Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine makes slow if steady progress...

This morning I noticed the snowdrops blooming. If it hadn't been so damp, and very cold, I might have tried to kneel down and take their picture, but they are nonetheless a cheering sign that spring will eventually show up. The pink hellebore shows signs of eventual buds, but nothing much yet.

※※※

~ part of the cloverleaf ~
.

Yesterday I did a dry run to the county offices... the directions have you get off at a really odd bus stop literally in the middle of a cloverleaf on ramp, but there is a narrow walkway that continues to the actual sidewalk. Glad I checked it out ahead of time!

Consequently the trip to the passport acceptance office today had no surprises. I arrived about half an hour early, but since things were going smoothly, my number was called immediately. All my paperwork was in order, and the clerk even complimented me on my "tidy handwriting". If all goes well, I should get my old passport back fairly soon, and the new one following on a few weeks after that.

The photos show where the bus first leaves one off, and then once the peculiar interesection has been traversed, looking west across the street at a different part of the complicated roadway interchange heading onto the Hawthorne Bridge. Not sure what the story is about the large openwork sculpture...

※※※

Since I was out and about on transit anyway, I spent another few hours going all the way to Mill Ends, as they had some specialty waterproof fabric that I needed a half yard of for a particular experimental project. I resisted the temptation to wander about the store lest I be tempted to add more "someday" fabric to my already abundant resource shelves.

※※※

Not only did I make a fresh blue tape "pattern" for the full length narrow leg long janes, but I also found the previous iteration of the very same thing! I suppose now I needs must try each of them, to find out what works best. Fortunately I still have some cotton jersey sheets to make samples from.

※※※

I've read five books so far this month, which doesn't include books I started and decided not to read. Now that I have figured out a bit about was making reading less enjoyable, and conversely what I do like, I feel free to not finish books. Overall, I seem to prefer "character-driven" to plot-driven fiction; if I don't find the characters engaging, reading seems pointless. Hopepunk rather than grimdark, always. I retain hope for F/SF labeled "cozy" but most (though not all) of what I've perused with that label has been more like "romance + nonhumans" and I am not terribly drawn to romance novels.

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blood orange marmalade	bike headlamp	yard waste bin
2	heraldic enamel	passport photo	recycle bin
3	crayon roll	crystal necklace	recycle bin
4	xp2 undies	pattern longjanes	-
5	-	passport applied for	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I took the time yesterday to do a dry run of the bus routes to get to the county offices... made today's actual trip easier
2. snowdrops are the very first frontyard flowers to return each year...
3. The passport office clerk admired my tidy handwriting

Time of Isolation - Day 1645

looking for art

in which our plucky heroine and Nandina have a tinyworld adventure...

I've been charmed by reading about the various "Little Free (fill-in-the-blank)" things that folks are creating, in addition to the popular book exchange Little Free Libraries. Since it was not supposed to start raining until midafternoon, I decided that Nandina and I would take a few hours and go visit PDX FLAG, a Free Little Art Gallery out in the SE quadrant.

It seemed appropriate to take along one of my artist proof prints of the "F is for fun" blocks to share/exchange, and after checking the location on the PDX Sidewalk Joy map, we set out via Tri Met... The journey was fairly straightforward, requiring only one transfer and a bit of a walk, although somewhere along the way Nandina managed to lose one of her boots, which I didn't notice until we were home again! I suspect this is all part of her grand plan to have me make her some "Doc Marten" style boots instead.

While I was approaching the miniature gallery, two more folks drove up to visit it, and did their own art exchange, so it apparently is a lively sort of spot. There were a variety of different styles of wall art, all small(ish), and we picked out one to bring home, and left my little block print on the gallery shelf. I will likely visit there again from time to time, now that I know where it is, at times when I have the several hours to spare...

.
The sign below the Little Free Art Gallery says:
Anyone can
- leave art
- take art
Please leave
- people
- benches
※※※

November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 jars quince jelly	glove thumb re-knit	-
2	tiny tiger stripe dress	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. there is much whimsy in the world I have not yet experienced, and, I am doing my part to add to that whimsy, via the Advent of a Better Year swap.
2. a mostly moderate weather day, that allowed an excursion
3. another free miniature Ravelry pattern, from designer that created the little witchy hat, the 10 Min Mini Basket! My tinyfolk and I agree, one can never have too many baskets...

