It’s time for updates. I’m starting to catch up a little, now that school is done. I’ve made some phone calls, reconnected in person with a few friends and with Tara, addressed some pending items from my To-Do list. The rain FINALLY stopped long enough for me to cut the grass. The bees have been back for a few weeks, and I’m so scared to mow around the bees. They do not like the noisy mower and I don’t blame them, and I get stung a couple times a year. It’s not a big deal and I get over it quickly, but it still makes me scared to mow around them, so I put it off and put it off until, like yesterday, the grass was nearly two feet deep and really bogged down my poor little tractor. Oy. I came up with a brilliant, obvious plan: I’ll buy a bee suit!! If I had protection I wouldn’t be so scared of them.
Tara and their partner, Brynnen, came to visit for a few hours one day. Remember the energy of youth when it would have been no big thing to drive 2 1/2 hours to hang out with Mom, then drive 2 1/2 hours to go back home again? No complaints here!
I’ve been leaving the house more often than I have since early March. Racecar prefers that I remain home at all times, since she’s convinced that my purpose here on Earth is to serve her. I’m still going on my weekly hikes with Dan, and visiting, and I spent an overnight in Seattle helping friends move. So when I’m home, kitty is a bit clingy for attention.
I have friends who just bought a house on Vashon Island in Puget Sound, and were happy to be moving out of their rental place in Kirkland (both in Seattle area). I spent the weekend up there helping. The fun thing about moving to an island is that it requires a ferry to get there. My friend expressed to me his concern that it might feel like being trapped, relying on a once-an-hour ferry to get off the island. But more often I caught him grinning about the new place, which is really beautiful.
I purchased an over-the-toilet cabinet to expand the storage capacity in my tiny master bath. When I finally found a style I liked, I had to change the colour. I did not like the glossy white. So I found a spraypaint called Eggplant that I loved, and began painting all the pieces before I put it together. Then I ran out of paint and the store was out too. I purchased some cans online and Tara found some of the same paint in Corvallis, and brought up a few when they came to visit. I had six brand new cans of spraypaint. Every single one of them was the same shade exactly…and every single one of the new cans was a distinctly different shade than the colour I began with. Tara and Brynnen were suspicious that I was imagining the difference, but I have an artist’s eye and I think the colour difference is obvious and annoying. I didn’t have faith that purchasing even more paint would fix the problem, so I made do with the too-red shade of purple, and painted the rest. Luckily, I had covered most of the outside surfaces in the colour I like, and the bathroom is dark…
I had the time to move the chickens’ temporary pen. Think of it like crop rotations. Those ladies peck and scratch and simply destroy lawn if given the chance. So most of the time I keep them inside their main pen. But I also attach temporary outside pens, because they love eating grass, and chasing bugs and worms that spend time in the grass. I leave them in the temporary pens till the lawn is used up, then I move the chickens to another temporary spot.
For a parting video, I wanted to share this cute one of a busy bee at some wild foxglove growing beside the well house. Watch the first few seconds when a spider makes her rapid exit, then you find out why. ha ha!
Conscious Engagement 
You must have loved you big house and garden during those times of confinement. (I miss having a decent garden here)
Stay safe.
Yes, Brian, having this great big place has made quarantining easy and fun. I’ve been grateful for that so many times. You stay safe too! I think everyone else is in better shape than the US right now, so I’ll keep being grateful for my pretty gardens because I think I’ll be stuck here for a long time.
That’s what our MD daughter says, it may be months still. Stay safe.
Enjoyable update; mind you, having seen the lipstick, I don’t think I’d trust Tara on colour 🙂 Marvellous moment on that video.
ha ha ha!! I told Tara what you said and they laughed!! That was too funny. Yep, I’m confident in my grasp of colour, and I’d never wear black lipstick. Except maybe on Halloween.
I agree with you. The color is NOT the same. Nowhere near the same. You have been quite busy this month. Glad they came up to visit and help you?? ;0 I have huge slugs too. If I find them in the plants, I put them in the green waste bin with plenty to eat. I would love to see deer in my yard! Oh well.
As you know, deer are a double-edged sword. I do love them and they are such a hassle. But still, I prefer battling the deer than having them not show up. They know I’m not serious too, and it’s super funny. I planted a dogwood this spring and they love eating the leaves. I run outside hollering “shoo! shoo!” and they take 3 steps away, and wait until I go back into the house, then they go back and start eating dogwood leaves again. Grrr. Brats.
Thanks for the validation on the colour. It’s too bad. The first colour is gorgeous – I just love that deep dark purple. But the red version is not attractive at all to me. Ah well.
Marlene, I was really thinking that I could come for a visit soon, since most of the state is in phase II and it looked like it was going to be safe to move cautiously about. But…the latest COVID news makes me concerned again. We are both in risk categories and I am uneasy bringing my germs into your world. Whenever you feel safe though, I want to come see you. I miss you. ❤
We will err on the side of caution for a bit longer, Crystal. When it warms up outside we can sit out there. I’ve only allowed my sister to come but she’s on oxygen and hopefully being safe. She’s getting lots of tests for the possible transplant so she’s got to be careful. They had 51 more cases in Clackamas county this weekend so I am staying away from everyone. The mall and bookstore were so empty that it was not a concern. I’ve never seen it like that except before opening hours. I miss you too. Could use some intelligent conversation. 😉 Hugs.
Yup, that’s exactly what I miss: your sharp wit and ready parry. We will be together soon. ❤
Pretty eggplant colour! And happy chickens, and offspring, and kittens, and ferry, and even the deer and the slug. I’m glad I didn’t miss this post.
Awww. I’m glad this post made you happy. I had forgotten that there was a time when we relaxed our pandemic fear, early in the summer. After this visit, Tara and Brynnen stopped by twice, but they would not stay and they would not hug and we wore masks and stayed apart from each other. Such sadness that a virus keeps families apart. I know others have had it worse than me. Like you, not being able to go visit your parents. Yuck. Even the deer and the slug, they are critters doing their critter thing, and not worried about our people worries.