Tuesday, July 11, 2023

My kitchen counters are covered with cooking components leaving little space for anything else. You get it, the must-haves, a coffeemaker, blender, air fryer, and all such. There’s no space for an induction cooktop, or I’d add one.

Which raises questions about modern kitchens. Because of my rapid, effective independent cooking appliances, my oven only gets used for storing pots and pans. If I were to build a home or remodel a kitchen, I’d want to avoid a traditional oven. This idea initially seemed unreal because, in the last hundred or so years, nearly everybody’s lived with kitchen stoves.

I’d ask for a kitchen with a single unit providing an induction cooktop and housing various independent components for fast, efficient food prep.

While wondering if people have begun requesting kitchen designs without traditional stoves. I decided to ask the Home Depot’s kitchen design staff. They said they’ve not had such requests, but one designer did design a kitchen similar to my vision. It was for a tiny home that lacked space for a stove. Another designer suggested that in today’s world, a no-stove kitchen might negatively affect the home’s value.

Regardless, I can’t stop thinking that before long standard stoves must give way to something else. People need modern kitchens designed to accommodate rapidly multiplying alternate cooking devices.

Those aren’t cheap, so changes to improve kitchen efficiency would have to begin in areas with affluent populations. Nowadays among them, it would be interesting to know the typical percentages of foods still prepared in standard ovens.

Dear Friends: Questions about changes, maybe interesting only to a few. Diana

Monday, July 10, 2023

My part-time job at Home Depot is evolving in good ways. I’m doing a reasonably good job in sales and now will start spending a daily hour in training. I’m tasked to learn more about the hardware products that HD carries.

My feelings about this have been mixed. HD provides lots of training but there’s a downside, because it’s mostly online. I find being trained by computer, listening through headphones, discouraging to alertness. Always, and soon, I begin a struggle to stay awake, my brain isn’t attentive.

Yesterday, I half-dozed through some modules explaining nails and screws. Although just slightly alert, I recognized lots I’ve wondered about while helping customers. For example, there are bunches of nail types that exist designed for different purposes. Despite my fogginess, I heard why nail shanks are constructed differently and have unique coatings for designated uses. Also, it appears that nail types have various life expectancies.

Another example is many different screw types. They’re known as hex-head, pan-head, and other head types. I’ve helped shoppers select screws without knowing how they’re used. The training explained key types, the design differences, and their applications.

Feeling sleepy, and almost staggering from the training, I returned to hardware. I had missed much and planned to repeat those modules another day. As it turned out, all wasn’t lost.

The next time I helped a shopper look for nails and screws, I was surprised to feel more confident. For example, I sensed what job a #8, 1-1/2″ construction nail was designed for. Also, in searching for various screw types, I glimpsed why each might be needed. As a plus, I always ask customers how they will use items and yesterday, understood more.

Aside from assisting customers better, I’ll be helped personally. In the past and not knowing why item variations existed, I’ve been a relatively blind shopper. I’ve pulled any hardware seeming okay for my purposes off a shelf and used it. Thinking about a past project, for example, a better nail for my use would have been galvanized instead of the stainless steel I chose.

I’m getting a notion that product training is a good idea. I do need help, however, and today will take to work a few stashed, and terrible-tasting, “stay awake” shots. Maybe those will assist my focus and alertness.

Dear Friends: We do our best work in areas of personal high interest. Diana

Sunday, July 09, 2023

I’ve been thinking about how to create a frog pond and where to establish it, and I have come up with ideas. Today while leaving work, I’ll pick up a few basic habitat components, a large shallow plant-pot liner, and a couple of clay pots. I’ll also get a few tall grass plants.

I will bury the shallow liner in the corner of my garden and fill it with water. The clay pots will be set beside the frogs’ water and inverted to become frog shelters. Small rocks will elevate the pots slightly and let frogs enter and exit.

I’ll plant tall grasses around the water pan and shelters. I will place appropriate-sized lava rocks for added shade and for safety from predators.

I’ve been reading about habitat care and am gathering that appropriate maintenance is simple. My job will be maintaining a damp frog environment and changing the water every few days.

An interest, a plan, and a beginning–boosts that encourage new journeys.

