Yesterday Joy brought over the mail she'd picked up for us, and we chatted for a while.  I had just read Mary's e-mail about Jack, who is not responding to treatment, and was understandably upset.

Mailed off a birthday card for Lisa - found the perfect one in Colorado, but didn't have her address with me (or my checkbook!) so that had to wait until I got home.  Since Tom had used up all the stamps (at least he did put them on the shopping list) I had to venture out to buy some.  With her birthday on Monday (when there is no mail delivery du to the holiday) obviously her card will be late this year.

  

As long as I had to venture out in the heat <g> I did a little (much needed!) grocery shopping and also picked up my new antibiotics. The clinic in Alamosa had called to say that the results of the culture had come back, and I was to stop the Bactrim (which I had virtually finished) and start on Amoxicillin.  Remembering the difficulty I encountered last summer getting my Rx "across state lines" I would not have been surprised to experience problems, but happily it was ready and waiting for me.

Marcie came by in the afternoon and we caught up a bit.  She's still in considerable pain from their car accident several weeks ago (bruised bones take a long time to heal) but has finally seen the tiniest bit of progress.  She helped me pick out fabrics from my stash for Elena's wedding quilt, and today we plan a trip to the quilt store where I hope to find the neutral fabric for the background.  At some point I will make use of her Accuquilt for the zillion needed 1.5" strips so I can get started on it.

When Marcie left I went out back to start the grill, and of course Brownie came with me.  He immediately spotted something in the backyard (a bird?) and took off running.  But when he neared the shallow end of the pool, instead of staying on the deck he took a flying leap - and landed in the water!

I saw him panicking, trying (in vain) to claw his way out of the pool, so instead of getting in and guiding him toward the steps (important for the next time!) I raced over and pulled him out.

Wanda called just as I was getting ready to take the chicken off of the grill, so we didn't get to chat.  I did call her back after I finished eating, but when she didn't answer I figured she was having her dinner.

I got a lot of stuff put away yesterday and did some laundry, the porches got swept and plants  watered, the pool is now nice and clean (though too warm to be refreshing) - but I never did look at the mail.  That should happen today... maybe!

Good news with regard to my car!  

Taking a break from sweeping the sections of the porches currently in the shade, I got out the owner's manual to track down the fluctuating gauge.  No surprise to me that turned out to be a bit of a scavenger hunt.  

I started with "dashboard" in the index, and that page sent me to "instrument panel".  At first glance it seemed to be the "security system indicator".  But upon further observation when I went to that page, it turned out to just be the tiny light at the bottom of the gauge, with (naturally) no other label for that gauge.  

Several pages later there is a better diagram, finally indicating that 

the red "arrow" belongs to the turbo boost meter.  

No idea why it was swinging up and down, 

but at least I can stop worrying about a dead battery, right? 

Now that I'm reasonably cooled off I'm heading back to sweep more of the porches.  

After that a dip in the pool sounds like a stellar idea!

   

We made it home yesterday by the early afternoon (it helped that I gained an hour once I crossed into Arizona) after an uneventful trip.  Brownie was a great traveler, though each time we got back into the car he looked at me as if to say, "Aren't we there yet?"  Happily he had taken care of the most important business before we left.  The motel had a very nice grassy "bathroom" for pets, and even provided poop bags. 

However when I noticed this on the lid, I did wonder 

about the original purpose of the poop receptacle...

One of the places we stopped for Brownie to water some bushes 

was at Elephant Rocks.

He definitely perked up when we pulled into the driveway, and seemed very happy to (finally!) be home.  He certainly made use of his dog door, going in and out, in and out - and even found something to bark at in the backyard.  Pretty sure, however, that it wasn't a deer! <g> 

There was a monsoon storm (Wednesday?) that dumped an inch of rain in nearby Moon Valley.  Don't think we got nearly that much - but the winds sure shredded the protective tarp over the hot tub. 

I made a few phone calls, and unloaded the car into the kitchen, before just vegging out for the rest of the day.  By the time Tom called at 7:30 I was fighting to stay awake.  Made it until 9:00 (which of course is 10:00 in Colorado) and then woke up at 4:00 this morning.  

