Having a dolly

 

I assume that's a dolly on the little girl's lap...there are two distinct feet hanging out to the right. This was Sepia Saturday's prompt this week. Some weeks I manage to find something of a similar theme.

Another little girl is seated with her own dolly. Mum is carting a lot of dried dung, which is the source of heat and cooking when there are no trees around. 

That was what stood out to me while travelling across the small part of the huge southwest of the US a few weeks ago. How did early families (indigenous or immigrants) manage to cook? Heat would have also been of help, but daily there would have been the need for food that was edible. We humans can't exist on grass...or sage, or cactus stuffs.

A message to all the immigrants in the US

Family with their covered wagon. Kansas, 1908 USA History site - since mum is holding a child (who looks quite big) is that another one, or a dolly, with the girl on the crate? My vote is a child, since big  lifesize dollies probably didn't exist at that time and place.

Nebraska Prairie Settlement era of 1886 to early 1900s  Solomon D. Butcher. Here the house is made of some kind of  bricks, with a bit of wood showing for doors...as well as a couple of chairs, maybe the windmill, and perhaps the sheds in the background. The bricks don't seem to be in too great a shape where there's a board across the top of the wall...perhaps they never were fired and were disintegrating. Again it comes down to fuel sources.

A bountiful Christmas with three dollies. It could have been my house in the 40s or 50s, except the popcorn string was not put on the tree in a perfect enough manner. How many children do you think these toys were for?

Tomorrow is my 84th birth anniversary. Mmm, wonder what a 85th year will bring my way. The last year sure has been a humdinger! Great word. I've gladly settled into a new apartment, and started exploring the new neighborhood. 

My cooling has been covered by the co-op electric company, (waiting for first bill!) and the gas heat and hot water are provided by the management of the apartment building. So far I've had nice hot showers whenever I wanted, until I wrote that, and had warm water for two straight days!

Dolls still exist in my life. Not baby-dolls though. Little stuffies, which I've kept around, and shared before. 

The Rogers Neighborhood here

With my being Ms Rogers, I am claiming the area I live in as my neighborhood.

Potted flowers at the entrance to the apartment building.

I sat outside with neighbors talking before the noon sun hit the west side of the building the other day. Then everyone scoots indoors.

Sitting here by the entrance. 

I was issued a key fob to let me through the locked door, and during the day, the landlady can let in deliveries in who buzz her office. I also got a key fob for my son and his wife to use, otherwise I'd have to go down to the lobby to let them in.

And looking the other way I see the studio apartment building across the parking lot. The cute little covered sitting area at the end of the cars is the smoking area. I asked a neighbor if they are allowed to smoke pot, but she thought not. I've not lived in a state where it's legal before, so don't know the rules.

And Wednesday I found out my next-door neighbor's apartment is being emptied out by the management...she must have died fairly recently because my son said someone was knocking loudly on her door when we were moving all my stuff in just 3 weeks ago last Monday, (July 27th). (Come to think of it, it could have been Meals on Wheels, because they often will require a response.)

I would imagine if she had had any relatives they would have been clearing out the apartment. But the manager and maintenance man were carting boxes and lots of grocery carts full of her stuff downstairs, putting a lot of things like shoes, audio tapes, kitchen wares on the "free table" in the lobby. The residents were like vultures actually...very friendly but a bit unpleasant to be around.

So I soon won't be the newest tenant. 

Of course I am sorry I never to meet my former next-door-neighbor. It is sad to think how many people in senior living places like this might die. (How did I get into this apartment anyway?) It brings home to me the situation of a blogger who I didn't even know, who is suddenly in Hospice care...and so many bloggers are writing comments to Joanne and her daughter. I am touched by all the outpouring of care from many of the bloggers I know.

Which reminds me that one of the neighbors mentioned that Monday someone's things were all put out by the curb as they had been evicted. Glad I missed that episode of "grab what you want."

Recycling belongings makes sense though.

 I'll pass. I thought of asking the manager if there was a dresser that might be purchased, but decided I'd go through thrift stores to obtain one, and actually am leaning toward getting something new. I'm delighting in not having too much that is left from the "people before me." The apartment itself has a sense that someone cared for some areas more than others. I could show you the awful corroded kitchen sink, where someone used some powerful acid that left the stainless steel completely stained.

The maintenance man said he'd tried everything to scrub it clean. I just purchased a dish pan...not going to put my dishes on that surface! Of course I've tried everything I have except steel wool by now.

There are scrubby bushes by the parking lot, and a few trees around as well. Hogback Ridge and Heron's Peak are huge grey hunks of rock to look at. I imagine they'll be dramatic in snow.

