Norcal Gma 2

Retired rural grandma, caretaker, and dog mom to a sweet lab named Summer. Collector of Matt Beard original art.
Love to bake and gift to friends and family.
Living a quiet life on the north coast of California.

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npub1dvgr0x8wwa3wzw5htcmgdt6xdgs363wa0ryaxmklxk5eauaf4t8qyjwcmf

NIP-05 Address

NorcalGma2_at_sfba.social@mostr.pub

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Last Notes

2024-08-18 22:53:49

I wanted to send my sister some pictures of my gorgeous red begonia that is covered with perfect ruffled blossoms.
Summer was so determined to help me that she parked herself right between me and the flowers every time I got down on the ground. Happy dog kisses and tailwagging put an end to the photo opportunity. Rolling around on the grass with a happy dog happened.
I can get flower pictures later.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/985/463/484/141/319/original/def2fb501014060c.jpg

2024-07-31 15:21:14

Summer says good morning to her Mastodon friends.
She hopes the roofers don't come to your house next.
#Summer
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/881/775/645/023/722/original/6f5f0c6b3809b4f0.jpg

2024-07-31 01:57:55

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@npub1eav…g6f3
Mostly mad scrambling with some impressive dives on the ball to see who can land on it first.

2024-06-30 20:16:44

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@npub17hj…7a0r
That is exactly where we were. Close to Redcrest.

2024-06-30 20:00:48

#SilentSunday
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/707/344/287/125/107/original/3febae32bdeb0789.jpg

2024-06-09 00:00:03

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@npub1fpr…lyph
They have to put a food stimulant on her ear to coax her to eat. She really is precious.
Twenty years is a long life for a kitty. I am sorry for your loss.

2024-04-19 06:36:49

The sunset lasted a really long time and the sky looked like a painting.
Very little wind and comfortably warm, Summer and I stayed outside until dinner was ready and then came back out until it was almost dark.
We found comfort sharing the beauty together.
#Sunset
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/296/484/116/459/719/original/07538675dc1c2b75.jpg

2024-04-13 01:29:59

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A few more photos from our walk.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/261/312/596/684/986/original/f1b6ae36b986294e.jpg
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/261/312/709/508/336/original/c9b8bf3f47838896.jpg
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/261/312/844/216/681/original/3ade5b44323c81e8.jpg

2024-04-06 22:46:16

My grandson reminded me it is #Caturday today.
Summer thinks it's pretty special that cats have their own day.
Jasper, who is beautiful, could care less about these trivial happenings.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/226/695/808/330/554/original/5d5fc6a36d2af04d.jpg

2024-03-09 02:56:20

On hard days, it is even more important to head outside with Summer at sunset.
It is our time to remember that there is so much more good than not and to reflect on the positives.
We talked about what made us happy today.
I said I would start.
I am happy that I saved some of the mac and cheese, so our dinner is in the oven almost done.
I am happy that I got a covid booster from a medical worker who was enthusiastic about keeping us healthy.
I am happy that our middle grandson came by to check on us and pick up their dinner.
I am happy that even though my husband's face looks painful, it isn't.
I am just happy.
Summer says me, too.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/112/063/467/958/466/477/original/c729dde2d71bfa18.jpg

2024-02-18 05:24:48

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@npub1eav…g6f3
She always has an opinion. She likes variety.
If we try to feed her the same thing too often, she will quit eating.

2024-02-18 01:31:40

So far, we haven't floated away, but we have a good start on a moat. The rain has been steady and abundant, so we are limiting our outdoor activities. Summer is doing her best at keeping everyone entertained.
When she said she was in the mood for a crossrib roast, I said, sure. So, while I was getting it into the oven, she snuggled up to her pal to keep him warm and make him feel loved.
We are so relaxed today.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/949/892/009/609/654/original/222091619cf6032c.jpg

2024-01-26 23:24:24

Watching anything grow from a seed makes us happy.
My husband watches the progress of every tuber and bulb on our property. So I decided to start an avacado seed he could watch in the house in the windowsill. I hadn't sprouted one since my kids were little.
Pretty exciting development that now we have leaves! Eventually, he can pamper it as our newest house plant.
I told him we could get out our cold frame and start some annuals in April.
We all need something to look forward to.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/824/821/575/134/031/original/f5897825f7b36769.jpg

