Forks on the RV road

Some of the best Mexican food I have ever had. Wishing sister was here to enjoy this new find.


I'm talking about Gabriel's located just outside of Santa Fe on Hwy 285. Zagat rated this restaurant as one of the very best. We do not ever go to an eatery because of a rating. We had no idea what we were walking in to, we were just hungry, wanted Mexican food and we thought this place looked good.........nothing fancy but cars in the parking lot to me that's usually a good sign, at least it works for me.

Gabriel's is known for preparing your guacamole at table side, you get to chose the ingredients...........ours were avocado, cilantro, little salt and fresh lime juice.

My order consisted of a taco with the very best shredded beef I have ever had, a chile relleno stuffed with super creamy cheeses and of course the the rice and beans. About that shredded beef taco, the beef was slow roasted with chiles and onions, that was it nothing more on the taco but you were served the salsa, cheese, lettuce etc. But I'm thinking this taco doesn't need another thing. The chile relleno was also quite nice with their added green sauce.

Just remember when in New Mexico you are always asked red or green.............meaning what sauce on your food item you just ordered. Red tends to be a bit spicier than the green and I have always been a green sauce fan. You can also ask for both or just on the side.

Gabriel's has mountain view dining on their beautiful patio. The view is rather spectacular of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range of Northern Mew Mexico. Stunning vistas and just happens to be the longest mountain chain on Earth. Take my word for itSangre de Cristo mountain range are awful pretty and I bet even more stunning capped with that white stuff.

Now about dessert................I'm only here for the sopapilla's folks and Gabriel's did not let me down. Even Mr Doodles had one. I have written about this tasty desert before and these so far are the best......................served warm with honey!!! Oh lordy I am in heaven with the treasure. But my waistline won't handle another one so I say bye, bye

Here's your Saturday nite Sunset with the Sangre de Cristo mountains framing this beautiful New Mexico sky.

A desert and A forest all in one day

What a day to see the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.........the air was warm and the sky was blue.............perfect day for a few short hikes.

See what I mean............these photos were taken straight out of the camera................no manipulation with color at all.




Found a few petroglyphs on one of the hikes we took.

Petroglyphs were sometimes calendars marking events like summer solstice and the natural landscape

Not a petroglyph..........but Mr Doodles showing a piece of wood from the petrified forest. The pieces are something to behold. Loved to see a coffee table made out of a piece of this however the few years in Leavenworth probably wouldn't be worth it.

This is an interesting article on petrified wood. At the park they have some amazing movies and terrific Park Rangers to answer all your questions. And yes they can arrest you for taking out a tiny piece..............they now do an auto check as you leave the park.

All in all it was just a great day.............................more photos to follow

Take it easy..............

Yep many of you old rockers will recognize those lyrics as a self titled album by the Eagles 1972.

"Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona Such a fine site to see"

Sit back and enjoy I'm gonna be your tour guide here in this cute little town. Well the city fathers of Winslow, AZ have turned that famous corner into a Park. Winslow is pretty cool town in its own right.

This is what the travel guides say but I am here to tell you this town is a mess and very poor. One good thing is they have received some federal funding that hopefully they would be able to turn this town around.

Mr Doodles and I happened to walk into the Chamber of Commerce office just after a meeting let out of the folks in charge of rebuilding this town. We were fortunate enough to see the proposals and artist renderings. The town folks have their hands full but with the right guidance they could turn this town around.

The town of Winslow started its demise in 1983 when I 40 was completed and those folks that drove the historic route 66 needed to get to their destination a little faster so they jumped on the interstate and avoided the town of Winslow completely. Winslow is not the only town that died because of I 40 but it is one that I know and have driven thru more than once.

There just happens to be a very well known hotel in this town La Posada........read more about the architect Mary Coulter here.

I'll be sure to download some photos I took while touring the the La Posada.

Forks on the RV road

I am posting this again cause I think I jumped the gun a bit sharing with you our next move.

also knives and spoons...........think while making our way north to Gunnison, Colorado. I'll do a few restaurant reviews. We'll be taking our time and will have the opportunity to get off the beaten track, translated to mean US interstates. Unless ya wanna hear about truck stop food NOT!!!

