Getting Too HOT

Slept in some again this morning. That's getting to be a habit. Had crazy dreams all night long. I always have dreams that I have retired from Lockheed but went back to work for some unknown reason and that I know I'm supposed to be retired and keep saying I'm going to retire again, but I keep forgetting to turn in my paperwork. I've had dreams like that the entire 7 years I've been retired. When Hiker and I got up at 8 am, it was already 78° on my patio. We headed out to buy my lottery ticket for Saturday and then when I got home, I had to clean house. Wanted to get it done before it got much hotter. Took me an hour and by the time I finished it was already 88° outside and my A/C kicked on not long after I was done. Needless to say, there will be no walk today. Hiker and I will get out for a dog walk with Jean early tomorrow morning before it gets too hot. It got up to around 98° on my patio by 2:45 pm. It felt very hot when I walked up to my mailbox and we are supposed to be even hotter this weekend. YUCK!

And The Summer Heat Begins

Slept in a little and then headed over to Stater Brothers to do my grocery shopping. Got home around 9 am and it was already 80°. My A/C kicked on at 10:30 am. We are supposed to keep getting hotter each day and by Saturday and Sunday we are supposed to be in the 100's. I did some housework (mopped my bare floors), sweating the whole time even though my A/C was running. Was too hot to get out for a walk with Hiker this afternoon. It was already 90° at 12:30, so we spent the afternoon in the coolness of our home...me watching Netflix and Hiker barking at the trash trucks as they drove up and down the street stealing everyone's trash.

Hiker keeping an eye on the trash man.

Not Much To Report

Went to my support group today. I stopped by Time Warner on my way home to exchange my HD digital box for the TV in my bedroom as the old one kept losing channels. I've been trying to get the new one set up and activated since I got home around 2:00 pm, but I'm thinking I am going to have to call Time Warner again to have them try to ping it or send someone out because the darn thing just does not want to give me a signal. I HATE THAT! Not much else to report today.

Overcast Day

Another night of not being able to go to sleep. I think I finally drifted off a little after midnight. Got up at 6 am and then headed out for our Monday dog walk with Jean. The sky was totally overcast...June Gloom. I prefer this to the 115° we had last summer. They are saying that we are going to get up to 101° by Friday. We let the dogs play for awhile in my backyard and then after Jean went home, Hiker and I had breakfast and I did a little housework. After I was done with that, I went out and cleaned up the dead gladiola stocks in my front flower bed. Thought I'd take advantage of the cool weather while we have it. It remained overcast all day, so being that it was perfect weather for a walk, I took Hiker over to the Iron Horse Trail Head for a nice afternoon walk. There were yellow wildflowers all over the place.

Afternoon At Hart Park

For some reason I could not fall asleep last night. Usually I fall asleep on the sofa around 9 pm watching a Netflix movie, but last night I was still wide awake at 1 am. I even went out to look at the moon because everyone on Facebook kept telling me how neat it looked. The moon didn't look much different to me but that's probably because we have too many lights here at night. I finally took a sleeping pill and fell asleep after 1:30 am. I had strange dreams, probably brought on by the pill. I drempt that I found some money, a $100 bill, a $10 bill and a $5 bill. They were all very clear to me. I've always heard that if you dream about money that coins mean good luck but bills mean bad luck. Hope that is not true. I also drempt that there was this strange guy who thought he was a vampire. What's in those sleeping pills? LOL! Hiker woke me up a little after 6 am to go outside. When she came back inside, we went back to bed until 8 am. I fell back to sleep immediately and my alarm woke me up. Hiker and I went over to Jean's at 11:30 to help her groom her dog Sassy and then, after taking Hiker back home, Jean and I went over to Heritage Junction in Newhall where our museums are. My friend RuthAnne took us on a tour of the train station and the small historic buildings and then we climbed up the hill and took the tour of the William S. Hart Mansion. Was overcast here most of the day so the temps stayed in the high 70's which was very nice.

Relaxing Afternoon

Ben was in my dreams last night and funny thing...so was his mom. He and I were out shopping trying to find some clothes for him. He was very picky about his pants. They had to be a certain brand and a certain style and he always had trouble finding the right length so we were out at night going from store to store. Strange because he and I never went out shopping at night. Then we stopped by his mom's house, only it didn't look like her house. Funny how dreams are that way. She was trying to find an email address for me which was also strange because his mom never had a computer. In the dream, I remember her searching her dining room table looking through pieces of paper for that email address. When she was alive, she always had little pieces of paper with notes that she had written on her dining room table and I remember she would always look through them to find something when we were visiting. Took Hiker for a morning walk and then came home and did some laundry. Hiker spent the morning outside alternating between lying in the sun and shade. Before noon, after my gardener came, I went into the backyard to play some ball with Hiker and I smelled smoke. Found out there was a small brush fire over on The Old Road just off I5 about 10 miles away. Actually found out there were 2 brush fires, but they got them under control pretty quick. Got up to around 85° here today.

First Full Day Of Summer

Got up at 6 am as we had our Friday dog walk with Jean and her dogs at 7 am. After their walk and play date, Hiker and I had breakfast and then I went over to Sam's Club. Was already 84° when I got back home at 10:30 am. Jean told me that she had groomed her little dog Sassy on Wednesday but Sassy won't let her groom her legs or belly, so Jean wants me to come over this weekend and help her old Sassy while she tries again. We are going over to Heritage Junction on Sunday which is where our local museum is located in the old train station. My friend RuthAnne is a docent there and Jean is hoping for a guided tour from RuthAnne of the museum. I've been on the tour before, but I told Jean I'd take her over there. I told Jean I'd come over before we go to the museum and help her with Sassy. Once again Hiker made me laugh. We were out for a walk around Canyon Country Park this afternoon and as we were heading back to the car, Hiker was looking behind us and not paying attention to what was in front of her. She walked right into what Ben and I (and several other people we know) have always referred to as “donkey dicks” (pardon my French). Thank goodness it was made out of plastic so she didn't hurt herself, but it sure surprised her. She got her legs all tangled up and was trying to compose herself just like we humans do when we walk into something. For those of you who do not know what a “donkey dick” is, it is one of those orange things the highway workers use when they block off lanes.

Someone loves riding in the car

Normal Thursday

Got up a little after 7 am and had breakfast and then I went over to Wal-Mart. I needed to get Hiker the PetFresh refrigerated food that I give her at dinner time. Once again, there were a lot of RVs in the parking lot. As of today, it is officially summer. When I got home, I had to get rid of some weeds on the slope in my front yard and then I took Hiker for a short walk around the community. It was already getting hot so we only did about a mile. Hiker made me laugh this morning. I was watching the CBS2 News at 11 am. Hiker was lying on the sofa next to me. Josh Rubinstein (the meteorologist) was doing the weather and suddenly Hiker jumped up and started barking at him on the TV. I watch this news every day and she has never done that before. Guess this was the first time she really noticed it. We didn't do much all day because it was warm outside. I did go out and play ball with Hiker for a little while.

