Well, it wasn't ALL rest, of course...For instance, the other day I knocked down the old, crappy wooden seed trays that the deer kept on getting into and eating the seed. I've actually seen them get up on their hind legs to get at it! So I got my sledgehammer and bashed them off the post. Then today I sawed most of the post down as it was a distraction to the view of Cave Creek Canyon. So now the back yard looks totally different from when I'd first taken residence here -- all the unsightly T-posts surrounding non-existent trees are gone, along with those ugly, tall posts to hang feeders on -- they REALLY obscured the view; and now the wood seed trays. In their place, I put the seed on top of wood stumps, and bought a 22-inch, double seed tray (sanctioned by Audubo) on Amazon. The poles can make it 60 inches high, which the deer can NEVER get to -- but it's almost too high for me to fill the trays, so I'm going to see if the shorter length works. So far the deer haven't gotten to it, and it may be because it's closer to the house, and the old seed trays were right next to the mesquite and the other 3 acres that are overgrown and pretty much belong to the deer and other critters. And I decided to keep the well house for as long as I can. Except for the exterior wood planks, it's in great shape inside -- insulated, with wood panels providing an extra layer of wood aside from the outside ones. So I bought a drill and drill bits (titanium, which are stronger and not that much more expensive on Amazon than the regular bits) and am going to pre-drill the holes into the pulled-up and somewhat rotted exterior wood, then screw the nails in that (hopefully) will shore up the outside weathered wood. It's not too bad yet, but with this Arizona sun -- and the upcoming El Nino -- it's better to get ready now then wait until it's too late...
Since it was a rest day, and somewhat quiet compared to recent days, I thought some scenic highlights would be appropriate. Enjoy...
Sunrise over the Peloncillos
A spectacular sky over False Portal Peak
One of the Faranuf Resident Roadrunners (I had 2 at one time)
Cascade along South Fork Road
Lunar Eclipse (taken with 500mm lens)
Huge rainbow over Cave Creek Canyon
Lightning taken from my front porch (took some experimenting to get just right)
OK, so I like to take lightning photos...
Cloud, virga and a rainbow
Closeup of a male Magnificent Hummingbird
As you can tell, I'm having fun here...
You will be surprised how often you can use your drill to fix things around the house. I am repairing broken cabinet hinges using the Phillips head screw bit. I am however old school and have a corded drill gun. I checked with Home Depot and they still make them. For me it is better as I have electrical outlets outside the house for power and long extension cords. You are making Jeff Bezos happy as he has made 29B this year as the stock is up 113%.
ReplyDeleteHi Wes -- I doubt if I'll turn into a Tool Guy, but I do need a drill around here. I could have looked at a corded one because Faranuf, like your place, has plenty of outlets, including outside, and I just purchased a 50-foot extension cord for when I use my Wet-Dry vac to suck up the water in the water features, which is a lot easier than using the pail by hand. Yep, MANY people out here are making Jeff Bezos happy, and I am too because of the immense convenience of being able to order pretty much anything online, and have it delivered here
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