Bypassing the Snow Directly to Ice in Everyday Ramblings

We just skipped the snow and went right to ice on Thursday night. Other than to change out the bird food on the patio I did not go out at all yesterday. I canceled my class, which made me sad, and listened to podcasts and played with the cats and made some good food choices and cabin fever inspired not so good ones.

I just took this picture. We are above freezing now; it is positively balmy out there and raining. I went to take the garbage out and get the mail I didn’t feel safe (even with grippers) to get yesterday and thought I’d go for a walk. These are the “Zidell” houses. They were built for two daughters of a successful Polish immigrant to Portland in the mid 1800’s. They are the oldest properties on the block next to mine and well maintained.

I took the picture because the bark of the tree out front has this interesting orange sheen and adds a little color to this dark dreary day.

There is no complaining going on here, I am most agreeable to the idea of being able to just plain be outside, raingear and all.

The squirrels, there is a party of four, figured out how to disassemble my tube feeder on Thursday and made off with the critical screw to put it back together. Yesterday I used paper towels to block the open spaces they created and was able to fill it halfway with seed for the finches that I so adore.

The bird feeders are basically something I do for the cats. Reality T.V. They like the squirrels and the scrub jays best but have been known to zero in on a sparrow or junco on occasion.

Carlo was talking to me excitedly when I got home from my walk. Three of the squirrels had managed to get one of the paper towels out of the tube feeder and there is now soggy seed all over the patio floor.

Okay, I know when I am defeated. I need to get a new feeder.

My back has been bothering me again this week, nothing intense, but enough to honor the message it is sending and so other than working and the aforementioned podcasts I did nothing yesterday (well I did meditate and take a lovely bath) and I am relieved to say my back liked that!

For the first time in my life I actually called Washington D.C. yesterday to the Department of Homeland Security and expressed my concern about Mr. Bannon being named as a principal to the National Security Council.

He calls himself a “Nationalist”. To be reasonable and fair I will leave the “White” prefix off that label. In his mind I am sure that he includes the diverse groups of folks that are already here and are citizens (no matter how and why their ancestors got here) as part of the fabric of this country only to be ridiculed when it suits his nihilist objectives.

Anyway this is one of the early days of activism (small as a phone call and large as a march and other forms of resistance) this snowflake intends to participate in.

It feels good to do something. Particularly when the weather and my body are constraining my usual forms of activity.

My heart goes out with those with valid visas right now. The situation is so dynamic and how troubling to decide to leave your family not knowing if you will ever see them again.

Last updated February 04, 2017