Pretty Good Wednesday

Got up at 7 am and took Hiker out on a 2 mile walk. The weather is best at that time of the morning. I wanted to get a walk in and I knew it would be too hot after I got home from lunch later. I met up with my friend Ed (Ben's best buddy) for lunch today. I met him at the Sizzler in Sunland and we had a really nice lunch. He was upset about one of his cats who just had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from it's inner ear. He talked to the veterinary oncologist this morning and they said the cat is doing fine but cannot come home until Friday morning. I really need to force myself to stop eating such large portions of food. I have gained another 5 lbs in the past 2 months. I need to lose about 10 to 12 lbs. I know my problem is my portion sizes, plus I eat only comfort foods. My friend DeDee and I talked about this awhile back, that eating is a way of trying to fill the void of not having our husbands anymore. I had left Hiker with a peanut butter filled chew stick when I left hoping she would put her attention on it instead of watching for me to come home, but when I got back home, there was the stick, not touched, on the floor. Once she greeted me with kisses at the door, she ran to the stick and has been chewing on it ever since. My brother Keith is going in for some tests at Kaiser this afternoon to see what his doctor can do about his hiatal hernia. He is worried about the test because they stick a tube down his nose, all the way down to his stomach. I told him to let me know later how it went.

Here is a photo of Ben's buddy Ed

Normal Tuesday

Went to my support group at the senior center today then out for pizza and salad with the “group girls”. Got a little warmer here today...into the high 80's. I need to get outside this evening when it has cooled down some on my driveway and wash my Corolla. It is so dirty I can barely see through the windows and I have to drive it up to Sunland tomorrow to meet Ben's buddy Ed at the Sizzler for lunch. I want to be able to see where I'm going (LOL). I received another recall notice for my Corolla in the mail the other day, but it said they were just informing people about the problem and that they do not yet have a “fix” for it and will send another letter when they have the “fix” so that I can make an appointment to take it to the dealer. That's the second recall this year.

Walk About Monday

Had our usual Monday morning dog walk/play date with Jean and her dogs. Hiker is 100% back to normal after her acting so strange Saturday night. I told Jean about how she was acting and we came to the conclusion that she was having separation anxiety from Keith after he left. I guess it should have been obvious because she was lying in the small bedroom in the exact spot where he had his overnight bag and she would also lay at the front door looking out as if she was watching for him to come back. Nice morning here. There were a lot of people out walking this morning between 7 am and 8 am. I did some housework and washed the drapes from my dining room and the front bedroom. After lunch, Hiker and I went over to Hart Park and walked around some. While in the area, we also visited the Veteran's Plaza and walked along the “Western Walk Of Stars” which is right out front of William S. Hart Park. It was about 90° so we tried to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Just A Lazy Sunday

Hiker and I didn't get out of bed until 8 am this morning. For some reason, I felt “drained” today. I know I was worried about Hiker last night after Keith went home because she was acting so strange. She was scaring me. She acted like she was mad at me or afraid of something, or maybe even sick, but she seemed back to normal today. Maybe she just didn't want Keith to go home. Because I felt tired today, Hiker and I didn't do much. I did some laundry and a little housework, but I mostly felt like doing nothing today. Some days are just like that.

Nice Day With Keith

We slept in a little this morning because we had not gotten much sleep Thursday night. I was lying in bed this morning thinking how good a breakfast out sounded so Keith and I headed over to Denny’s. I had a delicious ham and cheese omelet with hash browns and toast. I never go out to breakfast except when Keith and I go up to our brother Ron's for a visit so it was a treat. Later in the day, we went out looking around for some Wii games and accessories, but no one had anything we wanted so I guess I'll just check out Amazon. Came back home and got Hiker and took her over to Quigley Canyon Open Space for a short hike. Was about 80° to 85° outside. Keith will be leaving around 5 pm to head back down to Orange County.

On this Day

On this date 2 years ago, I lost the love of my life, my Ben. He was my life. His memory will live on forever in my heart and I will love him until the day I die. When I first met Ben, I could not get over how handsome he was and that scared me a little. I had never thought of myself as “attractive”, but he saw something in me that made him fall in love, and I am so grateful that he did. We dated for 6 years and then had 31 fantastic years of marriage. I miss him every day.

Friday With Keith

Didn't get much sleep last night. Keith is doing some consultant work that he was laid off from almost 2 years ago and they had him come out here to Santa Clarita to run some sound tests for a cell phone tower site proposal. He has to take readings late at night or early in the morning so he was out by where the cell tower will be built at 2 am this morning. I knew that when he finished he'd be coming over to my house and I knew that it would be sometime between 3 am and 5 am. I woke up just before 2 am and could not go back to sleep. I turned the TV on and finally started to doze back to sleep just before 4 am and that's when he called and said he was on his way. Once he got here, he crashed on the sofa and Hiker and I went back to bed. She was so excited to see him. He will be staying until late tomorrow afternoon then head home because his daughters have Father's Day planned with him. Originally he was going to go home this afternoon but I think he decided to stay because he knows that tomorrow is the second anniversary of Ben's passing and he didn't want me to be alone. Keith and I went out to lunch and then came back to get Hiker because we had promised her that we'd take her with us somewhere in the car. Keith wanted to go up to Vasquez Rocks to see the new Interpretive Center so that's where we went. I'm going to grill some steaks on my new grill for dinner. YUM!

Had A Nice Thursday

Slept in a little this morning. After breakfast, I had to run out and get a “bubble envelope” so I could send the CD back to Amazon for a refund, plus I had to go fill the 4Runner with gasoline and go to Sam's Club. Was 80° by 11 am here. Keith has been doing some contractual work for the company he used to work for and he emailed me and said that they want him to come up to Santa Clarita to do some sound testing tomorrow morning, so he said he will probably spend Friday and Saturday with me and then head home because his girls want him there for Father's Day on Sunday. After lunch, I took Hiker up to Canyon Country Park where we walked around for almost 1 ½ miles. While there we saw a woman who had an Australian Cattle Dog. It was a little bigger than Hiker, but had the same colors and almost the same markings and also didn't have a tail. I wanted to take a photo of the 2 of them together but the woman was on her phone and it sounded like it was a “business” call and I didn't want to disturb her to ask if it was OK to take a picture of her dog. The just stood there and stared at each other. It was kind of funny.