Mr Doodles has never been in this area of the SouthWest...............several years ago sister and I took this similar trip.................we called it our Thelma & Louise adventure but didn't get arrested or kill anyone but saw some amazing sites and beautiful part of the country, OH and the food cannot forget about the food.

click on the map to get an enlargement

As you can see in the above map we will be taking some back roads north thru the Petrified Forest as well as Canyon de Chelly, a little out of our way but well worth the trip to check out. This canyon in Northern Arizona was made well known by Ansel Adams famed photographer. So we are hoping weather will be kind and we will be able to spend a couple a days hiking and photo taking in the Canyon. We will head down south to find our way over to New Mexico on I40, eventually winding our way north to Taos...........going thru Santa Fe with a side trip to Chimayo, where I know of a very good Mexican restaurant..............hope it's still there. It will be good to revisit this area cause it's one of my favorites.

This adventure begins Cinco de Mayo.......................actually we headed out a couple a days early due to very high wind conditions.

Poor Buddy........the cat

For about a 100 miles or so the gypsy caravan went from about 4,000 ft altitude to near 10,000 ft then back down to about 6,500 ft that is where we spent the nite. But during all that time Buddy howled.............I mean howled like let me outta here.

We felt so bad for him cause we knew his little ears were popping due to the altitude but there was nothing we could do for the poor fur ball.



But I must say that altitude brought us some wonderful visuals. The scenic drive from Globe to Show Low, AZ as it crosses the Salt River Canyon also descends some 2,000 ft with some interesting switchbacks then crosses a bridge that takes you to the other side of the canyon. All the while Mr and I are saying WOW!!! and Buddy is howling like crazy.

After reaching our destination of Show Low, actually Pinetop, AZ which is also on the Apache Nation Indian Reservation we put Buddy in the RV and he immediately got a drink of water, used his box and went to start his six hour nap. Bless his sweet little heart he was exhausted.


The next few days we won't be going thru such changes in altitude.......

I cannot wait

for this movie to be released. Mark your calendar for (as of now) August 7th.

I honestly think Meryl Streep can play anyone. Interesting that Julie Powell and her adventures of one year would be made into a movie but Nora Ephron liked the book enough to turn it into a movie with some very big names................Stanley Tucci as Mr Child.................told ya I can't wait.







What's next Pioneer Woman and her life living on the Plains of America??? Just remember ANYTHING is possible.

Bed & Breakfast

The road leading in to Faraway Ranch

This would be the view out their front door

These folks were way ahead of their time by turning their cattle ranch into a Guest Ranch. Man if I would have been around at the time I would have loved to live here.

Faraway Ranch is the pioneer homestead and later cattle and guest ranch of Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson and their children located in Chiricahua National Monument. The Erickson family lived on the ranch for 91 years before its purchase by the National Park Service in 1979.

The Faraway House fireplace was constructed from stones used in a monument to honor President James Garfield. The names on the stone were hand-carved by buffalo soldiers, the African American troops of the Tenth Cavalry, stationed here in 1885-1886. The exhibit building contains displays about the Erickson family and stories of ranch life. The house is completely furnished with original family items and is open for scheduled tours.

Even though the homestead was technically owned by Emma Peterson from Neil Erickson's death in 1937 until her own death in 1950, actual control of the ranch operations was in the hands of her daughter, Lillian, and, later, her son-in-law Ed Riggs (of the aforementioned sawmill family) from the 1920s. In 1923 Lillian married her neighbor and childhood friend, Ed Murray Riggs. Ed had experience in ranching and automobile maintenance, and he had learned aerial photography in the Army Air Corps. (His photographic expertise was important in bringing the strange rock formations of the monument to the attention of a wider audience.) Ed threw himself enthusiastically into the guest ranch business, adding bathrooms and plumbing to the ranch house, creating the "guest dining room" from the north porch, and building a swimming pool.

something I found outside one of the barns

Spring cleaning

Come spring many of us like to get in there and scrub like the dickens. Well I did just that................................Tombstone Tumbleweed needed a good cleaning with some major sprucing up.

What better person to do that (certainly not me) than the blogfairy She put up with all my questions and more questions and came up with this great new look.



I love my new look, I hope you do to................go poke around my new sweet looking blog but also check out the magic of the blog fairy she'll make all your wishes come true but only for your blog ya know.

There is a bit more tweaking.............please leave your comments.

Be aware............a re-run

Earth Day

re-usable bags

something fun

send me your photos of your bags you made and I'll post them on my blog or if you have a blog post your photos there to show off your cleverness but please let me know.

