anyone past 50 on here?

[pickles.]

That is tragic, ryn.

[Skycaptain]

Dad's birthday dinner yesterday, so still feeling full , nice walk along an old railway and beach with lots of butterflies and birds, including buzzards. 

 

@cdrdash, glad to hear you're on the mend.

 

@ryn2, if pets die, I wouldn't describe that as a minor house fire 

[ryn2]

2 hours ago, Skycaptain said:

if pets die, I wouldn't describe that as a minor house fire 

It was a small fire in the basement that did little damage and only took about 10 minutes to find and extinguish.  What it did do was fill the house with smoke, and that’s what took out the poor dog.  

[ryn2]

2 hours ago, Skycaptain said:

Dad's birthday dinner yesterday

Happy belated to your dad!

[Nick2]

4 hours ago, Skycaptain said:

Dad's birthday dinner yesterday, so still feeling full , nice walk along an old railway and beach with lots of butterflies and birds, including buzzards. 

 

@cdrdash, glad to hear you're on the mend.

 

@ryn2, if pets die, I wouldn't describe that as a minor house fire 

Watch out for those buzzards.  They can tell when someone has had a good meal.

[BobRossRules]

15 hours ago, cdrdash said:

Well a bruised rib is not keeping me off the trails.   I did a short 3 mile hike today at Tilden Park.  The only complaint I had was when we headed up hill and I got a bit winded, I could feel the bruise rib when I took a deep breath!    I also did some geocaching.  One cache was shaped like a bat!  The other was a cute little spider man container.   Tilden Park Pictures;  https://photos.app.goo.gl/bWs1dhw8MTF8eFGk8

 

I'm glad to hear it!!  Hopefully you'll be even better my next Saturday.

 

I'l be off to the airport in a few hours, and will be in San Francisco this evening. I'm really looking forward to my visit, and also the opportunity to meet another AVENite.

 

On other odd news, I found out I might have a brother, or half-brother!!  I did a DNA ancestry test in 2016.  Anyway, someone contacted me back in December and said we might be related, maybe cousins or something.  Sadly, I never check my messages, but when I finally did, I responded.  He said the person's name of the birth certificate was Shermayne, which is my mom's name.  She spells it Charmaine now, but the original spelling was Shermayne.  I found some old pictures of her that had that spelling.  There would have been no way he could have known that, especially the spelling!!  Shermayne is a very unusual name, so I don't think it's a coincidence.  He lives in Idaho too, near Boise.  So we might meet.  Perhaps when I get back from Hawaii in July.  So that's kinda neat!!

 

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week!!

[BobRossRules]

Just found out that the name on the adoption papers is Charmaine Flowercloud.  Yep, we're siblings.  Flowercloud was a name my mother gave herself,  and it's on my birth certificate too. For the first few years of my life, I was Darla Jane Flowercloud.  Cool!!  I have a brother!!

[Tyke]

8 minutes ago, faraday☘ said:

Just found out that the name on the adoption papers is Charmaine Flowercloud.  Yep, we're siblings.  Flowercloud was a name my mother gave herself,  and it's on my birth certificate too. For the first few years of my life, I was Darla Jane Flowercloud.  Cool!!  I have a brother!!

Wow!!

 

So your Mum had a child and put him up for adoption? Has she ever talked to you about that? Or am I mis-understanding something?

[daveb]

6 hours ago, faraday☘ said:

Just found out that the name on the adoption papers is Charmaine Flowercloud.  Yep, we're siblings.  Flowercloud was a name my mother gave herself,  and it's on my birth certificate too. For the first few years of my life, I was Darla Jane Flowercloud.  Cool!!  I have a brother!!

Wow! I can't imagine what that's like. One of my brothers found out he had a daughter he didn't know about (I think she was 18 when he found out). For her I think it was hard, because she found out around the same time that her dad wasn't her biological father.

