September 28 -- A Day Of Much-Needed R-and-R

But I still was up before sunrise, of course --

Though you can't see its details, here's the "supermoon" the morning after the lunar eclipse a few minutes before it went behind Silver Peak. Then I did an updated photo of Faranuf's back yard showing the new, unobstructed view of Cave Creek Canyon. Here's the former view, taken on August 17 -- 

Those 2 bird feeder hanger posts really detract from the view --- and are distracting. And they just look, well, WEIRD...So I sawed them down to those tin thingies that keep the squirrels from climbing up the posts. And I pulled up the T-posts (the posts topped with white) and wire enclosures that the posts were holding up. The original owners had installed a drip irrigation system for growing shade trees within the wire enclosures, but they never "took" as they were here for only a short time each year (he was the manager of the book store at the University of Washington). So the enclosures were enclosing -- nothing. So I took them all out -- about 6 total. So now the back yard now looks like this, taken yesterday morning -- 

The view of Cave Creek Canyon is MUCH nicer. The next project will be a new water feature; the present one (you can barely see it on the ground in the center part of the photo; it's a plastic liner held in place by concrete) has no outlet, so you fill it with water and it just SITS, meaning the water turns stagnant and green, and bugs die in it. So I'm going to break up the concrete lining with a sledgehammer (I bought one at Home Depot) and take the plastic lining out, then put a water feature above ground so it will drain and have clean water all the time. But that will be in the near future; for now I'm just going to enjoy the unobstructed view... 

I checked up on the Big Bend Patchnose snake -- and he's still there, so he is officially a Faranuf Resident. I went to the Post Office to receive my first property tax bill -- yikes!  Then I took a long nap; I was still tired from hosting the lunar eclipse party the night before. And I'm also doing a little "power experiment"; I'm shutting off the York heat pump/AC and turning on the ceiling fans to see if I can save some money my electrical bill yet still keep Faranuf at a decent temperature. It kinda worked; the temp reached 85 degrees at its maximum. Faranuf is an all-electric house, so any savings will be worth it. Even devices that are plugged in but not turned on take a bit of power. I'm considering "going solar" and am making a list of my appliances and anything that may draw power -- coffee machine, iHome Internet music player, vacuum cleaner, clock radio -- things you don't ordinarily think of. Even your electric shaver! But as Faranuf is, as I mentioned, all-electric, it may be drawing TOO much power, and having a solar system may not be cost-effective. But it's still at least something to think about...I spent the evening watching the hummingbirds at the feeders and the sunset over Silver Peak -- 

Just a relaxing, kinda quiet day -- and I needed that...