A Sneeze, a Glug of Vinegar, and the Creeks A Risin'

TRIPPIN' THURSDAY
THE RV LIFE
Is anyone else sneezing? I have a bout in the morning and again in the evening...even while on

Tallest trees are Ash, related to Olive trees

allergy medication. Arizona Ash is the offender. They line the banks of Tonto Creek behind the RV Ranch and are the first to bloom out. To help with allergy attacks, the best advice I received years ago is to take a shower at night before bedtime. Pollen collected on your body during the day will be washed away and it should help with morning allergies too. That said, I don't always do that. I did last night and this morning was not so bad.

Major incident a few weeks ago. One of our neighbors fell and broke her femur. She's seventy-two. After all these weeks, she's still in the rehab facility. It's been one of those seasons here on the Ranch. There's been very few weeks we've all been here at the same time. The counted on Happy Hour every evening of the last couple of years is a rarity. There have been ATV accidents, gone to watch the grandkids times for several of us, operations, a bug that made the rounds, and pig hunting trips.

Tonto Creek is running full

Lake Roosevelt is currently rising at three inches a day. It's higher

Same spot last Sept

than we've ever seen it. It's at 65% full. I haven't been out on it. FDW has a couple of times, but it's still pretty murky because of the water running into it, stirring things up. Take a look at these two Tonto Creek photos. Six months ago, Sadi and Papa pretended to fish. Now, Sadi wouldn't be able to keep her head above water.

Do you buy organic? I've bought a few things organic for many years, such as peaches. I read many years ago about the "Dirty Dozen" of fruits and vegetables that absorb pesticides and are bad for us over time. After three years of raising and eating our own fruits and vegetables organically, I don't want to go back. FDW gives me a hard time. I insist we save money on our food bill, but I also insist on many organic products. Hard to do both. My drop dead list is peaches, apples, dark greens, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes. I just won't buy if I can't get organic. Be careful out there with packaged foods. Read your labels. Natural might not mean much and certain pre-packaged foods only need to be a percentage organic to get the label. Me, I stay away from prepackaged foods anyway. They cost more than making it yourself. I did tell FDW I'll draw the line at buying organic bamboo sheets. He wasn't impressed.

Spring in the desert-out of the rocks

Vinegar. Here's my tip for versatility. White vinegar can be used as a cleaner in place of expensive cleaners. I use it on outdoor stuff mostly. I tried it on the shower and can't handle the smell. The glass and tile really didn't get that clean with it either. Organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is a great alternative to antacid treatments. FDW was experiencing side affects from the meds the doc told him to take. Now, he takes a slug of the vinegar (way cheaper, way more effective) and has his stomach under control.

Happy almost Spring. This little blooming cactus is the size of my palm. She sprang right out of the rocks.