October 9, 2021 - New selling plans!

Well, in my last post I said that I wouldn't be selling at Redneck's on the weekends ... that's true ... but, I may be selling at the local Chamber of Commerce again! I'm hoping to get a space INSIDE!! Excited!! I went to the local Dolan Springs Celebration and Car Show today. Met up with the head of the Chamber and she was hoping I was interested in coming back!! So, I'll be stopping at the Chamber this week and talk to her more about it, as I don't have the money for the yearly fee ($60!) and she said we'd work something out! If I do this, my stuff will stay in the building and if something sells, she holds the money for me and lets me know. I would still be there on the weekend, but the building is open every day for a few hours. So, possible to make money when I'm not there ... I hoooope!!! And, found out about a couple more upcoming events that Cyndi and I can sell at. There's the Craft fair on Dec. 11, but there is also a big Earth Day celebration in town in April. Plus, some other events that aren't too far away. I have got to get to work making some things!!

I am a week late paying my Verizon bill with no money and electric is due next week ... I'm trying to hold on to my last $200 for emergencies ... but, I don't know what to do ... I'm going to clean up my eBike and charge the batteries and take pictures of it this week ... gotta sell it soon.

Giant swallowtail - Photo by Don Roos, nature photographer

The wonder of the world
The beauty and the power,
The shapes of things,
Their colours, lights and shades,
These I saw.
Look ye also while life lasts.

~ B.B.

 

October 7, 2021 - Hard times

It's been nearly a month since I posted on this blog! Thankfully, the heat of the desert is gone for the season. I've been trying to get outside chores caught up.

I hope to finally get the chicken yard sorted before winter. I've had 3 chickens killed recently. A friend believes it might be a weasel! Ugh. I've not seen one, but it's possible.

I finally got on 'food stamps', and have found several food banks I've been able to use. 

I'm down to my last $200 ... getting nervous.

Selling on eBay helps, but is not steadily reliable, yet. Will be selling on Mercari and TeeSpring soon. I gave up on CaféPress ... they've just gotten far too complicated as far as setting up each product. Also, had to give up on selling at Redneck's. No business. A friend and I will be concentrating on creating things to sell at the local craft fairs. She makes jewelry; I sew and make other crafts. Our first craft fair will be December 11. I'm so nervous about it!!!

I'm going to have to try to sell my eBike ... sad about it, but it's not easy to ride on the rocky, dirt roads around here ... :( I need to clean it up soon and take pictures ...

Still waiting for my cousin to be able to bring my stuff from storage. It's gotta be soon. The monthly payment went up and I'm struggling with it ...

I had 2 flat tires in a month ... started a GoFundMe, but no money, yet. Not good. https://gofund.me/e2adf613//gofund.me/e2adf613https://gofund.me/e2adf613

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September 10, 2021 - Bzzy, bzzy!

Busy as a bee today. 🐝 I am wore out and it's only 1:30pm.

I baked cookies! Got all of the baking stuff out of the RV and into the kitchen. Got packaging labeled. Cleaned/sorted 5 dozen eggs. Cleaned the big cooler and 2 folding chairs. Found the patriotic tablecloth. Did a load of laundry. Washed dishes. Rearranged the back of the truck to fit the bigger cooler and Cyndi's stuff for tomorrow.

I need to rest for a while and maybe I'll get some fabric sorted. Still need to find the clamps for the tablecloth.

 

Black oystercatcher chick, Avila Beach, California - Photo by Karen Hall

You don't run with your feet—you run with your heart. ~ Deena Kastor

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September 9, 2021 - Always too much to do

I just haven't been in the mood to blog this week. The heat is back in the 100s. Wears me out. I can't sleep, even with melatonin (and I don't want to take more ...)

I've been working on the backside of my eBay listings this week. Trying to update some things. Then, I tried a bulk edit on my shipping rules and it messed up all of the shipping info on all of my listings ... so, now, I have to go back and re-do them individually. Sucks. I have way over 300 listings ... tedious, but it has to be done!

I have 1 more excess rooster from last year's hatches to butcher next week. I may also be selling a rooster and 3 or 4 hens to a friend next month. I've been selling at least 2 dozen eggs at Redneck's each weekend. :)

I'm back in touch with Cyndi (my former handyman's wife) and we are going to share a space at Redneck's starting Saturday. She makes jewelry. :) I hope to finally start visiting the horses (she and Bill have a rescue.) I wanted to last year ... but, with my mom declining, it never worked out.

