Back to reality

Vacation over, leftovers consumed, back to work. Yah...Mule!!!! Can you hear the whips cracking in the background? Fun's over.

I had such plans for my days off. Vacations aren't for just lazing around. I must be productive or I've just wasted those precious moments I dream about when I'm working. I knew my "To Do" list was longer than I could possibly handle, but I figured that I would just write everything down and use it as a guideline. I'm a list-maker. If I don't write it down, I may forget to do it at all. And crossing off entries is such a satisfying feeling. Aaah, accomplishment!

So, I drafted my ambitious list and promptly put it somewhere I would never look at it. Not on purpose. It just sort of happened that way. Over the week, I did all sorts of things that felt right at the moment and when I finally came across my "To Do" list on the last day, I saw that I had only done one thing on it. Good Heavens!!! I still had time, so I quickly managed to start a couple of those forgotten projects so I could feel good about myself. Not that I didn't get anything done up till then. I just had to cross things off. I know, I'm sick.

Before I get fully back to that reality, I thought I would share some "unreal" pictures that aren't truly what they appear to be. Some tricks of the eye.

Me and the Idaho Babes hanging at the beach. But wait...there's no beach in Idaho! And, where are our lower extremities?

Girls on the Beach

I found this tiny "palm tree" at one of my pools and put in on "sandy landscape".

Palm Tree in the Sand

I was driving along and this "moose" caught my eye. There's not too many moose in Thousand Oaks. It was just a jagged branch on a tree.

Moose on Fence

I found this thoughtful "man" in my net one day.

Man in Net

See the cute little "dog" I found in one yard?

Fuchsia Dog

I discovered a beautiful "dress" in the rocks.

Rockin' Dress

More strange rock formations.

DUCK!!!!

Okay, this one is just fun.

Ride 'em Cowboy

You are now leaving Primeval World....back to the real world, where people work and you dream about your next vacation.

Yesterday

I'm sorry, I'm late. This blog should have been done yesterday, but I'm on vacation and in a whole different time zone. Not physically, but mentally. Yesterday I spent the entire day doing something I had originally planned to do in September but never got around to...I put in a garden. Now, it's very possible that everything I planted may amount to nothing because I've never done a fall garden, let alone, a winter garden. I also planted some things I've never planted before. It doesn't matter though. I enjoyed doing it and I feel I accomplished something. Better late than never. So, in the immortal words of Kelly Bundy, "Case of rum, case of rum!"

Speaking about not being on time, I thought I would showcase some pix that were all taken very recently, yet seem like they belong to times gone by. Every now and then I come across a scene that seems to be stuck in a time warp. They evoke thoughts of yesteryear. Of course, I help it along with a little Lightroom and Photoshop magic. 

So, slow down and join me, if you will, on a stroll down memory lane. To a simpler time when gas was cheap, all the electronic gadgets had rabbit ears and remote meant somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Check out my wheels...

Wagon Wheel

A Bumpy Ride

This wheel has seen better days

Out beyond the city limits.

Green Acres

That's your tractor story?

Farming includes vineyards, right?

Precious Cargo

Looks like a dusty road out in Fresno circa 1947

If only the gas prices were what they were when these cars were "in".

Gangsta

Grandpa's SUV

A simpler time

1950's neighborhood

Old Truck

Old time building

Clock Tower

Some beautiful spaces.

Hydrangeas

Poppies on a picket fence

The Potting Bench

Birdhouse

Relax and set a spell

That reminds me, it's time to get back to MY reality....out to the garden I go!

Call the WAHmbulance!

Some days just cannot end fast enough. Yesterday was one of those kinds of days. It wasn't even a hard day. It's just that after it was over, it would be the start of my vacation, therefore, it was seemingly endless. I don't hate my job. I even kinda like it sometimes. But let's face it...it's still a JOB...and everybody needs a break now and then.

Listen to me whine!!!! Wah, wah, wah. Enough already!

