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 |  Daily notes and timed freewrites but mostly my blog |
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All comments are encouraged, I am interested in what others think and feel along the topics I choose to write about. Highlighted entries: [#732826] "In Memory"        ![Merit Badge in Supportive
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| Garden update Tuesday 10-8-24 I have almost finished cleaning up the garden. I've set up three grow lights in the laundry room and am in the process of transferring potted garden plants into the grow light space. Peppermint, Lemon Balm, and Hot Thai Peppers are under the lights. I still need to transfer the Thai Basil and Lavender. I also have some small strawberry plants from this year's runners that could benefit with the basement grow lights. The corn, cucumber, bean bed is torn down and needs to be deep watered and mulched for the winter. I got an impressive amount of green beans from that 18"x37" plot. 6 of the 10 corn seeds planted grew into decent stalks supporting 5 cucumber plants and 8 pole bean plants. The corn produced only a few ears, and the cucumbers were late producing but what we got were delicious. The problem, of course was over crowding the corn and the cucs but the beans went absolutely bonkers. Every other day for nearly a month we had fresh beans for dinner. I even froze a couple meals, because a body can stand to eat only so many meals of green beans in a row. It wasn't long before the new wore off on fresh from the garden green beans. All in all, we got a few carrots, butternut squash, acorn squash, big leafy chard (way too much for us northern folk), strawberries, red beets n greens, chives, yellow onions, basil, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and maybe three big beef steak tomatoes (if they don't freeze before they can pink up) will be the garden bounty this year. Not bad for two 4'x8' raised beds and two 3'x3' raised beds. Next year, the third 4'x8' bed will be ready to grow. The gardening was haphazard at best this year as I was still working full time nights when I started seedlings indoors during March and working the outdoor beds through August. The weather was cold through the end of June so the Tomatoes, peppers and squash I planted were stunted by the last couple frosty mornings in June. There were other issues that delayed planting, as well as thriving issues for the cooler weather tolerant plants. The soil I am working with is very rocky and more clay than sand or organic material. The first 3'x3' raised bed I didn't do much soil amending and planted the radishes, spinach, peas, and beets in April. I had brussel sprout seedlings ready to go in at the time too. The seeds took a long time to sprout because of the cold nights through May, and the Brussel sprouts struggled to the point there wasn't much of a crop after the pests invaded. No thriving in the first bed due to weather, poor soil structure and poor nutrition, and haphazard watering. The other three beds I sifted rocks and amended the soil with compost and fertilizer. These beds did a lot better once the weather and watering routines stabilized. The green house vinyl is off the frame...my winter project will be to repair it and beef it up. In the meantime, I need to devise a cover over the frame shelves where gardening supplies and such will be stored over the next several months. The cover needs to be wind and snow/rain/freeze proof. I'm thinking of a combination of cardboard protected by a tarp tied and secured. I deployed the pvc pipe in the garden beds to frame in a frost tunnel or temporary solar capture/cloche/cold frame or critter netting or whatever may be handy for next growing season. I also have loads of the fiber glass flex rods with connectors to use for possibly double layering said cloche, cold frame, solar tunnel set up if the next spring turns out as cold and unforgiving as this year's start. I have racks with shelves still in boxes, as well as trellis panels, netting, and frames that need to be stored but accessible if I decide I need them for a project this winter. Sunday, (10-6-24) I planted 9 asparagus crowns and 6-strawberry plants in the area between the shed and the canoe. [About a 3'x3' prepared area]. I have in mind to use some of the saved milk jugs to cloche the strawberries in the long bed as well as those just transplanted in the new asparagus bed. If the winter gets super cold, the milk jugs will actually moderate the conditions a bit. If the winter is mild the jugs will still be effective at protecting the new plants and possibly give them an established rooting boost for an early spring sprouting and such. I have mulched the new bed with straw to retain moisture. |
| The garden, online computer games and television and computer games and fishing and videos and garden and computer games have occupied my time since August 30th. Therefore, I have concluded, if I wish to get into a routine that includes WDC I need to get back into the habit of thinking about WDC. I'm hoping, when winter arrives, I will find more time to incorporate said habit. So today, here I am getting ready to leave the house to do errands for the garden winterizing projects and I thought to stop in, and record said plans. Step 1 in reincorporating WDC into my daily routines, include a dialogue of the day's activities and or plans.  |
| Okay. Not sure why it took nearly 20 days for my membership renewal to arrive (mailed on the 9th of August for a 15 August deadline. Membership renewal posted 27 August) But I am very happy to see it finally got there. Because it took so long, I ended up mailing another membership renewal on 24 August. So, this year I renewed twice. All good, I won't have to worry about next year's renewal being glitched by 'snail' mail service. For the last two weeks I was wondering if the Universe was trying to tell me something very much against my personal wants. Appears, it was a test of patience, which I didn't quite fail. All said... I am no longer in the ranks of the employed, though I'm not officially retired yet either. I've still got to apply for it and all. Count 29 August 2024 as my official first day back from a long hiatus. |