Great Visit With My Lockheed Girlfriends

I had trouble sleeping last night because all of my muscles were hurting me. I stopped taking my Red Yeast Rice last weekend and have not taken it since the because I know that the natural statins in it gives me joint and muscle pain just like the pharmaceutical statins do. I finally got up after midnight and took an Ibuprofen and that helped enough that I was able to go to sleep. I don't like taking Ibuprofen much because I know that it is what causes Ben's bleeding problems. Jean had called me yesterday evening asking if we could do a dog walk this morning instead of Friday because she has an appointment on Friday morning, so Hiker and I got up around 6 am and got ready for our dog walk. After Jean left, I got ready to head up to Palmdale, CA to meet up with some of my retired Lockheed girlfriends for lunch. For those of you who worked with me, I had lunch with DeDee Parenteau, Gail Plessner, Kay Limpus, Marce Smith and Diana Brewer. Diana is the only one still working at Lockheed. She's trying to stay there until she turns 65. While we were eating Dick Jones, who Diana and I both used to work for came walking in. He retired awhile back and he looked really good. It's amazing to see how much better people look once they've retired. It was very windy up in Palmdale, but that is normal for that area. When I got home it was breezy here and about 80°. I was a little disappointed when I went to my mailbox to pick up my mail. I had ordered a couple of DVDs from Amazon and they were here, but when I opened them I found that one was not a DVD but a musical CD. I checked my invoice and realized that I had ordered a music CD instead of a movie DVD, so I had to re-order the DVD I wanted. I'll just give the CD away to friends or to Good Will. It's a good thing I had bought a used one and it didn't cost me very much. I need to pay more attention when I order. I was looking for the best price but didn't double-check the format.

Muggy Day

When Hiker woke me up this morning at 6 am to go outside, I could hardly move. Don't know if I overdid it with my hike yesterday or if I was just in the sun too long or what but I felt like a train had hit me. I took some Ibuprofen and went back to bed for an hour and when I got up again a 7 am, I felt much better. I had almost thought about not going to my group today but I'm glad I did because it was interesting today. After group a few of us went over to Red Robin for lunch. I need to start getting something else there other than burgers because the last 2 times we've been there, I didn't think the burgers were as good as they used to be. We noticed that it was getting totally overcast and very hot and humid outside. I'm wondering if we are getting some of the remnants of the thunderstorms that hit up where my brother Ron lives yesterday. When I came home, I noticed that the thermometer near my home read 98° but it was only 90° on my patio. Hiker “helped” me put the trash outside and go to pick up the mail at the mailbox. When we got back inside the house, I noticed that something was flying around inside the house. I thought it was a fly at first. Hiker hunted it down and herded it over to the dining room window and that's when I noticed it was not a fly but a bee. I was so afraid that it was going to sing her. I got the fly swatter and killed it. Hiker will have to be alone for a few hours again tomorrow since I will be driving up to Palmdale to meet with my retired Lockheed girlfriends for lunch at the Sizzler.

Had An Afternoon Hike

OK...bragging rights (LOL). Hiker is so smart. Yesterday evening after dinner, she kept coming to me and barking and looking toward my small bedroom which I use as an office/guest room. I told her to show me what she wanted. Well I followed her into the bedroom and she went over to my printer, sat on the floor looking up to it and she barked. I had printed out an invoice about an hour before for something I had ordered on Amazon and usually I go in right after I print and take it off of the printer. Well I had forgotten to go in and get it off the computer and I guess she was telling me that because after I got it and put it on my desk, she “pranced” right back into the living room like she had accomplished what she needed to do. She got up on the sofa and went to sleep. She always hears the printer start up and runs in to look at it, so she knows when I print something. We went on our dog walk/play date with Jean and her dogs this morning. We had another marine layer, but it started burning off by around 8:30 am, then a cool ocean breeze started to come in. We live about 50 miles from the beach but there is a straight shot from Ventura straight up through the Heritage Valley to us and the breeze comes right up through that valley. After Jean left, I made some poached eggs for me and Hiker and the I went grocery shopping. When I got back from that, I put Hiker in the car and took her with me up to Sam's Club to fill my Corolla with gas. Sam's Club is 5¢ to 15¢ cheaper than all of the other gas stations around here. Hiker loves to go for car rides. After lunch I took Hiker over to Placerita Canyon for a hike. I won't be walking with her the next couple of days as tomorrow is my group/lunch with the ladies and Wednesday I am meeting some of my Lockheed retired girlfriends for lunch in Palmdale. Was nice when we were hiking in the shade, but got a little hot in the sun. Only got up to 82° here today. My brother Ron emailed me from Paradise, CA that he was having thunderstorms and rain today.

Today Went By Quick

We slept in today because we had to get up so early yesterday. After breakfast, I headed out once more to try to find the portable gas BBQ grill I've been wanting to buy. I had checked online and supposedly both Target and Lowe's had them is stock, but when I got to both of those stores, neither had them, plus the guy at Lowe's looked in his stockroom book and he said it showed they have never stocked them. However, while I was at Target, I saw a purse that I liked so I bought it. I had one more place to check and that was Big 5 Sporting Goods. I had seen that they had them in stock for $139 and they were the last place I was going to look because the cost I saw for them at the other places that did not have them had been only $100. When I got to Big 5, I found out that they had just put them on sale for $119, so I finally got one. It took me about 1 ½ hours to put it together. For being a Coleman grill that is made in the USA, the instructions they gave sure were not very clear, but I finally figured it out and then attached the gas cylinder to it and made sure it worked. I think I am going to be really happy with it. I did some housework today. At the time, it was only in the mid-70s outside, but it has been more humid here than normal and I was sweating a lot while I was working. It only got up to around 82° here today.

Yard Sale Day

Today was our annual community yard sale. Hiker and I had to get up at 5:30 am to get over to Jean's before 6:30 am to help her set up. Since I only had 2 things to sell I just decided to put my stuff out at Jean's house. She had all kinds of things for sell. We have about 450 homes in our gated community, but not everyone joins in, in fact, Ben and I never participated in the sale. This was the first time in the 18 years I've lived here that I every participated a little. This year our community management made arrangements with a charitable organization called “New Hope For Troubled Lives” to pick up anything that did not sell as they take it and sell it in their thrift stores. When the charity truck came around, they were telling all of us to be careful because some woman was going around in a burgundy van telling people that she was the organization that was supposed to pick up the pink bags they gave us to put our donations into. It is terrible how some people will do things like that. I was able to sell the 2 things I had. One was a large George Foreman Grill and the other was an HP All-In-One-Printer. They were old, but both of them worked. I only got $10 for both of them, but if I had not sold them, they were going to charity, so I think I came out ahead. We were so glad that they weatherman was wrong about how hot it was going to be today. They had originally predicted 103° but thank goodness it only got up to about 85°. I took Hiker with me over to Jean's for the sell and she sat inside the garage with us for 7 hours, just watching the people wander around. I was so proud of her because she did not growl or bark at anyone. I know if I had left her at home, she would have done nothing but growl and bark at everyone walking up and down the street.

Been Busy

I was sound asleep and dreaming when my alarm when off this morning. Had our morning dog walk/play date with Jean and her dogs then Jean and I went over to Wal-Mart because I was looking for one of those small portable propane bar-b-ques. I have a small table-top one but I'm always so afraid it is going to fall off the table, so I want one of the ones that you can take camping or tail gating because I can fold up the stand and put it in the garage. I saw online that the one I wanted was also available in the store, but when we got over there, they didn't have them. I'll have to go shop around and see if I can find one elsewhere. Came home and then Hiker and I went up to Jean's to help her get ready for the community yard sale tomorrow. She always has a lot of things to try to sell, I only have two items that I'm going to try to sell, so I took them over to her house and will sit with her tomorrow. A couple of good things...our community has arranged for one of the local charity groups to come by and pick up things that are not sold and are worth donating, plus they told us that the work crew here at the community will pick up anything that is not worth donating and take it in a big truck over to the dump and we will not be charged for it. I had Ben's old arm chair out on my patio and I very rarely sit in it plus it is pretty broken down, so I put it out at the curb so the work crew can pick it up tomorrow.