Time of Isolation - Day 1221

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine has a slow day...

beauty in the time of isolation:

When I was visiting my folks, and staying in a hotel, I tried to get out and walk each day it was possible. Which mostly meant an occasional walk round and round the hotel parking lots before it was time to drive over to the apartment. Behind the Other Hotel, there were these bright birch trees, growing in the ditch between the back of the hotel and the stone bluff. One day when I was walking, I found many curls of birchbark blown down to the asphalt path, though the trees themselves seemed unaffected and unharmed. I picked them up and put them aside to bring home with me, as a gifting from the trees, along with the pine cone I found in a parking lot. I plan on attempting some little woven baskets, if I can manage it...

※※※

Oooh, my new teal linen arrived. That was fast, I ordered it Tuesday, and it was on my doorstep Thursday midday! And then, today, the teal cotton jersey showed up as well. I'm going to have fun planning wardrobe projects for the coming year. The lopi yarn I ordered at the beginning of the year, intending to make a lopapesya cardigan, includes a lovely teal as one of the accent colors. The floral blouse I made last year will coordinate, as will the one I made in Trios cotton lawn.

※※※

Planning a 90th birthday card/book for my father... rather like a zine, actually, but put together with a Coptic binding for durability and ease of opening. The whole project would be easier if I had a functional printer here. I don't really want to go to the copy store. Instead, I am going to ask my family members to go old-school style and mail me their comments and words for inclusion in the book.

※※※

Quince jelly has two ingredients, fruit and sugar, just like citrus marmalade, which is its descendant. Though in the case of jelly, one strains out the actual fruit and leaves just the juice. The only other ingredient is sugar. I am tempted to try making a quince marmalade, if I can figure out how to grate the quinces.

※※※

November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	roses kerchief	leather thimble	recycle bin
2	6 jars persimmon ketchup	teal popover dress	yard waste bin
3	6 jars pickled beets	-	-
4	5 jars pear chunks	-	-
5	8 jars quince jelly	-	-
6	-	x	-
7	-	x	x
8	-	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - Podcasts - so useful as auditory companions when doing other chores that don't allow handwork. Washing dishes is much more pleasant when it is accompanied by music and interesting conversation. The most recent one I found  and enjoy is Katie Green's "The Green Bean Podcast".

there and back again, once again

in which our plucky heroine returns from a long journey...

I went to visit my Aged Parents, who live just outside of Boston. It has been several years since we last saw each other - I'd planned on a visit in the spring of 2020, and we all know how that year unfolded.

I had* to fly, since there have been no roomettes available on Amtrak between here and Chicago for months now.  Air travel has not improved since the last time I was on a plane years ago.  Also, the number of people I saw who either purposefully did not wear their masks properly, or who removed their masks to eat or drink and then just didn't bother to replace them was very disheartening.

I was gone for ten days, and am now completely exhausted. Each day was spent with my family, primarily time with mom and dad during the day, and then at the hotel with my sister each night. I was able to spend one day visiting my brother and his wife, which was a special treat and a bit of a respite from the challenge of seeing how much more frail my folks are, and doing what little they allowed us to do to help them, as well as trying to sort out various needful paperwork such as getting medical proxy forms in place and suchlike. The good part of the trip was several chances to hear stories from my parents earlier lives together, and from when they were children. My older nephews and my sisters husband flew in for a long weekend, and made video recordings of the storytelling. I enjoyed the chance to connect with the nephews a bit; I never really spent any time with while they were growing up, since we all live so far from one another.

