Go Where the Road Leads You

After we got home from a long motorcycle ride yesterday (260 miles!) and after walking Missy, I took a stroll out to the weed patch and discovered the cactus are blooming all over the place. When we first moved here, I didn't even know I had cactus as the weeds and other stuff had grown up over them. When I discovered the beautiful prickly pear, I was thrilled to pieces. It's kind of like having a little bit of Arizona right here in Washington. They have spread out now so I have quite a few. Very low maintenance ~ my kind of plant!

I really enjoyed the ride yesterday. We left at 9:00 a.m and headed towards Oregon. We had in mind that we were going to Ukiah, Oregon.  We stopped to get gas on the freeway before turning off towards Lexington and Heppner. A gnarly guy on a motorcycle pulled up to me and asked if we were part of the group doing the "Ironbutt". I laughed and said no. He then said, "which way  to Boise?" I pointed east. In my mind, I had to question his intelligence. For those of you who don't know, the ironbutt is long distance endurance riding. Some of their rides are 1,000 miles in 24 hours. No, thank you.  As we rolled out of the gas station, we spotted him on the off-ramp pointed towards Idaho but it appeared he was looking at his map. Good man. Wouldn't that just be the pits if he went the wrong way on my account?

When we ride, there is no wrong way. So, we headed towards Heppner. They have a lovely little city park there and we stopped to stretch and see a man about a horse. There were two ladies sitting at a little table they'd set up. They asked if we were in the poker run. What poker run? Seems there were a bunch of bikers headed to Heppner and they thought we were first to arrive. No. We weren't on the poker run.  After visiting a few minutes, we found out the road we were to travel to get to Ukiah was closed due to flooding.  New plan.

We gassed up in Heppner and headed towards Condon, Oregon to stop and eat the picnic lunch I packed and watch the Starlings. We headed towards home and down a road we've never been on before which took us into Arlington and another beautiful city park. While on that road, I spotted two dead snakes and two deer eating grass. I really liked that part of the trip and would love to do it in reverse next time. If there had been a spot to pull off, you'd be seeing a photo of a dead snake here. My favorite kind. Dead.

I was totally fascinated with the starlings. They are mean little birds and they'll take a raven down to the ground and peck them to death. As we were eating lunch, I noticed they kept landing on a branch near us. At one time, there were 3 of them and they all had a mouthful of stuff. It wasn't until I got home and looked at my photos that I discovered they each had several dragonflies in their beaks. They looked at us as if to say "you're next!" Wicked little birds.

We also stopped so I could snap some pics of this old truck and equipment that I see every time we roll down I-84. I'm intrigued by it. I was super happy I had my leather boots and pants on as I had to walk through snake country to get a good shot of this. I can hardly wait to go back in the fall and winter to snap follow-up photos. If these rusty old parts could talk, I'll bet they'd have some great stories to tell of the good old days.

It was an awesome day.  Wonder where the road will lead today?

love, susan 

My Blankie

Blankie.  Did you ever have one?  Do you still have one?

Today, we had a little yard sale. I've been placing stuff in boxes all winter and after pricing it all yesterday, I put it out and sold very little. I was not disappointed. The sun is shining today, I got loads of boxes out of my house. I got to talk to some really nice people. And, we sold a couple of clunky items like a water cooler and an ice chest. I sold my old clarinet that I played some 30+ years ago. It went to a good home where there is someone who may be able to get it in working shape.

And, I gave away this little hand-knitted blankie my mom made for Justin, to the youngest of my neighbor lady's four children. 

She had walked over as I was starting to lose interest in this whole yard sale thing. I handed her oldest son (age 8) an old wind-up clock that Gene used when he was working. That little guy was so interested in how the clock works and he let me show him how to wind it and set the alarm. He excitedly said to his mom, "we don't have to buy expensive batteries for this!"

