Sunny

Hi! - just back from a trip to visit granddaughter E up in Portland, planned a while back, and it was sunny almost the whole time we were there. I guess that’s why B wanted to go back in the summer, and hopefully catch some weather like we did. E is doing well, she really looks cute in her short hair, and still enjoys herself


I think that’s the flowers-in-your-toes dance, but it might be for the sunshine, who knows. We were able to dine al-fresco, which to her means outside. I guess it doesn’t happen often up there. And we picked some blackberries and marionberries off bushes alongside her house.


Of course, they weren’t just to look at,


I had a whole post composed about ironies, but after reading it over again it sounded too depressing, so I’ll hit some high points. Since moving here we have been planning on redoing the kitchen, making plans and saving money, and finally had a kitchen designer come up with something really nice. I started to order things, and we were all ready to order the cabinets (the expensive part). We were to replace the original 40 year old cooktop and oven, but keep our refrigerator. Well, bad thing: no kitchen redo right now. Good thing: we didn’t order and now have some money to live on while looking for a job. Bad thing: day after B asked why the butter was so soft; well, right, so we now have a new refrigerator and old kitchen instead of new kitchen and old refrigerator.

Buster - you remember Buster, right? He with the one eye?


Well, it was caused by an eye infection that went crazy. Of course, it was in the good eye. The one left has cataracts and he can just see light and dark things not very well. We took him with us (couldn’t leave that old guy home alone now) and he did the trip well, but there was a light spot on his eye when we left. Yup, an eye infection. But lots of meds later hopefully it’s gone away and he can keep seeing: as little as he does see, he can make out the door (to make it back in, no, not out on his own yet) and the couch (to jump up on) and his food and water dishes. Still not doing too badly for an eight pound nineteen year old dog.

Something I realize each summer here: we have the thermostat set at 82f (28c) and when I go sit outside in the 113 (44c) it feels nice, and it’s cold coming back inside. Also, it feels cooler at 113 when there is no breeze, I guess your body cools off a layer of air, and it feels like one of those convection ovens when the breeze starts to blow. Right now it’s 102 in Portland, so we came back at the right time, as this temp is much easier to take with 2% humidity than whatever it is up there.

I hit the internet and read fewer blogs when sitting at home instead of at work and feel like writing a new one less (sorry about that). I think I’ll get a cool glass of tea and take my Harry Potter book outside and read for a while. Yes, we saw the new movie and I’m rereading them all again. Hope you are all doing fun things for the summer.