Beneath the Wraps

When I woke up this morning, I looked out the window.  The skies were gray and there was a haze which hid my view of the towers.  Was that fog or smoke?  I was not the only person who had wondered.  How long would the sky be grey before it turned blue? On Saturday Roland and I had gone to Roseburg.  The closer we got to the city, the more overcast the skies.  We went to Home Depot.  Surprised we were not there for long before we traveled across the city to a store we had never looked at before.  Still overcast, but when we came out of the store, it was like we had entered with the weather of one day and left the store on a completely different days as the skies were blue, no clouds whatsoever and hot. I enjoy going to the pool when it is overcast because there are usually fewer people who show for the workout.   The fire is 65% contained now.  I haven't seen the blackened over 13,000 acres that re...

          My mom’s birthday is June 29 th .   Our neighbor, Peggy, had been born on June 28 th .   Mom had been raised in San Francisco, California while Peggy had been raised in American Fork, Utah.   Peggy already had one son when she and my mom were both pregnant with Danny and me.   I was born at the end May and Danny was born in early June.   We were raised together by both moms.   Until Jimmy was born in 1970, there were six of us:   Daryl, me, Danny, Patrick, John and Matt (in that order).   We would spend time together doing different things. They’d invite us to go on outings and do things with them.   I remember camping with the Bird family when Jimmy was just a baby.   I remember going to the amusement park with them.   I also remember Patrick and I going to Birds’ house after school after mom had gone to work for a few weeks.   I also remember staying the night ...

I found the following assignment still in my files.  I remember submitting it to the writing center.  The person giving me feedback suggested I lose this first line - which I do tie into my closing statement.  As I recall, even my instructor had said it was a poor way to start out a paper.  It is called an attention grabber.  The idea was suggested to me by the dean of the English department.  I can't remember whether I stuck to my guns or not.  I think I did but did not receive full credit.  Ironically, I was not stressed about it.         “Many a calm river begins as a turbulent waterfall, yet none hurtles and foams all the way to the sea.” – Mikhail Lermontov (Sweatt, 2016).              There are many things that cause stress such as relationships, finances, health issues of loved ones, not being able to meet deadlines due to heavy traffic, power out...

A field is a plot of land used for farming or playing ball.  Sometimes fields are filled with weeds and are neglected. Pull is the opposite of push.  When I pull something, it generally has a handle.  Pull often has a different sound than pole or poll - but some people pronounce all three the same way.  A Pole  is a rod or a stand like in a flagpole or fishing pole.  A Poll is a survey. I had an instructor introduce me to the word complement which is a form of completion.  I needed to add to my documents in order to improve them - to complete or make perfect.  A compliment is a polite expression or greeting. A chord is associated with music while a cord provides extension or can be wrapped or tied around something. To be on the lam is to run away and hide.  This is mostly associated with hiding from the police.  Lamb is a baby sheep.  The "b" in lamb is silent. A bleating lamb is not. ...

                 I was driving when the phone signaled that I had received a text.   Jenna opened it and announced it was a picture sent from a furniture company!   She didn’t understand why they were sending a picture of their logo.   She placed her foot on the dashboard, took a picture of it and hit the reply button to the furniture company.   I don’t know if the company received this picture or not, but I was amused.  I smile each time I look at it.           It turns out that there was a survey attached – which may come up right away in the average touch-screen phone but not my flip phone.   I did not take the survey.

                Yesterday was overcast when I went to the pool.   I prefer going there when the skies are grey with moisture and not sun that blinds.   We are all hoping that the overcast skies and humidity will help with the fire.                 The fire started near the 97 mile marker less than 10 miles south of where I live.   The news reports that it had been started by an illegal camp fire.   It is the closest fire we have ever had and yet the air quality has been better than any other summer . . . for us anyway.   The smoke is thick and black and horrible to the south.   The smoke has infected Glendale, Grants Pass and of course Medford (has there been a summer yet that smoke hasn’t invaded Medford?)   Reports say the smoke has made its way as far as Ashland.   Oh, my word . . . I didn’...

I don't know what it is about homonyms that attracts me, but I have always loved them.  Homographs, homophones . . .  fascinating Whey is a protein that may be sold in powder form to stir into drinks.   Way in a sense is direction.   “Show me the way to get home?”   “Which way should I go?”   “Do you know the way to the store that carries whey?” You can also weigh yourself or other items on a scale. A boor is an unrefined, ill-mannered person.   A boar is a male pig.   Bore is a description meaning unexciting.   Bored is also from boredom.   A board has many meanings.   There are game boards, boards that are signs, boards that are slabs of wood, and used by students and teachers as in blackboards, smart boards, cork boards, etc. Martial arts are associated with judo and karate.   A marshal enforces the law Applying your foot to the brake is what stops the car.   Taking a b...

                                                                 Mom’s Doll Patsy                 Corey loved when mom would tell about her beloved doll Patsy.   I can’t remember how old she was or how long she had had Patsy for.   It was back in the days when dolls were made out of porcelain or similar material that breaks quite easily, and perhaps it was never meant to play with, but then why else would you give a small child a doll if it was intended to be played with.           Mom said that she and Patsy were roughly the same size.   She said she was going down the stairs and tripped.   She and Patsy both took a tumble, only my mom survived and Patsy didn’t.   She...

Once a year downtown parking is over flowing with cars More cars than I ever see in Myrtle Creek at any given time. Parked in streets and all around the park. People will walk two or three blocks even when it’s hot. Saturday is the day. The last Saturday in July. People come to watch crawlers, participate in sporting events and to walk around. The later it gets, the more cars and traffic. Fireworks start at 10:00. This year there were two lots reserved for the handicapped. Sunday morning is when the vendors remove their tents  followed  by a worship service.   I love this town!

I know there are millions of people who have worse heat this year than we have ever had in Oregon.   Even now, when I complain about the heat, we are not sweltering nor are having to go to the hospital due to the intense heat that many across the nation and throughout Europe are going through.   That saddens me that so many have to deal with the trauma.   I would personally have to deal with the aftermath of a hurricane or several feet of snow than to have to bear the heat that is so hot that eggs could be fried on the sidewalk. from  Fondos de Pantalla           Tri City is an unincorporated area that shares a zip with Myrtle Creek.   My personal belief for the name in addition to Myrtle Creek, Tri City somewhat borders Riddle and Canyonville.   Each of the three cities have a celebration in the summer.   Riddle’s Sawdust Jubilee is held in the last Saturday in June.   Canyonville holds...