Saturday night there will be our
and prepared by Chef Robert,
Sandy and David, of course, were the ones who let us know about the viewing.
They’d be glad to share the directions with other interested Peeps. 
Bill and Laura pointed out a pretty red and yellow flower. 
Up close it looked like this.
Joe juggled his coffee and his camera...
to get pictures of flowers like these.
Everyone, including Pam and Bob, enjoyed the flowers, the weather, and the company.
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Book Club Report from Louise....
We had a smaller, but no less vociferous and opinionated group, at book club this month discussing, The 19th Wife.
We also discussed the plans for the April meeting which will feature a scientific experiment apropos to the spirit of our last book this year, The Ghost Map. Don't worry Jon, I'm not going to blow up the Community Room. I am a professional after all, and I've never destroyed a building---yet.
At the end of the meeting we voted from 21 selections on our books for next year. I arranged the books from the longest to the shortest to accommodate slow readers like me, who have to get a jump on the selections during the summer.
The Sandpiper’s Book Club
Nov. 2010-April 2011
November: The Walking Drum by Louis L’Amour
December: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
January: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
February: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
March: West With the Night by Beryl Markham
April: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The weather cooperated...sunny & cool. 
We stayed at a great hotel in Solvang, The Corque.
and we picnicked at the vineyards every afternoon...
after buying a bottle of a chilled white from the vineyard we feasted on dates & olives, cheese and Italian salami, crackers & apples. We felt soooo sophisticated!
I remembered what Bob & Bernie taught us in the many wine classes...swirl, sniff, admire the legs, the color...I had to hurry though..look at that hand reaching for the glass!! 
He got it.... again & again!
On our way back to LA we had lunch at a 150 year old stagecoach stop...
Then it was back to reality...
Catherine and Touchstone, 
Bob and Dreamer and Gizmo went on a major trail ride
On most days we had between 35 and 50 riders and horses. On Saturday, however, we had some 120 horses and riders for the Opening Parade for the livestock show.
Wow Guys! What a great time you had!
Condo living, ghetto style! Looks good to me!
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Apparently #14 was a less than family friendly use of this phallic shaped vegetable....because she edited that one!!! heeheehha
The Amazing Cucumber
This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their
"Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways
to solve common problems.
1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one
cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin
B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium
and Zinc.
2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up
a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that
can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a
cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a
soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a
small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The
chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminium to give off a scent
undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the
area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or
to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem
area for a few minutes, the photochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen
in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the
visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices
before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers
contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential
nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a
hangover and headache!!
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers
have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders
and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't
have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the
shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only
looks great but also repels water.
9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and
rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the
spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the
chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water
and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has
been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during
final exams.
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?
Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your
tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill
the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless
steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to
clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine,
but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while
you clean.
13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and
slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and
markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!
14. Edited for decency.
*****
Who knew?
This is Pickles. He has two teeth.
She sings while I compute.
*****
And my terrific field stone walkway...needs more sand.
We have been soooo busy..but this week we are going on a wine country excursion...yippee!
and pricing "Grumpy" shirts (ouch)...
it was back to the grindstone.
This is the flagstone walkway that widens the front sidewalk entry.
I will then plant mini succulents so it looks like a dish garden.
Jim helped so he could get into the picture. Actually he did dig the holes for which I am eternally grateful as I was just about out of steam at that point.
Today we finish up the flagstone walk...then shopping! Trader Joe's, Ikea, The Container Store...and Home Depot, of course. Fun days!
