Wednesday Vignette – missing the Rustbelt…

Posted on July 12, 2017 by

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Went shopping for metal yesterday. It was more of a curiosity trip as I had no real goals to fulfill – I just wanted to see what was available. It’s been years since I shopped for scrap metal, and in those days I lived in Ohio – smack in the middle of the Rustbelt. As you can imagine, it was marvelous, and the selection was fantastic! And back then, at steel costing only 12 cents per pound, I was in heaven, even though the pounds tend to add up quickly.

This was a different experience. By now, scrap steel sells at 50 cents a pound. I’m not sure if that price is both reflective of rising costs on the commodities market, and the fact that steel industries aren’t half as abundant out here in the west, but I imagine both those facts have to do with it. Anyway, I had a fun hour there, and found one thing I can probably have some fun with.

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There were abundant and varying lengths of piping that I though could be very useful to a cramscaper like myself, but the thick gauge of the steel made the cost rather prohibitive. A 1-foot piece of a 13″ diameter pipe clocked in at $22. Not too bad considering what one normally has to pay for a decent sized planter, but still… it’s scrap metal, for heavens sake!  Even though they can be relatively easily moved by rolling, the thickness of the metal made them both cumbersome and more expensive than they needed to be. And honestly, too heavy for me to lift. The staggered tubular planters I had in mind would no doubt look great, but, at that gauge, be way over-engineered, so I abstained. That will be a project for another day, with skimpier pipes. Next time…

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Wednesday Vignette – pyro in the park

Posted on July 5, 2017 by

Each Independence Day, our neighborhood goes mad. The real big fireworks are illegal to sell in Oregon, but up until last year, one could easily skip across the river to Washington state to get them. Supposedly, this year, they too banned the sale of the real pro gear, but as far as I could tell, the mayhem in the park 50 yards away from our house, was no different than in previous years. The size of the stuff blasting off in the park was very much comparable to the rockets the City discharges over the much safer river, downtown.

Last year ended with one of my neighbor’s arborvitae hedge catching on fire, and going up in flames. We all suggested he keep the charred stems for Halloween. Mind you, 2016 was a much drier spring than the one we’ve just had. Right now, I’m grateful for that, as it seem like last night went off without any major incidents. (Although, at one point, my youngest and I heard three “pap-pap-paps” as in a fired gun.) After deliberating whether we should bike downtown for the Big Show, we ultimately decided to stay within the relative safety of home, if for no other reason than to be sure we didn’t catch fire, and also to ensure the poor terrified cat was okay. The 4th of July when the world goes even more nuts than usual, is a terrible time for both pets and combat vets. If I had PTSD, I would make a point to venture far out into the middle of nowhere for this one. I can’t even imagine what they are going through…

These photos are from last year. This year, I was too lazy to try. But I sat outside until midnight, when the cacophony of fiery explosions finally began to subside, keeping a watchful eye on the circus. Quite happy it’s mostly over for this time…

EDITED: Loree thought I should add the shot of the old couch I carried outside just before the fireworks began. It is all torn up by our cat, old and worn, and not nice enough to donate to Goodwill – but we are getting rid of it. Since July 4th generally marks the end of rains here in Portland, I figured I would put it outside for now. Last time I put furniture in this spot, it disappeared into the night. It is my hope that someone will find this to be the perfect couch for them, and remove it. But until someone does, expect me to take naps out there. For as ratty as it is – it is a very comfy couch! 🙂

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Wednesday Vignette – after dark

Posted on June 27, 2017 by

With the help of some fabulous solar spots, I’ve been able to spend a lot of time after dark in my garden, lately. Little by little, the cluttered chaos out there is beginning to conform to at least a few of my wishes. Last night, I reassembled this sculpture I made for my best beloved a long, long time ago. I usually take it down in winter, to prevent it from blowing down. This year, it took me until now to put it back up. The photo only shows half of it, but I liked how it looked, silhouetted against the lit up wall. And, of course, I also like what I don’t have to look at when darkness falls – all those homeless plants sitting around in their pots.

At night, all that stuff fades into oblivion, and all I need to do is sit there, enjoy the cool air, and admire the clutter elimination work done by the spot lights. Come to think of it, the spots work a little like my camera – it focuses on whatever I direct it to, and eliminates the rest. For now, that’s all I need. I’m not quite ready for the wide, open scenes yet. Not yet, anyway. Slowly and steadily getting closer to that point, though, and that makes me happy!

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Wednesday Vignette – elevate!

Posted on June 21, 2017 by

Last night was the Interim Superintendent’s and several Directors’ very last School board meeting. Lists of accomplishments (real or perceived) were read, incompletes were noted, and thank yous were delivered. The reputation of the District, and the trust of the communities, are at an earned all-time low. By the time the next board meeting rolls around, there will be three new board members that I – and many others – hope will have the capacity and wherewithall to  steer this ship out of its turbulent, rocky past, and onto a continued journey of higher, more equitable purpose, benefitting the kids of Portland.

