Where did this week go???

Just for the record, Don grilled amazing chicken breasts with fresh pineapple and onion for dinner last night.  Beyond good, beyond outstanding... words fail me.  He even grilled me an extra pineapple ring, which was also delicious with the salad.

After dinner, Don suggested a walk around the park, but we only made it about six park models down to Pat and Slim's.  The rest of the evening, we enjoyed a fun time of playing a card game called Nil with them.  The guys won both games, but they didn't beat us, they were both really close games and they had to come from behind to win... both games.  We had a great time.

Pat was making a flyer for a pot luck dinner she's planning for an old friend who's coming in for a week soon.  She asked me if I have pretty handwriting and I said "Yes, especially if I let the computer do the writing for me."  So we came home and I created several flyers for her to choose from.

It's Friday, again, already.  Time is flying.

I stopped by Pat and Slim's with the flyers, on my way to choir practice.  Don headed for CG to get a hair cut and get the truck washed.  After choir practice, Don wasn't back yet, so I grabbed my camera and a folding chair and headed to the cactus garden to see if I could get some good pictures of the quail. (ouch! I got a cactus stuck in my hand... the kind with little barbs on the end of the thorn... ouch)  This is the best I could do.  They always seem to be walking away from me.  They sure are a skittish fowl. I took a few other shots while sitting in my chair. I'm actually sitting in Jim and Toma's section of the garden. Toma came out and told me the whole history of this garden.  She and Jim have been collecting plants, rocks and desert items for eleven years.   Back at the Quantum, neighbor Ellie showed me a Rock plant that a friend gave her.  She had just transplanted it from the container it came in to this pot.  It really is a living plant.  Isn't that the strangest looking thing you've ever seen.  What if it blooms!?! Oh my goodness!  I did a search and it DOES bloom.  The correct name for this plant is Pleiospilos nelii: split rock plant.  Wikipedia has a picture also.  OK, found a gorgeous picture of a split rock plant flowers >>>> check it OUT! This plant originated in Cape Province, South Africa; very hardy to 23 degrees; loves to be crowded, so don't thin out too often.  Of course, you can tell that it's a succulent.  Hey, I'm getting into this!  They are quite showy when in bloom in the spring.  It's almost spring!!!. (picture lifted from web)   Next, Don changed out a burned out bulb after I borrowed a ladder from a neighbor. We took a walk again and got a little further than we did last night.  We made it all the way over to Donna and Carl's.  I took this pic on the way, and then my camera battery was all used up... imagine that.    Donna and Carl are such a nice couple from Kansas and we enjoyed visiting with them.  They're excited about their daughter and granddaughter flying in for a few days.

Just before arriving back at the Quantum, we passed by neighbor Steve's place and he was out sky-diver watching.  Now that's a pair of binoculars!  And check out that telescope! While he was sitting out on the patio enjoying this beautiful warm day, he called me outside to see this walking around with it's parent.  He still is too young to fly.  Isn't he cute? In just a few minutes, Mitch, Kim, Bob and Barb arrived for our trek to Picacho for dinner.  But not before Steve yelled, "There's at least seven or eight people in that hot air balloon!"  So we all went over to take a look. This is one amazing piece of magnifying glass... even has a remote control. Don finally got his turn. On our way to Picacho, we were really close to the balloon, but I was looking almost directly into the sun, so I could hardly see to take the picture. Something about the desert atmosphere that causes these prisms in the clouds fairly often.  OK, welcome to the Picacho Open Pit Steakhouse.  Yep, that's it... the little yellow building back there.  But don't let that deter you. (Wonder if these belonged to steaks from the past.)Or this, across the patio from the steakhouse entrance. (Paaaaaleeeeeze)Special tonight is fried cod and catfish dinners. When we walked in, the waiter (no host or hostess) wanted to know if we had reservations.  Reservations???? You're joking, right?  Well, they were accommodating and seated us anyway, and then they explained that Friday Night Fish Fry always required a reservation... it's a small place, but there are tables outside.

The interior was a lot of this.

Bob, entertaining himself.  That's salt in the Corona bottle. We all ordered the Special.  Mine: catfish. Bob and Barb ordered one of each so they could each try the catfish and cod. Mitch doesn't care for cole slaw, so he requested applesauce and they accommodated him.  That's a big piece of cod!  Once finished with our really good meal (we will return), I walked down to the open pit in back to get a few pictures of the pit chef. He was really nice and told me that the Porterhouse was really good and that Thursday and Sunday were pork ribs nights.  Yes, we'll be back. Before we got back to our vehicles, the evening show was in full swing.  I can't believe the proprietor doesn't have music playing for these hummingbirds.  They put on quiet a show for us. We were within eight feet of these beauties.  And they didn't seem to mind the flash at all. Time for a break. And time for us to quit taking up space in the small parking area.  We said our good-byes for the evening to the Mosers' and the Rueschs'. 

Back at the Quantum, I got the article emailed to Millie for the Sunscaper Newsletter.  Don had emailed it to me this morning.  Deadline to get that in is the 23rd so we did good. 

And that brings me to the present... 9:58 P.M.  I hope you've enjoyed spending Friday with us.  We sure had a wonderful day. 

"O, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together."  Psalm 34:3