Seed

Test....test....

    Camera inactive two week visit Wisconsin friends, few more assist mom's med issues, return Eugene ten days ago: have Swett Lodge news/photos.
     Evening PDX to Chicago flight, Craigslist student car share Eugene/downtown Portland, PDX light rail.  O'Hare/Chicago train, Megabus - $10 Chicago/Minneapolis RT - Minneapolis good friend met, Philly cheese steak dine atop retro filling station through Minnesota monsoon.  Enjoy friends, Wisconsin country.  Chore help 'round couple places, maintain safe level self medication.  Move some dirt; tractor mow trails, yard - tractor hit same poor birch daughter Tia little Toyota hit score ago learning driving; install window air con including circuit.  Dismayed learn fracking sand - with water, pressures oil out of wells - constitutes beautiful glacial run off Western Wisconsin rills.  800 surface mines leveling sand hills planned next few years - to date only two in place - will lower water table: best, flatten/uglify whole area; worst, desertify.  Very unfortunate.
     Reluctant Chicago return; accompany mom, dad family reunion/mom's birthday party Galena, IL.  Cook meals, doctor visit drive; update mom's house: clean garage; repair remaining bike, photo consider selling; ditto lawn mower - decide keep both;

clean basement; update yard work.  Mom's condition prompts extended stay, recruit eight string friend keep me through.  Fortunate five siblings share mom's care load through treatment: fingers cross for good outcome, signs hopeful.

     Pass baton to sister Kate who spends a week with mom: Chicago Midway/PDX flight, PDX/Eugene Amtrak, jungle garden, Swett Lodge return.  Midwest hot humid summer weather, quickly rolling into cool fall reminds: Eugene's climate grow/dry crops, sweet.  Numerous neighbors greet; inquire about trip, ma's health within hours of return: feels like, good to be home.

Find all in good order: harvest, thin time. 

Mow lawn after dust suppressing rain, chop various opportunistic weeds/saplings.

August departure prior plant turnip, radish, rutabaga, beet midst one another: pull radishes (check out monster upper right) allow beets underneath mature;

thin turnips; cut Russian kale, collards way back, bundle/hang best leaves - soup/stew crumbles?

Bring in all Hubbard squash/few turbans one day (scissors upper center/ toes lower left: scale), garage store;

realize remaining done too, bring in another day.  30 one to twenty pound squash - good haul!

     Local wag avers sensed my return 'cause fall rains begin.  Nice weather in between yet: beautiful fall day enjoy mall hike, movie, Sizzler dinner.  Pull corn, shuck ears, kitchen table dry (few beans dry foreground), shell,

put aside 'bout three gallons shelled stew/soup corn.  Save little money, may not use much: connect handling/shelling beautiful golden kernels as ancestors have for millennia.  Many believe we quickly approach Mayan long count calendar node.  Begs question: in times when we can't achieve cohesive plans one Congress session to next, let alone one generation to next, the profundity of what occurred 26000 years ago to cause a whole civilization generation after generation after generation to devote immense focused effort recording, boggles today's freewheeling individualistic mind set.  Thought/dry kernel digest slowly.

Uncharacteristically spring for good as new six quart Emeril cast dutch oven (pd 35 USD, new 50 USD): wood stove top stew here we come!

Feel squirrel like: stash food, winter prepare.  Email about Cslist gas range; ascertain natural/LP fuel convertible; finally get call Saturday; Toyo wagon retrieve: 60 USD; partial disassemble, clean, reassemble - nice!  To do list: get LP tanks, hook up range.

Final bare bulb pull string fixture above kitchen sink solution.

Garden going into winter mode;

still tomatoes, green beans, kale, couple melons,

turnips/rutabaga out there.  Soon free city delivered leaves layer, lime: cycle on. 

     Swett Lodge beam/raise brink, submit clearly non comprehensive 'back in the saddle' entry.  Trust finds you and yours well.  Blessed here for many reasons, entreat keep Char Walter's good health in mind.  Licorice root fern first transplanted from back porch eave to garage back corner, next to back step adjacent under porch roof thrives, neighbor Doc nurtured in my absence: life goes on! 

Peace