Tuesday, October 26, 2021 (November’s full moon [“Beaver”] will rise on the 19th.)

My Pimmy might be a loser in the current “cutest pet” contest, which the local newspaper is promoting (and BTW, using Pimmy’s photo, without my express permission, in its booster ads). I’ve objected to this contest because it promotes the buying of votes. I’d be thrilled if my donkey were a “top cutest”, but won’t justify promoting a pet by having to enter what’s essentially a “spending contest”, where top-dollar determines a winner.

That cutest-contest anyway fades in importance, because this year the Bend Christmas Parade will be held in early December. Last year’s Christmas Parade was cancelled because of Covid-19. Also cancelled was the city’s July 4th Pet Parade. This area’s many pet-lovers mourned losing these key fun events.

Both parades gain lots of entrants, the marchers go for a couple of miles, winding through downtown streets lined with appreciative watching crowds. This pet city’s marchers include pigs, ducks, snakes, llamas, horses, and just about every other critter-type. Oddly, Pimmy usually is the lone donkey, and we take advantage by moving around and walking alongside various sorts of animals.

When last Pimmy marched in the Christmas Parade, she wore her Christmas costume. The crowd loved her. Afterwards, parents with cameras lined-up for pictures of their little kids on Pimmy’s back.

In this year’s Parade, Pimmy will march again, and if enough pieces are findable, in her costume. Or maybe another costume. My part-time work in a ranch supply store might lend new ideas from merchandise and customers.

Dear Friends: Through many years, my donkey has been a fun pet, flexible, adaptable, and sweet. Diana

Monday, October 25, 2021 (November’s full moon [“Beaver”] will rise on the 19th.)

A lady maybe in her mid-fifties came to my register, set down a cartridge of caulk and a caulking gun. She pointed at them, and almost whispered, “Do you know how to use these?”

I nodded while searching for UPC codes.

“Could you show me how?”

I looked at the items, suddenly they seemed foreign. Years ago, I’d done a little caulking. As the back of my brain tried to re-piece steps and processes, I latched onto what seemed easiest.

I lifted the cartridge and pointed at its nozzle, “You’ll want to cut this, and at a spot that will let caulk flow in a correct amount.” She nodded at my fingers on the nozzle and waited.

Oh gosh, she really wants to tackle something brand new to her. I continued with the easy part, “Cutting too near the tip will give you a tiny bead. Cutting close to the tube’s mouth will create a large flow.” She seemed riveted.

Feeling challenged, I lifted the gun while searching for the logic of its configuration. Seeing an open chamber and sliding in the cartridge, I felt memory returning. “By operating this lever, you will cause the mechanism to create pressure at the cartridge’s large end. That’ll push caulk through the cartridge’s chamber and out of the end.”

Now, I remembered, could recall how to plunge and bead. I cleared the chamber and explained how to re-install the cartridge, and how to operate the gun’s lever. The demonstration had become smooth, an easily-simulated process.

“Do you feel more comfortable now about using these?”

She smiled for the first time, “Yes, and thank you very much!”

I asked if she had a computer, she nodded. “If you’re confused, search YouTube for videos explaining how to use a caulking gun. You’ll find lots of burly guys and some ladies walking through the steps.”

I finished checking her out and added, “If you want more hands-on explaining, come back here. Anyone working at the registers or in the aisles will help you. We ‘heart’ do-it-yourselfers!”

For me, being refreshed on using those bits felt good. What was better, I recalled having a sliding door that needs re-sealing with a bead of caulk. Uh oh, where last did I see my caulking gun?

Dear Friends: Works two ways. On a customer’s recommendation, I purchased the same heavy long socks. Diana

Sunday, October 24, 2021 (November’s full moon [“Beaver”] will rise on the 19th.)

Finally, we’re seeing Hunter’s Moon, in its waning phase and still glorious. It guided me home through last evening’s drizzle and lighted the barn as I led horses to their feeding stalls.

