This is a close-up picture.
While driving around running errands, I saw this tree. I always keep a camera ready in the truck just-in-case. I stopped in the middle of the road (not looking to see if anyone was behind me first - oops). I need an "I'm a Blogger" bumper sticker for the back of my truck! Does anyone know what this tree is called? 
Yesterday, I took my other sister (I have two) and her husband to the Phoenix airport. She asked me if we could bring Trixie (the good dog) along with me. We didn't but it got me wondering about what people do with their dog when traveling. Sooooo I looked up Phoenix Sky Harbor and dogs. These are some of the pictures and info I found out. Did you know Phoenix Sky Harbor is considered the "friendliest airport"? I didn't either. This airport is definitely dog friendly!
Yesterday was my nephew's graduation. Each of the 52 graduates got to invite 15 guests. Out 1,400 that applied for their doctorates only 53 were accepted. One of their classmates died before he was able to finish - they gave him an Honorary Doctorate ( there was moment of silence for him during the ceremony). It was an honor for me to be asked to attend. In the picture above, my nephew had just been presented his diploma. See on the left side of the picture? They are putting on the "sash."
These are the words to the oath they all say orally during the presentation.
While saying the oath, they are standing. Their right hands are raised. The guests are seated during this part of the ceremony.
This is my very proud sister and her husband with their son .... "The Doctor!"
No need for GPS ... Just look for a mailman! My hubby tells me stories all the time about people stopping him and asking for directions. Today two 80 year olds stopped my hubby and said "We think we're lost." "Where are you going?" he asks. They came from Surprise and were looking for the Casino. They thought they were in Apache Junction and that there was a Casino there. 
Hubby called me and asked "Did you see the auction photos for tonight?" "No, why?" I said. He said "Check it out and then call me back." The above link is to tonight's auction - then click on photos on the top left side.
Although, my front and back yards are more of the manicured professional done yards...... It would be fun to go see this stuff and watch it sell.
I found this weather vane for the top of the barn. Remember when I had the only house with an umbrella on the top? This a rotty weather vane - cute, huh?
Will let you know how it went at the auction!
A few years ago, there were these officers quarters and barracks for sale. They were used here in Phoenix when there was the POW camp during WW2. Several years ago, when these building were for sale my hubby and I lived not far from where these buildings were (Scottsdale Rd./Thomas) At that time we were looking into expanding our house. We considered buying and moving one of these on our property to use as a guest house.
With serious consideration, we decide against it and bought our current house. We built "the barn" (as I call it) on this property. When we EVER get it done, it will be a guest house. It seems that everything else keeps us from finishing our 3/4 done project.
The POW building that we had considered was sold. It was placed in North Tempe as a single family residence. I drove by it yesterday and took a picture of its "new looks."
The above link tells the history of these building. It is very interesting and I encourage you to read it if you have time.
I've been getting the house ready for company this week and then again next week. I wish the guest house (our barn:) was done.
Special ***Thank You*** to AZWright for putting hubby and I on the list to this invitation only event. Last night was the Grand Opening Celebration of Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Mesa, Arizona. http://www.tobykeithusa.com/
After we got our tickets, we stood in line. There was valet parking and limo service.
There were a lot of people there (my picture doesn't show all the people :( The radio station KMLE Country 108 was outside broadcasting. Tim and Willy were there. http://www.kmlenation.com/
They announced all the important people that were there - the mayor of Mesa, I think they said Sandra Day O'Connor ( but it was loud and I didn't hear most of what they said) and more .... then they announced Toby Keith. I got this picture. I was wayyyyyyy in the back. Toby Keith did not perform while we were there :( We left at 9pm.
I had to take three pictures of the guitar above the bar - it was huge. They gave two free drinks to each person. We wore wristbands and they marked when we got our drink. There were hors d'oeuvres. I got to try the Twinkies that I posted about last time. They are good!
There were a lot of veterans there. They announced something about free hamburgers for active duty servicemen. I'll have to check into that....
We left at 9pm. Everything was lit up outside. There were spotlights in the sky. We had a GREAT time! We will definitely bring our friends and family to I Love This Bar & Grill. Again Thank You to AZWright :)
Did you ever eat grasshopper cake? (No relative of Grasshopper Pie). If you are a newcomer to Greeley, you will shrug your shoulders, turn up your nose, and shudder, but if you belong to a pioneer family there you will smile and say, "Yes, my grandmother made it!"
