Hooked!

 I had netflix on my phone.  

Netflix started offering games and I immediately became a Mahjong Solitaire addict.   

That game is frightfully addictive.   Along with the background sounds of running water.  Running water sounds are addictive enough to me.

My brother called night before last.  Asked me to join him and his wife down at Dorena Reservoir to ride a bike trail there.   He gave me an electric bike for my 70th birthday.   It came about the time my knee went south so I hadn't ridden it but once before.

They got their electric bikes a few years ago and even rode the road around Crater Lake, when they close it to all but walkers and bikers in the fall.

I faked bravado when I said yes to going, but inside I was worried about how I'd do, riding a bike long distance, when I'd barely ridden one in 20 years.  

What if I couldn't stay balanced or do I know the ins and outs of this new bike enough?  I aired up the tires, checked the brakes, read over the manual again that morning, then folded it in two, which it does easily, and with some effort (it weighs 80 lbs) hoisted into the back of the car and took off south to Dorena Lake.

We ate a picnic lunch at one of the parks along the reservoir.   Then we took off on our bikes on the bike path.  I didn't have any issues at all. In fact I had a grand time.  It was so fun to ride that bike and the electric assist was easy to use.  I had it on the lowest setting.  It has a thumb throttle to engage and to regulate how engaged the battery is.  When there was a vacant straight stretch I switched it to second from highest assist setting and sped up to 25 mph.  Not for long because there were cracks and bumps in the bike path that could have sent me sailing at that speed.

Mostly I peddled on my own power until the end, when my legs had become rubber and I only pretended to peddle then, when I saw people along the path, because I was on total electric assist the last few miles.

18 miles we went!  On my first ride.  Was very very fun!

I am hooked!

I got home and the Albany couple were just beginning to catch their last three remaining unfixed cats, for tomorrow's appointment.  They brought two of the boys over, they had caught, and will go for the third this evening.  They start two nights before because when catching selectively (among lots of fixed cats) unfixed adult males, who don't eat together, you need two nights to try for them.  

Here are the two they caught, now guests in my garage:  Dexter and Frown.

Dexter

Frown

Hopefully they get OJ this evening.   Also, a lady is hoping to catch a male up in Sweet Home, to bring over.  The 5th cat will be, hopefully, the third kitten from the middle of nowhere 3 kittens and their mom.  The other two kittens and mom were fixed last week.

So I will begin this week, which will include three or four rainy days in the 60's, with two new hobbies--Mahjong Solitaire and bike riding!

Black Saddlebags

 Yesterday evening, I had a wonderful thing happen.

A couple, whom I've helped with cats over the years, bought and brought me a screen door for the garage, so I could get airflow and not swelter in there and to make it safer to recuperate cats in the garage in hot summer months.

This same couple, when my car broke down years ago, loaned me one of theirs, so I could actually go to my brothers for either Christmas or Thanksgiving, I can't recall which so many years later.

They didn't need my help, when I offered, to install the screen door.  This was wise on their part.  They installed it quickly, like a team, while I sat in the zero gravity lawn chair.

While I sat there, I was astounded by small hummingbird acting things, flitting and hovering by--at least three of them.  What were they?   I couldn't get a picture.  They were too fast.  They were smaller than a hummingbird but acted like hummingbirds.   

I took a video finally and then later went through it frame by frame to see if I could find a focused shot good enough to make an id.  

Here's the frame I found that allowed me to id what I was seeing.

I uploaded it to google's ai and found out its a Black Saddlebag Dragonfly.

Wikipedia on Black Saddlebags.

 How interesting is that?   Fascinating I thought.  

The screen door is fabulous.  Gigi can peer out at the world in fresh air, when she's so inclined, although she can already get plenty in the cat yard.  Rascal, if he shows up again and lately he hasn't, can peer inside the garage too.   When he does show up, I let him in the garage now.   I'm pretty sure he has a home a block away, well really just down the block, but can't confirm.  I knocked on that door when looking for an owner when he first showed up in the area, and the guy said he had a male outside mostly cat but declined that the young black male I call Rascal was his.  But that's where I see him most.