Another Nice Day

Slept in a little this morning. Hiker kept trying to make me get out of bed because she knew that I had promised to take her out for a morning walk. I wanted to sleep in because tomorrow (Friday) we have to get up early for our dog walk/play date with Jean and her dogs and Saturday morning, we have to get up around 5 am because we have to be up at Jean's house by 6:30 am to get ready for our community yard sale. Took Hiker over to Bridgeport Park for our walk. We walked around outside from the lake for awhile and then went inside and walked along the lake so Hiker could watch the ducks and geese. Lazed around the house the rest of the day, watching TV and messing around on my laptop.

Just Home From The Park

Hiker had trouble waking me up this morning. She kept whimpering and finally started licking me and that woke me up. After breakfast, I headed over to Wal-Mart to do a little shopping. People must already be on vacation as there were more trailers and motor homes in the Wal-Mart parking lot. You can always tell when they are spending the night there because they park on the perimeters of the lot and usually cluster together. There were a lot of people inside the store too. It was around 9:30 am. I picked up another “Pocket Hose” for my backyard. I liked the one in the front yard so much because it doesn't kink, so I decided to get another one. After lunch, Hiker and I went over to Central Park for a nice afternoon walk. Not too many people in the park today. I noticed on the way home, some of the schools are still in session. We have so many different school districts here in Santa Clarita and they all seem to have different schedules. Got up to 80° here today.

Group Day

Went to my support group today. Hiker always seems to know when I'm going away and leaving her home alone. After group, the ladies and I went to Jimmy Dean's Burgers for lunch. Always so nice to spend time with them. We all once again discussed how easy it is for us to talk to each other about anything. We know that we won't be ridiculed for anything we say. Hiker was happy to see me when I got home. Once again she “helped” me put the trash bins out and then she walked up to the mailbox with me. We had a thick marine layer this morning but the sun broke out and it got up to around 80° here today.

Cooler Day

Had our morning dog walk/play date with Jean and her dogs today. It was all overcast while we were out. This cooler weather should help the firefighters with the Powerhouse Fire. The sun broke through around 9:15 or so. I headed over to Sam's Club and picked up a few things. Got there and realized I had forgotten my shopping list, but I somehow remembered everything I had on the list. Amazing! Came home and watched some TV. After lunch, I took Hiker over to Pico Canyon Park for an afternoon walk. I've driven past there several times, but we never stopped. There is a 300 year old oak tree there named “Old Glory” that was going to be cut down several years ago because it was in the path of where they wanted to build a road. Long story short, a man named John Quigley climbed “Old Glory” and chained himself to her and refused to come out until a deal was made to not cut her down. Eventually she was moved down the road and a park was created around her. They were worried for awhile that she would die but she has survived for several years now and seems to be doing just fine. I've heard that there is a steep stair case in the park that people walk and/or run up and down for cardio exercise, but I could not find it. If any of my SCV friends know where it is exactly, can you please tell me? Hiker and I walked around the path in the park for about 15 or 20 minutes. I think I'll take Keith over there next time he comes and we will explore the area for hiking. 3Got up to about 80° here today.

Simply Sunday

Slept in a little bit this morning. After having pancakes for breakfast, Hiker and I went to get my lottery ticket and then I came home and vacuumed. It's nice not to have so much of her hair to vacuum up and I don't even have to brush her this time of year since I had Jean cut her hair so short. It was already 75° by 9 am. By the time I got finished with my housework and laundry, it was too warm to take Hiker out for a walk as I don't want her to burn her paw pads on the hot pavement. She will get out tomorrow morning on her Monday dog walk with Jean's dogs. I spent the afternoon watching some documentaries on Netflix. Several of them were about American History, which I didn't pay too much attention to when I was in school.

Very Hot Day

Cannot believe that it is already June. In 2 weeks, it will be the second anniversary of Ben's passing. Got up at 7 am, had a little breakfast and then finished shampooing the carpet. All I had left was my master bedroom. Took me about an hour to do. There was still some smoke in the sky this morning. Not quite as bad as yesterday, but I could smell the smoke. By 9:30 am, the outside temperature was already up to 80° so my carpet dried pretty quick. Got up to over 100° in the afternoon. Glad I have the nice A/C inside.

Smoky Day

Had our Friday dog walk/play date with Jean and the dogs. Was already starting to get warm outside. By 8 am it was already 70°. There were a lot of people out walking dogs and a lot of kids were out too. Some of the schools got out already, while some of the others will not get out until next week. Hiker and I walked down to the community office to drop off our land lease payment for June. Spoke with Chris (community manager) about all of the houses popping up for sale in the neighborhood. The people 4 houses down from me sold their house and they packed up a moving van a couple of days ago and they were just getting ready to leave for the last time as Hiker and I came back from the office. I spoke with them. They are moving to Fortuna, CA where their 2 sons live. I told them that Ben and I loved that part of the state and used to vacation there every year. We had even considered moving there many years ago, but I'm kind of glad now that we didn't because I would have been alone up there with no friends or family close by. I went over to KFC to pick up some lunch and when I came back into my community, I saw that the smoke from the Powerhouse Fire, which is burning a few canyons north of where I live, was getting much worse. At least it's not windy. As the smoke got into the upper atmosphere, it spread out like clouds so it looked like a partially cloudy day here.

Did Not Do Much All Day

Woke up with no specific plans for today. It was beautiful outside this morning and cool. Hiker loves to ride in the car and since she didn't get to go with me up to Vasquez yesterday, I decided to take her for a morning drive. Didn't really go anywhere special, just drove around and enjoyed the scenery. Came home and mopped my kitchen floor and then just basically spent the rest of the day watching TV. Just felt like a “do nothing day”, so that's what I did. My thermometer on the patio said it was 85° but it felt a lot hotter than that. They say we are going to be in the 100's Saturday. Have our dog walk/play date with Jean tomorrow. I have to check with her to see if she can take me to my ophthalmologist on July 19th. They just called and said he wants to see me then and take more pictures of the inside of my eye.

Great Hike This Morning

Jean and I headed up to the new Interpretive Center at Vasquez Rocks County Park this morning. Hiker had to stay home because she could not go into the center and it was too hot to leave her out in the car. I felt so bad for her because when she saw me putting on my hiking boots, she started acting like she was going to get to go with me. The center is small but still has some cool stuff in it. Jean and I saw some t-shirts there that we wanted to buy but we were told that the gift shop will not officially open until tomorrow when they have the Grand Opening of the center, so they could not sell any to us yet. We'll just have to go back another time. We hiked on another trail there that I had never hiked before. Came across some historical stuff and some unusual stuff too. We hiked almost 2 miles and then on our way back, saw that they were bringing in bus loads of kids for a tour, so we high-tailed it out of there. Had a really nice time there though. On the way home, we stopped at Der Wienerschnitzel for lunch and then headed home. Hiker still loved me even though she didn't get to go on this hike with us. I promised I'd take her up there again another time. She went up to the mailbox with me and then she “helped” me put the trash bins out by the curb. She does that every week and she acts like she is doing something really important (LOL). Got up to almost 90° here this afternoon and they are saying we will be in the triple digits by the weekend.