My electric clothes dryer quit last night ... ugh. So, blanket on the clothesline today.

I'm finally starting to sort through the hundreds of rolls, bags, etc. of fabric I've bought the past year! I hope to have at least 50 pieces priced to take this weekend. The craft shows are starting up in the area and there are at least 2 I hope to go to in the coming months, besides setting up at Redneck's. Of course, I'll be listing a lot of it on eBay, too.

Oh, the new Dollar General finally opened! I took Cyndi there to shop yesterday (her car is dead ...) So nice to have one so close! I've never really liked Family Dollar stores and really don't like the local market (it's really small and high-priced ...) The supermarket still hasn't opened after a year of hoping! I think it is still a permit issue, but not sure.

I think I'll have a smoothie for lunch.

And, dinner will be cheese/rice burrito; yogurt with fresh raspberries ... and, of course, some milk tea ... maybe apple/cinnamon tea.

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2:15pm

Well, it is pouring down rain, which was not expected today. So, my blanket is getting washed again, by the rain. Ugh.

4 pm 

Power flickered in town a couple of times, but came back on. Whew!

I ended up putting the blanket in the gas dryer. It's not hooked up to the gas, but it's so hot right now, the air fluff setting will finish drying it. The gas dryer is part of the stackable washer/dryer. The washer doesn't work ... some day, I'll get it working again. It won't spin the water out. So, I quit using it earlier this year and got the little portable washer.

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Heron and Sea Lion, Avila Beach, California - Photo by Victoria Morrow

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. ~ Anais Nin

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I had a fall yesterday. Tripped over the darn baby gate. I have to use it in the hall to keep Nikky from getting in the bathroom and getting in the cat litter box ... I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the bathroom door for the cats to climb through, but Nikky won't be able to get to. Safer for all of us, I think. I scraped my arm up pretty badly/deep bruise ... it's already healing, though. Lots of vitamin C! I might actually just make a 'Dutch' door for the bathroom. Hmmm. Just need to get another set of hinges and a slide lock.

Well, time to watch another episode of Midsomer Murders.

September 1, 2021 - Lazy day?

2pm

I feel like I didn't accomplish anything today, but I know I did. I got the dishes almost caught up, walked the property with Nikky, did a load of laundry, fed/watered inside and outside critters ... then spent about 2 hours in line at the local food bank (which I just discovered!!!) Now, I don't feel like doing anything else! Ugh.

Why I didn't know about all the food giveaways in my little town all this time, I have no idea! There are 3 places that give out food regularly! Now, I don't have to go to Kingman more than once or twice a month to get good milk (in glass jars) and a couple other things I can't get here, and go to the bank. I wish I had found them sooner, but I know that most of the time when I went to Kingman every week was to have time away from my mom. Now, that's not an issue. I'd rather stay close to home. Now that the weather is slowly cooling off, I'm going to be investigating more of this area. I want to start exploring the Dolan Springs Trail system soon. There is supposed to be a spring up in them thar' hills and I want to find it! ;)

The fire that started Mt. Mitten, on Sunday, seems to have been extinguished by the heavy rains we had last night. BLM and firefighters are standing by at the local fire station to keep an eye on things.

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 Egret, Avila Beach, California - Photo by Victoria Morrow

You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust.
You were born with ideals and dreams.
You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don't.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.

~ Rumi

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August 31, 2021 - I'm baaaack ...

Did ya miss me?! No power for about 48 hours, due to the freak lightning/microburst issue with the local power poles. More than half the county, including Kingman, lost power because of it. Most got it back that night. Dolan Springs & Meadview are up now!

There was a minor storm on Sunday. Lots of lightning, some rain, and of course, wind. We always have wind around here ... Well, apparently, more than 20 power poles were snapped in half down near the entry to Pierce Ferry Road (highway 25), which is our 'main street'. It happened between the hardware store and Rednecks Feed & More (which is where we set up our flea market on the weekends.) The pictures are not mine. I did not go out to see what happened. It is 3 miles from me.

