Friday, August 25, 2023

The day before yesterday, I saw my donkey, Pimmy, limping badly and unable to tolerate weight on her right front foot. Immediately, I grasped the potential problem, grabbed a hoof pick, and began cleaning the painful foot. She didn’t flinch at the pick’s pressure and my digging, probably because I’m not strong enough to force a pick deeply enough into the hoof.

A year ago, I discovered Pimmy limping and behaving exactly the same as now, with a front hoof indicating lots of pain. That evening, back then, an equine veterinarian examined Pimmy’s hoof and discovered an embedded pebble causing an abscess. He eliminated the pebble, stuffed the cavity with medicine, and taped her foot. Immediately, the hoof could handle Pimmy’s weight, and she could navigate easily.

So, this time, understanding what might be wrong, I called Bend Equine, but no veterinarian would be available before the next day when Pimmy’s pain could be extreme.

Yesterday early, while nearing the barn to feed my equines, I saw a truck and trailer entering my property and stopping. A stranger emerged and ran toward me, pointing to my limping donkey. He explained he’s a farrier and wanted to help Pimmy. He enjoys seeing her when passing my place.

I thanked him, explained the abscess problem, and said the vet would arrive later in the day.

Later while coming home from work, I learned that an emergency at the Bend Equine clinic had prevented a veterinarian from coming to Pimmy. I found at work that my phone’s battery was dead, and arriving home saw poor Pimmy still in deep pain.

I raced to Bend Equine, through heavy afternoon traffic and delays at construction sites, arriving there just before it closed. Everybody there was apologetic and promised that a veterinarian would arrive to examine Pimmy first thing this morning. I left there with Butte Power, a painkiller, and an hour after dosing Pimmy, saw her appetite returning. I won’t “butte her” this morning so the veterinarian can assess her au naturally.

Today, I’ll be at work and have a charged phone. I’ll call at midday to learn the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery plan.

Dear Friends: Hopefully, it’s nothing worse than what I’m anticipating. Diana

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Yesterday, I was in a clean-up mood and running around looking for a “quickie mop.” I’m referring to a simple stick topped by a sponge and a squeegee. Home Depot doesn’t carry the small item, that’s no surprise. I went down the hill to Lowe’s and found that mop type, and only a few of them. Maybe small mops are scarce because many others, too, are in clean-up moods.

Could be, “Tis’ the season.” Or maybe there are shortages because of supply-side issues.

Anyway, I brought home that mop and roared through the “bird room.” First, clearing the floor beneath Gilber’s cage of dropped seeds and shaken feathers and dander. Gilbert, a pigeon, is an easy bird; but his frequent wing spreads and body shakes release and float lots of feathers and dander into the surroundings.

Next, I turned my attention to Cockatoo Peaches. His always-messy area seemed worse than usual.

Peaches is a Citreon Cockatoo, the smallest of the Cockatoos; he’s about the size of a Raven. Size doesn’t matter because he’s as noisy as any giant Cockatoo. Peaches constantly is talking, screaming, or singing, and making his presence known. Honestly, he sometimes makes me forget he’s only a bird and we have conversations.

Peaches tosses most of his food onto his cage floor. And lots of it onto my floor. I overfeed the guy because he weighs only 11 grams. I figure he needs lots to eat. However, he wastes nearly everything offered in his dish, and afterward, works intently at “pulling and “killing” the empty food vessel. I’ve had to do some clever anchoring to keep the dish put, which so far is working.

After scolding both birds for being untidy, and after cleaning up from them, I felt happier.

I’ve tried out many types of mops and for my purpose, a stick, sponge, and squeegee style works best. By the way, a day or two earlier while also at Lowe’s, I picked up a small rolling bucket that accommodated nicely my frequent sponge dippings.

Dear Friends: Next week, another appointment with birds, mop, and bucket. Diana

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Today, I woke up early, in a mood for horseback riding. The outside air remains smoky but is cooler and nice enough for an outing with my trail-types. They’ve been hanging out in heat and smoke conditions and eagerly will start moving again.

My riding partner today, Gabby, is a horse-loving and long-time friend. We’d not seen each other for long after she graduated from college and moved in with her boyfriend. Recently, they showed up to shop in Home Depot, and we met again. Gabby is a skilled rider and will remind whichever horse she’s on to behave with good manners.