Pleasant Day At Home

Slept in this morning. Decided not to go to group as I had some stuff I needed to do. I still try to go to the group each week, but I mostly just go now for the social aspect of it. I love going out with the ladies for lunch after group. I've met a great group of people there. It was very windy when Hiker and I got out of bed. I waited until it died down some before I took her out for a walk. It was really pretty while out on our walk. I watched the tribute to Jeanne Cooper on “The Young And The Restless” and cried through the entire show. After watching her every day for 30 years, I felt like I knew her. Did a little yard work and played ball with Hiker for awhile. Heard on the news that there is a brush fire burning over my Six Flags Magic Mountain which is about 10 miles across the valley from me. I could see some smoke in the air. Stayed windy most of the day.

Memorial Day 2013

Jean and I did our normal Monday dog walk this morning. Such a pretty day outside. A lot of people were out walking their dogs this morning since they didn't have to work. Around 10 am, the WWII planes flew over my house. Hiker and I ran out into the yard to watch them. Hiker looked up at them and barked. Ben and I used to go over to our local cemetery every Memorial Day to watch the planes fly over. They always fly the old planes over and a few times they flew fighter jets and a couple of times they flew a huge C-17 Cargo Plane over. I remember Memorial Day 2011. I had gone to the hospital to be with Ben. He had gotten mixed up by this time on what day it was or what month it was, so I told him it was Memorial Day. He asked me if I was going to go to the cemetery and watch the planes. I told him that I wouldn't go without him and that we'd go together the next year, which never happened. I have not gone since, but it was so cool to see the planes fly directly over my house. I like to believe that Ben sent them so I could see them again. I had another dream about him last night. I dreamt that we were out somewhere and he was waiting out in the car for me to finish shopping or something. I've dreamed more about him in the past few weeks than I have done in the entire two years he's been gone.

Not A Bad Sunday

Slept in this morning. I had thought about taking Hiker for a morning hike but when I got up to let her outside at 6 am, my muscles were sore from shampooing the carpet yesterday. We went back to bed until 8 am then got up, had some breakfast and went to get my lottery tickets. When we got back, I took Hiker for a 2.5 mile walk. It was such a beautiful morning. Lots of people out for walks, rides, etc. Hiker even saw some horses up close and personal. She was a little afraid at first but settled down after she saw they were not coming near her. The graffiti idiots were out last night. I most have taken about 8 or 10 photos of graffiti and turned it into the city via their iPhone app. It gives them the exact location where the graffiti is via satellite and gives them the pictures. They probably won't get out to clean it up until Tuesday since tomorrow is a holiday. I brought Hiker back home and then headed over to Big Lots as I saw that they had some window blinds on sale and I needed new ones for two of my front windows. Well when I got them home, I found they were not “mini-blinds” so I had to take them back. Watched “La Bamba (the Ritchie Valens story)” on Encore today. Took me back to my childhood with that music. This was the movie that introduced Lou Diamond Phillips. Now I watch him on “Longmire”. All of the singers that were portrayed in the movie are now dead...Ritchie, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Jackie Wilson, Eddie Cochran. Nice weather here all day.

Been Busy All Day

Not much to post today. Got up at 7 am and immediately started shampooing my carpet in the living room. Was going to do it last Thursday but didn't feel well that day so decided to do it today. Was a nice day for it as it was warm so it dried pretty quickly. Got up into the low 70's here today and there was a nice breeze. Took me about 2 ½ hours to shampoo the living room. Now all I have left is my bedroom which I will probably do next Saturday. Hiker stayed outside most of the day while I was running the shampooer. She dislikes it about as much as she does the vacuum. I might take her out for a hike tomorrow morning since we didn't get out today.

Long Weekend Coming Up

Got up at 6 am and got ready for our Friday dog walk with Jean. I felt better this morning when I awoke. I was watching a movie on Netflix last night and my phone rang just before 9 pm. I saw on my caller ID that it was my brother Ron and I knew something was wrong because he never calls that late in the evening. When I answered, he said “It's me” and I could tell by his voice that something was wrong. I asked him what the matter was and he said “we just had a good sized earthquake here”. I could tell he was a little rattled by it. He is 70 years old and lives alone, so I can totally understand it upsetting him. He lives in Paradise, CA which is in northern California. He told me how it felt. It was the first major one he has felt since 1971 when there was one in Sylmar, CA and he still lived down here in southern California. We found out it was a 5.7 and that it was near a town called Greenville which is about 70 to 80 miles north of Paradise, but the epicenter was actually about 40 miles north of Paradise. We talked for about 15 or 20 minutes until he calmed down some. They have been having small aftershocks all day. After our dog walk and breakfast, I headed up to Stater Brothers to do my grocery shopping. Must have been a lot of people are off work today for the long holiday weekend because the parking lot and store were more crowded than when I usually go. Took Hiker for a 1 mile walk around the community after lunch. Very nice day outside.

Stay At Home Day

Woke up feeling like crap this morning. Stuffy head, headache, fatigue etc. Thought maybe I was coming down with something as one of our ladies in the group said she was coming down with a cold and she was sitting right next to me Tuesday, but then got to thinking it might be “drug withdrawal” because I forgot to take my B/P meds yesterday morning and didn't realize it until afternoon. They say not to take them if it's been that many hours...to just wait until the next day and take them at the normal time. This is the first time in about 8 years I've forgotten to take them. The last time it happened I was still working and I remember I had the same reaction/symptoms that time. I had planned on doing some more carpet shampooing, but decided to put it off until Saturday and just veg out all day today. One thing I've learned since I've gotten older is that I do not need to do anything when I don't feel good. I don't have anything else planned for Saturday anyway. I was feeling a little lonely today. I'm sure it's because in a little more than 2 weeks it will be the second anniversary of Ben's passing. It's funny how you don't dwell on it, but it's always there. Hiker was outside and kept barking at me to come out and play with her, so I did for a little while, then I just sat in the sun for awhile. The sun kept going in and out and a strong breeze was blowing.