This morning, it’s still drizzling. I’ll be at work all day. I’m wrestling with the pluses and minuses of leaving my mini-Aussie, Louie, inside the house. He’s old, and in chilly weather limps from arthritis, needs warmth and shelter. Well, we’ll go for it, and see what happens regarding his physical condition and my house’s inside condition.

During lunch when I dash home to toss hay to horses, I’ll let Louie outside briefly. Might wind up slopping-over on the time clock, but hey, my dog’s talking to me!

Every complicated situation has its “bottom line”. Summed-up, that means, “one does what one must”.

Experience often shows matters that worry-greatly as working out okay. Those that invite too little attention may surprise and disappoint.

About Louie’s needs, today will be informative.

Dear Friends: New directions call for different steps, more creativity. They’re learning opportunities. Diana

Saturday, October 23, 2021 (November’s full moon [“Beaver”] will rise on the 19th.)

Yesterday, I worked the closing shift, didn’t leave the store until around 8:30, after helping to count money and whatever else needed doing. Soon afterwards, was feeding horses, quickly followed by caring for other animals. Around 10 p.m., my Border Collie Miles accompanied me to the barn, to release the horses from feeding stalls.

After a very long day, wine to relax.

I thought of Stephen Soundheim’s song (from “Follies”), “I’m still here”.

“I’ve run the gamut, A to Z
Three cheers and dammit, C’est la vie
I got through all of last year, and I’m here
Lord knows, at least I was there, and I’m here
Look who’s here, I’m still here”

And again today, on the closing shift. I’ll get through this!

Actually, I like my job…and lots. Very surprising, because I didn’t expect to, but the store has managers working as a good team, communicating and interacting well with employees. Plus, it’s fun at the register, talking with people buying for their pets, or collecting hardware for their work.

Customers teach things. Like, who knew goats love pumpkin? I will buy a pumpkin and split it open for my goats and chickens. Who knew that the store’s heavy paper bags are wonderful kindling? Plus, another great kindling tip: save dryer lint, and stuff it into empty toilet paper or paper towel cardboard rolls, easy to store and wonderful kindling.

Yep, I’m finding out all sorts of things.

My best learning is that I’m still here!

Dear Friends: One day, I will write about the fun of being with young co-workers, they’re uppers! Diana

Friday, October 22, 2021 (November’s full moon [“Beaver”] will rise on the 19th.)

Last evening at home, I searched skyward for now-waning Hunter’s Moon. The evening was cloudy, overnight rainy, and without a sign of that moon.

This time of year it’s Central Oregon’s rainy season. According to weather records over the past thirty years, Octobers are rainy about half their days. This year, not much rain until now with a little falling. I love rain, but unhappily miss seeing this month’s full moon.

At work in my cashier job, I’m checking out purchases of thick wool socks like there’s no tomorrow. Not only for farmers and ranchers, but also for the area’s skiers and other outdoorsy types. Flying, too, from shelves are super-warm hoodies, thick jackets, and heavy denim pants. One customer, unloading a bunch of winter wear on the counter, said it’s essential to obtain now all her family needs in the future, for stores soon will be have short supplies of appropriate winter wear.

The world’s iffy supply chains have me, too, starting to gather warm-wear. Soon our first local deep freeze will arrive and call for wool and wool-like clothing. I’ll daily schlep my horses down the street to a neighbor’s pasture, and later home again. This year, I’ll take those walks in woolen long johns.

As another sign of changing times, the news report on lab-grown coffees, and before long available in stores. Lab coffee producers use cultures from coffee beans to imitate coffee brews. AI coffees won’t be cheaper than the real stuff, but will reduce massive environmental stresses caused by producing real beans.

Lab foods producing is a two-sided coin. On one side, it will help correct environmental woes. On the other, it will displace thousands of workers now tending to live animals, or growing and harvesting coffee beans.

