Verna and Bob's Weblog

Household Dietary Changes

Cobb Salad

Verna and I are now on a low carbohydrate dining regimen because of recent doctor’s advice. I could stand to lose some weight and She needs to lower her triglycerides and glucose. With those criteria in mind, we are now avoiding pasta, bread, cereal, fruit and other carb and sugar laden food items.

About the diet: we’re not going to strictly count carbohydrates, but rather select food items that we know are on the “good” list. It’s not really hard to do and there is plenty of on-line help and printed recipes that support the diet.

The Cobb Salad (pictured above – click to enlarge) we had for lunch yesterday was nutritious, high in protein and fiber, and delicious. Since October 21st, dinners that we posted on the Food Blog reflect the sorts of things we are now eating.

Over the last week, we have been easing ourselves into revised eating habits and this weekend we prepared both main meals with the diet in mind. We’re just getting started and already we’re noticing subtle changes to our bodies.

October 30, 2018 by Family Food and Dining Retirement

Mailbox Upgrade and Autumn Decor

Mailbox Upgrade and Autumn Decor

I finally got around to painting the milk can under the mailbox this week. I have had the paint since summer, but the instructions on the can said not to use it in temperatures above 85 degrees. Well, that isn’t possible until fall weather brings the temperatures down here in the desert. Anyhow, I painted it white this week as I have been wanting to do for a while now.

The next day, after the paint dried, I decorated it with faux sunflowers and a little scarecrow doll for the changing season. It now looks appropriate for Halloween and Thanksgiving. There will be poinsettias and Christmas decor after that. Click on the image to enlarge.

October 19, 2018 by Arizona Home & Garden Retirement

Vulture Peak on a Rainy Day

Vulture Peak on a Rainy Day

On our way out of the Fly-in and Classic Car Show today, I took this photo of Vulture Peak. There were rain showers all around and would soon begin raining here in Town. This photo shows the peak in an uncharacteristic backlit condition with dark clouds overhead and lighter ones to the south, behind the mountain range.

Vulture Peak is the highest point in the Vulture Mountain Range.

The Vulture Mountains are about 29 miles (47 km) long, and east of center, about 13 miles (21 km) wide; the range is somewhat crescent shaped, mainly trending east–west, and narrowing westwards. The northeast is followed by the course of a southeast stretch of the Hassayampa River; the river turns due-south west of Morristown, on US 60, making the east terminus of the range about 7 mi wide, at the rivers floodplain. The Hassayampa enters the north of the Hassayampa Plain, so a small river canyon region lies at the Vulture Mountain’s northeast, with the Wickenburg Mountains northeast, and the Hieroglyphic Mountains east.

The high point of the range is Vulture Peak, (3,658 feet (1,115 m)),[2] at the center east of the range. Another major peak anchors the west region of the range, Black Butte, at 3,612 feet (1,101 m)).

October 13, 2018 by Arizona Climate Photography

Harris’s Hawk

Hawk in Flight

Perched on Flagpole

I noticed a large bird in the Mesquite tree up by the bird feeders while doing dishes in the kitchen. I dried my hands, grabbed my camera and went out to see what it might be. I took the top photo while this juvenile Harris’s Hawk was in flight departing the bird feeder area.

The bottom photo is of another Harris’s Hawk perched on our flagpole. This bird does not have the juvenile speckled feathers on its breast. It flew off shortly after this photo and joined five other Harris’s hawks on the large power pole and wires across the road from our place. Harris’s Hawks hunt in groups two to seven birds. I guess we have a group that hunts locally now.

Click on either image to enlarge.

Wikipedia says this about these hawks:

This species occurs in relatively stable groups. A dominance hierarchy occurs in Harris’s hawks, wherein the mature female is the dominant bird, followed by the adult male and then the young of previous years. Groups typically include from 2 to 7 birds. Not only do birds cooperate in hunting, they also assist in the nesting process. No other bird of prey is known to hunt in groups as routinely as this species.

October 10, 2018 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography Retirement

Retirement Anniversary Number Nine

nine.png

Yep, today is the ninth anniversary of retiring from the aerospace mill. Truth be told, I don’t miss it a bit but have occasionally dreamed about being back in the work environment. Mostly hassle dreams where I can’t find my car or someone is being stupid. Reinforcing the notion that I don’t miss it a bit!

I made the Roman numeral nine above with Xara, a 3D graphics app that I have had for years. The text texture is from an image of a stormy and sunny Grand Canyon view I lifted from the Yavapai Point Webcam which looks at a northwestern view of the canyon from that location.

October 1, 2018 by Arizona Nerdliness Retirement

Rainbow Light Up Shoes

Verna’s Lighted Shoes

We took what is likely our last trip for this year down to the West Valley today to shop at Lowe’s and Walmart in Surprise. The snowbirds are already starting to show up and the traffic down there is bad enough in the summer, let alone when the population doubles in the late fall and winter months. Our population more than doubles here in town, but the traffic and crowds in the stores here are tolerable. I grumble some, but that’s to be expected from an old curmudgeon.

The point of this post is actually to show the electric sneakers Verna picked up in the store. She had socks on her list and they are located by the shoe department. She saw these shoes and liked them for their sturdy appearance and comfortable look. We did not realize until we were back at home that they had rainbow lighted soles.

The shoes each have a battery, a light array around the soles, a control button and a charging jack. The lights can display single or multi colors with billboard motion. The shoes came with a remote control and charging cable that plugs into a charging port. What will the techies think of next?

September 21, 2018 by Apparel Family Something Shiny

Avalon 1998

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