plaything for the gods

This from Jeff Steel a mailman who took a trip to Greece and Turkey and then wrote a very decent book about it. Into the Pagan Past: A Search for Gods Heroes and a Really Good Greek Salad .

“It sometimes feels as if my life is being guided towards an uncertain point in the future. It is almost as if I am a mere plaything for the gods that my stumbling through t his existence is strictly for their amusement.”

Remember the story of Job? Hmm.

To most people desert areas are ugly and a real wasteland. To me those deserts are home. I miss them.

Once this was the tallest man made dam in the world.
A sister of mine was born back behind where I was standing for this photograph. We lived 65 miles on horrible roads from the nearest hospital.
Mom went into labor, dad hurried her to the hospital, but the baby was born along this road. The extreme sad thing is that the baby died.
I can only begin to imagine the sadness as Mom and Dad went on to town and then back to their back country job.

Home canning at it's colorful best, and I don't even like to eat canned cherries.

How about a little color this gray winter morning?

Pipe fittings are fascinating.

back home

I am back from Portland.

Portland Oregon is one of those cities that people love because it is so green. The green is, of course, the result of rain, a lot of rain, a lot of drizzling rain. Gray gray gray.

But it is winter and that is how it is.

It was a good trip. I bought a couple of books at Powell's (can't go in there without buying more than I should! I also got a much needed battery for my fairly ancient MacBook. This MB was new in '07. In the computer world that is Model A vintage. But it works and does what i need and i don't want to put down a grand on a new one, so I make it work.

The weather has warmed up a lot here at the tiny house. This morning it is 45 outside, compared to 21 one morning last week. We will be colder by weekend, but I have demonstrated that this little house can take cold weather and be livable. That is a good thing.

Miriam was glad to see me and knew who I was, but was not sure how long I had been gone. I was really tired, so when I got her to bed I laid down beside her and slept a couple of hours before returning to the tiny house.

Meanwhile, our dingy rooster jumped the fence and is at the neighbors. It is still dark, but he is crowing. Not sure he is capable of learning much.

As spam goes, it was not terribly offensive, but just annoying, so I took it out!
Still like the looks of this old car!

I'd take the touring car in this trip, but it is in the shop (PhotoShop, that is). The car is British, but I don't know beyond that, but what an awesome looking ride. 

break time

I am taking a break later this week.

As far as AD caregiving goes, I am about as lucky and blessed as can be. Daughter is my lifeline.

But daughter 4 in Portland is also a lifeline and she throws it out every few months: "Dad, you are about due for a trip to Portland, right?"

So Thursday I am driving to Portland. I'll spend several days with daughter and her husband as well as see quite a bit of two granddaughters.

Daughter 4 lives right down town, which is about as opposite as can be from our country life here. But because she is so downtown you can walk almost any place. Her car stays in the parking garage most of the time.

I'll walk where I want to go. There is a Ben and Jerry's across the street, a dozen or two restaurants of various size, one huge book stores, a couple of decent art stores and REI within walking distance.

It will be a walking break!

That is me a LONG time ago, maybe 50 years ago. Not totally sure.