Oh, what a strange and sad way to end the most beautiful month of the year, with an overload of wretched news. Please send your long distance thoughts and prayers down to Florida this morning, where our super brother-in-law Ted is recovering from surgery.
The smiles have been few and far between, but here's a bit of sunshine. Dad looks happy and getting settled in to his new life. Thanks, Marji for the pictures.
New resort wear and a new treadmill...
"What day is it?" "It's today," squeaked Piglet. "My favorite day," said Pooh.
The hummingbirds are delirious with happiness. I can hear them outside the bedroom window, snapping and clicking while I'm drinking coffee right before dawn. It's my favorite quiet time of day.
Maybe they just sound happy? Hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive bird species, despite their small size. They will even attack eagles and crows. All their favorite flowers are blooming right now so there's plenty for everyone, but hummingbirds are not into sharing when it comes to the magnificent red Crocosima Lucifer.
The average hummingbird weighs 3 grams, less than a nickle. The hummingbird’s heart rate is more than 1,200 beats per minute. A hummingbird can consume anywhere from half to 8 times its weight in "sugar"
daily. They also eat soft bugs for protein. They can see and hear better than humans. They are very smart, and can remember every flower they have been to and how long it will take to refill with nectar. A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom. A human brain is about 2% of total body weight.
We are enjoying a beautiful stretch of summer weather. The marine layer pushes in overnight, so the morning are cool and grey, but it burns off to a perfect 75 degrees by afternoon.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of John's mother. She died suddenly this weekend at her home in Powell, Ohio. She was a beloved mother, grandmother and friend. She will be dearly missed.
Wilda was born in Columbus, Ohio on January 11, 1928. Like my parents, John and Wilda started married life in 1947, with nothing except their love for each other and the desire to work hard for a good life. They sacrificed, saved, and raised four children. She was a wonderful homemaker, and also worked at the Columbus Museum of Art and the Pontifical College Josephinum.
John and Wilda were part of the greatest generation and lived the real American Dream. They took each day as a simple gift, with appreciation for each other and what they had. When John passed away in April 2015, they had been married for almost 68 years.
Our hearts are heavy with the loss, but Wilda and her beloved "Johnny" are together again in a better place.
Walk Slowly
If you should go before me, dear, walk slowly Down the ways of death, well-worn and wide, For I would want to overtake you quickly And see the journey's end by your side. I would be so forlorn not to descry you Down some shining highroad when I came; Walk slowly, dear, and often look behind you And pause to hear if someone calls your name.
Dad and Dave had a safe and enjoyable trip to Las Vegas. Dad is getting settled in this weekend, and on Monday goes shopping for a new treadmill and some summer clothes. Marji's wiener dog "Doodles" has already found his lap. Yes, I believe that is a little smile on Dad's face.
A horse's stifle joint (in the middle of the hind leg) is the equivalent of a human knee.
It's sometimes called the "Mother of all Joints" because it is the largest, most complex joint in the horse. The stifle lifts the leg upward and forward, so it's critical to moving. There are lots of ligaments in there (connective tissue that attaches bone to bone) to hold things together and keep the joint stable. A thin capsule filled with fluid helps with shock absorption and lubrication.
Just like the human knee, the horse's meniscal ligaments are prone to tearing. In a horse, this can be a game-ending injury.
A few weeks ago, Dolly's cherished horse Spanky became seriously lame. An ultrasound exam indicated the bad news that it was a probable meniscal tear in the stifle joint. We were devastated. But the problem with stifle injuries is they are difficult to accurately diagnose. Arthroscopic surgery is the ultimate procedure, giving visualization of most of the joint interior. But as you can imagine, horse surgery is a big deal, in every way.
Dolly made the hard but good decision to do it. She moved Spanky from his barn in North Bend to the Emerald Downs racetrack. Along with Spanky, Dolly is a partial owner of racehorses, so fortunately they had an open stall for him there. The arthroscopic procedure was scheduled yesterday at the racetrack surgical facility, performed by an equine veterinarian from Washington State University. In short, he is the best there is.
Three of Dolly's friends (myself included) went along to provide some company and support. We were all allowed right in the operating room. It really was a privilege watching these professionals work, and quite amazing how they safely handle such massive and unpredictable animals.
He is under general anesthesia here, being lowered (by a crane) onto the operating table. His vitals were carefully monitored the entire time by a team of doctors.
