Tag Archives: #Weekend Coffee Share

Stepping Out

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you I have resumed my daily walk accompanied by Google Fit which is counting my steps. I did a good loop around the community enjoying the sunshine. The temperature was below 90 F with a slight breeze, compatible with walking. I kept an eye out for roadrunners. I did see one at a distance heading into someone’s yard. I saw two fluffy white-tailed bunnies who quickly hopped away. On the way back I was admiring the green Palo Brea trees and almost missed the tiny hummingbird perched on a thin branch. He didn’t wait for me to take his photo.

Black-chinned hummingbird by Renee Grayson on Flickr.com

“When you see a black hummingbird, it signifies change, rebirth, and spiritual transformation. You can move to a higher realm of awakening. A black hummingbird also means that you might face a challenge that can bring setbacks in your life. If you are persistent and confident, you can overcome those setbacks.”

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

Hummingbird quote via themindfool.com/hummingbird-meaning/

Spring On A Saturday Morning

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am having a small cup of Peet’s French Roast this morning. But I don’t think I’ll finish it because it tastes too strong. That is probably because I haven’t drunk any coffee for about 3 months. I fell off the wagon and I am going back on the wagon. Don’t want to get the acid production to go into overdrive.

Spring is in full swing in the backyard. I did not think we would be getting a lot of grapefruit this year because there were hardly any blossoms on the tree. I thought it was because of pruning or the gusty wind we get that blew the flowers off. I was happy to find there is some new fruit on the tree. Even the fan palm has some fruit again. The roadrunners will be glad about that.

A pair of birds are building a nest in the top of our motorized patio screen. I spotted the birds flying to the top of our patio door carrying small bits of twigs in their beaks. It was hard to get a photo close up. I told my husband we can’t use the motorized screen for now. I worry we will scare them off going in and out the door as well.

Young grapefruit
Fan Palm fruit
Bird on screen box
The nest builder
Are you looking at me?

I looked all over and think I have identified this bird. You can’t see it’s colors in my photo, but from my own bird’s eye observations I think it is a Say’s Phoebe.

Say’s Phoebe by Jamie Chavez on Flickr.com

It’s been wonderful to watch the nest building this morning. Nature continues to renew even while human destruction tragically goes on. I believe that life and good will win in the end.

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

Going Bananas

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If we were having coffee, I would ask you if you have noticed lately that bananas go bad within a couple of days of coming home from the store? I end up with more bad ones than good ones. I usually eat one banana a day but still can’t eat them fast enough.

Overripe bananas

I have started to buy green bananas in hope that they will last longer. We bought a bunch today and I noticed they had a plastic wrap around the stem. I have heard that the plastic is there to keep the bananas from ripening too quickly. I hope it works.

Since Spring arrived, I have seen more roadrunners around the neighborhood. One visited our backyard the other day. I was able to get a photo through our patio door of the roadrunner on the wall. I look forward to getting more visits.

Roadrunner on neighbor’s wall

Even though it’s Spring the temperatures have been high this week. It’s supposed to get to 100 degrees F this afternoon. Cooler weather is forecast for next week, mid-seventies to mid-eighties.

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

Dark Times

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the events in Eastern Europe have made my own life’s worries seem small. Watching news reports here about what is unfolding. Sheer madness. I hope my country is supporting Ukraine as much as possible. The Ukrainians and their leaders are so brave.

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

Featured image of ‘Sunflowers’ by Alessandro Caproni on Flickr.com

Pet Sitting

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If we were having coffee, we would be in a different house. I am off visiting my son and family this weekend. My son and daughter-in-law have put us up in their newly furnished guest bedroom. They have made us feel very welcome and comfortable. Their pets have accepted us in their own unique ways. Marley, a golden retriever, bowled us over with sloppy kisses and hugs. Caesar the cat, was a bit put out, literally and figuratively. The guest bedroom is usually his room, where he can escape Marley and other unwanted attention. When I went in to put my suitcase down, he made a swift exit from the bed to the closet. I am happy that he has recovered from the intrusion. This morning he was back on top of the bed sitting on my husband’s suitcase calmly watching my comings and goings.

We are pet sitting for part of the week so my son’s family can get away for the long weekend. I was not sure how it would go with Marley. He hasn’t outgrown his puppyhood yet and is still jumping up on people. When I got up the other night to go to the bathroom, he thought it was time to play. When I went back to bed, he jumped on top of me. He is calmer today. I think Marley and Caesar are getting used to us and it will all be fine in the end.

Marley
Caesar

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

Featured image Open Clipart-Vectors via Pixabay.com

Rainy Day

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If we were having coffee, I would be having herbal or decaf tea. I have given up coffee for a while because it was one of the things that was causing stomach problems. If you had asked me a few months ago if I thought I could stop drinking coffee, I would have said it would be very hard. It surprises me that it has been pretty easy. I don’t think I have had caffeine withdrawal she says as she falls asleep at the computer.

I made a resolution to get outside and walk every day and I have been sticking to it almost 100%. It does feel pretty good to go out and look at the trees, various cacti, flowers, and the beautiful expanse of sky over the Coachella Valley. I even like the dark grey clouds like the ones we had about a week ago that brought some rain with them.

