Creature reports

We often come up with a theme for the year as a new year’s activity, and this year our theme was Exploration & Discovery, which referenced how different our vacation schedules would surely be, with no more tethering to the school calendar. It’s also a nod to the two classes at Lewis & Clark that all freshmen take to think through topics historical and contemporary via the writings of big thinkers like Frederick Douglass, Karl Marx and Virginia Woolfe – a part of freshman year that we always felt made L&C a very good fit for Miles. Then in mid-March, under a stay home order, we joked that our biggest opportunity for exploration and discovery was exploring a hitherto unused part of the upstairs of our house.

However, now in May, with the annual massive bird migration coming through this region and how both our backyard and Humboldt Park have become places where we spend a lot more time, as mentioned last week we have really been enjoying spotting and identifying birds! John’s office in particular looks out on our tree in back, a hangout spot for many birds. And I spotted two Indigo Buntings this weekend, also in the backyard! We have so many brown birds, to see the bright red cardinals and bright blue indigo buntings looks almost like someone’s tropical pets have gotten out!

Continuing with the creature report, our goslings in the park are getting so big!

And we saw a turtle catching some sun by the lagoon.

Along with many other nature watchers at the park, we observed some interesting fish behavior this weekend. There is speculation here for sure – but we think the fish are carp and that they are spawning. There is a lot of flapping around and swimming in very shallow water. In the second video in particular, I noticed after that the audio picked up ambulance sounds – sadly very common around here with the hospitals that are taking a bunch of the west side COVID cases nearby.

 

I took a spin around my old running route this week and found some signs posted in Ukrainian Village to be very sweet and encouraging. Thank you!

I did this patch job on Miles’s jeans this week. If you think the patch looks very noticeable, that’s the intention. I’ve been following a group of people who mend their clothing with very visible patches to say “Hey, my clothes have been mended!” Miles wasn’t on for the most in-your-face mending ideas I had, but was pretty happy with this.

Here he’s happy probably because of the mended jeans but also it was a nice day and he was reading a book outside.

On Saturday we ordered dinner from Elske, a really amazing Danish restaurant on Randolph Street. We’ve eaten there in the past for an anniversary and birthday celebration. They started doing takeout and the dinner we ordered was really superb!

The window had so much going on, I had to go in for a closeup. Note the Michelin Man in the right of the window, indicating they are a Michelin rated restaurant, the lovely menu in fish print, and the reflection of our car with trunk open. You order in advance, call when you arrive, and they bring the food out to pop in the trunk.

Plating at home.

Salmon, asparagus with fennel, grilled cabbage (how do you even do that???) and a mustard sauce. MMMMM!

I forgot these last week but Miles and Ashton brought them home after working in the flower warehouse. Thank you!

This week we had two birthdays, starting with Ashton’s on Thursday. We ordered gyros from Greek Corner to celebrate. So nice that the weather is getting good enough to eat outside!

Mom’s birthday was today, and Debbie and I planned a little surprise – we scheduled a regular art club meeting but instead of the usual small crew, we got everyone on the zoom and surprised her with a virtual birthday party! We started off all in masks that she made for us – check out all the great sewing work!

We had a really lovely party, even pulling out the virtual backgrounds by the end. Miles appeared from San Francisco, Nana transported herself and Grandpa to Yosemite, and Ashton and I journeyed into space. It was quite a 2020 birthday, since she’d already ordered a Starbucks coffee through an app on her phone then picked it up in the drive through, and also ordered a salmon dinner online. Having a zoom b-day party fit right in. Happy birthday, Mom! And have a great week, everyone!