Spent The Day With The Poppies

Up early this morning to first take all of the dogs for a walk and then Jean and I headed up to the Antelope Valley to visit the California Poppy Reserve. I was not able to take Hiker with me to hike with us up there as they only allow service dogs on the reserve. The parking lot was really full when we pulled in and then we found out that there was some kind of a field trip with a bunch of kids, but I guess the parents brought them as there was no bus or anything big in the lot. It was breezy when we got there and wasn't too bad for about an hour but then the wind started blowing really hard. The poppies were starting to close up and we were getting dust in our eyes. We hiked about 2.5 miles all over the hills and we stopped at the visitor's center and we each bought a T-Shirt. On the way up to the reserve, we passed an antique barn, so on the way back we stopped and went inside. They sure had a lot of stuff in that big old barn. Jean bought a little dog figurine, but I didn't buy anything. We then headed into Palmdale where we went to Alice's Diner for lunch. I used to go there when I worked in Palmdale at Lockheed, but had not been there in about 10 years. The food was not as good as I remembered, but was OK. Came home and put a load of laundry into the washing machine and then started going through my photos. Tomorrow Jean and I are heading over to our city's annual Earth Day/Arbor Day event at Central park. Should be a fun day.

Hazy Thursday

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow last night. Hiker woke me up at exactly 6 am to let her go outside then we went back to bed for a little while. After breakfast, I headed over to Wal-Mart. Bought some food for Hiker, some stuff for gardening, 3 pairs of shorts for the warmer weather and a take and bake pizza for dinner. Hiker had to look in all of the bags while I was putting stuff away. After lunch, Hiker and went outside and played ball for awhile. It was hazy all day, but still in the mid 80s. We also went on a short walk to the park. So my neighbor Jean and I are going to try to go to the Poppy Reserve again tomorrow since we didn't get to go yesterday. I won't be on the computer most of the day. Hope I'll have some good photos to share with everyone.

Power Main Breaker Fixed

Got up at 2:15 am to go to the bathroom. I have night lights all over my house and when I got up, I noticed it was darker than normal then realized that the night lights were not on. I started checking the rest of the house and found that 2/3 of my house did not have any electricity. The exact same thing happened 15 years ago and at that time one of the guys from the our community's construction crew came by and found that the underground electrical box between my house and my neighbor's house had shorted out, so I was guessing that the same box was causing the problem. I could not go back to sleep because I was upset. I called Javier (the foreman of the community crew) and he came by around 8:30 and checked it out. He found that what was causing the problems was my main breaker switch. It had shorted out and so the GFI shut it down to prevent it from catching fire. He said he'd come back during his lunch break and replace it for me. Since it is not a community problem, he cannot fix it except on his own time. He got it working for me until he was able to come back. So I had called Jean a little after 6 am because we had planned to leave around 8 am to go up to the Poppy Reserve. We have rescheduled our trip for Friday. I went out after lunch and sprayed some weeds in the area of the yard that I do not let Hiker go into. Since I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night, I fell asleep on the sofa this afternoon. Javier arrived around 3 pm to fix the breaker. He said he was extremely busy with work today so it took him awhile to get back. It only took him 10 minutes to switch out the breaker. He showed it to me. You could see where the plastic around the terminals had melted. It was very warm here today. Got up to 90° on my patio.

Another Tuesday

Up at 7 am and then headed over to the Senior Center for my weekly support group. Good group today. We were celebrating Jane's 80th birthday which is on April 11th. Had another member from the “Caregiver's Group” join us. I remembered him from when I was in that group when Ben was in the hospital. His wife passed away yesterday. She'd been sick for about 4 years and was in a coma her last few days. Tomorrow I won't be online until later in the day as my neighbor Jean and I are heading up to the Antelope Valley to the California Poppy Reserve. I cannot take Hiker with me on this hike because they do not allow dogs out on the trails at the reserve. I don't know if it's because there are so many snake out there or what, so Hiker will have to stay home. Hopefully I will have a lot of photos to share with everyone.

Warm Monday

Out of bed early this morning and out for our walk with Jean and her dogs. It was already pretty warm. After Jean left, Hiker and I went in to have our poached egg breakfast and Hiker was a very bad girl. I always give her an egg in her dog dish and I put mine on an English muffin with low-fat ham and fat free cheese. I put hers in the bowl and mine was on the counter. I left the room for just 2 seconds and when I came back, Hiker had stood up on her back legs and took the slice of cheese off of my sandwich and I'm sure if I had not caught her, she would have taken the rest of the sandwich too. She has never done that before. I scolded her, telling her how bad she was and that she was not to do that. I never spank her, so I hope the scolding will help her to understand that what she did was bad. I also ignored her for awhile to let her know that if she's bad that she doesn't get any attention for awhile. I cleaned the house after that. I vacuum all the time, but every 3 months, I do what I consider my “deep cleaning” and that's what I did this morning. When I finished, I sat down on the sofa and Hiker got on the sofa next to me and kept looking at me while I ignored her. Then she laid down next to me and every once in awhile, she would touch me with her paw, but I continued to ignore her. I want her to understand she cannot be bad. Since I do not spank Hiker and I cannot “ground” her as you do children, I just ignored her for most of the day. I finally went in and gave her a hug and told her I still love her. She started kissing me like crazy. She knew I was mad at her. We did not go for a walk this afternoon because I was tired from doing my housework this morning. Got up to 89° here today.