Pollenating the Desert

Easter Sunday spent on the Desert..........weather was sunny but cool. We wanted to go on a hike but it was just a bit too cool since our hike would have taken us to a bit higher elevation. Warmer weather is on the horizon. Enjoy a couple a photos of one of my favorite cactus that is just beginning to flower.

Ocotillo. (ō'kə-tē'yō) During most of the year, the long stems of the ocotillo are bare except for the rigid gray spines. However this plant's appearance changes overnight after a good rainstorm. Under the dead looking waxy gray surface, ocotillo stems are capable of enough photosynthesis to enable leafing out quickly after rains. Tiny new leaf buds spring up along the stems and within five days, the leaves expand to their full growth. In five weeks, the leaves turn yellow and drop to the ground. Such is the quick life-cycle for this part of the Ocotillo, but during that short time the leaves utilize the soil moisture to produce the plant-sugars needed for growth. Depending on the amount and number of rains, ocotillo may gain and lose their leaves three, four, or more times a year.

Ocotillo flowers, blood-red and densely clustered, appear at the stem tips in March and April. They are a major food source for hummingbirds during their northward migration. Lots of other birds and insects also visit the flowers. Ocotillo produce flat, featherlight seeds in abundance during May and June. Many of those seeds germinate during the summer monsoon season, July and August, but few if any survive until the following summer. Those that do live to their second year have a good chance of living up to two centuries. Ocotillo grows to a height of twenty or thirty feet. These unusual desert plants are found abundantly from southern California to western Texans and south into Mexico.

Keep your window open

May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility.
Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

Vintage gnarly

Gnarly

has it come to this???

I love me some gambling but this would be scary HA!!!

I want one!!!

my hiking honey

It was a beautiful, wind free day.............see the sky the danged wind blew all the clouds away the day before. We are on our way to Fort Bowie where there was a bit of a standoff between Cochise and the Army. Seems the Apache Indians were everywhere in this area of South West Arizona. Lots of great history here. So we find our way down an 8 mile dusty gravel road, park in the parking lot and head off on our hike. Three hours later we discover we have taken a wrong turn and gone five miles out of our way....................the opposite direction of the fort. How do we know that HA!!!



here's the photo of the fort waaaaaaaaaay in the distance on the opposite side of the valley where we are....................CRAP!!! So stay tuna'd we are going back.

Yeah..........finally!!!

Buddy POOPED.................is that too much information for ya!!!

Buddy has been feeling pretty crummy and his thyroid levels are OK so who knows the reason not a Vet that's for sure. So I went on line to do some research and came up with mineral oil. Buddy has been getting a shot of that for a few days and it seems to be taking effect...............let's hope it continues.

We tried a lot of things like sardines packed in oil, canned pumpkin, milk, even metamucil............nothing.

It seems our beloved cat of fourteen years has a form of arthritis in his spine and pushing down where it shouldn't. Mineral oil is just making it easier for the evil one. And he has a better attitude also. So keep Buddy in your prayers and stay tuna'd.

Let me introduce you to

A little known nut is the piñon nut ..........................Pine nuts are also known as Indian nuts, pinon, pignoli, and pignolia. While out on a hike the other day we came upon a group of piñon trees............a little early to swipe some nuts but piñon nuts are readily available in most stores in the Southwest. So since there are piñon nuts everywhere ya look I went hunting for recipes. I'm gonna make a few and post them over on PBE. I'm thinking piñon pesto with cilantro...........maybe piñon nut bread served with a cup of piñon tea or coffee. So you get the point, one could get piñon overload...............but they are quite tasty.

However be aware of this warning...................my motto if it's a food product and made in China I put it back.

Warning

There are a small percentage of pine nuts on the market that affect taste for a few days after they are eaten. It is thought that these pine nuts are those packaged in Asian countries, namely China. About a day or so after they are eaten, a strong metallic taste is noted by some people, which can last for a few more days and affect the taste of other foods. It is thought that this occurs because of the triglycerides in the pine nuts formed by the unsaturated fatty acids in them.

Global information on pine nut production

I have a question

maybe it's more curiosity. Most of us that have a blog have a statistical counter that tracks visitors. Mine is located in the left hand column bout a third of the way down the page. Believe when I say the counter it is not a way of spying and I cannot contact you when you visit, well unless you leave a comment or leave your email address in the comment box.

