Good Thing it Snowed…

…cuz I’ve got nothing else for you.

I’m in a blogging slump of sorts. Moving on…

One look outside this morning and I knew where I would be.

I’m holed up inside away from the slush, hibernating in my den.

We are waiting on a part for our fireplace insert that died which makes this weather seem even colder. We have been congregating in our family room where our little stove is working and keeping that room warm.

These photos were taken before the sun was up.

Dear did make it out early this morning and reports he only had one trouble spot on the way to work. Later in the morning Katie braved the roads to go into work to train some people to do her job. She gets points for overcoming her snow driving fears. I still might get brave enough to make a trip to the post office and library. Time will tell. For more weighty matters…

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Our DIL works at World Concern and if you want a trustworthy place to donate money for the work in Haiti check them out. They have been working there for years and were there when the earthquake struck and are still there helping to rebuild homes and lives. World Concern in Haiti.

 

Snow Is…

…Always A Major Event Around Here!

Woke up to this scene looking out my stairwell window.

The welcome mat

Our front walk with just enough snow not to bother shoveling.

I like the new snow blooms!

What are we in for:

Sitting at home avoiding the icy roads and spin outs.

Canceling any appointments.

Hours and hours of weather news on all our major channels.

Overeating- I don’t know why it just happens.

Spiking stuff like eggnog, etc.

Talking about the snow to anyone we see.

Pulling out all the wool and boots and gloves!

Hoping that our power does not go out.

Have a good day y’all. You know where you can find me.

I’m linking up to Susan’s Outdoor Wednesday.

 

Round Robin Photo Challenge ~ Weather!

The Challenge for today is weather! Click on the Robin to see more “weather”.

Snoqualmie Falls December of 2009

It was cold enough that the mist from the falls froze causing this icy spectacular sight.

***Oops I forgot to make 3 suggestions for future Photo Challenges. This isn’t easy. How about a color challenge. Or maybe  “strangers unaware”. Have we done wheels, or barns, or statues, or neon signs, or signs in general? Now I’m getting carried away…

When it Rains it Pours…

After all the fires that burned so many hillsides in Southern California a rain event here can trigger mudslides and flash floods without much warning. The rain here in the Camarillo area has been coupled with heavy winds so eucalyptus debris is just flying through the air. The air smells of eucalyptus which is a nice change from other smells we can get because of the extensive farming in this area. Weather advisories are streaming across the television.

Looks pretty scary! Hopefully the predictions won’t come through…

The Night Before…

the Blue Moon I took these shots. I wanted to be able to photograph the Blue Moon event on the 31st but we were clouded over and rainy all night long…

Today is my last full day in Washington State. We fly back to Southern California tomorrow. Back to reality! I’m putting Christmas back up into the attic and doing a little dusting and washing some linens. Then I get to decide what to pack to take back to the condo. Katie’s car is all fixed from her accident. Dear is one handy guy. He pounded out, replaced the bumper and the tail light and primed and painted and it looks like new! Yesterday and today we’ve gotten some good gusts of wind and lots of rain. We just might have to take the patio cover off today.

So I think I’ve decided I’ll be calling 2010…twenty ten. How about you?  My brother has been writing it MMX.

That’s it for my Saturday ramblings….enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

Rain in the Forecast…

There is rain in the forecast for California. Rain effects Southern California different then the Pacific Northwest. Things get cancelled because of rain in California. Rain is to Southern California what Snow is to the Pacific Northwest. When we first moved to the state of Washington from California where we were born and raised we were shocked with what people did in the rain. Roofers would be roofing, concrete was being poured in the rain, parties in parks went on in the rain, people barbecued in the rain. After living in the Seattle area for 20 years we got real used to doing everything in the rain. The only sport that gets cancelled because of rain is baseball. Here in California everything slows down because of the rain. Thankfully people slow way down to 65 miles an hour on the freeway instead of going 80. So I’m looking forward to a couple of slow days here in California. We’re hoping that the rain doesn’t cause too many mudslides on our freshly burned hillsides. People here in the Southern California area are also hoping for a Freeway Series….L.A. Dodgers vs. the Angels!

Hoping to get a walk in this Tuesday Morning before the skies open up! Have a good Tuesday everyone…

San Pedro Cactus Flower!

After some googling I found out this is a San Pedro Cactus. Aren’t the blooms pretty?

Since I’ve come back to Southern California it’s been nice walking in the mornings with my Bloggy friend Willow. We walk in her neighborhood that butts up to the northwestern edge of the Santa Monica Mountain Range. It was fun to see this beautiful cactus flower popping out of the side of this San Pedro Cactus.

The days since this walk have gotten hotter and hotter here. We had to skip our morning walk last Friday because the heat was so oppressive.

We walked this morning earlier then usual to try to beat the heat. We saw a lot of deer out early, too.

With the fires burning in Southern California the air quality has also been unhealthy. We are praying for cooler temperatures around here and for stamina for our Fire Fighters who are risking their lives. Our hearts go out to the families of the 2 Los Angeles firefighters that have died in the line of duty.

Meet My New BFF’s!!

These are my new Best Friends Forever!

All because of this…

History making and record breaking temperatures in Western Washington. And yes that dial is above the 100 degree mark.

I’m headed out today to hopefully buy an inflatable bed so that I can sleep in the basement tonight where it is at least 15 degrees cooler then the rest of the house. My bedroom is on the 2nd level (3rd level if you count the basement). It gets quite toasty up there.

Here’s something from this week that I find pretty funny…

Verizon is putting Fios in our neighborhood. Our yard is the lucky yard where these boxes have lived and the new fios one gets to live. After putting in the new equiptment the nice worker bees replaced my dead grass with fresh new green grass. This morning the water truck pulled up and they watered that new grass. Just made me chuckle…

Today…from Rain to Glorious Clouds and Blue Sky!

Here’s how the morning began in Southern California on Friday…

 

Here’s how the day turned out! I drove to Oxnard to get gas at Costco and then stopped at a couple thrift stores. I know…shocking! Then I decided to follow the blue sky through downtown Oxnard to Hollywood Beach and the Harbor.

The Channel Islands were in view…

And the clouds were amazing…

Downtown Oxnard??? Who knew! I’m going back here soon to explore the historic section of this town and in the meantime find out why Oxnard was named Oxnard!

Tomorrow is a big day. We are picking up our son Josh at the airport in the morning then heading to the Tam O Shanter for lunch. After lunch we are going to a classic car show at Heritage Square in Los Angeles. But the real reason for the trip and the most exciting part of the day will be meeting up with lots of fans of the Seattle Sounders F.C. at the Home Depot Center in Carson where they will be playing Chivas. Nine family members will be together enjoying the game. On Sunday the family is meeting for lunch at my sister’s house before we take Josh back to the airport.

Have a nice evening and great Saturday!

UPDATE: Oxnard is named after the family that developed the first major industry here, a sugar beet factory in the 1890’s.  From time to time someone suggests changing Oxnard’s name to something else–Channel Islands to name one example.  So far, it’s still Oxnard!  (Although many folks do refer to the area or Oxnard adjacent to the harbor and beach as Channel Islands.) That’s why we say “Oxnard… more than just a pretty name.“