Just bits of August randomness

 It wasn't that eventful of a week, at least not in things I care to share on this blog.

Last Sunday I made grape bread, which I often enjoy baking in August and September. I think I need to buy more peanuts so I can keep making more.

In June, my stake asked for people to go help prepare Camp Piuta, a Church-owned girls camp, for the summer. Now that summer is coming to an end, they once again asked for help preparing it for the winter. So I went up again, because I knew no one else would volunteer. It was fun to go on a road trip for about an hour and a half of manual labor. 

I could tell that this was a field of mulesears, so I'm sure it was absolutely stunning when they were in bloom

[insert transition here]

My dad came out of their bedroom one evening, and I looked in and saw Reggie on their bed. Isn't he majestic?

I continued evening trail running this week when I didn't have plans and when it wasn't thundering. (Lightninging?) 

Last night, I was running down the Woodbriar Trail at dusk. It was kind of dark, but I still could tell where the trail was, so I kept going. Suddenly, I heard the distinctive "cht-cht-cht-cht" of a rattlesnake. In the dim light while I was coming rapidly down the trail, I could tell that it was right in front of me, but I couldn't see exactly where. It was safest to just keep going, so I jumped over it as I continued to hear it rattle. Oof! That's the second time this month I've encountered a rattlesnake at night on that trail. Yet I've been going there almost eight years, and this month is the first time I've encountered them on that trail. (I did hear one three years ago, but I didn't see it.)

I think that was my closest-ever encounter with a rattlesnake. I'm not a fan of them, but I know they play an important ecological role. If even stupid rattlesnakes have a place in this world, maybe there's a place for me too. 😉

Snakes and spiders

Lately, since it's been hot and I've been busy, I've been using my headlamp to go on late-night runs. My headlamp illuminates the eyes of all the spiders on the trail. I don't know whether they come out at night, or whether I simply don't see them during the day.

On Monday, I was coming down the Woodbriar Trail when I saw an enormous spider. It wasn't a tarantula, but it was almost as big as one.

As I approached it, I could have jumped over it. But instead I opted to walk around it in the grass/flowers. I'm not sure why it freaked me out; it was just a spider. Then as I was kept going down, I saw another enormous spider.

And then, on the edge of the trail, was a snake! I slowly and carefully got to the other edge of the trail, going through the plants on the other side. As I walked past, I noticed a rattle! Oof. That's the first time I've seen a rattlesnake on that trail, and it's also the first time I've seen a rattlesnake at night. I thought they went to bed by then! Why are you up past curfew!? It didn't rattle at me, but it left me rattled. It wasn't coiled up, and it was smaller than most rattlers I see. It was the first time I'd seen a rattlesnake this year. But I didn't hang around to take a picture. It made me feel bad that I had gone into the brush to get around the spider—what if there had been a snake there?

Then yesterday, I was running up North Canyon, and suddenly I heard a rattle. There was another rattlesnake just on the edge of the trail, so I backed up. But this one was polite; after it gave its warning rattle, it kindly got off the trail and went into the brush. A lot of them just hang out on the trail. I felt safe enough that I could have taken a picture, but since it was in the brush and I was at a safe distance, I knew it wouldn't have been very visible in the picture. I don't understand why/how people listen to headphones on trails. I need my ears open to hear cyclists and snakes.

But it's not all bad on the trail! Even though May and June are peak wildflower season, there still are some good options in August. 

Richardson's geraniums

Fireweed. These aren't fully bloomed yet.

wild hollyhock

showy goldeneye

fleabane—a pretty flower with an ugly name

I also encountered a few trees that were covered in caterpillar silks. I've seen similar things in June, but I've never seen it this extensive, and this was a different kind of caterpillar. I learn so many things about the natural world on my runs.

Also this week, I used a lot of our plums to make plum cobbler. When I make crisps and cobblers, I usually omit the recommended sugar from the fruit portion. That works well with cherries and apples, but the plums were a little too tart. Oh well. I wanted to be sure to use some of the plums before they got overripe. And since our tree doesn't consistently produce year to year, I have less experience cooking with them.

And today I made (savory) tomato zucchini cobbler from our own homegrown produce. It's one of my favorite summertime meals.

My parents bought a used car this week (because the car my niece drives is falling apart, so they wanted to sell her their old car.) They bought it from a place that specializes in selling cars that have been damaged by hail. My dad decided to name it Dimples.

For the last few years, I have been subscribing to Apple TV+, because they have new Peanuts content (specials, The Snoopy Show, and Snoopy in Space). I've been really pleased with the content; it keeps the classic feel but updated for modern tastes, and it's actually good quality, not just a cash grab. This week they debuted a new special, One-of-a-Kind Marcie. This was the fifth recent special, and it was my favorite. As a problem-solving introvert, I feel an affinity for Marcie, so it spoke to me, and I'm glad the introverts get honored sometimes.

Last night I attended a reunion for the YSA bishopric I had between August 2014 (when I moved home after college) and February 2016 (when they were released). I honestly felt a little bad about all the people I've unfriended on Facebook over the years. I very methodically unfriend people periodically. The biggest reasons are if (1) I don't know them very well, either because I never knew them well or because they've changed, and (2) it's unlikely I'll ever see them again. But there are other reasons, such as:

• They share too much stuff (including but not limited to political things, recipes, or pointless old lady things like "Have a blessed Tuesday")
• They have opinions that I find abhorrent—not just that I disagree, but I think the opinions are borderline evil
• I have reason to believe they don't like me or my family; or I think they will not be supportive of me as a queer individual (or as a religious individual)
• They're trying to sell something as part of a pyramid scheme
• They never like or comment on any of my posts

While fall is my favorite season, and I love pumpkin-flavored everything, I'm honestly a little annoyed that so many places are already putting pumpkin things on their menu. If you put it out this early, it won't be special when it actually is pumpkin season! Can't we just savor the good things about summer before rushing into something prematurely?

Adulting

 Even though I'm in my mid-thirties with two part-time jobs, it's finally starting to feel like my career is going somewhere.

On Monday, I had to go into the state office, and there was a piece addressed to me that called me "Dr." Why should I need a PhD if people are going to call me Dr. anyway?

In case you're wondering, it was a copyright form for a book review. I'm in charge of wrangling book reviews for Utah Historical Quarterly.

Back in 1976, as part of the national bicentennial celebrations, there was a book called The Peoples of Utah that focused on different religions and ethnicities in the state. Now for 2026, we're working on a project called The Peoples of Utah Revisited (POUR), which builds on the work of fifty years ago.

Yesterday (Saturday), we had a symposium for the contributors to POUR. There were many of the writers there, many (most?) of them historical newcomers. There were ethnic historians, queer historians, disability historians, and more. Several of my classmates from the University of Utah were there, including one undergrad who remembered my dinosaur presentation from November 2021. I wore my button-up dinosaur shirt, and I got so many compliments. The lunch was catered by a local company that specializes in Indigenous Mexican food, and there was a Puerto Rican musical group that performed.

My colleague and I presented on historical writing and documentation. She talked about writing, while I talked about documentation. The people seemed attentive and interested. I can't believe I'm actually presenting at an academic symposium! Like, I'm actually an expert at something and can share my knowledge with others?! Wild!

And at my Church job, I was reviewing the work of a colleague on our project team, seeing what I could add. I certainly don't have all the skills he has. But I also realized that I have some skills that others don't have, so I'm happy I'm able to contribute in a meaningful way. I guess Queer Eyes are needed everywhere.

When I'm not busy working two jobs, I had some time this week to make a plum upside-down cake. I really like making this cake, but I haven't been able to since 2020, because that was the last time we had a good plum crop. The recipe calls for rosemary, but I used mint leaves instead, since we have lots of fresh mint but no fresh rosemary. And it ended up looking like a pizza.

But lest you think I'm an adult, I still buy toys. For myself. 

Back in 1998–1999, when I was in fourth and fifth grade, I was obsessed with these vegetable and fruit toys called Veggie Friend Seedies ("seedies" instead of "beanies"—this was the era of Ty Beanie Babies), Fruit Seedies, Nutra-Fruit Heroes, and Vegetable Friends. Shortly before the company went out of business in the early 2000s, they made Baby Veggie Friend Seedies. These were a little smaller, and they were dressed as babies, and they made baby noises. But since I was a kid, I couldn't buy them myself.

But now that I'm a single adult with a disposable income, I can go on eBay and buy random nonsense. I found five of the Baby Veggie Friend Seedies, so I bought them. Sadly, they don't have tags, so I don't know their names. And since they're more than twenty years old, the voice boxes don't work.

The crying onion is my favorite. I don't know whether the green one is a cucumber or a zucchini.

Oh, and I continue to add to my collection of Halloween Squishmallows.

This is a goblin, which were a bigger part of Halloween folklore in the mid-twentieth century, so I'm glad to see them now. My niece got me the little candy apple, and my mom got me the little orange monster.

Oh well, I guess it's not that different from straight dads adding to their Funko Pop! collections.

A new month

 I ended July by taking a final look at the proofs for Wayfare issue 2. Among other changes, I discovered that the writer of a hymn wrote "whomever" when it should have been "whoever." (If you're not certain on how to use "whom," just don't. The same goes for semicolons.) Now that the issue is done, I should be less busy until November. And the editor-in-chief said on Friday that the next issue is going to be shorter and more manageable. 

When I work from home, Reggie comes to sit on my lap. From a logical perspective, Reggie has a net negative impact on my life. I have to clean his litterbox, pick up his furballs, give him food, and brush his fur off of everything. He doesn't contribute anything; since he's an indoor cat, he doesn't even catch mice. But despite all that, he is so worth it! I just love to have him sit on my lap and lean his body against mine and purr. I love his ears, his pink nose, his majestic mane, his little teefies, and his paws. I love waking up in the middle of the night to find him on my bed. I just adore him. 

This might be a sweet picture, except that it looks like I'm choking him

Longtime readers of my blog might recall that I used to hate August, but in the last decade I have quit hating it so much, and in fact I have come to appreciate it. To be sure, there are many months I like more than August, but there are so many wonderful things about this month:

• August is the month of plums, grapes, and peaches. Yesterday I picked two large bowls of plums, which are my favorite of our fruits for eating out of hand. I'm so glad we had them this year, because we didn't in 2021 and 2022.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Richardson's geraniums, sunflowers, goldenrod, fireweed, and more
  
  
  

  

  Richardson's geraniums

• Monsoonal thunderstorms
• I don't officially start Halloween until the middle of September, and even then it's early, but in August I begin looking for fall candies to review. And also, it's when Halloween Squishmallows start to show up.

  

  Do you like this new candy apple my niece got for me?

  
  
• By the end of the month, the leaves have started to turn on the trails.
• Some of my most cherished memories come from August, such as visiting my brother's family and first coming out to my mom in 2012, my geology field studies class in 2013, and the solar eclipse in 2017

  

  My brother's youngest kid, Qi-en, in 2012

  
  
• One of the best songs from folklore
• A new start with a new school year. I personally haven't started a new school year since 2021, and I probably won't go to school again, but it still feels new when everyone around me is starting fresh
• Lingering road trips, camping trips, and lake trips

I'm hoping I will enjoy the remainder of this month!