| Hmmm, quite the span of time from my last blog entry until today. I'm still working at the Spokane, WA GEG1 Amazon Fulfillment Center although it has been a very bumpy ride these last 18 months. The demands of the weekend/night shift pretty much wipes me out from week to week, so I don't socialize with friends, family, or others very much. I work the 40-55 hours I'm scheduled during the week and sleep and the 2-3 days I get off I sleep and play computer games or watch shows streamed thru HULU or PLEX on my computer. Needless to say, it is very easy to let 1-1/2 years slip by with nothing new to add to a blog/journal. Anything different in my week to week, day to day routine is so uneventful as not to merit mentioning. Obviously, I survived my bout of COVID a year ago last January. I slept a lot the two weeks I quarantined, then went back to work and that was that. Last January, around six months ago, I wrecked my vehicle on my way home from work, when I hit a patch of black ice and spun off the road breaking my rear axle. With the help of my son-in-law, I was able to purchase another vehicle and was back to work missing only two workdays. Just finished the 55-hour Amazon prime week, which really equates to three weeks and 155 hours worked (two, ten-hour five-day weeks and 1 eleven-hour five-day week). This is my first three-day weekend in four weeks. I've done a lot of sleeping. What I am starting to miss is the time to spend in a vegetable garden since my waking hours are in the evening through morning. I get up around 3:30pm PT and am asleep usually by 7:30am PT. Today I'm staying up late since it is twenty minutes to 9:00am. It is hard to do gardening in the dark, and this time of year it's too damn hot to do the gardening in the evening before sunset. Thus, there is no garden planted this year. Overall, I've embraced the rut and nonsocial life this job has helped me to fall into. I don't miss the obligations of socializing with others, i.e., family or friends. I miss nature not people. I get enough of people at 'home' and at work. Being in the forest or mountains AWAY from people is what I crave these days. But I'm not in Montana anymore and Idaho and Washington have no 'get away from people places' as far as I've been able to find. Well, that pretty much catches me up. By the way, I like the spell and grammar helps that have been added since the last time I've written anything on this site. Nice! |
| Wow! Three months gone since my last blog entry. I have been busy with my job and sleeping. This last week was the first week of a mandatory two week paid vacation. Amazon has free voluntary COVID testing for all 'associates' and I tested positive at the end of December. Everyone here at home (my daughter, son-in-law and three grandsons) have all tested negative and all I got was a runny nose. Because of my work schedule, I have been self-isolating since starting my job, (September 2020) which may account for the rest of the household testing negative for COVID. Or, I may have been one of those false positive statistics. Either way, Amazon policy is 14 days paid while on COVID quarantine. Or in another way to look at it, 2 weeks mandatory paid vacation, erm, medical leave. I am scheduled to return to work next Saturday, January 16th. I still have a runny nose but not as prolific as a week ago. Allergies? Common Cold? COVID? For me at this time, feels more like allergies, no fever, no headaches, no body aches, no problems with shortness of breath, etc., just a runny nose. Something I've had since moving to Spokane Valley, WA. I did have several days of intestinal irregularity the week I tested positive, though. As far as the loss of smell, well I haven't had much sense of smell since having the Bells Palsy in 2017, so that indicator doesn't apply for me. I'm either one of the very lucky who have light COVID response (asymptomatic) or like I said I might be a false positive statistic. This train of thought doesn't lull me into a false sense of security for COVID immunity, however. If in fact I am asymptomatic, I could catch COVID again and get really sick. If I am a statistic of false positive, I could get COVID for real and get sick and be a danger to the rest of my family. So I will continue to practice my Self Isolation, wear my mask, and social distance as if I am a potential infectious hazard. Too many have died from this disease to take it lightly, therefore, I won't. |
| Well, I have officially finished my third week at my new, extremely physical job. In actuality, I've worked 1 week and 3 days. The fourth day of the first week (I work 4-10 hr days/week) proved a bit too much. While walking to my work station for the day, my left leg collapsed me right to the floor. Yup, I sprained it again. This time, however, it happened at work so no question about my employment status. A trip to the emergency room to confirm that I was medically unable to work out the day and advised to take a week off to recuperate. The next day a trip to an Orthopedic Clinic where the Doctor said something about damage to the patella region. He recommended I go to Physical Therapy to strengthen my thigh and knee. My first trip to PT confirmed my suspicion that my knee wasn't the major problem, I'd over stretched my 'hamstring'. The good thing about this time around compared to last year is I didn't do as much damage and I was limping around with the aid of a walker in a week. Last year I was on crutches for nearly a month. My Leave of Absence was over on Saturday, October 3rd, and I worked a full shift without physical mishap. Then the 4th, the 5th, and the 6th...I'd finished a full week and am still able to walk. Today, I had my 2nd PT session and the therapist was surprised as to how well I've bounced back. I've been doing the exercises at home like I was instructed and he added three more to my routine for the next week. He thinks that next week may be the last weekly session if I keep improving by leaps and bounds, then we can move on to more difficult exercises and monthly evaluations. I have a follow up with the Orthopedic doctor this Friday to confirm my healing process. I am excited that I have a good paying job and that I'm stubborn enough to push through my physical challenges to meet the athletic requirements of the work. (Walking, lifting, standing, stretching, reaching, and stair stepping for 10 hours on concrete: If that isn't athletic then I don't know what is?) What I'm confused about, is I'm three pounds heavier than I was when I started the job. Now understand, I'm around sixty pounds overweight from being mostly sedentary for nearly a year. I guess two weeks of strenuous exercise isn't enough to lose in fatty weight than I've probably gained in muscle weight. The problem with this dilemna is that my feet need overall weight loss to survive my standing on them for so many hours. My feet kill me by the end of the third day, and it takes every ounce of all the muleheadedness I can muster for me to push through the fourth day. The up coming week I will be working 11 hour days the last three days of the week (43 hours total). Now three extra hours in a week doesn't sound like that much, but that last extra hour a day could be a killer. Overall, I'm looking forward to finishing my official fourth/technically third week of work. I'm thinking my manager is a little bit impressed as to how 'determined' I am to do the job. (And maybe, just a little bit surprised to see me come back at all.  ) Of the 50 people who started the same day as I did, I think there are only 9 of us left. (I could be wrong, but a lot of people seemed to have vanished the week I was on leave.) The way I see this up coming week is the week after will be a breeze as it will be three hours shorter.   |
