February 27, 2012



Looking at our house from
the driveway on Sunday



Mountains on Monday

 


















When I finally made it outside on Monday, I discovered that the rabbit, whose tracks we had seen first thing in the morning, had come down from the south ridge.  He hopped into the dog pen and wood shed, completely checking it all out.  Then he went around the battery shed and down to the house.  At some point he also checked out under JB's Jeep.  It made me giggle to see all his tracks!

Over the weekend I had also sorted out a large box of cards and letters that go back about 20 years.  Yes, I keep most everything like that.  Let's make than "kept", because I got rid of at least 1/3 of everything and organized it.  Then on Monday by 11:00 am I had posted my blog, eaten a leisurely breakfast, washed the dishes, hung the laundry, baked a blueberry coffee cake, finished several crossword puzzles and started a new book.  Spring must be in the air. . .

JB was busy too.  At 7:30 he and the dogs walked up to the solar panels so he could clean them.  Then after breakfast he used the snow blower to clean all the paths.  After lunch, he and Jesse drove MAX down to groom the road.  Everything seemed just fine until I saw him coming back up the road with one of the tracks sitting on the back of MAX.  He got all the way down the road and almost back home when the left from wheel started having problems and he lost the track.  Doesn't look like the axle is broken, just the broken studs on the extender like what happened in December.  There was a lot of snow in the forecast for Tuesday evening and into Wednesday so we figured we better get it fixed as soon as possible.  It was 10 degrees when we got up on Tuesday so I thought it would be way too cold to be working outside.  However, by noon it had warmed up to 18 so out we went (and that was actually our high for the day).  JB didn't really need me to help much, so I got three loads of firewood and walked down to the north ridge with the dogs.  After replacing the missing/broken bolts, I helped get the other two wheels off of the left side.  The extenders were fine on them, so JB just tightened the lugs.  We then put the front and back wheels back on, and plan to put the track back on today.

As JB was finishing up, I finally got up the nerve to use the sled as it was intended, even though MAX wasn't fixed, just in case JB had to take me to the hospital. . .  The snow was perfect for it.  All I can say is, "Woo Hoo!!"  At first I didn't think there was any way to steer the sled.  I sat with my legs extended straight in front of me and quickly learned that to steer I simply leaned in the opposite direction I wanted to go.  What a rush!!  The dogs thought it was great fun to chase me, but neither one would get on the sled with me.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

This morning we have 14 degrees, blue skies and 5" of new snow.  And again JB trudged up to the south ridge to clear off the solar panels as soon as he got up at 7:00.  The mountains are phenomenal.  Their white peaks blazing in the early sun.  The thick covering of last night's snow softening their lines.

On JB's drive down the road on Monday, he saw large cougar tracks on our road for more than a mile coming towards our place.  At the hairpin turn that leads up to our driveway, the cat went straight instead of up to Rose Camp.  At least we know he is in the area again, so just maybe this week we will catch him on the game cam.

The February 20 issue of Time magazine is fascinating.  There's an intriguing article entitled "Friends with Benefits" that is about animal friendships and has some amazing photographs by Simen Johan.  The notation on the first photo is - "Fantasy friends: the photographic, digital and sculptural art of Simen Johan depicts the idea of enduring animal companions."  Simply wonderful!  There are also head shots of the actors nominated for Oscars.  They are black and white with no air brushing, which gives them so much more character. 

Thought for the day: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.  Henry David Thoreau 

February 27, 2012

Only  wild life on the game cam this past week -
caught us driving Down There on Tuesday.

It is 8 degrees this morning with clear skies and valley fog.  Just under 4" of snow fell last night.  Crystal feathers covering the ground.  And there are rabbit tracks right up to the house.  As I started writing Sunday afternoon, I looked out the loft windows to see sun and blue sky to the south, with falling snow coming in from the west and north.  The late afternoon precipitation wasn't flakes but rather minuscule balls of hail.  Looking at it on the ground reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on.  Probably minuscule balls of hail. . .  Once again we are right on the edge of the weather pattern.  It was like that most of the day.  Sun.  Then snow.  Then sun.  Very cold though -only 22.  Well, at least that seemed cold until we woke up to 8 this morning.

