January 15, 2012



Dinga striking a pose.



Snowing in the canyon.  Can't see the mountains
behind the curtain of snow.

















It was a balmy 18 degrees on Friday, so I had no excuse to stay inside.  After chores, the dogs and I hiked across the crest of the south ridge to the top of Erno's again.  Jesse's hackles went up a few times, but I didn't see any tracks that might have caused that reaction.  Almost to the peak I did see the white hind ends of three very large elk walking into the trees.  Too late to grab my camera.  With their noses to the ground, the dogs didn't see or hear them although they may have got a whiff of their scent.  I think perhaps that elk are not so intimidated by the dogs as the deer are and maybe that's what caused Jesse's hackles to rise.  When we first bought this property in 1989, there was quite a nice size elk herd in the area.  Often when we drove Up Here, we would encounter several of them on the hair-pin turn just down from our driveway.  They would simply stare in our direction as if trying to intimidate us so we would go away.  Eventually, when they realized we were not going to turn around, they would slowly walk off the road and back into the woods.  I really do miss seeing them, so the glimpse I got on Friday was quite a treat.

There was wind and snow forecast for Saturday.  The wind arrived quite early, bringing the snow in about noon, but that lasted less than two hours.  There was also valley fog which surprisingly the wind did not seem to affect.  Maybe it was only windy Up Here.

In the pile of mail that JB picked up on Wednesday, I received my notice of eligibility for Medicare in May.  I had already figured out that I will be saving $244 per month on medical insurance premiums, and that is including the cost of the Medicare Advantage Plan.  I am going to sign up for the same one JB is on, which is a local insurance that costs only $79 per month (plus the $99 the government takes out of our Social Security check) and has better coverage than the one for which I am now paying $422 per month.  One of the advantages of growing older. . .

We also received the current issue of "Capper's" magazine that has some delicious sounding recipes in it, many from antique cookbooks and family favorites from readers.  Just started getting this magazine a few months ago and we are really enjoying it.

Thought for the day:  Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.  Margaret Atwood  (and Wild Rose)