| No Politics today, promise. It looks like I finally have a job, again. I will be doing some 'grunt work' for a tech based commercial outlet otherwise known as Amazon Fulfillment. I am actually excited about working for a company who says that terminations can be at a moments notice and without explanation. (84,000+ Americans unemployed, and I land a job? Yes, I'm excited.) I report to the Spokane Fulfillment Center on Saturday, September 19 at 6 PM (1800) and work a 10 hour shift. Day ends @ 5:30 AM (That is 11.5 hours so I'm thinking 30 min is for admin things and maybe an hour lunch?) The shift is Sa Su M Tu 6:30 PM - 5:30 AM. I haven't been very informative about my jobless state for the last year so here is the story. Last year during the first week of September I sprained my knee. I was on crutches and couldn't work for over three months. I injured myself at home so no workman comp Ins. to compensate expenses and such. At the same time, my daughter-in-law chose this time to apply coup d' gras pressure on my son to basically kick me out of their home. (In hind sight, that was the best thing that could have happened for all concerned.) I don't hold a grudge against my son, he has his family to hold on to, but the woman he chose as a wife is an extreme disappointment, to say the least. A year later I still worry about my two grandsons and my son, but they are all still together. I have spent the last 2 weeks changing my sleep patterns so when I start the 'midnight shift' I will be acclimated. There are several pluses to this job opportunity, for me. One is that I love graveyard shift. The second is I work 4 nights and have three night weekends. The third and biggest, is a steady pay check, and the most I've ever made per hour full time or otherwise at any job in the past. Washington state minimum wage is $15/hr and that is the base wage. Because I'm working weekends and graveyards I get another $1.15/hour. That is a $4.15/ hr. raise from what I was getting a year ago from a state whose minimum wage is $7.50 an hour. Because of my work ethic, I earned $12/ hr last year on average in that state. But, because I worked for a job placement company from Jan. to Sept 4, I earned less than $8,000 last year. When I keep this job till the end of the year I will have earned $9600, or $2000 more in 15 weeks than all of the 41 weeks worked last year. Kind of puts into perspective my problem of getting out on my own when living with my son and his family. If I had stayed there, maybe I would have made $9000 for the year. But Probably not, since it took a long time for my knee to heal enough for me to be able to work again. Where did I go when I left my son's home? I had plans to live out of my vehicle (before I got hurt and before my son's wife gave her final ultimatum), or with a friend from work who offered an RV in her backyard, but my daughter caught wind of that and wouldn't allow me that option. She brought me to Spokane Valley, Wa. and has housed me since. The living conditions are not without some stress, but I'm accepted here, where I wasn't accepted by my son's wife. My presence isn't an affront or nuisance and a source for making everyone in the household miserable. I have four grandsons and my son-in-law here who actually like me. For my daughter, she has wanted to know me better, which is kind of funny, because without having 'grown up together' she is a lot like me. To know me is to know herself, basically. Well that is everything for now. Past time for breakfast, being Tuesday this will be a workday and I'd be parking in the parking lot by now. I may be doing a little bit more writing Wednesday through Friday since it is quiet from 9:30 PM til 7:30 AM and I really don't have any night life outside the house, lol. Another plus! |
| I know I'm showing my age here, but hell, can't be helped. This is a small history lesson. Does anyone remember the President of the USA who was labeled "Tricky Dicky"? I actually voted for him (not that I'm overly proud of that fact, just that I'm honest enough to admit it). I had just reached voting age and it was my first time, and hey, mistakes happen. Any way, I still remember Him declaring over network television, "I am not a Liar." The Watergate Hotel break in and attempted cover up eventually brought him down. Mr. Nixon had the good sense and I dare say, enough patriotic responsibility to resign from office before Congress enacted impeachment proceedings. Today, I found myself realizing that President Nixon was a saint compared to our present President. (Whom I didn't vote for.) At least Nixon never compromised national security by disclosing classified information to Russians (or any other world leader) in the Oval Office. In fact, Nixon made history by going to China. The 1972 Nixon-Mao summit turned out to be a strategic and diplomatic overture that marked the culmination of the Nixon administration's resumption of harmonious relations between the U.S. and China after years of diplomatic isolation. Nixon partially stabilized and reduced world tensions during his Presidency. And, as far as I can remember, when there were peaceful demonstrations, he didn't promote brute force tactics to break and scatter the sit in (or kneeling) mob. I know for a fact, that racial tensions were just as volatile, but I don't believe Nixon actually deliberately fanned the flames of rage to prove he is better than everybody. Nixon had the moral conscience to feel the shame of his position and acted accordingly by resigning from office. I remember why I voted for the man, now. I believed he could get the United States out of the Vietnam conflict. And before he resigned, though I'm sure it was a rushed job, the U.S. indeed pulled out of the war zone. He kept the promise he made to a generation of anti-war protesters even with all the personal conflict within his presidency. I have yet to see any promise Mr. Trump has made come to fruition. Two Presidents before Mr. Trump, set the groundwork for all the advancements made in economy and world standing. True, Mr. Trump has claimed credit for every little positive thing that has occurred from the time he took residence within the white house, but these things weren't because he actually tried to achieve their success. If truth were to be revealed, the majority of good U.S-World policy was achieved in spite of Donald's presidential decision making. Donald, has pulled the U.S. away from the rest of the World. He isn't a World Leader and is treating the U.S.A. like it was his personal island nation which he can rule over unconditionally. Like a common dictatorial totalitarian, anyone who looks like they might disagree with him is either fired or otherwise ostracized, with proven immediate