Our lofty hopes and aspirations may well be compared to the glory of a sunset, softening the festering muck and ragged edges of a District in turmoil. I think the new board will be a game changer…

Many times, I’ve wondered how it is possible that those in high positions lose track of what those still on the ground see. I hope, and have reasons to believe, this board will be different. The problems they face are varied and many, and the smaller ones often serve to distract from the larger ones, muddying the waters, and slowing real progress down.  I wish them luck in keeping their priorities straight through all the influences that will no doubt vie for their attention. A detached birdseye view renders obvious what it’s truly about – the needs of kids.

These lifts, silhouetted against the evening sky, came to symbolize the experience of the weary observer, and in my case, the armchair activist. The new board’s job is to elevate a jungle of edu-buzz words and platitudes to real action, and develop policies that divide resources equitably, and treats kids in different zip codes fairly. It is a HUGE task…

Let’s hope this new board will know how to stay on track, to recognize which tracks lead in the wrong direction, and to have the combined strength and courage to change paths when it needs to.

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Wednesday Vignette – stacked

Posted on June 13, 2017 by

fullsizeoutput_c74Idling behind this lumber truck at a red light the other day, I found the view quite hypnotic. I wondered what the numbers mean, and what the color markings signify. 40/5… maybe it indicates the parcel of land where the wood was cut? Or perhaps it has something to do with the dimensional bracket this wood belongs to? Who knows… all I know is that I really enjoyed the patterns created by the paint-spattered, circular cross sections of the logs, and their relative unevenness as compared to each other. Loved it, in fact!

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Wednesday Vignette – civility, color, and contrast

Posted on June 7, 2017 by

The MAX train murders in our fair city this past week has been on my mind – a lot. And, before that, an incidence of racist arson… I just don’t understand that kind of hatred. Portland is very fair, as in a lack-of-diversity kind of way. Oregon was the only state out of the 50 which had a black exclusion law written into its constitution. It’s statehood was created as a utopia for white people.

Interestingly, not much has changed. I’ll spare you my longwinded rants, but in short, it seems the two prevailing cultures in Oregon is either our own, homespun version of the Dixie flag-waving, gun-toting rednecks of the American South, or the non-confrontational, laid back, passive-aggressive hippie mentality that turns the other way. “It’s cool, man, it’s cool.” In the current political climate, intolerance is winning. This past Sunday, there was a “Freedom of Speech”-rally, organized by a bunch of Nazis. It’s both despicable, disheartening, and embarrassing.

So, this week, I want to make a case for the magnificient and far reaching benefits of diversity. In just about everything I can think of – art, design, food, music, what have you –  color and contrast make things BETTER – not worse. Without it, life would be bland, meh, vanilla. Differences enhance, engage, and elevate, and add spice to our melting pot. And it makes us all better. The two who died did not turn away. They defended that diversity, at a terrible cost. We ought to follow their example – take a stand against intolerance and hatred – whenever we see it. If enough people do, love and tolerance will prevail – even in lily-white Oregon. And, we will all be better for it.

 

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Wednesday Vignette – beyond the startle of the surprise…

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

I have always had the most intense snake phobia. Ridiculous, I know – I have been known to drop books and scream if I was surprised by a photo of a snake in it. If you are the same way, consider this your heads-up. This week’s vignette is about a snake. Not the dangerous kind, mind you, but still – it can creep you out. This one appeared sunning itself on one of the tables at the nursery. If I had been the one to discover it, this story would probably have been different. As it were, I had fair warning, and could steel myself. Preparedness is everything..

Some pretty spectacular markings on this garden variety Garter snake.

The sheer length of it, made us decide that it was probably a female. I learned they are usually larger than the males.

Trying to figure out if she should be scared of us, or just annoyed.

Feeling conflicted. “Should I stay, or should I go…?”

I shot some video too. The way she moved was so elegant, I was trying to get it on film. PETA may have to forgive me my vain attempt at getting her to do so, by tossing some gravel at her…

Here she has decided that she is done with me…

Our parting image. Trying to hide among the Clematis pots, she gives me a curious glance, if not somewhat resigned. As in “Why are you following me?” After this, I left her alone.

It may not seem like it, but this was a major milestone in my life. Granted, it was a harmless variety of snake of which presence I was pre-warned.  I’m both bigger, clumsier, and stronger than she is, but I have never before had the guts to be that close to a snake in the wild. At the end of the afternoon, she had become kind of a nursery mascot, and we named her Lucy.

Not sure how to explain this sudden change of behavior on my part. I have long rationalized all the benefits of snakes – rodent control, slug control, what have you, to no effect – I have still have always had that totally irrational fear of them. I wouldn’t say this incidence cured me of my phobia, but it was a major step on the way toward more rational behavior. (Peter Outlaw – you were there, and witnessed how calm and collected – albeit excited – I was.) Maybe I’m just getting older, and realizing that there are worse things to be scared of. As the news constantly remind me – hate, intolerance, pride, greed, and stupidity is where it’s at – not with the critters alive and well in our gardens. As an affirmation of Benevolence over Bullying, this is the kind of snake that I would much rather have in the Oval Office than the one that is there now.

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