After crawling around in the mud under the house the other day, I rubbed my clothes in the snow to get the worst of the muck off of them, then laid them on the porch.  When it dries and freezes, the dirt peels right off.  They should be really frozen this morning.

JB and I have been discussing this year's projects and have whittled the list way down.  Basically we are going to finish the great room walls, solve our drainage problem, put a railing around the deck and build outside stairs up to it.  A nice short list, but that drainage issue may take most of the summer.

Forgot to mention that when we drove Down There last week, we saw lots of tracks on our road - deer, rabbits and one cross-country skier.  Doubt it was anyone living Up Here.  At least they turned around at our No Trespassing sign.  Nevertheless. . .  I think it would be very interesting to have a game cam just above the sign.

A few years ago I noticed the ad for a kit to make your own laundry soap in the Lehman's catalog.  I just didn't want to spend the money for it as it includes a bucket and other utensils.  Seemed kind of pricey.  Then several weeks ago friends in Laramie sent the recipe for it.  Last week I actually found all the ingredients at Fred Meyer and at almost half the price as in the catalog.  Our friend says she only needs two tablespoons of it per load in her front-loading washing machine.  I will definitely be making that soon.  One of the ingredients is Twenty-One Mule Team Borax.  I'm really going to date myself with this sentence, but I remember Ronald Reagan doing adds for that on TV with his "Death Valley Days" series!

Well, the Oscars were broadcast last night.  One of the few events I do miss seeing on TV.  My Mom and I would never miss them, and I continued to watch through the years, long after I had left home and after she was gone.  I love the movies and I love the night that celebrates and rewards them, regardless of all the politics involved.

Thought for the day:  If you're old enough to know better, you're too old to do it.  George Burns

February 26, 2012



Finally got our pans hung in  the kitchen



Rose after cleaning water out
of the crawl space!
















We spent Friday puttering around inside doing small projects, like hanging the pans in the kitchen.  I waited until Saturday to get down in the crawl space so the water could seep into the dirt some more and I wouldn't be sloshing around so much.  It was still too wet to move the shop vac around, so I just focused on the closest puddle that I could reach with the hose.  We must have taken out at least 15 gallons, as other puddles seemed to run into that one.  I would fill it up and JB would carry the shop vac outside and empty it.  He really had the hardest job.  I always did like playing in the mud.  Will wait a few more days and try it again.  The water is definitely coming in around the water pipe.  Didn't find any frogs, just one dead mouse.  Probably drowned.

JB made potato soup for dinner Thursday.  He had seen a recipe that suggested adding smoked gouda cheese to it.  Normally this is not an item we would have on hand, but when JB was at Costco a few weeks ago they had a taste demo and he purchased some.  He shaved about 6 ounces into the soup, and, Oh My!  It was heavenly.

It was very windy all day Saturday with a high of only 25.  Felt like the wind was forcing the chill indoors.  The wind chill had to be down around 10.  Sure used a lot more wood than normal.  The 2" of snow we were supposed to get Friday night dwindled to just a trace.  The wood shed is still almost half full and I am going to start using the wood from the porch March 1.  Oh my goodness!  That is next week already.  Good thing I've started making my Easter cards.

As usual, Countryside magazine has some great articles.  Sometimes I wish we had chosen the homesteading life early on.  But other times I'm glad for the life we had, with all its experiences.

I need to retract a statement I made a few weeks back about Nioxin shampoo.  On further examination of the label, I found that it actually does contain some natural ingredients - peppermint, two different leaf extracts and two different fruit extracts.  I am using Dr. Bronner's Eucalyptus Castile soap as a shampoo now and really like it.  Not only that but it keeps away the fleas and ticks.  I use it on Jesse whenever I give him a bath.  He really needs one right now but it is just too cold out.  I have also switched to the almond castile soap for my face and it is really keeping it from getting so oily.

Thought for the day:  Nature is the living, visible garment of God.  Goethe

February 24, 2012

JB cleaning snow off the panels
on Wednesday



Our drainage channel through the ice
in front of the porch

















We didn't have to wait til next week for everything to freeze up again.  There was a cold front right on the heels of Tuesday's warm front.  It got down to 26 and big, wet snow flakes fell most of Wednesday.  We received 1-1/2" of snow at the house and more than 2" up on the south ridge.  Elsie called to say the road above their place is solid ice.

