Arthur and I went fishing, so here is a tree from my archives. Pay no attention to the man, the tree is what matters, for now. Picture taken not far from the DMZ, South Korea, 2007.
[daily log: walking, 3km; catching, 5salmon]
Month: July 2019
Caveat: Morefish
We went fishing.
I took a painterly photo of a passing, old, wooden fishing boat.
Arthur butchers the salmon.
Caveat: Poem #1095 “Boycott”
Caveat: Tree #209
We went out and caught three salmon today.
The picture below is where we caught them – off the east side of San Ignacio, after trying several other spots.
I think this could pass for a “daily tree” picture although I’d be hard pressed to single out one of the trees for salience… perhaps the one on the right? I think actually the clouds are more interesting than the trees in this picture.
[daily log: walking, 2.5km; catching, 3salmon]
Caveat: Poem #1094 “Lo, a goat”
Caveat: Tree #208
Caveat: Paved with good intentions
I had a fairly productive day today. Firstly, I replaced the pipe that connects the well-head with the “doghouse” (where the pump controller and accumulator tank are), per Richard’s advice. I had some trouble with one of the couplings (brass to PVC), but I finally got it to not leak.
Secondly, I began laying out a “first draft” of the paving stones for the passageway/patio alongside the south side of the kitchen shed. This was a project Arthur had been working on before his accident last year, and I’ve been aware that it’s been bothering him that it wasn’t progressing, so I re-initiated it. Here is the concept, beginning to take shape:
Caveat: Poem #1093 “Hopeless”
Caveat: Tree #207
The stream that runs down the hillside, and that roughly divides lots 73 and 74, was muddied by Richard’s dogged pursuit of rocks. The trees were witnesses.
[daily log: walking, 2km; tromping, 500m]
Caveat: Planning
One thing that I have been doing is trying to learn how to use a CAD program called FreeCAD. Although it may be a long time before a house is built on Lot 73, we are putting all the preliminaries in place (water, septic system, power pole, etc.) and especially laying out the pad where the house would go. And to do this effectively, some kind of tentative house concept needs to exist. So I have taken some ideas I had and drawn them up in the CAD program, and discussed them with Arthur.
Below is a one bedroom “cabin” over a two-car garage. Since the driveway goes down to the house pad on Lot 73 – unlike Arthur’s original Lot 74 house – we both have thought to take advantage of this by having an in-house garage. The view is from the northwest, so you would be looking UP the driveway, behind the house. The hill is fairly steep, so the road grade level would be even with the peak of the roof. The garage entrance faces west, and you’d have to kind of circle out to get up the driveway.
Caveat: Poem #1092 “The sea”
Caveat: Tree #206
Arthur and I went out seeking fish today. It was disappointing. But I’m still somewhat befuddled by what seems to me Arthur’s tendency to give up too fast when the fish don’t bite. I had always understood fishing to be a waiting game. Well, such as it is. He’s not really open to any input from me, so I just drive the boat around as he instructs.
Here is a tree from my archives: a tree on the beach at Duluth, Minnesota, 2009 – I was living in Korea by 2009, but I was on a visit back to the US.
[daily log: walking, 2.5km]
Caveat: Poem #1091 “Misunderstandings”
When Arthur is talking to others, he likes to joke about my books, complains there are too many, cluttering his attic. The message I get from these warm words: "you are not welcome here."
Caveat: Tree #205
The Blueberry (the Chevy Tahoe vehicle) went to the shop. Because of this, I rode with Richard out of town in the morning after dropping off the car, and back with him in the afternoon to pick it up again – which works out because Richard lives in town but is currently working at our place here.
Richard stopped by Tyler – a local hardware selling and equipment rental conglomerate. He was shopping for a piece of metal for his landing craft project (which I blogged some about last fall).
I took this picture of a tree with forklift in the foreground. Incidentally, the shed on the hillside in the background is part of the Elementary School campus.
[daily log: walking, 3km]
Caveat: Poem #1090 “As geese will do”
Caveat: Tree #204
Caveat: Nonspecification
Arthur and I were walking around town – because we’d left the Blueberry (the car) at the mechanic’s for diagnosis of a problem.
He was grumbling incoherently, as sometimes happens.
Jared: “How are you doing?”
Arthur: “Everything is fucked.”
Jared: “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”
Arthur: “I don’t feel the need to be more specific.”
He’s been struggling with his vertigo problem, of course. And a general frustration with his ageing. But the way he phrased his response made me laugh.
In other news, Richard got the new septic tank for Lot 73 stuck down in its pit, finally, and mostly buried. Progress is being made, one rock at a time, and by the bucketfulls.
Caveat: Poem #1089 “Redirection”
Completely remove pain from discourse. Don't lean on it as an excuse It hijacks our monologues. Don't pay it attention. Unavoidable. Don't dwell on it. Look instead at the trees.
Caveat: Tree #203
Caveat: Poem #1088 “Geologic impact”
Caveat: Tree #202
I spent part of the day working with Arthur, who became obsessed with working on this path reengineering project for the pathway that runs directly alongside the south side of the house and kitchen-shed. He wants to put a “gutter” along the ground level against the edge of the concrete pad, and then put down paving stones instead of gravel. The fact of his obsession was really my fault – I’d planted the idea in his mind because I wanted to take on a project for myself that felt relevant to him, meaning something he’d expressed a desire to see done, as opposed to one of my own whims. My idea with planting it in his mind was that I’d work on it for him, but once he decided to work on it, he couldn’t let it go. So I was in the assistant role.
Here is a tree from my archive-o’-trees – a picture taken in November, 2014. I know exactly where this is: it’s along my daily walking commute to work in Ilsan, Korea. I can even say with certainty that I’m going toward work, because of the decorative art on those small retaining walls. I made this 3-kilometer walk, each direction, six days a week for 5 years, 2013-2018, and had made the same walk from an earlier, similarly-located apartment in 2007-2009 also. I know the path better than any other path on planet earth.
[daily log: walking, 1km]
Caveat: Poem #1087 “Almost done”
Caveat: Tree #201
Here is a tree about to surrender to Richard’s rock-seeking.
Richard has been digging south of the road to get fill for the house-site on Lot 73.
[daily log: walking, 2km]
Caveat: Wayneless
Wayne departed back for his home on Vancouver Island, today, leaving Arthur without an enthusiastic fishing companion. I have a hard time being enthusiastic about fishing. I am happy to go with Arthur out in the boat – and I even enjoy the time out on the water when I’m not feeling criticized, but I don’t have the passion for fishing that Arthur or Wayne do.
Here is Wayne, about to board the plane.
Here is Arthur, Wayneless, forlorn.