Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, "Tis Autumn"
Such a beautiful, silly song. I've got raking to do. I've got house improvement stuff to work on. I'm backed up on some writing stuff as well -- the Diners of Whatcom County shall be finished! A few places only serve Eggs Benny on weekends though, which is when I work at the animal shelter.
But it's beautiful out, in the cold, windy, Bellingham way.
And I'm rooting for the Phillies, but deep down it's pretty clear the Astros will win it.
"Partridge [lead singer and guitarist], who addressed a rapt conference via video link, is proud of the fanbase, though confesses that the celebration badly triggers his OCD: he stayed firmly upstairs at home that weekend, and has previously hinted that he is autistic. Has he ever sought a formal diagnosis? 'I think I’m on the spectrum, yes, but it’s all helped me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.'Partridge is rarely sighted in his hometown, keeping nocturnal hours and staying at home where he devours military history. His vast collection of toys – mostly soldiers, some he has made himself – cover almost every display surface. Partridge tried social media, but withdrew following allegations that he used antisemitic tropes in a discussion on Middle Eastern politics (something he won’t be drawn on today). He’s given up his chief hobby of arguing with strangers about politics on online forums, telling me he now spends his days 'waiting for my music mojo to return, in between researching UFO events'."
Would they still be one of my favorites bands if they'd gotten even a quarter of the recognition (and money) they truly deserved? Probably. The songs are so strong.
"Pet food costs have outpaced general inflation by 0.6%, and a single surprise veterinary bill can launch 42% of pet owners into debt, according to a recent Forbes study. As a result, shelters around the US are seeing an increase in owner surrenders and a steep decline in adoptions with no sign of improving.
'We’re packed right now. We’re putting animals in cages in the hallways,' explains Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications at New York’s Animal Care Centers (ACC), a no-kill shelter that has seen a 25% uptick in surrenders this year over last. 'It’s really sad, people crying, it’s a part of their family. But if you’re choosing between feeding your family and feeding your pet, your choices are limited.'”
It's impossible not to moralize here, but taking on a pet as a family member really is a life-time economic commitment.
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And The Mariners made the playoffs, damn.
Tune-Yards, "You Yes You"
Fall has definitely arrived in Whatcom County, although we're supposed to hit 75 today. Consider this a "life update preview" I guess. I can't really say more other than things are fine, as fine as they can be when dealing with age and dementia. Work is great. In addition to my morning walks I really want to get out and do some more heavy-duty hiking as the weather continues to cool down. As I wrap up the Various Diners of Whatcom County project (four more to go!) I'll also be putting together a longer post on where things stand with me and my Dad and our living arrangement, going over a year and a half now.
This is the reality Republicans want:
"An expectant Louisiana woman who was carrying a skull-less fetus that would die within a short time from birth ultimately traveled about 1,400 miles to New York City to terminate her pregnancy after her local hospital denied her an abortion amid uncertainty over the procedure’s legality.
Nancy Davis, 36, told the Guardian that she had her pregnancy terminated on 1 September after traveling from her home town of Baton Rouge to a clinic in Manhattan whose staff had agreed to complete the procedure."
If you didn't vote for Hillary in 2016, you very predictably voted for this timeline.
One thing we get a lot of at the animal shelter in summer is a caller telling us there's a dog locked in a hot car somewhere in the county. (And sometimes cats -- why?) Anyhow, if Google Weather is accurate yesterday was the last hot day of the year out here. The last day of actual summer, basically.
These are frustrating calls for a number of reasons (and I'm glad they're over for now):
1) Somebody might be being a butt-head, and knowingly leaving their dog in a hot car.
2) Somebody might be running into a store for five minutes, which might make them a butt-head but not necessarily.
3) You can't really hesitate on calls like these. They require an immediate response. (A barking complaint or a welfare check do not. We try to get to them ASAP of course.)
4) How to be delicate here? There's a certain type of caller -- a busy-body, an overzealous animal lover -- who actually goes out on a hot day specifically to call in these situations? And that's fine, but at the same time we'll get calls about dogs in cars with the engine on and the AC running, or parked in shade with all windows down. Of course, we err on the side of caution but some people wake up in the morning looking to cast aspersions on somebody in a Safeway parking lot. There, I said it.
5) It's possible we've got officers out in two or three corners of the county, and checking a dog in hot car situation is not going to happen in the next ten minutes. What I do is try and contact the nearest business and ask if they'll make an announcement, or send someone out to take a look. It's not perfect I realize, but neither is our funding as a non-profit. Anyhow, it's interesting to have a mental database now of "local businesses that care about a dog that might be suffering in a hot car" and "local businesses that do not give a single shit about a dog that might be suffering in a hot car."
6) In any event, no dogs died or suffered injuries this past summer due to being put in hot cars in this county. And no Animal Control Officer (ACO) had to actually break a window to save any of them. Usually by the time an ACO arrives the car is gone or pulling away. We do try and get license plate numbers for future possible offenses. And hopefully the fact that they zoomed out of a parking lot when they saw an Animal Control truck approaching, or got publicly shamed inside of a store, is enough of a lesson going forward.
7) The issue in a nutshell -- it is not illegal to keep pets in cars, given they have reasonable access to food and water. Of course, it is illegal to endanger their lives in hot (or cold) weather. But it's always a dynamic thing, requiring judgement calls on the part of the dispatcher (me!) and the ACO and hopefully concerned citizens who are genuinely worried about the animal's well-being. That's stressful!
8) We get calls from people who have locked themselves out of their cars. They assume (and for some reason the local Police Departments tells them) we have slim-jims, those long metal things you use to force open locked doors. We do not, never have, and never will. If you think a dog is going into heat-stroke (thick saliva or slobber, purple gums, vomiting) be prepared to grab a rock and bash. Laws vary by state of course, but my understanding is that if an animal is in genuine distress you have every right to save it, at least in Washington State. (Meaning, you won't be expected to pay for a new window.)
9) If it's going to be anywhere close to 70 degrees, please leave you doggos at home! Or do some research and find out which local business are cool with dogs coming in on leashes! There are plenty, and they deserve your business!
10) Hello, fall!
302 E Main St, Everson, WA
I found this place by accident. I knew Everson had at least one diner, but I'd driven past this building a few times before realizing what it actually was -- a restaurant that serves breakfast!
I guess you could call it minimal, but certainly not mediocre!
