Tribute to my Maggie

This was posted on my facebook page May 21 2014  

Yesterday my precious, buddy, confidant, constant companion of 12 years unexpectedly died in my arms. This is such a heart wrenching adjustment anyone who has lost a loved pet well knows of. I could not have asked for a better dog. The void is enormous I do not regret giving her one piece of people food, she so dearly loved when everyone told me oh not good for animals. She had a pampered life and I got so much in return. Rest in peace my darling Maggie. You will be so missed!

Big Pine Fishing Trip

Manzanar Japanese Camp

WWII 1910

So sad and powerful piece of history

We have always looked forward to May coming and opening day of trout fishing in the best creek waters in the Sierras. For many years a group of our friends did an annual camping/fishing trip about 5 hours away from home in Big Pine. Nestled between Bishop and Lone Pine. This year it came around the end of May and we received an invite to join them. So we couldn't wait to use our motorhome and see friends we had not seen in a long time. This tradition includes a special evening dinner made up of everybodys finest happy hour hors d'oeuvres, appetizers and drinks. The generous group that we are, everyone always brings two dishes thinking one appetizer wont be enough. As always we had enough yummy food for an army.
My love of this trip is were we get to park our motorhome. The site we camp at is by chance in between where the two running creeks split. Some friends including myself have caught decent size trout in these creeks, right outside our motorhome door. It is quite noisy when you go to bed, but it is music to my ears.I am such a water baby it just lulls me to sleep.

Happy Birthday to me! I am celebrating a milestone birthday this year, we don't need to talk numbers, so I wanted to splurge on something special. Actually first, my bestie Janet told me she was doing something spectacular for her birthday day we are just 20 days apart from each other. I thought what a great idea, ya know we deserve it making it this long is life! Soooooo.....We just got back from a glorious 2-1/2 week vaca cruise thru the Panama Canal. San Pedro to Fort Lauderdale. We also celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary in Cartegena, Colombia. The weather hot, & very humid so I spent more time on our balcony than ever before. My favorite past time was watching for turtles. even though they are about the size of a hubcap,  the ship is cruising about 19 knots (about 22 mph) so it is fast for trying to catch a good picture, never did get a good one. We stopped counting how many turtles we saw after 50. Some of them poor dears are being whirled out from the ship and do look a little disoriented, others look like out on a leisurely stroll, just  passing by. I am and always have been an animal fanatic, happy to say on this cruise we saw more wildlife than ever. Crocodile's, macaws, parrots,a monkey, dolphins, whales and turtles. The biggest disappointment was that we weren't allowed more time in each port to do a little more exploring,

but every cruise is definitely different.

This is one of the on board pools, when the ocean was a little rough, and you were swimming, it felt as though you were a salmon trying to swim upstream.   

My fav selfie of us with the Panama Canal behind us. Mark has long arms that make selfies possible.

Newport Dunes @ Christmas Time

We were invited to join a group of friends camping in our motorhome, for New Years Eve to Newport Dunes. It was fun and interesting, never been before.

My Precious Pappi Puppy

Maggie, my pretty, 10 year old, 10 pound, Papillon dog, is my baby. She is as cute as can be, and it is a good thing because this is not the kind of dog I thought I had signed up for. I researched all dogs prior to buying her as a puppy and I thought a Papillon was perfect. Little, hyper allergenic hair, smart and a companion dog. Wait a minute, define companion. My mistake, I was looking for a "lap dog" NOT companion. She does enjoy my company, but doesn't like being held or petted or bothered with.When I come home even from a trip to the grocery store she not only wags her tail in excitement but her hold back end whips back and forth so hard, I'm afraid she's gonna turn herself inside out. Just sitting close to to me, staring at me, (sometimes creepy) and she is happy. A companion! Being an empty nester, I find I need to mother something, so thankfully I have my baby. I know hubby wishes it was him.

 Mags

Boy I hate costumes

 pretty girl

Sunrise...Sunset

Sunrise, sunset sometimes cannot tell the difference, but so beautiful. I have taken alot of pictures of each and they never get redundant. Most of the time I cannot capture the true beauty of the vivid colors we get in California, with my little digital camera. Times like these I wish I would carry around a bigger camera, they do capture the more intense colors. I always feel each and every one of these is the money shot.

sunset in Tennesse

 sunrise in Ventura

sunset home in Vta

Stop to Smell the Flowers

I have always loved flowers, but it has taken me to get to my older years to really appreciate flowers. Recently a dear friend of mine called to tell me that the picture I sent in to our local newspaper, was published. I know it is a random picking of amateur photographers, but I was pretty excited I finally made it in the newspaper. The fields in bloom around our home are just beautiful. Like a spilled box of crayons.