Tranquil Sunday

Another night of not falling asleep until after midnight. Slept in until 7:30 am. Would have slept in later but Hiker decided she wanted to play with her squeaky Santa toy. Last night she pulled the barking “I wanna get a different toy out of my toy bin” routine. I opened her bin for her and she pulled out the rubber Santa that I got her last Christmas and now that's the only toy she is playing with. She gave up on the rubber pumpkin that she took out of the bin last week. Put the sheets and towels into the washing machine, made breakfast and then headed over to get my lottery tickets. Came back home and emptied the dishwasher then checked my emails and my Facebook page. Started watching “Pearl Harbor” on AMC. I have never seen the movie in its entirety and I still haven't because after lunch, I took a break to get Hiker out for a short walk. We didn't go very far because I am expecting my friend Lynn to come by and see if she wants any of the CalKing sheet sets I still have. Lynn came by a little after 2 pm. Hiker had never met her before and Hiker's hair was standing up and she was barking. She finally calmed down though and let Lynn into the house and accepted her. Lynn thought maybe Hiker reacted toward her the way she did because Lynn was wearing a hat. Got up to 80° here today.

Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter

On February 17, 2014 I bought a Topsy Turvy tomato planter and hung it on my patio. My brother Keith was here when I set it up and he told me to take a photo of it every Sunday and send it to him so he could see how it was progressing. Below are the photos I've taken for the past 8 week and today I found 2 very small tomatoes starting.

What A Beautiful Day!

Thirty-four years ago on this exact date (and yes it was a Saturday), Ben and I were married in Las Vegas. We took both of our mom's with us up there for the day. We went to the court house and purchased our marriage license and then walked around the corner to the Justice Of The Peace office and were married. We went to lunch and then on our way out of town, stopped at one of the casinos to play some slots and then headed home. Our last anniversary together (our 31st) was spent in the Kaiser Hospital in Panorama City. Ben was in ICU with a trache in his throat and he was unconscious the whole time I was there that day. I sat next to his bed and held his hand. I've gone through three anniversaries without him since he passed away, but for some reason, this one was hitting me harder than the previous ones. Last night I sat on the edge of my bed crying while Hiker cuddled up next to me and looked at me with sad eyes and her ears down. She kept licking me. Don't know what I would do without her. We got out of bed at 8 am and I had some breakfast and put a load of laundry in the washer. Watched a good movie on The Hallmark Movie Channel called “Edge Of The Garden” then took Hiker out for a walk in the afternoon. What a beautiful day it was here in SoCal, but we are supposed to get hot and have summer like weather next week. Hope it doesn't get too hot.

Overcast Day

Since I have not been sleeping very well, I took a sleep aid last night before I went to bed and it helped me to fall asleep around 9:30 pm. I still had some strange dreams but I slept through the night until around 5:30 am. Got up at 6 am and got ready for our Friday dog walk with Jean. Jean and I were going to replace an outside faucet that leaks in my front yard so after she took her dogs home, she came back and we tried to remove the old faucet but it was so old and the hard water deposits caused it to be stuck to the main pipe and we could not remove the old faucet. We didn't want to try to force it because we didn't want to brake the water pipe, so we gave up. Guess I'll just have to have the leaky faucet. It doesn't leak constantly, but it does leak bad when I have the hose turned on. Was overcast here this morning and only 40°. Warmed up to 60° by the afternoon. Before lunch I decided to make some homemade dog biscuits for Hiker on my “Bake-a-Bone”. After they were done, Hiker and I took a bag of them over to Jean's for her dogs Sassy, Timmy and Charlie, then Hiker and I went for a walk down along the dry riverbed.

Hiker waiting for Jean and her dogs for our walk

Couldn't Wake Up Today

Went to bed at 10 pm last night but didn't fall asleep until after 1:30 am. I've been having trouble sleeping the past few night and I know it's because I've been thinking more about Ben due to the fact that this Saturday would have been our 34th wedding anniversary. Hiker woke me up just after 6 am to go outside, but then I went back to bed and fell back to sleep for another 2 hours. Was still very drowsy when I finally got up. Had some breakfast and then I headed over to the grocery store for my weekly shopping. It was only 37° on my patio when I got up this morning, but it warmed up to 65° by the afternoon. There was another small earthquake over in Malibu today. I didn't feel it as it was small and far away. Hiker and I went for a nice walk this afternoon over at Canyon Country Park. The sun was shining and the sky was very blue. The flowers in the park are really blooming.

Cloudy, Sunny, And Then Cloudy Again

Since it was Wednesday, and I don't usually have anything planned on Wednesdays, Hiker and I slept in this morning. However Hiker did not want to stay in bed as long as I did. She kept bugging me to get up, but I won (LOL). Went up to Sam's Club this morning to do a little shopping. Left Hiker at home this time as I was only gone for about 45 minutes. The weather here today was “iffy”. We had a little rain again last night and all day today the sun would come out and for awhile and then go back behind the clouds and it would get really dark looking like it might rain. Had thought about going somewhere for a walk or a hike, but was not sure about the weather so decided to just stay inside. Plus I was just not in the mood today to exercise. When Hiker and I walked up to the mail box this afternoon, it was raining a little. My older brother Ron called me this afternoon. He had to go in for secondary cataract laser surgery today and he was calling to tell me all went well. Now I'm waiting to hear from my younger brother Keith who is going to get a second opinion for the digestion problems he has had for years.

