Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Today is the first of three days off from work. I’ll be taking the puppies out to run, planning to ride horseback while having Chase running alongside, and preparing for roaming with a camera in search of birds.

The header is a long shot from my iPhone. I think the bird is a Jay.

Oh, yeah, there’ll be a fellow here starting to replace the broken fence posts.

These will be busy days after a week of tension at work. I got scolded for refusing to spend three days watering plants in the Garden Department. I was accused of not being a team player by not doing the needed work. My position was having stood up for myself and refusing to spend three full days in the August heat, with wet feet and dragging a heavy hose.

We got through this. Like most businesses, this one is short of employees. And, I was willing to walk down the hill to apply for work with a competitor.

Economically speaking, these are interesting times. Company values are important, but management must embrace the importance of valuing employees. It’s a time of bending old rules and accommodating situations differently.

I’m thinking about these troubling times, impacted by such as AI, robots, supply chain problems, and changing workers’ opportunities and attitudes. Management needs to rethink many old tried and true styles in order to keep everything running well enough.

Dear Friends: I’m off now to gather puppies and go hiking. Diana

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Just a quick good morning, as I’m scheduled to work early today.

It’s still smoky outside from about four active wildfires in nearby areas.

Dear Friends: Despite the smoke, have a good day. Diana

Monday, July 24, 2023

This morning will bring a hay delivery. I’m thankful for lower hay costs following a wetter winter. Several dry winters preceding this one curtailed crop growth, boosting costs out of sight.

It’s a reminder that, in one way or another, we’re grasping the potential power of two astonishing conditions. Those are climate change and human technology, impacting our world significantly.

I’m considering two key technologies now capturing bunches of attention, AI and batteries, both controversial. AI has the potential both to help and exploit humans. Battery technology will increasingly need rare Earth resources. Developing the technologies appropriately will require less belligerence and more collaboration among nations.

It’s ironic wishing to move ahead intellectually and technologically in light of current world behaviors. Conditions of collaboration aren’t glimmering against the realities of war in Ukraine, of rioters flooding the streets in Iran and Jerusalem, of severe drought and hunger conditions in African countries, and of people fleeing their home countries for better living conditions.

In America, our embattled institutions exhibit little, if any, collaboration. Among a majority of American voters, our major institutions and their leaders are in disfavor.

Dear Friends: Earthy conditions of “no turning back” curtain our future. Diana

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Arriving home late yesterday after working until 7 pm was no fun. Waiting for me were hungry animals, and some needed cleaning up. Bummer that I missed the PBS Saturday night rerun of a “Downton Abbey” segment. I’ve watched that series often (alongside almost everybody else in the world) and still enjoy its episodes these days.

Word on the internet is that a newly-written season of the show is coming up. That’ll be interesting as “Downton Abbey” debuted ten years ago, with a huge cast. The header photo shows its original group of actors. By now, many might have moved on in their careers. I understand that missing will be The indomitable Maggie Smith.

The original series ended in the late Twenties. I wonder where in time, a new season might restart the story. It’ll likely zero in on the Abbey babies: Mary’s son, Tom’s daughter, and Sybil’s child. Surely, Bates and Anna also would have children. Daisy, too, might be married and with kids; she’d also be Head of the Kitchen.

So, there’s lots of curiosity about what might have occurred in the lives of interesting characters. I’ve not mentioned the shadowy Thomas, who needed some happiness. In my favorite segment, the ladies had to cope in the aftermath of a handsome foreigner’s invasion of Lady Mary’s bed.

Dear Friends: I’ll look forward to add-ons from the pen of Julian Fellows. Diana

Schnauzer/Doodle in the Aisle

Saturday, July 22, 2023

My hours at work today seem awful; they’re between one and seven p.m. The Hardware Department’s “nightly closer” is on leave for a family emergency. The general shortage of employees is sliding me toward the store’s closing hours. My pets must wait longer for food, and my work at home lasts into the evenings. This isn’t a perfect world, so I’ll make do.

I’ll adjust the animal feeding times, reschedule the home and property care, wrap my head around current changes, and try to stay open to more. Have I ever mentioned disliking unexpected changes; of course, who doesn’t?

Yesterday, I fired the contractor who was installing an outside, free-standing lighting fixture. He’s a nice guy and a coworker, but unlike anybody who’s performed work for me, he went into action without first providing a job description and a price quote. He quickly appeared to be becoming very creative and overworking the project. I asked for a price estimate, and it was very high. His vision was too grand for my simple-lighting need.

I appreciate creativity and enjoy customers describing theirs to me as they shop where I work. They teach much, and I’m a sponge. So is my contractor-coworker, but business is just that, and his business rules don’t allow unquoted, uninvited creativity. What happened between us illustrates some problems in mixing business and friendship.

Dear Friends: I’ll take great care to be specific and detailed in the future. Diana

Friday, July 21, 2023

Yesterday, I rode Sunni behind Julie Gilbert’s horse, Ducky, and her mixed Collie, Nick. Julie was showing me one of her routine trail loops. At the same time, I was renewing my self-confidence on horseback. For months, I had been avoiding riding after a loose saddle made me tumble from Sunni’s back. That fall was hard, giving me a cracked rib and reducing my riding confidence.