Can I add that meaningful connections seem to happen here on blogs. Thanks folks!

Sharing with Floral Friday Fotos and Skywatch Friday

My life on the fourth floor

 Fourth floor lobby between elevators and two directions of halls.

The last door in this direction is a trash chute, for small items.

My door is the other direction, the second to last on this hallway. It's surprisingly quiet, and I've only met a few of the other tenants who live on this floor.

It was fun for Bing to post this photo as a screen saver the other day!

The view from my desk. I'm kind of struck each morning as the sun blasts its reflection into the windows, which can be blinding compared to the best efforts of my monitor. This was taken a few minutes after the one at dawn on Aug. 15, which I used as a header. I'll share it here too because when I change headers, it's lost from blog archives. Soon I close the vertical blinds with just a crack for fresh air to come in. The Storytime shot says "I've never met the devil (yet) but I imagine it's a pretty scary experience. but then again I guess that's the point."

Dawn at 7:01 Aug 15 with sun hitting the tip of the smokestack of the Powerhouse...apparently a science museum now. This is my header for this week.

Saw smokestack dawn again on Aug 17 at 7:03 am.

The 8 am train (came by around 8:25 Saturday) and I didn't bother to close the windows. I noticed when the engineer toots the whistle, it emits white smoke, but there are definitely puffs of black coming out that engine. If I start noticing anything sooty in the apartment, I'll probably change my attitude.

Pardon the screens giving the flickering images...but I'm just so thrilled still to actually wake up to see these views each day.

Yes, I'm very happy here.

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Tuesday night I woke up at 2:30 am and opened the windows...it was definitely cooler outside than in.  And for the first time I stood at the window and saw the stars. I had to block the city lights below me, and there they were. Very nice indeed.

Not my photo!

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No, I haven't made friends yet. It's coming.

I'm feeling much better health-wise too! The heat has had a break...and I hope it doesn't come back, but it is still August.

My gratitude goes as high as these boundless skies! Thankful Thursday!

Shhh! Library wordless Wednesday

 

Afternoon showers, we finally had a bit of rain on Aug 11.

I featured the exterior of the Durango Public Library earlier in the month.

First floor has meeting rooms, and a lot of fiction...

And a great view of the Animas River

A huge children's room, as well as a separate room for story time.

and an elevator to the second floor where...

research and non-fiction are available, as well as these views...

 The bike path goes for miles along the Animas River, and here the narrow gauge railroad that goes to Silverton.

Many young people are riding electric bikes around town. The library can check out bike locks for those who visit there.

and yes, you can sit out on these balconies and enjoy reading or whatever!

Sharing with (almost) Wordless Wednesday

Some Third Avenue Homes

 

Looking north along 3rd Avenue in Durango, some lovely old homes. The one on the corner caught my attention because it went back into so many interesting features.

I like the windows, including what looks like aluminum foil treatment against the heat/light.

Even a half greenhouse, which probably isn't used this time of year!

I liked everything about this house, especially the "sanctuary" sign, which I couldn't actually read.

Lots of fun roof treatments on this home!

Not all the houses were huge.

The Christian Science church looks pretty imposing for a smallish building.

First Baptist Church. I'll capture more churches that are along this old drive soon.

At the top of 14th St. actually. What views they must have!

Sharing with Tuesday's Treasures.

More than just coping with it all

 

This is a tiny bar of soap...maybe 1-1/2 inches across!

Helen sent me some meds that she picked up for me in Black Mountain, because I'm in insurance limbo with switching to Colorado healthcare from NC. She included this tiny little soap bar...especially for us people named Rogers (no relation to Rev. Fred Rogers however.)

Incidentally it triggered my interest enough to re-watch the movie with Tom Hanks in it, about Mr. Rogers. It's not like a biography, but an interesting fictionalized account of his encounters with a troubled writer.

Most of these are vitamins, but a couple are for blood pressure and heart and breathing stuff.

My screen wallpaper from the Dripolator in Black Mountain, just gives me a hug of nostalgia to see my friends Helen and Teresa as they were placing their orders.

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and then there's this...

A ritual for dealing with the wildfires.

A pagan blessing for the day...

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This week's loaf of homebaked bread. I didn't have a recipe, which is good because this loaf is forgettable...supposed to be cheese loaf, but can't taste it at all. But I usually toast my bread and then put something else on top of it, so it will have that flavor even if the cheese disappeared. Since the size of the loaf is so unwieldy I usually cut it in half, then slice off each half for half slices at a time.