negative career changing consequences. Since my first mistake with Mr. Nixon, I've only voted for a republican candidate once; and, that was for Gerald Ford. I still believe Mr. Ford deserved to be voted into the office he basically inherited after Nixon resigned. But, that is another story. Instead, over the years, I have voted for the third party candidates or odd democrat whom I've felt I could trust their integrity and , yes, their sense of Patriotism. Did I mention, I didn't vote for Donald. On the same token, I didn't vote for Mrs. Hillary Clinton, either (although, in hind sight, if I had voted for Hillary it wouldn't have done much good; given she won the election through the common vote and the Electoral College gave Donald the presidency). What is wrong with that Picture? In conclusion, although I know I could write so much more regarding how Donald has done more to ruin the integrity of our nation than any other man before him, I will close my tirade. For all those devoted Trump followers out there, I do pray you are truly in the minority, or that you at least follow your chosen leader in personal pandemic disregard so that nature and karma can reduce your voting power enough to get Donald out of office. |
| Okay, the garden is going gang busters given I'm in a different, cooler growing zone (6) than last year (8), and warmer zone than 3 years ago (5). The main crops are the onions and potatoes, I have a smattering of peas and if the zucchini survive the sporadic hot/frost late spring weather of this growing zone 6, I will be up to my ears in zucchini by August. I have planted butternut squash, both seed and transplants. So far, the seed never sprouted and all but 1 hot house plant has given in to the too cold nights. I look forward to having three to four decent squash by late August early September. No volume but a decent treat when they are ready. (My optimism in this case is that one plant will produce the 3 to 4 butternuts I'm predicting...hmmm.) All this week the moon is waxing, and the low temps are going to be in the mid-50's and low 60's degree F. If I replant another hill of Butternut squash, these seeds may like the weather conditions and sprout. I have tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, radishes (of which we are appreciating now) carrots, beans, a watermelon, two cantaloupe, two pumpkin, lots of strawberries (three different varieties), maybe some beets, six cauliflower and six broccoli. 8 Sunflowers appear to be doing great, though the corn is spindly at best. Two blueberry bushes, a cherry and an apple tree all of which won't be fruiting this year. The April frosts pretty much wiped that option. Next year, I will be better prepared. Oh and last but not least, 1 grape vine. The grape was purchased from the hot house and survived transplanting and is leafing beautifully. I will try to replant cucumbers. For the most part, I started my garden about 8-6 weeks too soon for this growing zone. Next year, I will have a hot house set up to start the plants with longer growing times, and will transplant later. |
| So let's say that Ivar is goin' along with the herd immunity. His only trouble, he's the supply train for his parents (both in their 90's) and the only cases (You guessed it, both his parents) where he lives have been imported from those from other areas coming up to their vacation homes. Soooo, herd immunity ain't goin' ta fly there. So Ivar listened to the experts, which for the most part were very wrong . . . That's why Ivar has chiseled on his parent's tombstone, "played by the rules and finished last" . . Found on internet by anonymous by the time I saw it.... It is raining a nice deep soak April kind of rain today...hmmmm, Mid May and April weather. C'mon China get that pollution back up to par so Mother Earth knows what month it is. Although my garden is lovin' all the wet. The world has gone crazy over the racoon infestation that has blossomed across the globe since last December. The infestation has been touted by many to be a mere ploy to avert attention from other more serious matters mainly dealing with shady politics and questionable business practices by prominent world governments and corporations. Well, that is until the doubters experience for themselves the runaway racoon reality. For their own self protection and the protection of their loved ones, millions of people around the world have started mimicking the sly mammal by donning masks whenever going out in the public, insisting on maintaining what is proclaimed a safe distance for preventing the insidious racoon successfully jumping upon them, and compulsively washing their hands and everything they touch... Yes, the world has truly been turned inside out and upside down by the racoon pandemic. [racoon letter for letter can be rearranged into corona] |
| Okay, I have moved north, as it were, and this morning we all woke up to the first heavy snow for the area. It has snowed twice since September, but the white stuff didn't stick. Now the question is, will this snowfall last and maybe be built upon for a white Christmas? I'm not a kid anymore and the white stiff doesn't excite me like it once did, but still...I suppose I'm enough of a kid still to not mind if the cold wet white lasts a little bit, now that Jack Frost has made his appearance. |
* * North American Mountain LionIf I were to choose an animal I most identify with, what would the animal most likely be? Throughout my life, I have loved many animals and have a variety of favorites. (Wolves, Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, Cheetahs, Tigers, Panthers, Leopards, Polar Bears, Dolphins, Elk, and the little Field Mouse.) Overall, however, I believe the big cats have impressed me the most. I wouldn't say that I am like any of the cats I admire, but others who know me well may say differently. I am a bit reclusive and very independent. I am also quite protective of my "territory." All the wild cats from all the continents and biomes of Earth have found their images on my walls over the years. If I were to choose a single cat as the one I like the most, I would have to say the North American Mountain Lion fits this description. As it happens, the Cougar has also influenced my spirit walk and in times of decision and or turmoil, the cougar has entered my dreams as a messenger and teacher. The spirit of the N.A. Mountain Lion has visited my dreams often in the last few years, after each visitation, I've seen the world and my situation in life differently. I would consider the N.A. Mountain Lion as my totem animal. ...Barlen, 14th Erntenir, 1524 Tonight, this person, Malyn Armina Drud of the Clan Drud, writing from Dhoesone capital, famous city, Sonnelind. This person begin record tell events experienced so far away from motherland. If record found and this spirit having crossed veil of death, please have accounting sent to this person's