I wish that there had somehow been time to do a few "just for fun" things on this trip. I'd have loved to drive around and look at the various places I spent so much of my growing-up years, and compare and contrast the nowadays with the memories. I'd hoped to get to the MFA with my sister-in-law, as she suggested that seeing the Fabric of a Nation exhibition. It would have been a delight to take a few hours and drive up to Lowell to the New England Quilt Museum, and see the Salley Mavor  "Bedtime Stories" exhibition. I've never seen her work in person, though I own several of her books, both the ones for children, and the ones detailing how to create wee felt folk. One of those purchased by my mom in 2010, and signed by the author, as seen in this photo from the previous Salley Mavor exhibition. But there was no time. Museums and exhibits will, with luck, continue to happen. Time with parents is more specifically finite

Aging is hard. My dad will be 90 in January, and my mom is 87. Both are more than somewhat frail, both have multiple health issues, and my mom basically can't walk any more, and seems to be affected with some form of cognition issues. The basic activities of living take longer, and use more of what limited energy they have available. My parents are refusing most assistance that would make their lives easier, as having in home caregivers did not work out well for them. They have finally  at least agreed to have a once a week housecleaner. My dad is doing all the cooking, shopping, as well as all personal care for my mom, and his love for her is palpable. This will not end well, but is their choice. Even were I to tear up stakes and move across the country, I doubt they would not accept my aid.  My heart is breaking over and over again. I am glad I made the trip, despite the difficulty, as their situation could change in the blink of an eye... 

※※※

beauty in the time of isolation:

New England in the autumn, even past the peak, still has such natural beauty

※※※

November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	roses kerchief	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	-
7	-	x	x
8	-	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - the EMT folks from 911, who have more than once been called to pick my mother up from the floor when she has fallen, and returned her either to her bed, her wheelchair, or when needed, transported her to hospital.





* I prefer to use rail travel both for philosophical/ethical reasons and for safeguarding my health by not subjecting my lymphedema to the challenge of air travel

bracketed by handcraft

in which our plucky heroine takes a short journey...

Went down to Eugene over the weekend. The grasslands on the way there were very green and velvety, more like springtime than autumn. Had a great visit with Rafny, as well as a chance to spend an evening at Oscars House. Raven gave me a Useful Tutorial on how to do Google Slides, which will help with my presentation for Collegeium on the history of enameling. On the way home to Acorn Cottage, had a good conversation about yard/garden concepts and usage, much food for thought.

※※※

Before going to Eugene I made a miniature bed as a guest gift, using Ann Wood's tutorial. It was a little complicated, but fun to do, and the results were very charming. I hope to make more of these as well as another one or two of the tiny rag dolls (since I gave Hazel and Zinnia to Kestrel) as it is most tempting to delve back into the whimsey of the small as a respite from the greater world...

※※※

My handwork project for the bus ride south was to finish the "wooly tattoo" embroidery on my autumn Log Cabin Mitts. Pretty happy with how it turned out. I've four pairs of the mitts and each are very different. I'd not tried embroidery on wool knitwear before, but the effect is most pleasing. I ended up using a lighter blue to outline the floral motifs, as my choice of colors was perhaps too subtle...

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	grey stripey dress	Kestrel gown	yard waste bin
2	carved suzani block	kitchen wall painted	bag to Goodwill
3	two triangle blocks carved	fire extinguisher up	yard waste bin
4	charter #7 painted	2nd windowshade	yard waste bin
5	clothespin bed	compost bins moved	bag to Goodwill
6	x	roses pruned	-
7	x	mended denim pinafore	-
8	x	embroidered mitts	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - the kindness of friends

slipping into the future

in which our plucky heroine notices time passing...

and while it seems like just a little while since I first met my friend and colleague Bill, it has been at least 25 years... While we shared a studio space for a while back then, we now live in different states and he has a family and a rural household, while I live in the city in a different state.

※※※

Last weekend I traveled up to Olympia for a visit, taking a middle of the day Amtrak train to Centralia. Bolt doesn't stop between Portland and Seattle. My initial reason for the trip was to make certain that the 15th c bodice I'd been working on was a good fit for Cathy. The train was more crowded than I expected for a mid week midday excursion, but made good time. C and I ate lunch at McMenamin's Olympic Club opposite the train station, said restaurant/poolhall/theater/hotel being the reason for choosing Centralia rather than Olympia as the terminus. The Olympia train station is just a building in the middle of a field.

