It got up over 100 this weekend, making for a pleasant start of backyard swimming season for us and the various dogs of family and friends.
A lifetime in 42 seconds
Be sure to let this ‘buffer’ some before watching. Hit play, then pause for a bit.
Last Day Dream from Chris Milk on Vimeo.
It’s a brilliant work of film maker art. I celebrate the artist, Chris Milk. Kudos, sir.
Seeing it for the first time yesterday, it has proven almost too poignant for words. The recent death of Adam Martinez has been in my thoughts.
I knew Adam. Last year I showed him some homes, and helped him write an offer on one in east Redding. It was an unsuccessful bid, and he lost the house to another person. We learned later the winning offer had actually been for less money than Adam’s offer. Adam was very disappointed, and we drifted apart. You write a lot of home purchase offers as an agent, and sometimes they are unsuccessful. There can be any number of reasons. Some fail inexplicably, and others for reasons that become clear only in hindsight. Some lost transactions you forget and move on, but this particular offer has played over and over in my head since then, with a great many what-ifs. Now probably more so.
Erin was acquainted with the young man that struck Adam at the nightclub. A single blow to the head. We see where it’s being investigated as a homicide now. All in a very short instant….a moment that effectively shattered two young lives.
May God bless you Adam. My most heartfelt condolences to your family and friends.
Breakfast with the Brewers, and 10,000 of their closest friends
It’s always nice to be a big name-dropper on your blog. Today I crashed the Brewer’s place for breakfast. They had like 10,000 guests.
Notice how pleased Steve is to see me and my camera? Hi Steve! Whatcha havin? (BTW Steve’s thinking of using me in one of his books…crime novels need victims, you know)
Kelly took some shots too. There were a lot of people there. Hi everyone! Welcome to Redding. Let’s eat!
Erin’s got a plateful.
These are some hard working cowboys. All for charity. Our thanks go to everyone involved.
This kid was really cute.
A tip of the hat to this longtime Redding tradition. The Asphalt Cowboy’s Pancake Breakfast. A true Redding original. See you again next year!
I heard you! Shame on you for saying that. No, I did not find my cowboy hat in a dumpster.
More inevitable cat photos
Mr. and Mrs. Black Phoebe eat flies and have babies
An outdoor speaker under the pool shed eaves in our backyard has proven to be suitable housing for a family of Black Phoebes.
I put a small videocamera on a stick and gently shoved it in the eaves to see if I could see what was happening in the nest, a la Turtle Bay eagle cam. Last week there were a few eggs, and yesterday there were a couple of pink blurs with yellow beaks. It’s too close for my cheapo videocamera to really make much out, but in any event, there’s obviously a family here.
The Black Phoebes are a species in the family “Tyrant Flycatcher.” That’s something they do well.
Every so often, they fly off in a loop, to catch flying bugs I can’t even see. I tried to get an action shot, but good luck on that. They’re fast! These still shots will have to do.
Apparently, they like streams and ponds, but evidently they think our swimming pool is just fine too. Thanks to Karry for identifying the species for me.
Greeters Meeting at Win River is never a gamble. It's sure to be great.
Win River provides a lavish meeting area for the Chamber of Commerce weekly Greeters Meeting.
Their breakfasts are always good.
Especially fun is that their staff and management applaud you as you arrive. Sounds hokey maybe, but I must admit having professional people applaud at your arrival is an instant ego booster. It’s a nice touch, and typical of the thoughtfulness of Win River’s staff. A great way to start the day.
InnerWorkings at Northstar Brewery
H1N1 Flu coming soon to a neighborhood near you (probably)
I don’t have any better insight into this subject than you do, but I have been watching the CDC website. The numbers make it look pretty inevitable that flu is headed our way. At this point there are no reported cases in Shasta County. I wonder how long that will last? When it does hit I imagine there may be a bit of a panic. I hope everyone stays safe in these upcoming, potentially trying times.
The chart above was much shorter just yesterday. So. I need a plan. I figure I’m going to get it. Probably you are too. I’ve had the flu before, and lived to tell the tale. And I expect to do so again this time. Bravado perhaps. Not looking forward to it though. From reading the information available online, the flu virus has a nasty habit of mutating rapidly and into things we cannot predict. Obviously, some preparation is in order. You may want to get some Hand Sanitizer ready for the season, and stock up on other supplies as well in case anything happens. It could also be worthwhile wearing things like face masks in order to limit the spread of germs and viruses to those around us, check them out here – https://stringking.com/ppe/face-masks/3-layer-kids-face-mask/. I think I’m going to make some chicken soup. Enough to freeze until we need it, and I won’t feel like cooking much. In addition, it would be a good idea to think about the symptoms that come along with the flu and make sure that you are stocked up on the relevant pain relief treatments. For example, I will be making sure I have plenty of lozenges from places like Quantum Health (https://quantumhealth.com/shop/product/cough-relief-bagged-lozenges) for more natural remedies to treat a sore throat. The key is preparedness for this flu season. What are you doing? The CDC site has some suggestions:
Pandemic. That sounds serious. When we feel like these things are serious hopefully that means our community can come back together and work to help us through it all and keep healthy. I hope the chicken soup helps! Best wishes to all.
Transcendant music video, by David Helpling and Jon Jenkins
One of the best parts of working with the artist-run music label Spotted Peccary Records has been meeting the other recording artists on the label. Check out this impressive new music video:
On August 25, 2008, David Helpling and Jon Jenkins were joined by long time friend and collaborator Matthew Stewart for a rare live performance at the University Of California San Diego. Some of the best moments of that memorable evening were released on the BEYOND WORDS – RARE LIVE TREASURES limited edition CD – available at deepexile.com. This video footage, shot by Joe Abreu, documents the very same performance of “The Knowing” that appears on the BEYOND WORDS – RARE LIVE TREASURES disc
