Shoot the moon

 

A determined, strong person could probably wade across the river now-- this area was underwater just a couple months ago. I'm only here until Monday, but it's been a rough few weeks and I'm grateful for the break. The drive over was about as stress-free as it gets. Other than rain on Snoqualmie Pass, perfect weather and light, polite traffic once I left Seattle.

I often wear myself out cleaning the house right before I leave, but the reward is like checking into a sparkling clean hotel. Of all the small pleasures owning this place, opening the door and finding everything as I left it is the greatest. I've finally gotten to the point where I bring very little over, so unloading is a snap-- a few extra clothes and a couple bags of food. 

Now outside is a slightly different matter. Most of the property is "natural" and the guys mow the lawn, but weeds in the gravel around the house and driveway have been bad from the unusually wet spring. 

Our house is adjacent to a large, overgrown lot, full of a tumbleweed type plant that strews seeds everywhere. A losing battle. It has thorns and a ridiculously skinny and stubborn taproot for such a big plant. We don't have any weeds in that nasty in Seattle. 

I'm not spending all my precious time here battling tumbleweeds, but it is satisfying pulling out the big green ones. Good enough. 

Amanda is taking a carload of kids to the water park in Chelan today. Talk about super mom, yesterday she did 6 hours of remote mental health work, finished her difficult summer quarter schoolwork and took the exam, still made a batch of cupcakes for the park. And a healthy dinner for everyone.

Long story short, I have no one to please but myself today, which sounds blissful. I'll start with a long walk along the river and through town before it gets hot. I have a big, fat novel called "The Historian" to read this afternoon.

John gave me an excellent beginner's telescope for Christmas, but each visit so far this summer has been too cloudy to bother. I finally got it out early yesterday evening, and was pleased with myself for setting it up alone and finding the moon. I know, an easy sloppy target, but you have to start somewhere.

City break

 

I'm taking a short break from Seattle and headed east this morning. More news later from riverside.

National Watermelon Day

I Googled "vintage watermelon images" and came up with all sorts of cringe worthy stuff. Here's food for thought on National Watermelon Day:  

How America Normalized Racism: Watermelon

Cool and calm

 

Have you heard of "brute plants?" I don't know what that 10-foot feathery thing is. I bought it as a little slip at a garden we visited during the pandemic. Probably something that thrives in fens and has no business in a city flower bed.

It was nice to sleep in a cool, quiet house last night. Well, it's never entirely quiet in our bedroom because the running fridge is a few steps away. But after hearing the fan blow for days, I didn't even notice it for a change. But what deep and sad dreams. My mind must be finally letting go after so many sleepless nights.

Here we are in August, the summer transition month. In western Washington at least, you can feel the subtle changes in the light and air. Yes, there will be some hot dog days, but weeks after the summer solstice and we're past the point of peak heating. The days are noticeably shorter.

Summer, do your worst!
Light your tinsel moon, and call on
Your performing stars to fall on
Headlong through your paper sky...

From "August" by Dorothy Parker

Massage

 

What first comes to mind with massage is undressing in a private room, soothing new age music, soft lighting, the quiet voice and gentle strokes of the masseur. A big bill plus generous tip.

In Seattle, there's a different kind of no-nonsense massage available on walk-in basis. Most neighborhoods have at least one Chinese foot massage establishment. Our West Seattle has "Sunshine Foot Massage" on California Avenue, just a 5-minute walk from the house. 

Foot massage is a bit misleading, because it's actually an entire body work over on a table in an open room. Or you can request what I call "the rack," which is a seated chair massage specifically for the back. 

Many years ago I was in China for Microsoft, head-achy and jet-lagged, so I booked a massage at a hotel for a treat. Not knowing exactly what to do, I started to undress in front of the masseur. She got very upset "no, no no the cloth stay on!" I felt pretty ignorant, which is a common feeling traveling in China.

Traditional Chinese medicine is thousands of years old. The philosophy revolves around maintaining and  restoring health by opening blocked energy channels. Now, if you break your leg or (God forbid) have a heart attack, conventional western medicine to the rescue. But with the emphasis on drugs and treating after-the-fact medical conditions, it's been a dismal failure when it comes to keeping Americans healthy. We are sicker than ever.

Anyway, since the start of the pandemic, I haven't had so much as a pedicure, much less a massage.  It's sad. I decided to be brave and try our local foot massage for this annoying upper back muscle pain.

 

Not wanting to lay in a room with strangers, I choose the acupressure chair treatment by the front door. My masseuse (aka torturer) was a elderly Chinese gentleman with hands like Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

He had this uncanny ability to zero right in the most painful spots and dug in there without pity. There was a formidable language barrier, but I guess expressions of pain are universal, so he laughed and lightened up a little. Not much. I could almost hear him thinking "this is what you need."

It was intensely therapeutic, not pleasant at all, but finally releasing some of those knotted muscles and getting the circulation going again. The day after, I was so sore (lactic acid build up) I self-medicated with some leftover pain pills in the medicine cabinet. (Thank you, western medicine.)

I also had an acupuncture treatment this week, and get a second one tomorrow. But that's another tale. 

Long story short, I'm feeling much better and our multi-day heat wave has finally broken.

Heat wave

 

Cooking sure gets old during a multi-day heat wave. We shared a small grilled steak last night and I made an oriental noodle salad. I drank too much iced white wine. It went down easy.

That salad looks refreshing, but the dressing was kind of cloying. Who puts a third cup of peanut butter in a salad? A couple tablespoons would have been enough. That's what I get for following exact Internet recipes.

Anyway, it's been hot, hot, hot. Not that long ago, a single 90 degree day in Seattle was unusual; a 5-day string unheard of. It should finally break by early next week when we get our beloved "marine push" off the ocean and temps drop to the high 60's.

Of course it's even hotter in central Washington. Triple digits. The kids walked down to our place by the river to cool off with a picnic last night. Amanda said it was beautiful and peaceful. Gosh, I really start to miss the place after a couple weeks in Seattle.

Maya always finds something enchanting to look at.

In other news, we're finally getting things sorted out with the electrical company. We'll know after the same electricians return next month to complete the job. We hope.

This has gone back and forth for days and consumed much of John's time and energy. For which I'm grateful, because he speaks their technical language and knows what the heck they're talking about. What I know about electricity you could fit in a thimble. And when it comes to working through bids with a fine tooth comb, there's no one better.

Dear friends and family have a good weekend wherever you are.