That leads me to the question ............do you visit blogs and lurk? or do you take time to leave a comment? I see the same visitors that come to my blog everyday and sometimes more............without a comment.............makes one wonder.

Bloggers love visitors, guess that's why we blog, but they also love feedback..........and it can be one word or an epistle. Do you not leave a comment because you don't know how. I can understand that.......at times it can be confusing.

I will blog whether I get comments or not I was just curious.

your tax dollars at work

Driving around the other day we ran into a road side stop by the US Border Patrol.............we were going the other way so we were not involved in the inspection. This stop was about 30 miles from the Mexican border. But let me say this department of the U S Government is serious and they mean business.

I don't know what is set aside in the new budget for Homeland Security but this is the newest state of the art detention center for the US Border Patrol built here in Wilcox, AZ. I am still surprised at the size of this center and what the needs are going to be. We were not able to get close enough for really good photos but you should see the razor wire around the top of the fencing.

Mr Doodles and I have spent a lot of time in Mexico however that was a few years ago. This is as close as I am gonna get to Mexico due to there horrible drug problems. We have a border crossing story, actually we had two incidents I'll share with you sometime.............it's a scary story...............had nightmares over it for awhile.

But rest assured any border town on the US/Mexico border is not doing the brisk business that they have in the past. It's sad because boy shopping is great along those border towns as well as the food in the restaurants. Oh well those were the good old days.

Healthy foods

On my Google home page one of the sub headings is healthy food and this yummy food item was listed.

I am big on avocados, well with the exception of Florida avocados which have absolutely no taste what so ever. So I guess this makes me a avocado snob. There are endless ways to use these green gems in a recipe. But let me remind you avocados are an acquired taste.

What is your favorite way to serve avocado?

Avocados

Although the creamy rich Hass avocados are generally available throughout the year, they are the most abundant and at their best during the spring and summer in California and in October in Florida. During the fall and winter months you can find Fuerto, Zutano and Bacon varieties.

The avocado is colloquially known as the Alligator Pear, reflecting its shape and the leather-like appearance of its skin. Avocado is derived from the Aztec word "ahuacatl".

Read the rest of the article here

Well done CNN

Bye, bye, bye Chris Dodd. Mr Dodd your political career appears to be over. Leave the U S Senate go back to Connecticut and run for Governor. I have a political friend in Connecticut that is just sitting there rubbing his hands together so as to run someone against you.

Got an email from friend and I wish I could share it with you, however most of the words are expletives that even my Mother would be shocked at reading.

I met Mr Dodd many, many years ago................you see I was at the Capital in Hartford, I had a meeting I could absolutely not be late for. Exiting the elevator, rounding the corner with lotsa paper in my arms I ran into a man and literally knocked him on his butt..............man lying on the floor was Mr Dodd, newly elected Senator from CT to the US Senate. Ooooooops sorry sir, I leaned down to help him up, no handlers with him then, he said no problem.........."well aren't you a pretty thing"! Right then I disliked him then I discovered he was about to attend the same meeting I was. Reason bringing his US Senate experience to a state senate caucus. What an arrogant SOB. Oh and he did not help me pick up my papers another lady stopped to help.

CNN was doing a lot of digging around about AIG and who did what when I said to Mr Doodles they should go ask Chris Dodd oddly enough they did and he denied the question they asked, right then I said that is the guiltiest look I have ever seen, next day he recanted his story and admitted guilt..............HA!!!

Like I said bye, bye Mr Dodd...................stay tuna'd

Many varieties

of hummingbirds in this beautiful land of our......................had no idea. I sat for a very long time to get this not so great photo.

I remember when we were here a little more than a year ago we heard this was a big bird watching area. We are not big birders however there are sandhill cranes in this area, I believe we are way past the time for viewing these big birds but we are still gonna search cause there could be a few that did not get the message to leave as of yet. This is such a big birding area they even have an extensive site here
Wilcox is a quirky, I say quirky in the nicest way, quite quirky little town. Wilcox has three off ramps on interstate 10 and if you didn't know what was here you would buzz on by on your way to Tucson or El Paso. This is Cochise country actually Cochise County...................Cochise was one of the most famous Apache leaders as famous as Geronimo. I am quite fascinated by American Indian history. There is an area around here called Cochise Stronghold.

following is a quote from the web site

This rugged natural fortress was, for some 15 years, the home and base of operations for the famed Chiricahua Apache Chief, Cochise. Cochise and about 1,000 of his followers, of whom some 250 were warriors, located here. Sentinels, constantly on watch from the towering pinnacles of rock, could spot their enemies in the valley below and sweep down without warning in destructive raids. No man, woman or child within a hundred miles was safe from these attacks. Mr Cochise was not an endearing soul now was he........................more about the Chiricahua area later....................stay tuna'd

Oh look there's a winery in the area Woo Hoo!!! Dos Cabezas Winery

the gypsy caravan

I understand I come by it naturally, being a gypsy I mean.

