Patio spinning and other stuff

Patio spinning with Jasper

It's been way too long since a post. I've been busy doing things I love, so it's not such a bad thing. Jasper and I have been engaging in that most sublime activity, patio spinning, every day since the last post. The weather today was 77F and clear. It's been mostly clear since the last post. However, the high pressure system that's been holding the smoke in place (unfortunately over the west coast) is shifting, and we'll see smoke again tonight or tomorrow. I've become very attached to my Air Quality app.

I love sitting outside to spin. Jasper is excellent company. It is meditative, and sweet to listen to the sounds. . .some natural, some normal human activity.  The fleece still has some vegetable matter that needs to be shaken or picked out as I spin, but it's also softer than soft.

We went out for a meal on a patio (at a Restaurant) this past week. We haven't done so since the first week in March, and it felt other worldly, though of course it's not exactly normal. Still. It does feel safe. We had two drinks to drive up our bill, and triple tipped. Afterwards, we wandered around downtown, masks on, and it really felt odd and normal at the same time. Something we used to do all the time, but newly unfamiliar.

Freak Alley

Freak Alley used to be a rebellious bit of illegal artwork on the buildings in an alley, but it's been codified by the city now. This painting is an inside joke. . .Aaron Paul (left on the painting) is a local boy made good in the series Breaking Bad. 

I want to go downtown and patronize some of the businesses someday soon, but it is amazing how quickly our habits change. I don't wander around shops or drop by a coffee shop at all any more. I only go to them for groceries and home repair stuff.

View from the top, Shaffer Butte

We also took a wonderful hike at Shaffer Butte over the weekend. This is how clear it was. . .the clouds looked like they had been hung. The American West is wonderful in it's clarity of color when it isn't burning.

Clay. Right. I should talk a little bit about clay. I have several pieces in the kiln ready to bisque, but have been busy with other stuff, so I've been woefully unproductive in that arena.

Harvest continues here for likely another month, and I have run out of canning lids. Who knew we could run out of those? It is odd to see which shelves are empty at various times. It makes me realize how completely we have taken the supply chain for granted. For everything. The good news is that I need canning lids because a friend gave me 20 pounds of beautiful plums. Now, if I can just get them preserved. . . .