I have the nicest neighbors, and it just got better

It's been very nice and quiet lately.  Not a lot to post about, which is a good thing sometimes.

I've already met Betty and her son, Rick, who are camped behind The Palms - she couldn't be nicer, and we've had a few great conversations.  She is camping with her adult son and also has a little Yorkie, Candy, who is darling.  Rick was a very good neighbor last evening - when Katie and I were out for a walk, I heard him yell, "Coyote!"  I yelled, "Where???"  and he pointed at a very healthy coyote trotting along across the way from us.  Check out Denise's blog - she got a photo when she was standing on her roof, hopefully she will post it.

We have lots of little lizards here, but this guy was really big and meaty looking.  I think he is a Great Basin Collared Lizard, Crotaphytus bicinctores.  Thanks, Hazel!  He is a Sceloporus bimaculosus  -  Twin-Spotted Spiny Lizard.  He was beautiful.

Then the other day the neighbor across the road from us came over.  I was checking my generator oil, putting on my tire covers, etc. after coming home from town.  I guess her husband thought he saw me with my head in my hands, and sent her over to see if I needed help.  How nice was that?  Actually, I was fine. It was windy and since my hair is getting longer, I was probably just trying to tuck the flying hair into a headband.

Yesterday I was in the kitchen making potato salad, fixing shrimp for dinner, cleaning up, etc. and Katie kept barking.  I didn't see anyone outside and my couch shades were down due to the sun shining in.  I went outside, and what did I see?

A big Class A right alongside The Palms with Denise sitting in the shade on her step, and Bennie right there with her.  Her motor home's engine must really be quiet, because I didn't hear a thing.  I snapped this photo as they were driving away to their new site.

Katie likes to sleep with her head on her toys - here she is sleeping on her ball:

Or... she tucks her face in under a pillow - that's what she did during this nap:

Watching critters out the screen door:

Katie and Bennie got along just fine, both got a cookie, and I'm looking forward to Katie having a dog in the area that she likes.   Not that she doesn't like Candy the Yorkie, but Bennie is calmer and I think Candy is a little too friendly and scares her a bit.

We chatted for a little bit, then Denise moved on to find a good site in the area.  Denise, I'm glad you made it down here, and I hope you have a fun, very uneventful stay this season.  :)

Katie and I walked over later in the day during our evening walk to say hi, and I got to help Denise get her motorcycle out of the motorhome.  She has a custom made 3-piece ramp that attaches to the garage door when it's down.  It's quite a setup.

Katie and I want to thank our readers who are using our Amazon.com links.  Every time I make my on-line purchases I try to remember  to give a blogger a little boost to their income.  We all appreciate it!   

And remember Christmas is coming - buy your gifts at Amazon.com and have them delivered to your loved one's address.

From me and Katie, have a great Sunday, everyone!  n

No butts about it...

From Me and Katie, have a great Halloween, everyone!  :)

Wordless Wednesday... Ready for a Chuckle?

SHAKE THE BOOK  by CARLI DAVIDSON - What a great Coffee Table Book!

From me and Katie, have a great Wednesday, everyone!  :)

Today is for the birds II

Here are more of the bird photos I've taken so far that I wanted to post.

First, the Cactus Wren.  I really like this bird.  At first I thought he was my Gila Woodpecker, until I got all the photos together and saw his coloring is different.  I remember this guy from Rockhound State Park in New Mexico.  That's the first time I'd seen one, but I got some good photos here in Quartzsite.

The first four shots are of the bird enlarging a hole in the Saguaro Cactus.  He kept coming out of the hole, looking around, then going back in.  I could see pieces of the cactus dropping out from the hole from time to time.  Notice that he is standing on the cactus needles in the next two photos.  Click twice on them for a closer view.

Anything going on out here?  

 Here he is peeking out of the hole.

And now climbing the Saguaro Cactus to the top.  The Gila Woodpecker did the same thing, landed lower on the cactus, flew up and stopped to look around, then flew to the top to get a better view of his surroundings.  These are the only two birds I've seen so far that seem to like this cactus.  They must have the right toes, feet and legs to land and be comfortable on these long stickers.  If you click on the photo below twice, you'll get a better view of how his toes are clinging to the cactus.

 Isn't he pretty?  Look at how his toes are spread to stand on the needles.

It's when I saw this Cactus Wren on the ground that I realized he wasn't a Gila Woodpecker.  That spotted stomach and dark brown on the top of his head gave him away.  I didn't notice those on the photos above.  I just assumed he was my woodpecker. Now that I know, I can see the huge differences in their coloring.

Next are the Gambel's Quail.  They don't come around every day, but from time to time I'll look out the window in the afternoon, and there they are.  They are such pretty, interesting birds.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."

 On guard:

And finally, two more - the House Finches, they seem to be everywhere in New Mexico and Arizona:

And this last one - I thought it was a female House Finch, but now I'm not sure. It's got the right beak and spotted stomach, but it has a yellow breast.  Here it is at all angles - anyone know what this bird is?

Generator update: I went in this morning and Bob checked out the generator.  When I had the Level II service done on August 16 this year at Cummins Rocky Mountain LLC in Albuquerque, NM , the tech said he didn't adjust the valves, they were okay.  Well, they weren't okay.  Bob took off the valve cover and adjusted them for me. He said the inside of that area behind the valve cover was spotless - like it was new, he was surprised.  So that's good.   I was also having problems with the choke after my Rocky Mountain service.  Bob adjusted the choke.  They changed the spark plug.  But didn't check and adjust the spark plug gap.  Bob did that.  Making all these adjustments, he said, will get rid of the smoke and help a little with the oil usage.  Not much, though. 

Bob checked everything out and said everything in the generator looks good.  But he also explained to me that if The Palms isn't level, my generator oil's dip stick won't give me a good reading.  I don't always park level, but I DO stay within 3 degrees of normal, and try for 2 degrees, which is supposed to be okay.  So what he said was, "Right now it's full, right up at the ADD line.  Go back to your site and check where the oil level is.  Now you know that whatever it says today is FULL.  That's your benchmark." So, I did that, and it was halfway between the FULL and ADD.  It appears my not being level has really affected the dipstick reading.  I'm also going to be checking my oil when I'm in town in a level parking lot.  Don't you just love it when fixes are so simple?  (I'm not uncrossing my fingers yet, though.  We'll see what happens.)

He charged me for his labor only, no parts, accessories, miscellaneous, tax, etc.  And I was very happy with the total.  Thank you all for your good thoughts sent my way, they worked.

Bob is a o! 

Bob's Generator
623-224-7655
www.bobsgenerator.com
He's on Main Street in Quartzsite right off Highway 95 - in the large yellow building.

From me and Katie, have a great Tuesday, everyone!  :)