Pelicans and a Full Moon in Everyday Ramblings

Early sunset out here on the Oregon Coast. This morning we watched the full moon set over the Pacific. A sight I have not seen in almost 30 years since I lived near the beach in San Francisco and Kes and Most Honorable had never seen before. Today I was out on the beach walking as the sun came up and the moon set at almost exactly the same time in the remarkably clear dawn.

Because the eye sees the moon differently than our cameras do, the pictures I got do not do it justice as it settled towards the horizon line seeming to get bigger and bigger as it sunk into the atmosphere. It was this huge orange ball that appeared to spread and melt into the far deep blue sea.

I am going to think of this occasion as being auspicious in spite of the tragic horrible news in other parts of the world.

Even though it was near freezing it is rare for it to be so clear out here this time of year. Not to worry, the rains will start midweek and we will be back to a more normal weather pattern. I need to mulch the garden when I get home before that happens. There is something about being out in the cold rain working that is unappealing. At least that is what I thought just before we came out here.

For the kid’s sake, and they do need a break, I hope the rain holds off until after
Halloween.

I did spend two hours yesterday in a Zoom meeting learning about the history of our neighborhood associations, the good and the bad in a League meeting. Many people are all het up about how the current groups are going to fit into our new government structure, so this is a hot local topic. I also survived leading the hybrid meeting earlier this week on Police Accountability.

My oldest sister worked for the Seattle City Planning Department the last 10 years or so of her career and acted as a neighborhood liaison. The meeting made me miss her. She would have opinions, I am sure. A number of the people on the call did.

On Sunday night, Monday morning, there was a completely unnecessary time bound crisis in the other non-profit board I am on. This one about coming up with money to pay for a seminar in film distribution for three of the people who worked on the Shakespeare in the Prison film. They wanted to have an emergency board meeting and I am like…in the next two days between yoga and the League stuff, (which involved making chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies for the Tuesday meeting), I wasn’t sure I had time to read all the long emails and respond…

They figured it out without me, but it was a reminder, oh yeah, people in the arts, sometimes they do things at the very last minute.

I did make the cookies. I had to unpack about half the kitchen boxes and organize things. It was a big breakthrough in post displacement department. It bodes well for holiday baking. I do need to find my better measuring spoons before embarking on the ginger molasses cookies that are a big favorite in my world.

Next week my main teacher starts her Deadlift Club. I wonder if this will finally motivate me to return to the gym. People here are paying less and less attention to the prospect of Covid infection, but I do not want to get it and pass it on to Kes.

I am missing one sister. I want to keep the one I have.

Just in the last month, the buses are way more crowded than they have been since the pandemic started as we get closer to four years ago now. Wowza.

There was a survey done and reported recently in the local paper that says here in Oregon we are the next to the last state in the country in terms of mental health. You can see it out on the street. I sure saw it as I moved through the city to get to the train station.

But for now, we have another day out here on the coast lazing around and enjoying the remarkable weather. I think it is time for another walk. There are violet-green swallows out here we don’t get at home. I find their chittering to be cheerful.

Oh, and lots and lots of diving brown pelicans. Sweet.

Last updated October 29, 2023