Then: The Rest of December 2009 Now: July 17, 2011




Rime on the Christmas Tree

 

JB and Max going down to RJ's



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then: The rest of December 2009

The days from Thanksgiving through Christmas are possibly my favorite of the year. The Christmas holiday season was always the most important when I was growing up, and we continued the traditions with our son although he didn't get to experience the same large, family Christmases that I had with my Dad's relatives. By the time he was born, the older members were gone and many of us were scattered around the country. But my Mother was usually with us for the week and when we finally all lived close to each other, we went to JB's family for Christmas dinner. We would usually be with my family on Thanksgiving. So, as much as I love being in our mountain home for the holidays, it is a bittersweet experience. Hopefully one year, our son and his family will make up here then, or perhaps RJ and Mike, because I am not going anywhere at that time of the year, regardless. I will put up with the bittersweet to simply be at Rose Camp.

So the dogs and I enjoyed our quiet Christmas day. I drank eggnog with the cookies. Read a book. Watched a movie. Talked to friends and relatives on the phone. But on the 26^th, it was time to put Christmas behind us and I took down all the decorations that I usually leave up until New Year's Day. It was a beautiful, day with the snow sparkling in the sunlight. JB got home about 3:00 pm with mail, wine and gifts. In the mail was a box from my Neighbor in Illinois with eight months worth of Sunday funnies! Since the comics are my favorite part of any newspaper, along with the crossword puzzles, I had asked her to send them to me since we wouldn't be getting the paper very often Up Here. It had been awhile since she had sent some, so it was quite a treat. It was like another Christmas Eve as we opened gifts from JB's family and those that had arrived in the mail.

December 27 and it is our 40^th wedding anniversary! JB fixed a big breakfast of my very favorite eggs - a German oven pancake. I put peaches and brown sugar on it and thoroughly enjoy each and every bite. We spent a lazy day reading the mail and newspapers. JB organized his new Magic Cards in preparation for playing with Mike in the Spring.

We are still experiencing a lot of fog. I'm sure we will refer to this winter as the Winter of the Fog. According to Larry, each year is different and, boy, is he right. Last year was a Typical Eastern Washington Winter. One of my Christmas gifts from JB was a pair of skiing goggles for riding in MAX on cold and/or foggy days. I tried them out on the 29^th when we went for a long hike on our snowshoes. They work great. They don't fog up like my glasses do and they protect my eyes so they don't water.

New Year's Eve Day we go for a ride in MAX down to RJ's cabin. He has never seen his place in the winter with a lot of snow, so we go there to take pictures for him. We get down the short cut just fine, but MAX can't make it back up the steep "road" in the deep snow. So we drove back the long way which is more than four miles compared to less than one mile up the short cut. It was almost like a sleigh ride in the virgin snow. A wonderful way to end the year.

Today: July 17, 2011

Yesterday I defrosted the refrigerator, which really needed it. Just haven't had the time or inclination with all our company and usually do it every seven to ten days. It rained for several hours in the afternoon, so it was the perfect day to work inside. Am so glad I had gathered a large garbage bag full of dry pine needles the previous day for fire starter. I put a fire in the stove today and the needles are the best starter I have found, next to the pitch-filled shavings from tipi-pole-killer tree. I know the 206ers (how we refer to those landowners up here who live on the west side of the mountains, so called because the area code for all of over there used to be 206) do not realize that the dry needles and small sticks are simply fire fodder and how quickly they can ignite. Those of us who live here year 'round tend to covertly police them when we know they are Up Here. Last summer after a couple of the 206ers had left, I actually cleaned out their campfire area by raking up all the needles and cutting the low tree branches. Fortunately this year and last have been much wetter than usual, but during a normal year the forest can get very dry beginning in July.

Larry and Elsie came up to visit last night and brought a dozen eggs and some fresh vegetables from her garden, including some horseradish for JB.  RJ will be up for breakfast this morning.

With yesterday's rain, we also had a little thunder, but it was mainly over the mountains. We were on the very eastern edge of the storm as we often are. Today should be dry and I plan to cut some more branch wood. I will probably go to town on Tuesday for mail and a few groceries. Tuesday is Senior Discount Day in Wenatchee. 10% off in a lot of stores, including the one in which I buy most of the dogs' food. If I were really a Redneck Mountain Mama, I'd have one of those T-shirts that say, "Give Me My Senior Discount and Be Quick About It!"