※※※

Somehow, I had forgotten that it was Jen's birthday weekend, but since I had planned to give her the Rainbow Crow print as a gift anyway, I wasn't empty handed. On Saturday there was one of the magnificent wood fired pizza feasts, with friends of their household invited. Even tastier than the pesto with three kinds of mushroom pizza was her "birthday cake" fruit pizza, with honeyed cream cheese topped with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Rather like the love child of pizza and fruit topped cheesecake!

The other truly memorable thing about the birthday party was that Ross had brought some of his homing pigeons, and we got to release them and see them take off to fly back to his home a few miles away. I'd never seen that done in person, and the pigeons themselves were very varied and beautiful. They are strong, and need to be held carefully, gently but very firmly, before it is time to toss them skyward.

※※※

Kestrel is almost two. I'd not seen her in several months, and the increase in both her stature and her comprehensibility was really noticeable. I could understand much of what she was saying, and she had sentences of two or three words at times. The little SCA gown I made for her needed some adjustments - the neckline was not quite large enough, and the length but not the width could do with a few more inches. I brought it back home with me, and this morning I slashed and bound the front neck slit, so it will be a bit easier to get over her noggin. I may cut a strip of the leftover fabric, and print a line of corbies all along it to add a border to the hemline as well.

※※※

On Sunday it was time for the trip to the art museum in Seattle, which was the other primary reason for the trip. Cathy and I drove up to Seattle to see Victorian Radicals, and were not disappointed. We stopped for a dim sum brunch before heading over to the museum. The exhibition was really impressive and included many pieces I had never seen before, a fair amount of jewelry and metalwork, and even some embroidery! I also need to remember in the future that SAM participates in Museums for All, which meant that my EBT card was also an admission card, huzzah!

※※※

August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	undergown bodice	popover pockets	plant stand
2	Lion's cub master	gown band printed	bag to Goodwill
3	Leo Minor master	Kestrel gown neckline	bag to Goodwill
4	Lion's Mane master	x	bag to Goodwill
5	Kestrel gown toile	x	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - the freedom to travel

wilted Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine tries not to melt...

80F indoors feels cool when it is 102F outdoors in the sun... just in case you were wondering! The weather here today is horrid.

※※※

Definitely going to plan a trip north later this summer to see the Victorian Radicals special exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. I love that whole era of artwork and artifacts (Pre-Raphaelite to Arts and Crafts)

※※※

Been working on another charter, now that the Scythian one is completed. Here are the steps to paint a simple border design -

Simple charter border painting... first step, choose a color, and fill in the motif (I chose dark oxblood red)

Second, add highlights to the motif (here I chose metallic golden)
Third, start filling in the background with another color.

Just keep going, the tiny background spaces look so different when they are painted in. (actual border is less than a half inch wide, so I am not fussed about my slight lack of precision painting here)

Finally, inking in the edging makes it all nice and crisp again!

※※※

Still looking for the fabric set aside and intended to make pockets on my new marble batik popover dress. Or if not that, then some other fabric that will work. Cannot Have Dress Sans Pockets!!

※※※

today's gratitude - the nice lady in the convertible, who drove really slowly across the street into the parking lot, to delay the bus long enough that I could catch it and not have to stand in the heat to wait for the next bus!

Tuesday tidbits

"practice makes proficient" - not perfect, not necessarily progress...
proficient* = competent or skilled in doing or using something

So make good choices about what and how you practice, whether with hand or brain or spirit, because repetition makes whatever you repeat more likely to happen again. Some of the things I have practiced over the years/decades have really made my life easier, like I am much better at soldering than I was when I started. Some of the things I have practiced over the years/decades have made my life much more difficult, like assuming danger all the time, which has limited my life in uncounted ways. We most often think of practice in terms of trying to learn new skills, but we are practicing continually in all the different spheres we exist in. I continue to attempt to notice what I am practicing, and to practice by choice and not by default. This is way harder than it sounds, and is in itself a type of practice...

※※※

Every time I've ridden the train between Boston and points west, this curious structure has fascinated me, and this trip I managed a few decent photos...

