A Dark Result

/ Richard R. Barron / 1 Comment
The sun goes down behind our house after a beautiful day Saturday.
The sun goes down behind our house after a beautiful day Saturday.

“Well don’t you know the sound of anger brings a dark result
And every insult is like a lightning bolt…” ~Third Eye Blind, Dao of St. Paul

Readers in many states across America set their clocks back a hour this weekend to be part of Standard Time. There are a lot of opinions about the nature and necessity of Daylight Saving Time, but I adapt to it pretty well. I just have to dial my brain back an hour for catching last light and having enough time to walk Hawken.

Hawken drinks from the pond a couple of days ago. I know it's not good for him, so I only let him taste, not get his fill.
Hawken drinks from the pond a couple of days ago. I know it’s not good for him, so I only let him taste, not get his fill.
Bell peppers sit in my basket two nights ago. They are good to eat alone, as a salad, or as an ingredient in burritos, soups, beans and more, and they are very nutritious.
Bell peppers sit in my basket two nights ago. They are good to eat alone, as a salad, or as an ingredient in burritos, soups, beans and more, and they are very nutritious.

Tomorrow is a mid-term election day, and I hope to be encouraged and am prepared to be disappointed. In an interesting turn, I have known and photographed the three Oklahoma House District 25 candidates for most of my life. I rented an airplane from one of them for a while in the 1990s. They’re all good guys and they all have our best interests in mind.

I don’t see a freeze in the immediate forecast, but there are some 30s later in the week. I only have green peppers left, but plenty of those. Others who garden agree that 2018 was the year of the green pepper. I’ve never had this many. Just two night ago, I picked another 15. I never get tired of eating them.

With ample rain and mild days, this autumn is really showing off. I hope I am leading the way to it photographically. I have a beginning digital photography class tonight, and we can talk about it.

A photography student named Danielle made this image of me last month. I thought it was fun.
A photography student named Danielle made this image of me last month. I thought it was fun.

Readers might recall that Max the Chihuahua is old and ill lately. He seems to be a little better with daily medication. We still worry when he wheezes, and you can feel his heart murmur in his chest when you pick him up.

Summer and Max the Chihuahuas boop noses on the living room floor recently.
Summer and Max the Chihuahuas boop noses on the living room floor recently.
I try to keep my cooking simple. I throw out the stupid phony ham pouch that comes in the bag with the 15-bean soup, and cook it all night with an onion.
I try to keep my cooking simple. I throw out the stupid phony ham pouch that comes in the bag with the 15-bean soup, and cook it all night with an onion.

The coffee tastes extra good this morning. In addition to teaching tonight, I need to run to town to get a new eyepiece screw for Abby’s glasses, which fell out and disappeared sometime last night.

I got some black beans and some 15-bean soup at the store not long ago, and when I asked Abby which one I should make, she said, “Surprise me.” So it’s 15-bean soup for lunch today.

The maple in our yard is a volunteer of unspecific variety, so it doesn't put on the "Tour of Maine's Lighthouses" show. Still, it's a beautiful tree.
The maple in our yard is a volunteer of unspecific variety, so it doesn’t put on the “Tour of Maine’s Lighthouses” show. Still, it’s a beautiful tree.

As I was writing this, a package arrived from Amazon Prime, a filter for my Shop-Vac ordered just Saturday night. It was much cheaper than retail as well, and very much points to the future of consumerism.

The setting sun shines through fading morning glory vines on the arbor in the front yard. I've been photographing this feature since before we were married.
The setting sun shines through fading morning glory vines on the arbor in the front yard. I’ve been photographing this feature since before we were married.
I trimmed a bunch of limbs and threw them on the brush pile with my expired tomato vines, and burned them. Is is just me, or does this combination smell a little bit like dope smoke?
I trimmed a bunch of limbs and threw them on the brush pile with my expired tomato vines, and burned them. Is is just me, or does this combination smell a little bit like dope smoke?

I’ve been running the string trimmer a bunch the last few days, in an effort to reduce the clutter around the house and along the fences, which will hopefully give less quarter to spiders, snakes, rodents and ants this winter.

At the start of spring, I threw out an old pair of work shoes and started working in my least comfortable pair of Keens. Yesterday was their last day. I had glued the soles back on, and the elastic laces were starting to strip.

I trimmed Abby’s photinia and collected that and threw them on the brush pile with the various collected limbs and brush around the patch, and burned it. It was super-smokey.

Working outdoors, from walking the Wolfhound to running the chain saw, wears out shoes faster than anything else I do.
Working outdoors, from walking the Wolfhound to running the chain saw, wears out shoes faster than anything else I do.

“And I tell myself what we’re living for.
And say, rejoice, evermore.” ~3EB

The sun sets on the west pasture a few nights ago. After the first freeze, I can talk Hawken on much longer walks, which we both love.
The sun sets on the west pasture a few nights ago. After the first freeze, I can talk Hawken on much longer walks, which we both love.

1 Comment

  1. Excellent photography again and as it’s always good to see the monthly (or whatever) report from the farm. For my own self, I’ve stopped worrying about politics. Only thing we can do about it is vote; the rest is for idiotic talking heads on tube. Hawken looks as gi-normous as ever; need to get Leo alongside him for comparison’s sake. As soon as we got off the phone, I started work on that “Gandhi” piece; it gets more interesting as I discover what I really thought of it.

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