Too pooped to post last night. I spent most of the day working on the barn addition, and most of that shoveling wheel barrow loads of dirt from the floor inside the addition down to the garden area. Dozens of loads in 80+ degree heat.
The goat pen area rises from front to back. The barn runs that direction. Because the roof of the addition needs to be a level line the dirt floor rises, so that by the time I've added the extension I can't stand up inside this birthing area. A clever fellow would have figured that out and removed the dirt before the walls and roof were on and the dirt needs to be dug up, thrown into the wheel barrow just outside the door, and then hauled down to the garden. I am not a clever fellow.
Pam's veggie garden is doing MUCH better than last year. Having an area that gets sun all day long makes a huge difference compared to the fenced area up above where the fir trees shade it for much of the day. That and the goat pen are the upside to the unfortunate necessity of removing all of those trees.
OK, you simply must go to Librivox.org and download the Short Story Collection Vol. 065. Yesterday while driving into Lowe's and back I listened to "The Man With Two Left Feet" by P.G. Wodehouse. Too good. But so far all of them have been terrific. I've a new appreciation for the short story as a form and I think I'm hooked. They make perfect diversions for otherwise wasted drive time, or while doing relatively mindless tasks.
I put the audio books on my iPad and plug it into the Kia's aftermarket head unit I installed a few years ago. (It has a USB input on the front.) Perfect. I also have a little blue tooth speaker I use when working on Sally out in the garage because the iPad's speaker isn't adequate.
I have to be careful not to listen to all of the stories in this collection so I have something left for Friday's drive back up to PDX to pick up Pam.
Or I could just download another short story collection. Everything on Librivox is free.
Driving in Hwy 126 (an often dangerous stretch of 2-lane road running from Eugene to the coast) I saw a Porsche 914 traveling west, the opposite direction. This one had been set up as at least a faux rally car with a bank of lights, a trick paint job, and some livery decals. (Livery is a term that describes the color scheme and logos of a race car, identifying it's team and sponsors. That often looks silly on a street car, but it this case it worked.)
What grabbed my attention, though, was that the driver was flashing his fog and headlights at a rapid rate as he came toward the group of cars I was in, headed east. I don't know if the other drivers knew what that meant, but I did from my years riding a motorcycle. "There's a cop and speed trap ahead of you. Look out!"
Sure enough, 1/4 mile later I saw a black cop car with very discreet lights, also headed west. I think I know what happened next.
Cops don't like people warning other drivers of a speed trap. In some jurisdictions it's illegal to do so and can get you a hefty fine. I'm guessing the cop noticed him doing that shortly after he passed the LEO and set out to snag him and "sign him up for the program" as one of my LEO friends describes getting a ticket.
Motorcycle riders have a traditional way of doing the same thing that doesn't involve flashing your light. Tap the top of your helmet repeatedly to indicate to oncoming bikers they've got a cop up ahead. That dates back to the days of "gum ball" lights on the top of cop cars.
It's been a beautiful day with much more reasonable temps. At 8 p.m. it's 65 degrees outside with a nice breeze, and 75 inside. I may close windows before turning in. I got the exterior of the barn extension finished and the floor leveled. All that remains is the gate from the main section to this addition and the construction of a feeder and water bucket base. Those tasks should be wrapped up by this time tomorrow, and then we'll be ready for kids. Sundae is due three weeks from Tuesday.
Have I mentioned that I don't like being alone here? But Pam reports that she's making good progress at getting her mom's condo emptied and cleaned, and that my MIL's new setting is going to be good for her physically and socially.
So I guess I'll deal with it.
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