Today it is forecast to barely reach 70 degrees out, with maybe some drizzle.   Be a nice change.

Front Porch Eclipse and Balloons

 All within 12 hours, watching the sky, from my front porch, I got to watch the lunar eclipse and this morning--balloons, from the Art and Air Festival.

One photo of the eclipse, mostly I just watched.  Handheld camera too so was happy anything showed up.

Shortly after my alarm went off this morning, I saw the balloons sailing by, from my bedroom window and returned to the front porch to watch.  

I thought it'd be cloudy today but the sun was out early

So long balloons.  They'll be out again tomorrow morning.

I was thrilled to see the eclipse in a beautifully clear and dark sky.  To enjoy balloons this morning too---just really lucky I guess.

No Plan, Just Go

 Decided to go to Waldo Lake on a whim today.  That was after I saw the weather forecast, which said today might be the last day to hit 80 in a week at least.  

My stuff was already in my car.  I was too lazy to unload after taking the board up to Foster, with my friend.  So basically I just had to get dressed and go.

But of course not everything went right.

My hand pump to air up the kayak/board broke.   I wasn't worried.  I'd also brought a rechargable electric pump.   HOwever, its hose end Halkey Roberts valve wouldn't work on my Halkey Roberts valve board receptor.  Wth!!!   

It's little twister things are too wide.  I don't know what the terminology is.  OK, found what they're called on internet--bayonet tabs.  

On top is the fitting that fits!  On the bottom, is the one that doesn't.  Bayonet tabs too wide.  Ai says don't be a ninny, shave them down with an exacto knife or box cutter.

I asked an SUVer if she had a pump and she came to help.  HOwever her Halkey Roberts was the same as the one on my electric pump hose.  However, my hand pump hose, with the correct valve fitting fit onto her pump so I used her pump and my hand pump hose and valve connection.

Ai says easiest way to fix my problem now is to use a box cutter and pare down the wide offending areas on the electric pump hose Halkey Roberts fitting.  Ok, maybe tomorrow.

I paddled down to the south end, hung out with dragon flies, then with five ducklings, now of age, whom I've encountered multiple times since they were born.  In other words, I've known them since they were babies.   They follow me sometimes now.  And they did today too.   I wonder why.  I swam a lot.  I didn't care if the clouds had come out by then.

The water was rough, as usual, in the afternoon, then calmed as usual about 4:00.  It was beautiful.  Lots of people there enjoying the beauty.  Friendly nice people.  Including a couple and their dog from Salem area.

Here are my duckling friends.   

Also my personal car, with only half the miles of the cat carrier car, is acting up.   It's got dash lights on as of today.  And the electric door locks are a mystery.  Sometimes three of them will lock when I press auto lock and sometimes only one will lock and sometimes they will not unlock when I need to get out of the car.  So its a crapshoot, wondering if I'll get locked in my car unable to get out.  That's why I carry a hammer in the car now.

Here are my dragon fly friends.

It's so beautiful there.

Ok, Waldo, hope to see you again soon.  Goodnight all.  

The Ash out Back

 Both my neighbor and I have been concerned about the rapid growth of a tree in the back.  Its right by the fence we share and also the two neighbors behind.

It seemed to come from nowhere, but has grown to 35 feet or so, not huge branches.  The trunk splits low to two main trucks, each five or inches across at their start, and both then dwindle to spindley as they ascend, like a bush almost.

I saw an article on facebook from Parks and Rec warning that the Emerald Ash Bore, an invasive beetle that kills Ash trees, has been found just north of us in Salem.  Albany Parks and Rec has been innoculating known Ash trees on city property.  

Ok, I thought, those photos of Ash trees look like the one out back.

I fetched a compound leaf from the tree.  I looked up leaf scars and differences between Ash species.

I think the tree is a Green Ash, non native.  Our only native Ash is the Oregon Ash.  Doesn't matter what kind of Ash it is, it could become a liability to all Ash trees if it becomes infected with the invasive beetlek, then need expensive removal later on, when larger, and if not removed would require innoculation against it, which is an expense.  My neighbor and I talked.  She is willing to chip in for removal.   A tree company is coming to give an estimate Monday.