2024-01-11 18:58:50

I've heard that being part of a community is good for us old folks.
I know it is good for us.
My husband loves that I share photos of our favorite dog and asks me what I say about the photos because he is fascinated with the idea that alt text enhances the image.
It is exciting to see other places through the eyes and lenses of our Mastodon friends and their pets. Our timeline makes our small world not so small, and that is a beautiful thing.
Our lone rose is opening up very slowly because of the cold. Five days ago, it was just a bud.
#BloomScrolling
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/738/843/421/156/275/original/0bdfbdd5f3db2367.jpg

2023-12-31 00:34:25

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@npub1eav…g6f3
Humboldt was a travel destination for hippies in the 60s and 70s. There was plenty of pot and very little supervision. The pastor that ran this commune ended up with an international following.
Many people considered it a cult then and now.
I'm not much of a follower in general, so the lifestyle wasn't appealing to me. My sister still remembers it fondly.

2023-12-31 00:04:10

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@npub1eav…g6f3
They were everywhere in the 70's. This one was good-sized, and my sister was all in. She ended up as a missionary in the Arctic later.
I was on the outside looking in and liked the music mostly.
I remember singing at one wedding with a couple that were my sisters friends. They had amazing voices. It turned out they were from New York and were cast members of Hair on Broadway.
There were people from everywhere and all walks of life.
Was an interesting time.

2023-12-30 23:37:15

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@npub1eav…g6f3
There was a lighthouse and a giant wood cross. It was the perfect spot.

2023-12-30 22:09:50

On the way home, I stopped at the top of the hill to see the big waves coming in. The ocean is pretty wild.
This stop used to be a Christian hippy commune back in the day. Now, it is a small park with no buildings, a few trails, and random flowers where the gardens were.
My sister and I sang at a few weddings here when I was a young teen.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/671/638/113/927/077/original/a0e21033d192637b.jpg
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2023-12-18 18:44:05

So proud of my husband today.
The VA is making him go for another zillionth appointment so they can decide he isn't really disabled again.
They wouldn't talk to me, so he had to call to make the appointment.
I heard him standing his ground that whoever he sees has to wear a mask. He said he won't be exposed to Covid for this, so they have to accommodate him, or he won't go. He was firm, and after he said he is immune compromised and Covid could kill him, they finally agreed.
Masks should be common sense when meeting with someone with non hodgkins lymphoma.
He did good.

2023-11-26 19:24:36

Today is my day to dig up dahlias.
Summer loves, loves to garden, and is an expert excavator.
She also loves to retrieve the boxes the dahlias will rest in for now.
I'm not sure why she gets to ride in the wagon when she has more get up and go than I do, but no reason why not either.
Couldn't ask for a better garden helper or her more formal title as Director of Garden Operations.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/478/460/569/689/879/original/d1a7fae74ac8c5c0.jpg
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2023-10-04 18:13:29

My husband's first cancer diagnosis was in 2006. There have been several recurrences and a couple of new cancers since.
It never occurred to us that these health issues might be related to his deployment to Vietnam until I heard a plea for volunteers for our local veterans Stand Down and went to spend a weekend hearing what other veterans were going through. I learned a lot about agent orange and burn pits.
I also became an enthusiastic volunteer and was president of their board for three years.
If you have a Stand Down in your area, they are worth supporting. If you are a veteran, attending is something to consider. I have to say my husband was supportive but never attended himself. I quit the board after getting them on their feet financially.
This weekend is our local Stand Down, and although I am not involved, I wish them much success.
This was me promoting the 2015 event, which was my last.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/178/076/983/486/688/original/097245b6f442099f.jpg

2023-09-19 02:34:18

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@npub1c5c…644a
I love backpacking along with you through your photos.