I've been at this pool business for over eight years now. How time flies. I got a relatively late start for this line of work. I was 43 when I first picked up my pole (quick math - I'm 51 now), not exactly a spring chicken. Sometimes it's rough on the body, but it beats punching a clock. No silly office drama because the doggies are my coworkers. I do love being outdoors all day and I enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Most of my customers are nice and not too chatty. Although, I have a few that are a little high maintenance. Oops, did I say that out loud?

Funny Story:
Shortly after I started doing pools, My husband and I and my boss and his wife went to a comedy club in Hollywood. My bosses wife insisted we sit in the front row. Against our better judgement, we did. Of course, you are now instantly in line for being the butt of the comedian's jokes. My poor Billy endured quite a bit about his hairline....JERKS!!! Well, the headliner was Max Fleischer (Roger Rabbit) and he was going along the front line asking everyone their occupation. He got to my boss first, who was sitting next to me, and my boss said he owned a pool business. Then he moved on to me, and I said I cleaned pools. So Max says to me, "Are you his wife?" pointing to my boss. I said "No, I'm his wife." and pointed to my husband who was on the other side of me. So Max points to me and looks at my boss and says, "So, that makes her your Pool Bitch!"..... Peals of laughter!!!!!!!

So, there you are, I'm the Pool B..... Hence, the name of my Flickr account.

Pool B

and here's the original shot. The poor beautiful butterfly was floating in the pool. R.I. P. buddy.

Cool Pool Water

Now I will share a few of my favorite pics that I have taken at some of my pools.

This bright juicy fruit is the prickly pear off of a cactus. I had those little hairlike pricklies in my hands for days!!! It, actually, might have been weeks!! NOW, I know you are supposed to burn them off. Information that would have been useful yesterday. They look like they would be delicious, but the flavor is not that spectacular. So, definitely not worth the pain.

Prickly Pear

These wisteria vines are gorgeous, but extremely messy when you have a pool. 

Wisteria

And the seeds and their pods stop the pool vac dead in it's tracks.

Clusters

More photo-worthy vines

Clingy Vines

Up a Tree

No idea what these are...just cool.

There's a story here somewhere. I know it.

Work Boots

A Succulent Succulent

Pretty Gazania

A hungry little fella

Chomp Chomp Chomp

Crazy Patterns

Bright Berries

Iris

It is now time to relax and enjoy my week off.

I'm a Fungi and I'm Lichen it!

Another morning of not knowing what I was going to talk about. I haven't been on a walk in over a week due to recovery from my 10K, then my slight muscle injury and then more recovery. Really, I'm not much of an athlete at all any more. So sad, I used to be. I spent the entire weekend sitting in my sewing/office/junk room trying to carve a path to the closet. It was not a fun process. I'm really trying to simplify, but it's not an easy trick. You know, pick up a pile of stuff and go through things one by one. Wrestle with myself on whether I need it or not. I am a complete pack rat, to say the least, and ask anybody - cleaning is NOT my forte. I did make a dent though!

So, this morning I was itching to get out and get some fresh air and I was counting on my walk to inspire a subject and...TA DAH!!!!...it did. I truly belong outside.

After the wonderful rains the ground is all wet and little shoots are already starting to push through the dirt. I stumbled across a little patch of mushrooms all cute and interesting. I am fascinated by the little fungi. They come in such a variety of shapes and sizes. And they taste good, too. I also like moss and lichen. They are so green.

Delicate

This reminds me of a cartoon....Disney Fantasia?

They grow everything bigger in Texas

Hanging on the fence

Like Little Umbrellas

Sand dollars or Chinese lanterns

Yard Art

A little village

Short and Stubby

Shriveled Shroom

Flat Top

Box O' Shrooms

Sometimes I step on them

Rock Art

Sometimes I draw them

I did a doodle

Sometimes I eat them

Button Mushrooms

We even had them for dinner tonight.

Chantarelle

Shitake

And then there's the token Lichen. Hey, I like the way that sounds...token lichen.

Little Green Flowers

I'm likin' Lichen

Nature Rocks!!!