Back to the blankie.  So, I'm standing there talking to my neighbor and I gave her all the clothes I had on the table ~ including lots of jeans I can't fit into any longer. There was a beautiful black dress I had worn to a fancy gala when I lived in Yuma that I've since outgrown and she said it was perfect for church on Sunday. She was so happy to have it all and I knew in an instant that I was not supposed to make money today.

And then it happened.  The thing that happens sometimes when you least expect it but when it does, it rocks your world and you know you've experienced the sweetest moment.  Her darling, blonde, little baby boy, who looks to be almost 2, reaches into a "free" box and pulled out this blanket, holds it in close to his chest and face and exclaims, "my blankie!"  I wish I could find the words to explain how in a single moment I was transported back 25 years to a time when mine held a blankie so near and dear.  Whew.  I nearly lost it.

People used to tell me, "enjoy every minute ... the time goes by so fast".  They were not kidding.

My takeaway today:  Don't blink too hard ... you might miss the single most important moment of the day. 

love, susan

Forget About It

Forget About It is a common phrase from the movie "Donnie Brasco" starring Al Pacino. 

 

Yesterday, I kicked it into high gear and started marking my items for the yard sale which is tentatively on my schedule for tomorrow. The weather has been so iffy. I won't place an ad on Craigslist until late this afternoon, just in case the forecast is for rain.  I don't do standing out in the rain collecting quarters.  The truth is I haven't done a yard sale in probably 20 years. My sister and I put one together when we both lived in Fairbanks. It's a huge amount of work but it's so much fun to meet your neighbors and visit with people who come by. We have a favorite small thrift store downtown where we'll take all our leftovers in the afternoon.

In the meantime, I went to my movie video shelf and pulled out quite a few movies that we've watched and don't intend to see again. However, as I was pulling them, I was thinking about the ones I'm keeping and how much I love movies. I can hardly limit myself to 10 Top Favorites.  Here they are in no particular order except On Golden Pond which is my absolute favorite.

1.  On Golden Pond

2.  Steel Magnolias

3.  Pushing Tin

4.  Schindler's List

5.  Alien

6.  The Terminator

7.  Jurassic Park

8.  The Trip to Bountiful

9.  Donnie Brasco

10. As Good As It Gets

I could add to this list ad infinitum.

These are just a few of the movies that didn't make my top movie list, although I really like them. If they don't sell, these may not make it to the thrift store.  Who doesn't love Mrs. Doubtfire?  I could go the rest of my life without seeing Pulp Fiction again although I love John Travolta in this film. I watched it last year and I had forgotten how violent it was. There was a time when I really liked that kind of movie but now not so much. The Birdcage ~ OMG ~ I love Nathan Lane in this film.  He's so over-the-top gay in this film and so funny!! Of these 3, I'd pick this as my favorite.

These movies did not make it into the yard sale box.  If you have never seen Dangerous Liaisons ~ it is a must see. Talk about evil! Glenn Close is absolutely wicked in this film. I love the games played in this movie and I always forget how it ends. It gets me every time. 

I absolutely love, love, love anything with John Cusack in it.  Pushing Tin is a nice little sleeper film which also stars Billy Bob Thorton. He plays a weird part.

Gene and I both love Ghosts of Mississippi although I cannot watch it very often because it makes me too angry and sad.

While I was looking for videos, I found a few books I had stashed on the shelf. These are not going in the yard sale. I have yet to read "The Iceman Cometh" but it is next in line behind a book I'm reading now.  So many books and movies, so little time.

I still have a box of books my friend, Kathy, sent me to read.

While I was running around from room to room, Gene made some cool wood hooks to hang up the ladders on the back of the garage. I'm so happy they finally have a place to be that's out of the way.  It's the little things that mean a lot!

So, when all is said and done, I found a few movies on the shelf I haven't seen in a long time. If it keeps raining like it has been, it just might be a movie kind of summer for us. We've had thunder, lightening and rain every day this week. 