Just this year hubby and I took a week trip to Knoxville, Tennessee. The local and wild flower is the daffodil. They were just blooming a bright, sunshine yellow everywhere. Funny, the school I went to taught by Nuns had us draw, grow and write an essay on daffodils, so in a way they are close to my heart. We drove in a National Park and saw a field daffodil's. I had to stop to take a picture of the flowers, no better yet I'll have Mark take one of me in a sea of yellow, this will be the money shot, I know. I carefully choose a spot not to damage any of the delicate flowers. In my mind I saw me in a field of beautiful sunshine. To get up off the ground I asked Hubby for a hand up. Holding me half way up he loses it and drops me. Not to break any of my body parts, instinct made me drop and roll. Panic! Not only is it a $500.00 fine to pick the flowers, I am now rolling in them...how embarrassing I quickly got up to pretend to any of the surrounding tourists that things never happened, perhaps I even planned that.
To make matters worse the finished picture was not clear or attractive, not at all what I visioned in my mind. I have finally learned my lesson. Now I'm older my own reflection is not my first choice of photographs I take, it is my grandchildren or scenery. Makes my heart full, and I wont be crushing anymore daffodil's.

Marigolds

 

Hot Air Balloons

Two years in a row 2012 & 2013 we have been lucky to be part of a caravan in our motorhome for destination: Balloon Fiesta, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is the best display of color and wonder you can marvel at. Right outside the comfort of our motorhome the amazing color bursts in the sky. Three nights and four days of fun.

A Week In Tennesse

 Just got back from a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee for a week with my hubby.
His job sent him for a instructional class for a week. We had the day light saving time  and Eastern time zone, that took away 4 hours from us. So tired, I nestled in our lovely room at the Embassy Suites. I picked this hotel to stay for their indoor pool, complimentary two hour happy hour with appetizers and full cooked breakfast, the rooms are a plus when we have different bed times.
Weather was good, mostly cold 30-40's, some rain and one night snow. Hubs spent all day everyday at class, this only allowed one day of sightseeing and it turned out to be beautiful, sunny with the air a little crisp. The spring wildflower is the daffodil in Tennessee, they were starting to pop up everywhere, stunning.We spent most of the day in the car cruising an 11 mile loop called Cades Cove at the edge of the Smokey Mountains. Lots of large open fields, deer and old cabins, barns & churches. Picture Paradise

 Gay Street Bridge

 Hotel Indoor Pool

Made it home safe, roundtrip total of 4 flights, nerves a little jangled, due to days before flight 777 in Malaysia with 239 souls dissappeared into thin air. My thoughts with the families left behind to wonder. My bucket list includes seeing fireflies in summertime in Tennessee, hope to be back soon.

Chili Peppers

On a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico we had lunch with friends at a lovely
Mexican restaurant, El Pinto. It had a wonderful ambiance, the patio tranquil and charming. Every bit of wall space had a string of fresh chili peppers, of all sizes, hanging from it. So colorful. I just loved all of the fire engine red color everywhere you looked. All of the peppers were for sale and I had a hard time deciding what size to buy. What am I gonna do with so many peppers at home, oh, I don't care I wanted one so thinking realistically I settled for the smallest, about 16in long, for only $9.99 such a deal. You would not believe how heavy it was. This was one of the few souvenirs I brought home with me.

Lets Grab A Bite

This is another date night special, we both enjoy, Steak Teppan.
This picture actually captures my least favorite part of the dinner (show).
When the chef dumps copious amounts of oil? Yuck and double yuck.
On the sliced onion to mimic a train complete with the sound effect from the chef wooo woooo! This food item I choose not to eat, the oil saturated onion.
I really have a problem with loud noice levels. I have a hearing deficit and loud noice physically hurts my ears. Perhaps my teenage years filled with attending many concerts (sitting up close near humongous speakers at Earl Warren Showgrounds where I grew up) and being around drag boats thanks to my first husbands hobby, loud place make me uncomfortable. The chefs at Benihana's were trained on their knife skills and showed them off with showmanship. Steak Teppan has their chefs bang on the salt and pepper shakers and on the cook top (rather loudly) like it is a way of amusement for the customers. Not my best part of this dinner. We do like the food...  the banging not so much.

