Thursday, June 16, 2022

Susie and I were waiting in a farmer’s field east of the city for the rise of this June’s Strawberry Super Moon. We were alert with cameras poised for the earliest light over a dark horizon.

Strawberry Moon did not disappoint. It was magnificent in size and color.

Strawberry’s clarity made it nearly impossible to conceive that it’s distant by about a quarter of a million miles. Astonishingly despite distance Moons highly are visible. It’s especially exciting to see one rising over a dark horizon.

Regardless of how often we have gone sighting for full moons, each rising of an alight globe enthralls Susie and me.

Here Strawberry is higher and fully visible.

The awe of experiencing makes us envy people who live in the distant farmhouses and nightly enjoy unobstructed moon views. It also has me wishing for a new camera with expanded capabilities.

I will begin to research cameras. I hope my wants aren’t beyond what’s possible and affordable.

Dear Friends: Sunlight makes Earth’s little planet a magnificent sight. Diana

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Before my last employed day at a feed store I purchased a kennel I’ve loved. Over months of marketing this model to customers with pets, I’ve wanted the kennel, too. It’s large with a walk-in door and fencing fabric consisting of rectangles smaller at bottom and larger upward.

Moreover this kennel completely is modular, comes apart anywhere to adjust length or height. As another plus, it has a roof.

The store had only one left, an assembled model on display. That’s the one I bought. I wanted to avoid having to reassemble the kennel and requested it be loaded, fully assembled, onto my big trailer. It took four burly warehouse guys to lift and shift around the unit while deciding how to load it. They couldn’t make it fit straight in, as today’s header photo shows.

I had to have help on the unloading end. I called upon my neighbors, Bill, Grant, Susie, and Dale, each more competent spatially than me. They gave me time in their busy evening, came to help unload my tilted kennel.

Before they arrived, the job was looming ever larger in my head and seemed un-doable.

Those wonderful folks came and made the process seem “easier than easy.” They unloaded the kennel, set it where I wished, and pointed out where the base needs adjusting for maximum safety and security.

I got into my truck, was attempting to turn around the rig, unsuccessfully, when Dale kindly offered to help. He hopped into the cab and backed its heavy trailer up the hill. He turned around the rig.

My friends! You made everything seem a piece of cake!

Later, Susie and I regrouped, as we had planned. We chased the rising of June’s full “Strawberry” Super Moon. Today before writing about that incredible Moon and sharing our pictures, I wished to say thank you to wonderful friends.

Thank you, for showing up and creating closure to my kennel dilemma.

Dear Friends: Caring and kindness enrich, and expand possibilities. Diana

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

This morning, art is on my mind. Before my flooring expert arrives, I must wrap and store the many pieces displayed in cabinets. The cabinets will be moved before the labor can start, of pulling carpeting and recovering floors with vinyl. For weeks ahead my house will be full of dust and confusion.

It’s surprising to find how accustomed I am to my art collection. I infrequently focus on individual pieces, and now considering how to pack objects makes them come alive again. I have some wonderful pieces, many by Oregon artists. I collected them on first moving here when for awhile I worked at the beautiful Mockingbird Gallery.

Later, I became involved with horses and all else slipped into the background.

As an aging person, I must consider returning my pieces of fine art to the larger world. I have enjoyed them and would miss their presence, but quality art deserves continuing admiration. Mine should become available to collectors.

The header image from my camera represents my own fine art. This accidental capture turned out to be striking, and special, too. It revealed my changing perspective on evolving into less a city-girl, becoming more a country-type.

Dear Friends: Art both reveals and connects us to humanity’s magnificence. Diana

Monday, June 13, 2022

The Time and Date website illustrates a special lineup of planets arriving soon in our pre-dawn sky. A viewer can see Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn lined up, in a sort of “celstial choreography.” The Sun joins as a reddish glow from just beneath the horizon. This will occur at 4:40 a.m. (local time) on June 24.

