So Much to See in Shafter

Surprise!! I do own a tea cup and I actually have tea in it, and I still have Flat Susan with me. SO, we are linking up with Elizabeth of Altered Arts for T stands for Tuesday. A weekly trip around the blog block to see what everybody has in their cups, glasses or what ever they are drinking out of.  This is a spiced herbal tea, that I picked up at the store, now everybody knows I am a coffee drinker, but this sounded good.  A little bit on the sweet side for me, but I have enjoyed a couple cups of it in the evenings. 

Since last we had Tea, I was super busy getting the Playhouse loaded and all the BBQ stuff gathered to make it to Lancaster, CA for an other competition over the weekend.  More will be posted about that later this week.  But I did grab my camera on one trip into Bakersfield, so I thought I'd share some of my stomping grounds with you, and what some of the things this area is known for.  So grab a cuppa and stroll along with me.  (Actually I drove LOL)

This place is about a 1/2 mile from my house and is quite well know for supplying living caterpillars, butterflies and insects to anywhere in the world.  There is even a bug-museum inside.  It is a well visited place for school field trips, and is really fun on the inside.  I took my oldest GD (when she was the only GD we had) and we really enjoyed it.  About 12 years ago the painted the building and added LARGE wooded bugs to the outside.

For more information do a web search for Insect Lore, Shafter, CA and check it out.

This area is mainly agricultural, so what do we grow here?

Almond orchard just around the corner from Insect Lore.  Almonds were harvested last month.  They have these small, low riding machines that look like they have pinchers on them, that grab the trunk of the tree and shake the nuts off them.  Then they sweep them up with a different machine.  Between the shaking and the sweeping the dust in the air is horrible, not to mention it gets on everything inside and out!

Right now they are cutting hay, this was down at the next road.  In the background they are taking an OLD almond orchard out and chipping up the trees, I'm gonna miss that orchard as I drive into town.

Grapes are grown a lot in this valley too.  They used to dry them in the fields for raisins, but I haven't seen much of that in the recent years.  I think most of them are shipped out now.  A couple of vineries have popped up here, but I have never been of one of them. The grapes come off before the almonds are harvested.

Cotton is an other BIG crop here too.  This has been defoliated and is almost ready to pick.  They spray a defoliant on them to turn kill the leaves and plants before they run the pickers to harvest.



Pistachios...MMMMMMM.  They are about the last thing harvested.  These trees still have nuts on them, they are those brown looking clusters hanging down.

And then there are these all over the place.  They used to paint then to look like bugs, but not so much anymore.  They have started putting in some new style ones, but I didn't get a picture of one of them.

Tea in America?

Here is Flat Susan giving water color painting a try, if you came by for my last post it is the same picture from the adventures of FS.  You can see it HERE if interested.
Over the weekend we were in Temecula for an RV trip, which was also posted yesterday.  Since I am an early riser I always take some crafty thing to work on while all is still quiet.  This trip I cut some water color paper into ATC size, post card size, and card front size.  With a permanent marker sketched different things, very loosely, then painted them with water color paint.
Here are some ATCs I did for today.

 

TEA CUPS!  Different stages and different designs, all hand sketched and hand painted. There are still a few touch ups to be done and some lettering, or stamping.   As I said above they are all loosely sketched and NOT perfect, but VERY fun to make.
I got the idea from a Strathmore video.  It is one of the on-line classes, for cards. You have to sign up for (cost nothing)  then you can view all the videos.  They will stay until December 31, so there is still time to see them. I enjoyed Joanne Sharpe’s the most.  I did do some post cards and card front, but will save those for a different post.

Fall - in America

My guest for the past week has been Flat Susan, world traveler.  She arrived last Monday afternoon after a very long postage trip.
She was frightfully hungry, so I made us some fried eggs on toast, which she devoured her share, but did complain about having it with coffee.  LOL Flat Susan is a tea drinker!

Wednesday was the last photography class and FS wanted to tag along, here she is sitting on the edge of my camera case, ready to jump in.

Unfortunately, we had weather that day, very strange for us at this time of the year.  We drove up to the college in blowing dust, then it rained, then the dust blew again.  So I figured it was safer if FS didn't come out of the camera case.

Thursday I told FS to pack her bag we were going to head for Temecula first thing Friday morning.  She was very inquisitive about the trip, so I printed off a map so she could take a look, then it was get the Playhouse ready for the trip.  Temecula is about 3 hours south of where we live and is becoming well known for it's wineries. (although I didn't get a chance to check them out)

 We stayed at an RV park across the street from the Pechanga Casino, with a group of people that all own Heartland built RV trailers.  Beautiful park and very clean.  This property belongs to the casino and the casino belongs to the Pechanga Indians.

Saturday morning we took a walk and FS posed  at photo at the main gate.

Early in the morning we had a chance to be creative.  Here FS is giving water color painting a try.  She found the brush to be a wee bit too long.

Sunday we met up with our youngest son and his family at a HUGE pumpkin patch just out side of Escondido. 


 Danica and FS were from one pumpkin to the next in a blink of an eye.  You can't see FS cause she is trying to help Danica pick up that pumpkin....LOL


 This is a field of nothing but very large pumpkins

The liquid amber trees are starting to turn colors here in the mountains.
After the pumpkin patch it was back to the Playhouse and the trip home.  FS was exhausted and slept the whole way home. 
Next Friday we will be off to Lancaster for a BBQ competition so we are going to have a very busy week restocking the Playhouse and getting things ready to go.  FS isn't quite sure if she likes BBQ or not, guess we will be finding out.

Flat Susan Arrives in America

My guest arrived today, she is perched on the pumpkin, and her name is Flat Susan, and she is a special traveler. Our friend Neet is the one that created FS and got her started on her travels.  Click on the "I'm Following Flat Susan" on my side bar to see some of the places FS had been and some of the antics that have happened.  Her little suit case and pass port are also pictured and the beautiful pink tag came from the last hostess of FS Annie .

So what else has been happening since our last cuppa together?  Not much really, I had to get some pictures taken for my class this Wednesday afternoon.  It will be the last photography class for this session.  Adobe Photo Shop is the next suggested class, but it is full, so I will have to wait until February.......:-(  Not much around my yard to take pictures of so I tagged along with my cuz out to the stables, where they keep their horse.
If interested there are pictures below, if not then I'll see you all next week.
Inky Hugs Krisha