Keeping it Local in Everyday Ramblings

Up on the big hill this morning in the fog. The rain finally stopped, and it felt good to be out and moving. There was some flooding and evacuations out near the coast and the place we were at just a few weeks ago got a record setting amount of rain. We’re fine here. There was a tree down up around the corner from where I took the picture though. The ground is saturated and with all the damage late last winter…

When I went out to get the mail one day recently the family of the older slightly demented woman that owns the house across the street but lives at the beach were hacking away at the three unusual Jujube trees over there. She complained to me about them last year and I thought they were taking them down.

But no. They were doing some shaping and pruning and the trees actually look better bare, with the brownish red Chinese dates on the highest branches and the dark-eyed juncos have breakfast.

The Locusts where I saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings for the first time ever are all down now. They are redoing all the power lines on the big street. There have been replacement poles appearing on the grass or alongside a curb around the neighborhood for weeks.

One of these house flipping outfits bought the run-down house for $330,000 that I was so curious about with all the boxes on the front porch and vines and ivy growing over the rotting front steps. They have laid a new concrete slab along the side and painted it a lovely green. The problem is they chose bright orange as an accent for the window frames and door and beige for the porch and steps.

No shade on color blind people but it looks like that is who made the color decisions here.

The house was built in 1914, so it is a bit on the newer side for the neighborhood. Same year my mother was born. The house next door is about 30 years older. Sometime in the 70’s they took off the front balcony and the covered wide front porch under and expanded that house out closer to the street. You would never know those porches had been there now. It is well (and tastefully) maintained.

This month our League focus is on immigration and specifically on newly arrived Afghans here. Some of the lucky few that got out. We have a webinar on it next week and then a discussion the week after. This thing happening in Belarus is horrible. And Ethiopia. Everybody needs someplace to be.

I got “my” Jacquie Lawson electronic Advent calendar a few days ago from my niece. This year the scene is in London. I like the more cottage town ones better but this one might grow on me. You get your own festive hideaway that you can decorate (no orange in sight) and play games in while you get ready for December. I decorated “my” tree with blues and greens.

It is so much easier than having a real tree with the cats.

They came to live with me 7 years ago this week. Kind of wow at that.

I think Diego was a little traumatized by me going away this time. When I have been out and come home, he follows me (usually into the kitchen because washing my hands is still the first thing I do when I come home) and cries until I either pick him up or let him jump on my shoulders. He is also doing quite a bit of supervision. He is standing about 5 inches from the laptop as I type this.

I have half a butternut squash I need to cook today.

Tomorrow I walk with Mrs. Sherlock and Frieda. I haven’t seen them in person in weeks though I see her most mornings in class. Otherwise, I am hoping for an easy relaxed weekend with no drama.

Got that world?

Last updated November 14, 2021