Pictured left-to-right are Carol Paskulin, President of the Sacramento Women's Chorus, Rachel Rycerz. and Colleen Cadwallader, President of San Juan Education Foundation.
Saturday, August 12, 2023
Rachel's STAR “Need to Read" Grant
Congratulations to Rachel Rycerz for her acknowledgement at tonight’s San Juan Unified School District meeting for obtaining a STAR “Need to Read" grant, through the San Juan Education Foundation, for the students at Katherine Johnson Middle School.
I Can Fix That!
My yellow car has some dings on the side, and the previous owner playfully placed some appliqués that look like crossed bandages over them. I was driving the car in the supermarket parking lot when the driver of another car gestured for me to roll down my window. Pointing at the dings he said, “I can fix that! I can fix it this afternoon.” I replied, “Oh, it’s okay,” as I tried to read the tattoo on his sunburnt arm. He continued, “I used to work in a body shop. I’ll fix it for $100. I have a garage. We can do it now!” He gave me his phone number, which I failed to memorize, and I slowly drove away.
Is it a scam? I dunno.
When I’m walking Jasper, I sometimes get approached in what seems like a scam. A passing big car will stop. The driver says he needs gas and asks if I’ll buy a ring - usually the most godawful gaudy ring you ever saw. The people in the car are always Arab. I say no, and they drive off.
I don’t know how the scam works, because even the worst ring must have some value. I asked the Ladies of Jamaican Dancehall if this ever happened to them while walking down the sidewalk, and their response was, “what’s this about walking alone?”
The Navajo Angle on Barbie
Starts with the dress:
When Navajo Grey Hills weaver Barbara Teller Ornelas saw the original Barbie dolls — all blonde hair, blue eyes and 1950s clothes — she certainly didn’t see herself.
That version of Barbie stood alone for many years until the First Edition Native American Barbie was released in 1997 as part of the company's “Dolls of the World” Collection.
Teller Ornelas bought one of the 1997 Navajo Barbies for herself and another for her daughter, Sierra Ornelas, but she wasn’t happy with the outfit. She told her daughter she would weave an outfit for them one day, and she did.
Now, Teller Ornelas’ efforts to authenticate the Navajo Barbie are drawing renewed attention with the opening of the “Barbie” movie, which is prompting Indigenous women to give the character a Native flair that is missing in the popular movie.
The Burning Sea
The death toll from the Lahaina fire (89, and rising) has now surpassed that from the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA, in 2018 - both cases where a fast-moving fire entered a populated area with few exit roads.
Lahaina was on the dry side of Maui. Conditions were dry, combustible grasses were present, and the area was affected by winds from Hurricane Dora, which was passing by to the south. Power lines were falling and may have set the fire. I'm curious whether there were also downslope winds present from the West Maui Mountains. The meteorological assessment will make grim reading.
One horror of Lahaina was people fleeing into the burning sea at the shore. I heard previously that that the burning sea came from oil slicks caused by sinking, burning boats, but this fellow suggests that multiple layers of floating ash were responsible. Both explanations may be true. Unprepared people had to escape through all that, and many did not make it.
@realmattthewelder #duet with @Lahaina Fire Updates #lahainafire #hawaii #hawaiifire #hawaiifires ♬ original sound - Lahaina Fire Updates
Monday, August 07, 2023
Big Fire in Albuquerque
I worry about this fire. Nasty black smoke, and right next door to an important filming location for Better Call Saul. So fragile and vulnerable, these locations!:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque and Bernalillo County Fire Rescue crews are responding to a large fire at a plastic storage facility in Mesa Del Sol Sunday.
The city has issued a warning for people to avoid the area, and to stay inside, and keep windows and doors closed.
Officials say the fire started at 5301 Hawking Drive SE Sunday. They say the winds are unpredictable, and the fire is not contained.
Thick black smoke could be seen from downtown Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Los Lunas.
Missed Tony Ashby's Memorial Service
Gabe passed on the photos of the memorial service at the Buchanan Century Farm/Tyee Winery in Oregon for Tony Ashby on July 27th. A reunion of Sierra Research hands!
At our breakfast on July 13th at Cafe Dantorel, Dave Deckman and Dan Welch invited to me to accompany them in their vehicle, but I turned them down, since I thought I had dogsitting to do. It turned out I didn't have dogsitting after all, but truth was, I couldn't afford it, with all the impending car repair. Too bad.
Tony Ashby was the greatest guy. He spent part of his childhood in Grants, NM, and attended the University of New Mexico in the early 60s. He was funny, and smart, and thoughtful. May we all follow his example!
Sunday, August 06, 2023
Cunha Big Band
I went to see the Cunha Big Band on August 1st with Rachel at the Clubhouse Bar and Grill. They are looking for vocalists, and Rachel might be a possibility.
Sunshine
Finally, after all the difficulties I've had getting the car I've had for a year now registered (finally with an acknowledged title), smogged, and with a repaired undercarriage (about $4,000 of effort, all told), I now have Sunshine back. My money is gone, but at least I have something to show for it.
Tropical Storm Eugene
Tropical Storm Eugene is likely to bring some rain to the Southwest this coming week:
A persistent “heat dome” that has baked much of the American Southwest for most of July will ease again this week, bringing average to below-average temperatures to Southern California and even a chance of precipitation.
Highs in downtown Los Angeles will peak on Monday and will dip to the low 80s by Wednesday, when remnants of Tropical Storm Eugene in Baja Mexico could bring showers to the region as early as Tuesday evening, and “maybe even a thunderstorm,” said said Eric Boldt, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Various Difficulties Are Apparent Out In Birdland
Tonight (August 1), I brought seed out to the patch where I feed pigeons, sparrows, doves, and the occasional scrub jay (my favorite), when Klutz the Hawk decided to attack. The birds scattered as dive-bombing Klutz suffered a split second of indecision about which bird to follow, equivocated, and flew directly into an ivy-covered chain link fence. By the time Klutz pulled himself out of the ivy, all the other birds were gone.
Last night, Jasper and I walked past a crow drinking water from a gutter, but the crow didn’t flee as we approached. Something was wrong with this crow. This morning, I saw a dead crow a short distance away. Probably the same crow.
I called the West Nile virus control people, but they asked if I would pick up the crow, put it in a plastic bag, and take it home for later pickup. I reluctantly agreed, but by the time I returned this evening, someone else had already disposed of the crow. West Nile is out there, so beware!
A Vote About The Dog Park (Sort-Of)
I almost forgot to post about this. On July 19th, the City of Sacramento hosted a community meeting at the Sierra 2 Center about the status of the dog park. I thought their intention was to address the informal, very successful, but threatened dog park at the Sierra 2 Green, behind the Sierra 2 Center, but the City of Sacramento looks at the matter from 30,000 feet, rather than from a worm's-eye view like the rest of us who actually use the park. Instead, the City of Sacramento wanted community input on half a dozen possible park sites from Broadway down to the Pocket.
We were given three coupons to vote with - green, for our favorite option; yellow for our second-favorite option, and red for our least favorite option. I apportioned my votes depending on how far away the parks were located from my house.
It was nice to see several neighbors there I don't see very ofte.
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