Friday and a frog. Exterminator prep Also indigenous fire culture

Friday morning brought this slug, evidently the one responsible for the holes in the leaves 

I flung him far into the trees, plenty there for him.

And the pond walk yielded birdsong, frog sounds and this mushroom

And here's one of my frog friends, not too worried about my presence. I wonder if it's like young rabbits, more curious than alarmed.

I got back with the Exterminator John for my quote and found he'd sent it days ago, never arrived, not in spam, trash, nowhere. He re-sent it, expensive job sigh, I approve, he's coming Saturday morning. And asked me to empty the storage closet. Oh. Nobody available to help, so I did it. 

The view from my front door, there's more round to the right 

Some of that is dumpster bound, some Freecycle bound, it's a good opportunity to winnow anyway.

Thursday brought a Fowler Museum online presentation  I'd forgotten signing up for, good thing I also signed up for a reminder.

Lovely young graduate student presenting her Master's project, a current exhibit at the Fowler Museum of UCLA, and this Zoom presentation.

Here you see left a plant untouched by fire, growing less fully. On the right, opened up by fire, it grows freely and provides basket fibers.

Left is a sand painting depicting night and day, right sparks of fire and flowers together

The poem is set out to depict the mountains of the poet's childhood

The poppies are California icons and they flourish after fire.

The presenter, from a long line of basket weavers, is now far from her home territory, and is learning the style of her adopted region, but she plans to return and continue in the tradition of her family.

This exhibit is part of a movement to reclaim the cultural fire practices of indigenous people, and further to reclaim them for the women and queer people who have been excluded from their own practices, reserved for straight men. It's a double task. 

For centuries the indigenous people tended the land using fire to cultivate and protect it, until colonized. Then fire was outlawed and the wrongheaded Smoky Bear campaign to eradicate even useful fire resulted in the current undergrowth and kindling situation ending in massive out of control fires.

Fire, life, renewal and art are all part of the indigenous tradition.

If you're anywhere near the Fowler Museum, this would be worth a visit.

Happy day, everyone. Everything is good in its place. I'm still looking for mine.

Meanwhile this came in the mail with the perfect card for the likes of me.

Thank you J, perfect deck reading to get my mind off termites.

And I updated the daily bouquet 

Local gardens and "weeds", Misfits

Today's morning walk was shorter because I was a bit tired from yesterday's exertion which included a five minute HIIT workout in the evening with April and Eiko.

It's cool and bright-cloudy today, just what a lot of wildflowers like, such as these dayflowers

Blue points of color among the pachysandra 

 Down the street there's a nice show of white daisies and yellow orange daylilies 

And to prove I did the ironing, here's me modeling the favorite pink shirt. I upcycled this, years ago, Liz Claiborne thrift store find, shortening the sleeves and hem and using a cuff to make a pleated phone pocket, and a button band section to make a tiny decorative pocket. 

The fuzzy hair tells you the humidity is up there. Here's a couple of shots of those fancy designer details (!)

And the Misfits bag is out for pickup.

I recently asked Misfits if they did a senior discount, and they replied no, but we do notify you of specials. It was worth a try in this expensive year.

While I was waiting, I decided it was cool enough to prune the sage.

In the foreground a bunch of leaves, which have now gone to friends, one of whom came right down the street to collect and chat.

Then Haleem arrived, effortlessly swinging a box of groceries onto the step.

Some of the canned goods are for the food pantry, the bread is to avoid baking in a heatwave, the chocolate bar is for my nerves, and the fruit needs no introduction. Except the apples are Rockit, small and crunchy. The peaches need a day or two, then I may freeze them.

The graham crackers are a current taste, crumbled into yogurt with lime or lemon juice.

In food and gardening, when I was clearing the counters ready for misfits prep, I notice several tiny potatoes now sprouting. So I sliced off just the sprouting areas, diced and roasted the rest for lunch with malt vinegar, and planted the sprouts in a container.  Waste nothing.

This afternoon is about reading and dozing on the deck, and admiring my pruning. Unless a lot of insurance related calls and messages happen.

Happy day, everyone, seize the day and the potatoes.

More early morning getting stuff done, later all bureaucracy

Early morning, this is getting to be a good habit, walking around the neighborhood. I was hugely cheered when I met a mellow little Boston terrier named Oreo! Lovely chat with his old Indian gentleman clearly devoted to Oreo.

Then around, greeting the early morning walkers and home to shower and catch up on line. But first I lugged the big potted lavender plant through the house and onto the patio. 

It's safer there and we'll see how it goes. That was a bit of exertion, but I survived. My yes2next habit is paying off. I'll need to repot it now the roots have been torn out of the ground by my car.

