Pacific Coast Iris hybrids 2010, 2020

Hybrid Pacific Coast Iris, growing among hardy geraniums

Picture from May 16, 2010.

I'm mourning that I haven't seen any of these beautiful small irises around the house this year; there used to be several of them. And a particular loss, the beautiful white one with lavender and blue lines, that Cyndi gave me decades ago, from a Native Plant Society sale, is all gone. An idiot tenant had dug all of it's offspring out years ago, but there was one survivor - finally choked out by blackberries and neglect. The beautiful ground cover hardy geranium visible in this photo is almost gone too. It's shade tree had died, then they were dug out by the friend of a tenant, who thought he was weeding. They haven't recovered, not helped by being taken over by blackberries (mostly cut back now).

The tall purple iris just started blooming a few days ago, and the little white-with-blue-lines wild iris started blooming last week in the woods down the hill.

And the old-fashioned almost-wild roses down the hill by the highway just started blooming this week. They are always the earliest. And the lilacs. And I heard the first (Mountain?) chickadee song yesterday. 

May 1, 2020 There were lots of flowers on the tall dark red-violet iris in this area; last year's clearing was good for it. And the more sun from losing so many tall trees. There are still a few small plants of this beautiful small iris that should be in big clumps. And a few buds. One beautiful survivor is the small lavender-color ground cover Veronica Waterperry. The incomplete but careful hand clearing I did around and among it helped. Time to do it again this year, and really dig out the returning blackberries...

Time to Sew Again 2020

My 2-sprig textile design

from part of a copper batik stamp

I am cleaning up my sewing room, and organizing the fabrics I have on hand for the top 20 or so projects I have in mind. (Of which if I get 2 or 3 made, I'll be very happy.) I want to alter/make a couple of patterns, for a linen tank top to replace the one I used for sleeping for many years. And a linen princess-line tunic to go with my favorite multi-color long skirt, which I plan to embellish with card-weaving (time to get back to doing that too) along the seams. And from that a pattern for linen tunics/dresses with a bodice panel from one of my textile design fabrics. Maybe a Viking costume with card-weaving. . .

I have plenty of fabric on hand, linen and my (and Amy Vail's) textiles, a few pre-washed, for the first few projects. Time to get a washing machine again, once it is possible. Linens are beautiful, soft and strong, but definitely need to be pre-washed several times.

Here's another of the Empire/Regency inspired clothing designs I did several years ago for a Costume History/Fashion History class, using textile designs I did for the project.

Empire-inspired dress design
using my textile designs

It will be fun to get back to doing one of my favorite things. Maybe roses next. . .

Social Distance / Physical Distance 2020

Birds on water, Camano Island, 2009 or 2010

They're calling it Stay-at-Home, Shelter-in-Place, Social Distancing, but what we really want is Physical Distancing -- and to keep as close with our friends (social contacts) as we can, by phone and internet. And the interesting phenomenon, in Italy and New York, of neighborhoods on their balconies and roofs singing or making noise together. (In New York it is noise at 7pm to express appreciation of medical / health workers.  New Yorker Radio Hour 4/11/2020)

Here in California, and from the CDC, we are asked to wear masks in public, to protect others in case we are infected but asymptomatic. But masks are hard to get. (Although a local group has started sewing masks for hospitals, 100s of masks, well-washed. It has spread to other places, but it started here.) It is possible to trade off on masks. The virus remains viable longer on hard, cold surfaces, and becomes inactive sooner on soft, warm surfaces. So waiting several days between wearing a mask will "disinfect" it.

Listen to On The Media from 4/12/2020 about supplies, government stealing orders of masks, ventilators,  from orders by governors, and sending them to other states more politically important to the administration.  (500 ventilators the Colorado governor had ordered, intercepted by government, 100 'given back' at request of republican congressman / while Florida gets anything it wants.)


Take care everyone - and keep in touch.

Keep In Touch 2020

Fallen mailbox  March 19, 2011

Grandpa's large old mailbox was knocked down in a fast snowstorm, maybe by the mailman or a snowplow, maybe by a neighbor with a tractor -- tracks were visible under the top several inches after they melted. I left it out there since at least it was a marker for the address -- I was using a post office box at the time. And after a month, someone took it, before I could put it up again.

I have a new, small mailbox now. I am emailing with a family member, and went back on Facebook to get back in touch with a couple of friends. (And started again looking at a couple of groups as inspiration for starting some projects, which I have already collected fabric for.) And this is definitely an opportunity to clean the house. . .

And the OLLI adult education, which cancelled its classes, all on campus, first thing for this semester, has developed an entirely new Zoom schedule of classes for this semester, and is planning for summer. 

Old friends have moved away.

4/24/2020 And I had lost touch recently with a close friend, but it was just a misunderstanding. We are talking on the phone again.

Campus Is Closed 2020

Library, Sierra College, Nevada County Campus

This picture of the library on campus from across the pond is from several years ago, maybe 2013. It was the semester we lost 3 Thursdays to snow vacation. The picture was taken on Friday, the day after it started snowing quickly during class and campus was closed.

I walked home; it's only 2 miles on the wooded trail, a little farther the way I went along the roads. At class next week, we discovered I had reached home before the professor had gotten out of the parking lot with everyone trying to leave at once.

Last October, we didn't have any storms, no rain although some wind. But we had SIX power outages from PGE, the first one over 3 days. No wind here when the power was off. Supposedly only 10 days total. Everyone, including grocery stores, lost freezers full of food. Yes, some of them had backup generators; it wasn't enough.

Now, with the Corona virus pandemic, and shelter-in-place/social-distance, almost everything except grocery stores is shut down. Government offices and some businesses/restaurants are curbside pickup. I was glad to hear hardware stores are open, in case of a stopped-up drain. And I need batteries and light bulbs.

Our wonderful local independent radio station is unusually running many already recorded programs, but still keeping us updated on what is happening. And YubaNet, which we usually depend on for weather, fire, election and meetings information, is moderating regular virtual town meetings.

But schools are coping. They are shut, but at least most California districts are trying to get school lunches to kids. And some online, I don't know details. But I know at least 2 community college students who have been homeless, and certainly many more can't do online courses without the library. Over the last few years, this campus has lost the majority of its on-campus courses to online ones, and the computer lab closed several years ago.

The exception was the adult ed OLLI short courses, all I have taken for the last year, which were all in person. But since they were for older students, they were cancelled first thing. And now they are back! The 2 I had wanted to take are not, but a bunch of interesting things are available this semester on Zoom. They put that together in a month...

Old dogs are learning new tricks.

PS. Minimally Photoshopped -- I took out a garbage can.