New Transplant to the SoCal...

And it shows my friend! Keep it up! I'm proud of you.
Can I have your dad? I didn't realize there was a porch above, I thought someone had climbed on the roof.

My favorite LA song:


I was born by the river, it was paved with cement
I was born by the river, it was paved with cement
Still I'd stand in that dry river
And dream that I was soakin' wet

Someday it's gonna rain, someday it's gonna pour
Someday that old dry river, well it won't be dry anymore

I was born by the orange groves, but they cut down all the trees
I was born by the orange groves, but they cut down all the trees
Still I'd stand among those dead stumps and smell the blossoms on the breeze
etc.

Who sings that, I just have to hear that?

I think it was performed by 2 different L.A. bands: the Blasters and X
I liked the X version, very bluesy

Very, very good, Donna. I think we'd all like for you to come to our houses next. The pergola does make a wonderful difference there. Are you going to have fun doing some potted stuff there? Constance Elliott passi?
Yeah, I was wondering about 'spin also...they'd been traveling alot, maybe they're in Moab now..
You are looking GREAT,Donna...I'll catch up with you, I'm low-carbing and starting to lose now. I think it was the photos from Arlene's potluck that made the decision for us,huh? No more tequila here for awhile.....

Thanks Beth. I'll look for it.
Yeah Donna, when's the next shindig at your place?!?!!?

We done run him off his own thread. I still think that coming from tucson that he may not be too unhappy with the Antelope valley, minus the commute which is a bleep if you actually work in the down town LA.

Who said there is a life outside of DG?

Hey guys!
Ray's right; I've been hammered lately.
For the last several weeks I've been flying between three states and 4 different offices.
I am like an elephant with diarhea...
I'm ALL OVER the place! LOL
I have to take a cell phone pic just to remember where I park my vehicle or just to recognize my rental car from the endless sea of generic crappy rental cars! LOL
But, a good chunk of my time has been spent in North Orange Cty and at LAX.
After enjoying full contact commuting, it's not a real stretch to figure what areas I'm looking at to buy/rent.
Somewhere midway, and I'm not talking Compton. LOL
Probably towards the coastline but more trailer trash, if you know what I'm talkin'.
Don't got enough money to buy a beach front McMansion AND maintain a casa in the desert.

But, I have been really digging the flora in SoCal.
Been talking to people about grafted avocado trees.
Seen tons of bananas and plumeria.
So, I'm anxious to get out there so I can get going on the jungle.

Only have a minute today, but thanks for everyone thinking of me.
...and thanks for your concerns about my squirrel! LOL

Oh yeah, it's worth living here just for the cool stuff you can grow....just gotta remember that when you're fighting traffic.

"Trailer trash" in So. Calif ????? You must be joking! LOL
Now where would you get such an idea?

Don't answer that...I don't wanna know !

HEY I'M TRAILER TRASH AND PROUD OF IT. I live on land in a triple wide manufactured home, but I won't take it personal.

So I figure you are talking about the SF valley, probably, it is more affordable and less of a commute than other areas that may be cheaper. Repos everywhere, it is a buyers market at least.

No offense intended regarding the trailer trash comment.
Just trying to say that the Arizona dollar doesn't go very far in SoCal.
So, I'll have to look a little harder to stretch my budget as far as I can.
Fortunately, this is a pretty good time to be looking.

Ken,

Have you taken a look at Torrance? There are a lot of different areas in that city and might be a bit more affordable.
Donna

Ken...We are no longer refered to as Trailer Trash...it is now "MODULAR REFUSE....It's a little higher class!" LOL Jo

I am here; Donna, you're lookin' great!

I have not really been on this past week at all. Up at the crack of dawn and out in the cornfield picking sweet corn; then back home and working to freeze it all as late as 10 PM every night. Was so tired yesterday, I overslept. I have put up 60 pints of corn (now who is going to eat it all?)

Tore a tendon in the bottom of my foot so have been nursing that the last 6 weeks - last thing I need is to be walking in a corn field. The crops are sweating so much that when you are done you are soaking wet, full of mosquito bites, and just plain dead tired. The mud cakes on the bottoms of your boots-closest thing to hell on earth that I can think of.

Daylilies and lilies are blooming beautifully here due to the extra Spring rains we got. Have had some good green beans and 3 cucumbers. Tomatoes are a month behind. :(

Wow, TwinLakesChef,
You're a trooper! I've never canned anything, so I'm in awe! Hope your foot is healing well.

Mosquitos are really bad in my area too. A good portion of our county (Butte Co.) is planted in rice and those flooded fields breed mosquitos like you wouldn't believe. I called county mosquito abatement on Friday to come fog my area, but they probably won't get to it 'till next week. I have to garden in long pants and sleeves which is miserable!!

Spent a good portion of yesterday deadheading and watering. Went to pick some tomatoes and found that Ruby (my hen) had beat me to them. She loves tomatoes. All summer she runs around with seeds and juice crusted all over her head. At some point, I'd better get the fence built around the vegetable garden to keep her out.

Picked a few puny tomatoes today and lots of green beans; it's meager here.

Just checking in (prompted by Blooms, my mom "BloomsWithaView") -- I am still living and breathing and have found all the pounds that Donna has lost. (You go Girl!)

Since the start of this thread, I have driven to and from Moab UT twice, picking up and dropping off Blooms, and spending a week or so each time seeing friends and family. In the middle, a two-week trip to Sequoia NP with DH in our new-to-us 19' travel trailer; Blooms had her own space in her tent, but joined us in the air-conditioned interior for supper! (It was 110F in Three Rivers near Visalia, and took its time cooling off in the evening!) We had a GREAT time!

Before and after the camping trip, Blooms did most the work of revamping several areas of my postage-stamp OC garden, mostly landscaping-by-subtraction -- I'm into clean and mean this year!

I've been home almost a week, but this driving frenzy has me whipped (my A/C went out north of Las Vegas at rush hour!! I had to stop and pour water over my kitty-cat to keep him from heat exhaustion poor thing). I apologize for being so scarce and for missing the RU... so-o-o-o much going on (at least in my little head), I miss you all.

Promise to check in at least enough not to miss the next little get-together... as long as it's not THIS week, we have a full three days with start-of-school-year activities.

~'spin!~

just a note to make it clear that we did not spend the daytimes in that heat... each day we drove up the twisty turny road into the Park and walked among the trees.

This is a teaser for the thread I'm gonna post on our vacation in the Big Trees ...and the bears

edit to add that's 'Spin's hand on the wheel

This message was edited Aug 6, 2008 11:40 PM