Hilda is here!

Pat and I Met Hilda a little over a year ago. We were at a local Buddhist dinner event, and she was there. We chatted a bit, and ended up in the parking lot saying goodnight to her. She had recently experienced some big changes in her life, and I wondered about her occasionally in the months that followed.

Then, a listing appeared in a the Buddhist group's email bulletin to members containing the following...

Life is in a spin.
I will be moving back to Fort Collins by July 1. Could you please put out the word that I need a room for rent or use till I find something to rent...Hilda

Pat and I have discussed a number of times the possibility of sharing the house with someone - it is a bit oversize for us, and we could occasionally use a hand with the upkeep around here if we need to get away. I was pretty much held hostage here this spring with germinating seeds and transplants.

When I first saw the listing and called her, I didn't realize it was the same person we talked to so long ago. As we talked though, I did realize who it was, and after a nice chat we worked out an arrangement, and she arrived a few days ago.

She is getting used to us, and we to her - and just having someone else around in general. Seems to be working out well for everyone.

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I went to an equipment orientation last night for qualification to check out video equipment from the local public access network. Think Wayne's World. I don't really have anything in mind, but have always had an interest in film and video production.



This is really a pretty good deal for the group that runs the local access channel - as part of the cable franchise with the city, Comcast must provide a dedicated channel, and enough dollars to finance some pretty decent equipment. A few consumer-grade point-n-shoot cameras, and two pro cameras, along with decent sound and lighting gear, and soon a pro editing suite. The city provides office and studio space.

$30 to be fully checked out - not a bad deal.



On the way home, I passed a couple of abandoned farm buildings scattered among a grove of old giant cottonwoods that appear to dead or dying. With the setting sun casting a red glow on them, I felt compelled to pull over for a photo.

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Just a few random photos from around the house today. The raised garden beds are starting to yield a few nice things. The herb garden (foreground) is a continuing source of nice oregano, and I used some of the parsley, sage, and thyme for a stuffed roast chicken yesterday. Yesterday around sunset I saw a hummingbird sampling the pretty blue sage flowers. The beds in the background are offering nice lettuce and arugula. Beans and snow peas are coming up that should go up the trellis.


Out front, some poppies are blooming. I brought the seeds from California, where I grew them two years ago in back of our Alameda rental while we worked there.


I was able to gather these flowers around the yard a couple of days ago, to grace the kitchen table for the weekend. The white peonies have a heavy scent of old fashioned tea roses.


The front deck is at its best this time of year - the oak and ash trees shade it 90% of the day. I need to find more time to enjoy sitting in one of the rockers out there...


Here is an 'after' picture of the bench/arbor in the back yard, with my friend Felix trying it out. He is off soon for a three-week mountain bike trek along the Continental Divide, from Canada to Mexico.

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As of 1am last night, this is where I have arrived - things are coming together, about fifteen-twenty hours into the effort (didn't log time for this one).

A few problems remain, but overall, given the stretch into unfamiliar technique and some chances taken with the subject scene, it seems to be progressing well enough.

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Here's where we are as of 1am last night. It was really hard to get started this morning - I had a really powerful urge to walk away from the project, which seems to be a predictable impulse. However, now - after about three and a half additional hours of slow progress (photo later), things are beginning to take shape.

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Here's the night street scene after about two and a half hours of blocking in large areas. Ack! This is the stage at which it appears to be a near-certainty that the effort is hopeless. Find a dumpster! Hide the evidence of futile effort! What else could I have been doing with that time?

We'll see what happens later tonight and tomorrow. This one may not - or may - survive.

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Here we go again - I've got the sketch on a 16X20 canvas for the next Mexican street scene. This one is sort of complex, and I want to incorporate some of what Kirsten has been sharing with me - brush work, color, edges...

Pat jokes (well, sort of jokes) that he's glad I won't start laying paint on until he is safely on the other side of the continental divide, anticipating the various tirades about how I never should have embarked on the project as various challenges and frustrations surface. This one is especially risky with the various stylistic experiments to incorporate.

Current plan is to devote most of Monday and Tuesday to this and see where we are at Wednesday.

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