[teatree]

I found out I had a half brother on the day my dad died, almost 14 years ago.... 😮

[teatree]

Sorry, I think I may have said that before.... I'm old and I forget things!! 🙄

[teatree]

4 hours ago, faraday☘ said:

Cool!!  I have a brother!!

That is exciting! 

[cdrdash]

4 hours ago, faraday☘ said:

Just found out that the name on the adoption papers is Charmaine Flowercloud.  Yep, we're siblings.  Flowercloud was a name my mother gave herself,  and it's on my birth certificate too. For the first few years of my life, I was Darla Jane Flowercloud.  Cool!!  I have a brother!!

Like others my first reaction was Wow.  Hope you can have a good relationship with him.  

[cdrdash]

Did another three mile hike today.  This time, I did not have any problems with the bruised rib.  There were not big hills to get me out of breath and we stopped lots of admire things so it was a very mellow slow hike.  I was the hike leader and as a result only took 6 pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gQGJKZ9vKtrEJNk56

 

I did find out my friend, Eric (who was on the hike), has had a bruised rib.  He recommended a balm called Lion's Balm that has the chemical in marijuana in it and so you have to go to a marijuana store to buy it.  I doubt I will go try and buy some as ibuprofen and icing have been working fine for me for the pain.  Eric said the closest pot store would probably be in San Jose.  My city, Mountain View, has passed a law that marijuana stores are not allowed.  Eric is the second friend who has suffered a bruised rib in the past.   

 

And speaking of bruised ribs, my younger brother David, who was in a bike accident 2 months ago, had bruised ribs from it!   We shared stories of what the doctor's told us about it.  David is getting back to normal.  His collar bone has healed enough that he is allowed to ride his bike to work again.  He found a new route with more bike paths and less sharing roads with cars.  It takes him a bit longer to get to work but he likes feeling safer.

 

Oh and my other brother Bob has recovered from his broken collar bone too.  He did have another seizure about 4 weeks ago.  Sigh.  The seizures usually take away some of the progress he has made recovering from his traumatic brain injury.  I hope he has clawed his way back to where he was by now.  I'll probably visit him pretty soon.

 

Cathy

[pickles.]

25 minutes ago, teatree said:

Sorry, I think I may have said that before.... I'm old and I forget things!! 🙄

It's okay, because we're old and forget things too, so it is news every time!

[ryn2]

5 hours ago, faraday☘ said:

Cool!!  I have a brother!!

Congratulations!

[daveb]

57 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said:

It's okay, because we're old and forget things too, so it is news every time!

This  

 

1 hour ago, cdrdash said:

Cathy

Glad to hear both of your brothers seem to be doing better for the most part (aside from Bob's seizure). 

Looks like a nice hike.

[Skycaptain]

@faraday☘, that's an occasion where an uncommon name saved a lot of time.

Congratulations on finding your brother 🎂 

 

@cdrdash, great photos. Good to hear that gentle recoveries are ongoing. 

[pickles.]

On 6/18/2019 at 8:40 PM, faraday☘ said:

You'll live another day and join me for a hot spring adventure!

YES!

 

On 6/22/2019 at 8:20 AM, ryn2 said:

Chickens are many (even good) things, but “kind to the downtrodden” is not one of them.

I can't tell you how much I laughed at this.  And I've thought of it many times since!

 

One exception: when my chicken Maxine was old and dying, she kept resting more and more, and it kept getting more difficult for her to get up.  She was a big strapping black Australorp (the ones with the beautiful green sheen to their feathers), and she stayed a good size til the end.  She did grow tired and weak, but the other chickens would encircle her as if to protect her.  And when she would make her way slowly to the food, they let her pass, and let her eat unmolested.  It was really something to watch--we started calling her Maxine the Queen.  She had always had a very mild temperament, and had never been the dominant chicken, but the others treated her with respect.

[ryn2]

30 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said:

She had always had a very mild temperament, and had never been the dominant chicken, but the others treated her with respect.

That’s very nice!  And unusual!

[Mocha Jo]

@cdrdash- glad you are able to hike while you are healing. I can’timagine How hard it would be if you couldn’t even do that since it is such an important part of who you are. As always, lovely pictures!

