Hither and Thither

On a recent email to Hannah, I remarked that my day was full of blog worthy events, but now I can't recall anymore than that they were a mix of work related readings and doings and ranch diversions. I tend to multi task due to general restlessness and the need to avoid sitting too long. I don't keep a regular journal like I used to which brings me to ask Mary questions like "What did we do yesterday?" or even "What day is this?"

To keep track of work I want to document, I am using a little iPhone app called "TimeLogger" which lets me set a time and categorize the task. With July on the horizon, it will be too soon that I need to return to work. One of the tasks I set for myself was something of reinvention, at least sorting again through strengths and interests to package and market to the administrative work I do for the school district. Perhaps that will be what you hear about next.

It has been hot, dry and windy. But this morning, rumblings over the mountains brought coolness.

Working in the Garden

Actually, it is mostly a flat of sand and rocks. The automatic sprinkler I set out didn't work too well with the water turned off at the pump, but I soaked the spot after we arrived. This morning I set beet seedlings in peat pots into the now wet sandy soil. Does "loess" describe what we are dealing with? It's better than the clay in Loveland.

Mosquitoes are out, but this morning I noticed lacewings landing on my hands. I am about to go to the Pipe Dream East to secure hinges to a shed door and will stop by the river to look for them there. The river is still fairly high and swift, but much less muddy. Snow pack estimates were put, from mountain readings at 101% of normal, but some experts contend the river flow will be more like 60-70% of normal.

The forecast is for 86 today. The Basinger family will be hosting a farewell meal and get together for a foster child leaving to join the military. Lebanese food has been prepared. We'll head out for perhaps warmer wetter in the Antonito area where the rendezvous will be held. My back has been very still and sore upon rising after sitting, but I think I will be able to enjoy the day after some garden stretching to plant those beets.

The bigger picture and gardener's shoes

west section: carrots, beets, garlic, something else...

Happy tractor operator, before the tire went out.

NEUROptera !

Father's Day 2011

Hello, All

Thanks for the Fathers' Day visit and gifts. Eve, here are pictures of most everything except the lovely pictures Pele drew for me, Mary's New Yorker subscription and the bag of pretzels I munched with a beer while resting my aching back.

 The owl mobile from Hannah is the same brand as the Blue Heron mobile Mary brought home.

 Another from Hannah, a fish wall hanging.

 From Mary, some fancy schmancy "fish bone and skin tweezers".

 From little acorns might oaks grow feltings with natural acorn caps.

 A "paisano" cup with some santa fe style incense sticks.

 From Jessica, Shane, Claire and other stuff with Mary, a book of Papa Poetry.

 No celebration is complete without a skull.

And from Hannah, the Dad Sauce.

I neglected to add Jarrod's tea, all the way from China! Jasmine and Ginger - Can you tell which?

And here's one more gift I neglected to share; Claire likes the shade-grown, I like the taste.

Love you all, Dad

The Owls are Back

Greetings from the San Luis Valley!

Unlike the previous two summers, the owls are back to the ranch sooner with plans to stay at least a bit longer. Roger's last contract day was Tuesday 7 June. Monday and that Tuesday, however, were spent attending Colorado Dept. of Ed. sessions at UNC. Wednesday was a freebie for the district as he wrapped up some loose ends then it was off to the ranch Thursday. Since Roger and Mary have been back, they have visited the Kelsos up the street at Sargent district, started watering the dry lawns, and planted a garden, more on that later. Shane helped Roger return the front right tractor tire and he has tried his hand at fishing. The river is terribly swift, muddy and high for fishing, but Shane has enjoyed walking to fish. More briefs, and maybe a theme later.

Happy Birthday Hannah

On the occasion of Hannah's birthday, I thought I'd shoot out a quick post. Feeling poorly after days of Pele's feeling poorly took its toll on Hannah. But by the afternoon, she was perky enough to come by with Jeremy and Pele to enjoy a piece of Mary's angelfood cake and take in the gifts from Mary, Eve, Claire and me. I crafted a simple two stick mobile with a bird and butterfly trinkets from Tesoros in Austin. Claire and Eve sent a loteria set and a card and Mary provided the rest. Pele fell asleep before arising with Jeremy sitting watch in the car with her until they both came in for gifts and cake. After they left, we had had desert first, I grilled the chicken I had marinated in lime and chile flakes for soft chicken tacos with cabbage and avocado and topped with sour cream and chipotle salsa. Shane called earlier to say he hoped to leave Ann Arbor for Loveland sometime mid-week. Transitions are hard, so we wish him a happy one and a speedy, uneventful trip. On a related note, Claire and Eve were inconvenienced by SW Airlines losing their luggage yesterday afternoon then returning it to them at 4:30 a.m.

Ear splitting notes

Except for the lowest notes on the sax, I have worked up my embouchure to play for 20 something minutes across the range of the horn. However, I picked up the flute over the weekend rather than the saxophone to run through my Patterns of Jazz workbook practice. It is a modern classic in music theory study published in 1970 that I did not rehearse with fidelity. However, I do have sufficient scale proficiency to play across the entire "circle of fifths"scale progressions.

It is still much easier to play the flute than the sax due to the pressure of the mouthpiece on my inner, upper lip, though I produce a much better sound on the sax. [I don't bite the mouthpiece like some players do.] The lower notes are breathy and the highest notes are shrill. It is the latter I experimented with after wondering how one of the exercises would sound in the upper register. Finding a fingering on the chart helped me produce one note (highest G?) much clearer and I stayed with the exercise in the upper register.

When I stopped I notice louder ringing than usual. My last such encounter was over Thanksgiving when my earplug slipped out of place in my left ear while using the chainsaw. I took some time to recover from that escalation back down to the persistent but familiar whine I am familiar with. Without a bell and playing at the top of the tube, the screechy notes are pushing some high decibels. High, chirpy passages for Afro-Cuban jazz pieces are out of the question, though I might try protecting the left ear...

Cold Day Off

Greetings, SQkids

Frozen rain yesterday coated the roads before any snow fell,  then the growing chill kept them slick. Rather than expose the children to the elements, or the buses to extra wear and tear, the district called off work and school for all. Cheers!

The sun IS coming out. Even more than usual is the mild seasonal paradox of bone chilling cold on bright, sunny days. "It's the TILT, stupid."To which I can only reply, I hope the Egyptian people topple Mubarik.

Did I share the  recent Squid Fest with you?  Since most of you were there, take a moment to reflect and leave me alone. Really, though, the gatherings are always something to look forward to and more fun than a road trip since any bickering is less intense, the food is fresh, and a bathroom is only a few steps away.

Mary and I are going back to the ranch Friday 18 February after we attend a "Thompson Education Foundation" breakfast. Someone nominated me for the "administrative, technical and professional" (APT) educator of the year. My first reaction was to delete the TEF breakfast invitation, then the "you've been nominated" invitation, but Mary convinced me to attend and to RSVP for both of us.

I have been more cynical, even sardonic about such recognition, but lately the news met an unfulfilled need or sign that anyone cared about what I was doing. So I replied to all that "I already felt like a winner being included among such good company" or some such remark and stifled the urge to repeat the Grouch derision of club membership that included himself or any reference to a "mutual admiration society"...