No one is quite sure whether it was lightning that hit one and made them all topple or a microburst wind. There was a small fire, whether from lightning or from a transformer blowing when the weight of the wires and poles pulled it all down, no one knows for sure. Luckily, it missed Jeff's red trailer with the flags around it (he's one of the vendors that sets up for the flea market.) The first pic is our 'watch for cattle' warning sign, toppled.

I took these pics this morning. A rainbow peeking through the clouds.

The battery on my phone died yesterday morning. I have a battery back-up and charger, but of course, they decided to fail, too. I tried charging them in the car and in the RV. No go. Wasted gas running them to try charging ...

I ran out of water this morning. I had been very careful using the 30 gallons in the water pump 'bladder', since with no electricity, the pump couldn't work to pull water up from my underground tank. Luckily, the school had water! I was able to fill up a bunch of little containers to get the chickens water.

I was so happy when the power clicked on at around 3 pm. Ran out and topped off all the chickens' waterers, then took a shower!!

I think I'm really lucky that it looks like all of my food in the fridge and freezer survived. I was careful not to open them too often. My ice cream is melty, though ...

Now, at 8pm it's been pouring rain/thunder/lightning for over an hour. We really need the rain. But, now there are flash flood warnings. There was a small fire on Mt. Mitten, north of me. It was started Sunday by lightning. Rain seemed to put it out, but it smoldered yesterday and came back today. Hopefully, this heavy rain has put it out.

I read an entire book, finished a puzzle and started another while the power was out. And, I sat outside last night. It was so peaceful and dark. It is amazing how much light pollution this tiny town produces. You don't really notice it, but when the lights are all out, it's just ... wow. 

August 26, 2021 - Too hot ...

10am

It's a hot, hazy day. I think we have been getting some of the smoke from the California fires ... and, we are on day 2 of excessive heat ... ugh.

I've been busy this morning, though. Fed/watered all critters. Walked the property with Nikky. Got a load of water. I only had enough quarters for one load, so I'll have to get more next week. Started a load of laundry and washed dishes.

Now, to start listing on eBay.

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Audubon Rookery, Venice, Florida - Photo by Eileen Fonferko, Marshfield Photography

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. - Joseph Campbell

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Lunch was grilled cheese, and Vitamin C water.

Dinner will be lamb ribs, and elderflower milk tea.

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I made this wallpaper of the High Chaparral last night.

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5pm

Critters are all fed/watered for the night. Doves' and rabbit's cages are clean. Showered to cool off. TV time!

August 25, 2021 - another heat wave

Yesterday was very stressful for me. It started off well with 2 eBay sales. Then, it went downhill. I went to the mail store and got a bunch of government mail ... about food stamps and healthcare ... I got my EBT card, but after spending a ridiculous amount of time arguing with my phone, I could not get it registered ... so, I had to go to Kingman. As usual, I get the runaround at the local DES office. Even though I did the damn phone interview and submitted all paperwork needed, I had to call on the phone again to 'make sure' they got all the paperwork ... so, basically, a second phone interview!@@!!*&^%&^$*&^^) And, they need to update their paperwork, website, and their phone messages, which ALL say you can go to your local DES office for the interview, etc.!! I wasted $40 for gas! Surprisingly, one of the ladies did help me get the card registered. Then, while still in Kingman, I tried several times to get through for that second interview. No go. All lines are tied up. When I got home, I tried for 4 hours to get through ... I got such a headache from their incessant hold musak. I finally got through after 5:30!! After arguing about my royalty checks (which the gal could not understand what it was ... ), I finally got approved. So, I got food stamps ...

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Queen’s Garden Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah - Photo by Karen Hall

I thought of the wilderness we had left behind us, open to sea and sky, joyous in its plenitude and simplicity, perfect yet vulnerable, unaware of what is coming, defended by nothing, guarded by no one.

~ Edward Abbey

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11:30am

So, I just spent about $50 of my food stamps at the only 2 stores in town (until the Dollar General and the supermarket are ready to open, whenever that will be ...) For now, there is just Family Dollar and a small family market that is waaaay overpriced. But, at least, I know my card works!

Now, to start listing things on eBay for the day.

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3pm

Yay. Made an eBay sale of something that I've had listed since Feb.! That's always a good thing! Move the older stuff!

The 100+ heat is back ... at least 3 days of this ...

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I made a wallpaper last night of the old movie I watched, The Exile. A Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. swashbuckler.