And now being draped with his hind leg thoroughly scrubbed.
When all is ready, the doctor inserts the scope through several small incisions. With us looking on anxiously, and wondering what we were seeing? Good or bad?
Now don't be scared! Spanky is going to be fine! This is how a horse is gently removed from the operating room to the recovery room:
And in about an hour, he was walking back to his stall with us:
A bit groggy but looking pretty good overall, and happy to be with his friends again at the barn.
Good news, bad news from the vet. He has some tendon and cartilage damage, but the all-important meniscal looked OK. Spanky has a pretty decent chance to make a full recovery, but he needs at least 3 months of stall rest-- a bummer during the summer riding season. It was a quite a day for all of us.
Our brother Dave and Dad are setting off on a road trip this morning. Dad is checking out of the Cripple Creek Care Center right about now, and heading to Las Vegas where he has a new home with our sister Marji.
They plan to cross the Colorado mountains today, spend a night on the road and arrive in broiling Las Vegas tomorrow afternoon. Dad has a lovely (air-conditioned) room waiting for him, and a new life closer to his family. He is a brave and amazing man at age 92. An inspiration to everyone who is lucky enough to know him.
And it just goes to show, you are never too old for the next adventure. God Speed, guys!
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder...
LED ZEPPLIN lyrics
The laurel hedge is tamed for another year, but we have another saga to add to the long list of hedge stories. Colin's workers got a late start on Monday morning. After a few hours, they managed to cut a wimpy foot or so from the top and sides. They got creative (or lazy) and trimmed out a nice curving bulge where it had grown into the yard, instead of hacking the monster back. Well, in fairness, the hedge has fooled many strong men, but this would not do. When Colin showed up at 2 pm, he basically had to start over. Which is a very late start indeed, even for the longest day of the year.
To make a long story short, the hedge-cutter, blower and chopper were still roaring at 9 pm. Yes, it was annoying, but since we are quiet as church mice 364 days of the year, I hoped our closest neighbors would forgive us.
However, we live in a tightly packed neighborhood. After 40 years, I only know a handful of the people around us. And of course, many new people are moving into apartments and condos. A violently angry man showed up. The noise must have triggered his insanity. He challenged Colin to a "fight in the alley" and made wild threats about "what the City will do to us."
Yes, I apologized profusely and agreed it was a rude noise on a summer evening, but I thought we were just under the wire, regarding Seattle's night noise ordinances. It was finally over by 9:10, and a deafening silence descended.
Fortunately, Seattle arborists tend to be pacifists, and Colin told the demented man that a fight wasn't a good way to "settle things." As for The City, I guess we'll just have to wait and see if an excessive noise citation shows up in the mail. I think the Seattle police were too busy that evening to investigate yard noise. But if the crazy man had a weapon, it would have been a different but sadly familiar story. The poor fellow ran in circles for a bit, then disappeared back into the Urban Village. With luck, I'll never see him again.
I know I should be more Zen and let these things roll off me, but it was very unsettling. I couldn't sleep. People are so violent and angry, just turn on the news! It's impossible to go through a day in Seattle without seeing some example of road (or other) rage.
But behind the green wall this morning, life is once again quiet and peaceful.
The summer solstice and full Moon coincide tonight--a rare event. The last time a full Moon landed smack on the solstice was 1967. If you were a moon-calf then like me, you will recall the poignant Summer of Love. The full moon and June solstice won’t fall on the same date again until June 21, 2062. Enjoy the strawberry moon and the fleeting pleasures of June.
In Scandinavia, the solstice is known as Midsummer, and the day is celebrated with "copious amounts of herring, vodka, singing,
and a dance around the maypole. Throughout much
of Europe, it's referred to as St. John's Day, and is honored with
bonfires and dancing, and in some cases, a naked sprint across town." (From CNN.com.) Sounds like an ordinary summer day in Sweden. Ha!
St. John's Eve
Manx Wytch
The element associated with St. John's Eve is fire. John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus, so his birthday was fixed on June 24, exactly six months before Christmas Eve. It's unusual for the church to commemorate a saint's birthday instead of their grisly end. The Christian Feast of Saint John's Day eventually mingled with much older pagan solstice traditions.
Here's something I learned today, if you can believe what you read on the Internet. The composer Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain (made famous in Disney's Fantasia movie) had nothing to do with Halloween. It was originally titled St. John’s Night on the Bare Mountain.
