Homer'sWorld

Holiday Tree 2010. A seven-foot-tall Noble Fir. It smells very nice.

But first, I put on Mummy's white artificial tree and she put colorful felt ornaments on it, which Snowball would like to play with.

Best Thanksgiving ever. Thanksgiving has never been an especially favorite holiday. Yes, I like the mashed potatoes and pies. But I never felt I had reasons to be especially thankful for. Except this year, when I did.

Evan drove down from Flagstaff and Mummy, he, and I had supper. I made a pumpkin stuffed with brown rice, pecans, some veggies, and cream. It was alright, but no one wanted seconds. In contrast, the mashed potatoes and cranberry-walnut-orange sauce were delicious. Lemon meringue for dessert.

























Stuffed pumpkin. The birds are busy eating it.

Afterward, Evan and I went over to Becca and Brian's house, where Forrest was staying, and the guys played music. It was nice listening to them, and everyone had fun.















Forrest, Brian, and Evan.

On Friday, Mummy, Evan, and I went to the yarn store, the cloth store (Mummy is making me new curtains for the kitchen), and then lunch at Rosa's. Then we drove down to Tumacacori Mission.
























Evan and Mummy.

Friday night I went and got Forrest and the three of us hung out. We walked up Sentinel Peak to look at the lights.



















Tucson at night (click for a larger, better version).

We had an awesome time, although the next morning I was TIRED.



















The three of us.

The next morning we took Forrest to the airport in Phoenix. We stopped at In N Out Burger, where I watched Forrest eat a cheeseburger. I am so happy to have spent time with him this week, I have missed him badly since he moved away.

























Forrest.

We came back to Tucson and in the afternoon, Evan and I made a cookie cutter wreath.
























Wreath.

We also got a Holiday Tree and decorated it, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for a picture of it.

This morning Evan and I went out to the Sweetwater Wetlands. The number of ducks is increasing and we saw a Moorhen.



















American coot, after diving.

It was a nice way to spend the morning.
























Best Thanksgiving ever.

What's your favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving?

I haven't see much wildlife outside my office window lately, but then a coyote sauntered past last week.



















Coyote.

It looked very healthy. At home I kept busy getting my house ready for Mummy's arrival- rearranged furniture, did yard work. Meanwhile, the office is being all torn up as new carpeting and tile is being laid down, walls painted, and new electrical installed. It makes it hard to get anything done, even though my room isn't affected until mid-December.

So the new car drives nice and on Saturday morning, after a totally sleepless night (bad headache), I drove north and picked Mummy up at the airport. Once in Tucson we went immediately to the library and then Old People Safeway, where I insisted on paying for everything. I made nachos for supper, took a nap, and then drove north a second time to pick Forrest up at the airport. We talked non-stop all the way to Tucson. Then we decided to walk up the side of A Mountain and sit at the top, looking at the lights of Tucson.
















Tucson at 1 AM.

Forrest set my camera shutter for a long exposure.
















I stepped into the picture half way through.

We stayed up way too late talking and so Sunday was pretty groggy. I took Mummy and Mark to lunch at Rosa's and got Jimbo his calendar.

Today at work, less groggy, but trying to get things ready for a project next Monday. I see something out of the corner of my eye.

























Bobcat!

Evan is coming down Thursday, I am counting the hours.

My great grandfather's family was fairly well-off, so we have lots of pictures of them. They lived in Grand Rapids for six months in 1891-1892, so I can date this photograph to this short timespan.


























John Hand Ransom and Emma Olive (Ransom) Harris.

John was born in 1875 and died in 1907 from tuberculosis of the lungs, leaving behind four daughters, the oldest of whom was only eight-years-old.

Emma was born in 1877 and died in 1964. She was the mother of nine children. In 1903, she received a gold medal for having the best butter in Michigan.

The Replacement:




















A 2010 Ford Focus, pale green, 35,000 miles.

About an hour into driving north to Flagstaff, I realized I had left my cell phone at home. This made things a little difficult because I wanted to call Evan to alert him as I neared his house, and also I had the directions to said house on my phone. Luckily, he lives on a small avenue with a delightful name, and the helpful and friendly guy at the gas station sold me a map that showed that avenue. I arrived safely at Evan's domicile. We had Homer-made pumpkin/squash pie for dessert.

On Saturday we spent the morning backroading and looking at very interesting archaeological sites. I know very little about Flagstaff-area archaeology, other than the fact that a volcano erupted sometime around A.D. 1080, and that there was a transition from pit houses to above ground structures. Evan took me to a huge rock that stuck up in a sort of plain-like area, and there were numerous rooms built on the rock.

NEVER MIND. I had a scare this morning, thinking my treasure boxes had been stolen. They weren't where they were supposed to be. Luckily, I decided to empty out my dining room closet and they were in the bottom of my quilt box.

