News From Tualatin
News From Tualatin
We are esconced in our little home in Tualatin, again. It's actually looking a lot like Spring here, a nice contrast to Colorado Springs where we've had what seems like a lot of snow this year ... a couple of really big ones, and frequent little ones, including the day before we left. Although it feels plenty cool here when it's rainy, the daffodils and crocus are blooming, the trees are leafing, and what with the start of daylight savings time this weekend, the already-long days will seem longer yet (the days seem noticeably longer because we're farther north ... is that my imagination?)
I had been working, right up to the day before we left, for an architect friend of mine who needed some help to finish up a project he is doing for Catholic Charities in C.S., so I'm newly retired ... again. It's nice, and further seals the association of being in Tualatin with goofing around and loafing. Yay.
On the other hand, our neighbors here seem to be croaking in large numbers. Which is to say we live right across the street from a nature area including Sweek Pond and Hedges' Creek, both big, marshy wetlands. It's our neighbors there, frogs and toads mostly, that are doing the croaking. I have already mentioned, I think, that I missed hearing crickets when we were here in the summer a couple of years ago. The evening frog chorus makes it clear why, and why, even though we're right across the street from what is essentially a swamp, there have been virtually no bugs here (although we have a nice cadre of lady bugs in our storeroom, which is great!) Karen and I went exploring last night to see the frogs in situ and in voice, and the sound is really deafening when you are in the middle of it. We took a flashlight, but were unable to see any frogs. They're supposedly tree frogs, but they weren't up in the trees, from the sound of 'em, the y were down in the water. Too good of camo, I guess. I was just about convinced the whole deal was a tape recording put up by the Chamber of Commerce to further their image as an environmental-friendly town, when the frogs did the cocktail-party thing where a silence gradually fell over the whole group, passing in a wave from one side of us to the other. Slowly, one frog then another soon started up again, until after a half a minute or so, the recital was going again full throat. We've never been around very many frogs; I know amphibians are under heavy environmental pressure, so it's great to know that at least in Tualatin, they are thriving.
In the vein of croaking, we were in Home Depot a couple of days ago (the truck just goes there automatically, now), and the check-out lady had to step around the counter to scan some big stuff we had on our cart/flatbed truck. She needed to step over some painting supplies, but missed, and unfortunately, kicked the bucket. I pointed this out to her, and was favored with an odd look and a tiny chuckle. Better than I usually get.
Our goodies from H.D. were two big rolls of plastic netting. We spent yesterday stapling them to the rafters over our balcony to keep the birds from nesting there again when they return from wherever it is they spend their winters, which will be pretty soon. Hoepfully, they'll find another locale for their nests and restroom. You'd think we'd be all done working on our condo, but no. We also built a bunch of utility shelves in the storeroom and I still have a new light/fan to install in the spare bedroom. The shelves are a concession to the fact that we're running out of storage space even though we still have a houseful of indispensable ju... excuse me, valuable possesions in Colorado that will eventually need to find a good home in Oregon. The new fan is 'cause the one that's there already bonks me in the head when I go in there.
Morgan and Ben are coming down to visit this morning pretty soon! Ben is up to new stuff every day, it seems. He walks full time (i.e. even in his crib), runs, and is into climbing, although he's a little short yet to get up onto most furniture. We brought a couple of Morgan's childhood chairs to our condo here, so when they visit, he can get right up onto his own chair like a big guy. He's talking a blue streak, full sentences, but in some unknown foreign language. He throws in lots of words we do know, including many multi-syllable words, a list which grows daily. I'm proud to say, that due to having taken the Kunzes down to the fire station in our neighborhhod when they were visiting C.S., on which occasion, we saw a fireman slide down the pole, and saw the engine leave with horns and sirens blasting, I am apparently permanently associated with sirens and emergency vehicles. At least, Ben says "woo-woo" whenever he sees me. Ma ybe jsut a strees reaction to having me as his grand-dad.
Morgan, I'm afraid to say, doesn't seem to be learning new tricks at anything like Ben's pace, although she has sharpened her intercession skills relative to Ben's climbing efforts to a fine edge. She probably didn't appreciate me showing him that he could use one of his toys as a step-stool to assist him in getting up onto the couch. But I know where my loyalties lie.
Love you guys!
Mike & Karen Riley
posted by Mique @ 10:17 AM
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