I don't know where its start came from, but I think the one two houses down that towers over backfences into several yards, is an Ash also.  The other problem is the neighbors behind me.  There are two three inch trunk ones growing inches from the two fence section I built in front of the original three foot property divide chain link, when their board back fence on their side of the chain link fell apart.  I didn't want to constantly see their backyard after their board fence fell apart, so I built those two sections.  There's an ash growing between the chain link and one section I built and another a few feet from it.  When their fence fell apart, they simply leaned the fallen rotted pieces against the section I built.  That's been years ago.  The 2nd small but growing Ash is behind their rotted leaning boards in their yard.  They won't do any maintenance.  If I approach them about it, they'll either say do it yourself or no.

I can easily cut down the one just behind the section I built, between my board fence and the chain link because that one is my problem, on this property so I'll deal with that one first or it will destroy the fence, they grow so fast.  I can remove a couple fence boards to do it.

It may look tall, but the branches are very spindley.  Not far up, its more like a big bush.

Compound leaflets directly across from one another are Ash characteristics.
Green Ash has serrated leaf edges.  Oregon Ash, our only native here, leaflets attached directly at stalk but Green Ash are out a little and I can't really tell from this comopound leaf if those leaflets are directly attached or out a bit.
Hardly matters what species of Ash or even hybrid it is.  They grow extremely fast, can get 30 or more feet in under ten years in fact.  They're good trees, removing pollution from soil and air, but not so good on a fenceline because of their rapid growth
  or in an area with risk from Emerald Ash Bore Beetle.

I plugged leaf photos into two different AI's and one said Oregon Ash and the other Green Ash.  

Cat Round Up Day

 Today was cat round up for tomorrow.

I had three caretakers registered for the five spots.   However, one lady, with two, did not reply when I requested phone call confirmation by last night.   There's no sense doing anything but moving on when that happens.

The Albany couple whom I've helped with a whole lot of cats over the years caught one of the boys they were after--Leonard, a polite year old gray tabby.  He loves to eat.  He's eaten like three cans of wet food.  Hope he poops before the drive to the clinic or, well, will be a smelly drive.  Something about a car ride, and....out it comes.

Leonard

Out in the middle of nowhere, a lady had caught another female that showed up with kittens.   She caught the kittens first, then the mom.  She had the kitteens in two cages when I arrived and the mom was in a live trap.

She lives along a very long narrow bumpy gravel driveway on a dead end road.      She has an old friendly yellow dog who pads around, never far from any excitement to be had.

I set two traps of mine, one at a time, inside the cage holding two kittens.  Got them both in live traps for the trip home.  By this time I knew the lady with two of my spots wasn't going to respond to me and these kittens would go in their place.   The third kitten can be fixed a week from tomorrow, when I have more spots.

Tiny Tuna, the mom cat from middle of nowhere

Puffin, one of the two kittens going

Crabs, the other kitten

I admired how nice her live trap is.  That's when she told me it belongs to Silverton Cat Rescue.  My eyebrows raised.   I bet they'd like that back, I said.  She thought it was a year ago they helped her get five fixed and took in kittens from her.   I texted Viv, the director, once I had two of the kittens and the mom inside my car, and told her I had one of her traps to return.

I got home and set them up in my surprisingly hot garage.  I thought today was supposed to be quite cool, and it was compared to most summer days but still the garage had heated up.  And to my surprise, when I finally watched news, its going to be over 90 tomorrow.  Wow, I should check more often.  At least all five cats will recuperate with their caregivers, and not in my hot garage which could get to 130 degrees on a 90 plus degree day.  

This evening, the Albany couple caught another boy--Ballsey, big and buff.   They have three more to catch, they said, needing fixed, and so they have 3 of my five spots next Monday.

Ballsey from Albany

I love it when people catch their own cats and I just kind of coordinate and maybe loan traps or pick up and transport to clinic.   I've become a lady of leisure, don't you think?