What's on your Top Ten favorite movie list?

love, susan

Fluff

June 1st. I love it when a new month starts. I always open up a new folder to drop my photos into. It feels like a fresh start to go out and find some new things to shoot. 

The "Live at 5" concert series starts this Thursday where I live so I'm excited about sitting out at the park, listening to some local music and people-watching. We also have a Farmer's Market right near where I live that starts this Friday. I've never been to it as I've always been working. 

I'm planning to get my things together and hold a yard sale this weekend. I just checked the weather forecast and Saturday looks to be a fantastic motorcycle riding day so I think I'm going to adjust my plan and hold the yard sale on Friday instead. There are plenty of people attending Friday sales ... I was one of them last week!

I found this little metal hanging pot(?) pictured above. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with it until I got home and took some silk flowers I had bought at another yard sale last year and stuffed 'em in it. I've started doing some decorating on the fence as it is just begging to have old junk hanging on it.

I bought this glass, "designer" hummingbird feeder at a yard sale 2 years ago which was obviously a gift from someone as it still had the tags on it. It's been sitting in the original  box on the back deck ever since. Yesterday, I dusted it off, filled it with sugar water and hung it up near a window so I can watch the birds come in. Where are they? I hope they find the feeder.  We had hummingbirds in Arizona but had to take the feeder down because it was drawing ants. I don't like to use the "h" word but I do hate ants.

 

Gene helped me place a tomato plant in the topsy-turvy. Mr. Doubtful doesn't think it will do well. He had the same doubts last year as he was biting into wonderful tomatoes produced by this miracle product. I asked him to just humor me and help me get planted.  

I visited our local Rite-Aid on Monday and they had all their starter plants at 50% off. I wasn't going to plant anything this year but I couldn't resist a half-price sale. I bought enough flowers to fill a couple of baskets along with this tomato plant all for $5.04.  I do love a good sale.

I was out in the corner of our lot this morning, checking a vine and wanted to give you a different view of the herb garden. I just can't tell you how much I love seeing this grow. We arrived here in September 2008, so this is my 4th season of seeing this wonderful event. I can hardly wait for the weather to get warmer as I have a lounge chair with my name on it, waiting for me and a good book. 

Well, I've procrastinated enough this morning. Missy is waiting for her walk and I have many things to do if I'm to put together a yard sale for Friday. I need to get some price stickers from the dollar store and then I will be going from room to room gathering up stuff to sell. It's a lot of work putting together but I have a good start on it already. I need to remember to have fun while doing it.

Hope you have an awesome day ... wherever you are!

love, susan

P.S.  I titled this post "Fluff" because it just is. I've noticed since the sunlight has come back, I am a lot less deep in my thoughts.  For this, I am truly grateful.

Michigan

They made it to Michigan.  Ouch.  My heart hurts. Did you know Michigan is 2,180 driving miles away?

Honestly, I didn't even really know where Michigan was on the map until a couple of weeks ago.  And even then, I only glanced at it briefly because ... well ... that's how I roll. If I don't see it, I won't have to think about it. It's kind of like looking to see where Iraq is on the map ... which I did recently. It isn't that I don't care, it's just that I didn't have a real reason to look at the map. Michigan is a lot closer than Iraq. Always looking on the bright side of things, that's me!

The reality has set in. They've gone on to start a new chapter in their lives. That's what our kids are supposed to do. To me, it seems like just another chapter in letting go ... for me. I'll get used to the idea they are just as far away in Michigan as they were in Arizona. Perhaps we will see them just as often.

Amanda's mom lives in Michigan and although I'll admit I am envious, I'm thrilled at the same time that they won't be far from family. We adore Amanda and her mom. And, here's the part I love ... Amanda's mom adores Justin. If you're a mother reading this, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say this rocks my world.

I have been thinking a lot about when I was first married and setting up an apartment and living life. It doesn't seem all that long ago but it's been 30 years. I remember the excitement of moving into a new place and finding my way around a new town. It's exciting and a little scary at first. Discovering new places to eat and finding things to do for fun.

