Another clear, crisp day. Nice weather for a drive up to Vancouver (Washington) to have Thanksgiving dinner with AD and AS-C. We enjoyed it immensely. The cranberries were especially delicious, this despite the fact that they were actually a mixture of blueberries, blackberries and boysenberries. Yum. After dinner–and before pie–we had a nice walk through a wetland preserve just a couple of blocks away. For dessert, there were two pies imported from Corvallis, one blackberry and one pecan. We all had to try a little of each. November 24 also happens to be AD’s birthday, so he had to tolerate candles on his. M&E later adjourned to a motel to recover.
Friday, November 25, 2022
After spending the night at a comfortably mediocre Comfort Inn, we went out to do some shopping at the Vancouver Mall. It had been twenty years or so since we last visited a mall on Black Friday, so it was time to update. Who knew what we might find? Is this the end of days for bricks and mortar? Maybe or maybe not. The mall was bustling. It wasn’t as crazy busy as we remember from the halcyon days of our youth; but still, there was a lot of commerce going on. And what a mix of stores! A few were familiar, like Macy’s, Penney’s, and Victoria’s Secret. But many were pretty much mysteries to us, shops like Tilly’s, Torrid, Claire’s and Zumiez. The interesting thing was how much the mall is oriented toward young people–not just young compared to us, but truly young like twenty-somethings, teens and preteens. At Zumiez, for example, you can buy Mercer 55mm 99a Skateboard Wheels and RIPNDIP Lord Nermal Purple Lightning Crew Socks. If you find either of those on someone’s wishlist, you know where to go.
Also, the mall was interesting for what it didn’t have: no Apple store, no Tesla showroom, no Anne Taylor, no Lululemon or Williams-Sonoma, none of that. Instead, we saw Maurice’s, Forever 21, Famous Footwear, a knife and sword shop called Highlander and a cowboyish place called Boots and Wear. There are also LOTS of beauty and cosmetics shops, including three or four hair salons, two nail salons, three or four cosmetics outlets, two tattoo and piercing parlors, and two eyebrow threading places. There were two pop up clothing stores (Yea Dat and Cool Loots) plus two pretzel shops, a bubble tea place, a selfie studio and a COVID clinic. Also a branch of the Vancouver public library, a Golds Gym and at least a dozen eateries, including Chick-fil-A, Outback and Five Guys.
So, you may ask, how did we take advantage of this vast selection of goods, services and calories? Well, we bought a couple of things at Macy’s. What with the sales and all, our total there came to around ten dollars. Then E blew another ten on a new chain for her purple amulet. And that was it. What a fantastically frugal duo! If we had had more time, we might have spent more. But we had an urgent appointment–an offer of a tour of the Andees’ new food truck and a free sample. We’ll tell that story in pictures…
Newly made S’mores coming out of the conveyor oven at Nachos for Dessert. After heating, the fried wontons and homemade marshmallows are finished with Hershey’s syrup.
Saturday, November 26, 2022
After a rainy Friday, we’re back to sunshine. M raked leaves in the morning and then, in the afternoon when things were more dried out, he mowed the lawn. (Lawn mowing in late November? Gadzooks.) We went for a walk up the big hill in our neighborhood and generally tried to wind down from having eaten too much in the last few days. In fact we had a modest supper–followed by two kinds of pie. Best to wind down gradually.
Sunday, November 27, 2022
We didn’t do much of anything today, just rested up for the upcoming week, which should be eventful. The bathroom project is nearing the finish. Check out the shower. Pretty nifty, eh?
Okay, so it’s not quite done. But actually, this is progress.
Monday, November 28, 2022
Fun stuff this morning. We made our annual visit to the Clothes Tree to pick out something or other that E might want for Christmas. No photos of that, it’s a surprise.
The bathroom redo continues. The new floor covering was installed today.
Today’s Quiz
1. What type of floor covering is this?
A. Vinyl B. Linoleum C. Marmoleum D. Paramecium
2. Why do you think M and E chose this option?
A. It is an environmentally friendly product and does not off-gas.
B. It was the most economical.
C. It was recommended by their design consultants.
D. They wanted the flexibility of having thousands of cilia.
Monday, November 14
The vanity was installed today. Drawer pulls and countertop will come later.