Coming tomorrow evening is the rise of June’s fullest Moon, “Strawberry.” I’ll be in a farmer’s field out east beyond city lights with my moon-chasing friend, Susie. We’ll be there watching the dark horizon to witness Strawberry Moon’s earliest appearance. A full globe’s first lights and risings are amazing events that excite and satisfy.

June’s Full Strawberry Moon is named after the plentiful strawberries that grow this time of year in our Northern Hemisphere. “Strawberry” happens to be a Super Full Moon. A Super Moon looks bigger than a regular Full Moon, it’s an excellent subject for photographs. Susie and I will capture images as this one rises above the horizon!

As of today, I’m officially an ex-employee of Wilco. Working there has been fun. Its managers are kind and people-oriented. I learned about being in a retail environment and am moving forward to a new challenge. I’ll operate a cash register for the supermarket chain, WinCo.

For local readers who shop at our WinCo, look around for me. My cash register will be somewhere among the many, and I hope to see familiar faces.

Dear Friends: Never-ending changes, in the sky, societies, human activities. Diana

Sunday, June 12, 2022

This will be another day of work, once again back at Wilco. I owe the store a day to receive earned vacation time. I’ll purchase goods for upcoming needs while my employee discount exists. There’s much I will miss about Wilco, it’s a kind environment.

My new workplace, Winco, is a super busy store. I’m at a register checking out people and the lines are constant. I’m learning on the job, making minor mistakes but not hurting the store. Getting quicker is my essential goal. I’m not memorizing product codes but can find them faster.

Because we’re busy, working hours pass quickly. So far, so good.

A couple of ex-coworkers from Costco suddenly appeared at my check-stand at the same time. We celebrated a brief reunion. Word’s out, that I’ve moved on!

Rain, beautiful rain, we’ve been getting it. Not heavy, no downpours, but daily drizzles. I’ll call my hay-guy hoping to learn his crop will be good. It’s been very dry, making hay hard to find and very expensive. Many of us having horses worry about gaining enough hay to carry our animals through another year. Keep coming, rain!

Incoming populations are making Oregon liberal enough that a gun control measure may get onto the next ballot. If so, hopefully, gun control resisters won’t misbehave. Gun control and abortion issues make some individuals crazy and heighten an already tense environment.

On that note, I’ll sign off now.

Dear Friends: Everything changes constantly, and too little changes really. Diana

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Yesterday was my second day on the job and I asked to work at “my own” register. The Leads appeared surprised but assigned me to one located near an experienced cashier. She kindly assisted when I got stuck and early on that was often. Eventually my glitches became fewer, and by shift-end, I could reasonably well process customers through.

The fastest cashiers can rattle off product sku numbers from memory, which I’ll never do with any competence, for my brain doesn’t process numbers efficiently. I can’t count as well as I can process words; but experience teaches that I am flexible. I can figure out how to elevate my performance and be a winner in this new game.

The store has lots of employees, mostly on their toes and aware of what’s going on and who’s doing what. It’s similar to my former cashiering job but on steriods. This store is a one-stop, and convenient workplace for almost everything. I’ll need to shop elsewhere mainly for clothing and farm animal products.

Except that I want make some furniture changes. That might take traveling to Portland and finding Ikea.

Dear Friends: Interesting and absorbing, the inner world of commerce. Diana

Friday, June 10, 2022

Last month, I made a mistake by switching to IOS from Windows. The transition hasn’t been smooth and I’m unhappy with the Apple Computer. Changing operating systems has messed up some platforms I use, like this Word Press.

A key interference is that I’m adapting to new working conditions and having to alter home routines. I can’t focus on researching, fiddling, and learning to operate the Apple smoothly. At least (and finally), I can get into Word Press and write a blog. Now, a problem is that I can’t locate photos saved to Apple and insert them into blogs.

The header photo is from a couple of years ago and not related to a theme. I like the image and wish to go horseback riding in this fine weather. This photo is up, because I could find and insert it in today’s blog.

I’ll keep working to learn how to save and retrieve photos. Meanwhile, this is a quick good morning to readers.

I spent all of yesterday at work “shadowing” a cash register operator, meaning I watched as she worked. All good, until I began jerking myself awake and couldn’t keep paying attention. Well, that’s how the store trains. Today, however, I will request to operate a register by myself. For awhile, I won’t work quickly, but will learn and that’s the goal.

