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Saturday, June 26, 2021

Hot-Cha-Cha

Did you ever yell just for the sheer exuberance of being alive? At the school where I work, we have been holding "Summer Camp" and sometimes the kids will just shout for joy on the scorching playground! One especially droll little girl will yell "Hot-cha-cha!" and "The heat never bothered me anyway," which I thought was a very clever riff on Frozen for a third-grader. 

Sometimes the shouts are just wordless: "OooooWeeeeeHeeeeeee" and "YeeeeeeeeeeeeeHeeeeeeeeeeee." Sometimes they almost manage a yodel or two. My father could yodel beautifully, and whistle beautifully.

I wonder if my hollering for joy days are over? Oh, I holler still. "OW, my poor knees!" and "For the love of pickles, the LIGHT is GREEN, so GO!" But those aren't joyous shouts! 

usa patriotic bunting at cracker barrel


But hot weather or not, errands still must be run! Early is best, of course, which means I'm always lagging and running them in the worst part of the day. My husband hasn't been too strong lately, but has wanted to eat out, so we went to the Cracker Barrel one day and Chick Fil-A the next. I love the bunting and the porch at "The Barrel," and for some reason, the fast food places have the nicest landscaping in town, as you can see in the Chick Fil-A drive-thru pics. 

cracker barrel porch


chick fil-a landscaping


The CFA manager has misting fans rigged up for his outdoor staff, and I was glad to see it. Those kids work so hard. The first place I saw misting fans was in dairy sheds in Tucson. I think they ought to be all over but they are so durned expensive.

I like to divert and drive through some nice areas on the way home from errands, if we haven't been away from the pets for too long. This past week we stopped along one of the main irrigation ditches, the California Lateral as it's called, and took a video and some photos. Most of the year, these ditches are dry, but during growing season, they have water periodically. The homes in the deepest part of the valley have "water rights," which means they have the right to some of the water that flows along the ditches. These are the homes with the biggest trees, best trees, and sometimes even lawns.

irrigation ditch las cruces



The ditches are "attractive menaces" as they say in the insurance trade. Young people are drawn to them, as they are to the river (the Rio Grande). The Rio Grande here isn't very dangerous (you can splash right across it), but the ditches are. It's the power of the water when the "gates" or little doors are winched open to let water flow along a set route that's dangerous. The water, not that deep, is deep enough to push a person against the open gate and trap their heads underwater. The pressure of the water doesn't allow them to stand up. 

If you click on the image below, a short video should play, showing the scary water! I think Blogger did something awful to the quality of the video, but as they say, Blogger is "free and worth every penny." 



And speaking of errands, I have some to do today! One of them is to GO BUY SMOKE BALLS. Yes, even being in my 60s does not stop me from wanting to "shoot off" a few (quiet, no popping) fireworks on the Fourth! So I need to get some smoke balls before all the best colors are gone. Have a lovely weekend, I hope, and see you around the blogs!

Kind regards,

Olde Dame Holly

36 comments :

  1. How nice to live along that ditch and have shade trees and lawn.

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    1. When I wanted to buy a home along one of the ditches, my realtor drily said, "Well, bring your money." Ha ha BOY are they expensive! But I am happy for those who live along a ditch!

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  2. It is nice to get out occasionally. Did I read correctly? Does your Cracker Barrel have a drive-thru? There are no near Cracker Barrels here. I love their food.

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    1. Our Cracker Barrel has drive-up take-out, but no drive-thru. Our Chick Fil-A has a great drive-thru but also a really pretty outdoor and indoor dining area, too.

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  3. The ditch looks such a beautiful place for a walk beside but not somewhere I would want to get in. It does look dangerous.

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    1. You're so right. People by the dozens like to walk along the ditches each day.

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  4. Never heard of a "smoke ball". I'll have to look that up. I love Cracker Barrel, but haven't been to one in over a year. There isn't one near us and we haven't had any opportunity to travel near one. I have a gift card in my purse that keeps reminding me I need to go there!! Those irrigation ditches are interesting. I guess you do live in the desert for sure! Wow! Your pictures are making me appreciate our week of rain all that much more. It's pouring again right now as I write, and I can hear the thunder rolling around out there. I do appreciate the rain, as it helps keep things greener a tiny bit cooler...but much steamier too. Oh well, can't have everything! Take care and have a blessed week! Yee Haw!!! I feel like shouting sometimes too!!

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    1. You are such a joyous person and you and Lily Grace spread joy, too! I know it's hard to appreciate rain when you live where it rains so much. When I lived in along the Gulf Coast, I did not have a pair of shoes that was not damp. Rain and more rain but I think that's why it's so beautiful there. But STEAMY oh yes, the very air is like a wet washcloth.

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  5. My best line is "What are you waiting for? A better shade of green? GO!!"
    Your outdoor photos remind me of Tucson and how I miss the desert!! And Cracker Barrel...love their breakfasts!!!

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    1. Tucson's desert is so pretty. The saguaros and the sagebrush (creosote bush/chaparral), the barrel cactus, even the chollas! And the arroyos. I miss that desert, too. They lucked out and got the Sonoran Desert. We have the Chihuahuan desert here (ha ha I have yet to see a wild desert chihuahua).

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  6. It might do us all good to have a good holler, it would release all the tension we are all under at the moment.
    Like you I shout a lot with my joints, can't help it, just comes out, lol
    Briony
    x

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    1. Briony, they say yelling actually helps with the pain! So we must yell for our health!

