Been a while...

 

 

It has been a while... 

 

Wired some of my sunflower seed heads to the pine by the back patio. The  Chickadees made short work of them.  They are pretty cheeky little birds, and not afraid to have Willie and I out there watching.

 

Took a break from working on the hovel and went up the Columbia gorge for a few days salmon fishing with my BIL & SIL and another BIL.  Great couple of days, caught my limit both days! Thanks in no small measure to my BIL.

 

Second day was just my brother in laws and I, as my SIL wanted to stay at the house and can some of the salmon. She sent me home with canned salmon, and her great pickled asparagus to boot! 

Brought home a bunch of fresh salmon to share with another BIL & SIL, a niece & her husband, and a couple of neighbors. 

Not getting as much done around here as I would like.  Need a good swift kick in the backside.  

I'm increasing my walking/hiking. Chucker season is just around the corner, and I want to keep up.

Not too happy about the extra HOA fees that keep getting added on here. I've talked it over with my kids and it may be time for me to sell while the market and rates are good.  I think I have time if the election goes the way it should, otherwise if Biden is elected the market will go to hell.  Considering Idaho, Texas, and a couple other states.  

 

This needs to be my last move, she said tongue in cheek... 

 

Sunshine on my shoulders...

 

 

As I was headed up to the River House for a couple days fishing with my BIL & SIL I got a photo from my Sean.  

He caught two that day out of Astoria.

 Meanwhile, we spent two days on the upper Columbia with nary a bite.  Boats around us were catching fish, using much the same lures we were using.  That's the nature of fishing! Always have an interesting time with my SIL & BIL and what ever other family shows up. 

After 5 times out with nothing to show for it, my SIL sent me this photo of her latest catch!

Then a friend shore fishing a short drive down river from the hovel sent me this photo of his nice catch. 

My favorite way to have salmon is smoked. Gave Sean's girlfriend an ol family recipe for smoked salmon and am anxious to see how their salmon turns out.

I was invited back up to the River House, but decided I needed to get on with the fixits and painting on the hovel.  

Got the ice maker fixed on the refrigerator after much trial and error.  Fixed the garbage disposal, and am trying to figure out a way to remove these screws from the underside of the kitchen counter. Went to harbor freight and got a 11" pair of nippers with a coupon, figuring I could nip them off.  That didn't work, either I don't have enough hand strength or they are just too hard for the nippers.  I might try to borrow a Dremel with a cutting bit to shear them off level with the underside of the counter. The only thing I can think of to get them gone...

 

 

Back to painting.  Found my much beloved trim brushes that I had stashed away at the bottom of a paint supplies box.

 

Not being in a position to hire the painting done, and being big on attention to detail, I'm slowly plugging along. I like the new color, a warm light grey that works well in the PNW. 

 

 

I'm painting over a light baby poop color, and the lighting isn't the best to catch skips, so I'm wearing my headlamp to paint.  With a tablespoon of vanilla per gallon of paint at least it doesn't smell bad. 

The garden is doing well, keeping some neighbors in flowers, and some in veggies.

 While Willie protects the bush beans in the back garden from the neighbors cat.

It has been warm for here. There is no A/C in the hovel so keeping all the windows open at night when it's cool and closed up during the day helps.

 

Rock'n it...

 

 This is my rock stack for today.  I change them up every so often, mostly when I find a rock that's different from the run of the mill rock.

 

 

 

 

 This is part of my little garden rock'n on with veggies and flowers.

 

 

And this is Shasta County, CA business owner, father and citizen, Carlos Zapata, showing up, rising up, rock'n it, bringing his fire, passion and truth. Enough is enough, the silent majority needs to be silent no more...!  

 

Laughing at the rain...

After a fairly long warm and dry spell, it's raining this morning here in the PNW.

Perfect weather for painting, memories,

 and a favorite song by Jon Lord...

"Pictured within"

Here be friends...

Here be heroes...

Here be sunshine...
Here be grey...
Here be life...
Here love lies bleeding...
Memories so hazy...
And dreams that drove me crazy

Here be down...
Here be paradise...
Here be starbright...
Here be pain...
Here be smiles in eyes like rainbows...
My father and my mother...
My sisters and my brother -
Pictured within

Where there're shadows ill met by moonlight...
There are dragons I have slain...
And here be bright eyes with hair so golden...
Sunrise and sunset and running free...
And laughing at the rain

Here be home...
Here be travellin'...
Here be thunder...
Here be blue...
And Sometimes heaven and thoughts of wonder...
The Miracle of children...
A poet and a pilgrim

Kith and kin - pictured within
Lose and win - pictured within

Positives in a crazy negative world...

We had a wedding in the extended family.  I went to the Sisters, OR ranch venue with My Sean.  We do well road trip'n together.  Sean even said on the way back that I was the best road trip'n partner cause there is fun but no drama with me, lol.

None of the social distancing, mask wearing stuff for us.  Hugs and kisses were plentiful all around.

A great time was had by all.

~~~

I'm going to be a GREAT grandma in December, thanks to granddaughter Ali and her hubby, Tyler.

It has been a while since we had a baby in the family, and I'm really looking forward to this new chapter.  They had the gender reveal the other day, and it's a girl! 

~~~

The contractor removed my enclosed deck from the front of the hovel when they resided the unit.  I own the inside, the HOA owns the outside.  There will be landscaping done to the whole complex when all the units are completed.  In the mean time, I planted a garden in that mini space.

Tucked in around the zinnias, are a bell pepper, two tomatoes, a cucumber, a patty pan, a yellow squash, and a zucchini. There are bush beans, cilantro, & basil growing on the tiny back patio.   One zucchini plant, and I'm already freezing them for zucchini bread this winter. But mostly leaving them on neighbors doorsteps and running...