Yesterday, I shopped at Lowe’s, which carries the smaller stuff for homes, and I picked up a rolling mop bucket. Besides, while there, I caught up with my friend, Debbie. We used to work together at Wilco, and she taught me how to stock merchandise and organize shelves. Now, she’s a part-timer in Lowe’s Garden Department. I went there and laughed at her apparent presence. Debbie’s savvy understanding of retail has that area cleaner and better organized.

Debbie often inspires me. She doesn’t hang around thinking and reflecting on what she understands and can accomplish, and won’t accommodate interferences to cleanliness and organization. Her retail savvy and energy often inspires others to work better. Including me, at least until my mind again goes drifting; I just can’t help it.

Dear Friends: Today will be fun, catching up with Gabby’s evolvement. Diana

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

I made it through a late shift in my part-time job and then stopped to shop at an all-night supermarket en route home. I will be off today and tomorrow from my outside job. Time off from there barely dents my workload, for at home, much needs attention ahead of fall’s arrival.

My handyman, Gustavo, has disappeared. He probably found work that more suits his skills as one who specializes in working with concrete. He did a good job here, and his methods of repairing introduced me to new ways to address other property needs.

One of the best was how he bypassed the hard labor of digging out a broken fence post and its concrete base. Instead, he installed a new post beside each broken one which supported the wobbly posts and re-established the fence’s strength. I’ll adopt his method in strengthening other needy posts.

It’s a little kid’s way: watching, learning, and doing.

Yesterday evening, a coworker from Freight introduced himself and spoke of watching and learning at the Home Depot. He made me remember how I disliked locating the correct spots for returned items and restocking them. Now I enjoy that work because it illuminates the complex organization of thousands of items. To elaborate, each HD location stocks some 30-40 thousand items.

Always at heart, we’re little kids.

Dear Friends: Now, off to find what I can accomplish today at home. Diana

Monday, August 21, 2023

Today, many of our Central Oregon residents feel glad they moved from and are living away from California. Yesterday, Southern CA suffered frightening hurricane weather– even in Mar Vista, on LA’s west side, where for many years I lived. I loved and often miss the California I knew way back when. Unfortunately, overpopulation and political maneuvering have changed the state. Over the years, considering living there has become less appealing.

That hurricane apparently is moving north and toward Idaho, skipping Oregon. Probably though, it’s what’s cooling this morning’s local weather. Outside, it appears hazy and uninviting with smoke-filled air, but no local disaster warnings exist.

Our little city worries its residents. Its rapid growth resembles what happened in old Southern California. Everywhere here, one sees housing construction, traffic congestion, and possibly ahead and nearby, new resort destinations. There’s much more that is concerning. One could go on–you get the drift.

I snuggle back into my little world here on what used to be undesirable Eastside property. I liked it back when we living here were hayseeds to the local Westsiders. Now, our larger property spaces are becoming very appealing; but that’s beside my point about snuggling.

Some reassurance comes from focusing closely on one’s “little life” instead of “bigger world problems.” Today, I’ll go into that murky air and feed my horses and chickens. Afterward, I’ll handle others of my house and property needs. This afternoon, I’ll go to my part-time job and sell tools and hardware to those constructing new buildings and others wishing to improve their homes and properties.

Dear Friends: Like Scarlett, “Fiddle-dee-dee, I’ll worry about it tomorrow.” Diana

Sunday, August 20, 2023

For years, I worked as a part-time sample server inside Costco, a store located near my home, with short working hours that allowed time for my personal interests and activities. As a single person working inside that store, shopping there was convenient and easy.

That encouraged me to ignore the more expensive shopping in a big box store. Costco is a marketing/merchandising expert; it rotates products in and out and introduces new, interesting ones. I routinely brought home more than one person could consume and wound up often tossing excessive, outdated, and under-appreciated purchases.

Costco charges for “membership” at two levels, Basic and Executive. The Basic membership is less expensive than the Executive; however, the Executive offers percentage kickbacks that can cover a membership cost and even kickback more. In general, large families that purchase big might save money; I certainly didn’t.

I always knew that my buys at Costco were more expensive and wasteful than if I had shopped at independent supermarkets. In “my Costco days,” however, I wanted shopping that was “easy and out.” My attitude began to change after I stopped working in the big store and transitioned to working in non-grocery environments. I began shopping differently and seeing cost reductions.