family in small village Sandorev, in country Rzhlev. Deliver to Clan Drud in Sandorev village. This is record of Drud daughter's journey. This person rides as mercenary guard for Caspar and Son's Trader train leaving village Sandorev, going to Port City Rzhlev, in motherland. On Taelen 24th of Anarire of Anuirean Calendar, Caspar and Son's kept this person as mercenary guard, and made room aboard ship Eisgrafin or Ice Maiden in common speech, bound for Dhoesone. This person say farewells to cousins, Bohan and Yasha. Cousins return home with sad face. Caspar, patron and Feroz, younger son, ask if this person accompany them. They say much value this person's talents for guard. Many stories about foreign lands they travel incense this person's curiosity. Feroz say, Dhoesone are many half-elves and woman half-elf rules as Queen. I only half-elf in village of childhood so want much to see others so afflicted. So, this person agree, go as merc-guard for traders. Soon this person liking two Brecht traders. Traders laugh much more than this person used to and this person taking much unpracticed patience to realize verbal banter not insult requiring blood price... excerpt 245 words taken from "Malyn Kept a journal--Raw resource to Verloren wip" of my book "freewrites: prompts, scenes, or teasers" * * I will attempt to cover the one thing I find incomprehensible and horrifying. The constant killing of others simply because they don't believe the same way. Religious massacres, political assassinations, children and school ground shootings all top the list of senseless violence that saddens and frightens me. This type of violence has occurred since man has existed and sadly will probably exist until mankind becomes extinct. The human is a violent animal especially in large groups. I am a passive person, yet I've experienced moments in my own life where violence reigned over my behaviors. The urge to do violence upon others for whatever reason is what I am not thankful for. * * I have picked two evergreen trees and two deciduous trees "found on the list." However, I am going to take a chance and list one evergreen not on the list just because it is an important tree ecologically for Northwestern North America. First of the listed trees include, Black Walnut and the Black Locust. I've grown up with both. I have fond and frustrated childhood memories of both these trees. The Black Walnut is a very hard nut to open but the treasure inside is worth the time and effort. Black Walnut cookies, cake and fudge are what I miss around the holidays now that I've grown and no longer have access to a Black Walnut tree. The Black Locust is a very pretty tree but obnoxiously painful with its large thorns on the branches. I've torn many articles of clothing and have bloodied arms, legs, head, and torso climbing said tree as a child. I hated raking, gathering, and burning the fallen branches in the fall or after big winds. The thorns were big and sharp! The next two trees on the list are Blue Spruce and Ponderosa Pine. The Big Blue, as my cousins and I called the best climbing tree in the neighborhood, grew in my cousin's front yard. I spent many hours in that Blue Spruce when I was nine years old. Fond memories there. The Ponderosa Pine is one of the first trees I learned by name, except I didn't call it a Ponderosa. It was a Bull Pine according to my paternal grandma. Then to confuse matters, my maternal grandma called it a Yellow Pine. So I learned two of the trees common names and called it either a Bull or a Yellow depending on who I was in the woods with at the time. Then in high school biology, my teacher called the tree a Pinus ponderosa, or the Ponderosa Pine. A tree with three names, all the same tree, just depending who is in the woods with me is the name I call it. The Ponderosa Pine is found everywhere in the Western U.S.A. The last tree choice, and one I was surprised not to see on the list, is the Lodgepole Pine. This tree has significant ecological importance ranging from Alaska, through Canada and into the Pacific Northwest and extended into the Rocky Mountains in the United States. You see this tree can't reproduce unless there is a forest fire to open up the cones for the heat matured seeds to pop out. Squirrels can't open these cones and allow the seeds to germinate, not to say that squirrels don't spread the seeds. The seeds need the heat of a fire to mature them so they can germinate. Another, significant boon for local ecology, has to do with all the organisms that depend on this tree to survive. The organism most known these days is the pine beetle. These trees grow tall and slender compared to other pines and furs in the woods. This made them useful for the indigenous people to build their lodges--thus the name Lodgepole Pine. * * Heart of Bronze by Matthew Woodring StoverI love stories of ancient cultures, or pre-cultures, as well as magic and living Gods. This Symposium Topic spurred me to look through my library and ponder which book would I recommend as the best one I've ever read, as of this moment. Matthew Stover's Heart of Bronze is actually two novels placed in a single hard bound jacket; an anthology of two stories. Although, there are two stories here, I cannot read one without reading the other. I think of them actually as part one and part two of one fictional biographical history. The first story (part one) is titled Iron Dawn. Barra the Pict, a strong female character, is introduced and when the story ended, I was very appreciative that (part two) Jerico Moon was there to feed my hunger for more. The setting of the first story takes place five years after the fall of Troy. So ancient times is the back drop for a red-headed Pict mercenary who has found herself in Phonecia. She is partnered with an Athenian fighter (Leucas) and an Egyptian alchemist (Kheperu). There is adventure, blood thirsty battles, intrigue and magic; everything that promises (and delivers) a fast paced story. I have personally read this short anthology twice and I will no doubt be reading it again. * * Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963)There were several movies that came to mind for this topic. At first my thoughts went to those movies which scared me the most the first time I saw them. A couple wouldn't be classified as suspense or horror, but as I reread the criteria...choose my favorite...then I found myself narrowing down the list and Alfred Hitchcock made the list several times with, Marney, The Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho and my eventual first choice as listed above. Rod Taylor and Tipi Hedren battle maniac birds bent on killing the citizens of Bodega Bay, California. I first saw this film on Saturday nite television when I was in grade school. Then on the late late show when I was in high school. The second time I watched this movie I discovered parts I'd missed when I was younger. The movie