Also, the checking clerk I watched yesterday is twenty years old. A surprise, that someone too young to drink legally can sell beer and wine. She was rigorous about checking IDs of buyers appearing too young to drink. I will ask about this, just curious.

Dear Friends: Get yourselves outside, enjoy this beautiful day. Diana

Thursday, June 09, 2022

One of my baby chickens has begun laying eggs. They’re small as Bantam eggs, although none of my hens are Bantams. The bland color of shells doesn’t point toward any particular hens. This morning for breakfast I will poach mystery hen’s eggs. They’ll gradually enlarge as she matures.

The middle egg, pictured for comparison, is from a turkey. I do love turkey eggs. My two turkey girls are laying and they’re broody. I have to shove one or both aside before collecting eggs, theirs and the chickens’. Shoving aside a turkey isn’t easy. She’s heavy, can be stubborn, and knows I’m after the eggs. Her bellowing replaces her usual soft squeaks and whistles.

Those critters and my others offer relief and fun after my full days of working. Yesterday, I was oriented into my new job, had to tolerate hours of video training. Each module ended with test questions which I had to answer correctly or couldn’t exit. I became a figure only half-alive, brain-dead and incredibly sleepy, but somehow got through the process.

Today, I’ll work at a cash register. Better, because it’s hands-on learning. I wonder how well my current register skills may transition to another business. Hopefully soon, I’ll start working independently.

As of now, my pets and I must adapt to changed conditions. They will eat according to my new schedule and won’t like it, nor will I, but we will do what’s needed. Welcome wages will contribute to new flooring that’s scheduled for my home.

Dear Friends: Ahead, new challenges, new friends, new learning, new fun. Diana

Wednesday, June 08, 2022

Today will be my first in a new job. A year ago, the supermarket, WinCo, part of a huge cut-rate grocery chain, moved into town. Many of us looking forward to WinCo’s arrival waited through months of renovation to the building that would hold it. We cheered its opening, which occurred just ahead of the pandemic.

Like most businesses during the pandemic, WinCo had difficulty finding and maintaining adequate staffing. Occasionally, some departments remained dark; but as promised, it remained well-stocked and accessible twenty-four hours daily.

Very impressive, as the pandemic forced many businesses to close. Stores couldn’t staff and merchandise adequately, and potential customers were staying at home.

Last week, I was interviewed for a job at WinCo and learned it’s a large chain. Founded in 1967 and based in Boise, WinCo is privately held; owned by former and current employees through a employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The chain has 126 stores and 20,000 employees. WinCo has large distribution centers stocking its stores, in Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, and Montana.

Thanks to the six months I worked at Wilco, I’ve the marketable skill of opearting a busy cash register. Cashiering often is an entry-level position, and where I’ll start with WinCo.

Dear Friends: Today, I’ll gain insight into the store’s culture and learn much more. Diana

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

The dye is cast, and today there’s an order going forward for vinyl flooring that I selected after reviewing pattern choices.

I try to re-imagine throughout my house, first, the carpeted floors becoming carpet-less, and then, recovered with vinyl in a wood-like pattern. My installer says to stop imagining, and instead, start packing away the tchotchkes, on display in large cases that he must move before stripping and recovering floors.

Tomorrow starts my new job at the supermarket, Winco. I haven’t a weekly schedule and regardless of what it might become, I must engage actively in packing and tossing. Let the downsizing begin!

The header photo shows one of my turkeys close-up for petting. Both of my friendly hen turkeys are about a year old. Currently they’re laying and are broody, setting on their eggs and those from chickens in the community nest. Some of the chicken hens also are broody and taking turns with turkeys on the eggs. It’s illogical to imagine a turkey hatching a chicken or a chicken hatching a turkey, so I pull all the eggs. The turkeys are aware that I’m removing their eggs and object by following me closely with noisy squeaks and whistles.

Dear Friends: On this last employment-free-day, my to-dos are overwhelming. Diana