How to Stay Busy in November

Brrrrr!!!!

Most of my usual activity has been curtailed now, for it is downright chilly most days.  Not Midwest or Northeast chilly, I admit, with highs reaching 40, but still not the sort of temperature that entices me to spend hours admiring the great outdoors.

Unless it's foggy, of course.  I adore fog.

This is our favorite walking park along the Columbia River (Leslie Groves, in north Richland), and for several days in a row there was serious fog, and I simply had to get out to take photos, despite the 32-degree mornings.

There are several long, narrow islands in the middle of the river -- you can make out one here:

Geese, ducks, and gulls like to hang out on those islands, and I could hear them yakking away through the dense fog.

I lasted about half an hour.  It was COLD!

Just as I was turning back, a mixed flock of Canada Geese and Mallards flew in, so I had to stay a little longer to admire them.

And I also managed to spot a few Bufflehead near the shore -- Winter visitors from the far North.

We did luck out one day last week when it got up to 52, and I took the Hounds for a walk by the marina, always a lovely spot.

A Double-crested Cormorant found a nice perch:

I love the views of the river here.

A lone (and vocal) Greylag Goose was hanging out with the Canada Geese.

The Hounds were happy to get out and about (though they also enjoy romping in their own back yard, where resident squirrels keep them on their toes).

Back at the new house, another way I entertain myself is by decorating.  I'm pretty sure the library will become my favorite room.  Here is the new chaise, for optimum reading relaxation:

I had initially thought of getting a reclining armchair for the library, but realized that a chair wouldn't provide enough room for me and two dachshunds.  How could I possibly enjoy reading and lounging in the library with unhappy wiener dogs begging for room?  Well, I couldn't.

It had to be the chaise...and the Hounds were most appreciative.

In final decorating news, I also kept busy with that mural -- in fact, it was so chilly for most of the week that I was stuck inside long enough to finish it.

It's about 5-1/2 feet high and 8-1/2 feet wide and covers the entry way wall.  In the pic below, the front door is on the far left.

And this is the view from the living room sofa, where I get to admire my handiwork every evening.

There is still way too much blank space in the house, both on the walls and in the rooms.  I don't think I'll paint any more murals but I'll sure have to find ways to fill all that space up!

Some Assembly Required

When I sold my house in Seattle, I ditched 90% of the furnishings, as they were old or shabby or broken or all three.  Thus for the new house, I've gone shopping for new stuff, sometimes in town, other times online.  The online stuff often required some skill with a screwdriver or hammer. 

I am not that skilled with either implement.  Nor am I savvy regarding the arcane drawings that come with assembly instructions, yet I ordered a coffee table online anyway, because the Google reviewers claimed it was "easy to put together."

Hah, I say.  Hah!  It would have been easier if the part labeled "B"  on the instruction sheet actually corresponded to the real part "B" of the table.  It did not.  However, I persevered, and as you can see from the photo below, I wound up with something resembling a coffee table -- just don't ever move it, or the one wobbly leg that refused to accept the screw intended for it will collapse.

Next I tackled a freestanding towel rack (not shown), which went together okay after some pieces got put on backwards and then got put on frontwards with a bit of struggle.  It does not wobble, so I am happy.

Emboldened by this success (more or less), I ordered two bookcases from Office Depot, despite the Google reviewers who claimed they were "easy to put together."  What I failed to notice was that each box weighed sixty pounds.  Thank goodness the kind delivery truck driver hauled them inside the house to the front hallway.  From there, I had to lug a piece or two at a time down to the library at the other end of the house, where they looked like this:

The instructions, unlike any assembly instructions I've ever read before, were legible, clear, and even sensible.  I still had trouble here and there, possibly because I have issues telling left from right.  I blame this on being about 75% ambidextrous.  It simply doesn't matter to my brain most of the time which one is which. 

But hey, after some effort and a bit of head-scratching, I got it together!

They are very sturdy bookcases, and I am quite pleased.

