Sunday, June 23, 2019

I Missed The Summer Solstice!!

As a runner, I always liked the long days marking the beginning of summer.  I could run late into the evening when it was cooler, but still have lots of light.  Nowadays, I just wish it would get on with it so I could go to sleep earlier!!!

Apparently I missed it Friday night, what with the explosion and all.  I have to admit I've learned a new skill.  Sleeping in the middle of the day.  Cooper sees no problem with that at all!!!
The pump is still pumping and water is still flowing.  This morning was the big test ... the sprinklers came on and are still going.  It takes about 3-1/2 hours to finish up.  Seems pretty crazy to me.  In the old days of PG&E, it didn't matter.  Now it's a different story.  Today I'll go around and make a few more adjustments in the downward direction!!

It's not all fun and games around here ... it's spider time.  There's nothing dangerous except black widows, which don't come out until after dark.  These guys make me crazy!  They can jump three feet!!  As I opened the back door yesterday, one fell from the upper casing.  I did the best spider dance you've ever seen!!  Just what I needed ..... more adrenaline!!  

This is a Regal Jumping Spider.  They didn't get that name for nothing ... they really do jump.
They also spin crazy webs where they lay eggs.  Here's one by my front door.  Well here WAS one by my front door.  Isn't it interesting how the webs are attached by little dots.  Her legs and mouth parts were very visible until I got too close.  
For my last barbecue hurrah before packing it away, I picked up some pork chops.  You know, the really thick kind that always turn out tough and chewy.  I actually looked up "how to" this time, keeping them on low.  It said pork was done at 145 ... done enough anyway, to kill anything it might be harboring.  

Oops .... I left them a little too long.  It didn't matter though, they came out perfect!  I can't believe how tender and delicious they were.  The best part was I had enough for three meals with one cooking.  I think I'm going to like this barbecue thing after all!!
Right now I'm practicing summer.  There are yellow sticky notes resembling flowers, all over my house, along with my regular long list I print from the computer.  It's getting close to takeoff time.  



10 comments:

  1. That is some big looking spider. i never could sleep during the day other than when I worked the midnight shift and had tommy back when.
    Cooking pork to the 145F is the trick to keeping them tender a juicy.

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    1. I always thought pork was 160 to kill everything. No wonder mine was always tough!! Yay! I learned something new in barbecuing!!

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  2. Spiders have been getting worse over the last few years.
    Prefer to grill all our meat. We know it's cooked and it has a better flavour.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    1. Oh don't tell me that about spiders!! Around here they are small, but in Arizona, they are of the 3" variety!!

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  3. I remember the days that a huge SMUD bill (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) was anything over $100...wow, those days (along with the Nuclear Power Plants they owned) are long gone. Now SMUD is getting closer and closer to PG&E rates.

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    1. I guess the cost of producing everything from electricity to food has increased along with our wages. Consider that 20 cent loaf of bread is now $5.95 around here.

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  4. When you get to your other place you get a chance try this cold soup recipe
    It's a tad spicy but but not really that bad and the best part there's no cooking
    If you have a food processor chopper no knife is involved
    Here's a link to the recipe

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/gazpacho-recipe-1937573

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    1. Oh yeah!! Anything Alton Brown is good!! Yes I do have a food processor, just for those occasions. I'll try it!!

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  5. Dave Burdick….that's interesting about SMUD. We have been with PGE since 2005 and their bills were quite a shock. Nancy….thank God I haven't seen any black widows but I wipe away spider webs everyday. I feel like it's become my part time job. I don't remember the spiders being as bad as they are this year. I follow a couple of West Sacramento FB groups and everyone is commenting about the spiders.

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    1. Haha Elva!! Black widows won't bite unless you stick your hand in their web, and even then they just run away. In my area spiders don't seem to be any worse than any other year. I spray outside my buildings a lot which seems to help. I suppose they eat flies and mosquitos, so I can't complain too much. It's the huge 3" variety in Tucson that scare me!!

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