Another Day At Group

Woke up around 12:30 am and it sounded like it was pouring down rain outside. Went back to sleep and woke up again around 6 am and didn't hear any more rain. Let Hiker outside and gave her some food and then went back to bed until 7 am. Went to my support group today. Unlike last week, we had a full house when class started. The two new ladies that came last week returned plus we had another new lady join us today. Excellent discussions today. After group, 6 of us went over to Sizzler for lunch. We are planning a day trip over to Descanso Gardens later this month, so that will be nice. When we came out from lunch it had gotten very cloudy, windy and a little chilly. They say we may have more rain tonight. We seem to be getting our wet weather late this year. Our raining months are usually January and February. Hiker was really in a playful mood when I got home. I guess last night she got tired of the usual toys she has been playing with because she wanted me to open the tin container that the rest of her toys are in. She picked out a specific toy and has been playing with nothing but it since she took it out of the container. Silly dog.

Last Day Of March

Up early this morning. Got ready for our dog walk with Jean and her dogs. Wasn't sure if Jean was going to feel up to going since she was sick yesterday. She said she still didn't feel well but she said her dogs were getting cabin fever and she needed to get them out for a walk to calm them down. I could tell that she was not feeling well. She went home early than normal. After she left, I fixed some poached eggs for me and Hiker and then I went out and did a little bit of yard work, then came back in and mopped the kitchen floor. After lunch and watching Y&R I vacuumed the carpet. Didn't do a walk today because I figured I got enough exercise with the yard work and house work. Only got into the low 60's here today even though the sun was out all day.

What A Beautiful Day For A Hike

When Hiker and I got out of bed this morning, I noticed that it had rained a little last night and the sky was very blue and the air was so clean, just had to get out and do some hiking. I called my neighbor Jean to see if she wanted to go with us but she said that she had gotten a sore throat last night and this morning she felt like crap. So I put Hiker in the car and the two of us headed over to Pico Canyon. Could not believe how wonderful the weather was. Warm sun and a nice breeze. We did about 3.5 miles then headed back home. Was texting Keith and his back is still hurting him really bad. I feel sorry for him because I've had those same back problems before. Got a phone call from my good friend Karren Meggitt. She and her husband Wally are planning a trip up to June Mountain soon so she wanted to pick a day in April that she and Wally can come down and go to lunch with me. Spent the rest of the afternoon uploading the photographs I took on the hike this morning so I could share them. Today seemed to just fly by for me.

Still Shaking A Little

Jean and I went over to our city's annual Emergency Expo this morning. We love getting the free goodies they give away, plus talking with the fire fighters, police officers and other city first responders. Also they have all kinds of contracts at the Home & Garden Show inside the Hyatt Hotel to talk too, problem is, they are all so hard core sell that you have to keep telling the NO! We got some free ball point pens, some free lip balm, free hand sanitizer, free water saving shower heads and free folding dog water bowls which will work great when Hiker and I are out walking and hiking. Everyone at the Emergency Expo was talking about the earthquake last night and they were handing out a lot of information about what to do during and after a quake and how to make an emergency kit with food, water, etc. I've had one of those kits ever since our big 6.7 quake back in 1994. Keith was supposed to be coming up for a visit this weekend, but he texted me saying he couldn't come because his back went out on him last night. I feel for him because I know how much my back hurts when it goes out. Both my brothers and I have those same back problems that recur every now and then. After getting home from the Emergency Expo, I started feeling lazy. Dozed off a couple of times. Had planned to do several things with Keith but since he was not able to come for the visit I just vegged out the rest of the day. I had planned to make baked garlic salmon for dinner for Keith and I, but it looks like Hiker is going to get a salmon dinner instead...minus the garlic seasoning on hers of course. Felt a 4.5 magnitude aftershock from yesterday's quake around 2:30 pm. The weather people say we are supposed to get some rain tonight and more next week. Doesn't look like rain at all right now.

It's Friday!

Went on our Friday morning dog walk with Jean and her 3 dogs, then Jean and I went over to the Dollar Tree. They have been selling little dancing solar figurines since Thanksgiving...each holiday or special occasion, they have a new one. Well today they had Easter bunnies and chicks. My collection no consists of a dancing flower, a turkey, a snowman, a penguin, an elephant, a little devil (he's red and shoots arrows for Valentines) and now the bunny and the chick. We were disappointed that they didn't have a leprechaun for St. Patty's Day. When we came back home, Jean wanted me to help her move an old dresser from her bedroom to her garage so she can eventually get rid of it. Hiker and I came home, had some lunch and watched Y&R. Also did a load of laundry since I normally do it on Saturday, but Keith is coming for a 3 day visit. Before he gets here tomorrow, Jean and I are going to our city's annual Emergency Expo over at the Hyatt Hotel. Took Hiker over to Central Park this afternoon for a walk. I took the long expanding leash so she could actually take me for a walk. She loves to roam around on the long leash because she can check out things that I usually don't let her check out on the shorter leash and it makes her feel like she running free instead of being on the leash. I just let her decide which way we are going to go and off we go in that direction. Was sunny and nice hear today, about 75°.

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Project Thursday

Out of bed at 7 am. I had some errands I needed to run this morning. After breakfast, I put Hiker in the car and we headed to the bank so I could get some cash at the ATM, then we headed to the post office so I could buy some “forever” stamps and on the way home, stopped by and got my Lotto ticket for Saturday. Was a partly cloudy day and a little breezy. They had tornadoes in northern California last evening near where my brother Ron lives. Hiker and I did not do a walk today. I was going through some old photographs I took back before digital cameras when we had to use rolls of film. I decided I wanted to create a new blog to share these older photographs. I will send everyone the link once I get it set up.

