Loose Ends

When I get depressed as I have been (see prior post) I tend to focus on chores and all those bits and pieces of life that I have put off.  I make lists and do stuff and then check each off as it is completed or removed, and I illude delude myself into thinking I am accomplishing so much before mortality intrudes.  I am like some smell driven animal as I explore all the corners of my life that are still buried under months of activity.

I made a few donations that I had been putting off. It gave me the illusion that I might be doing something right in this awfully wrong twisting world. One of my charities sent me an annual report...much better than a stupid calendar! I have a dozen of those 12 months graphics for next year already and I am of the age that I try not to look that far ahead! 

Some of the items on the list are first-world luxuries, such as checking the weather for the Month of October in China...so that I can see if need to make a shopping trip for additions to the wardrobe.  

Others are a bit more tedious such as sorting and working on the four photos for our Master Gardener's Facebook page update, and re-scheduling volunteers for our final month of working with the art camp kids.

I will get the two grand-boys at the end of next week for about 4 days as a surprise change in schedule.  But hubby is already scheduling them for an overnight fishing trip, so not sure if I will squeeze in any passive time with them.

I splurged on two original works of art that I have wanted to have framed for years.  One is something my eldest grandson did while he was in grade school and I stole it from his mother's kitchen wall to frame as a surprise for her, and the other is something my son did when he was around thirteen or fourteen just before we had our tempest-tossed relationship. I will give it as a surprise holiday gift.  They both have a lot of emotion attached and would only be framed by someone who loved them.

Thanks for loyally stopping by and extra thanks if you leave a word or two.

Blessings Needed

We have returned the dog and my kids are home from their trip to Europe. Many lovely photos posted of all their adventures so I could pretend that I was with them. 
I called my daughter yesterday to see when to bring back their pet, because their weekend errands were probably too busy for them to pick up the dog, although they offered.

During the call my daughter explained she would be leaving on Sunday for a visit to an old college friend several hundred miles away. As I asked what caused this after her being away from work  for  several weeks, she started to cry and I realized the pieces of a puzzle I had seen on FB in the prior weeks. There is a precious 9-year-old angel with a smile that can stop your heart suffering from brain cancer. Options given to the stricken parents were surgery and treatments that could keep her alive for 6 months to two more years, but that was all.

I was not able to sleep at all  last night while I thought about the sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers in this family and how much shock and smothering pain they must all be in.  

Today we gathered dog beds, crate, toys and food.  We dropped the dog off and exchanged many hugs, all of us unable to put our minds and hearts around this.  

Naturally not feeling like posting much in the next few days. Also, hoping for miracles. 

A Tiny House Guest

The older you get, unless you have accumulated millions of dollars, the less important you are to the lives of others. I used to get grandchildren for a week each over the summer. It saved the parents money on camp and it gave me lots of hobbies and crafts opportunities with them. While the cooking part was a bit of a challenge, all else was exhaustingly marvelous.

Then they grew and are now on the cusp or past the cusp of crossing into teenagedom and their days are filled and super filled. The past two and a half weeks they have been exploring Scotland, Ireland, and Paris with their parents and another family. The trip comes to an end in a few days. I have seen the photos on Facebook and am amazed at how much they have crammed into this vacation.  Everything from castles in Scotland to Harry Potter to bicycling around the Louvre.  A visit with grandma is pretty dull!

I was not exactly forgotten.  Someone needed me it seems.

He gets me up and out of the house in the mornings.  We go together to the end of the driveway and bark at deer.

They ignore him.

Since he is left in a small cage most of his days when his owners are back (except for a mid-day dog walker), he seems a bit lost having the run of the house.  Thus far his only bad habit is licking the cushions wherever he sits!

We walk him on a leash but do let him out of the house with us leash-less once in a while and he pretty much hangs out nearby.  A very easy guest.  He does disappear when I bring out the mop or vacuum cleaner, though.  Not sure what that is all about.

Starts and Stops

I was supposed to have guests this weekend, but since they are millennials, they had a job issue and had to cancel. I understand this because the one who canceled works for DHS and clearly those "bureaucrats" are busier than ever these days. They have rescheduled for the middle of September and I look forward to seeing them at that time. I have grown close to these "kids."