Dear Friends: I hope the new frog habitat may begin attracting occupants this evening.

Saturday, July 08, 2023

These are beyond the typical dog days of summer, with triple-digit temperatures making the usual hot areas even hotter. We Central Oregonians are complaining about mid-80s heat but getting off easy, comparatively speaking. This week, I’ve been working at HD during the warmest hours daily, but with today off, I’ll be outside experiencing our heat.

Today’s Washington Post carried an article about how to establish a little frog pond. Frogs are an endangered species but an essential component of healthy environments. My neighbor’s pond emits sounds from what seems like thousands of frogs. Until now, that’s more than enough suited me. The critters migrate, however, and some have reestablished in my hanging planters. I like seeing those frogs and have begun considering playing around to create a small safe pond.

Lately, a couple of lizards, including one with a short tail and recognizable as an old friend, have drowned in smallish bowls of water set out for my dogs. Right away, I pulled those bowls and replaced them with easy-to-escape flat and shallow planter-pot underliners. That lizard-water issue got me thinking about doing something that could assist frogs, too.

Besides, there are a few colorful Garder Snakes around. I don’t spot them often, but I am always delighted to sight one. They might also appreciate a little pond.

So, I’m encouraged.

Dear Friends: Thanks again for “being there” for me, and let’s go beat the heat! Diana

Friday, July 07, 2023

My week has been tumultuous for having to say goodbye to a long-time, beloved pet after weeks of trying to help him fight an aggressive infection.

In my deepest moments of sadness, I surprised myself by wanting Peaches as my company. The often-noisy Cocktoo this time was quiet, seeming to understand my mood. He perched either on my shoulder or arm as we walked along a neighborhood street. Peaches listened as I spoke constantly, about us, about Ranger, and about passings, of loves, friends, and time.

I was trying to capture Peaches in a selfie when a “Hello!” caught my attention. Susie, my friend, and neighbor, had paused her bike nearby. She helped to achieve my goal by using my iPhone and capturing today’s header image.

She helped me more, by taking time to listen about my day. Those moments flowed into a larger and two-way exchange. We both have been too busy to hang out and took advantage of that moment to exchange doings and perceptions.

Susie might not like this photo, but it’s the real deal. She’s deeply thinking about what she’s explaining.

Showing one of the reasons that Susie is very cool.

Meanwhile, this selfie captures Peaches listening and being aware of our surroundings.

Dear Friends: Thanks for your emotional support through my pet loss. Diana

Thursday, July 06, 2023

Yesterday, I said goodbye to twelve-year-old Ranger, my Treeing Walker Coonhound. He was one of my best friends ever. I spent last night recalling our adventures together, and today woke up feeling the heavy loss of his nearby presence.

Today’s header photo shows Ranger shortly after he appeared on my street as a young stray, frightened and needy. When I called the pup, he bellied toward me. I popped him into my vehicle and drove to a veterinarian friend. She guessed him at four months old and didn’t find a microchip. The puppy’s eyes never left me, and she said, “He’s made you his person.” She was correct, and that never changed. I was happy that my ad about a stray puppy ran without any responses.

During his puppy years, Ranger was a handful. The nuisance chewed and destroyed most of the furniture on my deck. Also, he was somewhat timid of other dogs and sometimes tried offsetting that by bullying but never pursued or fought.

Throughout most of Ranger’s years, he was my horseback buddy. On trails, there were some especially wonderful things about him. Although a hound, he had a “cold nose” and never left me to go hunting game. Whenever he got too far ahead to see my horse following, he backtracked and checked to self-reassure that I was coming. Also very cool was that Ranger could find very old trails, overgrown and invisible. If I felt somewhat lost, a good gamble was having my horse simply follow Ranger.

Dear Friends: R.I.P., my finest companion through some of my best years. Diana

Wednesday, July 05, 2023

Last night went as anticipated, with loud noises frightening my dogs. This year, the noises were worse. A nearby neighbor, entertaining guests and setting off rockets, created many very loud bangs. I coped with nervous, worried dogs and felt thankful that my floors are covered in manufactured viny and easy to clean. Also, I’m thankful for this year’s 4th being history.