decidedly was more scary when I saw it the second time. I presently own the remastered DVD and have just finished watching it, again. My verdict is...Yes, this classic still scares me in a good horror suspense kind of way, even when I know what is going to happen and how it ends. As always, I get a kick out of the old woman biologist...What a horrid stereo-type *Laugh* I think the scariest part of the movie is that there really isn't any explanation why the birds have taken on a murderous bent. Sure the scientific explanation is offered, but it is weak at best. Mr. Hitchcock designed the movie so the individual in the audience could imagine their own reasons for the killing spree. The cliff hanging ending also leaves the audience questioning the actions of the birds. Is it a local problem or more wide spread? What has triggered the attacks--the two caged love birds or something more universal? The first attack is against Melanie Daniels by a seagull and subsequent attacks appear to center around this woman who brought the caged Love Birds to Bodega Bay...I recommend viewing this classic with some popcorn and family members for an all around good time. * * Star name: RAH GALILEO My chosen star name is a combination derived from two of my personal childhood and adulthood heroes who inspired my driving interest in the study of science and math. First and most obvious: Galileo Galilei b.1564, d.1642 was an engineer, a physicist, and a believer in independent thought. Amongst many achievements, Galileo used new technologies of his day to observe the universe around him. He was one of the first to measure time in a scientific experiment with the new thing hitting the labs, the clock. With this new precision instrument now at his disposal, Galileo explained the motion of falling bodies by carefully timing balls rolling down an inclined plane. He explained constant acceleration due to gravity. (Sir Isaac Newton expanded upon Galileo's observations and created calculus.) Galileo was the first to suggest that a swinging pendulum could be used to keep time. With the advent of the telescope, Galileo discovered the Jovian moons (Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, and Io) as well as the phases of Venus. Although, Galileo may not have invented the telescope, he was definitely one of the first to use this instrument for astronomical observations. In 1593, Galileo did invent an instrument for measuring the expansion of gases and liquids he called the "thermoscope." And later developed the thermometer to quantitatively measure temperatures. What did people do to figure out how hot or cold it was before Galileo's time? Or did they even bother? For all his achievements, Galileo Galilei fell into disfavor with the Catholic church. For his insistence that the Sun and not the Earth was the center of the solar system (Copernican Heliocentric Theory) which the Church declared heretical thought, Galileo was denounced by the Church and placed under house arrest until his death. Today, his heliocentric views are accepted as true and a basic fact. Thank-you and a big hooRAH! To Galileo's courage in his search for scientific truth. This brings me to the second part of my star's name. Namely the last three letters, all in capitals, of my named cheer. RAH, of course, stands for Robert Anson Heinlein, b.1907, d.1988. Known as the Dean of Science Fiction and one of a trio of SF Writers (Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov being the other two) who made the genre respectable as a literary model. R.A.Heinlein was also controversial regarding the social themes he addressed in his space aged stories. He was expressly against the restriction of individual liberty and railed against the excessively repressive influence of organized religion upon cultures and governments. Robert Heinlein was all for nonconformist thought, individual liberty, and self-reliance. On 5/23/14 at 6:58pm, DyrHearte writes  wrote:my submission from "Woodland Encounter" 242 words towards the ending of the story I like the rhythm when I read it....I loosened the cord around the small leather pouch at my belt. She nodded in agreement and her smile broadened. Even in this compromising position my breath escaped me. She could stop the world from turning with that same grin; surely, she stopped my heart. She wasn't an absolute beauty to look upon; yet, I could not take my gaze from her deep violet eyes. She wasn't all human; and maybe, that was what ensnared me. I didn't smile nor was I able to relax within her raptured spell binding. I felt the sharp pushing of the tip of her dagger as my gaze was forced skyward. Above in the huge old tree, I noticed a scarlet song bird who curiously looked down and laughed at this scene. I felt the heat in my face as I realized there was a witness to my distress. Then a sound tug at my belt and the weight of twenty coins disappeared from my hip. The point of the knife at my throat was gone; but, the phantom bite upon my flesh still persisted. It was the faint rustle of the bush to my left that made me realize she no longer stood before me. I lowered my gaze and looked around; there was nothing but bush and tree to see. She was wondrous to behold and very talented with her snare. I think twenty gold was worth the price of my experience here... On 5/10/14 at 5:56am, DyrHearte writes wrote:Although this song didn't exist when I was born, The song that could well be the theme at my birth as well as a theme from beginning to the end of my starring life role would be The Dance by Garth Brooks--I've experienced so many losses, yet if I'd not loved and been loved by those now gone from me--If I'd not danced the waltz, the reel, and the jig of life--I would be a lesser, more shallow person than I am today. I have given this a lot of thought. I even slept on it. The following is what I deem as my worst pet peeve.I am a very 'territorial' person when it comes to 'my space'. I know everyone has their personal space awareness that is innate to the human being and which is enforced through our specific enculturation as we grow. But I have this problem with establishing 'my work' space; or 'my relaxing' space and then guarding it with extra-sensory skill. I notice my annoyance erupts more at my work place, so I will relate examples in relation to: "I really hate it when someone comes through my work station and plays at searching for something or otherwise hovers in my general area when they really have no buisiness being there." By 'extra-sensory' skill I mean: I can be concentrating on what is rolling passed me on the conveyor belt and have the urge to stop and look around to find someone looking through the barrels from which I'm taking product to inspect and sort. (I work at an ammunition manufacturing plant, so I look at a lot of bullets in a 10 hour night.) Mind you these barrels are behind me and about 3-4 feet away from me--yet I know