Go read and keep up with sisters blog. Sweet sister is doing some ancestor sleuthing and some things that are coming out are quite interesting to say the least.

Read sisters blog here Sister has been updating her blog every few days with some memories we all heard.

Not what we thought

The bull auction we went to was not at all what we thought but it did have a lot of cos, heifers and a few bulls. The bulls were for breeding not for the 8 second ride kinda bull.

Seems when we walked in we stood out like a sore thumb, some very nice folks, local ranchers, were quite receptive in filling us in on the lingo and what was going on.............seems cattle auctions have a vocabulary all their own. Oh and those cute little cows ain't cheap folks, at least not to us. But the locals were telling us about how the economy has affected them as well.


In case you are interested in the difference between a rancher and a farmer after a lot of questions and talking to both my answer would be farmers work in the dirt, whereas ranchers dress up all sexy and ride around on horses, oh and where those sexy chaps.

A burning question I bet you have always wanted to know............How long does it take for the pregnancy of a cow?

279 - 290 days. There are slight breed differences. 279 for Holsteins (the black and white milk cows most people are familiar with).

It's pretty much the same as humans.........................tada now you know.............stay tuna'd for more fun facts.

you know it's Easter

when Peeps start to appear everywhere. So before lent I was in the $ store where I saw these sweet morsels. Had my aha moment on what I was going to give up for lent..................Peeps and all sweets and ice tea.........yes ice tea cause I knew how hard it would be to go without.

Ya see my original deal with lent was dessert and ice tea but when I saw the Peeps I almost filled my cart cause those sweet morsels are cheap at the $ store. But I dare say I was not swayed by the cost when I realized this could be a dessert. Now you can make your own peeps
Answer me this why would I wanna do that, well maybe if I had little ones around it would be a fun project. Google the word peeps you will be amazed at the number of sites.

I know where it is..............

600 pounds of ammonium nitrate missing in Florida. It could be used for making bombs, but since it's Florida, expect a follow-up involving two cows, a divorced retiree and a convenience store...................actually I am sure it's in the Keys fertilizing the massive pot growth...............hey people need $$$ to pay for their hurricane insurance and the rising property taxes..........in spite of the economy Florida is a greedy state. But maybe since the truck containg the nitrate is a Ford F-350 maybe the dopey thieves stole the truck.....................F-350 is a sweet truck.

I'm sure Janet Nepolitano, Homeland Security Secretary is on the job looking for this stuff.

yellow carpet

seems a little early for these beauties to be popping out in such abundance but here they are...........yellow carpet lying about on the Sonoran desert.

Oh Canada

Canadian astronauts selected based on potential contribution to team. Stand outs include several pilots, two doctors and ... a kayaker? after all there is water on the moon eh!!!

link to article

I know this is a drop dead serious article but it just struck me as so hilarious...............so dear Canadian friends don't hate me for writing this K!!!

Attention US Government

go knock on the door of AIG and demand the $175 BILLION returned NOW!!! Show the good people of the United States y'all have some balls in Washington. This madness must stop NOW!!!

AIG said that the reason they handed out the retention bonus was to retain the best and the brightest.............well folks the best and the brightest got y'all and us into to this mess.............tell the best and the brightest BYE BYE!!!

Where the heck are ya now

a friends called last nite and asked that question. I guess I forgot to mention when we got cut from the baseball deal we took a fill in position at an RV park in Wilcox, AZ.

This place is not fancy what so ever but quite nice none the less. I got an email from the owner wondering when we could get here to help him out as the back up workers just up and left. Heck we had the time why not.................. they have

a indoor heated pool and

a workout room

We were coming to this area anyway cause there is a very large bull auction this week. I know a bull auction.........no we have no intention of investing in any bulls..........but let me say bull investment would be better than any investment in the stock market right now.