My intended “wool” long johns will be imitations. Producing real wool is labor-intensive, making real stuff less than affordable. Instead, I’ll wear fabrics reportedly wool-like in performance. I’m prepared though to get real wool, if that’s necessary for adequate warmth. Cold climates create demanding high needs.

Dear Friends: Our new world with rapidly-growing AI technology, creates products, pushes us to adapt. Diana

Thursday, October 21, 2021 (November’s full moon [“Beaver”] will rise on the 19th.)

We moon-chasers headed toward east of town in weather drizzly and heavily overcast. We felt optimistic, wanted to find an unobstructed horizon and watch it, to witness the rise of October’s full Hunter’s Moon. No dice, because the drizzling didn’t let up, and dense cloudiness obscured distant views.

The cattle! Nothing obscured a herd of steers, in a pasture adjoining where we had parked. Those gentle and timid creatures watched us with curiosity. We couldn’t resist approaching them.

The atmosphere was very cloudy, but the horizon was defined enough to provide a sighting direction. Susie’s calculations revealed where Hunter’s Moon would rise. Maybe not with highly bright visibility, but maybe there’d be a faint sighting.

Meanwhile, we amused ourselves by looking closely at our surroundings. We’ve parked before in this farmer’s little field and tend to refer to it as his “junk place”. This time around, now looking closely at discards, we began to wonder about their stories. We created theories.

Pictures themselves tell stories, little need for words!

Here a couple of, once-upon-a-time, “hot” VWs.

Oh my, huge wheels! Taller than a straight-standing human. What on earth might they have supported?

Susie and I are accustomed to rolling with the punches. The evening’s rain-gloom made us shift attention from the moon. We took advantage of available photo ops and captured images.

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Susie’s artistic streak reveals again that even the most mundane sightings can be very beautiful.

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And. here are this month’s full-moon chasers–out again and following our hearts!

Dear Friends: Our goal is collecting a year’s worth of moon-rise images, and creating a memory book. Diana

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 (October’s full moon [“Hunter”] will rise this evening.)

Surprise! Five of my six young hens now are laying. Newest egg is speckled, and might be from the Rhode Island Red or the Cuckoo Maran, neither of which I’ve seen in the community’s nesting spot. Observing the nest has led me to estimating which four are laying. A couple lay consistently, another couple lay off and on.

They’re lovely pets, chickens. Each with an unique personality, generous and fun.

It feels delightful daily, gathering eggs. In our modern world, some human activities still offer a sense of being back-in-time. Some are being out and riding or driving horses, or navigating a canoe or kayak on a river, or foot hiking and maybe searching for mushrooms in the natural wilds. Or being in one’s own yard, gathering eggs and enjoying live chickens.

This summer I rescued a baby Robin. It had fledged early and still needed care. It lived with me three weeks before achieving a sense of its own being, becoming strong physically, and flying to another life.

As to “back-in-time”, my little companion brought the strong true sense of birds as winged dinosaurs.

I’ll update our friends on Old Welsummer, my nearly twelve-year-old hen, the last survivor from my first flock of baby chicks. She’s another cool pet.

She transitioned nicely into a house chicken, lives in a roomy pen, has a perch beneath a heating light. She has excellent energy and appetite, enjoys kibble, salads, fruits, and just about everything. In nice weather, she gets to spend time outside. There in another roomy pen she finds plenty of scratch and dried bugs. She loves having dust baths!

Now, to figure out which is the fifth young hen that’s laying. There will be eggs until there’s an initial deep freeze, and afterwards, laying will pause until it’s again spring.

Dear Friends: More back-in-time will be seeing Hunter’s Moon, rising and lighting a sunless world. Diana

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 (October’s full moon [“Hunter”] will rise tomorrow.)

In the last few evenings, I’ve been awed by the nearly-full and beautiful Hunter’s moon. In the eastern sky that rising globe, fuzzy at the edge seems a little soft, and oh well, I’ll add, it seems emotionally huggable.

