Saturday Meanderings

Happy 1st weekend in June! In just the last few days, summer has officially arrived in Phoenix. Triple-digit temperatures are here and forecasted for the coming week. Even though we know it’s inevitable every year, the high heat always seems to catch us a bit by surprise. Needless to say, our plans to escape to the cooler mountains of Arizona have shifted into high gear. As always, welcome to Saturday Meanderings. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, pull up a chair and join me as we catch up on the happenings around Bella Terra.

Treasures from the Archives

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been writing this blog for nearly 10 years. That adds up to more than 800 published posts! In the beginning, I shared new content three times a week, but over the years I’ve settled into a weekly Saturday Meanderings routine.

As I was thinking about all those years of recipes, home projects, entertaining ideas, travel stories, and life happenings, it occurred to me that there are probably quite a few hidden gems tucked away in the archives that are worth revisiting. This summer my goal is to occasionally share some of those favorite posts with you during the week.

Whether you’re a longtime reader or relatively new to Bella Terra, I hope you’ll enjoy these walks down memory lane and the chance to stay in touch an extra day each week.

A Hen in Distress

Twice a day, I venture out to the hen house to feed the girls, collect eggs and make sure all 14 hens and our one duck are happy and healthy. On our first truly hot day of the season, I discovered one of our brown-egg layers lying on her back, looking quite dead. When I picked her up, she moved ever so slightly, and I sprang into action. I had no idea how long she had been in that condition, but I suspect the heat or some internal issue may have played a role.

Giving her a cool bath allowed me the opportunity to examine her more closely to see if I could determine what was wrong. After, I brought her into the air conditioned kitchen and settled her into a box. To be honest, I wasn’t very hopeful. Chickens can be ruthless creatures, and once they sense weakness, the pecking begins. This poor gal was missing feathers, had irritated skin, and appeared extremely stressed.

I kept her comfortable and went to bed believing there was a 99% chance she wouldn’t make it through the night. Imagine my surprise when I found her still alive the next morning! For now, she’s keeping me company in her box in the kitchen. While she’s certainly not out of the woods yet, she seems a bit perkier. She’s drinking a bit of water-which is a very good sign-and she’s even keeping one eye open (the other remains shut) to supervise my activities. I am cautiously optimistic and keeping my fingers crossed that she makes a full recovery.

The Curious Lady Slipper Plant

One of my favorite plants at Bella Terra is currently putting on its annual show. The Lady Slipper plant (Pedilanthus macrocarpas) is in bloom and every year I find myself stopping to admire its wonderfully odd appearance.

Native to the Baja Peninsula, this highly drought-tolerant succulent looks unlike almost anything else in the yard. Instead of leaves, it consists of clusters of upright, pencil-like green stems that rise from the ground in a sculptural display. Its leafless form gives it a primitive, almost prehistoric appearance, as if it might have existed alongside the dinosaurs.

Just when you think the plant couldn’t get any stranger, summer arrives and the stems become adorned with vibrant red-orange flowers. The blooms resemble tiny slippers dangling from the stems, giving the plant its common name.

We have a large specimen near our front entry, and it never fails to attract attention. Visitors often ask about it because it looks so unusual compared to the surrounding landscape. While it may not be considered traditionally beautiful, there is something incredibly appealing about a plant that is so distinctive and unexpected.

In a yard filled with flowering shrubs and leafy greenery, the Lady Slipper plant stands out simply by being different-and sometimes that’s exactly what makes a plant memorable.

When the Well Runs Dry

One of the best investments we made at Bella Terra happened nearly twenty-five years ago when we brought the property’s original well back to life. The well had been abandoned and non-functioning for decades. So rather than simply repairing it, we essentially installed a new well system while preserving the property’s historic connection to its water source.

Since then, the well has faithfully supplied the water needed to irrigate our two acres, allowing us to maintain the gardens, orchard, and mature trees while keeping our water bill remarkably low. We also have access to flood irrigation from the water laterals in front of our property~a watering system developed by the Hohokam people centuries ago.

