13 July …

 

Well, our guest Liz was able to get away from us last wednesday evening. Her family came to pick her up … and I got to make friends with her grandson, Dezmond.  He is six … a great kid.  I was so happy he and I meshed well.  He reminded me of when my grandchildren were that age and spent the entire summer with us.  I really miss those days.

As for Liz’s adventures while she was here, she wrote …

“I’ve done plenty of TELLING about my trip. What have I told people about?  The race activities (Liz acted as communication recorder for me when I was Net Control during the 4th run/walk), the sales booths that took me back 40+ years, your solar house, how you and George live, our recollections of our time together 62 years ago, your back patio, and the wonderful visit we all had when Michelle’s family arrived at Cold Comfort Farm. Dezmond and you – the kitten, the piece of obsidian, the chickens, the pine cone. The various plants you pointed out to Michele.

“My family considered their visit with you another of the highlights of their trip. It is so wonderful that I could share THEM with you, and YOU with them!”

George and I feel it was a wonderful (and too short) time together.  I will always value the time we spent talking and just being together. Thank you, Liz.

~~~

The little black cat (AC), who lives with the Lady hens, had a close call last week. As I went out to do my morning chores, he came running out of the chicken yard to meet me. I hadn’t noticed the doe in the area. But the doe saw the kitten and took off, hitting him with her hoof as she went by.  Deer, especially does, can be dangerous … their hooves are sharp. Of course, as she moved I saw her, and out of the corner of my eye I also saw movement in the grass on the other side of us.  Both AC and I were between the doe and her fawn.  Wrong place to be.

The doe stopped and turned. I was afraid she would go after AC, and he is so little.  I yelled at the doe, got her attention, and I guess she decided I was too big to challenge.  But AC and I were still between her and the movement in the grass. So I scooped him up, rushed into the chicken yard and slammed the gate behind us.

Poor kitten was shaking but apparently not hurt by the hoof.

I never did see the fawn, but the doe settled, moved over that way, and went back to eating.

By the time I was finished in the chicken yard/garden area and was ready to give AC his breakfast, the doe had moved on.

Later in the day, when I next saw AC, he was still subdued and a bit clingy which was unusual for him.

The next morning all was back to normal.

Aaaahhhhhh … adventures in the wild at Cold Comfort Farm.

 

~~~

Last thursday was a genealogy day. It didn’t turn out as I expected. The day had started out as a wash-out day for me.  I hadn’t really wanted to go into town, but felt I had to since there was a bill which needed paying and I’d said I’d be at the Family History Center. I thought there was a chance someone would come in with an interesting problem and I’d be snapped out of whatever.

It didn’t happen.

No one else showed up.

I sat in the parking lot, listening to the radio and reading the newspaper which I’d picked up on the way into town, for a full thirty minutes waiting for another volunteer (one with a key) to arrive.  No one.  So I went home.

Evidently something happened and they decided to cancel the Center hours and no one told me. This has happened before … a couple of times.  I’m the only non-Mormon that works there (all the others are members of the Mt Shasta church and working in the Family History Center is assigned to them as a “mission”) and so I am not privy to the church news and easy to overlook.

I had a mixed reaction to the situation. On one hand I was angry that no one had called me and saved me the trip into town. However, I went home, kvetched a bit, had a bacon and egg burrito, took a nap, and by evening I felt much better.

Next scheduled session will be the 21st.

~~~

This past monday we made contact with some genealogical cousins. 

 

Merna

 

 

 

and Gordon stopped by on their way home from Olympic track trials in Eugene.

 

He is the “cousin” through my Mother’s Garrison line. But she is the one I knew first because she too is a nurse as well as a genealogy bug.

We met for midday meal since they were on a rather tight travel schedule. Fortunately for us, we met about 1230 so our time was at the end of the lunch rush.  We were able to sit and visit for over two hours.

Bennie, our server, was a dream.  She went beyond her responsibility to make us comfortable and welcome. When I thanked her, the reply was “That’s what I’m here for … to make people happy.”

The conversations were good.  Merna and I compared family notes, both current and genealogical.  Gordon and George talked man stuff like cars (George) and sports (Gordon). We were all engaged and comfortable and (as usual for the HiLo) the food was excellent.  What more can you ask of a family get-together.

They live down south near Santa Barbara and had taken avocados with them to Eugene.  There were some left.  We inherited them.  Guacamole to the fore.  That’s the second time this summer we’ve been gifted with avocados.  The first was from a summer neighbor who lives in West Covina.  That makes us lucky folks.

It would be nice if we get another chance to visit with Merna and Gordon … but since all four of us are in our 80s, we’ll accept one day at a time and appreciate the visit we just enjoyed.

~~~

Speaking of genealogy … I got caught in one of the most common traps last week.  I can’t remember what I started looking for but suddenly I was off by a couple of marriages with a list of folks to whom I have little or no relationship … probably because in the Holcombe family, connected to the Messengers in my father’s line, during the 18th century there are a minimum of two or three men in each generation named Nathaniel and more than one instance of sisters marrying brothers or cousins.  Oops …

I don’t have time to trace all the side branches and so am trying (emphasis here on “trying”) to keep my research to blood lines.

~~~

This morning is beautiful.

However, weather has been unpredictable.  First HEAT … then much lower temperatures and rain followed by frost. Today the prediction is for 90°+.  Poor plants aren’t quite sure what they are supposed to be doing. With climate change, maybe I’ll have to go with a greenhouse.  That’s what they used to do in this area.  There is still one of the old big greenhouses over in Edgewood, near the cemetery, where the stage stop used to be.

~~~

And finally the thought for the week … 

 

Live everyday like it’s your last because one day it will be.  Tell the ones you love that you love them every chance you get. Don’t take any moment for granted.

 

so …’til next week …