Around Camp Thunderbird

Made considerable progress in cleaning up around the property today.
Have hopes of finishing most of it tomorrow. Guys helping were mildly surprised at the size of one scorpion we found under one not very old pile of rubble.

Took a written test and an eye test at the DMV today to renew my drivers licenses. I was not very surprised at not making any errors on the written test, but was nicely surprised at doing very well on the vision test. Did well enough not to have to renew again for another five years. Its getting so that I can imagine living that long.

My tenant in Joshua Tree called today. His name is Joshua. Among other things he said that it is likely that he will be moving in October. He and his wife have been very good tenants and I will be sorry to lose them.
I was not expecting them to move, but I am now remembering that I told myself, a year or so ago, that when they moved, I would probably move into that pleasant little house. So, now that this place is just beginning to look like a place I can be proud to live, I may be moving.

I have much more capital in this place than I do in the JT place, but may not be able to get any more rent for it. I might be able to get another $50 a month.
I wouldn't be moving for the cash, but rather to be living in a place that was closer to shopping, transportation, and health services. The move would also help to get rid of more stuff. If it turned out to be too noisy I could move back here, or elsewhere.

Around Camp Thunderbird

The day after I coaxed the red racer to the patio, I found a pair of road runners there. I haven't seen the snake since.

An adolescent cotton-tail has been approaching within as near as 10 feet from me as I water.

Plasters have put the finish stucco on to sides of the house and patio. The color and texture look good. The overall effect is darn good. Very good!

Around Camp Thunderbird

~ It's peaceful to have no workmen around for awhile.
~ I'm nearly ready to get some yard clean-up done.
~ The idea of a bit of a walk-about is forming.
~ My companion, the red-racer has left its usual resting spot around the butt of my rifle by the dresser.
~ The round tails are putting on a diverting show with there creosote harvesting activities.
~ I look forward to having stucco completed.

Snake Peeking Around My Dresser

I found myself feeling a bit down. Not even having completed as much of my construction plans here around Camp Thunderbird nor having a compatible red racer in my bedroom seemed able to relieve my melancholic state.
So, I thought to reviver myself by reviving my practice of morning exercise followed by a period of meditation.

I keep a large set of index cards, each card of which contains brief instructions for an exercise I have found interesting and/or effective. I promise to devote myself to exercise for a certain amount of time and draw cards to fill that time. I may, for example, need a half dozen cards to fill and hour of exercise. This morning I decided on 1/2 and hour of exercise, but drew a card that would take an unusually long 40 minutes. I'm flexible and did the 40 minutes, and it was good.

I also have a set of cards suggesting meditations. Many of the cards suggest what I call seed meditations and the one i drew this morning was such a card. It just contained the words, "relate to food."

After exercising i began meditation. Probably to avoid considering my relationship to food i came to focus on "to relate to." I have meditated enough so that i don't usually have to each time raise my consciousness about breathing, and I didn't this time. Because I have not been meditating regularly and because I had decided to return to sitting in a chair to meditate, I did give some attention to good posture and having a relaxed comfortable body as an aid to my active mind.

As I avoided the "food" portion of my seed meditation, I found my mind moving around "relate" as a relative or a relationship as compared to relate as in to tell a story. I found myself being asked, "
What's your story?" and soon, "How does your story relate to reality?"
One of these days I might benefit by becoming more aware of the story I have been telling myself about food.

Anyway, after a bit of exercise and a bit of meditation, I do feel pretty good.

Still, I am moved to actively consider meanings. My blue dictionary suggests that 'relate' has something to do with 'carry back.' What have I carried back from my experience with food? It goes on to say that 'to relate' is to 'tell or to give and account of.' I wonder how mathematically correct it benefits one to be? 'Relate' also means to show or establish logical connection between. What is the logical connection in my mind between me and my food? Can I establish a more logical connection between me and food? This blue dictionary definitely suggests that I can show or establish my casual connections with food retroactively. Better late then never. Lastly, it reminds me that there may be a social or familial relationship. a dictionary sure has a lot to say.
My red dictionary reminds me that 'to relate' implies narration or story. It also reminds me that 'to relate' means to bring into logical and natural association. So, maybe I can use my food story to direct me to a more natural and logical relationship with food. How can I bring myself into a more logical and natural relationship with food? How can I better know the present state of my relationship with food? How might I begin my story?
'Relate to food' sounds like and imperative, 'You, relate to food!' or it could be the simple statement of fact, You relate to food.'
It doesn't seem unreasonable to consider how one relates to food, does it?

I am willing to better consider how I relate to food.

Around Camp Thunderbird

The mason has finished and been paid off. The Cement finisher has begun pouring today. I contacted one of the plasterers I talked to and ask for a proposal this morning. Plumber and phone men have come and gone. Don't have electrical or insulation people on hand yet. Have talked to a guy who will install two gates for $1200.

I'm very pleased to have this work well started. I'm a bit concerned because I'm dipping into my health and medical money. By the time I replace the Astro and pay for this work a big chunk of my reserves will have been spent. Replacing my refrigerator yesterday contributed to what feels like the beginning of 'massive' outlay.

The round-tails are participating in the construction work. They are digging more borrows around the place than they ever have.

Second load of cement just arrived. That should do it for today.

Perhaps tomorrow I will make an appointment for my first pedicure in the US. I feel the need for a bit of a reward. Why a reward? I've spent travel and doctor money on the exterior of this not really great place, but have perhaps saved some capital from being deflated. Also I'm so fat that I can't breathe when I bend-over to cut my nails, and then am unable to see them well when I do. Maybe its consolation I want.

Around Camp Thunderbird

It is often my knees that have me crippled up, but these days its my hip and thumbs. I guess this pain and stiffness comes from emptying one shed of lumber and other junk, then tearing it down, and going on to clean out the storage garage. Still I crawled out of bed with only mild curses and was out working by 7:30 this morning.
Hadn't been at it long when I heard someone helloing. It was a tall guy of about 50 with a big mustache. He was tracking an old horse through my property. It wasn't his. Seems that last night It had gotten into his young horses feed. His horse had hurt itself defending his feed.

I thought I heard a horse whinny last night, but just rolled over. At one time I might have been out with a gun, but these days neighbors turn their dogs on to the property and others drive around the property like it was a play ground for four wheelers. If I started shooting I'd be in jail before I even began to thin the trespassers out. And then I probably wouldn't have gotten to the really responsible parties.

I am gradually putting up some more fences. The don't slow down the dogs, but the do seem to give horses and drivers second thoughts.

In my wood shed I found two by fours and four by fours so damaged by dogs teeth as to be unusable. Other smaller stuff was shredded and made tooth picks. A dog that will shred a four by four to get at a rabbit, really wants that rabbit.

Camp Thunderbird

Eight thunderbirds in the nearby tree have just closed their wings after warming themselves in the early morning sun.