The first version appeared in 1867 and was revised around 1872 and
again in 1880. In this last version Mussorgsky added a beautiful
quiet ending. A church bell announces the dawn, and a midsummer sunrise
chases away the evil spirit.
The lovely month of June always seems to fly, no matter what the weather. By Sunday, we should finally break out of this cool pattern. Despite all the clouds, there was almost no rain in Seattle. Monday will be blinding sunshine and 80 degrees for the Solstice. Colin says he is finally coming to cut the monster hedge. He will have almost 16 hours of daylight to work. Since I pay him by the hour, I hope that is not the case.
This is the month of Ramadan for 1.6 billion Muslims, 22 percent of the world's population. Devout Muslims abstain from all eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. And that is a very long day when sun rises at 5:11 am and sets at 9:11 pm. I was at a local copy shop this week picking something up, and the nice men who work there were chatting about Ramadan. It is not considered work or a burden, and they were certainly cheerful late in the afternoon, being so hungry and thirsty.
The purpose of fasting is to exercise self-control, cleanse the mind, body, and spirit and become closer to Allah. It is also a reminder of the suffering of poor in other parts of the world. Christians of course fast too, for many of same reasons: to humbly deny something of the flesh to glorify God, enhance our spirit, and go deeper into prayer life.
The nights during Ramadan are spent feasting and celebrating with family. Someone of course (women) must prepare all that food during the day. It's one thing to be busy at work, but how difficult that would be, cooking all day and not tasting a single morsel.
Well, there won't be any fasting around here this weekend. For Father's Day I promised John a homemade coconut cake. For a little cooking challenge, I'm defrosting a semi-boneless lamb roast to make on the grill Sunday with a nice Greek salad.
It's Sweet to be Remembered No one’s remembered much longer than a rock
is remembered beside the road
If he’s lucky or
Some tune or harsh word
uttered in childhood or back in the day. Still how nice to imagine some kid someday
picking that rock up and holding it in his hand
Briefly before he chucks it
Deep in the woods in a sunny spot in the tall grass.
June 15th is Smile Power Day. This sad world could use more sincere smiles, so share some today.
Pam Am Airlines once trained their flight attendants to put on a fake smile to hide just how upset their customers made them. It didn't work.
The "say cheese" smile does not use the eyes, so it doesn't trigger the limbic system (the part of the brain that controls basic emotions.)
The Duchenne Smile
The Duchenne smile is controlled by the the emotional center of the brain. This smile is named after French neurologist Gillaume
Duchenne. It's guaranteed to give
those who see it a little rush of serotonin. It involves smiling with
your mouth and eyes and has some involuntary contractions in it, so it’s
hard to fake. It's easy to spot a fake smile because it doesn’t use the eyes.
When the mountain puts on his hat, it's usually the sign of approaching rain. When this happens, the conditions are right for cloud formation. As air flows, the mountain creates just enough lift
that it cools the air few degrees and it condenses into a cloud. When the air sinks down the side of the mountain, it warms and dries out and goes back to being invisible. There's a 70 percent chance of rain in Seattle when Mt. Rainier gets out his umbrella.
I see it's scorching hot across the country, but we're always the weather contrarians up here. Our weather has turned unseasonably stormy and chilly. Amanda, Tom and the kids are backpacking! with another family this week along the coast in Olympic National Park. What an adventure with four kids on the trail. After the backpacking, they plan to spend a few nights in relative luxury in their trailer at the Kalaoch Beach campground. They've been out of cell phone service since Saturday, but I hope to hear from her later today.
Rembrandt self-portrait with his (little) wife Saskia
We went downtown yesterday to see the new Graphic Masters exhibit at SAM. We got there early and had the galleries pretty much to ourselves. The hundreds of prints on display are small and would be hard to see in a jostling crowd, like you usually have to fight at SAM openings.
It was nice if you like prints, cartoons and drawing, but I wonder if this exhibit is flashy enough to have wide appeal. It was unusual that photographs were allowed inside, and instead of shooing you away from the framed art, the museum provided magnifying glasses for a close look.
There was a large collection of Picasso etchings.
No matter what you think of his later art, that man could draw and conveys so much with just a few fine lines.
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
Goya
There were dozens of bizarre and lurid prints by Hogarth and Goya.