2023-09-15 14:33:50

Early morning, I tried to get my husband out the door to his MRI. Our closest hospital wasn't an option, so he has a little bit of a drive. He moves at his own pace even when I nudge.
Summer says, "I don't understand why I have to stay home?".
Making him cinnamon bread French toast when he gets home.
Good morning, Mastodon.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/069/649/573/746/801/original/440d14254d6fdca9.jpg

2023-09-14 03:05:34

The rest of the story.
This afternoon, I was trying to keep an eye on Summer, who was chasing a gopher and be present for my grandson who was fixing my laptop and backing up my phone.
It sorta registered when my husband put on working clothes that something was up.
Our next-door neighbors were working on replacing a fence that doesn't border our property. My husband was watching when the neighbor laid down in the field.
So away he went to help.
He was able to get the fence at least closed up for now. I was concerned, but he said he had to help. It seems the heat got the best of the same neighbor that complained about the garbage bag on our house.
I am happy that we aren't in the emergency room and that my husband is ok.
He is a good neighbor.
Glad this day is done, whew.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/061/264/704/018/899/original/f6b5ab86a173b5c4.jpg

2023-09-07 23:54:23

Every so often, Matt Beard comes up with a painting that is a total surprise.
Named On Geological Time, this desert scene is gorgeous.
I love it but don't own it.
Sadly.
#MattBeard
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/111/026/552/041/894/047/original/ab2ef8595b642199.jpg

2023-09-01 03:29:51

Waiting for dinner is a little easier with your support bear close by.
Dinner happens to be her favorite tonight.
I found organic chicken livers at the health food store. Maybe the one thing she never turns down.
Patience is her virtue.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/987/765/722/909/367/original/a81da9de536c4bde.jpg

2023-08-31 02:56:40

Before his heath forced him to retire my husband was an aerial firefighter. He flew an S-2 single pilot tanker for years.
We talk about the current fires, some of which are burning over the same area for the third time that we remember.
Please stay safe and evacuate if you are advised and keep a defenceable space around your house.
This evening's sunset is pretty smoky. The air quality at our house was poor today.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/981/966/503/414/626/original/ecbf8197a027a4eb.jpg

2023-08-31 01:49:46

Amateur hour is over for another day. We were able to get wood delivered via an old school friend of my husband's. He made sure the siding was already primed and brought it first thing this morning.
I told the backup crew to stay home because the smoke was so bad.
Still, serious progress was made.
A ways to go, but the garbage bag has been retired.
The three of us are quite the team.
The before, after before, and now photos.
We might need a new Sawzall.
Only a few splinters.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/981/696/656/034/110/original/6017a2e4a4c238da.jpg
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2023-08-30 21:32:10

This is Summer right before she pounced.
We came in the house to cool down and enjoy some filtered air.
I decided to sit on the floor to get a photo because I think she is beautiful.
I only got one chance because she immediately dives in for the face licking opportunity. She won't lick our faces unless we are on ground level.
She is consistent and so happy when opportunity knocks.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/980/695/872/692/748/original/442f40d7b5105a9d.jpg

2023-08-27 17:06:25

Summer and I are negotiating today's work schedule.
She wants to know how I feel about unions.
I told her that if it wasn't for union retirement, we probably couldn't afford a dog.
I told her if you want to organize go for it.
She is thinking Pets Working For Treats or PWFT.
Banking treat credits for later when she doesn't want to work so hard seems like a good idea.
She is a pretty relaxed negotiator.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/962/662/453/972/330/original/de97d8c07941d422.jpg

2023-08-27 16:32:53

Summer's first order of business every morning is entertaining her pal. This positive start to the day benefits all of us. She is happy when he is happy, and that makes me happy.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#DogsOfMastodon
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/962/510/650/097/758/original/1aa86b983c235c32.jpg
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2023-08-26 20:07:46

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@npub1503…uxwg
I was young, and people in general were more likable than I find them to be now.
I have lived here all of my life but traveled quite a bit for work.
I liked San Francisco, the best of all the cities that had garment markets.

2023-08-26 19:48:35

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@npub1503…uxwg
When I was a department store buyer, I worked in SF a few days every month.
I had a terrible sense of direction and was always trying to save money by walking. It was an education for a small town girl. I spent one Halloween wandering around trick or treating with a group of people I had just met who were all in safari gear with t-shirts that said Querassic Park. They gave me a t-shirt to bring home, which one of my kids immediately claimed as theirs.
SF was fun in the 80s.
Somehow, I always made it home in one piece.