I hope they enjoy every single minute of their new digs and make new friends quickly. 

In the meantime, I'll be looking at my U.S.A. map a little more closely.  And thinking about "J" and Amanda.  

Which reminds me. I heard Amanda call my son "J" while I was in Flagstaff. It made my heart smile.

love, susan

Riding 10,000 Miles

It's official. I have 10,000 motorcycle miles under my butt belt! We were out for a 100 mile drive today and I knew my odometer would be turning over before we got back home.  The plan was to go all the way to The Dalles and then on to Rowena Point but this chick got cold before I even drove 20 miles. 

When I'm not having fun on the motorcycle, it's not good for me to be out there on the road. We stopped for a cup of coffee out of the thermos and ate the bean burritos I rolled this morning and I told Gene the only thing I could think about was how cold I was.  When I get cold, it's right down to the bone, baby! Luckily, he had an extra thin flannel shirt that I added to my layering and it got me home. Don't call me a wimp. I have survived -60 degree weather along with 115+.  You may, however, call me Princess or truly, I prefer Goldilocks.  I have this small window of temperature where I am comfortable.  It's that niche right between 70 and 75. Today is far from 70.

I bought this motorcycle back in 2005 or 2006 when I lived in Yuma, AZ, from an attorney who only had put 566 miles.  So technically, if you want to get really picky about it, I haven't really put 10,000 miles under my belt. So sue me.  I'm grateful to the guy I bought it from. He practically gave it to me and I have loved it ever since. If you are ever thinking you might like to ride, I would suggest you take a motorcycle safety course. They provide the motorcycles and you'll get your endorsement that way. It will also help you decide if you really want to ride. It's scary out there on the road the first time you take 2 wheels out. After I bought this bike, I drove it around the 'hood in Yuma and just kept branching out a street at a time. Highway driving is not a problem ~ learning to turn your signals on and keeping a constant eye out for what traffic around me is doing is the hardest part. 

Today, we drove through a new round-a-bout and it was a little hairy coming out of it. It's not me I worry about, it's other people ... and quite frankly ... the many distractions drivers have these days.  Not going to get on that soapbox right now.

I always say a little prayer to the motorcycle gods before I roll ~ to please help me be safe, let me be my most attentive self, and if I must die today please let it be quick and painless.  I always ride within my limits and am aware of my surroundings.

Sometimes when I'm riding, I'm thinking about what I'd like to write about next or maybe a recipe I'd like to try. Today I was thinking about the price of gas and how in summers past, we'd think nothing of just getting on the bikes and riding and not think much about the cost. And, oh yeah, I was thinking about what it must be like to freeze to death. 

If you'd read down this far, I decided to throw in a couple of photos of flowers from my back yard as I realize motorcycle talk might be kind of boring.

These little pansies or Johnny Jump Ups (?) came up through the rocks recently. Not sure how the seeds got there but I love surprises!  

The chamomile is starting to bloom now. It has kind spread all over in the herb garden and I'm okay with that.  I think their little faces are so cute ... don't they just want to make you smile?

Hope wherever you are that you've got flowers and sunshine.  I've got to go warm my toes now.

love, susan

Flowers

We took an impromptu trip to the library last night. They have a magnificent flower, herb and vegetable garden which is raised by volunteers. I was amazed by the number of plants flowering already but then realized it IS the end of May. You can't tell by the weather. It has been cold and gray. We had a lot of wind yesterday but the sun came out and gave us a beautiful afternoon and evening sky.

I have a friend who is in roller derby. She told me they practice two nights a week at the rink which is on the library grounds.  So, I got a two-for-one photo opportunity. Enjoy!

That's my friend, Daidra, on the left. It looks like fun until the coach tells each one of them to drop and then the others have to skate around her. Hopefully. Ouch. I did that last October (fell while skating) and my wrist has never been the same since. I'll leave the skating to younger people. There are just some things a 52 year old should not do.