  

Do need to go to the grocery store today, and make some appointments, and of course hope to get most of the pile of stuff put away today.  The stack of mail waiting for my attention is daunting.  Yesterday I skimmed through it, and opened a personal letter, which was a "Save the Date" from Elena.   I'll need to make a pass through the rest of the pile today and see what needs to be dealt with first. 

I pulled out the modern wedding ring quilt pattern, and was disappointed that it won't work for me to use the 4 jelly rolls of "my" colors.  But I'm pretty sure <g> that I have considerable yardage in my stash that will work.

On the last part of my drive yesterday, one of the arrow indicators on my dashboard (for charging up the battery?) was going crazy, fluctuating wildly. Sometimes it "floated" at the top, other times at the bottom.  Maybe something just came loose from all the driving on the washboard dirt road?  I did back in to the garage "just in case" I need a jump to get going.  In theory I can drive Alex's van if my car won't start - but

Got in several soaks on Tuesday, 

and Brownie had one last chance to bark at deer.

He was surprisingly calm as things kept disappearing from the bedroom on Tuesday, and then yesterday morning.  I was reasonably sure he'd tag along to the car when it was time to head out...

 but put his leash on "just in case."  Good thing, because a squirrel had the nerve to run in front of us, and IF he'd been off-leash I might still be there chasing him!

We had an uneventful drive to Cortez yesterday, and checked in to the Best Western we'd stayed at on the way up.  I left him in the nice, cool room while I hit the used bookstore a few blocks away.  Sadly they didn't have any of the titles on my list, although the guy did say that there had been previous requests for a couple of them.

Tom called last evening to say he'd arrived in Oregon, and reported how hot it's been at home.  Think I'll be hibernating inside for a while....

I was up early, and now I'm off to breakfast before we hit the road for the final leg home to the heat.

Tried to fill up with gas yesterday, but the gas station on "my" side of the road between the bookstore and motel was out of premium.  So I'll need to take care of that after breakfast.

On Sunday I shuttled Terry and Karen down to Elinor's to load up the camper for the their 2-night trip, then hung out at the swimming pool that afternoon with Eileen and Kate.  The hummers seem to have finally left - and we'll miss them.

 Migrating hummingbirds usually arrive in Colorado in late April 
and leave in early September.

Of course it's an easier trip if you can hitch a ride...

For dinner last night I made up a busy salad to go with leftovers
(like lamb chops and scalloped potatoes)
so nobody starved with Terry gone.

Monday was a lazy day.  I'd started dragging again, though I have been taking my antibiotics twice daily religiously.  For dinner I whipped up my "famous" omelettes, which received their usual admiration.

Started off  today with a soak at the Apple Pool, and later will likely take a last soak at the Party Pool.  I actually started packing yesterday, and this afternoon plan to begin loading up the car (once I bring my green chair back from the swimming pool since it needs to go on the bottom of the trunk.)

Not sure how Brownie will react once things start disappearing from our bedroom...

but I'm guessing he'll become anxious, worried about being left behind!

I do seem to be feeling more like myself today; with 3 doses of antibiotics under my belt I am definitely on the mend - and even my finger looks and feels MUCH better this morning.

 On our morning walk Brownie and I stopped by the swimming pool to check on the hummer babies.  They were both out of the nest, but only one of them, having mastered the art of flight, was flying around from branch to branch in the upper reaches of the tree.  Its sibling, however, seemed quite content to just sit near the nest and hang out.  Migration will be starting soon, so I hope that little one gets in some practice before the big trip!

Despite a reasonable night's sleep Thursday night, and then a doze-a-thon all Friday morning, I also took a solid 2 1/2 hour nap Friday afternoon.  Obviously my body was trying to tell me something.

Dr. Bobbi diagnosed a UTI (only the 2nd one I've ever had) so this morning I drove to the clinic in Alamosa (a good hour's drive.)  They saw me right away, though unfortunately getting the Rx for antibiotics filled at Walmart was quite a different story.  

(I'm hoping the antibiotics will also deal with my finger, 

which is sporting an infection from a recent blister.)

Went for a soak when I finally got back, and then checked on the hummers at the swimming pool.  I'd heard yesterday the babies were fluttering above the nest, and today they were hanging out on the branch practicing some more.