2023-08-26 18:58:33

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@npub1503…uxwg
I got lost on foot in the Tenderloin in the 1980s. That's not the scene I remember...
Magnificent photo!

2023-08-22 15:24:58

I think our air quality is improving a little. The weather forecast says widespread haze. The sky looks more hopeful than that with broken clouds in the east. I can even see a little bit of blue sky over the ocean.
I'm still playing catch up today after a no chores weekend.
I hope today and the folks in your world treat you with kindness.
Summer says good morning, Mastodon.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/933/945/633/100/299/original/99eb75dcaa4acd1d.jpg
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/933/945/793/446/765/original/317763ca7c6dac1d.jpg

2023-08-21 20:13:27

Today is the first day of in person classes for my college going grandkids.
They requested a batch of my homemade potato salad for last weekend when they were celebrating the end of summer.
It didn't get done until this morning. Can be an after-school snack.
This recipe comes from my childhood, and the grandkids love, love it.
There is lots so they can eat to their hearts delight.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/929/421/587/668/658/original/886898244b7dd75b.jpg

2023-08-17 22:17:47

I took Summer outside to run, but it was too warm and humid. We retreated back to some cool water and breeze. This weather has made her less active during the day and pretty perky after the sun sets.
These clouds to our southwest are beautiful but probably not helping the humidity.
#Clouds
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2023-08-16 16:53:17

I really was on my way to get some yard work done before it's too warm.
Now Summer is resting on my foot, so I guess I'd better stay here and finish my coffee.
Going with the flow just this once.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/900/329/664/837/911/original/d45b93a85953da95.jpg

2023-08-15 19:32:54

Clearly, there are more Matt Beard paintings that I want than what I have. I try to avoid being greedy, but some of them bring out my worst greedyness tendencies.
I really, really wanted a cactus piece, but alas, they are usually painted far from Humboldt, and someone else gets to them first.
This one is named Thermal Windows, and it would have fit right into my collection, but it didn't.
Enjoy!
#MattBeard
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/895/280/281/787/749/original/16a79442afda9705.jpg

2023-08-15 05:10:10

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@npub1zt3…0v09
You are lucky.
The last time I stepped on an underground yellow jacket nest, I was pretty miserable. They stung me more than 20 times. I always worried about my grandkids because the in ground nests are so common here in the fall.

2023-08-14 04:09:54

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This was a month after we got home. He was contemplating a walk, but it is only now a year later that he can walk that trail.
Summer has made so much of a difference in his life as she loves him to pieces and stays with him almost all of the time. She is a caretaker extraordinaire.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/885/971/491/500/061/original/7ef83c0213726aa0.jpg

2023-08-14 03:05:46

We got our power bill today.
It clearly showed that our usage was far over the same period last year.
After beating ourselves up for not conserving enough, I realized we were at Stanford for the whole month last year for my husband's cancer surgery.
Whew! Now I feel better about the bill.
The photo was our view from the room where the skilled and caring Stanford staff saved my husband's life.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/885/746/328/351/452/original/512c1622b4bcef06.jpg

2023-08-14 02:00:00

Now that it is cooler outside, we went out to play.
Summer wanted to pose for pictures before she took care of other business.
We both like the cool breeze.
She is humble, loveable, and beautiful.
#DogsOfMastodon
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/885/485/237/842/912/original/8c81845cfd53ec83.jpg
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2023-08-13 21:41:32

Summer is the best.
She offers cuddles with no expectations other than to be loved back.
We decided to keep cool in front of a screen door with a slight breeze off the ocean.
I have my paper book and she has me.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/884/471/628/027/443/original/b17493d1e9835e93.jpg

2023-08-13 20:38:58

I can tell when I'm about to say something controversial. As much as I try to share the upside of our daily lives.
The good, the bad, and the ugly are unfolding all around us. I feel the stresses of climate change and sometimes lament that we rely on a well for our water.
I save every bit of water I can and use it to water our small garden and try to keep plants that have been here for a generation alive.
That being said, it is painful to watch two of our neighbors water their lawn and the fairly new cannabis farm up the hill add their eighteenth green house and another well. Within a half mile of both of these activities are neighbors whose wells have dried up.
I am all for people living their own lives, but our fresh water isn't an endless resource.
There are no good solutions beyond everyone conserving and working toward the recovery of our water table.
My humble opinion.