So I have a free few days and what I did was wash and vacuum my car. Boy did it need it! I used to have free car washes at the dealership, but that expired and I got lazy and failed to move up my game! Now hubby is doing a duck and cover because if he puts anything of a dirty nature in the trunk, he is in trouble. (He uses his truck for boat and garden stuff and my car for errands!)

My house is clean because I was expecting guests, but I did not do any cooking or baking and so food tonight is going to be one leftover frozen swordfish fillet cooked (fried with miso) and then put over a fresh salad with added mung beans and many choices of dressings. 

I have been going over my photos from Colorado and Wyoming and will do a blog post on one of the hikes because the scenery was so inspiring.  I will post this on my other blog. I will link from this blog to that when it is done.

In the meantime, I am reading "The Blood Archive" which is a fiction about the Romanovs...sort of. It is written unevenly, the primary woman is hard to like, and the author throws in ghostly stuff with modern action and history. I am a third of the way through it and not sure that I like it!  But I will give it a shot.

Days already are starting to be shorter and highs are dropping below the 90s, so I am feeling better about that.  My late phlox are still in bloom and there are tons of butterflies still visiting the garden.

(Food for birds?)

Dancing with Relatives

Nothing can test a marriage more than spending days in hotel rooms with a sibling and an in-law. We survived, but the biggest dance was around being old and set in our ways. For instance, the sib and his wife refused to drink the hotel room coffee. They walked the six blocks each morning to Starbucks for a more gourmet version of the morning pick-me-up. I purchased some Starbucks instant foil packets (they are pretty good) and enjoyed coffee in my bed! Hubby does not drink coffee.

My brother is a conservative and I have no idea if he voted for the current mental case in the White House, but we did avoid politics.  His wife is from Denmark and very much a liberal and socialist as her country reflects that...even though they have a monarchy.  I was surprised that he watched CNN in the morning, but maybe he did that for us.  (CNN has become too much one-note these days for me.)

We both love the outdoors and seem to be on an even pace with how much physical activity we both wanted.  My brother is a silent Sam and we really never know what he wanted.  That is one reason their marriage ( a first for him and a second for her) works.

The money dance is always the most important.  They are conservative in spending, although Sis-in-law was the one who sprung for the expensive pedicure in Jackson Hole.  They own multiple rental properties as well as two homes and do not have to budget tightly.  We have far less money than they do, but I am always ready for a fancy restaurant splurge at least one night!  (My sister and I were wondering how my brother's wife talked him into the China trip...which is costing a lot.)  He does not like making small talk in the evenings, so we must protect him from that and encourage him to head for bed early on this trip!

I am ever thankful to my sis-in-law for giving up a precious week this summer to go around with us because her second son's wedding is less than a month away.  Her son lives in D.C., but the couple is invading her mountain Colorado plateau for a wedding of about 100 guests.  Sis-in-law will be hosting a family from Denmark and her ex-husband during the three days.  The rest will stay at a hotel and the ceremony will be in a tent with terrific views at a nearby resort.

Sis-in-law was in the process of remodeling the main bathroom and adding a back deck during the week we arrived!!  Mother's go crazy for their kids.

Although we know the son and have hosted him and one of his earlier girlfriends at our home, we are not invited.  I am not mad about it, but I do think it is weird as my family members that live in Colorado are invited.

Families are complicated, are they not?  I have learned it is best to be like the duck in the rain and let it roll off.

Next post about searching for ashes.

Big Sky Country

Back in 1962 Montana set out a tourism promotion and called the state "Big Sky Country". Miles of flat land and nothing but the distant horizon and vast open sky is the daily view. Well, Wyoming can also call itself a big sky country...if not officially.  Songs, books, and resorts have been named after the big sky. While Grand Tetons present a firm anchor with their pointed and craggy peaks to contrast with the soft and succulent sky, there is still a whole lot of blue canopy that covers your head.  

The morning air was cool and great to inhale.  The afternoon air was dry but fresh.  By late afternoon clouds would begin to form. (If I lived there I would open up a chapstick booth as that is the what is used in vast commodities as people fling back their heads and gazed open-mouthed at the heavens.)  

There are people who feel vulnerable and naked if standing in the middle of a meadow with a vast expanse of the earth all around them.  They feel safer in the shadows of a highrise in a city somewhere.  I, on the other hand, feel as if I can breathe once again.  As if my life has opened to a natural rhythm and freedom.  As if I am in an invisible embrace of the earth.

