So far, today is simply excellent.

I've gotten a lot done. Although not finding the pan I was looking for, alas. Oher than that, it's pretty good. Scott drove me around while I took pictures of the area - it was quite the pretty drive, and I want to do it again, only without the agenda of just the proposed industrial area to photograph. Some of the areas out beyond that proposed idiocy are also quite gorgeous. I almost photographed them, as the ones that back to it would be affected if it industrialized, but I figured I'd never keep the photographs straight in my head. I should actually get the bike fixed, I think. I'd like to be able to stop more freely for photographs, and a bike can do that often where a car cannot. I'm not confident to walk or bike alone, though, because of dogs. I wonder if Scott would like some extra exercise....

Something for the future. A good drive will do - perhaps in the other direction of the way we went today, as there were some nifty things that were hard or impossible to photograph as I was on the wrong side of the car. I will see how many photos came out, the sun was in the wrong spot for bunches of them. May have to do an afternoon run to get those spots. It was so pretty and peaceful.

After we got back, I spent a while journalling thoughts (paper journals - the sort of work-through-this thoughts that really don't belong online - though this is just the "appreciate your life" sort of babbling - which I must say, I am feeling appreciative right now!) while getting the laundry started. The first load is in the dryer, now, and nearly done. Soon I'll go downstairs to get my early lunch out of the microwave. And the dishes are all put away.

Really, today is off to an incredible start. When I came back to the computer around 10 - only 3 hours mostly-away from it - I was astonished. I had expected it to be closer to noon (hence the early lunch, well, I was hungry!). So that feels good, too.

I'll likely have the first of the photos up later. They are not as good as I could hope, but they still show the Frog Pond area. I am also going to compose a letter to Metro in the coming week. I really wanted to attend one of the sessions for giving testimony, and I planned to go to the Wilsonville one. Only I didn't think or check. It's on Thursday - and I'm on call this week. It runs from 5 pm until it finishes (or midnight, if all else fails). And on-call time starts at 5:30. I could still go, and get someone to cover me, but I'm thinking it is better not. I must write the letter, though.

Huh. A bit of science and a bit of stupidity.

Your Mistake, My Mistake-All the Same to the Brain

Short form: research shows the brain reacts the same to making a mistake or watching someone make a mistake. It is the same feeling and flinch, but to see that science has shown it is kind of interesting.

And, how about the drug firms that withheld research showing that some antidipressants could be ineffective or even harmful when used with kids? Nice to know how much they value people....

And, there....

First ten photos from this morning up at Buzznet or try bn_kyrielle an hour or so after this post. More to follow - I have a couple'a days worth to post still.

They're not perfect. The lighting wasn't ideal for some of them, I was in a moving car, and frankly I only took one shot at most of them. But they'll do. Some are really good. Some are so-so. But they'll do. Every one is, as best I could tell working with the map, of land that would actually be zoned for industrial use if Metro does this.

Which is practically a crime.