.
as seen from the train, and enlarged to show facade

The water visible in the photos is Farm Pond in Framingham, the terminal end of the Sudbury Aqueduct, which was built between 1875 and 1878, and was in use for over 100 years. The small building is not an unusual home site, as I had imagined, but rather a "gate house" that houses part of the machinery that controlled the flow of water.
Here is a photo from 1910, looking in the opposite direction, and the rail line is clearly visible in the background.

※※※

May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	earbud case	replace button patches	chicken house
2	Ursa pullover	pruned parking strip	chicken waterer
3	x	renewed raised planters	lots of yard waste
4	x	plant salad table	paper recycling
5	x	plant tomato starts	-
6	x	grapevine pruned	-
7	x	green onions planted	-
8	x	I-cord edging	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	-
11	x	x	-
12	x	x	-
13	x	x	-
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - the internet makes doing research eversomuch easier, as only those of us who grew up before will ever appreciate

*late 16th century: from Latin proficient- ‘advancing’, from the verb proficere, from pro- ‘on behalf of’ + facere ‘do, make’.

a large small tidbit

in which our plucky heroine enjoys whimsy unexpectedly found...

There is a rather large spectacular sculpture of Multnomah Falls, done in Lego, near the baggage claim area in the Portland Airport... I just happened to notice it for the first time when there to meet my sister, prior to our transcontinental train ride.

Here is some more information about the sculpture

there and back again, once again...

In which our plucky heroine travels a long way to honor a long traveling...

It was in recognition of my parents 65th wedding anniversary that I took most of the month of April away from my ordinary life, to go by train cross country once again. My parents live in Lexington, just outside of Boston, so seeing them in person is not something I can do often. This trip, my little sister flew up here from Palos Verdes so that she and I could travel together via Amtrak. Indeed, it was the first time ever that we have taken a trip with just the two of us, and after over three days in close quarters, that we both are still friends says much for both of us.

here she is, sitting on the couch/bunk, reflected in the wall mirror in the wee bed/sit we shared... (I measured, and the floor space was slightly less than my SCA tent, yet contained two bunks, a table, a chair, a sink, and a tiny enclosed commode/shower unit)

once out of the Portland metro area, the train travels along the Washington side of the Columbia river, with many beautiful vistas... Sometimes there is wildlife visible, I saw a bald eagle in a tree, and on the return journey, a group of three deer foraging along the riverside

.

The days on the train seemed to go by both interminably and very fast. On our layover in Chicago, Gigi and I decided to find somewhere to eat dinner, and by total random chance, ended up at the Little Goat Diner. One of the best meals I've had in a long time, and my only regret was that there was no way to package up the leftovers to be food-safe without refrigeration.

Before we knew it we were in Lexington... The years have been relatively kind, though relentless, in their effects on my dear mother and father. I am very grateful that they are still of sound mind, if rather more frail each time I visit.

:::

After spending two weeks with family, it was time for me to get back on Amtrak and head west for home. The trip home I'd be back in a roomette (more like a bunkbed with doors), as opposed to the larger "bedroom sleeper" I'd shared with my sister.  The Metropolitan Lounge in Boston had a beautiful decorative ceiling:

Eastern farmland is very green in the springtime

in Albany, the section of the Lake Shore Limited from Boston joins up with the section from New York City, before continuing on to Chicago.

Union Station in Chicago is the primary Amtrak hub for the whole country. There are interesting bits and corners around the station, and this section of fountain caught my eye... very Deco. Instead of a restaurant brunch, I was eager to get in a bit of walking, since the weather was quite moderate. I ended up picking up cheese and tomato and some fruit at a grocery store, and put together a lunch plate of my own when back in the first class lounge at the station. After that, and availing myself of the spa shower (much larger and not moving from side to side like on the train) it was time to switch over to the Empire Builder for the remainder of the trip. I Much Prefer the western train, which still has an actual dining car; the eastern trains have felt the Unkind Hand of the new CEO, and have box meals, which are quite inferior in both choice and quality to what was formerly available...

crosssing the Mississippi...

the train stopped somewhere in the middle of the night, for long enough that I woke up from the lack of movement. I think that this is Minneapolis/St Paul, but was too sleepy to look it up and make a notation in my journal.

more Big Sky vistas - the open water here had been still frozen three weeks prior...