The two cigar boxes contain:

- my little wooden Noah's Ark animals that I got when I was four
- my namesake's pocket watch
- a lion button from my great-great grandmother's dress
- some pieces of pottery I picked up in Amsterdam from a pile of dirt
- a couple of reproduction arrowheads
- a glass candy piece from Prague
- a leather wallet my grandpa made for me
- a Petoskey stone bolo tie
- my passports

Of course I feel like a total fool panicking and forgetting that I had packed the boxes away.

My pictures of All Soul's Procession didn't come out very well, so you will just have to imagine 1000s of people in elaborate costumes, altars, memorials, political signs. I was very touched to see many signs against the bullying and suicides of LGBT teenagers.

Evan drove down from Flagstaff on Friday and we went to BK's for supper. The next morning we drove out to the Mission of San Xavier del Bac in the monster SUV that I have at the moment. In the plaza is a huge memorial to the immigrants who have died on the Tohono O'odham Nation as they attempt to come to America and realize their dreams.



















183 lives ended because Republicans are afraid of Mexicans.

It is horrible to see so many small crosses, many with the Spanish word for "unidentified" on them. Meanwhile, their family members in Mexico and Central America wonder what happened to their loved one.



















Hundreds of crosses.

The Mission gleams white in the beautiful blue sky. One of the two towers has been restored, the concrete plaster taken off and the lime and cactus juice plaster applied.

























Mission of San Xavier.

The church was completed in 1797. Sometime in the 1790s, someone used paint brushes to paint elaborate portraits of saints, Jesus, Mary, angels- hundreds of images. It is somewhat overwhelming.

























An angel.

In the museum room is one of the original illuminated hymnals- in Latin. Can you imagine the Native American choir singing songs in Latin 200 years ago?

























This hymnal dates to before 1828.

Although I took Latin in college, I recognize only a few words. Afterwards, we traveled to the Presidio Park. Mummy called and we sat on the porch as I described the car accident and she told me how excited she is to come here in two weeks.
























Evan is patient.

I made waffles and Evan helped make hash browns this morning. Afterward, we went on a hike to go see the petroglyphs. I was disappointed to see the vandalism happening there.

























Saguaro and blue sky.

At the Sweetwater wetlands, we saw a variety of waterfowl including some widgeons.
























Wetlands reflected.

We had lunch at Rosa's and I saw that they have the new calendars ready, I will have to go back and get one for Jimbo's holiday present.
























Evan had the avocado enchiladas.

Evan is in the living room playing his guitar and singing while I type this. In a while we will be off to the All Soul's Day Procession.

So yesterday was all about a painful neck and back, but the combination of muscle relaxers and lots of sleep have resulted in my feeling almost back to normal. The adjuster just called and told me, as I already knew, that my car was a total wreck.

I have to say, the whole insurance process is very confusing.

Yesterday morning I went out to the ranch site and the workers had found two huge rattlesnakes in the basement of the house. They promptly chopped their heads off with shovels- not something I would have done.

So I am driving down Congress Street, just west of the bridge over hte dry Santa Cruz River, and there is a bus picking up passengers in the right land. I am in the left land, as usual, and as I drive along at 25 or 30 miles an hour, a big white SUV darts out in front of the bus, attempting to make a left turn onto Congress. I have time to say out loud, "Oh shit!" and smash into the front of the SUV. No time to hit the brakes.



















There must have been some sound but all I remember is the cloud of talcum powder-like dust from the airbags filling the car. I sat stunned for a moment, and all I could think was, "Oh my Saturn is ruined." The car was filled with dust. My glasses had come off. A man appeared at my window and asked me if I was alright. Is aid, "Yes, I guess so." I was shaking. I undo the seat belt and get out. The young couple in the SUV have gotten out and he asks me if I am alright and I say yes. The front of my car is crushed, the hood smashed down (I think his SUV was on top of my car for a moment), hte bumper only a few inches off of the ground and all these fluids making a mess. The engine is still running and the man who appeared tries several times before he can turn it off.
























The inside of my car is a mess. I had been out to the old ranch site that morning and collected about fifty bricks from a chimney they had taken down and were discarding. I had collected them for a walkway. All of them hurtled through the back seat, tearing it out, and about six or eight flew into the front passenger seat. Three hit the windshield and another batch landed on my work laptop and my green LL Bean bag, in which I had put four antique plates to hang up on my kitchen wall. The computer and one plate were smashed.


















So the police finally came. The nice police officer gave the other guy a ticket. A towtruck came to take Saturn away. Patrick came over and brought me home, where the middle knuckle of my right hand swelled up from where one of the bricks hit it. I have scrapes from where I hit the steering wheel and seat belt (like I have said before, always wear your seatbelt!), but I am lucky I wasn't hurt worse.

The accident happened at 5:03 or so. By 7:00 GEICO insurance was calling me (the other driver's insurance) and offered to settle with me for the bluebook value of my car. I was polite and told them htat first I would be talking to my insurance agent and that I needed to go see the doctor just in case. I was kind of amazed that they would be so aggressive while my hands were literally still shaking.

And now I get to buy some new or newish car and I wasn't planning on making car payments and I really don't have the spare money lying around.

I traveled north to Richard's house and carved a pumpkin.