So far it hasn’t really stormed here but we did get enough to soak our patio and one of the roadrunners. I spotted it up on a fence puffing up its feathers, trying to dry off.

Hawk on a lamp post as rain clouds start to clear away
Roadrunner puffing feathers to dry off after rain
Heather fluffs feathers too

Stream of Consciousness Saturday, #SOCS, is hosted by Linda G Hill.

Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer

Like It Or Lump It

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I thought by now we would all be looking in the rear-view mirror at the pandemic, but it continues to have a few tricks up it sleave. So here we are heading into another holiday season with a new variant. It’s having to worry about catching it, wearing masks, nervous about letting repair people into the house or getting too close to a stranger or slightly known acquaintance. I know some like to throw caution to the winds…

via giffy.com

And even though I feel like it sometimes, I don’t want to catch COVID or spread it to someone else. So, I don’t have to like it but, I will continue to take precautions and I hope you do too.

Hope you have Happy, Healthy, and Safe holidays!

Mill Rose Inn, Half Moon Bay, California

Stream of Consciousness Saturday, #SOCS, is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt word for today is ‘opposite.’

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

Photo of Mill Rose Inn by Wonderlane on Flickr.com

Holiday Celebrations?

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I have to cut out caffeine for a while. And I haven’t found a good substitute for my morning coffee, (that doesn’t have caffeine in it). I can still offer you some good coffee or tea.

We are still in the middle of the pandemic and I am trying to figure out how to comfortably celebrate the holidays without risking infection. I felt more confident with get togethers around Thanksgiving because it was with close family who were all fully vaccinated. Now we have been invited to couple of holiday get-togethers in our community. We did go to one with our masks on and it felt awkward because many of the other people were not wearing masks. How are you supposed to eat and drink at a social gathering while wearing a mask? I am thinking that I will ask the host of the next party if she knows if the other guests are fully vaccinated. If she cannot be sure, I will wear a mask. It makes we wonder if it’s worth it to go in that case. We are just getting to know people here and it makes me feel a bit anti-social.

There is a damper on the holidays this year, with all the worry about another COVID surge and the new variant. I feel like scrooge or the grinch. Bah humbug!

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

Grinch via Giphy.com

Nature Therapy

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that we have Columbian or French Roast available today along with cinnamon-raisin toast, bagels, or turkey sandwiches. I’m recovering from our Thanksgiving celebration. My kids, grandson, and a brother-in-law were here along with two dogs. The turkey and the trimmings turned out well. It was lovely to be together with family. My daughter and I fit in a couple of outings in the days leading up to the holiday. We did a short hike in the East Indio Hills Badlands and made a daytrip to the Salton Sea. I had never been there before and it was very pretty. A moderate temperature and breeze made it very pleasant. The beach was covered with a blanket of tiny shells which we later learned were barnacle shells. The barnacles were introduced to this small inland sea by sea planes, and they have reproduced abundantly. The Salton Sea is really a terminal lake, meaning it does not have an outlet. It is the largest lake in California, 35 miles long, 15 miles wide, and an important wetland for many species of birds. I hope it can be preserved for the birds and humans to enjoy long into the future. It was really therapeutic to be out in nature again.

Badlands view with me included
Another perspective Badlands
Badlands
Grasses and plants near Salton Sea beach
Grassy plant or abandoned nest
View of Salton Sea beach and mountains
Beach is covered with barnacle shells
Salton Sea and mountains
Fact sheet from Visitor Center Salton Sea Recreation Area

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.

It’s How You Put The Words Together

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you I have gotten caught up on my book list. I almost believed I was over reading books anymore. Now I think I just got out of the habit. I have a prompt today from Linda G Hill for Stream of Consciousness Saturday that relates to books.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “close eyes and point.” Grab the closest printed material to you when you sit down to write your post, open it up (if it’s a book, flyer, etc.), close your eyes, and point. Whatever your finger lands on, use that as your prompt. 

SOCS

I am getting near the end of ‘All The Devils Are Here,’ by Louise Penny. So I picked up the book, opened it, and my finger landed in the middle of a sentence on ‘hand reached.’ This made me think of people reaching out a hand to each other. Which leads me to something I have been thinking about after reading three other books on my list,

‘The Glass Hotel’ by Emily St. John Mandel

‘The Witch Elm’ by Tana French

‘His and Hers’ by Alice Feeney

There is a thread connecting all three of these books. The last book was one from my book group and some of us picked up on this thread. It has to do with the flaws of many of the lead characters, (protagonists), that you would usually want to root for. Not that characters can’t have any flaws but when they have too many I find it hard to be in their corner. They definitely did not reach out to help each other. What was disturbing is how they almost casually, mindlessly caused harm.

Maybe, the authors are all in a negative mind set from all the bad going on in the world. But when I read a book, I don’t want to be made depressed at the end. Louise Penny does give us characters to root for. Don’t we need that right now?

Weekend Coffee Share is hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer.