The Forty-Five

Monday, July 20, 2026

Orange Interlude

Today's post is sponsored by A The Cat, who insists I have better things to do than write a post.

Regularly posting will resume tomorrow (or whenever I can fully get my keyboard back...).

Sunday, July 19, 2026

A Year Of Kindness (XXVII): Loaning Our Strength

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One of the interesting things in doing a series like this is the very different thoughts that present themselves, ways of looking at things like humility or kindness in different ways. Today's thought - Kindness as loaning someone our strength - is one of those items.

If I think about it initially, that seems counterintuitive to me. When I am kind, it is myself that is taking the action. It is not a loan as I would typically think about it, a temporary giving of something that I possess.

But if I think about it a little more, I realize my understanding is shallow.

Some of the times people have extended their kindness to me were times when I was truly in a spot of weakness - depressed, feeling lost, often reeling from the results of my own sin or thoughtlessness. In those moments, the kindness of others never once reminded me of my current condition or how I had gotten there. It gave me the strength to get through the moment.

Sometimes that loaning of strength through kindness was for a moment. Sometimes, as it turns out, it was for years. But in my case, the people that were kind, that lent me their strength, were never stingy about it.

We are all stronger than we think we are - and having that strength, we can afford to lend it to those in need of a little kindness to help them be strong in their own times of need.

I can show my strength. I can be kind.

Saturday, July 18, 2026

The Allotment, Mid-July 2026 Edition

The Allotment (as I am fondly calling it) is the 10' x 20' allocation I have in the local Community Garden. It is a 10 minute walk from my apartment; currently going, watering, and coming back takes about 35 minutes, 50 minutes if I take the long way back.

Half One. Sadly, this part is heavily shaded during at least part of the day.

Half Two. The wood chips are available and people make their own paths.

I have at least one tomato! (Actually, I have more.)

My beans have been very successful. The bamboo stakes are a fairly recent addition. I have to admit I quite like them as they inexpensive, easy to place, and I do not mind if one breaks (as opposed to a tomato cage). I ended up using kitchen twine to tie up the tomatoes as I could not find the other twine (which, of course, I found after I had used the kitchen twine. The hazards of moving.).

FOTB (Friend Of This Blog) Eaton Rapids Joe had suggested trying soybeans to improve the soil. The two pictures below represent an experiment of sorts: the first picture are the seeds planted in bare soil, the second buried beneath the mulch which covered the plot. I am not sure in the difference in return is solely due to the planting, as the second plot is also more shaded.

My one grain for the Summer was buckwheat. It has done incredibly well; the bright pink flowers are cheery.

Almost too faint to be seen below are five to seven onion seedlings. From seed. No-one is more shocked than I.

I got to this plot relatively late (for me) in the year, around April. That said, everything here is an experiment at the moment; if I get anything I will be tickled pink. But I already find myself saying things like "I need to start getting ready for Autumn" and "What grains will I be growing for Winter?"

I may not get much this year, but it is a lot of fun.

Friday, July 17, 2026

Travel In The Near Abroad: Mt. St. Helens

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"Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!"

- Last words of David Johnston, volunteer observer on 18 May 1980

If you are of a certain age and generation, you recognize the picture above without me having to say anything: Mt. St. Helens on 18 May, 1980.

The eruption of Mt. St. Helens was the end of a process starting that previous March when small earthquakes indicated the volcano might be going active again. On 18 May, an earthquake caused the north face of the mountain to weaken and slide, allowing the mountain to explode. It was the first volcanic explosion in the U.S. since 1915 (Lassen Peak).

57 people died, including David Johnston (above), a volunteer observer for the USGS. Lahars - volcanic mudslides - wreaked havoc on the local area, destroying Spirit Lake and reaching as far as the Columbia River 50 miles away. Damage estimates were at $1.1 billion (1980 value). The ash plume rose 80,000 feet into the air. Forests and fish were devastated. The explosion was 26 times as powerful as the Hiroshima atomic weapon.

(The Wikipedia article here has all the specifics.)

In 1982, Congress set aside 110,000 acres (445 square km) for the establishment of Mt. St. Helens Volcanic National Monument. The National Monument abuts private forestland as well, giving a view of recovery both natural and man-directed.

The park is approximately one hour North of Vancouver, WA. There are two roads into the park, highways 503 and 504. We took 504, the more Northerly route. There is a rather lovely visitors center on 504, which gives a history of the region.

The road drives through a recovering landscape.

A view of Mt. St. Helens and the beginning of the Toutle River. The river course is not fully established yet. What you see below as the river base is 40' higher than it was before the eruption.