Rocky Mountains, as we head into Glacier... not a lot of snow visible compared to previous trips in the past

Sunrise, looking out the back window of the sleeper car towards the east

kibbles and bits

in which our plucky heroine travels North and comes home again...

Last weekend was the Glymm Mere Baronial Ball, which turned out to be a pleasant combination of music and dance performances, local history and stories, and comparatively low key social time. It was a little odd having an SCA event in the hall of a regional gun club, as the denizens seemed to be slightly bemused to be sharing their space with many oddly dressed folks. The usual painted banner decorations branches decorate rental halls seemed right at home with the many mounted animal heads that ringed the upper reaches of the room. My old friend Goran came all the way up from southern California for the event, and it was wonderful to see her, and also to have another chance to hear her sing, her voice is extraordinary.

※※※

While up there I stayed with B & K, and it was the first time since moving out almost fifteen years ago that I slept in what was once my bedroom... I still like my painted frieze from years ago. They sent me home with gifts of a whole sweatersworth of black worsted wool yarn, and a linen oxford cloth duvet cover, both from The Bins. The duvet cover, a slubby navy/white fabric, will be likely transformed into a new dress for me, possibly with a slight overdye of indigo, grey, or teal to tone down the contrast. In addition, B's brother backed William Whiteley & Sons (Sheffield) Ltd's Kickstarter, and gave one of the shears he got to them and for some unknown reason decided to give the other one to me! It is quite huge and splendid, yet fits even my tiny paws well!

※※※

Beth's apprentice Quillemette very kindly provided transportation there and back again; she and I had good conversations, mostly about dog behavior and house building (she and her husband just adopted a big rescue pup, and are planning on building a new house on the land they bought in Winlock. After we got back to Acorn Cottage, the traffic on I-5 was horrid, so she suggested a trip to Ikea, which enabled me to acquire many large cardboard pieces, which will help weed-block the backyard when the rest of Mt. Chipmore gets moved to become moar mulch...

※※※

The ankle brace prescribed by the foot doc is problematical, as it does help the ankle pain, but is creating swelling up and downstream from the brace. Doc thinks that I have tendinitis inside the ankle, which may be, but my lympedema is not happy about tightly bracing the ankle with laces and velcro.

※※※

The next sewing project for me will be this dress which will be part of my SWAP 2019 (the "sewn before official start date but after rules posted" garment).  I definitely need dresses to wear under pinafores; the weather here is getting colder... The plan is to adapt my everyday dress pattern to have both a button band bodice and a peter pan collar. This will require drafting both of those additions, as well as raising the front neckline. It will be fun to play with stripe directions using the pinstripe indigo cotton fabric.

※※※

November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Thora gown	Earthboxes filled	bag to Goodwill
2	Isabel gown	woodchips moved	8# persimmons
3	chookhouse base	EF cardigan refashion	-
4	dried persimmons	harvested persimmons	-
5	Marya front panels	dried persimmons	-
6	Marya collar	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

bigger than a breadbox

in which our plucky heroine travels there and back again...

One of my favorite regional SCA events, AnTir/West War, happens every year just outside of Gold Beach, near the border between Oregon and northern California. We often choose to drive Hwy 38 along the Umpqa River, as a good balance between speed and scenery. The coast road is the most scenic, but even with part of the trip on I-5 it is still at least five or more hours from where I live, adding more time on 101 would lengthen the journey quite a bit.

.

This year, for our first time ever, the "Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area" had two large groups of elk close to the road!

We've driven past there many a time, and only ever seen a few elk one previous time, at a great distance...

Elk are huge, the second largest members of the deer family. Only moose are larger.

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine strives for a bit of balance

There have been a few journeys, some in-town and others longer and further afield... the shortest, to Costco with Wanda and Lainie, helped to restock my pantry with sugar and paper goods; said sugar will enable more transfer of stored produce from the freezer to jars on the pantry shelves.