I’m curious about moon names, and find that the name, “Hunter’s moon”, originated about four hundred years ago. In October, this moon rises during periods of leaf-falling, when wild animals are fattened for winter, and with daily periods of sunlight becoming shorter.

The previous month’s Harvest Moon oversaw the harvesting of fields. Now, the Hunter’s moon lights nights, eases the spotting of wild animals–those coming out to graze, and those following to prey on the grazers.

Tomorrow evening, my friend Susie and I will go out hunting. Our sights will be set on spotting a dark and very clear horizon. That’ll become the line to watch while we wait for the new full moon’s rise. Each time we’ve gone to sight rising new globes, piercing light into total darkness, it’s as if we’re witnessing the known-world’s re-birth. On seeing full moons breaking total darkness, we’re exhilarated, and each sighting is an unique adventure.

Dear Friends: It’s turning colder, so we’ll be bundle-clothed, maybe will tote a propane heater. Diana

Monday, October 18, 2021 (October’s fullest moon [“Hunter”] rises on the 20th.)

This morning froze for me on learning that Colin Powell has died. It feels like having lost a family member. He died from Covid. Media report that he fully had been vaccinated–that strong-looking, straightforward, fine person.

I follow politics loosely and dislike intensely today’s Supreme Court. But some players in both realms seem as familiar as folks in my neighborhood. This morning, I’m imagining how it might seem to learn that a Clinton or an Obama died. Wouldn’t feel so good, and not solely because histories make people special, but because today’s media bring them closer. In a sense knowing of them seems very personal.

There’s also the confusing factor of age. Powell’s age, 84, today “seems younger” than it used to be. In addition, as an ex-military he always appeared a picture of health and vigor.

These days, human ages in years seem changed. The elderly seem younger and the younger seem older. The elderly now living longer are finding time to explore their inner selves. They formerly didn’t do much self-exploring, were very busy earning livings in narrow and demanding environments. The new youngsters, many highly educated, and all aware, through schooling and media, are sophisticated about social conditions and politics.

I will think more about this later today while catching up on ranch work. I brought home several fence panels to reinforce the horses’ loafing shed. But they’re wrong, must be returned, and replaced with correct panels. Then the reinforcing will begin, along with the thinking.

Dear Friends: If humans can create a “metaverse”, we someday could manipulate our realities. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/18/tech/facebook-metaverse-10000-european-jobs/index.html Diana

Sunday, October 17, 2021 (October’s fullest moon [“Hunter”] rises on the 20th.)

I was supposed to be off from work until next Friday, but the boss asked if I could fill-in today in for someone with an unavoidable commitment. I’ll be a little relieved of worries about having forgotten by Friday much from the first days in my new job.

Working at a cash register has easy parts. For example, straightforward sales, paid for with credit cards, are a piece of cake. There however are many sales variations that require pushing specific, non-intuitive keys. My concern is from doing my work by using a computer screen with a typical word processing layout. The keys on that screen don’t work as I expect. For example, one key opens a cash drawer, and most others perform non-text functions.

Different sales conditions require knowing which keys trigger appropriate responses. For example, tapping an asterisk might bring up a customer’s purchasing history. Tapping a minus-sign might bring up a return-for-credit screen. A plus-key will yield yet another image. Customers stepping from a waiting line to a check-out expect we at the registers to be quick and accurate.

Even over the two days since Friday (the last day I worked), I’ve forgotten what those keys–the asterisk, minus, and plus–bring up on the register screen. I’ll be starting over. My hope is for today to ease yet another re-beginning, next weekend.

My coworkers at the registers are young, quick, and bright. They’re very helpful, have smoothed my learning curve, but coaches have expectations. I must rise to the occasion.

Dear Friends: I will believe in myself, but as a writer do prefer understanding keys as initially designed. Diana