False Spring

In typical southwest style--both Arizona and New Mexico have the saying, "If you don't like the weather, wait about five  minutes..." It isn't quite that fast but one week we had cold temps, wind and gray skies--cold enough a few nights that we left hoses trickling outside to be sure pipes and faucets did not freeze. Then all at once a big dome of high pressure built and pushed the jet stream and storm track far to the north. The temperature leaped upward and within a few days lows were in the upper 40s and lower 50s and highs well into the 70s. They say it may hit 80 tomorrow!

Out for my morning walks I am hearing a lot of birds now, the cheerier upbeat calls of spring, saying in sparrow, finch or other species language things like, "Hey babee, I have a great nest spot and you won't find a more dashing bird than me..." The doves are calling and it won't be long until the larger flocks of quail break up as they pair off for the breeding season.  Yep, the birds and the bees do it!

So far no flowers although I did see a forsythia bush in a sheltered nook with a few yellow blossoms a block or two from my house. The weeds are greening and in a bi, unless we get a cold snap, the fruit trees will be in bloom, lilacs budding and all the springy things I love will be visible.

The downside is that it is also allergy season. I won't say my antigen injections are either helping much or not doing anything; there are some changes. I am not stuffed up as much but sneezing a lot--that seems to be an early stage of this desensitizing effort as my brother had horrible sneezing fits a couple of years ago after about a year on his latest (local) rounds of shots. My eyes are definitely better--and I cannot say whether it is the Restasis finally kicking in or the fact I am taking not only the AREDs formula vitamins recommended by one ophthalmologist a few years back and seconded by my current one but also a new herbal/homeopathic compound from a health foods place that I've been using since early January. Still if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I will keep on with it all.

It's clean up, sort, organize and dispose of time at our house. We have been here four years and have vowed to go through every single box and to shred or give away  a bunch of stuff we did not have time to deal with when we had to leave Colorado under a rather tight deadline. What fun. Well, sort of. I do like the accomplishment feeling of seeing things gone and some space emerge!

The new pupster--we will be calling Riata 'pupster' when she is ten years old I expect --is maturing fast. We were going to get her spayed this month and had made an appointment but spring sprang too fast. This weekend she was clearly coming into season the first time. They will spay during heat but it costs more and infection is much more likely so it will be about three weeks until that happens now. Safer for her and less costly both.

As to writing, I have organized that too--gone thru the now semi-dead contracts for all my Amber Quill books and trying to make up my mind what will happen to them. Meanwhile I have dug out the notes and scribbles for a big family saga type novel I have meant to write for too many years. I plan to dig in on Calhoun Chronicles (working title) very soon and see what happens. It will be steamy in spots and there will be both romance and star crossed love affairs and all sorts of Dallas and Dynasty sorts of goings-on. Will I ever finish and publish it? Well, odds are...up to fate perhaps. But there is no way I can ever stop writing so on we go. It's time to try for some pictures soon as blooms and leaves show up; I will start taking the camera on my walk, promise.