Mahogany cabinetry by Reid Larsen of Shelter Woodworking.
Wednesday, November 16
We’ve been having beautiful fall weather this week. It’s been in the 20’s at night, but sunny and up into the 50’s in the afternoon. Today we took an afternoon walk in a part of the Finley National Refuge, near the town of Peoria. The blue line in the map below shows roughly the route of our walk. The last part of the walk is a wide path atop an old dike.
Fall on Lake Creek bayou
This video, taken from a spot near the north end of the dike, shows the current in the main channel of the Willamette and the stillness of a backwater.Approaching the south end of the dike on our way back and listening to the sounds of fall.
On our way back we spotted a skunk nosing around in the middle of a bare field, which seemed a little strange on such a bright afternoon. Also, on a power line that crossed the field, we noticed a lot of these:
What are they?
Friday, November 18
In the morning we went up to Salem to sign up for TSA PreCheck. Beautiful day for a drive. Our final destination turned out to be a booth set up inside a Staples store next to the office furniture. The tiny booth was jammed with equipment: a fingerprint scanner, two screens, a photo backdrop, a high mounted camera and, of course, a credit card reader. Somewhere amongst it all, there was also a human, an efficient young fellow who had his routine down pat. The whole thing took maybe four minutes per person. It was a big Staples store and except for a steady stream of trusted traveller wannabes, it was mostly deserted. Kind of a strange scene.
As we came out of Staples, we remembered that there was a Panera nearby. And we needed a bear claw or something.
Saturday, November 19
In the morning we toured the site of the proposed Oak Creek Preserve, a 144 acre tract of farmland and oak forest just west of Corvallis. The tour was led by the head of the Greenbelt Land Trust, a local non-profit that was founded some 30 years ago by a group of visionaries who were concerned that encroaching development would eventually destroy the natural areas surrounding the city. Their vision was to be able to preserve enough land around the city to form a permanent band of green areas, hence the name “Greenbelt.”
The north edge of Corvallis borders the OSU Research Forest, so a wide green ‘belt” has long existed there. The local GLT began its work focused on the west side of the city. Along with various partners, they have already succeeded in preserving many hundreds of acres and have built and maintained multi-use access trails throughout the area. The area in red on the map below shows how the planned Oak Creek Preserve will complete what GLT calls a “corridor of trails and habitats.”
As their website puts it: With the purchase of this 144 acre property, we have a rare chance to acquire a final missing puzzle piece in the long-envisioned corridor of trails and habitats. We need your help to fund the acquisition and long term stewardship of this iconic site.
The next photo shows a portion of the tract as it looks now. The field in the lower left has had many agricultural uses over the last 150 years. Most recently, it has been used for grass seed production. The oak forest on the hillside above the field seems to have been relatively undisturbed, at least for the last 70-100 years.
The area that has been a grass seed field will be managed as wetland prairie. There are plans to create vernal pools and to build a boardwalk and an observation blind.
This tour took place as part of a fundraising campaign to take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity. Greenbelt has had its eyes on this site for many years, but it seemed an impossible dream because the landowner had signed a purchase option agreement with a developer. As it happened, however, the developer was not able to pull together the needed resources. Soon after that option expired, GLT was able to secure a purchase option of its own and expects to close on the property in the spring of 2023.
The tour was inspiring, both because of the beautiful views and natural surroundings and also because of the energy and idealism of the Greenbelt staff. They quite literally walked the walk while they were talking the talk. The more we think about it, the more we are convinced that donating to this project is a very positive investment in the future.
We went a few miles out of town and walked again in the gallery forest near where the Luckiamute and the Santiam join the Willamette. Here are some sights along the trail.
There’s not much fall color here in the native forest, but the photographers come out anyway…
Good place for cottonwoods.
