ROCK DAY MESSAGES

We woke up to a bright sunrise this morning; all the windows and vent fans had been left open last night because there was a nice cooling breeze blowing through the desert around bedtime; so we shut down the generator and let the house cool down naturally.

Around 2 A.M., the breeze had become full-on rocking-the-house wind gusts; so Holland got up and rolled the front door canopy in so it didn't get damaged. The wind gusts rocked us back to sleep ;-)

It was still gusty when we got up at sunrise ... but it was also warm enough to turn the baby generator back on.

Morning sunrise seen from our front door; sun-kissed mountains straight ahead, lit from sunrise behind Independence.

Pink clouds came rolling in …

It's a bit gusty today.

We'll probably use the baby generator more - and save running the beast until it's an absolute necessity. Right now, it isn't; yesterday we just wanted to see how long it would stay on before shutting itself down (a major issue in WA State, & a major bone of contention), and if it would do everything it was advertised to do.

We were very happy with the outcome :-)

There was three-quarters tank of gas yesterday in the beast generator when we used it. This morning there was little less than a quarter left. Break-down is about $20/day to run the beast generator for 8 hours (4- to 4.5 gallons of gas). It has a 6-gal. tank, and has a 12-hr. run time at half throttle. We ran it at half throttle because Holland wanted to go easy on it because this is the first time we've actually used it all day long: he didn't want to punish it in this temperature right out of the chute: full throttle would cut yesterday's operational time in half.

The baby generator that runs on propane is quieter … and cheaper to use ($1.25/gal. cheaper than gasoline - and burns about half the amount of fuel than the beast does). We've used the baby generator more than the beast - we've only seriously used the beast yesterday; we ran the baby generator all day Sunday, last night for about 4 hours, and for about 4 hours this morning: probably about $12 - $13 dollars worth of fuel. But we can't utilize everything on the RV with the baby because it's 4 kilowatts (1 air conditioner, lights, oscillating tower fan, both laptops, 1 TV, and keep the 'fridge cool) … and the beast is 13 kilowatts (which will power everything in this house; and another RV to boot). Plus, the beast weight 350-lbs.: it was never meant to be moved from the back of the truck, and we don't have to worry about anyone stealing it.

The baby is totally portable, and I can carry and lift it, it with ease.

While Bleu was racing around through desert grit like his tail was on fire, I strolled the area around our RV looking at rocks and rock formations; I am a curious rock hound, and in the past would drag big rocks home to outline my flowerbeds at every one of the houses I owned with my first husband; smaller rocks would find themselves scattered across the soil of my flower pots. It's hard for me to restrain myself here … there are so many pretty rocks. But my itching fingers and racing thoughts have been reined in, and I have only gathered, and secreted away, a handful of shiny white quartz chips ;-)

This rock looks like it has a paw print on it.

Raw black tourmaline & raw pink quartz.

Green & purple hued rocks.

These people have been coming here for y.e.a.r.s.

Artistically painted rock; front & back sides.

Fading painted rocks …

A rock compass.

Making our final lap back to where Holland was drinking his coffee on the mat patio, Bleu investigated a coyote passing ...

A singing coyote passed by early this morning - and left it's calling card ;-)

I like the sound of coyotes yipping and yapping; but Holland has lived and worked on ranches (100 acre+ family ranches in Washington State-Oklahoma-Louisiana-Texas-California), and he doesn't like coyotes at all.

I drank another cup of coffee, and jotted down a few things on a stickie pad that Holland was wanting to pick up in town; and showed him the pictures I had just taken ;-)

We watched a helicopter.

A low-flying helicopter flew by as we swallowed the last of our morning coffees.

Holland showed me how to turn the baby generator on and off before he left. I had trouble with the pull-cord - but I will get better at it because I am going to get back to lifting weights and putting muscle into things, again; I've gotten lazy because Holland likes me to be girly; but there are times (like this morning) that I need brute strength ;-)

He worries about leaving me alone (because of my asthma; sweet man); but I've spent a lot of time alone during my lifetime. I encouraged him to "Go! Spend some time listening to your music. Spend some time in quiet contemplation. Enjoy some alone time. I know you'll be coming back - and Elohim is always watching over me."

The baby generator.

Then Holland drove into town to pick up a few things.

He wasn't gone as long as I thought he'd be … and he came back bearing gifts ;-)

When he got back and relaxed a few minutes, he wondered if he could link up the Internet Tower up to the battery-operated Jump Box - that would be helpful when we have to shut the generator off at 10 P.M. It works!

He thinks about making a comfortable home environment for me, all the time.

Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You lyrics: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pZi83mxXfk)

He thinks about what would make me happy, all the time: I hope and pray that I am as thoughtful and considerate with that, towards him. And that he knows it.

Celine Dion - If That's What It Takes lyrics: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRGzhnb0hek)

His presence and his love in my life, is as solid as a rock :-)

Holland plugged the Internet tower into the Jump Box when we shut the generator down.