Shift to Cooler

 Today dawned cool and cloudy.  Like yesterday began.   But yesterday got hot and cloudy, which meant humid.  Yuk.

Rascal, the yard stray fixed last winter, ambled into the garage for awhile this morning.  Gigi confronted him, but then allowed him to stay unmolested, lol.  I was surprised.

It's doubtful we will get rain but it will be much cooler.  Temps today and Sunday alleged to be in the 70's.

I guess its mow my backyard weather.   Darn it.

This big easy going gray and white boy is also a neighbors cat.  He lives behind me and a house down.  I forget his name.   He's a frequent visitor.  Very well behaved.

Thursday turned out to be about 95 degrees here.  I stupidly continued onward in the heat, doing outside chores.   

I first went to the Farmer's Market in Lebanon to get vegetables using my Farm to Table coupons for seniors.  These are available each year, from the state, to seniors, if you apply.  The allocation is by lottery, however, since funding is limited.  You may or may not get lucky.  This year I got lucky. 

 However, the places that take the coupons are few and far between.  The Farmers Markets take them.  They are, however, usually the most expensive places on earth to get fresh veggies.  My 3 coupons ($12 worth) however, bought me a large bunch of beets (probably six medium size) and their greens, a large head of butter lettuce, two apple cucumbers and four ears of corn.  I was so satisfied, that I spent those 3 coupons wisely and got a tremendous amount of food.   

Today I start up a large kettle of Borscht.   If you've read my blog long, you know how much I like Borscht.   I don't have cabbage but today I'll get a bag of coleslaw mix.  Its dry, no dressing and contains shredded carrots and two types of shredded cabbage and reduces the chopping needed to make Borscht.  Cabbage, carrots, potatoes, beets---the main ingredients of Borscht.  I used bagged chopped cabbage/carrots for curry too, since I like curry with those two vegetables but I don't like to grate.

After the Farmers Market, I then went directly to the Mennonite run Grocery Depot in search of bokchoy and leeks, for a decent price.  I found bokchoy, but not leeks.   I also there got a bag of oranges for $1.99.   It's enough oranges to squeeze half glass of orange juice every day for five days.  I use them that way because generally the cheap oranges are pithy and better for juice than to eat.

I like a hint of orange juice in morning coffee too.   Is that strange or do others like that?

I finally got the plywood piece cut to fit the back of the personal car, so I could, if I would, go camp and comfortably sleep in the back of the car.   I got four large pillows months ago.  I fit them into an oversized sleeping bag and it becomes a cushy mattress for the back.  I just needed the board then, in the back.  A friend helped me get a board home with his pickup months ago.

 The endeavor to cut the board down to the right size and shape was pathetic.  I accidentally cut one metal sawhorse in half, for instance.  Then the jigsaw fell apart when I was cutting out the shock access protrusion area of the board, to fit the back.  I can fix the cut in two sawhorse and I will one day.  Just add it to the list of projects.  I'll have to rig a fix on the jigsaw too, for it to be usable.  Add to already lengthy fix it list.

The board IS in the back of the car now though.  I didn't yet get the forward passenger side section cut off, to then hinge to the larger back section.  Its still a one piece board.  I need to cut and hinge it so I can flip the extended section, for sleeping, on the passenger side, backwards when not in use for sleeping.   With it extended forward, to accomadate my length for sleeping, the passenger seat must be as far forward as it can go and tilted forward.   This makes my passenger seat unusable.  I'll at least do that today.

 It's not supposed to get to 80 degrees today.  Yesterday, after tiring myself in the 95 degree heat of Thursday, I did little and went to bed early.

Stevie, from the house behind me, visited also.  He acts like I caught him doing something he shouldn't be doing.

Today I've already done a lot of yardwork this morning and can't do more because the yard debris bin is full. Which means--no mowing the backyard.  Oh, I'm so sad.  Lol.  Not!  

 Because the temp will be up in high 70's, with clouds, means humidity and I don't "do" humidity well.