Buttes & Barns...

Today Willie and I went on a little road trip to the next town over to get a coat to keep him warm, and some extra calorie dog food. 

I decided to go the back way which is at the base of the Sutter Buttes.

The smallest mountain range in the world is in the middle of the Northern Sacramento Valley.

They are old and rugged mountains (volcanic lava domes), beautiful in their own way.  If you would like to know more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Buttes

While we were on the way through Sutter, I stopped to put some flowers on Granny Mid's grave. It's been four years since I've had the chance to do so.

We took the same road home so I could get a few pictures of the old barns that are still around.

 

Home again...

WILLIE's HOME!  He showed up at the door, horribly thin and dirty... but he's home. He's had a small bite to eat, a warm bath, and is now sleeping off his latest misadventure on my lap.

His GPS tracker has been ordered and he won't be going off leash til it's on his collar. 

Thanks for all your prayers and concern.  

Heart hurt...

Willie has gone missing, again!  No one has seen him in days...  It has been very cold for those days and nights,
I have looked everywhere...

I am heart broken.

Short Bloom...

The almonds are loaded this year, and there simply aren't enough bees to go around what with the short bloom time (caused by the dry N wind).  My SIL was wise enough a few years back to see this coming, and took apiary classes. Then started raising his own bees and training one of his men to manage the bees for his farming operations.

We need rain, and a lot less wind.  The North wind has been howling, and once again parts of the state are on fire. A friend's daughter & SIL had to evacuate their place an hour ago.

I've been busy cleaning at Marymine's, while she and Lauren are in Vegas for a volleyball tourney.  

 Attended the memorial gathering for the mother of my three brothers by another mother on Saturday. 

their mom, my Dad, & their dad, all gone now

 The tall tales of their parents & my Dad were on going.  So good to get to see them and their wives again, and swap stories of our kids and grandkids. 

Marymine's cross wall

Today the N wind was again cold and howling. Worked at Marymine's early, went to Mass, came back and grandson, Cody helped me transfer all my worldly goods from Marymine's trailer, and my pickup to my Sean's trailer.  A friend of my Sean's that lives in Modesto was in Vancouver for a visit and offered to pull the trailer down on his way home.  It was a big help, this way when the time comes I can fly my Sean down, and have him drive my pickup & the trailer up there, while I drive my SUV. One and done!

Crazy day...

Bushed, Ash Wednesday, Valentine's Day, crazy long day...

Dozer, granddaughter's  husband's Lab

Dozer came and got me this morning to let me know Willie was down in the irrigation pipe shed barking his head off at some critter or other.  Went and dug through the pipe stacks to get Willie, so I could take him with me on a little road trip.

 Drove up to RB to do some banking for the estate. Took a friend to lunch at the airport and saw JB and a buddy come in for lunch.  Love JB's super cub...

and the other guy flew this '41 cub in...

Awesome.  If you want to see JB flying go here: https://youtu.be/fQtOliiP9Us

Drove back down to the flatlanders place just in time to watch granddaughter Lauren play her last high school basketball game. It was a good game and they won!  After the game we went to eat dinner in the sports bar at Granzella's.  We were ordering when an area near us was cleared.  As we were waiting for our dinners one of the grandkids looked over and said, "Damn, that's the governor". We are not fans, can you tell.  Sure enough there he and his wife were, and there off by his lonesome was security (who stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the locals in his suit, wires, and back to the wall).  Gov Moonbeam was wearing his "mingle with the common ranch folk" outfit of jeans, boots, shirt, jacket, and a ball cap.  I really wanted to go up to him and ask if the letters MAGA had accidentally fallen off his red ball cap.  But decided that using the excuse for smart ass remarks of my having sworn off cheeseburgers for lent was not going to keep me out of trouble, I let it go, for now...  

Been busy...

Been to two of granddaughter Lauren's basketball games, with another tonight.  Been to lunch with an old friend. Been to dinner out with family and friends, often. 

one of our favorite watering holes

 Been busy helping the grandkids, drinking wine, and working on getting the estate closed out. 

Got my pickup loaded and moved out of the house on the 29th by 5PM. New owners showed up with a pickup load at 4:45PM.  As I was hugging my old neighbors goodbye I said that I hoped the new owners would be good neighbors.  They hugged me back and said, "We managed to survive your mother, we can handle anything!" I know how they feel, lot of truth to that.

Willie and I are camping out at my granddaughter Ali's & her husband's til I get the estate stuff done. 

 

Ali's camellias are blooming awesome

They have a wonderful big ol' farm house and two goofy labs.

 

This is Duke, he's locked on to the bone I'm holding.

Lots to do to help out around here, and trying to stay out of trouble.  Harder than one would think.

Been working on a crappy head cold... and heartily tired of talking about myself... Just a bit cranky can you tell?  Ok, crankiness is over I don't have time for that attitude.