when someone is there. It is extremely uncanny. If it is the "tumbler" filling the barrel with more product, I'm not bothered and I go back to sorting. However--on night shift (which I'm no longer on, having spent this whole week adjusting to days) my floor super would just up and leave whatever she was doing and wander around "My Work Area". Obviously, she hovers which I simply abhor. It would irritate her that she no sooner arrived and I'm looking at her with the question, "Can I help you with something?" She never once entered my work area when I wasn't immediately aware of her presence. I developed this "Boss Alert Radar" when I was in the U.S.Air force and I've never lost it. But it is more than "Boss Alert" because I know when someone (anyone) is behind me, when there isn't really any reason for someone to be behind me. She thought she was being cute one night when we first started working together and came needlessly into my area--stealthily and from three different approaches--more than half a dozen times. Everytime, I stopped the belt, turned to face her, and inquired if she needed something. At the end of the night she asked me what I had against her. I told her I didn't trust people who sneak around...I was irritated with her beyond my normal cautious politeness. She asked a direct question and I gave her my blunt answer. So, there is my pet peeve. I get very irritated when someone hovers when I'm trying to work... > Take care and may your road lead to only good places. Deb >  I'm the writer I am today, only because of all the help I've received from other writers yesterday. |
| 5/30/17 Rescue Tension grew tangible in the make shift transport berth with every passing minute. A four year old boy strapped securely in a child harness secured on a reclining seat next to his mother, fidgeted and hid his face with his arm from the growing crowd of refugees still sliding into g-harnesses. His mother's soothing whispers that everything would be okay, seemed to have little effect. She tightened her grip on his tiny hand as if she would be able to pull him away from all impending harm. Worry and dread shadowed her features as her brown eyes searched but wouldn't find the familiar figure of her husband. Only children and women were boarding this particular shuttle. The moment the last woman and child was secured, the transport shuddered as great rockets ignited lifting nearly two hundred desperate souls toward one of many stellar ships. They road to safety in a vessel designed for inanimate cargo, not for living cargo. Children and adults whimpered, screamed, cried and moaned as the g-forces pressed down without mercy. Mercifully for the pilot, after the initial forty or less seconds of takeoff, most of his passengers lost consciousness and the ten minute trip to Goliath was relatively quiet. Rolf Ungersol was the best pilot this side of the 'verse and he kept the vessel well below the red for launching...but there hadn't been time nor enough g-suits to give to the passengers so any launch inertia that reach escape velocity would be excruciating. He knew medical would be waiting to make sure any broken bones were tended to before SDJ (steller drive jump). Outside, explosive bursts star-flashed around the hundreds of inertia lifts and rocket tranports carrying humanity from the planet's surface. Hundreds of thousands of lives would find refuge within the huge star-transports of which, Goliath was one; but, so many more would not leave the planet in time before the pending geophysical forces tore it apart. Millions would perish with their planet this day. **** Zanghorn was young as captains went but he'd the experience of a life time of space cargo. His thin willowy form strapped into his command chair gave him a bird's eye view of the break up of New Zeus. The horizon within his viewing monitors showed other star transports, some larger than the Goliath, many more smaller, all in the frantic process of a world wide evacuation. He didn't call any world home, having been born On the Star Freighter Goliath, but the Sorbad system was familiar stomping grounds. He had friends on New Zeus. He prayed to the 'verse most would find a way off world today. Just three planetary rotations ago everything was dull routine and then his third officer had received the galactic distress from New Zeus just as they were getting ready to engage their interstellar drive at the edge of the Sorbdad planetary system. They had left New Zeus with a cargo of heavy machinery, having completed a routine stopover and some R and R. The urgency of the distress message required immediate action. Lt. Commander Bishop woke his Captain and within an hour the cargo was dumped on a giant ice planet and the Goliath sped back to New Zeus. Ninety seven hours after receiving the distress call, Captain Zanghorn had all his transports in position to start evacuation. His ship was designed to carry ten passengers and his crew of fifteen, as well as a full cargo. With his cargo bays empty, he could uncomfortably squeeze in seven thousand people, give or take a couple hundred. Finally, after hours of ferrying seventy-five civilians per boat with ten boats per wave and within the last ninety minutes receiving other waves of Goliath's cargo shuttles into the massive hold of his ship, he watched as the last wave approached. This final wave would place him over capacity, he had already passed safe capacity, but he knew his ship and the last loads were mostly women and children. Purposely, he refused to look at the port monitors showing the milling, frantic crowds of humanity he wouldn't be able to lift from the dying planet. Zanghorn pressed the intercom switch on the arm of his chair. "Ali, prepare to receive the last boats. We leave orbit twelve minutes after the last boat is secured, so hustle up down there." Alihm Neshin, a tanned, squat young man who obviously wasn't space born, slapped the com switch near entry bay 5. "But Captain, if we ditch half our shuttles we can gather another couple thousand people." Zanghorn bit his lip. The thought was very tempting. "You have my orders, Mister. Secure the boats and the refugees in about fifteen minutes." *** "Aye, Aye, Captain." Ali shook his shaved brown head and blinked back tears of fear and frustration from pale blue eyes. The Air was always 'fragrant' in the lower cargo bays, but now with all the people crowded in like so much lifestock, the smell was worse than a slaughter house. Fear had its own odor and from this day until he died, Ali would remember the stink of fear. The sound of fear was more unnerving. Here and there the sounds of children crying were hushed by the whispers of their parents. The sound of fear was tensely quiet with brief eruptions of primal cries. *** Zanghorn ran thin bony fingers through his short auburn hair. Another two thousand refugees wouldn't be plausible. He didn't believe there was enough time