It’s the anniversary of my having rescued a Robin baby a couple of years ago. It had fallen from the nest and was helpless. Raising that fledgling was one of my most fun experiences. The bird and I developed a close, trusting relationship. Seeing it grow and develop to independence became memorable. I hoped the mature version would hang around, but one day it flew. Then, I hoped it would return someday to visit, which hasn’t happened far as I know. I keep looking for it anyway.

I wouldn’t recognize “my Robin,” but I hope it would remember my call. So these days, I spend time outside saying, “Bird?” in the tone and voice which I used to call it to me. In its baby days, the bird came immediately, at first from perches in the garage and later, flying from various trees. Until one day, my bird was gone.

I am a “bird person” and struggled about making this Robin a pet or letting it go wild. I’m glad I let it go, but I always wonder how its life has been.

Dear Friends: On my way outside now to make some calls for “Bird?” Diana

Tuesday, July 04, 2023

Happy you-know-what holiday. This isn’t among my favorites. I fear even tiny explosives and don’t have any affection for skyward-shooting rockets. Plus, my dogs fear the sounds associated with this holiday. Tonight’s nervous dogs will have me trying to calm them through this community’s public fireworks displays.

Okay, enough of the ranting.

In these dog days of summer, I’m happy to have a couple days off from work. This beautifully-dawning morning makes me eager to go outside and address the early chores. Otherwise, I’ll play this day by ear (an unintended pun for what the evening will bring).

Dear Friends: Regardless of how you may lean have a good holiday. Diana

Monday, July 03, 2023

In yesterday’s late cool afternoon, I hiked with the dogs, and this time, Miles came along. I’ve avoided including the elderly Border Collie in our outings because Matcho Chase recently tried to fight with Miles. When the attack occurred, Chase was leashed, and got pulled the heck off!

Since then, Chase has worn an e-collar and regularly gone hiking with me on public trails. My finger rests on the collar’s stinger when he meets other dogs, particularly males older and weaker. Our hikes are accustoming Chase to these meetings. He’s been responsive to verbal warnings and avoids stinger hits.

Yesterday, Miles was beyond excited when invited to join our hike. He leaped into the Jeep, and during our ride, Chase was inoffensive. While we were hiking, the wide-ranging Miles outdistanced Chase, and otherwise, he tolerated badgering from the younger dog to play. Chase, as usual, played aggressively but didn’t pick fights. Everybody got home safely!

Regular trail experiences seem to be socializing my aggressive pup. His Rottweiler/Shepherd mix makes him cautious and protective and encourages him to be an alpha. Eventually, I hope Miles safely can be in the yard with Chase, without me near for protection. That would be a great outcome for this complicated and loveable young dog.

Miles, twelve years old, is big and beautiful. He’s a deeply-committed Border Collie. Yesterday, here, wet from the canal.

This shot brought Miles close up. He’s actually poised at a distance, focusing intently on me his “Border Collie herding eye.”

Dear Friends: Progress often follows the taking of one slow step after another. Diana

Sunday, July 02, 2023

A guy came into HD wanting several feet of rope and leading a big doodle-type dog. He told me that he would transform ten-foot lengths of braided rope into dog leads, to accommodate his growing puppy. He showed me her leash, explaining that he had parted and rewoven rope strands to create its handhold loop. That loop was beautiful, smooth-looking, and professional.

Always needing more dog leashes and horse leads, and asking about his weaving process, I became introduced to the concept of “fids.” Those are used for rope weaving. He was enthusiastic and went to his vehicle, retrieved a set of fids, and showed them to me. He encouraged me to watch YouTube demonstrations of using fids in rope weaving.

Early today my online education began. Reweaving with fids is interesting to see but being new to the process confuses, for fids are available in numerous sizes. One must identify which to use. In contrast, selecting rope is easy as HD carries lots of it.

I’ll continue pursuing metods of reweaving rope. Besides its potential usefulness the process seems relaxing (or maybe not for an OCD type [no telling where I fall on that scale]). Anyway, for now, I’ll leave possibilities alone and focus on grasping more on the doing.

Dear Friends: I am laughing because, who’d-a-thought, fids! Diana