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We are thinking very seriously about some front yard grooming and landscaping. We want to place some nice decorative bricks around the front space where flowers would go if we were to plant them. To this point, we have ignored the yards. Oh we water, we fertilize a bit, we mow. But it's not much more than that.
But first, I must move a shrubbery.
This Arbor Vitae on the right must move to the left about three feet where there is a gap and in line with the rest of the ArbVee's that are along that fence line.
I began the arduous task of carefully digging up the shrubbery in the least invasive and traumatic way possible. I didn't even get it finished tonight. I got a good start on digging it our as well as digging the hole into which it will live hence forth. I hope!
I have transplanted one other Arbor Vitae and it took it about two months to die. I am hoping for better luck with this one.
In the meantime, I am gently scraping at the dirt and shoveling the scrapings into a pile. I hope to come back to it tomorrow and complete the job. That's not how it usually works though.
We returned from the Fireworks concert last night and discovered the bike was back. Jeez, what does it take for someone to steal this bike?
However, I'm encouraged to see that the kid had pangs of regret and brought it back. Either that or his Mom told him he had to return it.
Often times in your your life, you have said to your self, "Self! Why would anyone choose to live in Spokane?"
Today is one of those days where I can easily explain why I live in Spokane.
It's where you want to be. No matter where you want to be, there you are!
Life couldn't possibly be better than the day we had today. There was nothing special about it. In fact, the relentless unspecialness of the day is exactly what made it so great.
I got up and went to church while Susan stayed home to secure a spot in the park for the annual church picnic.
The picnic was nice. I grilled burgers and hot dogs while everyone sat around with great food and chatted and played games in the park.
By the way, Watermelon is the official flavor of Summer.
At about 3 PM, we walked the block and a half from the park and vegged at home for a bit. Then we loaded up the coolers and picnic baskets and trundled downtown for the 34th Annual Royal Fireworks Concert.
We met our friends Ron and Kelly and proceeded to have a wonderful evening of chatting and talking and bullshitting. There was some wine too.
At nine, the concert began and we heard some baroque music followed by fireworks.
The crowd was pleasant and convivial. The wine flowed freely and openly in a city park. Nobody got upset or unruly. It was the way it is supposed to be. And that happens ALL THE TIME in Spokane.
So that's why! Don't bother me no more!
Whilst mowing the lawn this morning, it came to my attention that I am living a very basic, mundane middle class life. We have our house that we work on, we go to work, come home, do little projects, and then start it all over again.
And I'm okay with that!
This seems like a fine and worthwhile existence. Nothing too exciting and nothing too boring. And just enough alcohol to grease the wheels.
We are in the midst of a long hot dry spell. It hasn't rained for a couple of weeks and the heat has been pretty steady and aggressive. It's been tense at work as the heat is making everyone edgy.
It's Saturday evening and I'm sitting on the front porch writing this. I don't have anything specific to post, just some odds and ends that I wanted to get caught up on.
The Hall Project is complete! We hung the mirror on Thursday, Susan's birthday. It looks good. Rather than bolting it to the wall as it was when we removed it, I hung a heavy duty picture hook on the wall and strung a heavy duty wire to the frame.
The space has been empty for so long that it looks weird having the mirror there.
I went out to the Hardware store today and bought an eye hook and some chain. I'm going to put the eye hook through the floor of the porch in order to be able to chain up the table and chairs.
I'm also investigating buying a surveillance system. Perhaps this isn't the smartest place to be discussing that. Let's just say you may or may not be on the candid camera.
With all the theft going on around us, here is an interesting tidbit.
This bike showed up last weekend and hasn't moved since. The neighbors have just left it out in the yard and nobody seems interested. Clearly, it was stolen from somewhere else.
Oh my gosh! As I was writing that, this kids comes walking out of the park from playing basketball and grabs the bike. Here's some pictures of him.
It's obvious to me that I have a bright career as a crime scene photographer.
I'm not sure how I should feel about this. The bike was stolen and we've all been waiting for it to disappear. On the other hand, this kid clearly knew it was not his bike and took off with it. He must have seen it sitting there for a few days because he really made no effort to high tail it away.
Well, I'm going to close this out now and walk over to the Hub Tavern for a beers.
We have returned from a weekend trip to Seattle where fun and more fun was had by us. This was our annually designated Susan Birthday Weekend and the main event was an overnight cruise via Itineras to Kingston.
But prior to that, we visited Seattle Center which was hosting "Bite of Seattle". Spokane has Pig out in the Park. We didn't really come across any food we loved, although the deep fried mac and cheese was somewhat memorable. As was Illusions of Elvis.
Itineras is a 50 foot 1964 Chris Craft Motor Yacht owned by the former Muzzy Mansion Boys. Steven and Mike invited us for a fabulous cruise across the Sound to the Port of Kingston.
Once we cleared the Ballard Locks, the cruise took about an hour. It took less time than that to check out Kingston and discover that there is nothing there.
That's not really true or fair. We had dinner at a great little Italian place and followed that with a free jazz concert in the park that was right there by the marina.
The next morning, we had breakfast at the Oak Table Restaurant. It was quite crowded and with good reason. They serve good food with cheerful service and a reasonable price. Holy Shit! We love Kingston!
We left Seattle Sunday afternoon and made our way to Leavenworth where we spent the night and shopped around on Monday.