Saturday, October 29
We went to a birthday dinner for our longtime friends J and M. They served Thai food, catered by a family-owned restaurant here in town. When the restaurant owners first came to Corvallis, two of the younger generation enrolled in English classes from us at OSU. We’ve always felt a connection with the place and of course by now our students are the ones running things.
It was a lovely occasion, with a nice group if people, some of whom we don’t see often. One special treat was a chance to talk to our old colleague S whom we hadn’t seen for a decade or two.
Sunday, October 30,
The process of selling M’s Porsche is off to a rip-roaring start. The first response came in only seconds after the ad went live. Here it is, in its entirety:
sophiejones sophiejones
Hiya Would you mind giving me your #? Please include the link to your post! Thanks.
M read this message and then re-read it. As a communication regarding the possible purchase of a car, it doesn’t work very well. It’s friendly and polite but doesn’t actually make sense, and its instant appearance strongly suggests that it was sent by a bot. On the other hand, it almost works as a poem. But never mind that. M moved sophiejones to the trash.
A few days later, he received a more serious communication, this time from one Douglas C Cole:
Hi, I’ve been working really long weeks at work. So I won’t be able to meet with you for viewing the car, I believe you that is in good condition. I’ll proceed in issuing a Bank Certified Check, When you receive the payment and confirm it cleared, I will have the movers to come for the pick up at your location. So get back to me with the details below asap.
Full Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Your cell Phone Number:
Last Asking Price:
As soon as this is provided, payment will to sent overnight to you and I will let you know once it’s mailed out with a tracking number sent. I will also add an additional $300 for holding it for me till the Check gets to you in the next 2 Business Days. Also delete the posting that it has been sold to me.
M trashed this message too, throwing away the chance for an extra $300! But why? Doesn’t he know that capitalizing the words ‘check’ and ‘days’ in the same sentence is a secret internet code that guarantees that the sender is trustworthy? Apparently not. Instead, he chose to heed those silly warnings about fake check scams. Sigh.
Halloween Monday, October 31, 2022
A hectic day. In the morning there was consultation regarding the bathroom project and also grocery shopping to be done. Then after lunch M drove to a town 60 miles away to sell the Porsche, only to find that the offer that had drawn him there was “a mistake” and that the dealer’s real offer was considerably lower. “Mistakes have certainly been made,” thought M to himself as he drove away. “I know I made one.”
E, meanwhile, had been on her way to give M a ride home if the deal had gone well. On her way she stopped at a mall in Eugene where she found a couple of needed items that she hadn’t been able to get in Corvallis. So that was good. And fortunately she was still at the mall when M called to say that he wouldn’t need fetching after all.
We both got home in time to have a dinner of walnut loaf and mashed potatoes (yes!) and also to make our modest preparations to receive Halloween visitors. After setting out our lanterns and our buzzy little monster thing, we had to decide which of our two types of candy to give away first. That was important because we were both interested in which candy would likely be left over for us. As it happened, we had fewer trick or treaters than last year, only seven or eight groups this time. There was plenty of candy left for both of us–way too much in fact.
As mentioned, our decorations were modest. But our neighbor across the street loves to decorate. Here’s what her place looked like.
It doesn’t show in this picture, but trust us, there’s a skeleton lurking behind the bush on the right.
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Today started off fairly normally. E did a Zoom exercise class while M went out to get a haircut and have his dental prescription filled. Pretty mundane stuff. But then M’s phone lit up with a flurry of text messages. It seems that word had spread about some crazy man in Corvallis who was almost giving his car away for the sake of a quick sale. Two of the messages came from the dealership who had rejected the car on Monday. The gist was that they now believed that their original offer was spot on, so let’s talk. Tsk, Tsk. They had their chance. Two other messages contained offers that were a thousand dollars higher than what M had been prepared to accept. M took one of those and bye-bye Porsche.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
E’s daughter came down to Corvallis today to take care of some details regarding her father’s funeral. She’s been working very hard to arrange things properly and in accordance with her vision and his wishes. There will be a religious service on Friday followed by a celebration of life on Saturday. We have been helping in small ways with arrangements for the latter. E also helped with the obituary.
