When we were looking to move from our rented house in Clackamas, one day when I was out driving, I saw a for sale sign for our present house. We arranged to take a look at it right away, and the minute we walked through the front door we saw a sunset like this one, and knew that this was the place for us.
Nothing like getting behind. Trying hard to catch up! I don’t know why I’ve been having such a hard time updating this bloggie. It’s been a hard bunch of weeks and lots of appointments and stuff to do doesn’t help. We’re still doing the food deliveries, and I’m glad that grocery stores are helping out to feed needy people and veterans. Oh yeah…it’s Tour de Fleece right now, so I’ve been spending a lot of time at my spinning wheel, too.
In 2021, we had a clutch of Violet-Green Swallow babies growing up in their little house. But then horrendous hot weather happened, 112° (44°C), and despite our efforts to save them, they didn’t make it. I was devastated, and for three years we’ve had no more babies.
But this year, we have some! I noticed Mom and Dad Swallow checking out the house several weeks ago, and to my delight, before too long I heard tiny cheeps coming from inside the box! The parents are working tirelessly to keep their babies fed, and I was lucky enough to get some videos of some of the action. Enjoy…and turn up the volume so that you can hear the babies, too!
I’ve learned first hand that grief has its soft edges, and it also has hard edges. I still feel the jagged ones about my dad’s suicide, even though it’s been over fifty years now. I’ve been feeling the sharp edges about my special friend, Carol, for the past week, too; it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost four years now since she walked through that door without us all. Because the edges have been so hard to bear, I suggested to Nolemana that we drive up to Rowena Crest, knowing that the Arrowleaf Balsamroot and the Lupines would be at full bloom. Carol loved it there so much, and I wanted to not only go in her memory, but also hoped that somehow she’d be able to be there with me. I knew I’d cry, and I did, but it ended up being a good decision to go.
We started up the Columbia River Gorge, and just before we got to Corbett, we saw a train!
A Mānoa Girl's Bloggie 