2023-08-12 18:57:49

Over the years I have introduced friends and family to Matt.
My niece was passing through on her way to somewhere, and the one thing she wanted from me was to meet Matt Beard and visit his studio.
I was able to arrange a private show of some new work and the introduction she wanted.
Coincidentally, the new work was plein air paintings from an Oregon trip.
As an Oregon resident and avid hiker, she had recently been to this beach and had a photo of the same scene on her phone.
Named Mine... Or Maybe Yours this original painting now lives at her house and is a prized possession.
I was happy to be of assistance.
#MattBeard
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/878/166/480/004/612/original/4d481971342308d6.jpg

2023-08-12 16:17:35

The muffins needed to cook for fifteen minutes, so Summer and I decided to use our interlude wisely.
Break out the Frisbee time.
I wish I knew how many miles she runs every day on our little front acre.
#DogsOfMastodon
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2023-08-12 15:55:16

My husband beat me downstairs this morning.
By the time I got down here, Summer was excited to work off some morning energy.
My husband says, "You know if you baked me something with sugar, it could give me a little boost to keep up with her."
Hmmm
It all sounded a little bit dubious to me, but I caved and made him his favorite plain vanilla muffins so he could bury them in homemade raspberry jam.
He might seem a little perkier.
He is smiling anyway.
Good morning, Mastodon.
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2023-08-10 15:26:59

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@npub1867…mfsf
Today will be a beautiful day.
I am about 30 miles south of you very close to the coast.
I love where I live.
If you venture into Eureka, be careful.
Ferndale isn't welcoming to everyone, sadly, so I don't recommend it anymore.

2023-08-10 14:44:14

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@npub1867…mfsf
Yep.
They can destroy a garden in no time.
The elk don't range as far as my house, but we have lots of deer.
Many years ago, I was charged by a bull elk that came crashing through the trees at Prairie Creek State Park. One of the people in my group started yelling and waving arms, and the elk hesitated and then turned away. It was an experience for sure.
I hope you enjoy our area it is beautiful here.
Sue Meg State Park is worth a visit.

2023-08-10 07:18:21

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@npub1867…mfsf
Practically my neighborhood.
The elk are spectacular but can get cranky.

2023-08-08 22:01:00

I was hesitant about meeting with my old friend, but we got together outside at the Botanical Gardens to catch up after a quiet couple of years.
I don't really have words for how I feel. I was glad that I stuck to my covid safety ground rules and was able to be physically present and listen to what she needed me to hear.
We are the same age in years but a lifetime apart in how our bodies are holding up to the pressures we put on them.
A vanilla milkshake was just what I needed when I got home.
The garden was beautiful.
https://files.sfba.social/media_attachments/files/110/856/234/473/739/559/original/3a4850abaf18b6ba.jpg
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2023-07-31 14:25:54

Summer says it's never too early for the first nap on a Monday.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#DogsOfMastodon
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2023-07-30 19:22:21

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@npub1qyg…uf04
It has been fun to be back so far.

2023-07-30 16:22:48

Summer needs to run and run and run every day. She has a need for speed.
Not run by herself, of course.
Running is only fun if you are chasing or retrieving.
Today, we found a piece of driftwood brought home from our last trip to the river.
So, our Sunday morning, like most mornings, starts with a happy dog.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#DogsOfMastodon
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2023-07-28 03:56:26

Lots of color in my California northcoast sunset.
Today has been a good day.
Retiring early to care for my husband seemed like a negative consequence at first, but now I am thankful. We both worked so much that we didn't have much time to smell the roses or have an afternoon cup of tea together for years. Here we are in the bonus round.
We are old but have an enhanced appreciation for life and each other.
Sweet dreams.
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