Thursday, March 04, 2021 (17 days before the First Day of Spring)

Here’s a rascal that for days has hammered at one or more spots on my roof, working periodically in short bursts. The noise demands attention, but my position on the ground prevents a spotting of the working bird. Sometimes, like above, it’s perched, pausing, and planning a next destructive attack. This flicker hasn’t worked consistently enough to break through my roof (far as I can tell). Years ago its ancestor did so successfully.

The most casual watchers can spot this woodpecker easily. The bird is gorgeous in flight and at rest. Maybe it’s the most destructive to homes among the woodpecker varieties. Contractors tell horror stories about their attempts to eradicate these nuisance birds. I understand frustrations about flickers but side with the birds. I’m always happy when they appear heralding the new spring, like the one that in seventeen days will be official.

I will wrap this up and hurry to lead my horses down the road to pasture before leaving for work. First though, here’s a fun capture. This bird, at the very top of a high tree, might be a yellow-bellied flycatcher, or a common western warbler. Whatever, I’ll be on the lookout for more of this cutie.

Dear Friends: I’m preparing a canvas, will attempt to paint a charming neighborhood bird. Diana

Wednesday, March 03, 2021 (Now, 18 days before the First Day of Spring.)

The horses brought us new friends, a neighbor, Nancy, and her granddaughter, Stella. Just enjoy seeing that little girl’s smile! Nancy says that Stella’s future will include riding lessons and a pony.

They happened to be driving by as my horsey trio and I walked on the street toward a neighbor’s pasture where the horses would spend that day’s gorgeous spring preview. Nancy slowed her car so Stella could enjoy seeing the animals, and I invited them to meet us at the pasture gate.

My donkey, Pimmy, is a dream pet, good natured, gentle, and just plain cute. She’s a popular sight, has been costumed and photographed, marched in parades, stood-in as Virgin Mary’s ride for religious ceremonies. Nowadays, she’s a show-stopper for many who pass the pasture where she and her horse buddies graze.

So, no surprise when Nancy slowed and explained how she enjoys driving by and seeing the horses. I loved that she and Stella were delighted at a real-time opportunity to meet Pimmy. Stella, a happy courageous child, didn’t hesitate to sit on Pimmy’s back. Her smiles said it all.

Here’s my favorite photo. Shot from a cool angle and even without a full Pimmy, it captures adventure, joy, and fun.

Not much goes together as well as kids and equines! Even those of us beyond a physical child stage find while around equines how quickly they reveal our long-held inner kids.

Pimmy is a star, as is the whole trio. Its herd leader, Rosie, kept an eye on Pimmy during the photoshoot and relaxed when Pimmy rejoined the family. All quickly got busy attending to their most serious business.

Dear Friends: Precious moments, of letting loose and playing, nourishes your inner child. Diana

Tuesday, March 02, 2021 (19 days before the First Day of Spring)

Today’s header photo is a capture from late yesterday taken by my friend, Susie. I’m leading my equines home after another day in which they grazed and hung out in a kind neighbor’s pasture.

Yesterday was warm and very pleasant, real shirtsleeve weather. In an afternoon of working outside and doing barn-related chores, I didn’t wear a jacket. Later while collecting the horses, I noticed in the pasture a dark green underlayer that hints at new grass. Because young grass is very sugary, the horses won’t be allowed to nibble pasture grass for hours at a stretch. Sweet summer grass are no-no’s for horses that tend to gain weight. My horses are very “easy keepers” and their weights aren’t affected by less-nutritional winter grass.

In a week or two they’ll come off pasture until sometime around next Thanksgiving. Meantime, they’ll have jobs. I’ll start getting them into condition for riding and driving, after first adjusting myself to the activity of conditioning them. It’ll be okay when we’re in action, but after being dormant for months, I’m not eager to be out daily and working the horses. Annually, my attitude brightens as we regain strength.

Dear Friends: Getting up and moving renews our senses and spirits and strengthens our goals. Diana

• 

• 

Monday, March 01, 2021 (20 days before First Day of Spring)

One of my postings years ago offered an idea that still seems great. It’s that by finding a small relaxed herd and hanging out with the cows a bit, one will begin feeling more mellow. I love imagining this, it seems so possible.

I’m often in a space of high mental energy and near-anxiety. Escaping this means finding ways to chill out and relax. My key solution is being around animals, the sorts most of us have, dogs, cats, horses, and for some of us, birds. I’m lucky to have nice horses.

Animal interactions force us to work at thinking in the animal’s world. This activity eases us from our own worlds.

Hanging out with cows is a notion that would be worlds away from my life. Except it’s a secondary experience, and something that seems real, could be beneficial.

Years ago, I taught creative writing to adults. Many had families and long working experience, but had realized the value of re-entering college and completing their degrees. One of the most memorable stories that a student submitted was from a man, who while a young boy had received the gift of a baby heifer. His paper told of growing up with the animal and providing her full care. He spoke eloquently of a poignant close relationship that existed between them.