Of course, it seems that every well has a sense of timing~and ours has chosen to quit during a very hot week. A crew is currently working to diagnose and repair the problem, but in the meantime, our irrigation system has been switched over to City water.

As anyone who gardens in Phoenix can appreciate, this is not the time of year to cut back on watering. While I’m grateful we have municipal water as a backup, I confess that I cringe a little each time I think about what next month’s water bill might be.

For now, we’re crossing our fingers that the repair is a simple one and that our trusty well will soon be back in service. Until then, every sprinkler cycle feels a bit like watching dollar bills spray across the lawn.

If you would like to learn more about the renovation of our well tower, click here.

An Unexpected Visit from the Ravens

We had a rather unusual experience at Bella Terra this week. Two large ravens appeared over the property and began circling overhead while making an incredible amount of noise. The loud commotion continued for several minutes and was impossible to ignore.

Curious about what I was hearing, I opened my Merlin bird app and was able to record and confirm that the birds were indeed common ravens. The encounter was so striking that I did some research. Throughout history, ravens have carried significant symbolism in cultures around the world. Spiritually, they are often associated with wisdom, guidance, transformation, and messages from the unseen. Maybe it was my late Dad trying to guide me with whatever project I was working on at the time! Nonetheless, their noisy flyover certainly caught my attention and left me wondering if there was a message hidden somewhere in all that racket.

Have you ever had an unusual encounter with a raven? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Mary’s Must Haves

I know I have shared this before, but this tool is such a great one to have. This compact vacuum sealer is designed for convenient, everyday use with a powerful yet portable build. It features a rechargeable battery and supports USB charging, allowing you to use it easily without bulky equipment.

With a size of 8” x 1.8” (20.5cm x 4.7cm) and a weight of just 8.3 oz (237g), the device is lightweight, easy to handle, and simple to store in any kitchen space. We use it to seal everything from my sourdough bread slices to bags of garlic to freshly caught fish. So great for preserving the quality of the food you love. Now 27% off at Amazon, you get the vacuum sealer and 30 reusable bags for $79.99 here.

What is up with the flies lately? I remember my older brother telling me that every time a fly lands on you, it poops. Seriously. I really do not like flies. Recently, we thought it was a good idea to put up those smelly fly collector bags around the property. I swear, they made our fly problem worse. We must have attracted every fly in a 5 mile radius. Finally, we threw them all away and the flies disappeared. However, these pesky rascals do like our outdoor dining, so you need several of these fly fan deterrents. They work really well and kids love them! You can get these battery operated devices in a 4 pack on Amazon here for $32.99.

Another must for outdoor dining are these outdoor food covers! A steal at $9.99 (29% off) for a large size set of 6 covers. These mesh covers will protect your food from bugs and debris. They collapse for storage and they have a 4.5 rating with over 9,000 reviews.

Do you take turmeric? There are so many benefits to this rhizome (often referred to as a root vegetable). It’s active compound, curcumin, actively neutralizes free radicals and mitigates inflammation. Studies show it can be effective at reducing joint pain and improving physical function in knees. 

Tumeric may help boost the brain’s levels of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which plays a key role in memory, learning, and delaying age-related cognitive decline. Clinical research suggests curcumin aids in regulating blood sugar, insulin resistance, and cholesterol levels. 
It also helps manage exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness for active individuals.

Of course make sure you check with your physician before you take any supplement, but I take this daily. For me, instead of Advil or Tylenol, it helps alleviate a headache or other pain. For $28.99 you get 105 capsules per bottle. You can find it on Amazon here.

Most of this week I’ve been working on the Fantasy Table dinner theme. I am so excited to share it with you, but it won’t be until after the event on June 18th. But stay tuned, because I know you are going to LOVE it! It’s been such fun to put together.

And with that, another week at Bella Terra comes to a close. As the summer heat settles in, I hope you find time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the season—whether it’s an early morning walk, a gathering with friends, a project in the garden, or simply a quiet moment with a good book and a cool drink.

Stay cool, stay safe and I’ll see you again next Saturday!