Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Robin departed early this morning, and we did not even hear her make her escape! I took the baby out at 6:00 am and returned to bed only to get up at 8:00 am. Mary adjusted my pills as the old BP was dropping into the 105s-110s.
Mary was full of energy, so we went whistling and skipping along the way on the morning walk. Of course, I cannot whistle or skip, so Mary did the sound effects. We had to sneak out, otherwise Scout would have decided to go, and that means:
“OK, Paul, no chasing cars or peeing on the fire hydrants!”
We got the Grey Ghost unwrapped, and I moved it to the curb so Scout could get in easily. We headed to his beauty parlor just off Chapman, two miles from home. He likes it there because everyone raves about his Doo. This was the first time we had driven it for over two months; the Ghost stayed with Joe while his truck was overhauled.
On our way to the sidewalk to start this morning’s walk, we visited the Hollyhock flower; they are almost ten feet tall!
We stopped in the front yard to admire our Hollyhocks. We checked, and there were no outhouses nearby!
We planted three red maples in the grass area two years ago, and two of the three are doing well; the third seems to have been a dwarf!
The Chinese Red Maple tree is coming out of its winter hibernation.
Our morning walk is about a mile long and goes up about 80 feet vertically, which is a bit of a challenge. We made it, although I stopped three times to rest. We shall continue this, as the heart doctor says it is good for us! I thought about this new plan! Walking in circles means you’re well-rounded.
Around the corner from us is a family, like us, that decorates for the holidays. We noticed that Easter is now gone, and summer decorations are up. Their peach tree is loaded with fruit, so we plan to visit quite often!
Around the corner, the peach tree is doing just fine!
Further down the road, the neighbor likes to put dinosaurs in his planters, and for three years, Mary and I have had a dinosaur to add to his collection. Today, we did it!
Our neighbor places dinosaurs in his flower beds.
Our little guy is funny-looking, so we hope the owner will enjoy the addition.
We added to his collection.
Back on our street, we ran into a cactus that looked interesting.
Opuntia, commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many of which are known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers.
Cacti are native to the Americas and well adapted to arid climates; however, they are still vulnerable to precipitation and temperature changes driven by climate change. The plant has been introduced to parts of Australia, southern Europe, the Middle East, and northern Africa
We visited a blossoming cactus.
We were careful because the thorns are sharp! The little buds will be flowering for the next couple of months.
To prepare prickly pear pads for cooking, first remove the spines and glochids (small, hair-like spines) using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. After cleaning, trim the edges and base, then cut the pads into desired shapes or sizes. You can then sauté, boil, or grill the pads for dishes like tacos, salads, or scrambled eggs.
A few blossoms may disappear and become part of dinner in the next few days
I played with some old photos while Mary made a wonderful dinner salad. The photo below is from 1953. It is in black and white. Dad was celebrating twenty-five years with Ralph’s 5, 10, and 25 cent stores, the forerunner of the 99 Cent store.
Left-to-right: Claud and Edith Parchman (Dad’s sister, Jimmy and Opal Robinson (Dad’s oldest sister, Paul and Georgia (my folks), Kathryn Robinson (my cousin, and you, truly!
Fortunately, I had a fantastic set of parents; they were the cat’s meow!
They have both been gone for many years, and not a day goes by that I don’t think of them!
The Google Photos software notified me of the date, and we are about a week from the celebration of being in our home for four years. We have done a lot of work, and because of Mary, she transformed the house into a home!
The day we got the keys to our new home was four years ago!
We did our Thursday chores, such as taking the trash cans out, and then came inside to have dinner and watch TV. Scout blocked the door, so we had to look at him every time we exited or entered the backyard. He wanted to make sure we knew he was pretty!
He looked amazing, and he knew it!!!
He asked for one more close-up!
“Step back and admire!”
We watched TV until about 10:30 pm and then hit the sack. We have an open calendar, except for attending Mary’s art show tomorrow evening.
