Onward ho, sustainable living!

Plus: berries and a side gig update. Guess which?

Jun 27, 2025

Back in the arid Mountain West, I’m enjoying some things. These include a well-funded community center as well as a nearby park’s ripening berries and cold stream. Walking farther is easier, partly because the air doesn’t hang like a blanket. That said, we will experience heat this summer.

Did you know? More of my art can be found at this link and at the bottom of this newsletter.

It’ll be necessary to refresh on that, because we’re currently emerging from a 60s cool front while much of the country (Europe too) has been in a serious temperature wave. As it gets warmer, that can mean hunkering down during the day, walking before 10:30 a.m. and after the valley cools around 9 p.m. And keeping an eye on water levels, because humidity levels of at least 18-40% result in less banging in the head by the sun, if you ask me.

For ducking indoors or into shade, there are many choices. For instance, the community center includes classes from a local arts board. I’m hoping to create connections with them and other arts organizations. Do you have art or other creative community where you live? Are you seeking it?

Thanks for reading Climbing Grasses! This post is public so feel free to share it. More illustrations are at the bottom as well.

Building income

Lately I’m writing freelance articles and other materials for clients. In case you know editors or managers seeking writers in the following areas — engineering, STEM, university marcomm, business, conservation/sustainability, arts/humanities, insurance, fundraising development — I will be somewhat booked for early summer, but they can hit me up now or for deadlines in late August or September. And I’m interviewing to apply for local part-time work. If you hear about local or online part-time jobs, particularly in local government, nonprofits, academic advising, teaching, or other areas, send them my way and I’ll check them out. Thanks! (Please scroll to the bottom to see recent articles and other relevant links.)

Also in the daily roster: taking time to build more illustration work. I’m testing a new supplier of prints and scanning in new work. Thinking of getting booths in fairs in autumn, winter, or even in cool-temperature spots (such as the PNW) this summer. If you have a fest to recommend, please send it!

Possibly in the near future: classes or groups on Patreon.

SAnd what’s that side gig?

It’s my new eBay channel, artbirdsells, which includes new and vintage items — and may later feature some of my art prints. In shopping for it, I tried to keep in mind: What would (actor) Rajiv Surendra choose? For instance, he might be interested in this vintage Royal Caribbean bag, with its tag for the now defunct Northwest Airlines. The flight was from Salt Lake City to Minneapolis.

Also have been guided by YouTube channels from a couple of successful resellers in St. Louis and South Carolina, both at it since around 2000. What’s success in eBay or other online reselling? One individual says he averages $50,000-$80,000 gross as a side job. Others pull in $1,000 extra income a month, which I would happily accept.

That said, there’s no need for you to make purchases. If you take a look at the link, it helps boost traffic — and eBay tends to reward that by sending even more views to the account.