Kept Busy All Day

Watched a good movie last night on Netflix called “The Gift” with Cate Blanchett. I was dreaming about Ben when I woke up this morning. It was like he was really here with me. I don't dream about him very much. I was dreaming I was outside walking in the dark to my car. It was so dark I could not see but I knew he was behind me and I called his name and he took my hand. Then we were lying in bed next to each other. I told him that I had missed him and that while he was in the hospital, I would imagine he was in bed with me at night while I was sleeping, so I would not be so scared being alone. I remember hugging him and then I woke up. It seemed very real. It's strange because DeDee mentioned yesterday at lunch that she had a dream about her late husband Don and that she doesn't dream of him much either. I'm thinking my dream of Ben has something to do with the fact that in 2 weeks, it will be the 2nd anniversary of his passing. I woke up with tears in my eyes. Made breakfast and then headed over to Wal-Mart. Picked up one of those “pocket hoses” for when I wash my cars. Also bought some dog treats for Hiker, some no-pest strips for the patio, a seat cover for the driver seat of the 4Runner and a rug-runner to put in front of my sofa. Saw Jean walking her dogs to the mail box so looks like Sassy is feeling better today. Filled my hummingbird feeders and did a few other things outside while Hiker played with her ball in the yard. After lunch, I put my new kinetic wind spinner together and put it up next to my patio where I can watch it from the sofa through the sliding glass doors. While Hiker and I were on the patio, Hiker noticed something running across the grass. I thought it was a lizard, but turned out to be a field rat. It ran across my patio and I think it went under the house, which is good, because I have rat poison under there. I think it scared Hiker because right after she saw it running across the patio, she wanted to go into the house and she was “hiding” in the bathroom. Silly dog. I sure have been getting a lot of telemarketing calls lately. If I don't recognize the number on my caller ID I don't answer the call and they never leave a message because they know you won't call them back. I then check the number on a website called Spokeo.com where it tells me if it is a telemarketer and about 99% of the time it is. Got to around 80° today.

Group & Lunch

Went to my weekly Grief Support Group today. Seems like we now have the same regulars all of the time. Have not had anyone new for several weeks. After group, the usual group of ladies went to Backwoods Inn for lunch. We were getting tired of the same old places we've been going to for the past year or so and decided to go somewhere different. Backwoods was Ben's favorite place to eat in town. We used to go there every Saturday for lunch. Got home a little later than normal. Hiker must have been asleep when I walked in the door because she was not there to greet me. Once I got inside though, she came running. She “helped” me put the trash bins out at the curb and walked up to the mailbox with me and then she “helped” me rake the leaves in my backyard. Had an email from Jean this morning that her little dog Sassy (Hiker's BFF) had thrown up a couple of times this morning. Hope she is OK. Got up into the mid-80's today.

Prayers For Oklahoma

Had our regular dog walk/play date with Jean and her dogs this morning. After our walk, it started getting really windy here with Santa Ana Winds so it started getting really warm really quick. After Jean left, I had breakfast and then headed over to Sam's Club. Too hot to do anything this afternoon so I was watching TV and saw that a huge tornado slammed into Moore, OK. They think it was an EF5 and they said it was up to 2 ¾ miles wide at one time. It took out hundreds of houses for miles. It took the exact same track as the EF5 that went through Moore, OK in 1999. They said it hit 2 schools that were full of children. I just sat there watching with tears rolling down my cheeks. After surviving 2 big earthquakes myself, I kind of know what those poor folks are going through.

Had A Nice Morning Hike

Got up at 6:30 to get ready for a morning hike with Jean. We went over to Whitney Canyon and did a little over 2 miles. Glad we got there early because when we were leaving, all of the mountain bikers were arriving and Hiker hates bikes, so at least we got our hike done before they got on the trails. When we first started out, Hiker spotted a little jack rabbit on the trail. As soon as it saw Hiker, it took off. About a mile into the canyon, we turned a corner on the trail and Hiker started growling. Off to our right there was a skunk about 20 feet away from us. We saw that tail go up so we turned around and high trailed it out of there. This is a good reason to always make sure your dog is on leash when you are out. If Hiker had been free, she would have ran right at the skunk and gotten sprayed. I would have taken a photo of the skunk if it had been farther away, but it was much too close to stop and snap it. On the way back down the trail, we warned everyone we saw about the skunk, just in case it was still there. Everything has turned brown since the last time Keith and I had hike this canyon. It was so green and pretty just 2 months ago. It was nice and cool this morning when we were hiking but this afternoon it got up to the high 80's.

"Chillin' & 'Unlaxin'"

Pretty Good Saturday

Hiker and I decided to sleep in a little later this morning. That's the first morning we've done that in over a week. I'm trying to get out of the habit. We got up just before 7:30 and went out for a morning walk. Now I have two main reasons why we cannot walk on hot afternoons...don't want to burn Hiker's paw pads and now that she has been shaved, I don't want her to get sunburned. Plus I hate the heat anyway. I put her monthly flea/tick medication on her this morning. I started using VetGuard Plus instead of Frontline Plus. I read where it actually kills and repels more parasites than Frontline Plus and it's a lot cheaper to buy. Smells good too. Just like lemons. Hiker was acting like she was mad at me today. She seemed to be avoiding me. Don't know if it's because I made her get a bath and a haircut or if it was because I put her flea/tick medication on her. I know how much she loves to ride in the car, so after lunch I took her for a drive up to Vasquez Rocks because I wanted to check to see if the new Interpretive Center they built there was open yet. It was, but it was too hot to leave her in the car if I went in, so I'll check with Jean and see if she'd like to go up there next week. I could smell smoke in the air all day. Can't see anything, but I do know there is a fire up near Castaic and also one up by Frasier Park, so I'm sure that I am smelling smoke from them.

Lazy dog

It's Friday

We had another marine layer here this morning. Had our morning dog walk and play day with Jean's dogs and then headed over to Jean's house so she could groom Hiker. She shaved so much hair off of hike that she completely filled a 2 gallon trash can with it. There was enough hair there to cover a couple of hairless Chihuahuas. I said it was too bad neither Jean nor I could knit because we could use Hiker's hair to make a Calico scarf (LOL). We had a good laugh when Jean had Hiker in the tub bathing her. Hiker kept farting, then after the bath, Hiker kept farting and boy were they strong ones if you know what I mean. I don't know what she ate that gave her so much gas. Maybe it was just nerves. Anyway, Hiker no longer looks like the same dog. She looks so lean and sleek. She sure does not have any fat on her body. After lunch I took Hiker for a walk around our community and we stopped by the office to show off Hiker's new “do”. Started getting breezy while we were out. Watched a good movie on NetFlix with Andy Griffith, a comedy called “Playing The Game”.

Semi-Busy Day

It was much cooler this morning when Hiker and I awoke. We had a marine layer which burned off by around 9 am. We didn't walk this morning as I am starting to shampoo my carpet in increments and this morning I did the small bedroom/office and hallway. After lunch, I took Hiker for a walk around inside of our community. The sun was out but it was still hazy from the marine layer we had this morning. It got up to about 75° today.