We've all heard of yard sales, ebay, craigslist, dumpster diving (no I never done that), out in the alley by the trash can....... It's my hubby's day off and he is working of course (that what you do when you are a mailman). He calls me, "Dear, get in the truck and come over here." "What's going on?" I reply. "This house I'm delivering mail to has shutters by their front gate with a FREE sign on them," he says. "I'll be right there!"....said by me rushing out the door.
Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill opened over at the Mesa Riverview recently. It's at 1065 N. Dobson Road, Mesa, Arizona. They have some pretty unique things on their menu. For an example, the picture I copied from the website is: 2 Deep Fried Twinkies with whipped cream & strawberries for $4.99.
This "restaurant" is in Chandler, Arizona. The http://www.heartattackgrill.com/ is on 6185 W. Chandler Blvd. Check this out - for fun!
I just realized when I saw the ideas that maybe the picture was deceiving (not on purpose) on how big this crock is. Next to the crock I put a utensil crock and a water jug crock so you could see the size of this thing. It is very big! 
I have this vintage crock pot. It measures 24 inches high by 22 inches in diameter. It needs to be outside (I don't have room for it inside the house). It's been outside being used as something to hold the smaller pool toys. But..... I'd like to do something more creative with it. So I'm asking my blogger friends for some ideas.
We've been busy working on the side of the house. I copied this foot bridge from a website to show you what we decided to do with the ugly tree stump. I've been working on taking out those aloe vera (again). I've given away thousands and there is no one else to take them. I've even advertised FREE Aloe Vera on Craigslist. So ..... I'm potting them until I find something better to do with them.
Diane C. of http://www.sabinocanyonblog.blogspot.com/ recently posted about these Finch Socks. I found it at Target. By the way, her blog is all about Sabino Canyon in Tucson, Arizona. I love visiting her blog!
So I put the Finch Sock up by my office window. There usually 6 birds on the sock and several "waiting" for their turns. I got a picture of two but the birds kept flying away because......
No, not because of Si.......
Because Bandit was barking at (she has that loud rotty bark) .....
Bandit (the dog from ****) has chewed every pair of shoes I own. When my hubby's ex-wife and her husband came to visit, they couldn't help but noticed the shoes I was wearing. The left shoe was ok but the right shoe ..... was barely what you'd still call a shoe. It was the best pair I had. When we came home from hiking South Mountain with them (ex-wife & husband), I threw the pair away.
Today in the mail I got a box of shoes from my hubby's ex-wife. I wear flip flops a lot. She sent me 7 pairs from Old Navy.... in different colors.... and my size! Woohoo How cool is that?
Now, I'm not posting this so you all will send me shoes ;)
I have this dirty little secret that I have not confessed to my blogger friends. I know we don't have to air our dirty laundry out on blogger but.... I have this area on the side of the house that is just plain ugly! I threw those aloe vera over there because I didn't know where else to put them. I had thousands and couldn't find homes for them all. This area has an old tree stump too. From that tree stump I get these "shoots." I dig them up :( I cut them down :( I put rocks on them:( They won't go away!
It was my husbands idea ( I swear)! As if he hasn't built enough around our house lately, he going to "fix" the side. Here is the first load of stones. We'll need two more loads of planter stones - 4 tons of dirt - 2 tons of sand - and then it's off to the nursery AGAIN!
We had some bad weather here the other day. Yes, in Arizona! To say the wind blew .... would be an understatement. As always, it catches me by surprise. By the time it's done - I've lost most everything that's not cemented down in the ground. All my patio umbrellas were found in various places. One was IN the pool - one was upside down along the edge of the pool - two were broken - one in the neighbors backyard- one in a planter - one was actually ok and one was on top of the roof of my "barn." See it up there?
Now you can see it. I had to stand on the planter with the pool brush extended out as far as it could go.... hit the umbrella .... and down it came. I would love to put a weather vane up there. Maybe I should have left the umbrella up there? We'd be the only ones on the block with their umbrella on the roof.