The next thing I ordered was a mobile for one of the many hooks in the ceilings, and I was delighted to discover that it came fully assembled.  Whew.  Just imagine what a tangle I could have made of those strings.

Having tackled 60lb bookcases, I knew better than to tackle anything heavier, so I looked for a dining table at a store in town and made certain they would not only deliver it, but put it together inside the dining room from which it will never move.

It feels luxurious to even have a dining room -- I have to cast my mind back over three decades before recalling a place I lived in that had one.  I've always lived in small spaces until now.  As an adult, I lived in college dorm rooms (TINY!), then in shared houses where I had one bedroom to myself, then in a 750sf apartment (sometimes with a roommate) for nine years, and then in a 630sf house for 21 years.

Having a 1400sf house for just me and the Hounds is very weird but I'm getting used to it!  My main issue is all the blank space, in the rooms and on the walls -- it needs to be filled!

The Hounds are enjoying having lots of room, too. 

I have a lot of pictures that I could hang on the walls, but not enough picture frames, so until I order more, there is always another way to cover up blank space:

The hallway wall that faces the living room was crying out for something, and as it was painted medium-gray, I decided to try something different -- a monochrome scene.

So far I've got a woodsy/marshy pond thing going, and I plan to stick a Great Blue Heron in there, and add a whole lot of leaves and cattails and other foliage.  It's still in the preliminary stages now.

There are other blank walls here and there...if I can't put furniture or framed pictures on them, they may need a mural instead.  We shall just have to wait and see!

Roadside Attractions

Last week I went venturing to parts unknown, and as usual, had a grand time.  On Monday I decided to explore Clover Island, a tiny speck of land in Kennewick which boasts a hotel, marina, restaurant, and a lighthouse.

I had hoped to do some sketching, but the weather did not cooperate -- there was no rain in the forecast, yet it was sprinkling when I got there.

So I drove up and down the short island looking at the sculptures instead.  This one is "The Call of the River" in honor of early pioneers:

And this one is "Mother of Reinvention II" and it's interactive -- you can move it to get different views.

And this lovely rendition of two eagles fighting over a salmon is titled "Fair Game":

As you can tell, the clouds departed, and rain stopped, and the sun appeared.  I could have sketched the lighthouse on the island, but I decided to take the Hounds for a walk instead.

We found a trail on the mainland side.

There were Great Blue Herons everywhere -- I saw six in this one spot, but could fit only three into the photo:

We had a very pleasant stroll:

More good birds appeared -- here's a female Belted Kingfisher:

And a Horned Grebe diving:

And a Western Grebe taking a rest:

And one not taking a rest:

This spot also turned out to be good for Great Egrets -- I spied at least four flying around.

The Hounds were happy to be out and about.

However, the Hounds were not so happy on Friday, when I opted to leave them at home.  That's because my outing that day included eating and shopping.  But first, it involved dinosaurs.

The small town of Granger, WA, about fifty miles from the Tri-Cities, is infested with dinosaurs.

Back in the 1990s, the town's public works department decided to make a dinosaur statue, just because it could.  The people liked it, so they made more. 

And more....

They put most of them up in a public park, and added a store/food stand, and public restrooms inside a volcano.  Sadly, this was closed for the season and no one was about -- I can imagine it is hopping in the summer time.

There are also statues placed randomly about the town.

This one is in front of the police station:

And here is a lovely family grouping in another park:

I drove up there with my friend Beckie, and though it was a bit chilly, we had a fabulous time.  After taking the freeway there, we drove the old back road highways back, taking a leisurely tour of the small towns along the way.  We stopped for lunch at  El Conquistador restaurant in Sunnyside, and at the 14 Hands winery in Prosser, and a thrift store in West Richland before heading homeward.

Speaking of home...I have been decorating!

And I've been acquiring new furniture, which of course, is really owned by the Hounds:

Now I need to get some art on the walls.  I'm working on that -- stay tuned!