Sun Played Peek-a-Boo

Was having a very strange dream last night. First I was with my brother Keith at a beach or somewhere similar to a beach town. Then I was on a train with Ben heading for home from somewhere. We sent upstairs into the diner area and sat down to eat. I was having fried chicken and Ben was having roast beef, but they looked and tasted like TV dinners. Then we got the check and saw that each dinner was $60 plus our drinks were extra. We just about had a fit! Then I woke up. Hiker and I got up at 6 am so she could go outside. I think it may have sprinkled here last night because it looked like there were some wet spots on the walkway in the yard. But I don't think it was enough to water the lawn because when I went out there at 7 am the grass didn't seem very wet. Had some breakfast and then took Hiker with me up to Stater Brothers. She sat in the car while I went in and got my groceries. The sun kept going in and out of the clouds all day long. After lunch, Hiker and I drove up to Vasquez Rocks. We always go up there when it's very sunny and I take photos, but today since it was cloudy, I wanted to take photos there with a different perspective. It started drizzling while we were up there and when we were driving home, it rained on us for a few miles. But when we got home, the sun was shining.

Hiker decided to give me a kiss just as the camera took the picture

Tuesday

Went to my grief support group today. The first hour, only 6 of us plus our therapist was there. Usually we have at least 12 or 15 people. The second hour, 2 more regulars showed up plus 2 new women (a mother and daughter) joined us. The daughter had just lost her son in an auto accident. We had some very good conversation in today's group. Jane and I were the only ones to go to lunch after group. Everyone else had other commitments. Jane and I went to the historic Saugus Cafe for lunch and we talked about the history of Santa Clarita. There was a lot of it that Jane didn't know and I told her that we'd have to plan a few days where I drive her around and show her the historic sites. Was hazy all day even though the sun came out after noon. Still wondering if we are going to get the rain they are predicting for tomorrow.

Mild Monday

Had our Monday dog walk with Jean and her dogs and let the dogs have a play date in my yard for about 30 minutes or so. Had to do some housework this morning, which I loathe. Sometimes I think about getting a maid service but then I tell myself that doing my own cleaning is exercise and good for me. After lunch, Hiker and I went over to the Iron Horse Trail for an afternoon walk. We are supposed to have rain on Wednesday. Won't believe it until I see it.

The 20 Most Important Facts Dog Lovers Must Never Forget

Dogs are so loyal that they love us no matter what we do. But if we want to provide the best life possible to these wonderful animals, we have to remember they have complex thoughts and feelings, too. Here are 20 that we must never forget.

Don't be upset when I jump for joy when you come through the door.

I only live for ten or fifteen y...ears. You are what makes that time enjoyable. It's hard on me when you go away.

Give me time to understand what you want from me.

I don't always get it right on the first try, but I promise I'm trying as hard as I can.

Give me your trust.

Just like I trust you, I need you to trust me, too.

Don't be angry with me for too long. And please don't lock me up to punish me.

You have your friends and family to keep you happy and entertained. I just have you.

Take me inside when the weather gets bad.

The backyard doesn't have air conditioning or a heater. You don't have to let me on the couch, but a small part of the kitchen is much better than sleeping in the snow.

Talk to me.

Sure, we don't speak the same language, but the sound of your voice brightens my whole day.

Comfort me when I'm scared.

You know a lot more about loud noises, strange people, and new places than I do. I need to know that you'll protect me from them. I always feel safer when I'm with you.

Remember that I'll never forget how you treat me.

Teach me that humans are made of love, not pain. And don't ever let me forget it.

Come outside with me.

The sights, sounds, and scents of nature are some of my greatest pleasures in life. I don't care if we play, go for a walk, or just sit under a tree together . . . I want you to experience them with me.

Let me make new friends.

Introduce me to other dogs, cats, or even bigger animals. We might not get along in the end, but having some more friends that look and smell like me makes my life that much brighter.

Give me a treat every once in a while.

Food is one of my greatest pleasures in life. I know you want me to be healthy, so I understand when you don't share your own meals with me. But giving me a dog biscuit when I've been good or mixing tasty vegetables mixed in with my dinner is guaranteed to make me wag my tail extra hard.

Please don't hit me.

I have teeth that can crush bone. Instead, I cover you in sloppy, wet kisses. Just as I choose not to hurt you, please make the choice to not hurt me.

Understand when I need my alone time.

I love you more than anything, but even though it's rare, I don't always want to play or cuddle. Don't be sad if I'd rather sleep on the cold tile floor instead of in your bed on hot summer nights, and be understanding if I don't want to play as much as the years go on.

Show me your world.

The house and yard might be the only places I ever see unless you let me come with you. A trip to the pet store, the park, or even just a ride in the car is exhilarating for me. I can't wait to see what you want to show me.

Teach me new things

Learning new tricks keeps my mind active, but most of all, it gives me a way to impress you. I love showing off for your friends, looking up at you, and seeing how proud of me you are.

Let me get dirty once in a while.

Your world is inside, but I thrive outdoors. Sometimes I find a lot of mud or a lake that smells like all of its fishy inhabitants. I understand if you don't want to wash all that stuff off every day, but as long as it's safe, let me go back to my wild roots every now and then.

Touch me.

Nothing makes me feel more loved than when you take time out of your day to rub my ears or scratch that itchy spot on my back that I can't reach. I can't understand your words, but I definitely understand the feelings behind a hug.

Pay attention if I don't seem like myself.

It might seem like I'm just being lazy or stubborn, but I might not be feeling well. I can't get help for myself, and I need you to look out for me.

Love me when I'm old just as much as you did when I was young.

I might not be the cute puppy that I once was, but I still love you just as much now as I did then. Please take care of me when my body doesn't work like it used to.