For many years, horseback rides have provided me with bunches of fun. I didn’t want that loose-saddle tumble to permanently dent my riding. Although cautious, I wanted to ride again and the next time with a companion. Julie became that companion, and following her on horseback renewed my in-saddle confidence. Sunni also helped, for she’s well-trained and responds willingly to a rider.

We rode in a territory with a large active large canal running through. I recognized that Nick understood the canal; he repeatedly leaped in and exited it safely. I plan to ride in that area while training my young dog, Chase, to run alongside a horse. The canal is swift and deep, with a busy center that a water-loving dog should avoid. Later yesterday, to introduce Chase to the waterway, I hiked with my dogs in the area. All of them frequently dipped but stayed near the embankment and exited the water easily.

Chase is ready for more training and will love running on trails.

Dear Friends: His on-trail training will begin next week. Diana

Thursday, July 20, 2023

This hello will be brief; I must prepare for a very early horseback ride. My horses will be shocked to see me bringing their breakfast as today dawns. Enjoy, girls; this is a one-off.

A note about Peaches. His potential adopter didn’t contact me yesterday. Adopting might have seemed too big a commitment. Parrots have potentially l-o-n-g lifespans. His journey will continue with me, which is good because I love him. Eventually, I will connect with parrot groups to seek serious bird people and start the process of transferring my fine buddy to a fine person.

The next time I plan to ride horseback, I will take Chase. He’ll be a great trail dog. He’s strong, needs lots of exercise, and will love running with a horse. He’ll wear an e-collar our first time out to ensure appropriate distancing from my horse. He might not need reminding, but just to be sure.

Dear Friends: It’s beautiful outside, ya’all; have a great day. Diana

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

I love Peaches, an 18-year-old Cockatoo who’s lived with me for six years. The bird is smart and fun; he talks, sings, and dances, and yes, is a frequent screamer. His screams often express the pure joy of being alive or warn of spotting something different and potentially worrying.

Peaches’ two giant parrot cages in different parts of the house are situated beside big windows. He has lots of visibility to the outside and is an alert watchbird. He barks with the dogs, howls with the fire engines, and alarms me to anything unusual occurring.

Recently, a friend, Trish, and I happened to meet again after several years. She used to work with a veterinarian who routinely trimmed Peaches’ feathers and nails. Trish knows Peaches, loves him, and has expressed an interest in adopting him. The timing seems appropriate for such a possibility.

Parrots are species that live long with good care and reach their seventies. I’m highly aware that Peaches, still a young bird, will need a new, younger person than me to care for him, at least to his middle age. Maybe Trish is that person. Later, at some point, Peaches might need yet another caretaker to help him reach old age.

Young pets are challenging and Peaches hasn’t been an exception. Over our years together, he’s mellowed into an increasingly enjoyable and trusting buddy. A new person would experience the best of his growing years, and maybe I’ll feel envious, but also glad for having been a healthy part of his life journey.

Dear Friends: Serendipitous, isn’t it that many events just work out? Diana

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Captured! The culprit was just outside my door, eating the garden flowers. After quickly retreating from me, she turned and casually ambled away.

I am unhappy that this small city’s rapid population expansion has caused the loss of a full one-half of its (previously normal) Mule Deer population. That’s another disagreeable change, unavoidable (apparently), and occurring rapidly.

One of my resident Garder Snakes had babies. I found a tiny infant inside the house and tried to catch the quick being but couldn’t. I hope it can find a path to the outside deck and survive.

That’s all this morning. I’m running late after transporting my housemate to the bus stop so she can visit Salem. We talked about how much fun bus traveling used to be. She’s looking forward to this travel adventure.

Dear Friends: Be nice to wildlife and be grateful it still exists. Diana

Monday, July 17, 2023

Yesterday, in the hot weather, I was outside and trying to weed but barely progressing because Miles kept close, repeatedly dropping his ball at my feet. The intense heat slowing my physical efforts had me wanting to resist stooping, picking up, and tossing the ball. His inherent Border Collie persistence consistently overwhelmed my resisting attempts. Good dog!

Yesterday, for the first time in my part-time job, I was assigned to the store’s closing hours of three to eight p.m. After combating the heat and doing that weeding, in preparing for working at my job, I decided to pep my spirits by wearing a favorite, long-unused bracelet adorned with pretty stones.

I’m discovering the uplifting qualities of wearing some sort of “spirit item.”

Halfway through my shift, I glanced at the bracelet and saw missing one of its turquoise stones, leaving a potentially unfixable gap. For a while, I mentally kicked myself for wearing that bracelet to work where my hands and arms often move rapidly. Before long, however, I managed to put the situation into a better perspective. After all, it’s just a bracelet, maybe repairable, and it had lifted my spirits about going to a workplace after my earlier tiring day.

The other reminder from Miles was patience. I paused to think through the “bracelet event,” and that reduced my self-anger about the situation.

Going forward, similar to Miles and his ball, I will be persistent and identify for each key activity at least one spark that adds pleasure to getting up and going out.

Dear Friends: It’s good to self-reflect and refresh life’s little things. Diana