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  7. I sure can see why those irrigation ditches could be a danger to the unwary. No doubt every year some kid goes in to cool off at just the wrong time.
    Misting fans sound like a super idea.

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    1. Yes, it's the teens mainly who think they can splash around in there, and get hurt. Sad!

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  8. I am fascinated by the irrigation ditches. Thank you for sharing.
    We purchased some small fireworks today too. Got to have a little Bang for the 4th! :-)

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    1. Fireworks are a MUST! I will admit I like the pretty ones best!

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  9. I think both sides of those gates are dangerous and best avoided.

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  10. To be truthful, no, I don't recall shouting for the sheer exuberance of being alive... Not that I haven't, I just don't remember maybe. In any event, it's been a long, long, time. I have never ever been to a Chick Fil-A...there are none remotely close... And I have only been to a Cracker Barrel once...not any of those close either. I have been to many drive-throughs though...and I do believe that the drive-throughs are much more attractive (as are the fast-food places in general) in the southwest than here. Perhaps it is because we only have so many months where there is vegetation LOL. Those irrigation ditches...no thank you. That video is terrifying to me. (I can't swim....and that cyclone effect scares the heck out of me!) ~Robin~

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    1. Aw, Robin, that's sad about not shouting for joy. I can recall shouting for the joy of being alive as a small child, before so many horrible things happened to me. If you ever get a chance for Chick Fil-A, get some! I scared myself with that video. I don't like those whirlpools at all, even though I know I won't fall in. But if you do fall in, you're a goner. Yikes!

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  11. Hot cha cha here too! 102 at the moment. Glad you are able to find beauty amid the harshness 🌺

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    1. Wow, 102 is also a horrible temp! So hot in some areas, and yet they are freezing in other areas, in late June!

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  12. Holly, I liked watching the short video of the ditches, and loved hearing your sweet voice. Oh, I'm with your husband on eating out right now. It's been so hot lately, and I DO NOT want to cook. Went to a drive through today and got a turkey sub. It was really good. The place you went to has a charming outside with beautiful bunting. That is funny that the kids holler at Summer Camp. It must be so hot for them right now during these Summer days. But they still shout for joy. Oh, kids are wonderful little people, aren't they?

    Have a peaceful Sunday, Holly.

    ~Sheri

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    1. The kids teach us good lessons with their sweet joy! Yes, sweating over a hot stove is not a good idea lately! I have onions I want to bake but they are going to have to hang out in the fridge awhile longer!

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  13. An interesting and educational post. How can a retired school teacher forget those happy yells. I still miss them.

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    1. Yes, but also don't your ears prick up waiting for the wailing of the skinned knees after the happy shouts? They play SO HARD and it's laughter one second, tears the next! Yikes!

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  14. Any water that is not clear is not water I am getting in. The trees are lovely. WE only get to cracker barrel when we go to Florida none here and Chick-a-fila I have never had. I love hearing kids on a playground such happy sounds
    cathy

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    1. The ditch water is so dusty! Liquid mud pies! Stay out of it although I have put my feet in before...!!!

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  15. You should have heard me last night when they can fell off the counter and landed on the edge of my big toe and the words were not ouch! That water doesn't look very attractive. I know it's life-giving but I would not want to live on that ditch. I assume you must live in the desert somewhere not sure where you are. But since she said irrigation ditch they must be desert around. All that beautiful landscaping is absolutely gorgeous! I try to do everything early because it's so hot but you can't because most of the places that you go don't open until 9. Some of them don't open until 10. I do most of my shopping at Walmart and they open at 6 and I'm home before the heat sets up

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    1. Ha ha yes I bet the air was "blue" around you after a can fall on your toe!!! OUCH doesn't cut it! Good ideas to run your errands early!!!

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  16. I wonder when we stop those woderful yells of childhood. I have yelled here seeing a mouse in my house. Scaring the dogs who don't care if there's a mouse traipsing around in THEIR house. Oh, well, Ive got the plug in mouse deterrents now, so the are gone for good.

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    1. I had wondered if those plug-in sounds worked! I will have to get some as the cats get after the poor little mice that wander in! Funny that the dogs are like, "Eh, who cares?" when they see a mouse!

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  17. Thanks for the info on the irrigation ditches, and sad some people ignore the danger. No way, now how, would I go in to water looking that dirty and mucky! And what a sweet, southern accent you have :-)
    Can you believe I have never bought a smoke ball? People have been shooting off fireworks here for weeks and it will only get worse. By the 4th, it will sound like a war zone.
    So are you working all summer? No rest for the wicked...er, I mean weary...lol.

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  18. Folks here ignore the danger of our mighty river here too. Towards the middle are undertows that will drown even the strongest swimmer. Thanks for sharing about the ditch. Very interesting. Do illegals cross over the Rio Grande by you? Janice

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  19. I noticed my grandkids shout for joy a lot, and always talk loudly and rapidly while playing in the yard outside. Right now the main noise is a rufous sided towhee repeating one note over and over, and a gaggle of guinea fowl that visit us a lot. They are all fun noises! Stay cool!

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  20. I'm not sure how I missed this, but I was astounded that children are never as affected by the heat as adults are. I am also amazed that all Cracker Barrel establishments look the same, at least on their porches.

    I had no idea the water in that tiny creek were so incredibly dangerous. So glad you shared the video.
    Again, sorry I'm so late visiting. My fault entirely.

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