Come with me on my final journey.

I know it will be difficult, but I need you by my side when the time comes for me to leave this world. Every moment down to my last breath is easier if I have you with me.

With deep affection, love, and respect.

Pleasant Sunday

Up at 7 am, put the sheets and towels into the washing machine then had breakfast. Hiker and I went to get my lottery tickets and then came home and then we played awhile in the backyard. My neighbor Jean came by at 10 am to pick me up and we headed over to Granada Hills for the Crafty Ladies spring craft fair. Our neighbor Chris, who lives across the street from me was there with her friend Kathy selling some of their “playful platters”. I bought a cute gnome taking a bath in a wooden tube yard decoration. The Crafty Ladies have this spring craft fair and also a holiday boutique in October. Came back home and made lunch and played a little more with Hiker then watched “A Summer Place” on the TCM Channel. The theme song from that movie has got to be my favorite 1950's instrumental oldies song. Thought about taking Hiker for a walk, but she didn't seem to want to go when I got her leash, so decided we'd just veg out the rest of the day. I'll take her for a dog walk with Jean tomorrow morning and then maybe take her for another walk later in the afternoon.

Saturday

I don't know why, but I have been having the strangest dreams lately. Every night it's another crazy dream that I remember when I first wake up from the dream, but cannot remember the next morning. Slept in until almost 8 am this morning. I used to always get up no later than 6 am, but for about the last year or so, I seem to need more sleep. I still get up at 6 am when Jean and I have a dog walk planned. Jean is a morning person and likes to head out early. I used to be like that. I watched “12 Years A Slave” last night. It was good, but don't see what all the hoopla was about. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars when rating it. The acting was very good but I thought there were several scenes where Solomon was just standing there staring out into space that dragged out for several minutes. Did a load of laundry after breakfast and then after my gardener had finished, Hiker and I headed out for a very short walk. It was once again sunny but very hazy. We have been having a strong on-shore flow that has been causing the haze. Was lazy most of the day, just being a couch potato watching TV.

Weekend Is Coming

Went to bed around 9:30 pm last night and went right to sleep. Around 11:30 pm, Hiker jumped up barking and ran to the front door, so I got up to see what she was barking at, but saw nothing. We went back to bed and went back to sleep. At 2:30 am, I suddenly woke up and was wide awake for no reason. Had trouble going back to sleep, so I turned the TV on and eventually fell back to sleep. Got up at 6 am and got ready for our dog walk with Jean and her dogs. Was chilly outside this morning. When we had the dogs in my backyard for their play date, it was only 48° on my patio. No Y&R again today because of the basket ball, so Hiker and I drove over to Hart Park and did a short hike around the hills near the mansion. Sun was shining but it was very hazy out all day and didn't get higher than about 65°.

Kind Of A Boring Day

Slept in again this morning. After breakfast I headed over to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. It was a little hazy here today. When I got back from Wal-Mart, I took Hiker for a walk down through Discovery Park and along the dry riverbed. Didn't know what to do with myself today since “Young & Restless” was not on due to the stupid March Madness. I hate when the take my soap off for things like that. Downloaded the Lumosity app to my iPad and “improved my brain” for a little while. Played with Hiker in the back yard for a little while.

Warm And Windy Wednesday

Slept in this morning. Got up and had some breakfast and then decided to clean out some stuff in the garage. Was beautiful outside, so I took Hiker out with me on a long leash so she could wander around the front yard while I was working. After that I decided to go through the extra bedding stuff I have stored above my bedroom closet. I knew I had some old stuff up there, but was not sure what was there for sure. Found I had 2 queen size comforters from back when Ben and I had a queen size mattress over 15 years ago. They are still in great condition, so it was fun to discover that I had more comforters that I could use on my bed. I had totally forgotten they were up there. Got warm in my long jeans, so I put some shorts on. After lunch, Hiker and I went over to the South Fork Trail and did a 3 mile walk. The temperature was in the high 70's and breezy.

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Normal Tuesday

For some reason I was very sleepy last night so Hiker and I went to bed around 8:30 pm. I read a couple of chapters of the latest book I'm reading and then went to sleep. Woke up around 11:30 pm thinking it was morning but was able to go right back to sleep. Went to my support group today and then to lunch with some of the ladies. It was warm and windy today. When I got home, I took Hiker on a very short walk down to the park.

Saw these flowers in our community while out walking Hiker.

A Quake And A Hike...All In The Same Day

Woke up at 6 am and let Hiker outside and then fed her. Did not go back to bed because we had to get ready for a morning dog walk with Jean and her dogs. I was sitting on the edge of the bed getting dress and watching the local news. Hiker was on the floor at my feet. Suddenly the newscasters are saying there is an earthquake and I look at the TV and see their newsroom shaking like crazy, but I'm not feeling anything. I called Hiker up onto the bed with me because I'm figuring the shock from the quake just hasn't hit here yet, but I still don't feel, or hear anything. Hiker must have felt something because she had a frightened look in her eyes. Several of my neighbors, including Jean felt the 4.4 quake that was centered in Westwood, which is about 30 miles southwest of where I live. I have no idea why I didn't feel anything. Went on our dog walk with Jean and then came back home and did some housework. My friend Sandi came buy and took 2 sets of my Cal-King sheets. After lunch, Hiker and I drove over to Towsley Canyon and did a short 2 mile hike. It was about 82° here today.