It's going to be quiet, with Gary away for two weeks, but there's a good side to that. It's especially quiet since his phone is dead and he can't get his new one set up. Can't make or receive calls, everything going to the old phone and irretrievable. At least my phone is working anyway.

No sudden irruptions with ideas, requests to look at this and that, hold that wire, identify this poison ivy etc.  

Yesterday  he dashed in, with a cup of tea, didn't want to put it on the coffee table, grabbed a handful of MY HANDMADE FIBER CORDAGE and asked if he could rest his cup on it for a coaster.. he also does wonderful things for me, so there's that balance. But a few days downtime is good.

Home again I needed a second breakfast 

Cheese and cilantro omelette.

Then a lot of the day was spent dealing with a blizzard of texts and emails from the auto insurer. I checked with the body shop, who hadn't got them yet, then forwarded them so they could get on with the repair. 

Then, after I called the insurer to double-check they were paying the shop direct, got another message that they'd mailed a check to me. Soooo I'll settle with the shop myself. I forwarded that info too. 

It's easier to do it myself than with help, full disclosure. Saves discussion and debate. I'm used to doing my own follow up and now I'm recovered to the point of managing things again.

At first I really needed neighbors making calls, most appreciative. Gary was stunned once I got going again, that I knew how to do DocuSign! Folks, I'm old, I'm not a dinosaur.

Then there's the air conditioner at the condo. This being Handsome Tenant's day off, he was pursuing it, again, and got a tech out Wednesday. I was not thrilled he's having to use his one precious day off, but I can't be there.  

Later: tech did a repair, but heat pump needs to be replaced. They'll be in touch. Sad, but not surprised. It's 23 years old, beyond its lifespan.

I'll make sure there's cake for next time I see him. 

So that was Wednesday. Still waiting on the house and the exterminator. Once all this is done I won't know what to do with myself. So much free time. Maybe I'll solve some age old mathematical mystery.

Evening was a good time online with my friends.

And on to more important things. I'm considering how to shape the basket, I mean technically. I know what shape I want to achieve, and I need to figure out how to get there. 

I think I know how but we'll see if my bright ideas translate. Sometimes materials, especially fiber, do unexpected things. It can be for the better. We'll see.

In the afternoon I had an invitation from the local artists group I founded long ago to send a piece to their October group show. I haven't exhibited in ages, so I'll have to look something out.  I'm amazed they remember me.

Happy day everyone. You got this, sez Queen Ferluffy.

Early morning frenzy, and Textiles and Tea, Bonnie Inouye

True to my new early morning pattern, I walked early, very humid today, so, not very far. Then I sat on the patio and noticed a few things that needed doing.

I needed all those plants off the deck, it's bad for the wood, already pests have started underneath. Gary doesn't understand about this so I didn't argue the point when he brought them over.  Now I've just shoved them into the pachysandra where they will be fine, as will the pachysandra, it's indestructible. I think he was reluctant to put them on the pachy but I'm not.

The hanging coleus is getting huge, and I retrieved the second shepherd's hook from the storage area where we'd put it after the car flattened it, and managed to get it into the ground to hold the coleus. This only lasted briefly before it fell over. I rescued the plant and Gary reinstalled the hook better. 

This left the other shepherd's hook available for the morning glories to climb and gave more space to the hibiscus 

And here in context 

All this was pretty strenuous and while I was at it, I picked and arranged today's bouquet

 

Usual philodendron, with black eyed susans, daisies, coreopsis, which is putting up a nice display of flowers on the patio. I like to pick flowers for the house while leaving enough to enjoy while I'm outside.

I need to clean up the butterfly bush and the sage, another day.  Today I feel pretty accomplished. Also hot and dewy!

Tuesday is knitting group and I could probably have found a ride, but I didn't, because 

This is staying home weather, much as I'd like to see my friends. We've emailed. Meanwhile I made more cordage 

and I'm considering the next design idea for the basket, to open up the shape. I'm glad I'm up to considering design and having ideas about it. It means I'm getting past the emotional upset.

Meanwhile ironing needs to happen. 

This is an every few months event, but linen does benefit from the occasional bit of care.

 And it got it

In other news I got an urgent text from the auto insurer saying my bill is past due. Oh. Must have been missed during the surgery recovery and brain fog time.  I ended up paying online with a new password, old one didn't work, and now it's paid. And the new password noted. What do confused older people do? Not well, I'm guessing.

Textiles and Tea featured Bonnie Inouye, a complex weaver using digital as well as traditional floor looms.  She wrote the definitive book on multi shaft weaving and is in favor of trying ideas to see how they work out. Great teaching approach. She was wearing her own work, too.

I asked about this shirt and she obligingly stood up to let us see. The picture and sound at her end wasn't great but you get the gist.

Great episode 

Happy day everyone, just try it!

Sez Ted and co.