It's Spring Again

The hail storm we had recently left some of my plants looking sad. The rosebush in the foreground lost a lot of leaves, as did the fruit trees and other plants. They will survive though. You can see some of the Iris in bloom again in the background, just beyond my extra parking space. I still have a lot of weeds to get rid of and a few more plants to stick in the ground.

Here's a picture of the flowers at the end of the visitor parking space. The rosebush on the left is "Playboy" one of my favorites and the short red one is "Thrive." The tall poppies look red in the picture, but are actually a bright pink color. My neighbors say I am growing Opium, but I didn't plant them, they've been coming up volunteer. They don't last long, but are very pretty so I'm letting them grow.

Marvelous Maggie

Here's a picture of Marvelous Maggie when she still trusted me 100%. Not anymore! Sunday night as I was combing her with fine-tooth comb, I found SIX fleas on her. Yikes! I know how she hates that medicine that I apply to the back of her neck. It's been several months since I did that because I haven't found fleas on her lately, up until now. So, this morning I managed to hold her still long enough to squeeze the tube of medicine on her skin where she can't reach it. After one minute, she took off ran outside through her cat door and didn't come back in for a long time. She kept her distance from me. All day today she acted like she was afraid of me and wouldn't come near me. I wonder if that medicine stings on the back of her neck. I feel really bad, but have to get rid of the fleas. I guess she'll come around in a day or two.

Weather or Not

Atwater got more than its share of rain and hail on Thursday. It first started with the heavy rain, then turned into large chunks of ice. It just kept coming and coming. We had thunder and lightning. Poor Maggie the cat was frightened and didn't know what to do.
We die-hards went to Bingo anyway. It was only raining again by then.
Here's another picture of the hail in my yard.
The hail really did a number on my plants. The flowers are ripped to shreds; leaves and small fruit knocked off the little fruit trees. My tomato plants are just half the size that they were the day before.
I guess they will all survive. Sure hope that's the end of the hail storms, at least until next winter. You have to feel sorry for the farmers. Especially those growing strawberries.
Oh yeah, I finally did my income tax papers today. Since I have no deductions anymore, I thought I could quickly do it on paper. Guess I'm not smart enough for that. Decided I better use Turbo Tax. Too late to run around and see if the one I need is still in the stores, so I downloaded it and maybe saved a few dollars. No problem with the download, but couldn't install it because my Windows XP needed updating. I was beginning to get nervous! But finally got everything installed and went line by line in Turbo Tax just in case I needed to. It took ALL morning.
Bottom line is, I saved some money by using Turbo Tax. I hope I remember that next year and not wait until the last minute!!! LOL

Tequila Cafe

There's an obituary in the Merced Sun-Star today for Joe Alverez Perez, Sr. It says that he and his older brother, John Perez, his wife Phyllis and Joe's wife Nita opened the Tequila Cafe in Winton in 1963.
If they are talking about when Tequila Cafe first opened in Winton, they have the year wrong.
My husband John and I were living in Le Grand, our first daughter was born in June of 1958. John heard that a new Mexican restaurant had just opened in Winton and they had great Mexican food. So we drove from Le Grand to Winton to have dinner there. Sandy was still in a high chair; they commented on how well behaved she was. I'm thinking the cafe had to be in business in 1959. Our second daughter was born in May of 1960 and she wasn't even born yet.
I'd love to have the whole complete story about the Winton Tequila Cafe for the Winton Historical Society's newsletter.
The above newspaper ad came from the Perez family several years ago. I don't know when the ad was printed. According to the address the ad is for the old restaurant; their current address is 6618 N. Winton Way, Winton. South of the Santa Fe Railroad.
Joe and his wife, Nita later opened La Nita's Mexican Restaurant, first in Merced and later in Atwater.
Anybody have any memories of the Winton cafe or pictures of it when it was still north of the Santa Fe?
E-mail me at WintonCA@aol.com
Thanks. Lorraine

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter everyone! Today the sun is shining and it's a nice spring day. Went to church this morning. Had a few more people attend than usual. It was nice. My sister-in-law, her husband and daughter were visitors today along with Aunt Ernestine. She said the hour went fast, so I guess she wasn't bored. LOL. I didn't think she would be. Our pastor is a good speaker. We're talking about the Atwater United Methodist Church here.
The picture on the left was taken in the Fireside Room where we meet after church for coffee and munchies.
I took a few pictures of my flowers today. The lilac bush is doing so much better in the back yard. The spot where it was before has hardpan and lilacs need good drainage.
The name of the lilac is Sensation. It's just beginning to bloom. I'd like to have another lilac bush, but I'm running out of room.
Maybe I have too many Irises.
Not all of them are in bloom yet, just the early ones. Pictured is Purple Pepper.
Hello Darkness has quite a few buds on it; can't wait til they open up so I can get a good picture of it.
I still have the 15 Gerbera daisies to plant. Maybe tomorrow. I've been saying that for quite some time now. One of these days it's really going to happen.
I keep forgetting that I have a flat of flowering strawberries to plant around the mailbox also. There are lots of weeds to pull. (Or dig out with a shovel.) So much to do. Good thing I love being out in the yard. Don't like to work too hard though, just piddle around. Guess that's why it takes so long to get anything done. It's easier on my arthritis that way. My knee doctor said don't overdo; so I'm taking his advice.