And while I was exhausted at 9:00 P.M. when the sunsets began, I did get a few sunset photos on a late moose hunt

North to Colorado

I am supposed to be exercising and here I sit blogging. Hubby is off at a booth in the museum talking about bugs(insects), but after two loads of laundry, washing dishes, finishing my bill paying, I passed to peruse my photos.

We met up with the brother and his wife and went to the mountains of Colorado to their home for a few days before heading out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a week of fly fishing (just the guys) and hiking (guys and gals). There was good food, a bit of shopping and even a pedicure that we managed to squeeze into the days. Then we headed south to Berthoud, Colorado for dinner with my youngest brother and his wife and then on to Denver where we stayed for a few days with my sister and her husband. Still digesting all the emotion and activity and may get around to posting photos when I have actually come back to earth. The trip to find where we scattered my parents' ashes is a full story in itself. 

The weather in the mountains of Colorado was rich in green.  They had rain and this made for unusual plant color in late July.  Weather was hot and dry, and just as hard to endure as our humid heat because it was up closer to the sun!

Below are some photos I took while we walked around my brother's mountain house.  

This green is the back "lawn."  Gorgeous!

This above was taken at a nearby resort ranch.

Great place for weddings.

Flowers were abundant due to the rains.

This was my view on an early morning walk before the others got up.  The mist formed over the waters each morning.  I did not run into elk, moose or wolves...but they lived here.  I saw an early morning Bald Eagle fly over the yard as well as a Blue Heron, western Blue Birds, sparrows, and hummingbirds. Even got a few photos.

Bits and Bobs in No Order

Bob 1:  Currently getting ready for a two-week trip to Colorado and Wyoming. Hubby bid on a fly fishing day at a charitable auction and "won." My family lives in Colorado, so we will be spending some good family time.

Bit 1:  Was that not the best Women's World Cup series ever?  Even the losing teams played really well and 5 foot 11 inches Sara van Veenendaal was marvelous.  

Bob 2:  Taking my second all-day meadow field trip tomorrow.  So looking forward to the heat, humidity, and ticks.  Photos to follow in the distant future.

Bit 2:  Binge watching he seven seasons of The Closer while paying bills and folding laundry.  Had forgotten how much I enjoyed it years ago.

Bob 3:  Still working on learning my camera.  It is a challenge, but I keep telling myself that I am supposed to be encouraging challenges at my age.  (Newer photos on my other Blog.)

Bit 3:  I have lost most of my parsley and since we seem to have kept the rabbit outside the fence, thus, this has to be an opossum?  Did you know that its ancestors go back 65 million years?

Bob 4:  Upon our return from big sky country, we have two days of company, and after that, we have a dog visiting for two weeks.

Bit 4:  Hubby is in fine health once again!  We both hope we can endure the higher altitudes while trying to keep up with my slightly younger brother who is a runner and his wife who is a water aerobics instructor!

Wishing you balance in your life as the summer moves upon us like a wet blanket.

Do You Think It is Old Age?

Hubby got a funny little cough about 12 days ago. It was infrequent and dry, but unusual for him. We had spent days in the week prior with the public interacting at a Master Gardener's booth ...

... and then the week before that we were with the Grands canoeing and spelunking and "cabining" in the Shenandoah valley. 

We even squeezed in one small hike.  No one was sick on the trip and some of us had lots more energy than others at the end of the day. 

Anyway, his cough did morph into a cold which put him in bed for 6 days. A mild fever on one of the days came and went pretty fast. He started to get up and about this past weekend, cough still hits him once or twice a day and he is slowly building up his stamina. I think as we age, if we spend days in bed, we weaken dramatically.

Actually, I was going to write something about aging and illnesses and after I looked at all the pictures above, I think we did darn good!  Getting ready for some hiking in Colorado next!  (I really have to pace myself...don't let the photos above fool you.)

Some Eye Candy

Getting camera peripherals organized...ha ha.

I had my small point and shoot Canon at the recent mud-bath event - another time another story - and an elderly gentleman (probably my age) came up with his Canon DSLR model and looked at me and asked what I was shooting with and we discussed briefly photography and cameras. He admitted, and I have NEVER had a man photographer admit this to me, that he usually shoots in Auto mode with his big fancy camera! I explained that with my point and shoot I do not have to worry about too many settings, but my Canon DSLR is usually in Aperture mode. I have gotten comfortably used to that. I admit that I rarely use about 75% of the camera's marvelous settings.

