Hello from Bella, the newest addition to Casa Westerling!  Bella is three months old and she and her brothers and mom were picked up twice as strays.  Mama has a new home now, as does Bella and we hope that her two brothers find one soon as well.  As adorable as they are, I don't think it'll be a problem.

Bella's mom looks like a poodle/terrier mix, and we're not sure yet what her dad was.

One thing we do know is that Bella is a little angel!  She sleeps a  lot, potties outside, and when we went to bed last night, she curled right up and slept all night until I woke her up this morning for potty break.  Luna could learn a thing or two :)  She has the longest legs I've ever seen and is learning to climb.

​Here is Bella's mom:

And here is Bella on her first day with her new brother and sister:

There are some moon shots that just take my breath away.  Last night was one of those nights.  The Aquarius moon kept hiding behind wispy clouds, making for a great photo app.  At times, it looked like it was floating on a bed of clouds.

We had a visit this morning from Roofus, our resident roadrunner.  After first flying into our picture window to let us know that he was here, he decided to sit on the wall and pose for me.

Sorry for all the pictures, but I could hear him say, "no, get my good side!"  Just another day in the Land of Enchantment.

Monday was Lydia's Birthday, and we celebrated yesterday with lunch at the Range Cafe and coffee, cake and gifts at Monika's house.

Lydia loves flamingo. so her Birthday was a flamingo-themed party.  The flamingo cake was beautiful, but what was even more special was the watermelon tower cake that Monika made, encircled by strawberries.  It was creative, beautiful and so refreshingly tasty!

​I truly love how our group celebrates each and every Birthday!

One of the best rewards of moving to ABQ has been the friends we've made.  I never thought I'd move to NM to get my German on, but there it is.  Every week, I'm surrounded by laughter, and german phrases that I hadn't heard in years.  It's truly wonderful.

Lydia has fast become a close friend, sharing many common interests and a sense of adventure.  She gifted me a beautiful print last week that I love.  I'm truly blessed.

The ongoing list of projects doesn't seem to end, although I'm not complaining.  I'm loving the changes we're making!

My first attempt at distress painting, on my frame, was a success.

We had a small side table under this picture that had seen better days.  So, I decided to sand it, paint it white and then distress it, using the same color as this frame.  I think it turned out pretty nice!  Luna seemed to think so as she checked it out.

Dave has gotten into the repurposing spirit as well.  I brought the coffee table back out into the living room and it looked a little bland.  He remembered the stack of tiles that Susan and Peter had left us, so he went to work, customizing the table top.  The grout is drying and all that's left to do is seal it.  He did a great job!

We're still working outside, moving some rocks around and making room for pea gravel to make it easier for Chacho to get around.

After that, I have several pictures to hang, and some changes coming up in the guest room.

Thursday is our housewarming party/BBQ and that deadline has helped motivate us to get projects done.

This past Saturday, we finally got a taste of New Mexico's monsoon season, with torrential rains for an hour and immediate drying afterwards.

We even had a little bit of hail.

After a slow start, the rain clouds burst open and delivered a thorough soaking.

It didn't take long for the rain to puddle and accumulate.

Within a couple of hours, all the standing water had been soaked up and it was difficult to imagine how much water had accumulated.  It was a sight to see!

One of the things that I love doing here is going to vintage and thrift shops and finding old furniture that I can repurpose.

I recently bought an old dresser and nightstand that I wanted to distress with milk paint, for the guest room.  After a few challenges with the drawer pulls, I got them done today and put in the guest room.  They're not perfect, but I'm learning as I go.

​Before:

During the process:

And, the finished project:

And here is the little reading nook:

Roofus the Roadrunner stopped by last night to say hello, and did so again this morning.  But this time, he brought a friend/mate with him.  They spent quite a bit of time in the front yard, posing for us.  Sorry for all the pictures, but they insisted.

P.S. Roofus' name has been changed.  They're now Ozzie and Harriet.

In New Mexico, monsoon season is July and August.  This is a time of changing winds, afternoon thunderstorms and wondrous lightning shows.

Since we've been here, monsoon season, other than winds, has been pretty much a bust.  Rain has been non existent, and although we've seen the storms and sheets of rain fall further north, we've not seen a drop.  Until last week.

I've already learned to measure my rainfall in minutes, rather than inches.  Coming from East Tennessee, this has been a bit of a culture shock, but I have to admit that I love the constant sun.

Anyhoo, last week, we had rain twice.  The first time, it lasted over an hour, and two days later we had rain for about fifteen minutes.  It may not seem like much, but we'll take it.  Our water bill will thank us.

​The first storm:

The second storm:
​

Of course, the sunset was even more spectacular after the storm: