Sequestered in Seattle, Day 3

Finishing off Friday, Nicole did some shopping, while I went for a walk after work in the rain and snow. I walked through the empty cemetery and then around the Queen Anne Boulevard loop, except for some deviations on the east side, especially to avoid the part of Bigelow Ave with no sidewalks. I saw a lovely manzanita in flower, and went past the almond tree by Queen Anne Elementary, which is only starting to bloom. I also made a point of stopping to see the Campbell's Magnolia on Highland (west of Kerry Park, near Parsons Gardens), which has large bright pink blossoms.

Back home, we contemplated ordering pizza for dinner, but the restaurant was too busy, so we threw together some leftovers. We continued our Marvel adventures with Captain America: The First Avenger.

Saturday, Nicole and I spent most of the day working on a little side basement project, enclosing a small space with a closet. There's a filled in drain there with a tiled floor and a concrete curb, next to the utility sink. We're using some left-over studs and an unused door to close it in. We got five studs attached and the door hung. There's some additional bracing to do and then we have to figure out siding, but we're not in a rush to get additional materials when we run out of scraps.

Nicole and I went for a walk in the afternoon, shorter this time. It was sunny, but very brisk. We ran into some friends at Soundview Terrace (a.k.a. Rachel's Playground) and chatted for a while whilst keeping our social distance. Nicole made spaghetti bolognese for dinner, with pureed Christmas lima beans in place of beef. We had ice cream cones in lieu of pie for dessert, and watched another Marvel movie: Iron Man.

I finished reading American Canopy after the movie, by then just skimming the notes and bibliography for additional books of interest. It's a history of America focused on the forests. From it I learned a few new things, including that Joyce Kilmer was a man, and like Alain-Fournier, died in WWI. Also about FDR's interest in trees, the efforts of the CCC, and the Shelter Belt. The emphasis of the book is on the consumption of forests by a succession of industries, including railroads, war, and suburban housing, but this is countered by various conservation movements, and occasional diversions, including a chapter on oranges.