Piano Moving

Last night, after watching Iris get congratulated at school for being an honor student, I helped my friends Adam and Jenny move a piano.

We didn't have to move it very far -- from a house not too far from mine, just a mile or two to Adam and Jenny's groovy bungalow up the hill. We had help from a friend of theirs (Andrew? Adam? Petruchio? Bernard? I can't remember), and it went pretty smoothly. At one point I got a quick pinch on the end of my finger, but I didn't think anything of it.

Later it got all bruiseful and began hurtilating a little bit. It looks worse than it feels, which is why I took a photo of it:

From Around the Yard

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

Last Saturday Greg "Salsa" Boyce and I went out to the Tualatin River wildlife refuge, out by the U-Pull It auto wrecking place on 99W.

It turned out to be a sunny, warm morning by the time we were out of there. The place was nicer than I expected it to be. There's a walk that loops around it that goes through open fields and forest, with one viewing area overlooking the river. We didn't see a whole lot of bird life, but got good looks at Common Yellowthroats, Savannah Sparrows, Killdeer, Red-Winged Blackbirds and a rough-skinned newt, which sat still for a photo session.

There's no real easy -- traffic-free -- way to get out there from our house, unfortunately. But I will go again.

Here's Greg at the fancy-schmancy HQ building:


Welcome to Oregon! Hybrid vehicle drivers get to park closer -- you'd think they'd be willing to walk more, not less:


The Tualatin River:


Most of the place is open like this. There are some great trees there:


Here's newt: