Toni (the Tiel)

Once again our house feels as if a giant hole has been left where once a small little body occupied.  My precious little cockatiel, (Toni), passed away in the early hours this morning.  I got him when he was just barely 3 months old in October, 1999.  I was his mom and protector his entire life.  He loved me and I loved him.  He would chirp for me, and yell for me when I left the room.  He tolerated Dave, but I was his mom.  He would let me pet his head, stroke his back, rub his cheeks.  He tried so hard to talk to me.  He would stretch his little neck, open his beak, but no words would come out.  He would sit on my shoulder, my finger, and nestle down on my chest for warmth.  The only thing he didn't like was when I would clip his nails and wings.  Everyone who came into the house would poke their fingers at him through the cage.  I would warn them that "He can bite, and he can draw blood".  Some had to learn the hard way.  Very few got Toni to warm up to them.  You needed to be a regular visitor to our house, and be a patient person around him.  Yes, our house is very quiet this morning.  I have no little chirps when I walk into the livingroom.  Toni is now flying free with his little wings flapping, and the warm sunshine on his face.  Fly Toni, be a happy little bird for all eternity.  I'll miss you.

May 2020

Like most of American, we completed the month under a "shelter at home" policy.  But we did manage to get several items completed.  The month was so hot, and we didn't get any rain, for the 2nd month in a row.
The first weekend of May, we went down to Vegas and started cleaning up the exterior of Bruce's house.  We also have a few maintenance items performed, (i.e.: replaced a broken window, had the A/C checked up before summer heat hit, had a pest control company sprayed interior and exterior).  We only spend 2 days there, then hurried back home.

This trip we decided to take Opal with us.  We want to get her used to traveling to Vegas and staying at the house.  She travels fairly well, and loves to sit up front and watch the action.  She was a master at unzipping her carrier and getting out in just a matter of a few minutes.  We learned quickly not to fight her on that issue, since she will always win.  She loves to sit on the dash of the car and watch the trucks and cars, as we pass them.  She eventually settles down on the arm rest between us and sleeps.

On the trip home, we stopped by our friends, (Howard and Roxie), to stretch our legs, get dinner, let Opal roam the house and get some love.  Roxie was very generous and provided us each with 2 face mask.  We were so thankful.  She makes basketsful of these and is sending them to the Navajo nation to help the tribe with the Covid 19 outbreak.  She also sends large boxes of craft items, so they can make items to sell.  She is such an angel to everyone.  We now feel so much safer as we make our few little trips out to the store.  A big hug and thanks to Roxie.

As soon as we got home, Dave got the neighbor boy who mows our yard, (Riley), over to till our garden beds.  Dave coached him on the first bed, and after that, Riley was a pro.  I told Dave, that one more year of working with him, and then it will be; "Hey, Riley - go get the tiller and do the beds", on his own.  I immediately got alot of my garden in, (tomatoes, carrots, onions, beans, pumpkin, cucumber, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, tomatillo, basil, parsley, sage, potatoes, etc.).  I know it sounds like a lot, but I didn't plant alot of each, (just a few).  The 6 tomatoes were plants, and everything else was seeds that I had saved from past years.  By the middle of the month, everything was popping up and growning great.  They just loved the hot weather. 

The lilac bushes were loaded with flowers this year.  And as you walked outside, the smell was so heavenly.  I cut a large armful, and placed them in a vase in the kitchen.  For about 10 days the house had a wonderful lilac smell.  I loved sitting on the deck and enjoying them.  They must have really enjoyed the early heat.

Our rhubarb was ready to cut by the middle of May, and we enjoyed our first Strawberry rhubarb cobbler.  I shared some rhubarb with a friend, and I'm thinking about making some rhubarb jam, (just a couple jars), for this winter.  It was a good batch this year.

The raspberry patch is loaded with berries, our apple tree has quite a few apples.  Our peach tree will not be bearing much this year, since last year was a bumper crop, (it doesn't do well the year after a bumper crop).



Trevor, Audra and Autumn were finally able to close on their new home the 3rd week of May.  They moved out the weekend before Memorial Day.  This made for exactly 12 months that they lived with us.  They moved in the weekend before Memorial Day last year.  They are excited to have a place of their own.  A couple days after they moved, they came over and told us that when they went to take showers they didn't have any hot water.  Trevor checked the water heater and the pilot light wasn' lite.  He checked and there wasn't any gas to the house.  Turns out they didn't know that they needed to have the gas turned on.  They are now learning about the extra costs of home ownership, (i.e.: utilities, home repairs, etc.)  We just smiled.
The weekend of Memorial Day, we did another trip to Vegas, (with Opal in tow),  to work on the yard at Bruce's.  It was all dead weeds about 2 feet high.  We rented a mower and mowed the front and back.  We took our chain saw with us and trimmed the trees away from the house, (many were hanging on the roof and when the wind would blow they scraped the roof).  We also trimmed up all the low hanging branches, and cut up all the dead trees around the property.

It has made quite a difference in the appearance in the property.  Dave trimmed back the palm frons and now they don't hang over in the neighbor's property, and people can walk down the sidewalk without the palm frons hitting them.  All the junk, and dead tree limbs are gone from the front property, and the neighbors don't have the eyesore to look at.  I sure they appreciate us cleaning up around the house.  I gathered up all the shovels, rakes, etc. and hung them up on the back side of the house.  I gathered up all the hoses and electrical cords and rolled them up and put them away.  It really is a big improvement.  It was hard work, and the weather was hot, (in the 100 degree temps).

The forcast for Utah in June is extremely high temps and more dry weather.  We're glad we have secondary water that we only pay a flat fee for.  We hope to be closing out Bruce's probate estate the last half of June.  Then we'll decide what to do with the house, (keep it for a winter home, or sell it).  We've been enjoying the peace and quiet of just the 2 of us at home again.  Dave is still working from home, and I keep busy with the garden, house, and yard.
Hope your summer plans are going as planned, and your families are all well and safe.  We're just staying at home as much as possible, and actually enjoying it.  Stay safe and be happy.