in which our plucky heroine wakes up early...
... since apparently the fence near the bedroom window is now a favored spot for a hungry young crow alarm clock. There were other birds to be seen in the yard as well, once I was dressed and out and about: a pair of hummingbirds darted away from the hardy fuschia when I opened the front door, and the drumming high on the electric pole was probably a downy woodpecker (identification assist by pal Karen, as well as time spent looking up bird sites online - downy woodpeckers are more common in neighborhoods, hairy woodpeckers more common in woodlands)
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~ rainbow snake bench ~
For the most part, Tri-Met has removed much of the former seating and shelter infrastructure from bus stops over the last howevermany years. I was delighted to find this privately created bench at one of the local stops. Neatly placed in a sometimes shady niche between two shrubs, and with enough visiblity to be able to see the bus coming, it brightened my day.
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The new roof was completed in one long day on Thursday, and the project manager came by on Friday to do a final walk through and collect the balance due on the job. He brought a hardcopy folder with all the relevant paperwork, and a folder with the various colors of shingles, as I had asked for an actual sample to help when choosing future paint colors (I'll put the chosen "Silverwood" sample in the housey files, but not save all the rest) I had him check in the attic as well, to make sure that there was no damage to the heat pump ducts, and that the solar vent fan was working. Indeed, apparently the attic temperature was noticeably lower than the previous week, so the new fan and vents are working as intended!
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Ann Wood, of the"Tiny Rag Doll" pattern, and "Miss Thistle Society" has shared
a charming new tutorial for a miniature wheelbarrow! I think my tinyfolk
and their Mud Bay pals may both need this addition to their abode and environs. (Now to find a local source for ditalini pasta...)
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Yesterday was dedicated to an attempted adventure, which saw our plucky heroine visiting not one but two libraries. First was a trip to Midland, near the late lamented Fabric Depot. The surrounding area seems to be further deteriorated than when I was last there years ago, but Midland Library has been impressively and pleasingly remodeled. More artwork inside and out, a much more welcoming entrance with book display space being what you see first, the information kiosk off to one side rather that seeming like a barrier... I was there to meet up with local SCA scribal folks who were having a paint charters activity all day in one of the newly remodeled meeting rooms.
I was already rather hungry (having forgotten to eat breakfast) so I picked up a few charters to take home with me and headed out towards my next destination. Unfortunately, the Burgerville formerly across the street from the bus stop was gone. Two more legs of the transit journey and I was only a few blocks from the Albina Library, which was having a weekend long reopening celebration. Fortunately, there was a Vietnamese cafe on the corner, and a bahn mi sandwich made for an excellent brunch option.
The newly remodeled library was quite crowded with folks and families, and there were all sorts of activities in the various meeting rooms, the central open air courtyard, and even a photo opportunity in the central hallway. It was rather a bit much for my reclusive self, but I did want to attend the program on 3D printing in one of the meeting rooms, so I did my best to endure. The space itself is full of light and art, and would surely be a treat to explore
if when not quite as crowded.
I was most impressed by how the designers integrated the gender-neutral barrier-free bathroom zone. A hallway open on each end with one side of the hallway having individual room cubicles with solid floor to ceiling doors, the accessible one with the same kind of pushbutton opening as outside doors have. The hand washing station was on the opposite wall with one long sink with three sets of soap, water, and air dry automatic spigots. Maybe a funny thing to have noticed, but careful universal access is rare.
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Defrosting the chest freezer is a time consuming though not difficult job, ideally done once a year. That doesn't always happen. But, since my good neighbors lent me their large cooler to keep drinks cold for the roofing crew and said I could borrow it all weekend, it seems a propitious time to tackle the task. It took over an hour to transfer the contents into temporary storage, both of my (smaller) coolers,the larger borrowed one, and two styrofoam boxes. A fan running facing into the disconnected chest freezer will help loosen the ice layer around the upper half; it forms from the moisture that enters when the lid is lifted, the lower half of the freezer box remains clear. This is also the ideal time to pull the entire thing away from the wall, vacuum and mop the floor behind and around where it usually is located.
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July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Raven scroll | 6 prs Beth pants | recycle bin |
| 2 | black floral scarf | prune² Wanda plum | greenwaste bin |
| 3 | 4 jars strawberry-
rhubarb preserves | mulch peartrees | greenwaste bin |
| 4 | sunblock mitts | Eames top | greenwaste bin |
| 5 | catch tarp for porch | filter box legs | recycle bin |
| 6 | x | new house roof | x |
| 7 | x | defrost chest freezer | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
- library taxes making a difference
- large cooler borrowed from neighbors
- a pleasantly grey day
- rereading SuperSupportive is being just as good as the first time
Time of Isolation - Day 1826
