JM Perez

501 posts

Poet, Writer and Published Author. Insatiably passionate about gardening, Health and Wellness. I enjoy collecting Vintage and Antique choice pieces.

Mosquitoes Animals Ground Squirrel Insects

Strong Winds Today

By JM PerezApril 9, 20192 min read958 views

Santa Ana winds are back with a vengeance with gusts as high as 25 mph (and could occasionally gust over 40 mph). Loose dirt and debris are flying out in all directions and not too long a large branch fell from a neighbor’s Elm Tree. The air quality is currently very unhealthy. As for my allergies, I can only pray they do not flare-up. I am hoping we do not have power outages.

It’s been so long, so much that I can’t remember the last time I saw mosquitoes until yesterday. They seem to have made a comeback. I don’t know what attracts them to my yard as I do not have standing water nor have I seen a single breeding ground. The thought of not being able to work out in the yard was so unbearable and my kids can’t stand them; so I sprayed Ortho Home Defense Backyard Mosquito and Bug around the house and they are now all gone. I am also in the process of treating the yard with Mosquito Barrier.

There are strange mushroom popping here and there and I read somewhere that mosquitoes are attracted to their smell. I will look around and get rid of every single one of them.

For the past months, we failed to capture a ground squirrel that burrowed under the garage foundation. We were helpless in front of the potential structural damages and spent money on products which didn’t work (Tomcat® Ready-to-Spray Mole and Gopher Repellent, AMDRO Gopher Gasser, Sweeney’s Poison Peanuts Bait, Squirrel Cage Trap, etc.)

This particular squirrel would spend its nights on our property and spend its days on the property across from ours. We bought AMDRO Mole & Gopher Tunnel Trap and had no success for the first two days as the squirrel just created an opening next to the device. On the third day, which was Sunday, it worked. It was such a nuisance. Good riddance. What a relief!

Now, if we could only capture the gopher which has been destroying the younger trees, everything will be awesome.

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Gift Ideas Simple Pleasures Health and Wellness Family

Refreshing Floral Scents

By JM PerezMarch 30, 20192 min read1.5K views

Today we took a trip to Bed Bath and Body Works, where we stock up on our favorite body cream. With their buy 3 get 2 free, we couldn’t resist.

I have been using Juniper Breeze body cream for the last 15 years after trying a sample from a Hotel in San Jose, CA where we stayed for a business trip. The scent from this Juniper Breeze is slightly different from the original, but still a classic. Amber and Argan body cream now discontinued, is another one of my favorite (the scent doesn’t disappoint).
From the moment he tried on Bourbon body cream last year, my son loved it and so does my husband. It’s not too overpowering and smells amazing. My daughter loves the pleasant floral scent of Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Cream. Everyone is happy.

My daughter fell in love with the Angel Food Cupcake Refill scent and Cherry Blossom Wallflower Fragrance Plug. I am glad she is figuring out things for herself and making her own choices. She still asks for advice.

*Cherry Blossom Wallflower Fragrance Plug and Angel Food Cupcake Refill.*

My all time favorite scent is the Yankee Candle® simply home™ Bamboo Electric Home Fragrancer Refill. It’s unfortunate that it has been discontinued. I still have a few left from my last purchase. I really hope these products will be back in stock soon. Midsummer’s Night by Yankee Candle® simply home™ is another scent I have come to like.

*Yankee Candle Simply Home Bamboo Scent.*

I love the scent of the new Lysol Disinfectant Spray – Cherry Blossom & Pomegranate. I liked it so much that I ordered a dozen and given that it’s the season for allergies, it’s always good to have these available. It does the job and smells wonderful too.

*Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Cherry Blossom & Pomegranate Scent.*

It’s a beautiful day, so I might as well get out and smell the roses in my garden.

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Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Busy in the Backyard

By JM PerezMarch 24, 20192 min read688 views

Spring break was wonderful. I slept a lot, ate a lot, and gardened a lot, just as I wished I would. My backyard looks amazing, it really does and I love how everything turned out.
We are redesigning parts of it, but as of now, we are working around the gazebo. I have been training a different set of climbing roses to make their way up the second set of garden arches by the side gate.

On Friday we saw a sun dog, (a little late as it was fading away). It was bright and quite a sight.

The Spanish Lavender I thought I had lost last Fall came back strong this Spring. It did poorly in a planter, so I planted it in ground, in a well drained soil and it’s thriving. I love the pleasing scent and vibrant flowers.

The Julia Rose Itoh Peony has tripled in size since last week and the delicate leaves will soon turn green.

A lone California Poppy plant.

Today was such a wonderful day and I decided to reward myself with a simple pleasure. For dinner I had a barbecue chicken pizza, a glass of beer (I hardly drink beer, if at all. But when I do, the only one I can handle is Stella Artois). I also enjoyed a delightful read (Didn’t My Skin Used to Fit?: Living, Laughing, Loving Life After Forty!) by Martha Bolton.

*BBQ Chicken. Stella Artois. Martha Bolton.*

I feel blessed in my garden after all the work we have been putting into it these past years.

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Weeding Gratitude Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Transplanting Seedlings

By JM PerezMarch 19, 20192 min read889 views

It’s been a very busy weekend for us. We helped two neighbors get rid of weeds around their property. Although we are a little sore, it felt good and it brightened their day. We offer such physical labor once in a blue moon to neighbors who need it the most.

We were gifted a 3 year old, 8 and a half foot Elm Tree, which we transplanted on Saturday. The seed from the mother tree landed on my neighbor’s backyard, on the side of a sprinkler line and grew. We carefully dug it out and transplanted it in our backyard. We hope and pray that it survives and thrives.

*Young Elm Tree and clusters of fruits (Samaras).*

The weather has been wonderful since the beginning of the week and even though the ground is getting stiffer, it is still a good time to pull out those weeds before they start shooting their seeds (which remain viable for many years). It took me a few years of dedication and hard labor to eradicate those seeds and my yard is weed free today because I never gave those weeds a chance to sprout to begin with.

My Gaura plants as well as my Scotch and French Broom shrubs have spread their seeds all over my property. It’s insane, I could start a nursery with all the seedlings. Since it was a little gloomy in the morning, I spent over an hour digging out, transplanting and relocating the seedlings. I also transplanted a few Dwarf Cup Flower seedlings.

The Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum trees are now in full bloom. The Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry is starting to bud and flower.

*Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry Blossoms.*

I haven’t done much this Winter but read, drink tea and read some more. With the weather getting warmer, I am ready to redesign and expand parts of my backyard garden.

Happy gardening and Spring cleaning.

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Butterflies Insects Weather Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

Spring is Nearing

By JM PerezMarch 12, 20191 min read1.1K views

As Spring is nearing, bulbs are emerging out of the ground and buds are appearing on trees. The night seems to be getting a lot colder and we’ve had quite a bit of rain lately.

A lone Grape Hyacinth …

Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum trees have began flowering and leafing out.

*Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum (flowers and buds).*

Navajo Globe Willow are leafing out.

Julia Rose Itoh Peony is sprouting and looking healthy.

Butterflies and moths are out …
I found a Painted Lady Butterfly (also known as the cosmopolitan) resting on the driveway. I love its orange-brown wings with black and white spots on forewing. I didn’t get to see its undersides, which has a black, brown, and gray pattern with four tiny eyespots.