Feels Like Summer

So the first night sleeping on my new mattress was pretty good. It is so cushy. Because the mattress is so much smaller than the old one, Hiker was sleeping up against me, but I don't mind. I'm surprised she didn't mind because on the old mattress, she would get as far away from me as possible and stretch out. Maybe she's afraid on the new mattress that she will fall off the edge. Watched “Nebraska” on Amazon Prime last night. It was OK but not as good as I had anticipated. I usually watch the newer movies on Saturday nights because there is not much on TV that night. I think next Saturday I will watch “12 Years A Slave”. Before lunch, I took Hiker for a mile and a half walk around inside our community. It was beautiful outside but starting to get hot. By 12:30 it was already 90° on my patio.

New Bed Arrived

Slept in a little this morning. Got up and had some breakfast then put a load of laundry in the washer. I put Hiker's plush toys in the washer as they were all pretty dirty. She watched me put them in the washer and then watched me put them in the dryer. I told her she had to wait for them to get all clean and dry before she could have them back, so she kept going into the laundry room and looking at the dryer while it was running. When the dryer was done, Hiker came into the laundry room and as I pulled clothes out, she one-by-one pulled out her 6 toys and took them into the living room and then came back for the next one. Went outside and watered my tomato plant and it was such a beautiful morning. Came back in and did a little housework that I had been putting off. I kept wishing that the bed delivery would have been earlier in the day. Since my bed frame is adjustable for 3 different sizes of mattresses, I wanted to adjust it from the king size to the queen size, so I pulled the old mattress off of the bed and took the 2 box springs out (they were not heavy at all) and adjusted the frame so that it would be all ready when the delivery got here. I also wanted to vacuum under the bed since it doesn't get vacuumed very often. Wish I knew someone who has a Cal King mattress that I could give some of my sheets too. I have some sets of sheets that are not very old. It was so warm here today that I wore shorts. Got close to 85°. Delivery arrived at 3:20 pm which made me a very happy person. After they left, it took me about 30 minutes to put the new mattress cover on and get the new sheets and pillow cases out of the packages and make the bed. Only took me that long because it's hard to put a mattress cover on by yourself. That alone took me about 10 or 15 minutes. I cannot get over how much smaller this bed looks than my Cal king was. Ben and I had a queen bed years ago but after being used to sprawling out all over the king bed, it's going to take me awhile to get used to this. Hike keeps looking at the bed trying to figure out why it's different. Having stewed chicken and egg noodles for dinner.

Bought A New Bed And Bedding

My neighbor Jean had to have her car serviced today and since we were planning on going out for me to shop for a new mattress, she was going to either get it done in the morning and come back home or call me from the dealership if they were going to keep her car awhile. She called and told me they needed it until after lunch so I went and picked her up at the dealer and we headed over to “Sit'n'Sleep”. I bought a Simmons Beautyrest Queen mattress and box springs set. It's the Frances Plush model which has the independent wrapped coils. When I was “testing” the mattresses out, I was so surprised how different they feel from my old ordinary mattress that Ben and I purchased about 15 years ago. It's amazing how much support they have now. “Sit'n'Sleep” has one of those bedMATCH™ diagnostic systems where you lie on the bed and it scans your body and analyzes what firmness you need according to your body shape and weight. Personally I've always preferred a bed that is not too soft and not too firm, one that is somewhere in the middle (like Goldilocks – LOL) and my report came out saying that was exactly what my scan said. The one I bought was on sale for $788.00 and they will delivery it tomorrow. We then drove over to Anna's Linens and I bought two sets of sheets, two queen size pillows, a mattress protector, and pillow protectors. We headed back to Santa Clarita and went to Topper's Pizza for lunch. Neither of us had been there before. They opened about 2 or 3 months ago. Jean got a personal pizza and a drink (about $6.00) and I got their “Quick Lunch” which is a personal pizza, one trip to the salad bar and a drink (about $8.00). The pizza was very good. Drove Jean back to the dealership to pick up her car and then headed home to Hiker. I hope since I'll have a smaller bed that Hiker won't hog it (LOL). She likes to spread out at night when she sleeps. Was 80° here today and they say we may hit 90° this weekend.

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I have entered my dog Hiker in a pet photo contest. If you are on Facebook, please go to the link below and vote for her. You can vote every day until March 20th. Thanks!

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I Think It's Spring Already

Slept in a little this morning. I am still not used to the change to Daylight Saving Time. Had breakfast then went out and did my grocery shopping. Either I bought more stuff this time or the price of groceries is going up because I paid about $20 more than I normally do. I did buy a few things I normally don't buy. Was a really beautiful day here in SoCal. Hiker and I went out for a nice afternoon walk. I'm doing pretty good with getting back to my walking but when Summer gets here, I'm going to have to force myself to get up early and walk in the morning when it is cool. If I wait until afternoon, it will be too hot to walk. Tomorrow, I'm picking Jean up in the morning and we are heading over to Sit'n'Sleep so I can maybe buy a new mattress and box springs. As I mentioned before, the Cal King bed had just gotten too much for me to make alone and it has gotten more difficult to find sheets for it at a reasonable price. A lot of stores sell King size sheets but not Cal King. Jean told me that she doesn't have a box spring, that she just has a really thick (tall) mattress. I thought you always had to have a box spring under the mattress. If I do buy a new mattress, we will then drive down to the San Fernando Valley so I can buy some queen size sheets and pillows for the new bed. I'll have to buy either queen or standard size pillows because I now have king size pillows, which I could use, but when you buy queen sheets, you get either queen or standard size pillows.

