June 2015
6-5 Work began on the 2nd phase of my backyard. Justin, John and Jesse arrived with sledge hammers and saws and soon there was smooth dirt replacing the mine field of 42 cement/wood piers. In mid-afternoon
Sooney and Nick picked me up to go to Lithia Park for an event by the SOU Percussion Group. They played a work by John Luther Adams called ‘Inuksuit’. I was not familiar with this conposer, knowing only one named Adams, but found him on Google and he has a wide reputation as a percussionist and composer. Set up all around the duck pond were multiple stations with various percussion instruments and players. Terry Longshore, the marvelous teacher at SOU conducted and blew on a huge shofar periodically while the others played antiphonally for over an hour. Also a local cellist who plays regularly in the park for fun joined in, making his cello sound like a percussion instrument. It was one of those gorgeous afternoons with full sun and mild temperature and hordes of people of all ages wandering around. Pure bliss. We roamed around too, watching as they played from scores that consisted of wavy lines, not notes. Afterwards, since it was First Friday, we went to several galleries and then to Pizza Piata on Main St. for wine and a great plate of antipasto. Oh, wonderful Ashland.
6/19 The patio is done and even more satisfying than I thought it would be. John and Jesse finished and had the yard all cleaned up by mid-afternoon so when Phoebe arrived it was ready to show her. And we ate supper there. Here are some photos.
Phoebe: first guest
Next day was rich and full. Sooney had arranged for us to got to Eco-Nest, the
LaPorte’s campus at the upper end of Paradise Lane. Paula is a designer who
uses the latest materials and methods to build earth-friendly housing and has
written 4 books on the subject. Google ‘EcoNest’ for more info. We talked with
her for a while, toured the house, and were amazed at the earth floor in their
bedroom and a fireplace that heats the whole house. A Japanese woodworking
workshop was in session and the attendees had spent the first 3 days learning
how to sharpen their tools. We watched as they began to make cuts and slices
in long beams, all with hand tools. Next house down the lane was the Duncans,
and Claire is a painter and is doing acrylics of Great Egrets on wood. Royce is a
retired architect and they own the ravine next to the house they designed and
built, and have turned it into a sylvan park. The irrigation ditch runs down thru it and is a rushing creek in summer. It is private land but entirely open for public use. Next item was breakfast, and I was seriously interested in having a REAL one. Eric and I used to do so often, now all my breakfast outings are coffee/bagels. We ate at Breadboard on the patio overlooking the valley, weather perfect. It was all working out as planned. Home for lunch and a nap and then off to the newly opened Chuck Close show at the Schneider Museum. And WOW – 78 pieces from a private collector in Portland plus a full-length video. It is really special and will surely be seen by all visiting family this summer. Then to Jim and Vicki’s for a chat and a cooling drink and a tour of all their recent projects.
That was all great. But then we headed downtown to go to Agave for a Margarita and supper and stopped on Siskiyou for the light at the Safeway, and the clutch on the Fiat died at that moment. We were unable to move and put on the hazard signal and an orange triangle that Heath keeps in back. And help was forthcoming immediately from residents and other drivers. Jim materialized astonishingly, he was on his way downtown to buy Margarita mixings. And being Jim he managed to get into first gear and creep around the corner where we were far less vulnerable. Soon a tow truck appeared with a pixie for a driver and we were towed to an all-week garage at the north end of town, this being Saturday at 5PM. It is now Monday and Phoebe is still here and worked all day by phone and computer. The next steps are still unresolved. But I must say it is delightful to have her here for more than the short stay she planned. These one-on-ones are my favorite visits. She left Wednesday around 5PM after working more than 8 hr/day for 3 days by phone and computer. She knocked off for supper and one night we went up to Callahan’s at the Mt. Ashland turnoff and sketched while drinking wine and then ate dinner. They have a lovely patio, and quite new, as the whole place burned down about 8 years ago.
6/27 June is making a HOT ending with 3-digit temps predicted for at least a week. Time to estivate.