SimplyLife

The thud was loud and came while I was turning left onto Foothills Drive on Thursday. I continued on to the grocery store hoping that another vehicle hadn't kicked up a stone or thrown something at my Jeep.  No damage was found when I got into the parking lot, so the noise remained a mystery until I headed home. The rush of fresh air surprised me as I slowed for a traffic light. I looked over my shoulder to see the rear passenger window sliding down without benefit of the little control switch. Rats!  I saw dollar signs float out the disabled window. I notified my trusty husband of the problem, and he inspected the window upon arrival at home. He proceeded to the computer to research spontaneous sliding windows in Jeeps. Apparently it was one of those "known" issues with the Jeep Liberty. Sigh! The bill to fix it at the dealership was a whopping $400. This would not do. It would not do at all. After getting the necessary part from the dealer on Friday, he...

Labradors have to be about the goofiest dogs out there. The AKC breed description says a Lab should be "a strongly built, shortly coupled, very active dog. The hallmark of the breed is the "otter tail." The ideal disposition is one of a kindly, outgoing, tractable nature; eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal." No wonder they're America's favorite dog and have been for many years. They're personable, eat just about anything, and have low maintenance coats. However, their tails are dangerous.  They also have a tendency to steal food and hearts. Labs have been in our home for over 20 years. We've had mostly black Labs and one yellow. Our first was a rescue dog we named Sophie. She was an all around family dog. Our girls could do just about anything with her and Sophie was also an outstanding hunter. From woodchucks to muskrats, the  remains of sundry unfortunate critters showed up on our lawn on a regular basis. She faithfully waite...

For those of you who like a good story, especially if it involves the West, I sure have a humdinger this week.  It all happened about 30 minutes from from Casa Wallace in the little border town of Naco, Arizona along with its counterpart, Naco, Sonora on the other side of the line.  The year was 1929. It was before the big crash in October, but things weren't so great in Mexico in the spring of that year. The people were fed up with heavy taxation, corruption, and the government in general. Hmmm...has a familiar ring to it already. Well, some rebel forces organized and began giving the Mexican army a hard time. Naco, Sonora was a pretty rough place with lots of saloons and gambling establishments, so more government intervention in their way of life wasn't welcome. The rebels and the army dug in around Naco, Sonora and began to have daily skirmishes. Since there wasn't much  happening in Naco, Arizona, which is still true to this day, residents brought out chairs...

Last night David and I went to "The Gathering." Now, before you think we've joined a cult, I'll let you know it was the Sierra Vista Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering. It's affectionally called "The Gathering." For those who live back East, you've probably never heard of an event that's peculiar to the Western states. The crowd of over 1,200 was a sea of cowboy hats, leather fringes, big belt buckles, and fancy embroidered jackets. The performers came from all over. Some were locals from Cochise County and others came from as far away as Texas, New Mexico, California, and even Nashville, TN. The folks sitting next to us were ranchers that live about 10 miles from our home. They were talking about the premature calf that had been born a few nights before at barely 20 pounds.  The little one was doing all right, but had been brought up to the safety of the corral with her mother. They were also talking about the price of a bale of hay which is ...