Busy Day

The wind started blowing early last evening and howled all night. Hiker and I got up a little earlier than normal because I wanted to be able to wash up the breakfast dishes and brush my teeth before they turned the water off. I filled up a couple of buckets so I can flush the toilets if need be. Jean picked me up just after 12:15 and we headed out for lunch at Boston Market and then we went to Best Buy to recycle some electronics and then over to PetCo. Jean had to pick up a rug at JCPenneys that she ordered online and then we went to Kohl's. I bought 3 t-shirts and got them for $20 with my 30% discount. Then we headed over to Payless Shoe Source for Jean to buy some shoes and stopped at Walgreens so I could buy a new pill organizer. Just got home around 4 pm. Busy day.

Overcast Tuesday

Went to my grief support group this morning. Didn't have as many people there today as we've been having. Went to Jimmy Dean's Grill for lunch with a few of the ladies after group. The weatherman had said we were going to be in the mid-80s today, but we've had high, thin clouds all day and only hit the low 70s. It actually felt cooler than the thermometer read. Hiker was very playful when I got home...more so than she usually is. Guess she missed me more than normal. Tomorrow the city is turning our water off between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm to do some work on the pipes or something. My neighbor Jean has some appointments in the morning but when she gets done, she may come by and pick me up for us to go to lunch and do a little shopping. We figured since the water will be turned off that we need to spend most of the day out.

Beautiful Day In SoCal

Up early this morning to go on our dog walk with Jean and her dogs. Was a little chilly out and very dark when we first got up. After Jean left, Hiker and I went up to Sam's club so I could get gasoline in the car and do a little shopping. Came home and then I flushed my water heater. I try to do that twice a year to hopefully make the heater last longer. Figured I'd better get it done today because Wednesday, the city is turning our water off most of the day to do some work on our distribution system. After lunch, Hiker and I drove up to Vasquez Rocks County Park and went for a nice hike. Another beautiful day here in SoCal. When we came home, I no more than walked in the door and my phone rings. I see that it says “Private Number”. Well I know that when some of my friends who have their phone number blocked from view that “Private Number” shows up on my caller ID so I answered it. I guess the telemarketers are getting even smarter because they have already found a way to create bogus phone numbers when they know we are screening our calls from them, so now I guess they have started blocking their number to make you think that the call is from someone you know. I answered it and this guys says “Hi Mrs. Waggoner” and I said “Who is this?”. He says “It's John Harris. We spoke in January about doing some constructions work on your house”. Well I knew that I had never talked with him before because I have no construction work planned, so I said “Oh no you didn't” and I hung up on him. They think they are so tricky trying to make you think you talked with them. They must think we are all senile.

Hiking with my fur baby

Warm Sunday

Went to bed a little after 9 pm but for some reason could not go to sleep. I think I finally dropped off after 1 am, the along comes Daylight Saving Time so I lose another hour of sleep. Hiker woke me up at 7 am, which would have been 6 am if not for DST, so I let her outside and then fed her. The sky was beautiful when I looked outside. Then she and I went back to bed and didn't get up until 9 am (8 am standard time). I do not like this change in the time. The one in the fall is not bad, but this one is so hard for me to get used too. It takes me days to get into it. Had some breakfast and then took Hiker with me to get my lottery tickets, then came home and took the sheets off the bed and washed them. Also washed my heavy winter comforter and replaced it with my lighter summer comforter. I've been thinking about getting a new mattress and box springs. The Cal King bed is so hard for me to change and the sheets are harder to find and cost more. I may go back to a Queen size. Hiker and I went for a short afternoon walk. It was just a little under a mile, but at least we did get out and walk, making it 5 days in a row that I have walked. Was warm outside, about 85°.

Here is a photo of the sky here this morning.

Beautiful Saturday

Have been having strange dreams for the past 2 or 3 nights and I haven't even started to take my new medication yet (LOL). Hiker woke me up around 6 am to let her outside, then we went back to bed, but did not go back to sleep because I watched a movie on Encore Suspense called “Fire In The Sky”. I thought it was a good movie. I had never heard of it before. After the gardener left, Hiker and I went for a walk. The weather was beautiful, but it was a little breezy. Since Monday, I have walked every day except Tuesday when I was at my grief support group and out to lunch with the group ladies, so I'm doing pretty good about getting back to walking. Watched a movie in the afternoon. It got up to 80° here. I need to remember to change my clocks later for daylight saving time.

Almost The Weekend

Up early today for our regular Friday dog walk with Jean and then we went over to Jean's house so Jean could groom Hiker. So now Hiker smells good and her fur is so soft. I love cuddling her right after she's had a bath. The wind started kicking up here and blew in some high, thin clouds. They say we are going to have some really strong winds this weekend. After lunch, Hiker and I drove over to Bridgeport at Valencia and walked around the man-made lake there.

OK Day

Slept in this morning. For some reason, I was so sleepy when Hiker woke me up at 6:15 am to go outside. I could hardly keep my eyes open so we went back to bed and didn't get up until 8 am. When I woke up, I was light headed. I've had trouble focusing ever since I started getting the eye injections. I'm assuming it's my eyes trying to re-adjust. I know that bright light bothers my eyes more now than they did before. After lunch, took Hiker for a walk down near Discovery Park. We were walking around in the dry riverbed that last week was full of water when we were in the middle of our rain storm. I really need to get back in shape for walking/hiking. I've been so lazy and not going much so now when I walk my feet and calves hurt. I need to build up the muscles again. Was sunny here today, but somewhat hazy. They say we are going to get a bunch of wind this weekend. I don't mind some wind, but we get huge gusts and sound like they are blowing the roof off.

