Another Cul-de-sac Potluck: Making Chinese Friends
 
On Sunday, the day before Labor Day, the second cul-de-sac neighborhood potluck Annie organized was another success. The Sleights and Dishers of Bellevue and the Sleights of Auburn were the Caucasians in attendance.  All the other neighbors were Chinese.  One family even came from a bit further north because they were new in the area and friends with one of our neighbors. Caroline (right) was from that family.
 
Rain surprised us right at the 4:00 PM start time.  But one neighbor rushed home to bring the big blue awning pictured here.  One of our two big round serving tables were moved under it.  (I'd bought two tables many years ago that were surplus from SPU.  It was great to finally put them to good use.)  Annie and Thomas added their big camping tent but it was little used, except by the kids.  We added two large umbrellas.  One kept the cook (me) dry.  The rain did not persist, but did return at the party's end around 6:00 PM.

We brought a variety of hot dogs which the kids and teens enjoyed, but our neighbors brought a wide variety of high-end meats to cook.  These included a Korean-style barbecue steak, bacon wrapped steak on skewers, marinated chicken, spicy orange chicken, and more.  We provided water and lemonade, while the neighbors brought wine and beer!  I drove soberly (and carefully) back to Berrydale after the clean up.  Nancy is normally my designated driver. 

In general, a happy time was had by all, and as the photos show, Irene was often the center of attention as many arms enjoyed holding her and we all marveled at her smile.  Again, Chinese was spoken as often as English.

My Two Week Summer Break in Berrydale

August 21st through September 8th was an extended (yet intermittent) stay at Jean and Joel's house.  I returned a few times with and without Luna when I was needed in Bellevue, like for the high school reunion, the SCS picnic and orientation, and when I retrieved my charcoal barbeque grill for the neighborhood potluck.  After helping with the clean up, I needed to hurry back to Berrydale to let Luna out to do her duty in the yard.  On the 6th to the 8th, Luna and I returned to Bellevue to help supervise (and grandparent) Rowen and Corvin Pastrick.

Glyph and Verin showed just a little less fear of me each day.  Food treats helped cut the ice with them.  They do not like being petted yet, at least by me.  They flee rather than fight.  I caught Verin up on Joel's 75-gallon fish tank and she let me lift her down onto the floor.  I'm already very fond of both of these cats.

This extended break from duties in Bellevue was refreshing after the stress of responsibility leading up to the 50th high school reunion last month.

Wall Construction Resumes Along Our West Property Line

On Friday the 8th, the foundations (left) for our neighbor's east and south fence walls were poured. Nancy examined the property line and was satisfied with the location of the concrete forms.  By the 13th, the forms between our properties were up.

On Monday the 25th, the concrete was poured for their east and south walls.  It was a vary rainy day so they covered their forms with plastic after the pour.

Nancy remains concerned for the two True Cedar trees which had their western roots cut during the construction.  She has remained in contact with Greg from Ever-Green Tree Care and he has assured her that the trees she loves will be fine.

As soon as the forms come off, I'll add some of the mulch from our tree removal earlier this month as organic fill.  We can't control what quality of backfill the neighbors will use, if any.

My Garden in September

My second year Asters (left) will need to be moved to somewhere in the ground once they finish blooming.  This elegant little flowering plant has really spread after I repotted it this Spring.

When I prepare pizza, I go outside and pick green onions, tomatoes, and Jalapeño peppers.  I prefer to start with Red Baron Supreme or Special Deluxe pizzas and add more sausage, my own vegetables, Oregano, Basil, and Parsley herbs and extra Mozzarella cheese.  Just enough peppers for Thomas means too many peppers for Nancy and especially for little Valerie who also enjoys my pizza.

The weather cooled and the rains arrived after mid-month.  I harvested many ripe (red) Jalapeño peppers and then half of the green ones (left).  A few of the many remaining tomatoes are continuing to slowly turn to red, but their season ends very soon.  A few final cucumbers were picked at the end of the month.

The annual cycle starts again in October as I prepare their raised bed for a second planting of garlic, this time using my own cloves.

Ever-Green Tree Care Visits on the 20th

A rainy morning turned to overcast and then blue skies by the afternoon when the Ever-Green Tree Care crew of Steve, Rob, Jack, and Marcus came to transform our yard. 

To help us prepare for a new roof, they trimmed up a Western Red Cedar tree and Sequoia that hung over the west side of our garage.  Then they shortened True Cedar branches that were growing toward a neighbor.

Finally, they got onto the main job of the day.  Our big multi-topped Douglas Fir tree on the east side of the garage was removed.  It had three major tops and multiple minor ones. 

