Weather … nights have been near freezing and so the morning walkabouts have been more energy consuming than earlier. My lung capacity has been challenged by the cold. But I will acclimate and make a 4 circuit walkabout before the snow flies if, as a result result of the non-existent climate change, it flies at all this year.
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The saturday before Hallowe’en the radio club held a potluck using the community lounge in the resident facility of one of the elder communities where a club member lives.
Interesting potluck. Three kinds of mac and cheese, two pasta salads, two pumpkin cakes, a pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and several soda kinds.
I brought home a sample of each of the mac and cheese. Enough for three dinners if I add a green salad.
But the takeouts had to wait because on sunday the Mt Shasta family showed up with salmon steaks, sauteed potatoes and onions, and seasoned rice.
An additional food comment …
On monday (Hallowe’en) John got here at noon and we went to lunch at the HiLo, then went to the library to collect the books I had on hold, and ended with shopping time at the Grocery Outlet.
A note about the HiLo … The family who established the HiLo and handled it until a few months ago, sold it. It had been a go-to for George and I as well as for several friendsfor years and years. We knew the staff, most of whom had been there ever since we moved to Siskiyou County. We called them by name and the ones who regularly waited on us and any visiting family called us by name, or in my case “Mama”, as we all grew older. Mama is an honorific, much like Auntie, in their culture. The kitchen crew knew our regular orders and would peek around the swinging doors to say “Hi”. The food was first rate with scrumpcious fries and haomemade pies made with local stuff in season. All this as I’ve told you more than once in this blog.
But that is no more.
John and I went there for lunch monday and I didn’t recognize anyone … shaved heads in interesting patterns, piercings in a collection of places, polite service but without any connection. The fries were a bit greasy and small food offerings were typical tourist stuff. So if tourist style stuff floats your boat, the HiLo may still be the place to go.
We will not be going again.
There is a new place, smaller but more to my style, a couple of blocks down Main street before you get into the residential section of town. The sandwiches are tops, especially the grilled cheese, as is the mac and cheese.
And for burgers I suggest a stop in Dunsmuir at Sten’s wee family run burger shop (more of an outdoor place or takeout but well worth it) next to the swimming pool or the Burger Barn a bit further down toward Redding near the Fire House so expect a loud blast at noon or if called to a fire.
There used to be a great Thai place owned by Sengthong who would make a yearly trip home to get authentic supplies (I still use sticky rice cooker equipment I got following one of her trips) and an authentic Mexican place, but both closed down due to covid.
For a good Reuben there is always Penny’s near the north Dunsmuir I5 offramp (hard to see but near a motel) and well worth a stop.
And if you want high style there is always Madelaine’s down near the railroad tracks.
In Mt Shasta there is Casa Ramos (which has been run by the same family into the fourth generation) for good Mexican stuff. They went franchise a few years ago but the local starter spot is still good and friendly but they no longer have the jar of chocolate mints on the counter since covid.
Our family goes there often after church. Try the chicken burritos on the appetizer menu for a small treat.
And that’s the end of my food report for now.
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Niece Mary arrived late on tuesday. Mark picked her up from the airport and brought her here after dinner in Redding.
Kamille picked up Mark to take him home and and left the Honda here for Mary and me.
Mary and I hugged, talked a smidgeon, did a quick look at the digs and went to bed. It was after 9 … a full two hours after my bedtime.
Also on tuesday earlier I talked with our attorney to arrange for my current digs to be switched to the Family Trust and added Mark as initial beneficiary to be followed by Kamille and then by Francis (but under his birth name of Paul Michael).
It used to be George and me. John opted out of any inclusion.
Guess those changes are a type of family tax dodge.
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The Aspens are beginning to change. A lot more yellow showing. Yesterday I was sitting looking out through the rain and saw 3 leaves on the aspen, which is sort of centered in the view from my breakfast seat, gently dancing. Just three. The rest of the aspen, and the tree which waltzes, were not moving at all. Eventually the aspen went quiet as well.
I still haven’t yet figured out what caused that. I Didn’t see any sign of a squirrel .. or maybe it was a sign which I have yet to decipher.
The next time I looked everything was quiet.
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For the first time ever, I had a reaction to a vaccine injection. The injection of the latest Covid booster went into my right upper arm and resulted in pain in the area but no redness or swelling.
At first I thought I had pulled a muscle. But it also resulted in itching in the surrounding area which was irritating enough that I scratched it in my sleep enough to open a couple of subdermal raised areas. The pain is mostly gone and the scratches are healing.
Never before have I had any such reaction to any vaccine injections. Now I can say Been there … Done that. I’ll report it to my new medical care provider when I see her in a couple of weeks for my annual physical.
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Part of Hallowe’en I spent with John. We had lunch at the HiLo (see the critic’s report above) followed by a stop at the library for my pile of reading material, and to say Hi to one of my favorite librarians, and ended at Grocery Outlet picking up a replenishment of basics for the next couple of weeks.
We stopped on the way home to pickup the mail (I’ve told you about the non-delivery of mail here due to the small, spread out population in this town).
By then we were both ready to settle into nap/rest time, me here and John at home in Dunsmuir.
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Mark has connected me to Sirius and for Hallowe’en I set the speaker tuned to the Scream channel and set it in the front window.
I didn’t get any comments, Maybe I didn’t have it trned up enough.
I went out about 1800 to make the rounds here in the Village Trick or Treating in reverse … I gave offered Tricks which were a collection of riddles and if they were not answered correctly they had to take a Treat.
Some of the riddles were … How many eggs can you eat on an empty stomach? What is everybody doing at the same time? What is in fire but not in flame, in Lord but not in Dame? What is the start of every eternity and the end of time and space? What do you get when a grizzly bear gets caught in the rain? What is everyone doing at the same time?
Those are the ones I recall right off hand. How’d you do ?
I missed only one neighbor. He was away working.
Everyone that was home laughed. The three little kids of the owner wer of course were only anxious to get on with collecting candy. So I believe everyone else had a good time with one exception. The newest neighbor, who moved in just a couple of months ago, wouldn’t take a treat and wanted me gone because she was expecting her grandchildren.
Oh well …
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I watched the producer and one of the stars talking about the movie “Till”. I’ll have to wait to watch until it shows up on the net but at this time I feel I might need to watch. Maybe a lot of people do.
History isn’t always touchy feely.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be honored on a new postage stamp. I plan to buy as many as I can afford.
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It was a busy week. Mary and I talked until 9 about family stories.
So an end to the week …
Don’t wait for things to get simpler, easier, better.
Life will always be complicated.
Learn to be happy right now.
Otherwise, you’ll run out of time.
and ‘til next week …