Friday Night/Date Night

Hubby and I have date night every Friday. We take turns choosing where to eat.
Otherwise we start with well... where do you want to go? I don't know, where do you want to go? What do you feel like eating? I don't know, what do you feel like eating?
We are too good at doing our interpretation of the Chip & Dale, the polite
chipmunks... after you, no after you, I insist after you!
Now when it is your turn, you pick and I will (try) to keep my mouth shut and
go to where you pick and visa versa. My turn I choose The Ranch House, we had not been in years. What a lovely, quite ambiance. I love all the new restaurants, but the noice level is beyond having a conversation.This was a nice change, the tropical feel, little water features, magical twinkle lights and lots and lots of greenery. The food had so many layers and flavors, you can tell the chef used the fresh herbs and plants grown right on the premises. I Enjoyed this dinner alot.

Oh No Annie!

My brother has a new... untrained... puppy, Annie. He opened his fridg and the dog thought "oh that looks like a good place to sit."
Wow!  I love, love, love dogs
BUT this one is gonna take some training.  

Santa Paula

Santa Paula, such a cute, quaint little town. My father in law, now passed away,
grew up in Santa Paula, and recalled his mother getting him out of bed and
the family, rushing uphill away from the dam that had just broke. Every year in October the city has their "Ghost Walk" we went 12 years in a row, we loved it
that much. The first walk we went on, with my father in law,  I believe it was the second walk. They had profiled the home that he grew up in. After patiently
listening to the ghost, he was so proud and enthusiastic to share his memories with
our host and the other participants. It was so cute to see this shy, humble man
so excited. I do miss him.

The Peace Sign Tree

Driving in Montalvo I was driving a common route of mine for many
years, now to just discover a beautiful tree in a front yard that took
lots of care, pruning and time to achieve. Of course I had to take a picture.
It is sad that it takes a certain age for most of us to finally appreciate
the beauty of these kind of things. I was too busy and could not be bothered
of the unique aspects of nature when I was young. Like they say
"stop and smell the roses" but in this case a tree.

Birds of a Feather

Hubby and I took our lunch, a long time fav, burritos from Corrales
down to "The Point" to watch "my ocean".I call it that because I am a
water girl. My husband, true to our many differences is a dirt man.
I love a warm ocean to swim in and and temparature to look at. 
I took a picture of a bird that was there a regular pigeon, but a very
unusal color.Very pretty.

Diastema

Diastema is just a simple little space, or gap between your front teeth
This is a picture of Keith Urban now and when he is I believe 16. I merged the two. I love the gap. Lots of people in my life have one, and I happen to like them. My daughter had a gap, and she wanted braces so bad to close it. I didn't think it was that noticeable and due to lack of funds I choose to not get her braces. I told her it would close up naturally and I was right.She is an adult and it just that, close up naturally.
My husband also has a gap, still does and  frequently a trip to the dentist when he gets  the dentist will say " you know very easily we can close up that gap ".
I have told him, dont think about it, I wouldn't have it any other way, I love the way it looks and I happen to think it is sexy!

My Little Darlings

My favorite pictures are of my beautiful granddaughters.
They are precious,beautiful, entertaining just a absolute miracle.
I love showing off pictures of them but...
I am fearful of posting pictures of them due to so many strange people
in this world. So sad it is even a concern.

Photographs by Me Da Mama

I just love taking pictures, friends, family, scenery, food and you name it, this is my way of being artistic. With the digital pictures I can finally take maybe 100 pictures and only one is worthy of sharing, but so worth it. Any photo op I get I take. My favorite collection is of old, delapitated barns, sheds, buildings. What I see something that probably had much life and a story to be told from long ago.

My First Entry 2014

Feb 4th 2014
I am starting a family/friend blog to stay connected other than FB.
This month is a quiet month for my husband and I
staying home saving money for all our future planned and
unplanned vacations. End of the month is a trip to
CarpBeach camping weekend with our beautiful daughter,
awesome grandaughters and amazing son in law.
Future trips in March to Tennessee and a cruise in
April to celebrate my 60th (eeeee gads) Bday are the other
scheduled ones.