That's Gneiss! #80 ~ Walking and seeing
I was thinking this week might be a little quieter around here, but no. There is a lot more going on in Everett than in our sleepy old Oak Harbor neighborhood, that’s for sure. On Thursday evening a house just across the freeway from us burned - fortunately there were only minor injuries, but it the tragedy of losing a home to fire is no small thing. When I saw the smoke I thought maybe it was a grass fire, as it has already been quite warm and dry.
How warm? A tad bit unseasonably warm for May - three days over 80 degrees, and Seattle even hit higher than 85! According the Cliff Mass, short heatwaves in May are actually pretty common. There has been zero precipitation during the month of May. I’m pondering a way to record precipitation - I’ll probably go with a monthly graph. Daily would be boring, with so many dry days.
Anyhow, the clouds are back and rain is in the forecast - just in time for our trip to Seaside, Oregon next week! Figures. I’m still really excited about this trip - we need a vacation and missed out on our usual trip due to moving in February. This is a hotel trip - no need to worry too much about the weather since we can dry off and get cozy in our room after playing on the beach.
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I started a new routine of taking a walk before going to work in the morning. While I walk the dog every day after work, those walks don’t really qualify as exercise due to the slow pace we sometimes take. Our record slow pace is about a 41 minute mile. Walking by myself is great - I can cover more ground and hit a pace of just over 17 minutes/mile when I keep up my speed. I still stop to take pictures of interesting things I see along the way, and have enjoyed exploring a few streets I’ve not seen yet.
There are beautiful houses and gardens everywhere, and the early morning sunlight has a special quality as the sun creeps upwards.
I love seeing the interesting garden art that people choose.
Though some of it makes me scratch my head.
I’ve noticed a couple of interesting gates - here’s one of them. I’ll have to keep my eye out for more. I haven’t walked down any of the alleys yet, and I bet those are a goldmine of interesting sights.
I’ve noticed that some people have a hard time giving up the holidays around here. Usually it’s just Christmas, but these folks like a mix.
I’m looking forward to more wandering around the neighborhood, looking for things that might go unnoticed.
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In other news, poor Rowland had a trip to the vet yesterday. He was in need of some vaccinations, and his ears had been bothering him for a while. On Wednesday we noticed that one of his ears had swelled up - it was an hematoma caused by shaking his head a lot. Michael said it looked like he had a poori in his ear. We made an appointment and took him in, where he was welcomed nicely.
Beans and Ducky were also waiting for appointments while we were there - Rowland was appalled that a dog would be called Ducky, and that it was not his toy.
Rowland was a bit difficult with the vets, and understandably did not want anybody messing with his ears. They ended up having to sedate him to get the work done. We picked him up a couple of hours later and brought him home, and he was still very much affected by the sedation. It was quite comical - he looked skinny because his muscles were sagging, and his back legs had a strange gait. Then he barked at the pizza delivery person, and it came out all weird and high pitched! His muscles have pulled themselves back together and he’s feeling much better today. He’ll be in tip-top shape by the time we leave for Seaside on Thursday!
I’m sure I’ll have many tales of what’s bound to be an exciting trip in next week’s newsletter. Cheers!
Tidbits
Do you know what happened on May 12, 1846?
The strange tale of Starvation Heights - criminal pseudoscientists are nothing new…
Who owns all of the swans in England?
I am amused that the descriptions of the photos have nothing to do with the dire warning of the article!
Making: it seems that I am endlessly mending the dog’s toys these days. I’ll be fixing his duck shortly (AGAIN)
Recently eaten: I was down in Seattle for two days for a training (which was totally awesome) and ate at Carnitas Michoacan both days. Worth a stop if you’re in the Beacon Hill area of Seattle!
Reading: I finished White Fragility, and it is well worth a read, followed by some reflection. Next up is The Art of Noticing: 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday by Rob Walker. I’ve been waiting quite a while for this one! I already do some of the things he suggests, but I’ll be finding some ideas to step up my game.
Video of the Week
Meanwhile in Iceland…
Life Has Purpose, Young Hatari Fans Insist
More about Hatari, and their upcoming participation in Eurovision. My favorite bit from the article:
Hatari have managed to galvanise an army of weirdos, hipsters, homosexuals, grannies and, somewhat inexplicably, their biggest fanbase: Icelandic children. During Songvakeppnin rehearsals they had to be ushered away from the greenroom windows, because hundreds of tiny, excitable eight-year-olds were screaming each time they caught a glimpse of the band.
Question of the Week
Answer if you wish, and I’ll share next week - anonymously of course. Just hit reply…
Strange history - every town or region has their own bizarre tales from the past. What’s a weird piece of history where of the place you live?
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Last week I asked you to find a music video with a shopping cart. Bonus if the band name had only four letters (a long shot, I know).
Shopping cart + Sir Paul in a cameo!
Shopping cart…hm…
I totally cheated, but…
I have a shopping cart video, but everything about it is 5 letters, not four!
I went searching, and found this one. Great song, and great shopping cart action! Totally satisfying.
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