Carol's Life in Photos: July 2014


We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Right, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

It's summertime and hot, hot in Phoenix. My solar dryer works amazingly well, drying clothes in record time. I know we have a choice in clothes dryers. However, hanging clothes and smelling their wonderful sun filled freshness after drying in the sun is it's own reward. Takes me back to a time when we had no choice. Mom hung lines at our kid height and we would help hang out clothes and gather them in also. I remember having one of those umbrella type lines (an Australian invention, I think), but we were a large family (normal for those days) and we sometimes needed extra. Sometimes we would have lines going between all the trees. We thought it a treat to be able to help and reach our own line!

It's officially the Monsoon season here in Phoenix. It used to start when we had 3 consecutive days when the dew point reached 55. Now it states June 15 no matter what. I like the old way because there were always people betting and guessing when it would start. I still follow the dew point because I have a swamp cooler and an air conditioner. The swamp cooler is very cheap to run and works wonderfully if the dew point is lower than 45. I can turn it on in the spring with the fan set at low, then as it gets hotter turn the fan to high, usually waking up in the morning with temps in the house in the low 70s. Now I turn off the cooler in the afternoon when dew point it high and switch to the AC unit. Turn the cooler back on before I go to bed, still wake up with house temps about 77 or 78. Back to the Monsoon....no sign of rain yet though we have been in the Monsoon for about 2 weeks! Please thunderheads come our way! I think it has been close to 100 days w/o rain!

Yours truly with Rosie the Bear, photo by Jules

Another great pic by Jules

I'm trying to get all the oranges off my front largest tree. Anyone want to come help??? All the oranges and/or OJ you desire!

My orange trumpet vine covers my back fence in the Spring, Summer and Fall with flowers the bees and hummingbirds love. When I'm working in the yard early in the morning or coming and going other times, there are many hummingbirds feeding at these beautiful trumpet like flowers.

Ah, Iced Tea! It's summertime for sure!

Jules and I playing in her tent. Tents are big. She now sleeps in a tent in the back bedroom when she's here because she is too big for the pack and play. Addie still sleeps in the pack and play, so I must keep it for awhile longer.