Friends
Some Notes from Wednesday
The following is a list of events that occurred yesterday during my trip to town to have a mechanic fix the short in the headlights switch on my pickup.
1. Tried out new French press travel mug. Makes good, strong coffee and the cap stays on when the mug itself is violently jostled from the holder as I drive the obstacle course known as the Alderpoint Road. The cup holder in mid-1990s Dodge pickups is located at the top of the dashboard, which gives beverages a poor center of gravity. I have noticed in the newer models that Dodge moved the holder to the floor, which is apparently where my drinks want to be anyway. Until now, my efforts to hydrate myself while driving have almost always ended in soaked clothing and cuss words.
2. Dropped off pickup. Waited for friend to pick me up.
3. From the back seat, I silently questioned the wisdom of pulling a pickup and stock trailer across two lanes of traffic so a guy could tow a hay clipper across Fernbridge. As the sole occupant of this parked vehicle, I felt slightly panicked when things started to go awry (looks of indignant disbelief from other drivers), and then relief when my traveling companions returned and it all worked out OK.
4. Enjoyed a very fine cheeseburger at the sale yard cafe.
5. Made my way through most of this week’s New Yorker while waiting for the cowboys to return with herds of various animals throughout the day. I didn’t enjoy this issue as much as last week’s.
6. It was a spectacular day at the ocean and yet I did not take any photos.
7. Pondered and then argued about whether water accumulating under the trees was due to “fog drip” or a leak in the water line. No resolution.
8. Fretted over a crippled calf.
9. Moments later watched a sick coyote pup make its way through the tall grass.
10. Began to worry that a very cute dog and I might be thrown from an open window of the pickup as the driver tried to make his way up a hill covered in dry, slick grass while pulling a stock trailer with a horse in it. After four-wheel drive failed and we started sliding, and especially after the other passenger cautioned the driver, “What you don’t want is to get over on this side hill and flip this sonuvabitch, “ I began to wonder about the origins of the many dents already in the body of this pickup. Leaping out the window seemed like it might be a better option than patiently awaiting the inevitable. And then a small miracle happened. The driver’s face suddenly became red with anger and he let loose with a fierce string of expletives (much the same as those I reserve for my goddamn drink holder). He shoved the accelerator to the floor, and somehow, he managed to power us and the horse up the hill with sheer willpower. I like that driver. He’s alright.
11. Exhausted and thirsty from a day of watching other people work, returned to my pickup. Drove home with lights. Yay!
Big Doin's in Blocksburg
A lot of exciting things have happened since we last chatted. Over the weekend, Frew and my new fast friend Tim drove up to attend the Fortuna Rodeo with me. Besides baking in the grandstands, we ate an inordinate amount of meat, drank beer, and bullshitted with a bunch of smelly cowboys (yay!). Tim also brought his photography equipment and snapped some great portraits of my friends and neighbors.
In other news, the concrete trucks came streaming in yesterday and dumped more than 40 yards of the stuff within the forms Brandon, Josh, and Cliff built last week. Brandon tells me they’ll start in with the hammers and nails next week. So exciting!
Lil' Squirt Roams Burr Creek
A couple weekends ago, I went four-wheeling down on the Chalk Mountain Ranch with a gal pal from elementary school. I took this picture of her little dog, Squirt, on Burr Creek.
House Update
So, after about a month of waiting around, I finally got word that my building permit is ready. We’ll start the foundation early next week, but in the meantime, I’ve been putting in a spectacular water system with the help of the Rock Hound and the Diesel Mechanic (I shudder to think where I’d be at this point without the help of the Diesel Mechanic). I’ve currently got 5,000 gallons of my own water stored, and by the end of summer I should have 10,000. We ran two-inch pipe from the tanks, so the pressure is actually pretty good considering we have a short drop (it’s all gravity fed). The Rock Hound knows all about fire fighting, too, so he set me up with my own fire hydrant by the house. We’re going to put another one in by the trailer. Very cool!
Unfortunately, we accidentally cut the town water while we were digging a trench to lay the pipe. It was easily remedied, though, and no one ever seemed to notice (or at least they didn’t say anything if they did). Nevertheless, it made for an exciting half hour around here.
I Run with an Older Crowd
Remember Joetta and Bob? From my trip with the Surveyor back to Kansas and Montana? Well, they came to visit us this week along with Joetta’s cousin, Bill, and his wife Shirley. Accompanied by some local historians, they toured all H. P. Larrabee’s old haunts from Larrabee Valley to Blocksburg to Indian Island in hopes of learning more about their great-grandfather and maybe helping our county heal some very old wounds. We had a wonderful and kind of old-timey luncheon up at the Murphy Ranch, and I finally got to meet Virginia Sparks, who has written articles for the paper and historical society for years. It was a real treat to discover she also has a wicked sense of humor. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to become my new best friend.
Super Smart Fairy
My Projects
- Web: TED.com, Mod Shop
- DVD: How to make cowboy boots
- Book: My grandmother's life story
- Always: The House!
My Short Films
- What's a Nice Girl like You...
- Story Machines
- Boot Camp
- Moving Horses from Montana to Washington in 1903 (audio)
My Tweets
My Photos
The Blocksburg Book
My Favorites at the Moment
- Spore on my iPhone
- These hand-tooled shoes and purses
- Gossip Girl
- Red Rock Rondo