The Book of Genesis
Robert Crumb
And if you were around in the 1970's, you remember the cartoonist R. Crumb (Fitz the Cat, Keep on Truckin', etc.) In 2009, he illustrated the entire The Book of Genesis in a literal (not ironic) comic book form. The entire thing (hundreds of framed pages) was on display. Whew. By the time we got through the first chapter of the Old Testament, we had worked up an appetite for lunch and walked to PF Chang's.
PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This is my favorite dish. They give you a head of crispy iceberg lettuce to pull apart and make extremely messy "tacos" with the filling.
John had the more dignified spicy chicken with rice.
After lunch, we said "let's stroll through the Pike Place Market on the way back to the car."
Ha. So crowded with tourists on Sunday morning was impossible to move, much less shop. These days the Pike Place market attracts 10 million annual visitors. The old laid-back Seattle is long gone. We headed back home for a peaceful afternoon in our Urban Village.
The jasmine is beautiful right now. It's overgrown but I won't prune it until it finishes blooming. The back deck is drenched with the fragrance. Jasmine belongs to the Genus ‘Jasminum’ and includes over 200 species of
plants, most of which originated in tropical areas. This particular star variety is very hardy, and has been growing carefree in this spot for over 25 years.
It's a pretty sight from the kitchen window, too. Perhaps flowers were first living things people came to appreciate that were not linked with survival? The simple appreciation of beauty for its own sake was surely the most important event in the evolution of human consciousness. The name jasmine comes from the Persian word ‘yasmin’ meaning gift from God.
I bought a package of Copper River salmon at Costco yesterday. Of course they only sell enormous packages of whole fillets, but I froze some and this will make four nice meals with more generous portions that you will get in any Seattle restaurant.
The Copper River is a 290 mile long river in south-central Alaska. The river's delta is over 700,000 acres, making it the largest coastal wetland on the Pacific coast of North America. It is used by 16 million shorebirds, including the world's entire population of western sandpipers and dunlins.
The spring run of 2 million Copper River salmon are prized for their high fat content. The fisheries are managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Department of the Interior.
The commercial salmon season in the region is highly regulated and very brief, beginning in May with periods lasting for just a few hours or days.
I think fish this special deserves careful but simple preparation. Of course it's good on the grill, but that can be tricky because salmon dries out so easily.
Here's a good indoor method. Start skin-side down in sizzling butter with a touch of lemon juice. After the skin browns, it peels right off. (Make a neighborhood crow happy.) Then let the top brown a bit and turn the fillet once more. It only takes a few minutes from start to finish.
Donald Duck first appeared in the cartoon The Wise Little Hen. The film's release date of June 9, 1934 is officially recognized by the Walt Disney Company as Donald's birthday. It's a little gem of a cartoon if you have 7 minutes to spare for a smile.
I've been walking by taking pictures of this construction site for over a year. It's on California Avenue, just a short distance from us. A block of low profile, older buildings were torn down to build a five story apartment complex.
This is just one example of the major housing projects forcing growth in West Seattle. Many of us believe this geographic area can't support that kind of population density. The developers, of course, disagree. But the narrow streets are clogged with parked cars and traffic, and the bus transit system is overloaded. The drive out to the freeway over the one bridge is a bottleneck.
And at what cost to the old quiet neighborhoods? Notice that row of houses above the construction site. Those folks once enjoyed unobstructed west views of the Olympics, afternoon sunlight and sunsets.
This is the excavation hole, and a giant wall they built to hold up the the hill.
And the floors started to stack up...
and up...
and up.
I drove along the street behind the complex not long ago and it was a sad sight. Instead of a view, these people now have a dark wall of glass and steel right in their backyards.
You can see the top of one poor little house still peeking through, where they left a gap between the buildings.
We can see the top of this building from the kitchen window, and the morning sun comes up a few minutes later at our house.
There are 134 units, and a 2-bedroom, 800 sq. foot apartment rents for a staggering $3,000 a month, plus utilities, parking, pet fees, etc.
Here's the promotional video for the apartments you will enjoy, showcasing our vibrant and laid-back Admiral neighborhood. Who wouldn't want to live here? There are no old people. Everyone is young, attractive and hip.
"I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born. The intellect is a cleaver; it discerns and rifts its way into the secret of things."
Henry David Thoreau