Currently underway is a batch of strawberry-rhubarb sauce, aided by a sale this week of organic frozen fruits, which augmented my meager strawberry stash. My intent is to use the rest of the frozen tomato for more Awesome Sauce, which condiment was received with delight by my hen-minding neighbors. And, after that, will be several batches of plum sauce, as the freezer has a surfeit of homegrown plums which can become both sweet jam, and a savory sauce similar to hoisin sauce

※※※

Before leaving town last Tuesday, I took the time to pattern, cut out, and stencil the sleeves for my Alabama Chanin cardigan. I am trying out both a new type of fabric paint, Jacquard Textile Color, instead of Jacquard Neopaque. The texture of the paint is much thinner, and that, combined with my finding my long lost stencil brush, meant that applying the paint went a LOT faster this time. Truly, an actual stencil brush is eversomuch nicer than using a piece of sponge, I didn't get paint all over my fingertips and have to keep stopping to wash them, and it was a LOT easier to get an even application of paint.

※※※

Spent three days up in Olympia at the Mud Bay House. Always so wonderful to see my friends there, and their baby Kestrel has grown immensely in the months since my last visit in November - the hat I made, which was so big then is almost too small for baby noggin, and I shall have to search my supplies for suitable wool and fur to rebuild it. They now can both hold up their own head, and follow along things with their eyes, as well as grab and fling items to the floor! Most definitely, a child whose natural expression is a delighted and charming smile, and I am quite smitten.

※※※

No long life goes on forever, and we were all nonetheless surprised and filled with grief to hear of the death of Ursula LeGuin. There were tears. I was grateful to be with friends; hugs and knowing that others also grieved made the pain more bearable. I rarely feel it personally when people of renown must leave the bright world, but LeGuin was, to me as well as to many others, a lumianary personage in so many ways, not just as a writer, but as an example of humanity. We will not see her like again... Her words have been a light on many paths forwards to a multiplicity of ways of being, her tales shone on ways of thought and action, and by reading, helped me and others to grow more thoughtful and ethical...

listen to a few of her words in this radio clip
※※※

In the previous week I also went to a CMAG meeting on Jan 16th, where my friend B gave a presentation of tips on how to photograph metalwork and jewelry. It was good that there was someone I knew, as going to a group where I know no one there would be difficult, even for a topic in which I have great interest. That weekend, Marya and I went down to Adiantum for Midwinters Feast. Just a quick overnight, we stayed with Yseult in her lovely home, and much discussion of archaeology took place. The feast itself was very tasty, the new feast steward did an excellent job, and I learned from Yseult how to do the 12 strand braid from the Skjoldehamn belt find

※※※

grateful: for friends who include me, and help me travel from place to place

scavenger hunt Sunday

in which our plucky heroine has fun...

A friend organised "The Epic Photo Scavenger Hunt", which will take place between August 1st and October 31st, as an amusing way to share images and learn more about how to use our cameras, and to comment in ways that may help us to become better at photography. A camera or at very least my clever phone is part of my EDC, and it occurred to me that the images could be shared here on the blog, as well. There are 67 items on the list, so getting started right away seems like a good plan. So far I have six:

10. a barn

August 2 2017. While I forgot my digital camera, as well as several other desired things, when I left Portland very early Wednesday last week to escape the worst of the heat wave, I did have my phone with me... and attempted to catch several of the barns visible from the train heading north to Olympia. This image was my most successful.

21. a closeup of an insect

August 6 2017. a Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) feeding on wild mint nectar. I was actually in the driveway attempting to photograph the many different species of bees also enjoying the mint nectar, and then noticed this wee grey butterfly that was moving quietly along one horizontal blossom spike.

28. a passenger train

August 4 2017 - one of the passenger platforms at Union Station in Portland, Coast Starlight on the left, Amtrak Cascades on the right. I happened to unexpectedly take a train trip up to Olympia this past week, and on my return to Portland the very chiaroscuro lighting on the platform caught my attention when we returned...

