The new mower

The new mower ROCKS!!!

I hadn't used it because there had  been rain every day. Then this morning I realized that it didn't rain yesterday or last night, so I wheeled it to the back yard and plugged it it. It is so nice!

I'm not sure it has as strong a motor as the gas powered one, but it cuts just great, nevertheless. It took me a little longer than I anticipated to cut the yard, but that could have been because the grass was longer than usual, too.

At any rate, I'm thrilled to have a mower that I pull a lever (and it can be pulled with one finger!!!) and it starts right up! No more nearly dislocating my shoulder trying to get the thing started! And gawd-forbid I have to stop to move a rock or relocate the hose with the gas one, cause I have to start it again. This one is a cinch to use. I almost can't wait till I get to mow again!

It is getting ready to rain again. Big thunderclouds are covering most of the sky and they are rumbling loudly and regularly. The temperature had fallen about 5° in the last half hour, and the wind is up. It isn't really bad, but it is adding to the cool-down. Aaaaaand, there was just a huge crack of thunder!! I'm now typing around Jazi!! And the rain has started.

It's pouring, and we are under a flash flood warning for the next couple hours. I had planned to stay home today, and I'm glad I did. I got a few things done outside besides the mowing this morning when it was still cool and dry, now I can stay in and  do nothing and not feel guilty! LOL! Not that I would, anyway.

I'm changing the dogs diets. I posted about it a while back. I got some advice from Deb about homemade dog food. I tried it, and they are crazy about it. I'm mixing some of it with some kibble for them, in part to ease their systems into the new food, and in part because I have 70 lbs. of quality kibble here!! The nice thing is that when I start preparing their breakfast or dinner, I have five sets of eyes watching me closely, and when I put the dishes on the dinner mats, they eat it, all of it, and right now! No more worrying whether everyone got their share and trying to meet their eating schedules. (Some want to eat 1X a day, others 2X, others "graze," some overeat, and others get left out, etc.) Feeding them takes place morning and evening, everyone gets the amount they need, and that's that! I'm loving it! I'm even thinking I'm seeing a bit of waistline on Sam and Lola, and Max might be able to bulk up a bit!

I need to go into Rui soon for several errands. Most importantly, I have three things that I need to drop off to be framed. One is a delightful painting I brought back from Jim's. It appears to be Mexican, and Connie, my daughter-in-law confirmed my thought when she was here, that it might be from Oaxaca where she is from. It is very folksy and bright colored, depicting a festival. I fell in love with it and told Jim he couldn't put it in the garage sale. I brought it back.

 The other two are wonderful pencil sketches of churches/missions here in New Mexico. They were done by a friend, Newbern Taylor.  I actually had three, but I gave one to Connie when they were here. She fell in love with one, and since Newbie isn't available for a while to do another for her, I gave her the one she liked best.  I figure I can get a replacement or a different one when he has time.

To be honest, I don't like everything Newbie does. He tends to do a lot of things that border on psychedelic, and yes, he admits to having dropped his share of acid in the day! He's my age, and we were young adults in the day of hippies, and dear Newbie never outgrew that!

Actually he spent many years doing graphic art for some major wall Street giants, McDonalds, auto manufacturers, and even Kate and Ashely for their clothing lines. He has an amazing resumé. He's a fantastic artist, but there is a line of his that is just simply weird and the canvases are so busy that I don't care for them, despite being able to see his amazing talent in the ones I don't care to bring home. There isn't much he can't do in depicting anything you challenge him to do.

OK, the rain is past, or at least that round is, and Jaz has relaxed. I'm going to get up and do something constructive around the house. I know, I know, I said I was going to do nothing, but I don't do that well for long. I can get some useful things done around here, and while Jaz in in control, I think that's just what I'll do.

Y'all come back now, y'hear??