I love the deep color of this Iris.  I didn't know there were so many varieties at the library garden. What a joy to see them all in one place.

The lupine reminded me of my days of living in Alaska. They grow along the lonely highways and really brighten up the short summer months there.

Do you have a community garden where you live?

love, susan

All Rise

Franklin County Courthouse

I know I already wrote a post for this blog today but it's raining and I have these photos I just took from a morning jaunt over to check out the Franklin County Courthouse. I had been there once to deliver paperwork and I've been dying to take Gene there ever since. I don't know when the County renovated this building but it's definitely worth a trip inside to see how beautiful it is.

We walked through security and asked the officers if it was okay for us to take photos today. They said, "Oh yes, we're very proud of this building."  What a nice departure from what we expected.

There wasn't much going on at the courthouse today, which was just fine with me. I didn't want people in my photos anyway!

I don't have much else to say about this except that if you see a building in your hometown that you've always wanted to see on the inside, I hope you'll take the time to visit it. There are lots of other buildings in the Tri-Cities that I plan to just pull up to the parking lot and go inside to have a look-see. I never have time to do that when I'm working so it's one of those things on my list that I want to accomplish over the summer.   Hope this post inspires you to venture out!

"Come this way, please."

Very elaborate, me thinks.

We loved the marble staircase. Wow!!

Hallway into the courtrooms.

Taken on the 2nd floor.

Looking up to the 2nd floor and ceiling.

  love, susan

Bee Happy

"When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited."    ~ Ramakrishna
 **********************************************

Yeah, those darn bees.  I hit one yesterday while rolling along at 70 mph on my motorcycle. You'd think the impact would have killed it but it stung me anyway. What a weird feeling, knowing I'm being stung but having to keep my head together until I can find the next rest stop. When we pulled over, the bee was actually still alive on my shirt. The last time we rode, I had a bee come up underneath my full-face helmet. It walked around on my face shield briefly until I opened my shield and set it free. Don't panic were the words my head screamed. It was like a bad nightmare seeing that bee crawling up my face shield. How one little bee can make a grown woman scream is beyond me ... but I don't like 'em ... at all.

It was a beautiful day for riding yesterday. We ended up in Ellensburg and did a drive-by the University. I'm sorry I didn't have my new camera with me but it's a little clunkier for rode trips. Nonetheless, Ellensburg reminds me a bit of Flagstaff.  I love college towns! I hope we'll go there again sometime in the car so we can get out and walk the downtown area. It's not fun walking with leathers on.

After cruising through Ellensburg, we drove along Canyon Road to get home. The river is swollen and running faster than usual. It was a really nice 5-hour trip but I was glad to get home. I'm not quite ready for those long trips yet ... my back and knee ached something terrible by the time we got home. I think it's just a matter of working myself back into longer rides. (keep telling myself that)

The clouds have rolled back in so today we're going to drive over to Pasco and visit Fiesta Foods for some fresh veggies and I want to take Gene to the Franklin County Courthouse. He's never been inside and it is truly a beautiful building. I'm hoping we can snap some photos while there so I can share them here.

Hope you have a wonderful day, wherever you are.

love, susan

I'm a Tornado

Happy Tuesday everybody. This morning I see blue skies poking through yesterday's clouds which brought rain the entire day. 

We were poking through the Sunday paper and found an ad for an upgraded Kodak camera like mine so we took a short road trip out to Hermiston, Oregon to pick one up. My birthday present to myself.

It's still a point and shoot but the lense has 26X Optical Zoom where my other camera, which now belongs to Gene, has 10X zoom. It's a little hunkier, hence easier to hold, and although all the buttons look much the same, the telephoto button is in a way more convenient place on the body and I'm totally happy about that. I will miss my old camera but luckily it's not going far. I know Gene will be so happy to have his own camera.

