Crackin’ Peachy

Monday, April 15, 2024

The header photo is an old selfie; it popped up and surprised me. I took it many years ago while driving to Sister’s, slowly, in heavy traffic. It was opening day for the Sister’s Quilt Show, an impressive annual event. Crackers, a Moluccan cockatoo, was on my shoulder. She was my buddy/visitor through that summer and we went everywhere together.

Crackers, a very affectionate bird, always dependably stayed on my shoulder. She had a huge vocabulary; we talked lots. I adored her–didn’t realize how much until after she was home again with her first family.

She’s why later I adopted Peaches, my Citron cockatoo.

Here’s Peaches, exploring a recent challenge.

Peaches’ personality is huge, like Crackers’, and he, too, has a large vocabulary. However, he often speaks less clearly than she–characteristics of their breed types. He loves being with me. One of my favorite things about Peaches is that he sings and creates humanlike melodies. We sing together, communicating that way is lovely.

Dear Friends: Yes, I’m a bird person, all because of my summer with Crackers. Diana

Holiday Fuss

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Happy Easter.

My cooking method involves using an InstaPot or an air fryer, but today, I plan to oven-roast a chicken. This is no big deal to most, but it is to me. Years ago, I grasped the ease and speed of cooking with alternate equipment and rededicated my oven, making it a storage space for little-used pots.

Today, I am home and have a fat chicken in my refrigerator. After spending time considering the options for that bird, I decided to just go ahead and cook it the “old way.” I’m a little short on memory, so visited YouTube University. A refresher course reminded me of beer-can chicken and that in my refrigerator is a can of beer.

My hatched plan starts by clearing the oven of unused, neglected skillets and pots and placing them out of the way temporarily. It feels a bit scary, wondering if my beer can chicken will turn out really good and make me reconsider doing oven cooking instead of using my quickie appliances.

You see, I’ve found that not much cooked with quickie appliances really satisfies. I’ve accepted that because, importantly, quickies cook rapidly with minimal effort. However, I often consider the tastes and textures inferior and recall them as more satisfying with variable temperatures and longer oven times.

As usual, I’m making a mountain out of a molehill. I hope my beer-can oven-cooked chicken looks and tastes special as a fine holiday meal. I also hope the chicken is only slightly better than my quickies would produce. That would satisfy; I’d happily return the old skillets and pots to my oven, call it a day, and continue the faster and easier quickie cooking.

Dear Friends: Best wishes to all for whom Easter is a special holiday. Diana

Peaks

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Yesterday, I had fun at work in three departments: Intimates, Men’s, and Dresses, each a unique experience.

I often work in Intimates, and yesterday felt delighted when a former co-worker out shopping discovered me. I needed a moment to recognize Rebecca–her face relaxed and happy, unlike her former tension in controlling inventory for the feed store where we worked.

Yesterday, she explained her fun in feeling free nowadays to do whatever she pleases. She’s working in a major supermarket–preparing salads, in a closed environment with 50-degree temperatures. Rebecca bundles mightily against the cold, chops fixings for salads, and wears a headset–listens to music and podcasts. Loves it!

We are kindred spirits: she, chopping salads in a supermarket, and me, clerking in a department store. Comfortable with our educations, experiences, and capabilities, and having the chops to pause and play with various sundry opportunities.

It’s about allowing oneself, at least somewhat, to meander.

Soon, I moved from Intimates to Men’s, a fun department needing lots of work to stay organized and tidy. I’ve not zeroed in on why Men’s feels fun. After working there more, I’ll try to explain.

Then I went on to Dresses. There, high schoolers have been trying on fancy clothing for the school dances being held this week and next. While I was in Dresses, a woman was shopping with two teens who busily were trying on many dresses. Both girls are athletic high school wrestlers who work out constantly. Their fabulous bodies wore the long, sequined gowns with trains, and the short, sparking dresses revealing lots of flesh. Both wore everything fabulously. Their mom and I had a grand time, oohing, awing, and laughing. A treat!

The store is moving me to various departments with unique shopping focuses and personalities. Interacting with shoppers is wonderful, too, for making rediscoveries, creating connections, and enabling getting-to-know.

Dear Friends: I get it, Rebecca, about freedom, fun, and simply enjoying a gig. Diana

Magesty

Saturday, December 30, 2023

These are the days of drizzle and fog. The outside is muddy, and the vision is cloudy. Those who yearn to be out skiing are the only complainers about the local condition of too little or no snow.

I love to go walking in a light drizzle. Dampness in the air, and overall, fosters an atmosphere that is gentle and peaceful and creates an almost magical area. I walk in my neighborhood with my Cockatoo, Peaches, on my shoulder. He loves being in damp air, too, and even more than me, because moisture fluffs his feathers and helps them thrive.

When we’re not out walking in a drizzle, I will spray Peaches with water that’s clear and at room temperature. He loves those showers and raises his wings to greet the warm water. To be honest, sometimes he’s busy, maybe tearing up a toy and uninterested in receiving a shower. Then he flutters around and screams.

I’m used to his screaming. Cockatoos do lots of that. Peaches greets every dawn with screams and says his good nights the same. Besides, he’s a watchbird, sees everything that happens in a large portion of our outdoors, and announces through long stretches. If he has no visual as to what’s going on, he correctly interprets the dogs’ barks and joins their noise.

While very special, my frequent walks through this winter’s gentle and peaceful atmosphere are also worrisome. More warmth from a changing climate threatens water supplies in this high desert area. Our local mountains now host annual snowpacks that are less dense, reducing the natural water runoffs that once abundantly flowed to nourish this essentially landlocked area.

Dear Friends: This area is still magical, but one searches more to find its majesty. Diana