We stayed at this very quaint little place just out of Leavenworth. It was in the midst of a Pear Orchard. Here are a few photos.
I definitely want to get back to Leavenworth next Spring and run the Wenatchee River, which flows through town. There is some big big rapids to be had there.
We returned home to discover that Low Life Mofo's had absconded with our patio furniture. Two of our chairs from the front porch are MIA.
We can't quite figure this theft out. What are you gonna do with cheap whicker chairs? You're not going to get any money out of them. Oh sure, they're comfy. But you are a Low Life Mofo without a patio or front porch hanging off your cardboard refrigerator box. W.T.F.?
About three years ago, my friend Arnie, who was visiting from San Francisquin, suggested I plant a raspberry plant in this one empty flowerbed.
I thought it was a great suggestion and I acted on it almost immediately. That quick action is finally producing fruit. Berry Fruit!
We got a few small berries off the plant last summer but nothing substantial. This year, it's producing quite nicely. We picked a few berries here and there but this is my first major harvest.
Quite a haul, in my humble estimation.
In other news of the home, I got the mirror strung with a hanging instrument from which I hope it will hang. I need a heavy duty wall hook, the three nail type. I have a nice one nail hook but I'm not hanging that heavy mirror on that wimpy little thing.
The heat continues but we had a nice night of rain last night. It keeps me from having to water for a day so that sticks it in the face of the man...the water man...the oppressive city utilities department.
I have a friend named Kenny who is quite the musician. He plays piano, guitar, I think he can play an accordion. Kenny is making a video and he wanted to use our piano in the video. His friend Gary did all the videography and seems to know what he's doing.
He are some pictures of the shoot today.
The heat wave continues in Spokane although today was less sunny and a little cooler. I've turned the hot tub waaaaay down. Perhaps we'll use that to refresh ourselves.
It has been tres bien hot for many a days now. The sky is hazy around town, making it difficult to see the mountains. We got a little bit of rain last night which cleaned things up remarkably. Yet, the forecast calls for another day of hot hot Hot. Then it sounds like it will turn cooler.
Okay, just a few tidbits to get caught up on all the stuff I've been ignoring...because of the heat, I'm thinking.
Susan is rubbing gold onto the frame of the mirror. It's not a gold leaf or anything special but rubbing it on seems to be the best method of application.
Here she is doing her impersonation of one of Mr. Bonds nemesises's.
I've been taking lots of lava lamp pictures. I don't know why. I love iconic sixties stuff, I guess. Here are a couple of my favorites.
I realized after the last post that I didn't say much about what I accomplished with regard to cleaning the basement. Well, there might have been a reason for that. Like, maybe I didn't accomplish as much as I wanted. Or maybe...well, forget it. The truth is I didn't accomplish as much as I wanted.
I did okay, I kind of cleaned this one room and got my tools organized. But all the excitement over liberating Mike's car from the Scumbags put a dent in my performance.
Susan continues to work on the mirror. She is done sanding and ready to repaint it. My task is to attach a wire in order to hang it.
My friend Mike, who I've known since kindergarten and who presently lives in Bellingham between treks around the Asian world, came to stay with us on Tuesday. He is in town to visit his Mom and commune with his siblings in North Idaho in the surroundings of Priest Lake.
Susan and I left Wednesday morning to go to Pend Orielle Lake (pronounced Quix-A-Hoety-Doo-Da) and while loading the car, I noticed that Mike had gotten up early and gone off somewhere. Then I noticed that the A.C. unit in his room was still running so I thought I would go and turn it off.
Mike was still in bed when I entered the room and so I had to tell him his car was not in the driveway. Yup! Asshole bandits had come in the night and adopted it. Shitheads! Mike made it slightly easier for the Scumbag by leaving an extra key in the ashtray.
We arranged for Mike to use Susan's car while we were gone for the Fourth and he called the Police and did all he was supposed to do.
We had a great time up at the lake and found it very restful in between beers and fireworks and campfires and s'mores.
In the meantime, we have all gone about our business. I rode my bike to work on Friday and Mike used my car.
With the success of last weeks' Carriage House cleaning, I set out to do the same to the basement today. Susan continued her work on the mirror, which is the last remaining piece of the Hallway Project puzzle.
Sometime after 3PM, Mike got a call from his Uncle who had gotten a call from the Police who had gotten a Scumbag driving Mike's car.
"YooHoo", was the resounding exclamation from all but the Scumbag.
It appears that in the course of an unrelated investigation, the Police where in the area of Sharp and Magnolia when they saw the blue Honda being backed out of a shaded yard at an empty rental house. The officer told me that her (the Driver) eyes got as big as saucers when she saw the cops and quickly drove back into the yard.
That was enough to make the officers want to investigate further and by the time they caught up with her, she was through the house, out the front door and hightailing it to parts unknown.
It turns out she did not steal the car, but was given it by the guy who did steal it. She is a heroine addict and needed a place to sleep.
The Police have a lead on the guy who I am calling Scumbag and I hope soon to visit him in the local Government Facility of Incarceration.
Mike made the very generous and forgiving suggestion that God needed the car for a couple of days in order to get this woman into a treatment program.
There is some slight body damage to the car but it is back and working and now sports a handsome new Club on the steering wheel.
So I will be telling everyone I know that the Spokane Police Department is doing their job...and I love them! That will continue right up to my next ticket.