Anyway we are gonna be in Wilcox for about six weeks working four hours each three days a week,can't beat that cause they also pay our rent, electric, use of laundry.

Glad I have my beads to work on, lots of books to read plus we were here awhile back at want to go back to Chiricahua National Monument, it is one of my favorite places to take photos, go for hikes, take a picnic lunch.

So that's where we are and that's what we are gonna be doing..................stay tuna'd for some pics...........and Oh I did post a photo over on Images.............hoping that's the first of many to follow.

Stumbled into a Pow Wow

Leaving the Phoenix area we decided to take to the scenic route thru some mountainous two lane roads. We see on the map there is a casino about 80 miles away, not very far but where there is a casino there is usually a place to park your RV. Jump on line sure enough Apache Gold Casino does have an RV park and with our luck they will be holding their 13th Annual Intertribal Pow Wow. Pull in to the park get all hooked up everything works great, we keep the truck hooked up cause we don't need wheels, walk to the casino which is what we did. While I find a slot machine that was going to pay me $$$ Mr Doodles does a walkabout and finds out about the Pow Wow. Took my winnings, yes I said winnings and wandered over to the Pow Wow not knowing what to expect.

Now here I am with my teeny point and shoot camera stuck in my back pocket knowing that camera's are not allowed in a casino. So any of the few photos I did take were not that great.

Talk about bead work.............good god the work invested in these beautiful pieces is just unreal. I'll share with you later a very interesting chat with a young man that entered some of the dancing events. I'll tease you with a photo and write more later on the event............stay tuna'd!!!

BTW.......we are hanging out in Wilcox AZ for a few weeks till the weather gets better in Colorado..............there's a bull auction in a few days.

We got cut..............

just like in the major league baseball world we were cut back on hours at the Angel stadium. So because of that only working a couple a hours a week we decided to part company with the Angels. The not so great economy has hit the Spring Training world. It is a shame because most of the nine stadiums in the Phoenix area have not lowered their ticket prices................greedy bastards. If they would offer deals more folks would buy tickets. The Dodgers are the only team we know of that were offering a deal on tickets. Guess whose attendance is up over everyone else in the Cactus League.

We will head to Gunnison, Colorado at a slow pace cause ya know damn well there is still that white stuff............y'all know how I feel about white SH*T.

So we have polished our last halo..............it was fun while it lasted...................stay tuna'd

A very nice day

what a fun day........oh my gosh..........my oh so sweet husband treated me to a wonderful cup of tea upon waking. Then he informed me I could do whatever I wanted to do..........oh baby!!!

Off we went, after showering, for breakfast at a local joint that serves just breakfast, home cooked style you know those crispy hash browns, good fresh eggs and fresh squeezed OJ from local oranges.

So we rolled outta there so Mr Doodles wanted to find a place to pressure wash the truck so he could test the new windshield we had installed. Got that done in record time and NO leaks.

Went to pick up our checks at the ball stadium........more about that later, after leaving the stadium Mr took a different route to get to the freeway and on said route I noticed a bead shop.............OH MY GOD!!! I am almost glad that I did not find this place a few weeks ago somewhat pricey but the selection was to die for..........I wanted some copper findings................. they had them and I picked up just a couple more strands of different items and I was outta there...........whew that could have been $$$.

Off again my driver asks where to now? Ya see it's my birthday and I could do whatever I wanted..........cool huh!!! We needed a few things at Costco so that was next on the agenda..........Mr is always happy to go to Costco cause of all the samples and this day I think he sampled them all even the smoothies they were making.

Off to WalMart for Buddy's thyroid prescription, the bank, and fuel for the truck. By this time we have worked up a bit of an appetite, time for a late lunch, early dinner. I have been wanting to try this place in town called Pete's Fish and Chips which has been around since 1947 and had great reviews. Now, when I think of fish & chips my mind immediately goes to this fantastic place in Mr Doodles home town that serves only fish & chips. Well Pete's cannot hold a candle to the place in Canada that we love so much, but it was pretty good.

Satisfied our hunger once again................next stop the book store to re-stock our supply. After two and a half hours and loaded up with a few new books and a couple a magazines Mr needed we're out the door.

I'm ready to head toward home when we drive by a nice little strip mall that has many of my favorite stores and a Petco for Buddy...........well for Mr Doodles cause in he goes to replenish Buddy's food while I go off to replensih my closet.