Long story short, after weighing all the pros and cons, I have decided against paying up-front for permission to enter a store, to see and buy its merchandise. So yesterday, I marched into Costco and relinquished my membership. Its Customer Service team tried to dissuade me, but I had made up my mind.

Dear Friends: Now, it’s as if a magic lasso holding me has dissolved. Diana

Saturday, August 19, 2023

I’ve responded to one of my inner self’s interests on a whim by joining the Central Oregon Writer’s Guild. The Guild encourages both professional and casual writers by providing opportunities for individuals to meet, learn, and write together.

For writers, teaming and communicating could boost their writing skills and output quantities.

Writers often are lone wolves, and I might be that type. Logic tells me that the Guild would offer fewer get-together opportunities if writers weren’t showing up and doing. So they must be, and maybe I will, too.

I usually write about whatever’s in my head, and more from emotion than careful planning. Sometimes, however, I do plan–but don’t necessarily follow through. Not following through is a habit and I want to overcome it.

I can be inspired by others who share many of my perceptions but also see some things differently. Their inputs help to broaden my scope and encourage me to start playing. I begin by doing some things differently and before long begin feeling more creative.

Dear Friends: As a no-joiner, I will see where this sudden step may take me. Diana

Friday, August 18, 2023

Today is calling for an early start. My friend Mike will arrive soon to repair my tractor and my riding mower. The tractor is out of commission because the young man repairing my broken fence posts, who loved driving it, was hard on the tractor gears. Earlier, the mower’s blade belt had fallen off while I was out mowing, and Mike knows how to reinstall that belt.

Aside from assisting Mike, I will stay inside on yet another hot smokey day until time to go to work in the late afternoon for an evening shift. Part of today’s “being inside” will happen in a gym. I’ll be exercising for strength which is helping me at work. I feel a little more upright, and stretching upward to reach is easier. Both require exercising, and I’m doing it.

Folks are crowding into air-conditioned gyms to escape the outside heat and smoke. This situation is the complete opposite of the self-isolating Pandemic years, which emptied most gyms. Back then, I’d skip a crowded gym. These days, I willingly slip in and figure out how to work on whatever equipment is available.

Dear Friends: Post-Pandemic is proving too bearish in many ways. Diana

Thursday, August 17, 2023

This week, I wrote about attempting to pay for purchases in the area’s big box store and finding two separate cashiers giving me free products. The first incident involved a “Mr. Bill.” On his last day of working at the store, he knowingly and routinely undercharged customers. Another incident occurred a day or two later. I was self-checking out and discovered one small item that lacked its SKU. I requested help and the overseeing cashier said, “Just put it in your bag and take it. I haven’t enough time to look up every small item!”

I reported to management that incident, the second within a few days of product giveaways. One reader who has written reader understands the importance of reporting that first incident, but wonders if I struggled over whether to report the very low-dollar, second incident.

Actually, I did. Customers, anywhere, sometimes receive low-dollar giveaways from cashiers very busy or simply lazy. Few customers elect to report a dollar or two of store loss. In my case, I had to think about ratting on a coworker.

I had thoughts that the two giveaway incidents were related. Mr. Bill had been a cashier in a function that sometimes, or often, might give away small products. Theoretically, giving free items totally is wrong, but practically, maybe it’s necessary. I forced myself to set aside theoretical questions.

In reporting the second and smaller incident, I wondered if, in his cashier role, Bill had habitually given away small items. On his last day at work, for whatever reason, he might have elevated that practice.

During each of my reporting, the managers seemed seriously to be listening.

Additionally, I’m in training to become a backup cashier. My training insists that the cashier looks for and rings up every item in a basket and/or a customer’s hands.

Dear Friends: This story has its “if’s” and its unanswerable questions. Diana

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Here in Central Oregon, we’re having weather of intense heat. From late mornings to late afternoons, it’s too hot to work outside. Fortunately, local thermometer temps are less than those in more intensely heated states.

CO’s air looks gray and it’s smokey smelling. That’s because western winds pushing toward Central Oregon are delivering, from serious wildfires, lots of heat and smoke.

Yesterday, I did little except for feeding my animals and guzzling cold beers. Today might pass similarly.

I must be off now. I’ve planned to make an early morning run to the dump and beat the heat.

Dear Friends: I’ll happily return to my working hours in a cooler environment. Diana