Archives for category: Simple Living
Late May
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The video below shows how to prune the fern in early February.
Please go to 2:40
What mine was looking like around mid-April:
They have been back out to one of the beaches they know where they can harvest oysters.
They know a beach where they can harvest oysters.
Recently, I have been listening to KOZT. On Saturday morning, they played a couple songs that I enjoyed:
Carole King & James Taylor – UP ON THE ROOF (Live)
Jackson Browne performs “Redemption Song” at the Concert for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995
Photo:
Some Whidbey garden fun we had a few years back.
Love the old wheelbarrow.
The tire brand is Schenuit. Some history from Baltimore Heritage:
“Schenuit manufactured truck and automobile tires, and later manufactured aircraft tires for the military during World War II. The company became dependent on government contracts and nearly went bankrupt after the war. By the 1960s, the company began expanding into the home and garden industry by buying out smaller manufacturers that made wheelbarrows, industrial wood products, lawn equipment, exercise equipment, and lawn and patio furniture. By the 1970s, Schenuit had moved out of the tire business.”
Driftwood Fetish
Finished compost for tilling into the garden.
Sifting finished compost.
Starting a new compost pile. Sifted compost ready for use.
Sort of like a driftwood flower arrangement.
Moclips River
Grays Harbor County
Noticing that many people today drive vehicles with a heavy window tint. In the old days, people might be inclined to make eye contact and exchange a wave. Is there an app for that? Today, many seem to be fully sealed inside a computer and climate controlled rolling entertainment/navigation and communications center, surrounded by tinted windows that used to be appropriate for a presidential motorcade. These features are popular even for pickup trucks today.
1970s Mob Boss – No Tinted Windows
Not Sealed Inside Behind A Heavy Window Tint
Took drivers ed decades ago. We were taught to make eye contact with drivers and pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks to increase safety.
Looks like it’s still a good idea:
More here:
Possibly of interest:
Related:
Thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s
I stopped posting to the blog above a while back because WordPress changed the blog user interface from something that was easy to use and understand to something that became super complicated.
I did not leave WP entirely, but paid extra to keep using this blog. Maybe paying extra means I could easily post to the old blog, but I have not taken time to fuss with it.
More here:
Goodbye Spammy WordPress Likes
Photo-
The Slow Lane – Penn Cove
I am from the last century. Maybe it’s not fair, but what it is now doesn’t seem to measure up to what it was, or what it is supposed to be.
A pretty close family connection for us was in place maybe fifteen years ago. Add in a couple divorces. Loved ones who have passed away. Kids who aren’t kids anymore. The family togetherness tends to break down, even outside of the traditional November/December weeks.
Speaking of last century, I like a good parade. Sometimes we tune in to see if the one in NYC is still the same. We watch for a few minutes and we’re not seeing much in the way of old cars, the US Marine Corps marching band, groups on horseback, and some of the best high school marching bands in the nation. Nope. It’s a made for TV lip sync fest. Some TV celebrity signed a contract and it says they must be here and be super enthusiastic again this year.
We do not have regular TV. The holiday ad blitz is weaker this way. We watch TV through the web and we still see some ads. A luxury automobile in the driveway with a giant bow on top. It’s a great time to surprise her with diamonds.
Don’t be the poor family that fails to purchase the right retail products this holiday season:
Not in the habit of doing any Christmas shopping. OK with the idea that people take joy in it.
Not connected with a church and have nothing against it. Do not care how people choose to express their greetings in public. Seems like people who are solid in their faith would be OK with whatever others do or don’t do Re: casual greetings. Ditto with the styling of disposable fast food packaging.
I look at 365 days a year as the time to do more or less in terms of what we think is meaningful in life. Things that are meaningful are on our mind all the time. They are not saved up for a special day on the calendar.
Went to the web to see what others are saying:
Does anyone else who’s family isn’t very close ever feel …awkward about it?
Is there something wrong with people who don’t care about holidays (birthdays included)?
How many of you couldn’t care less about the Holidays? And what made you feel that way?
No big plans here this month. Not feeling connected to what is almost a cultural peer pressure that sets up many people to try to do the same thing at the same time.
Never here to take away from others what is meaningful to them, just an urge to duck out all year long and be somewhere near the slow lane.
Okinawa 1980 – The Christmas Tree Story
Not just the holidays.
American culture seems less interesting and meaningful as time goes on. I saved all the voting materials that came in the mail this year, going all the way back to the Aug primary. I studied and made notes on the voter guides. Today, it all went into recycling. Do I feel better or different for voting? No.
Photo-
A winter trip to Arizona some years back.
We have that mint for your drink.
Over the past 20 years, I have spent a huge amount of time on the web with news and politics. Commenting, blogging, posting, sharing, commenting. It was taking up a chunk of my life. Time to move to a better place.
I plan to focus now on more positive themes. They have already been a part of my life, but now there will be more space for them. The more positive activities and images to go with them may show up in the categories and style of posts below.
Happy Hours – Out and about with dogs in the PNW
A Small Nonprofit Rescued & Adopted Cat Daycare Center That Is Always Open
Photo at top of page:
Hill Road
Local info: Two Bluff Trails
I pulled the plug on news and politics at 11:14 on 6/5/22
Several years back, I made my first effort to clean the outside of a home that was crying out for it. Got it done without any pressure washing. Started by using a hand held quart sprayer with pre-mixed 30 SECONDS Outdoor Cleaner.
I felt like it worked well. Later, I bought the gallon concentrate and diluted it myself.
Several years later, I have moved on to using a pump sprayer.
Here is a good video to watch before heading out to buy one:
Here is what I ended up buying:
Smith Contractor 190216 2-Gallon Sprayer with Viton
Happy with the sprayer and it minimizes any need to step on a ladder.
These days, I am mixing my own home brew bleach and detergent solution. The images above were done with the home brew. There are various recipes on the web for mixing your own solution.
For high areas, and to avoid ladder work, I still like the 30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner garden hose sprayer. This can also be refiled with home brew.
Happy Cleaning
Two images above:
Crescent Beach is a nice spot for camping, about 12 miles west of Port Angeles.
Family lantern from the 1970s
Food prep and storage for a group. Thinking this was at Fort Flagler.
Driftwood fetish
A light lunch at Fort Worden
A lonely night at Falls View
With Willie at Salt Creek
Same trip?
The view at Salt Creek
Be prepared
Fort Flagler
Views near our campsite – Kilisut Harbor side of Fort Flagler
Day is done.
Looking over the beach towards Port Townsend.
Upper campground area closer to Marrowstone Point at Fort Flagler
Shannon brought steaks:
Old dock at Fort Flagler
Sometimes wet – Kalaloch area
Sometimes dry – Ocean Shores
Our buyers inspect and select only the leanest cuts of meat for the grill – Seal Rock
If the plane crashes and the search party does not arrive for 3 or 4 days, you may be tempted to eat this:
Moran State Park with Mike & Sherry
Turkey on the Weber at Moran State Park:
Camping at Fort Flagler in 2000.
Possibly related:
400,000 Mile Club – Trivia Report