Very Good Day

Got up just a little before 7 am and headed out for a morning walk. It was beautiful outside this morning. Came home and had breakfast and then headed out for some errands. Today was my “make out like a bandit” day. I've mentioned that I do online surveys and I receive either checks for doing them or I get Amazon eCertificates. Well I had $56 in checks from my surveys, so I headed over to the bank and cashed them and then headed up to Kohl's. I had my free $10 gift card that they had mailed to me last week. I was thinking about buying some tank tops and they did have some on sale, but I didn't see any I liked, so I kept looking around the store and found some patriotic T's on sale for $4.99 each. I got 2 of them which came to $9.98 and since I had the gift card, they were totally FREE! Then I headed over to Stater Brothers to do a little grocery shopping. Since I had the $56 from my survey checks which is basically “free money”, I used it to pay for the $30 on the groceries I bought, so they were Free! That left me $26 and I'm going to have Jean groom Hiker on Friday and she charges $25 so that means I'll get her groomed for FREE! Now that's what I call a good morning. Was so nice outside that Hiker and I sat on the patio for awhile this afternoon. Today would have been my mom's 92nd birthday. Happy Birthday Mom...I miss you.

Chillin' on the patio while Hiker played in the yard

Much Cooler Today

Went to my support group today. The usual people were there. Had some good discussion and then a nice Mexican lunch at Dario's. We all just love listening to the stories people tell about what went on during their week. It was much cooler today. Reached just a little over 80° at my house where it was 100° over the weekend. I'm so glad it's somewhat cooler, but I still prefer the temps to be in the 70s. When I got home, I went out and raked the leaves out of my backyard and then played some ball with Hiker. I received another $10 gift card from Kohl's in the mail the other day, so tomorrow I'll head up there to spend my “free” money and then stop by Stater Brothers on my way home to get some groceries.

Hot Monday

Had our usual Monday dog walk/play date with Jean and her dogs today. Was already in the high 60's when we were out at 7:30 am. Did a little housework this morning and then watched TV in the air conditioned house most of the day as it was 100° again. I had noticed that I have a lot of dead brown spots in my back yard, so I was outside for about 20 or 30 minutes fixing and adjusting sprinklers. I got soaked but what a good day to get wet (LOL). I think I need to get some new sprinkler heads as most of the ones I have as spares are old and don't work right anymore. Sure wish it would cool down. I'm not ready for summer.

Hangin' At Home With Hiker On Mother's Day

Got up at 7:30 and headed out for a morning walk. I knew it was going to get hot today, so wanted to get out before the heat arrived. As you know, I hate the heat, plus if the pavement is too hot, it would burn Hiker's paws. We just walked around inside of our community, but we did 2 miles. Came home and had some breakfast and then we went to get my lotto tickets. My friend Ed (Ben's buddy) is up in Idaho at his mom's so when he's away, I have to buy the tickets he and Ben used to share as he and I share them now. He always gives me money ahead of time for his portion of the tickets. Threw my sheets and towels into the washer and did my vacuuming. Picked up a lot of Hiker hair as her summer coat is coming in so her under coat is really shedding. I'm going to have Jean shave her this Friday when she grooms her. I need to start shampooing my carpet this week. I used to do the entire house in one day, but now I split it up into 3 days. By 10:30 am it was already 90° on my patio, so Hiker and I stayed inside with the A/C all day again. Hit 100° by 1 pm.

Feels Like A Summer Day

Watched “Runaway Bride” on Netflix last night. I had never seen it before. I was not really impressed with it. Hiker brought her new squeaky toy to bed with us and I eventually had to take it away from her and hide it because she would not stop playing with it and making all kinds of noise. We got up at 7 am and headed right out for a walk because I knew it was going to be in the 90's here today. By 12:30 pm it was 95° on my patio. Did a load of laundry while watching several episodes of “Storm Chasers”. By 2 pm it was 98° on my patio. I went outside to play some ball with Hiker, but we didn't stay outside too long because it was so hot.

Here is a photo Judy (on my left) had a woman who was passing by take of Jean, Me & Judy at the marina yesterday.

Beautiful Day In Ventura With Friends

Watched another movie on Netflix last night. Ben and I very rarely went out to see a movie so there are so many of them that I have never seen. Last night I watched one called “A Little Bit Of Heaven” with Kate Hudson. Made me cry. Plus in the movie she had a dog and I was so worried about what was going to happen to him when she died from the cancer. Had a dog walk with Jean and then she and I headed out to meet up with my friend Judy and the 3 of us went to Ventura for the day. It was a beautiful day in Ventura. We wandered around the thrift shops and then had lunch at the Busy Bee 50's diner. Headed over to the marina and went through the gift shops. We ran out of time and didn't get to go to the beach so we will have to do that next time. We got home around 5 pm.

Had A Nice Morning Walk

Didn't mention it yesterday but Tuesday night, I had trouble falling asleep for some reason. The last time I remembered looking at the clock it was 2 am and since I got up Wednesday at 6 am for a dog walk with Jean, I had only gotten about 4 hours of sleep that night. So last night, I fell asleep on the sofa while watching “Criminal Minds”. I was still sleepy this morning when Hiker woke me at 6 am to go outside. We went back to bed for awhile. After breakfast, Hiker and I stopped to get my lotto tickets on our way over to Heritage Park Valencia where we did a 2 mile walk this morning. It was beautiful outside and already 70° by 9:30 am. There were a lot of young mothers with their kids at the park, also a lot of people walking dogs and riding bicycles. They have a fiberglass bear at the park. They call it the Heritage Bear and it is covered with historical pictures of Santa Clarita. Hiker took one look at that bear and tried to run in the opposite direction. I don't know if she thought it was real or what. When we got home, we went out into the backyard and I raked leaves while Hiker played with her ball. Yes I said I raked leaves. I have an evergreen shade tree that drops leaves in the spring and summer instead of in the fall. The sun was shining brightly while we were out walking but after noon, it started getting a little overcast again. By 1:30 it was cloudy again which is strange because they had said we should be clear today and through the weekend. I'm hoping that tomorrow is nice because I am going up to Ventura with Jean (my neighbor) and Judy (a long time friend from work). We are hoping to walk along the beach and it would be nice if it was not cloudy.

Partly Cloudy Day

Got up at 6 am this morning. We had a dog walk with Jean and her 3 dogs. We usually don't have a walk with them on Wednesday, but since it was raining on Monday, we rescheduled. After breakfast, I headed over to Sam's Club to pick up some things. They didn't have the DentaStix that I normally get so I went up to PetSmart after lunch to get some. Hiker loved that because she got a ride in the car and she loves to go to PetSmart because they always give her cookies. She knows where they keep the cookies behind the counter. When we first enter the store, she tries to head for the checkout counter first but I tell her she has to wait. When we check out, she goes right behind the counter, sits down and stares up at the clerk begging for cookies. They always giver her 3 or 4 because she is so cute. After we got home, I took her out for a walk around the community. The last time I was at the office (when I paid my lease) they asked me to bring Hiker by for a visit the next time we were out walking, so we stopped by to visit Marcie and Chris, then finished our walk around the neighborhood. Felt sad today as one of my favorite TV stars passed away. Jeanne Cooper (Katherine Chancellor on The Young And The Restless) passed away at the age of 84. She had been in and out of the hospital for a few weeks. I have been watching her 30 of the 40 years she has been on Y&R and felt like I knew her personally. I remember her as a guest star on shows like Bonanza and Twilight Zone back in the 1960's. I hope they let her character die too because no one could ever replace her.