His pet became tuned to his needs. Sometimes finding the cow laying in her stall, he’d snuggle against her, his head resting on her belly, and fall asleep. The animal wouldn’t move until he awoke. The details of their mutual sensitivity and closeness opened for me new possibilities in relationships between humans and large animals.

I’ve since believed that herd animals are capable of offering much more than often realized. In struggling to explore my artistic side, I must remember to find relaxing periods. Interacting with my animals helps.

Now, as today’s header photos re-trigger that student’s essay, I’m starting to think of finding few peaceful-looking bovines, and for awhile hanging out with them.

Dear Friends: Communications that teach us about others also teach us about ourselves. Diana

Sunday, February 28, 2021 (21 days until the First Day of Spring)

It’s no great picture of a raptor, but it’s a miracle that my zoom camera captured it soaring way overhead. The hawk was one of hunting pair that eventually drifted lower, but my camera couldn’t again find one or both in the unclouded sky. The Zoom has limits that frustrate but not enough to dwell on, because it can make pleasing captures.

With the dogs loaded into my Jeep, we went to a natural space on Bend’s east side and hiked several miles. I planned to photograph relatively simple scenes, searching for one that whole or in parts could become a model for painting in pastels or oils. These are candidates.

I’m no natural artist, but viewing art works does teach that truth and beauty are in the eye of the beholder. As I seek my own version of truth and beauty, hold on, for the ride could become wild.

My dogs are wonderful hiking companions, always nearby, or returning frequently for a reassurance that I’m tracking along. On this outing, I didn’t intend to take photos of the dogs, but in the end it’s impossible to resist their presence and sheer fun.

I’m committed to move forward. There’s a web site in creation and a plan to explore my artistic side. To answer a reader’s question, I hope to coordinate the website and blog to work together seamlessly (both on the Word Press platform). There should be no need to renew blog subscriptions. I’m hoping a companion website may provide more for folks to enjoy. Stay tuned.

Dear Friends: Describing what one is learning may turn into a way of teaching others. Diana

Saturday, February 27, 2021 (22 days before the First Day of Spring)

Yesterday, I ordered from Word Press a new webpage, for Eight Pines Ranch, and began designing it. Its intended logo, above, is the Ranch sign that my friend, Susie, created and surprised me with months ago.

For some reason, my ordering of a new page made Word Press turn me into an unknown this morning. It tossed me off this daily blog site. All today’s early hours were needed to negotiate a return to this page. Now, most of my thoughts are anger at my blog host, but railing at an uncaring platform is useless.

About the Eight Pines web page, it’s a shot in the dark and still ill-defined. I’ve been wanting an Eight Pines website, and sometimes, just moving ahead with an idea tends to work out fuzzy details. Word Press, when it’s working right, is easy to use. It’s suggestions and templates can reduce designing and creating efforts. That’s cool, for after an initial web page becomes a reality, initial designs may be reworked and elaborated.

Currently, I’ve a couple of ideas for the website’s content. One is to make it a writing platform for my daily blogs, and another is to use it for displaying creative arts, and not necessarily my creations, for I enjoy obscure and interesting pieces from news sources and the internet, and want to make them more available to readers. I will admit to wishing to be more creative in my personal writing and photography. I’ll explore this vis-à-vis the website.

So, I’m introducing my hoped-for transition. All will depend on the page’s being on a friendly, appropriate platform, and having clearly defined objectives and goals.

Dear Friends: My body shows signs of aging, but my dreams not at all. Diana

Friday, February 26, 2021 (24 days until the First Day of Spring)

I’ve wondered why the powerful draw that keeps me reading Carl Sagan’s monumental 1980 book, Cosmos. Sagan was an American astronomer who created Cosmos as the script for his 1980s-era television series of the same name. I hadn’t ever read from cover to cover the the beautifully illustrated book, but immediately dug it out after seeing the Mars Rover descend and land.

Sagan published other astrological books prior to Cosmos, a work fine in its time that made him famous. Technology continued to evolve and soon outdated Sagan’s book and television series. Before dying in 1996, Sagan didn’t actually update Cosmos, but published a sequel in 1994, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space.

Last week and awestruck, I watched as Mars Rover descended to the surface of Mars and landed exactly on the target spot! The immensity of that accomplishment, and renewed appreciation of high capabilities in human intelligence combined with computer technology, made me want more knowledge.

My skills in this modern techie world are at a level of simplest “armchair activities” with science and computers. I can’t move forward to learn more how Rover got to Mars and landed perfectly. First, I must renew old high school learning about key historical astrological activities. I had to study accomplishments by key (Western) individuals: Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galilei, and Newton, and eventually, forgot all, except for Galilei. He discovered that the earth isn’t the center of the Universe and so challenged social norms that the Pope went after him. A fascinating bit of social history.

Sagan’s Cosmos lays out from early times the sequence of astrological successes. For example, 2,200 years ago in Alexandria, an astrologer-poet-musician, Eratosthenes, experimented with sticks and figured out that the earth isn’t flat, but curved. Moreover, those sticks enabled him to become first to estimate correctly the kilometers of earth’s circumference, and its distance from the moon.