Due to an upcoming trip this fall I have decided to buy a "bridge" camera which means you get the advantage of a DSLR without the weight of too many lenses.  I now have that new camera with its attached lens and it is a different brand from my Canon and absolutely a complete difficult change for an old lady like me. (If you are totally uninterested in photography you can scroll to the bottom for your reward for my sitting in the heat and humidity in the mornings and trying to figure out why this does not focus easily!  It is one of the stupid 100 settings, I know.)   

The photographers' group online recommended that I download the 400-page guide from some guru. The brand is a Sony and most of the professional photographers in the group have told me it is a devil of a camera to learn.  I downloaded some guide...not sure it is the one they recommended but am having a heck of a time getting the focus I want. For those of you who know anything about cameras and want to drool the non-removable lens is a 24mm-600mm. Takes a lot of battery power to drive this.

I have also set it to silent mode, which means if I am not careful, and I do try to be careful, and shooting in sports mode and failing to turn it back I get 25 shots of the same thing! When you do not hear the clicking noise, it is both a pro and a con.

It does weight slightly less than my Canon and they say it is super weather sealed.  Anyway, I have a steep learning curve ahead before my October trip and already my computer is getting too full of images.  Now the next step is to buy more memory?  I deleted almost 1,000 digital images today and I stopped shooting in RAW/JPEG and just shoot in RAW.  

OK, now for the reward of some eye candy;  my yard is brimming with butterflies!

 

Chasing Our Tails or the Human Tinkering Issue

I wrote recently about a "meadow" trip that I took. Meadows are now the new thing to promote among environmentalists. 

First, what is a meadow? According to Merriam-Webster, the word's origins are: "Middle English medwe, medowe "grassland kept for hay, pasture field," going back to Old English mǣdwe, ... going back to West Germanic *mēdwō- (whence also Old Frisian mēde "pasture, meadow," Middle Dutch māde, mēde), "": most simply a flat land covered in grass.  Some definitions include hay or alfalfa, but I am talking about fallow or unused lands.

Let us use a definition by some Sierra Nevada scientists (my favorite group of people):    

A meadow is an ecosystem type composed of one or more plant communities dominated by herbaceous species.
It supports plants that use surface water and/or shallow ground water (generally at depths of less than one meter).
Woody vegetation, like trees or shrubs, may occur and be dense but not dominant.

Yes, a meadow can be for animals to graze or it can be fallow and maybe mowed once or twice a year to keep down fire threats to nearby communities or private lands.  A meadow can also be a wetland community edging other bodies of water.

We have lost many wild meadows because of our changes to this land.

A more bucolic image comes to mind for most of us with flowers and flying insects allowing romantic long walks with vast views.  

But let me tell you about the reality of  "managed meadows" first and then we can discuss the issues later. 

Why? Why does mankind want to restore meadows to certain areas? If you asked my husband he would say it is for the quail. He misses the song of the quail. Not good enough? Well, meadows can store rainfall and release it over time to other areas, protecting against erosion.  Meadows maintain groundwater storage which is a precious resource that is disappearing in many areas.  Meadows are sponges that filter out pollutants as well.  Meadows are also homes for rich biological diversity including many endangered insect and plant species.  

We toured this meadow in early spring before its beauty could surprise us.

It involved about 80 acres that are managed by a consortium of government and college agencies.  It is a study that has been conducted over a number of years.  It seems to involve a lot of work.

Routine plowing of the soil to disturb some plants and to provide habitat for ground birds and to break up dense clumps of grasses that small birds cannot walk through.

Routine burning of sections of the land in fall to minimize invasives, monoculture, etc.  We also visited the Longwood Gardens meadow below.

The above sign was at the Longwood Gardens meadow for education to the public.

Above is, perhaps, an invasive version of Helianthus (related to the sunflower) that they are letting go over a substantial area...perhaps for the beauty of watching the goldfinch in fall?

Large paths are cleared for scientists and students to work, machinery to move and visitors to walk.

Longwood created birdhouses for some of their insect eaters.

Well, that is enough for now.  Maybe next will be a post of my view of the pros and cons.