Steve's crew was one of two "technical" crews that Ever-Green could send out.  Steve did all the tree topping work while his crew handled the clean-up on the ground.  They completed the entire job in one day, although one-and-a-half days had been scheduled.

I was happy that we'd be keeping all of the many trunks for firewood.  But Nancy also insisted that we keep all the shredded branches to distribute as mulch around the yard. 

We make little use of the area in our yard north of our two dwarf apple trees.  That's where the wood was deposited.  The next day, I rolled some of the sections of the main trunk toward our north fence.  I could barely move the largest irregularly shaped piece (right) that could not be rolled.  It was smack in the middle of the path across the yard.  Don had given me his peavey tool and with it I was able to rotate the huge piece off the path.

We now have a big flat stump next to the ramp up to our front door.  Our north yard suddenly has a new look and a wonderful amount of light.  And the little old Gingko tree finally has light.

             
        

Nancy insisted that we keep the whole truckload of shredded branches.  I expected it would take me three weeks, at two hours per day, to move the pile elsewhere in the yard.  Amazingly, with the help of Nancy and Annie, and Charis and Valerie with their little buckets, we were able to redistribute the huge pile of shredded branches around the yard and reclaim two parking spaces by lunch time on Saturday, just three days after the pile was dumped in our yard.

Now that the tree is gone, we can see the garage roof and recognize why it needs replacing.  A metal roof should help shed tree needles.

Tired Grandpa and Faithful Friend
 
If I could nap every afternoon I would.  I stay up late working in my basement office and wake up tired, especially now that Annie and Charis leave for school so early.

Along with sleeping on me or next to me, Shadow's other favorite sleep spot seems to be in front of the 32" LG monitor in my basement office.  She's hard to work around.

I don't look forward to having to sleep back in the basement when Nancy decides she's ready to lay the last of the oak flooring.  The last two sections are the master bedroom closet and the south side of the master bedroom, meaning we'll have to move the bed.  In any case, I'm sure Shadow will track me down and take up her place as my live teddy bear cat.

Grandkids Corner
 
Alicia and Richard Pastrick took Vivienne with them to a memorial service in Iowa for Alicia's mentor.  To make this possible, Rowen and Corvin were dropped off with "Grandma" and "Grandpa."  I needed to again bring Luna home with me from Berrydale so I could help care for the boys.
 
I enjoy Charis's competitive spirit.  Taking pictures of her running reminds me of my fourteen years as a sports photographer at BCS and SPU.
 
I picked up the Sitte's at the airport late on the 8th and spent that night with them.  I also visited them on the 15th so Jean could clean her kitchen and so that she and Joel could have a date out that evening.  On that visit, Joel gave me seven small Cherry Barbs that had been born in his 75-gallon tank. They are fry from the parents I gave him.

3W Women's Clinic Rated Tops

We got the wonderful news from Susan that her 3W Medical for Women was rated the top women's clinic in the Pacific Northwest for 2023.

In second place was Northwest Women's Healthcare of the Swedish Medical Center, First Hill Campus.  The bronze award went to the all-women run Seattle Obstetrics & Gynecology Group also out of Swedish First Hill.

This is a huge achievement for the little clinic with the big heart in the U District.

Bits and Pieces 

Hooray!  At age 68, I finally managed to clean the master bathroom tub drain all by myself.  He can be taught!

I hope that I'll find more time in October to do my reading and research in the book of Galatians.  Like Nancy, I'm finding that reading on Susan's borrowed exercycle is effective.

Alas, my A1c rose from 8.4 to 9.0.  This was a result of my poor food choices while "on vacation" in Berrydale.  I've had better glucose numbers recently.  Let's see what my weight, now 181, is at the end of October.  In years past, I've had good diet success in October.  My GFR number was 54, just up a bit, but still in the 3a CKD category.  On Saturday the 30th, I saw my former eye MD Dr. Ted Zollman at the new Eye Associates Northwest office in Kirkland.  He reported no sign of diabetic damage again at this annual visit.

My Quote from September

Parkinson's Law

It is a commonplace observation that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Thus, an elderly lady of leisure can spend the entire day in writing and despatching a postcard to her niece at Bognor Regis. An hour will be spent in finding the postcard, another in hunting for spectacles, half-an-hour in a search for the address, an hour and a quarter in composition, and twenty minutes in deciding whether or not to take an umbrella when going to the pillar-box in the next street. The total effort which would occupy a busy man for three minutes all told may in this fashion leave another person prostrate after a day of doubt, anxiety and toil.

Introduction to C. Northcote Parkinson's article in The Economist, 1955.

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