30. a team mascot

August 2 2017. OMNIA EXTARES! This is a beautifully artistic interpretation of the mascot of my alma mater (The Evergreen State College), our native geoduck. We even have a fight song "Go Geoducks Go"

37. a pet

August 2 2017. Toshi, canine guardian of the Mud Bay folks, paw in hand with Maeva... because Toshi, although very photogenic, is averse to having his picture taken, I decided to go with the more conceptual image, to illustrate his connection to the people he loves.

64. P is for... pea vines

August 2 2017. Also for peascods, and peasblossoms, in the backyard at the Mud Bay House. (we get to choose what "P" is for, and I thought these beautiful enough to be worth sharing)

a bit of breathing room

in which our plucky heroine is grateful for a chance to spend time with friends...


Last weekend was An Tir Collegium, a new educational SCA event, which was held in Pasco, WA.. I had already decided to attend, but not do a presentation (I was honored to have been asked, but my travels earlier this autumn precluded my also having enough prep time for a lecture and handout/bibliography). It was definitely useful to see various ways that other folks put their presentations together, and I have ideas for what I can do next time. A very nifty innovation was that the site token for the event was a tiny thumb drive the size and shape of a credit card, with all the handouts from the event, so that even for the classes (there were nine tracks, some with six or seven classes each) we did not attend we still got some data.

while traveling, we stopped both outbound and return at Maryhill Stonehenge... I love this view (two states and the Columbia River between)

The view in the opposite direction. I'd never been here before at this time of year, and the bits of autumnal color were a delight. Plus windmills. I love the windmills.

Driving across eastern Washington on the way home, the power lines formed a cohort of giant electric cats marching alongside the highway

Back at Stonehenge, the day was heading towards sunset, and the sky was much more dramatic

And, my excellent traveling companions... Marya, Ursel, and Mea

:::

Alas, I think that the cold, that I have been attempting to fight off since the weekend, is winning... I feel like crap, and a return to bed is seeming more and more like a good idea. I am too wobbly to keep trying to solder bezels. Seems like every time I stay in a hotel I come home sick... time to go put the chooks to bed and then do the same for myself

via the train, the last leg

So after that tasty lunch, our plucky heroine returns to Union Station... Heading back, I noticed these decorative cast iron gratings inset into the walls of the corridor back towards the central areas.

This is shower room #2, the accessible shower in the first class lounge. I took full advantage of the chance to have a relaxing bathtime, in a larger space that wasn't constantly moving, as soon it would be time to board the Empire Builder on the final leg of my long long trip. There is a shower available in the sleeping cars, but nothing like this ... Indeed, I wish that Acorn Cottage had a lovely walk in shower space instead of the Terrible Tub!

An abandoned building, one of many seen in the back parts of cities where the train lines run. The patterns the blocked, unblocked and broken windows made seemed to me a kind of wabi sabi gridwork

Soon enough, we were out of the really urban zones and back into the heartland of the continent. The first morning we passed through a lot of rain, which mostly precluded much photography, but I managed this one as the clouds were lifting

Dinner in the dining car, looking out the window past my own reflection to the lights beyond. Pretty much the only time I eat steak is when I am on the Empire Builder. The Amtrak "signature steak" is the best dinner on the menu, and is truly delicious.

A huge flock of pigeons swooping in an aerial dance around these buildings...

Ah... these are perhaps grain elevators? (which would explain the reason for all the birds?) This ignorant bicoastal woman is embarrassed by how much she does not know, but I do know that every day and every place has its own beauty

As the mist rises on the second day, in this field the hay bales are sharp edged rectangles...

... while in the next field, the bales are, instead, huge bristly sharp edged cylinders wrapped in green

In far more places than two years ago, plantations of windmills were visible from the tracks. (As well, I was surprised to see quite a bit of solar panel deployment in Massachusetts, again far more than on my previous trip)

Approaching the Rockies, and Glacier National Park... A bit more snow on the eastern faces of the Rocky Mountains... but sadly by the time we were well into the mountains it was full dark, so no photo opportunities, just time for sleeping...

And in the morning, one final view of my temporary conveyance...

looking from the roomettes towards the actual first class bedrooms, the central corridor makes a bend and then runs along one side of the rail car, as the few actual bedrooms are a bit more "spacious"...

it was a good trip, and if life allows, I will do it again in another two years.