It feels wise to start way back and refresh all that history, before attempting to move forward to try and grasp modern astrological concepts.

Dear Friends: Backing up and making mental corrections will realign us to new possibilities. Diana

Thursday February 25, 2021 (25 days until the First Day of Spring)

I went adventuring with my camera, shooting reasonable sightings, using various settings, randomly selected from the choice wheel. To my surprise, the only difference easily visible among the settings was a panoramic capture, a quick street view shot that unfortunately isn’t post-worthy. I’ll take another panorama, one more interesting for posting.

On this setting, and now I can’t remember which, the capture brought a little more detail of the most interesting profile in our local Cascade Range.

From far away, my camera shot treetops. They weren’t accidents, just illustrating the camera’s settings.

Pointing at treetops turned up one of my favorite birds, not a clear capture but a fun sighting. These active little guys are all over the place. Usually moving in flocks, they prefer heavy clumps of brush and love dashing from one to another.

These photos summarize my recent explorations with a camera that offers more than I understand to tap. I’ll keep trying and believing in practice making perfect.

Dear Friends: Regardless of expertise, there’s a potential for humor in whatever we do. Diana

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 (26 days until the First Day of Spring)

My fascination with the Mars Rover notched-up my interest in the solar system. I’m almost pitiful after having begun reading Carl Sagan’s COSMOS. The complicated activities of stars, comets, and planets, are even more complicated as I try to comprehend distances as measured in light years.

I’m trying to understand a cosmos that hasn’t much captured me beyond moon sightings, sunrises, and sunsets. Like most of us, I’m no total novice, and understand common knowledge about the cosmos. After the Rover’s landing, I’m tuned into bits of information that grab harder at my mind and imagination.

Consider the ancient Near East a couple hundred years before the common era, when there was Eratosthenes, an astronomer-philosopher-poet-music theorist, and man of all seasons. He experimented with lights and shadows and determined that the earth has a curved surface. Armed with that knowledge and continuing to experiment with lights and shadows, he correctly calculated the earth’s circumference.

A modern reader who hasn’t delved deeply into the cosmos finds it amazing, the focus and dedication of Eratosthenes and scientists who followed. Ptolemy created a model of planetary movement where all in space revolved around the earth. Copernicus changed that model by determining that earth revolves around the sun. Galilei drew from European models of viewing machines to invent a powerful telescope.

Those bright men and their inventions represent more than just a string of history. Sagan’s work is making me realize how very small is earth in the immense universe. And in terms of time and space, how very small are we human individuals. We feel large while consumed by nearly-overwhelming survival concerns, but size has another reality.

It’s the power of human brainwork from earliest times to the present. Recently, human minds calculated the means and ways for a rocket to travel through the universe. That work enabled America’s Mars Rover to travel light years through space, and to land on time and correctly on a target planet. It will take light years for the Rover’s samples to return to earth for analyses. We needn’t wonder if those samples really will show up, for human brainwork has re-proved its merit in that accurate flight and landing.

Dear Friends: It’s mind boggling to delve into the cosmos, and to recognize a tiny earth and us. Diana

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 (27 days until the First Day of Spring)

I watched the movie and am reading the book, each a different experience, and I’ll recommend both. The movie is a tour de force for the talented actress Francis McDormand. There’s also plenty of reason to admire its director, Chloé Zhao. The book, written by Jessica Bruder, began as a journalistic piece, focusing on adults who live as transients and its focus is wider than the movie.

The movie follows a unique, interesting individual whom viewers admire, but the story doesn’t reveal much of why she’s motivated to live separately and independently. The book’s author is a professional journalist who focuses on America’s subculture and its dark economy. Nomandland, the book, grew from Bruder’s initial plan to glimpse those living as transients. That experience deepened her interest in the wheeled culture and its participants and she began to explore it deeply.

I’ve been interested in the wheeled culture since some of my co-workers at Costco have taken off during winter months for a mobile life. Other co-workers sold their homes and decided on a mobile life. Some have returned permanently to this area, saying they didn’t enjoy being completely mobile and that the lifestyle became too expensive. Others are completely into the culture, saying they look forward to meeting up with like-minded others at common collection points.

The current economy also encourages a transient life style. These days, those owning homes in attractive areas can sell high, but although armed with cash can’t afford to buy another home in the same or a nearby area. One option is to sell one’s home, purchase a live-in vehicle and go on the road, hoping for an eventual economic readjustment that enables returning to home ownership.

Neither work addresses the self-isolating culture caused by Covid-19. The virus is another justification, at least in the short term, for choosing a transient life style.

Over the last four years nearly everyone worldwide has tuned in to culture’s social and economic differences. Both works, entitled “Nomandland”, add value by broadening insight and understanding as to why and how individuals choose paths that differ from known norms.

Dear Friends: Redefining a definition of “freewheeling” as “no norms”, for culture has cast it to a new norm. Diana