Busy Wednesday

Up at 6 am, dressed and ready to go to my annual checkup with my primary doctor. My appointment was at 8:40 am so I was supposed to check in by 8:25 am, however, the lobby doesn't even open until 8:30 am. I like being the doctor's first patient because I always get there early which means he is not behind schedule because of other patients. He said I am doing pretty good, except for the fact that my cholesterol was up. He knows that I cannot tolerate statins, so he told me that he has other patients who have the same side effects I have with the statins. He started giving them Crestor once or twice a week instead of having them take it every day and he said it seems to be working for them. He asked me if I would be willing to try it that way and I said yes, so we will see how it goes. He said since Crestor is the strongest cholesterol lowering medication that it doesn't take as much to help lower the numbers. He also wants me to exercise more. I told him I've gotten lazy lately and do not walk and hike as much as I used too, plus he'd like me to try to lose at least 10 lbs. He told me next year he wants me to have a bone density test since I'll be 65 then. I had to go back over to Kaiser after lunch because the nurse was supposed to give me a fecal home test package and she forgot to do that, plus I had to go toe the Kaiser pharmacy and pick up the Crestor. Crestor must be made out of gold or platinum because it cost me $75 for a 30-day supply and that was with my Kaiser discount. I saw online where it can cost anywhere between $199 and $250 for a 30-day supply if you don't have insurance. When I got back from all of my errands, I took Hiker up to Todd Longshore Park for a short walk. I had promised her earlier today that I'd take her for a car ride and she thought she was going to go over to Kaiser with me and got all excited. So since she didn't get to go on that trip with me, I thought I'd take her to the park.

Group Day Tuesday

I got up just before 6 am this morning to let Hiker go outside. When she was done, we sent back to bed. I turned on the TV local news which I normally do. I usually doze off a little but I can usually still hear the news in the background. This morning I feel totally back to sleep and was shocked awake by my alarm clock. Went to my grief support group today. No one new joined us today but we still had a full house. We were all discussing the Oscars and giving our opinions on the stars, etc. After group, 5 of us went to Sizzler for lunch. I just got home awhile ago. Hiker “helped” me put the trash cans out by the curb and then she walked up to the mailbox with me. Tomorrow morning I have to head over to Kaiser (the local one) to my annual checkup with my primary doctor.

Nice Day

I actually watched The Oscars last night. That is the first time I have done that in about 25 years. I think it is because they finally had some really good movies up for the award. There at least 4 or 5 of them that I had on my “watch list”. Ellen always makes the Oscars fun when she hosts. I think they should make her their permanent host. Hiker and I got up at 6 am to get ready for our Monday morning dog walk with Jean and her dogs. It was foggy here when we got up. After our dog walk, I had some breakfast and then Hiker and I walked over to the community office so I could pay my monthly land lease. Came home and vacuumed the house and cleaned the ashes out of my fireplace. After lunch, I took Hiker over to Placerita Canyon. I wanted to see if the creek was flowing, but in some places you could see some dampness, some places you could see pools and up farther into the canyon there was some trickling, but that was it. Shows how dry we have been. The ground just sucked up the water. Got up to 75° on my patio today.

Still Cloudy And Gray

Hiker and I slept in again this morning. It was still gray and cloudy so it was a good day to stay in bed for awhile. I watched “Gravity” last night. I thought Sandra Bullock was very good in it. She is one of my favorite actresses. I also thought that the special effects were fantastic. I felt like I was up there with her. I don't go to theaters, so I watched in on Time Warner On Demand. I also noticed that they now have “Nebraska” showing so I'll have to check that one out soon. Some of you were concerned because I stated that I have a “retinal tear”, which is not actually true. I called it that by mistake. My doctor told me that I just have floaters and that they would eventually move out of my central line of sight, but that I might continue to get them. He actually called it a "fluid tear", not a "retinal tear" and he said it is a very normal and common thing for people my age and people who are nearsighted. I called it a "retinal tear" because of the information I had read when researching my symptoms before I read the brochure he gave me. My doctor did say that my problems was not what was in the brochure, but he wanted me to read the brochure and watch for the symptoms that are in the brochure because if I notice any of them, he needs to know immediately. He said the leaking fluid can cause a retinal tear or detachment, but that I do not have that as of right now. I should have read the brochure first. I know if it was anything serious, he would have done something about it right away. He is a very good and well respected retinal specialist. Since it was cloudy and cool all day, Hiker and I stayed inside. Had a fire going in the fireplace and watched the last season of “Bates Motel” on A&E to get caught back up since the new season starts tomorrow night. Drizzled a little more this afternoon.

Still Raining

So when I was at the retinal specialist's office yesterday and told him about how I was now also having problems with my left eye (my right eye is the one I've been getting the injections in), he gave me a booklet to explain what is going on with my left eye. What I have is a Retinal Tear. There is a pocket of fluid behind the retina. There are many reasons that can cause a tear in this pocket, two of which I fit into. Nearsightedness and aging, The tear causes the fluid to leak into the man part of the eye behind the retina and that causes the “floaters” which is what is causing my problem. It's always something. It rained off and on all day yesterday and all of last night and today the sun peaked out now and then but it continued to rain all day today too. I have to remember to go over to my neighbor Sharon's house this evening and feed her dog Sammy and her 3 cats and let Sammy out to potty. I hope it's not raining when I have to go. By the way...if you are on Facebook, make sure you go to the link below and vote for Hiker in the cutest dog contest I entered her in. You can vote once a day from now until Marcy 20th.

If you are on Facebook, make sure you go to the link below and vote for Hiker. I sent her picture in for a Cutest Dog Contest.

VOTE FOR HIKER!