On another note, I took a trip to the grocery store yesterday morning and while putting my groceries in the car, I was chatting with a guy about our weather. Admittedly, we complained a little but then he said, "oh, we shouldn't complain ... what about those folks in Joplin, Missouri?"  Talk about putting things in perspective. I was actually grateful for the rain after that short interchange. I watched and listened to a YouTube somebody posted up on FaceBook where a bunch of folks gathered together in a store and recorded the tornado passing over them. I was horrified by the noise of it and also surprised by how quickly it came and went (in less than 6 minutes).  Such devastation in such a short time. I can be a tornado at times.  

So, I woke up deciding to be especially grateful that my house hasn't been torn off its foundation, that I haven't lost all my possessions, and I have electricity and hot water this morning.  It is so easy to take it all for granted. 

How about these strawberries? A previous owner of this house planted them and they sure make a nice decorative front to this place. The neighborhood kids always enjoy picking them. I personally will not eat them as we have far too many cats roaming the 'hood. Need I say more?

Up towards the fence, I planted two rose bushes. One is flourishing and the other is just starting to bud.  I hope I have roses to show you later in the summer.

I cannot close this post without leaving a photo of my very favorite girl I shot with my new camera.  I love this dog so much it makes my heart hurt.

So ... I think I'm going to love my new camera!

Hope you have an awesome day with no tornadoes running through the middle of it.

love, susan

Dog Daze of Summer

Meet Shenzi.  Shenzi was at the K9 American Idol contest yesterday held in Columbia Park. I honestly don't know if Shenzi is a boy or a girl but I looked up the definition of the word Shenzi and it stands for the Lion King so I'm guessing Shenzi is of the male persuasion.  Shenzi has great peeps! When they were on vacation last year, he escaped from the pet-sitter and went missing for a week. My friend, Darice, told me the story of how she finally found him, huddled next to a gravestone in the cemetary. It was February and quite cold here in the Tri Cities. Darice told me they have always walked a certain path so she was sure that's where she'd find him. She placed Petula Oil on her shoes (because Shenzi would recognize it) and walked that path, hoping Shenzi would pick up her scent. I remember following the story last year on FB and feeling the heartbreak of my friend over the loss of her dog. All of us were so happy when he was found. I'm not sure what contest Shenzi was in yesterday but I was happy to meet him.

I loved spending time at the K9 American Idol contest yesterday. We don't have nearly enough dog events here in the Tri Cities but they seem to be well attended when there is one. Yesterday I didn't take my "Missy" because she doesn't really do all that well in crowds of people and, honestly, I really wanted to just enjoy the fun competitions and take photos without the distraction of a high-maintenance dog.

One of my favorite events yesterday was the daschund dash. Those little legs can really cover some ground when they see their peeps behind the finish line. There was even a dog who had paralyzed legs in a cart. He didn't win but he wasn't last either.  The funniest thing I saw yesterday was a runaway wiener dog who took a little girl who was about 8 years old on a very long goose chase trying to catch him. When he got tired of the game, he finally went back to his mama.

I really like this photo I took of two older dogs. They were so sweet and well behaved. It was great fun to just sit and watch the parade of different dogs and people interacting in one place. There are no prouder people than dog lovers. My friend Bonnie,  who is visiting from Phoenix, and I just walked around and visited with people and she got to hold some puppies and I got to scratch chins.

The folks from the Columbia Basin Dog Training Club were there to demonstrate agility. It was great fun to watch the dogs running around the course jumping and weaving through the weave poles. I had Missy in agility last year but she got a bad case of fleas and I pulled her out while I got those treated. We haven't gone back to class and now she's gotten fatter and so have I. It's a little embarrassing when I start huffing and puffing during agility class. Note to self: must get those extra winter pounds off .... soon. Missy is still practicing the weave poles in our back yard and she's really good at it.

It's going to be hard to beat the fun we had yesterday but today is a new day and I'm sure there is fun to be had.  Gotta go now and see what adventures I can find!

love, susan