Happy Birthday to me...........I got a new pair or sandals, pair of white jeans, couple a tops and Buddy got a new toy............wait his birthday isn't till July.............no matter.

Came home to kick back but our sweet neighbors wanted us to join them for cocktails and snacks plus she was so sweet she even made me a carrot cake for my birthday.

OK now I'm really ready to put on my jammies.

Oh prior to heading out for the day I stopped to get my mail and was quite surprised with special gifts and a few special phone calls............see why I said what a great day..............thanks y'all!!!

Buddy and beading

So I'm sitting at my table laying out the beads for the next necklace I am about to make. I had already measured and cut the beading wire, got up to get some ice tea, return to table to continue my bead work.

I finally decide which beads to use, look for the beading wire, which really isn't wire at all I was using a very bendable something like fishing line. Well it was gone..........then I hear Buddy sounding like he was getting sick, you know that sound. I look and there is my string sticking out of the damn cats mouth. He is gagging, I am wrestling with him trying to get the string out of his mouth and for some reason he is fighting me WTH!!! I have the scratches on my hands and arms to prove this little tussle.

Well I finally get my fingers around the string and pull hard enough for the little creep to open his mouth and out comes the string..............thank heavens. I wait for Mr Doodles to come home so I can pry open his mouth to see if any damage was done to his throat...............didn't see any thank heavens

I think the ordeal really upset the poor little guy cause he went and got on the couch to rest his weary self. Now I on the other hand put away my beading supplies, I just lost interest..........go figure.

I'll get the necklace done soon and post a photo so stay tuna'd..................

Wildflower time

is around the corner and we happen to be in an area that is going to POP with color in the next few weeks. To wet your whistle and see one of my all time favorite artist that has an exhibit here

What is so wonderful about this time of the year is we'll have wildflowers here and then when we get to Colorado.....................life is good. Go check this AZ wildflower site and see what the desert will be featuring this season................I cannot wait.........need to go charge the batteries for the cameras...............soooooooooooooooo stay tuna'd...............spring is getting closer!!!

It took my dear sweet niece

to make the AIG debacle clear to me, oh my God it is now clear, very clear. Mr Obama I wonder if you are watching and/or listening?

Go read my nieces blog on the subject.............let me say if you are offended by the F word don't read her blog on this subject. But dear niece has hit the nail on the proverbial head.

yep a photo is worth many, many words...............Manny unless you tell us you are going to do something worthwhile with that $$............you just ain't worth it SORRY!!!

Annoying headlines

and yes I do know after working for several years for a newspaper that headlines are written for one purpose and one purpose only to grab your attention.

This one not only grabbed my attention in elevated my blood pressure....................are you kidding me!!!

Madoff agrees to give up property, art, tickets

The biggest crook of the century does not have a right to agree to nuttin honey, not one damn thing. I don't know if I'd be publicizing his appearance in federal court on Wednesday, somebody is gonna put a bullet in this crook.

Now tell me how a successful company like AIG could loose all this bajillion dollars..............none of this makes sense to me at all dear friends............these people are crooks like Madoff. And I'm sposed to be impressed that the newest CEO of AIG is only accepting $1 annual salary.....................BS!!!

View from my front door

This my friends is a limon tree.............see what I accomplished with this gem over at PBE..........our food blog.

traffic cat

Do you have traffic reporters in your area for the early morning drive? I think this cat could make it on TV. Actually our cat Buddy could do that job quite nicely.............he has an opinion about everything!!!

Hanging out with Angels

no not heavenly Angels but the Los Angeles Angels for their spring training gig in Tempe, Arizona.



When we were deciding what to do between our Christmas tree deal and going back to Gunnison, Colorado for the summer, I came upon this ad looking for workampers for spring training. Mr Doodles and I were considering going back to Tucson, AZ anyway so when I mentioned this Mr didn't hesitate, he said yes. Since he is not a baseball fan I did remind him that the Angels are a baseball team and not a hockey team. And his comment was why not try something different..........what the trees weren't different enough for ya???

We will arrive in Mesa, Az which is next door town to Tempe (pronounced tempee)
we should arrive this weekend. Following week we have a class to attend and an orientation a few days later. Then batter up on February 25th when the Angeles play the Chicago White Sox............oh wait spose President Obama will be there......nah they'll probably save his throwing out the first pitch for opening day for his beloved White Sox.

So stay tuna'd........................hope they let me take photos.