Mr. Turtle

Turtle in the San Lorenzo River.

Squirrel Lunch

We found Mr. Squirrel on our way to our own lunch. Squirrels eat with their hands.

Sleepy Cormorant

Or maybe the sun was in her eyes. The Sun!

And More to Come

Here is the first of the Monarchs on our first day in Santa Cruz.

Winners!

Obama came to Portland to give John Kitzhaber some support in his run for governor. We stumped for Kitzhaber and got real good tickets for doing so! Very, very cool! Obama said all the things the papers never print. So disgusting. What a thrill though. Last post until we arrive in Santa Cruz!

Looking at the River

On our bike ride the other day, we ate our lunch at a viewpoint overlooking the Columbia River. Looks like the sky, but it's the river. And maybe a little scary, too?

Dinner at Marjorie's

Marjorie baked a chicken and made a wonderful apple pie in a skillet. Marjorie doesn't get out as much as she used to - health issues, so she invites us over and seems to enjoy hearing of all the busy-ness in our lives. Maybe it's a relief to know you don't run around as much as your guests.

Betting on a Buick

At the official grand opening of the car museum on Saturday! Suddenly it's officially a museum with many cool cars to see.

I'm excited to be seeing lots of different cars, too. Soon. On the freeway. On our drive down to Santa Cruz!!

Funky Chicken House

We stumped for Kitzhaber on Saturday in a cool, inner southeast neighborhood. Most of the houses were splendidly displaying their pride of homeownership, and this one had a display quite its own.

BuzzzZinnia

Didn't see the fly until later, but I reckon they are everywhere. I hope Amanda Mantis finds a few; I wonder where she is.

In The Evening

Light stretches out across the flowers before calling it quits for the day.

Ladder Foot

A relative of Big Foot (not really). I don't know why Eric doesn't have flat feet. Fifteen years ago he stood on ladders all summer, the first time we painted this place, and never complained of sore feet. Mine ache just thinking about it.

Touching Up

Almost time to hang the new storm windows. First we must decide on hardware: need doodads to wind or push open the storms. They are meant to pretty much always stay hung (no switching them out in the spring for screen windows), and will be attached at the top with a way to swing them out at the bottom for fresh air. Hey, you'll have to come back up for another visit to see what I'm talking about! Once we have the hardware, the window guy will come out to affix everything - - - especially his signature to the back of our check!

Yikes!

I hate it when that happens! Know what I mean: you're looking though the camera, then when you move it away your thumb hooks your upper lip and rips a whole layer of skin, right up your face, and it hurts so much you sort of levitate right upside down while standing in the same place? I hate that.

Waiting

Step right up, don't be shy! This ice cream truck is open only as long as the weather is warm. I keep hearing how it'll be colder and wetter than last winter.

New St. Johns Mural

Sweet and simple - and not quite finished - this is part of a new mural that is very visible just as you get to the main part of the main drag.

Amanda Mantis

Here she is sitting on a geranium. I'm not finished with her yet, or I should say, I'm haven't finished her off yet. I put her in a glass salad bowl with a screen on top. She has a couple of twigs, a bit of geranium, a splash of water, but still hasn't eaten the small spider I put in with her. She did get close to it, but hours later hadn't get any closer. So I added an earwig which promptly disappeared under something. Then I messed around with other additions and tried to get her to do something. Is this sort of like the Romans, the lions, and the slaves in the Coliseum? No, that's silly. It's fun science.

Tall Ladder

The fright continues. But it's fun, too. It is - it's like being somewhere else. I stick close to the ladder, usually with my head out the bedroom window. Keeping an eye on things, as though that helps.

Praying Mantis

Found this amazing critter while transplanting a horseradish plant. I don't imagine there is any reason it would be waiting on one plant rather than another, but that's where it was.  In fact, I didn't find it, it found me. I looked at my arm expecting to flick a leaf away and found her sitting there. Then I rushed inside to grab my camera. Luckily she was on my left arm. I took a number of shots wondering just which is the next lens I want . . . . .

Praying Mantis: Stagmomantis californica

Waiting in St. Johns

Things are happening in downtown St. Johns, but this spot seems to always be waiting for something.

Cosmos Galore

Had a bunch of seedlings needing to be planted right before we left on our trip last June. So I put them all in one of the raised veggie beds so Sam, our neighbor boy, wouldn't overlook them. It's been wonderful having so many blooms almost at eye-level.  Zinnias and all these Cosmos.

Publish Post

Here's Looking at You!

A Halloweenish  bouquet for your opening! Thinking of you and eager to hear all about it.