 

@ryn2 so sad about your neighbor’s dog. 😭 it is one of my worst fears for my animals. I would be the one running back into the burning building or out onto the ice for my animals.

 

@pickles mcgee- how cool that Queen Maxine was respected and not pecked!

 

@faraday☘ how cool to discover a brother!

 

my weekend was fun- I did a spinning (wool!) meet up with some friends and had a lovely day jump starting a project I “should” be working on if I want to enter a fall competition. I don’t know if I will meet the deadline, and I am falling behind if I am going to finish this project before September. I have fiber  ADD- there are so many things I want to work on that I can’t decide what to do first!  There is a program run by the Livestock Conservancy organization that promotes rare and endangered breeds of livestock to promote actually using the rare breeds in fiber arts. It is really cool seeing and collecting the rare breeds and seeing what can be done with them. Unfortunately it is distracting me from my competition fleece!

 

[daveb]

10 minutes ago, Mocha Jo said:

there are so many things I want to work on that I can’t decide what to do first!

Ah, the pitfalls (and joys) of having lots of ideas.  

[ryn2]

32 minutes ago, Mocha Jo said:

 it is one of my worst fears for my animals. I would be the one running back into the burning building or out onto the ice for my animals.

Same, and same.  Neighborkid tried but he was too late.

[ryn2]

34 minutes ago, Mocha Jo said:

I did a spinning (wool!) meet up with some friends and had a lovely day jump starting a project I “should” be working on if I want to enter a fall competition.

My mother spun!  I have her wheel and drop-spindles but I suck at it.

[Custard Cream]

11 hours ago, Mocha Jo said:

there are so many things I want to work on that I can’t decide what to do first!

Me too! I am wanting to paint another t-shirt design, finish some embroidery, do some beading and make some pride flag braids in a lace making  technique...

[BobRossRules]

Yes, my mom had a baby and put him up for adoption 5 years before I was born. Different dad though. My family never spoke of it and I had no clue. Having a child out of wedlock was shameful back then, so I guess they thought it best to keep it a secret. Most of my immediate family passed away. Discovering a brother is much less stressful than discovering you have a kid!! LOL.  We plan on meeting soon. 

 

Anyway, enjoying my time in California so far!!

[ryn2]

That’s cool, @faraday☘!  I hope you enjoy getting to know one another.

[daveb]

30 minutes ago, ryn2 said:

That’s cool, @faraday☘!  I hope you enjoy getting to know one another.

seconded  

 

I woke up to the sun shining in my bedroom window and the sound of rain. Looks like we are having a mix of rain clouds and sun. More rain expected later. Another reason I like this part of the country.  

[pickles.]

On 6/21/2019 at 7:46 PM, Autumn Sunrise said:

We've had several very cold, sub-zero nights lately - going through firewood at a great rate!

I hope it has warmed up for you, Autumn, and for all your furred and feathered friends.

 

On 6/23/2019 at 9:50 AM, faraday☘ said:

He lives in Idaho too, near Boise.  So we might meet.

I'm not sure which surprises me more--that you had a secret brother, or that he also lives in Idaho.  What were the chances?!?

 

16 hours ago, Mocha Jo said:

my weekend was fun- I did a spinning (wool!) meet up with some friends and had a lovely day [...]

I've mentioned before that my daughter is also a passionate spinster; your excitement reminds me so much of hers.  She is part of her local fibershed (a group using regional fibers produced within a certain radius). She most often works with wool, but she has used many other fibers as well.

 

16 hours ago, ryn2 said:

My mother spun!  I have her wheel and drop-spindles but I suck at it.

I wish I could get you and my daughter together!  She does have spinning days at her house, and she and her friends are always glad to teach newbies.

[Tyke]

@faraday☘

 

Amazing news. I hope you get along when you meet. There's no reason you shouldn't, but then again there's no reason you should, I suppose. A stranger but not a stranger.