E continues to be in contact with some of her and Roberto’s old Spanish friends. Their sympathy and the memories and love that they have shared have meant a great deal to her.
Thursday, November 3, 2022
A quiet day in Lake Wobegone. Well, it was rather active in funeral preparations, but quiet in the sense that there were no workmen of any sort on the premises. We’ve reached a sort of stopping point. The dumpster has been removed from our front yard, along with the old tub and toilet. The bathroom walls have been repaired and painted. Next comes floor covering; but that won’t happen for another week.
Friday, November 4, 2022
A service for Roberto was held today at St. Mary’s Church here in Corvallis. The Ceremony of the Word service was led by Deacon Chris, a former neighbor of ours. The service mixed readings, live music and prayers and was quite lovely. There was also a video eulogy recorded by Roberto’s old friend M in Spain. After the service we moved to the St Mary’s cemetery for a brief graveside ceremony.
Saint Mary’s is a hillside cemetery. Roberto’s gravesite is near the top…
…not too far from Becca
Saturday, November 5, 2022
Today the focus was on a celebration of life held at the Corvallis Community Center. The gathering began at 1:00 in the afternoon, but preparations began early. The Andees and several friends arrived at our place around 10:30 and began preparing paella according to Roberto’s recipe. They ended up making two paellas, one seafood and one vegetarian. The day was cloudy and damp, but the rain held off for quite a while. Which was good because A was determined to make paella outside on a charcoal grill, the way her father always did.
The cooks had plenty of helpers–including our friend J who came over to help with the vegetarian version. All went well, though we did hear a few cries of distress regarding Roberto’s recipe. Apparently it was a little vague on exact amounts and things. Of course that’s just the sort of recipe that many good cooks use.
Making paella on the patio.
The paellas were served at around 1:30 and there were lots of people there to try them. The older generation included long-time friends who knew Roberto from his very first years in Corvallis. Our friends H, J and R all spoke, as did E, who told the story of her first date with Roberto, during which he took her on a tour of Toledo, which included a visit to the insane asylum, where his grandfather had been Director and within whose walls Roberto’s father had been raised. Alas, there were no stories from Rich, Roberto’s long-time friend and neighbor, who passed a few years back. Too bad. Rich loved Roberto and also loved to tell Roberto stories.
Lots of A’s friends were there, including C and K, who were also Becca’s friends. D and N were there also, as were S and E, with whom A and Becca had shared many a ski outing back in the early days. Roberto’s step-daughter M came also. She is of course grown up now and has two children of her own. A was glad to see her.
Sometimes these events attract people that no one is glad to see. If you’re lucky, they leave early before your supply of insincerity runs dry.
A had prepared a wonderful slide show about her father’s life. She also played M and M’s eulogy again for this group. Besides paella, there were other Spanish foods, including chorizo and manchego cheese. The latter came in a variety of colors, something none of us had ever seen before. For dessert we had fried wonton s’mores from the Nachos for Dessert food truck, which has just begun operation. These feature A’s homemade marshmallows.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
We woke up to a cold, wet world. Despite the temperature (37°F) and the rain (intermittent showers) we wanted to take a walk in the forest. That meant digging out some winter coats and warmer boots. In the woods the maple leaves were turning brown, but the ferns–which had looked dry and droopy throughout October–were now standing tall and showing off their deep, glistening green. The rain was just playing around while we hiked. It wasn’t until we were almost back to the car that the rain started talking itself seriously. Ten minutes later, as we drove back to town, we noticed the the the drops were getting a little slushy. By the time we got home it was snowing.
Lots of snowflakes, but they didn’t stick much.
Monday, November 7, 2022
Continuous hard rain all day and still pretty cold. It appears that winter is really here. We heard that it was 70 degrees yesterday somewhere in upstate New York. That doesn’t seem very likely, does it? Our source is usually reliable, but…
M spent a certain amount of time outside today while he was over in Albany getting a shell put on his pickup. All through the day, no matter how hard or constant the rain, the weather app on his phone kept on calling it drizzle. Here’s what that “drizzle” looked like.