Holland.

He gave Bleu a quick cooling shower … and then they both settled down for a brief snooze before Supper. This is the way things are done down South ;-)

And when I glance across the room and see his feet dangling from the end of the bed, I smile at the happy turn my life has taken from where it was, this time last year.

Happy turn of events in my life. Elohim is SO good to me.

Today has been a rock message day.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

Woke up this morning and enjoyed morning coffee outside.

Surrounded in Yeshua's love, refreshed in the Ruach HaKo'desh, & covered with Elohim's grace.

In the sunshine.

In warmth.

I enjoy drinking my morning coffee, waiting for the cactus blossoms to burst out in flower.

Without feeling crowded - watched - monitored - irritated and annoyed.

With my husband.

With my dog.

This could not have happened in WA.

In WA State, I lived in a mobile home community where homes were 6 feet apart … too close for my comfort.

I don't like having my every move watched.

I don't like being monitored.

These things irritate, and annoy me.

Plus the weather in WA is always heavy with moisture - if it isn't raining continually for 9 months out of every year, it's indecisive when it comes to hail and snow. None of this is good for weak lungs.

The landscape here is basically gravelly grit desert:

I had walked barefoot over the gritty ground surrounding our patch of desert - and left my footprints behind. It was gritty, but not hot. Not sharp.

But so far there hasn't been any dust-ups … and when a vehicle does pass that kicks up a dust storm in passing, our lungs do not seize up. Both of our lungs are doing much better here, in Arizona :-)

Our currant location is the second hottest … and the most wettest … desert: the Sonora Desert in Arizona, USA, where daytime temperatures may exceed 40ºC (104ºF - 118ºF) in summer and where rain fall is 120-133 mm (4.7-11.8 in) annually. This desert is unusual in that it experiences two wet seasons: one from December to March, and a second from July to September.

It is the only place in the world where Saguaro Cacti grow.

When a saguaro reaches 35 years of age it begins to produce flowers. I noticed today that there was a sweet smell on the air - it kinda smelled like honeysuckle, but there is no honeysuckle vines here; so, I'm thinking it was the saguaro blossoms sending off their scent.

It's loaded - and I will literally get to watch it bloom while sipping coffee on my astro-turf {patio}.

Saguaro flowers start to blossom in the first week of May and continue through about the first week of June (however - it is now October, and we are seeing cactus blossoms ;-)). Saguaro flowers bloom for less than 24 hours. They open at night and remain open through the next day. They only have that very short time to attract an animal to be pollinated. Saguaro cacti grow their first arms anywhere from 70-90 years old, so a saguaro with many arms may well be older than 100.

This blossoming cactus is the one we saw driving to this site; Holland's draw was the bushed wash … my draw was the  cactus ;-)

This morning I was up early with Bleu, and we both were startled when we heard and felt something hit the backend of the bunk room; it was dark, so I didn't investigate … but I did mention it when Holland woke up. He checked it out: there was no damage, but he did see tracks in the sand that gave evidence that a rabbit had been under the R.V. So, we are thinking a coyote was chasing the rabbit and ran into the backend of the bunk room when the rabbit took refuge.

By noon today, we were all wearing cool wet bandana's around our necks to keep our body temperatures from overheating.

And Bleu was stretched out in the coolness under the RV.

Lunch was very light: a chilled salad.

I pulled my hair back because it was soaking wet by noon. We all wore soaked, cooling, bandanas.

Salad for lunch - too hot for anything else.

Bleu mimicked the rabbit … and took refuge under the RV.

Holland is taking pride in the fact that the beast generator started right up this morning and ran smoothly through the day. We need the generator to keep the 'fridge at maximum capability; the beefy generator can handle the 'fridge, air conditioners, and other things that make large draws on power. The baby generator works well, too, but I'm glad the beefy generator is finally working like it should; the baby generator keeps the power on, but Holland was concerned it couldn't handle the 'fridge draw. Holland is taking pride in the fact that the beefy one has been running steadily since early this morning, keeping e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. in our home running smoothly.

The generator is running at full capacity since this morning; it hasn't choked up at all. YAY!

We're still debating the solar panel topic; if the generators keep operating correctly, we won't need the added encumbrance.

We can't turn the generator on until 7 A.M., and have to turn it off at 10 P.M., but that's okay - temperatures are not as hot  before 7 - and begin to cool down around 10, with a slight breeze that feels good.

We ran the beast generator until about 6 P.M. tonight, then switched to the baby generator for evening use because it is quieter in operation.

The loud beast generator was shut down for the night, & the quieter baby generator was hooked up.

Sunset was around 6:30 P.M., and we all enjoyed sitting on our oil-cloth/astro-turf patio, watching the desert sky light up with oranges and yellows - highlighted by flamingo-pink clouds.

Tonight's sunset; Bleu lay watching it, too ;-)

Gorgeous …