those of our Arizona sky.  Main difference is hers show pine trees and we have palms.  😎

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We are VERY anxious to get our patio awning back.  The sun is really HOT these days.  Our thermometer just might melt!  This is only 8:21 a.m.

They say bad luck comes in threes.  Hope we've had ours for a long while.  First the awning roof, then my dishwasher croaked.  New one was delivered but Home Depot wouldn't install it because it needed some cabinetry work first.  Luckily, Wil Chaney from Wil-Paul Construction gave up a Saturday morning to come and rescue us.  THANK YOU, WIL !!!!

This wasn't an easy chore as we replaced our small unit with a full-sized one.  Wil even had to move the hot water heater to make room.  

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Mouse loves boxes but I think he found his match.

Rain!!!!

How wonderful to wake this morning to the sound of rolling thunder and raindrops on the roof!  We really appreciate every drop of rain.  The sunrise was absolutely stunning but, of course, a cell phone camera just can't capture the beauty.

Rain only lasted about 20 minutes but at least it rained enough to wet down the streets for a change.

I would have loved to sit out on the patio with a cup of coffee, but couldn't find a dry chair.  LOL.  Our insurance company has been wonderful and we already have a check for partial payment but Mesa Awning says they can't be here until late August.  WE MISS OUR AWNING!!  The house suffers in the hot sun without the shade of the awning.  I imagine our electric bill will be significantly higher too.

It looks like a HOT week ahead.

Our volleyball players know how to cope with the heat.

So do the cats!

Mahjong on line

We can't let long distance get in the way of our weekly Mahjong games!  Don walked past and took a picture of us at play today.  We video conference so we can all see each other and then join a private table "on line" to play against each other.  Much fun!

We had our palm trees trimmed at the front of our house this week.  Now the poor hummingbird lost his favorite perch.  Had to laugh at his new roosting spot.

Security Seminar

We gathered in the ballroom to hear a presentation from the Casa Grande Police about security in our neighborhoods and city.

Thank you to Jeanine Sumption for organizing the event.

Officer Thomas Anderson from the Casa Grande Crime Prevention Unit was our guest speaker.

He was a VERY entertaining speaker and made us laugh as he described why seniors are targets for today's criminals.  

Officer Anderson stressed over and over about how we have to take responsibility for our own protection.  Lock our houses and pay attention to our surroundings.  Know our neighbors, watch out for each other, and report suspicious activity.

Our General Manager, Kevin Flynn, was present to assure us that steps are being taken to address security concerns in our resort.  He will be meeting with Jeanine next week to discuss some options.

Watch for Jeanine's feedback through the "whatsup" app or on Nextdoor.

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I want to take a moment to give credit to one of our appliance vendors.  Thank you to Jeff from Jeff's Appliances.  He has rescued us on several occasions...most recently with our dishwasher.  He is prompt, courteous, and very reasonable with his rates.  

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Just turned around and found Mouse patiently waiting for me to finish my computer work so we can play.

Rain??

I'd call our current weather a "drizzle" but at least it is some moisture for our arid desert.  We watched the news last night and saw that the town of Florence had flash floods with knee deep water in some streets.  Not here though.  Still just a drizzle for us.  LOL  It turns our dirt into mud and makes it a little harder to wash away.  It's a main source of entertainment to see what the weather brings us next.  A respite from the heat is very welcomed!!

Phoenix got a lot more than we did.

Avis Gray, Diane Reese and I braved the drizzle and went to the American Legion to play bingo last night.  Avis and Diane both got to yell "BINGO" but I shall just sulk and wait for another day.

Just a reminder about our hard caliche soil.  This landscaper has been chiseling away for two days with a jackhammer to cut a trench for water line.  

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We lost our patio roof but the hummingbird feeder is still here to entertain the cats (and the finches).

It's HOT

The sensor for our thermometer "used to be" under the shade of our patio.  Now it is in the direct sun until repairs can be made.  Here's the reading at 8:45 a.m. yesterday morning.  Need I say more?

Neighborhood Watch

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Presentation

Thursday, July 12

10:00 am in the ballroom

Safety Officer Thomas Anderson from the Casa Grande Police Department will be here to review the value of a neighborhood watch program.  Officer Anderson has been here here in the past to review neighborhood safety.

Click on this link to review his last visit on February 22, 2016.  Scroll down the page to read the letter from Lisa Herold and read the info Officer Anderson left with us.

February 2016

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2018-2019 Event Ticket Information

The 2018-2019 Events are now posted on the Park's website.  Click on the link below.

2018-2019 Events Booklet & Order Form

Tickets go on sale July 24.

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Mouse and Kat survived the storm just fine.  They came out from under the bed within the hour and their tails were finally back to normal.  Such excitement for all of us!

July 4 Celebration

I'm a little slow at getting this posted but I wanted to brag about the lovely July 4 celebration we held here on Wednesday.  I believe there were at least 150 people present.  The proud moment was when we all stood and quite loudly recited  the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Wonderful people, wonderful surroundings, wonderful nation.