This was the scene in Atlanta. Comfy clothes. Laptops. Snacks. Kira.
I keep thinking that I'm going to have more time to write stuff later but then the time never comes. Meanwhile, all these things I want to report on keep piling up. This is going to be it.
I don't think I have anything to add to the Atlanta stuff I already wrote. It was a good trip and I'd love to do it again.
My new close personal friend Lila. This is the only picture in the car that turned out because she's not a sit still kind of dog.
Twice in the last two weeks I've had that college dream where I have to go back to college and I don't know where I'm going to live. I also have that dream where I'm in college but forgot to go to my class. This is a housing-anxiety specific dream. I haven't had it in ages. I also had that dream where my teeth are falling out. I hate that dream. I always wake up and touch my teeth with relief.
Took Mom and Dad to a soccer game. Timbers won.
Mom and Dad came to town last Thursday and we've been running around doing all kinds of stuff. Besides soccer we shopped around downtown, went out to many fine meals, went for a walk on the nature trail, bought lamps, saw The Informant! which I recommend seeing knowing as little about it as possible. It was a nice surprise. We went to the Farmer's market and then Bob took Dad to see Inglorious Basterds and I took Mom to Powell's and the cooking store.
This is the crowd at Chapman School. There are about twice this many people behind us.
Probably the best thing we did while they were here was go see the Vaux Swifts at the Chapman School.
This is one of those things that I've heard about for years and it always sounded cool but was never anything we made a point of doing before. Swifts are birds that are migrating to South America. They eat bugs in Portland and at dusk in September they all fly into this chimney at the Chapman School. Here's the Audubon page that will explain the whole thing with more facts.
It's a huge scene with tons of people and kids. They bring picnics and get together in groups.
We spread out a blanket on the lawn. The birds were active when we got there but as the light faded there were more and more and their movements became less chaotic.
Big blur of Vaux Swifts Going to Bed
It's tough to convey just how cool it was, especially since I'm tired and trying to hurry with this so I can go to bed. It's like huge clouds of birds swirling in a mass and then floating into this chimney.
A falcon and a hawk showed up for a snack and all the people started booing. Then at one point the cloud of swifts chased the falcon across the sky and everyone clapped.
Near the end there was this giant mass of birds twisting like a tornado and then another mass of swifts joined it and it was like it was choreographed and everyone applauded.
Everything about the evening was perfect.
This clip gives a vague idea of what it's like.
I brought in another 6 lbs. of tomatoes on Friday. That means 16 lbs. last week. I made a salsa and pasta sauce. Photos to come. I've got another busy week ahead but I think I'll have time for more updates.