Support Group/Lunch With Friends

Another cloudy morning when Hiker and I got out of bed. I headed over to the senior center this morning to attend my grief support group. We have about 15 regular members now who are there just about every week. Went over to Cathy's Deli with 6 of the ladies for lunch. I left a little early because I had to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up some food for Hiker. Wal-Mart sells the Fresh Pet refrigerated foods that she loves. I try to mix up what I feed her so she won't get bored with her meals. I give her dry food in the morning and the refrigerated food in the evening. Keith and I are always saying that the refrigerated food smells so good, that we almost feel like eating it (LOL). It is all natural. It is chicken, rice, carrots, and spinach. No preservatives or additives. Hiker was at the door to greet me when I arrived home. Every Tuesday, she “helps” me put the trash bins out by the curb and then she goes with me up to the mailbox. She knows my habits and she has my routine down pat.

Rainy Day In SoCal

Woke up to rain this morning. It was 6 am and I usually get up at that time when I have a dog walk date with Jean. Let Hiker outside to potty and saw the rain. Called Jean and rescheduled our walk for Wednesday morning turned the furnace on and went back to bed. I'm really getting into a bad habit of going back to bed until 8 am. I was always a person who was up early and got my day started. Got up a 8 am and made breakfast and then headed over to Stater Brothers to do my grocery shopping. Crazy drivers everywhere on the streets. People here in California just do not slow down when it rains. Saw a car hanging over the edge and facing the wrong way on a freeway on ramp. There was a tow truck there already. Talked to my brother Ron on the phone and then tried to open my email and found that it was not working. Don't know what was happening, but after about 15 minutes, it started to work again. Sun came out around 2 pm but was gone again by 3 pm. They are saying we still may get more rain tonight and tomorrow. Since I could not take Hiker out for a walk as things were wet and muddy, I played a few Wii games (tennis, baseball and bowling). At least it was a little bit of exercise.

From Summer Heat To Winter Cold In One Day

What a difference a couple of days make. Here we were in the 90's with high winds. This morning Hiker and I woke up to a totally cloudy, cool day. I went from sandals, shorts and a t-shirt to jeans and a long sleeved shirt. It has been drizzling off and on and there is a nice breeze. I took Hiker with me in the car (she loves to ride) to buy my Lottery tickets. I had planned on taking her for a walk when we got back home, but the drizzling rain killed my mood for a walk. Feels more like a day to stay inside and watch movies. I made myself some pancakes and then did a little house work. While cleaning house, I had a crying spell. That's the first one in a long time. Don't know what brought it on. My theory is that it's Sunday. Everyone in my support group says Sundays are the worst days for them. None of us have figured out why yet. The cloudy weather probably had something to do with it too. The anniversary of Ben's and my first real date is coming up on May 11th. I know my dear friend Paula remembers that day...sailing over to Catalina. Ben got so seasick. Plus the 2nd anniversary of his death is creeping up on me. Hiker helped me to stop crying by coming over to me and licking me. I don't know what I would do without her. Around 11 am I started hearing a lot of emergency vehicle sirens. Sounding like they were stopping about a mile or so from my house, but could not really tell. The sirens went on for about 15 or 20 minutes. I turned on the local police scanner on my laptop and heard them talking about HazMat, and explosion and the fact that their were several vehicles inside a metal building. Don't know if this information was coming from the location where all of the emergency vehicles went or if it was another problem elsewhere. I had to put a sweat shirt on this afternoon because I was cold. From sandals, shorts and t-shirt yesterday to jeans, long sleeved top and sweat shirt today. Crazy weather. I watched a movie called “One For The Money” on Netflix and then took a short nap. Turned out to be another lazy day. Still have not found out what was with all of the emergency sirens this morning. Maybe I'll hear something later.

Relaxing Day

Was still a little hazy this morning when Hiker and I got up. Don't know if it was from a marine layer or from the smoke. I didn't smell any smoke and it was cooler today, so I'm guessing it was a marine layer. Got up and took Hiker out for a morning walk and then came back home and made breakfast. Did a load of laundry and a few other things around the house then played some ball with Hiker out in the back yard. Not a whole lot to talk about today. Mostly just relaxed and watched TV.

Lots Of Fires Burning In SoCal

Had a morning dog walk/play date with Jean. It was cool and not windy when Hiker and I crawled out of bed but by the time we got out for our walk it was already getting warmer. Still was not windy but by 11 am it was already about 80° outside. After Jean went home, I made breakfast and then decided to wash the drapes in my master bedroom and the curtains in my master bathroom. Next I need to wash the drapes in the smaller bedroom. Will do that maybe next week. Need to get around to shampooing my carpet soon too. Heard that the brush fire in Camarillo has gotten worse again and is not threatening Malibu. Also heard earlier this morning that a small fire had started just of the 14 Freeway about 5 miles from me, but I think they got it out because have not heard any more news on it and since we don't have any wind here, it would have been easy for them to put it out. Heard at 3 pm another brush fire has broken out in the City of Glendale near Hwy 2 and 134 freeway. Got up to around 93° here so no afternoon walk. Hiker and I are inside with the A/C running.

Very Hot...Very Windy

Woke up to a text on my cell phone this morning from my brother Keith, telling me that he “may have a job”. He was getting ready to go in for an interview. The wind blew very hard all night long and was still blowing when Hiker and I got out of bed. I had thought about taking her for a morning walk or hike, but the wind was blowing dust everywhere so we stayed home. Watching the television news, I saw several huge brush fires burning in SoCal. Whenever we have heat and wind, the crazies get out and start fires because they know that the wind will whip them up. I turned off my automatic sprinklers because when the wind is blowing this hard, the water blows everywhere and doesn't really water the lawn. The wind was still blowing very hard in the afternoon but I decided to get out for a short walk inside of our community around 2:30. We are much cooler than where the fires are. We got up into the mid-80s and they are breaking records in the mid-90s. Keith called me around noon and said that the job interview was OK but they have a few more people to talk to, so he has to now wait.

If you would like to read my article in this month's "The Mighty Oak" here is the link. My article is on page 10.

The Mighty Oak

Back To "Normal"

Slept in a little bit this morning. We had planned on doing a morning hike over behind Hart Park but Keith had a “stomach problem” so we figured it was best not to go. I made breakfast and we settled down to watch TV. I signed up for Netflix Streaming Service last night on my smart TV. I get the first month free, so if I don't like it, I can always cancel before the month is up. Keith and I watched “Radio” last night. I had heard of it but didn't know what it was about. Turned out to be a very good movie. Started getting very windy here around 10:30 am and a red flag fire weather warning was called for the Santa Clarita Valley. Keith headed home around 12:30. Amazing how quiet the house becomes when it's just me and Hiker. Hiker really settles down after Keith leaves. She is sad that he's gone home and she just lies on the sofa sleeping. I think he wears her out (LOL).