to return to the surface, load the boats and shuttles, and lift off before the planet self destructed. His eyes strayed to a monitor at one of the departure ports showing part of the crowd left on the surface. A middle aged man held up a child to the skies and screamed. Captain Zanghorn ripped his gaze from the monitor. He couldn't save them. The ship shuddered as ten life boats, docked and locked at their perspective births outside the ship. The shuttles were less noticeable since they slid weightless inside the ship. He watched as one by the one the amber lights turned green indicating the boats were secured and the shuttle bay doors were sealed. "Captain, the last boat is secured." "Noted. Secure the refugees." A molten rip tore through the surface of the planet cleaving green fields, mountains, forests, and cities. Zanghorn's face tensed as he realized he didn't have six minutes, let alone twelve, as he watched the escalation of the planet break up. Suddenly LSO (low synchronous orbit) became deadly. He grit his teeth to hold back his gasp of alarm as the planet diameter shrank and he knew everyone had run out of time. He hit the ship wide alarms and the emergency collision beacons and initiated the emergency boost rockets. The automated warning blared everywhere on Goliath. "All hands brace for collision." and a countdown of less than a minute of the impending collision commenced. "Varner, get us out of here." The pilot didn't answer his captain, his hands were full maneuvering around slower orbiting ships and applying more thrust against what visually appeared to be greater gravity. From his perspective it appeared he was falling toward the planet. In reality the planet was exploding and the faster he pushed the ship away didn't quite compensate for the abrupt speed of the planet debris expanding toward them. "Full power--now. Initiate SD." Everyone aboard the Goliath felt the immense surge of the ship's massive stellar drive ignite. Zanghorn caught sight of some of the smaller ships totally engulfed by the expanding molten planet before they could escape. He gripped the arms of his command chair as g-forces pushed him into the cushions. The intership-com-board lit up like a Christmas tree all red and amber and multi channel chatter filled with screams as unprepared ship's crew and civilians alike were thrown against bulkheads by inertia. He watched his screens showing the rear and peripheral views to see most of the ships on this side of the planet escaped the fiery debris of a dying world. Those class ships that didn't possess stellar drive were caught and lost in a fiery expansion of New Zeus' last death convulsion. saved: 5/30/17 rewrite: 9/2/19 |
| Over 5 months since I've written something...S O M E T H I N G. Okay. Got that out of my system. What now? Well this 'no writing' spell was considerably shorter than the last one...that was a 13 month no write. At this rate of improvement it will be a matter of 'weeks' until my next entry  |
| Live for today- Remember yesterday- Plan for tomorrow. From a fortune cookie. You would think these three instructions on how to take on life would be straight forward and automatic. But how do you "Live for today" without becoming self serving? How do you "Remember yesterday" when so many of the memories are buried in pain? How do you "Plan for tomorrow" when you have no clue what is ahead? Platitudes are easy to speak but, for most of us, very difficult to do. |
| My how time flies when you ignore it. My gardening experience is out of practice. Next year I will know NOT to plant vine crops (melon, squash, cucumber) within 10' of a blackberry bramble. Mind you the Blackberry bramble and the vine crops are thriving being next to each other, but the blackberry thorns make weeding and harvesting (cucumbers are coming on nicely) a blood donating proposition. You might say, I'm giving payment in blood for what I eat out of this year's garden...(e:Rolling). I have two pumpkins coming on nice--though I planted them about 2' too close. I have 1 corn plant out of 20 planted...(the soil pH is off I think...need to research that one) and twice that in beans planted I have maybe six plants. Of the lettuce, arugula, spinach, and carrots I have 1 lettuce and 1 spinach and nothing else...again I think soil pH is the culprit...might also have something to do with the blackberry bramble. Next week I think I have enough incentive to do a serious job search. I've been thinking small up until this last week and the "small" jobs haven't panned out my way. So if I think bigger, maybe I can own a middle of the road job that is out there. Frankly, I'm amazed my funds have lasted this long. But when you're not paying for gas, auto insurance, rent, groceries or entertainment, a couple hundred dollars can last four months. My son has been more than willing to support me and my vehicle died the day I arrived, so I've taken an extended and badly needed vacation from "society." But now, guilt and financial responsibility is becoming an internal/external driving force, and I need to start doing for myself again. |
6/11/17 Sunday Some radishes are coming up. Cucumbers are pushing through the soil too. The rain the last two days has been garden friendly and today is a nice bright sunny day. My writing spree stalled out nine days ago, but I know it will come back. I'm at 15% for kick starting my writing. Good thing I didn't put a time limit on the goal LOL... |
| Garden Journal 2017 5/27/17 I have a chance to plant in a real garden this year. Living with Tim and Ashley and they have a space for a garden. I have adopted a spot by the tent storage to attend. Planting today...nothing big. Some beans, corn and pumpkin. and a few radishes. There is a corner of the kid's (by kid's, I mean my son and his wife) garden that didn't take, so I have replanted three hills with the three sisters (beans, corn and pumpkin). It is a spontaneous experiment on my part. I will have to let the kids know I've replanted the hills in case they decide to do some of their own replanting. The heat of the day drove me back inside. 6/3/17 planted short row of radishes. 6/6/17 weeded and replanted pickles and salad cucumbers 1 hill each. 6/7/17 I have radishes coming up from short row { 2'}: Hot sunny day//still having ant/aphid problems--insects chewing up leaves of cucs & squash & beans. planted hybrid sweet corn, sparkler radish, and heirloom Black Valentine Beans (bush) replanted sweet corn around pumpkin and beans planted two weeks ago. Did some weeding before the heat drove me out of the garden. Placed bamboo skewers along seeded rows so I can Identify them later. |
| A little late writing, had a busy day away from the house and computer. But the fifth step, third day of writing is accomplished. Added a brief characterization, a paragraph, to my ongoing static
Project now 15% complete |
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