When we checked the cistern after doing the wash on Wednesday, the float was almost straight up.  The pump automatically turns off when the float is about horizontal, so there must have been a rush of underground water that pushed up our well and filled the cistern without the pump.  When I went to get potatoes from the box in the crawl space Thursday morning, I discovered that we were flooded again!  In looking all around the house, there is just no water getting in.  So I am thinking that it is coming up where the water pipe from the cistern comes in.  It seems like the other two times this happened was around the same time we had water coming up the well on its own.  There is nothing we can do about it until summer, so JB is going to get a sump pump and lots of hose next week Down There.  Meanwhile, today I will crawl under there with the shop vac and get as much out as I can.  Am so looking forward to that. . .

As I mentioned before, winter is Dinga's favorite time of the year.  The first thing she did when let out in the new fallen snow was to make snow angels.  Then she runs with her mouth open, scooping up snow & eating it.  And she loves the chunks of ice.  We spent a couple hours on Thursday chopping out a drainage channel in the ice in front of the porch and she grabbed several of the chunks to chew on.  In many places the ice is still a bit slushy, but of course not where we needed a drain.

I finished the 10 Patterson books on the Women's Murder Club and will be trading them in at the used book store, since I have read them each at least three times.  Now I have started the book I gave to JB for Christmas - One Man's Wilderness.  Absolutely fascinating!  I so envy him all his sightings and experiences with the wildlife - except for the mosquitoes and that bear with the attitude.  I am sure I will be reading this book at least once a year.  As far as food goes, I love his simple fare.  Would enjoy all of it, except perhaps the caribou brains he scavenged from a fresh wolf kill.  But everything else is just amazing.  A "must read" for anyone with an interest in this kind of life.

I think we have decided to sell our dryer.  Have had it for three years and never used it.  Don't even have the exhaust tube installed.  Will advertise it this spring or summer when the road is passable.  Just don't need it Up Here.

No more yellow jackets in the loft for the past several days.  Hopefully that's all there were.

Thought for the day:  Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.  Albert Einstein

February 22, 2012

Jesse's new found perch in the loft -
from here he can see everything!



JB & Jesse in tipi

















Wild weather!  Both mountain passes were closed on Monday and into Tuesday.  As of this morning Snoqualamie is open but Stevens is still closed.  Good thing RJ didn't come Up Here for the weekend.  They would have been two days late getting back.  Stevens Pass (Rte 2) received 19" of snow in 24 hours over the weekend and three skiers were killed in an avalance.  They were skiing in a "No Ski - Avalanche Danger" area.  I simply don't understand the attitude that causes people to take such a chance.

On Monday JB decided we should get a fire going in the tipi to start drying it out a bit.  He shoveled out the snow around it while I brought a couple loads of firewood down.  We always enjoy sitting around the fire in the tipi and the dogs do too.  So relaxing. . . and calming.

When we left for Down There at 9:00 am Tuesday, it was 28 degrees, which is 8 degrees warmer than the last two times we traveled down.  No snow at all by the time we reached the pavement.  Got all signed up for my Medicare supplement.  Thanks to a reader for their comment regarding this coverage.  Fortunately JB has already gone through all of this.  He's had this insurance for more than a year now and so far we have been very pleased.  So I just said, "I want the same thing he has."  By the time we were done getting and sending mail, and shopping, the temperature in Wenatchee was 48!  There were no Seattle newspapers because of the pass closures.  The wind was bringing in the clouds as we parked the Jeep and loaded everything into MAX.  We arrived at Rose Camp just as the rain did.  It was 37 Up There by then, possibly the warmest it has been all winter.  Things were starting to melt again, helped along by the very strong wind.  The forecast calls for temperatures up into the 50's this week Down There.  Oh, goody.  This will probably all freeze again next week and we'll be back in our ice arena.

Thought for the day:  If only I could be respected, without having to be respectable.  Ashleigh Brilliant
  

February 20, 2012


  
 



Did you just take my picture??!!

Finally some wildlife photos on our game cam again!  Got some of the dogs and two-legged wildlife, too. . .  I think the cats know where the camera is and are avoiding it.  Elsie actually saw a bobcat a couple weeks ago on her way home from work, just a little before the turn off the pavement and onto the dirt road.  We have since seen some smaller cat prints Up Here.

JB cooked up some of his sausage for breakfast on Sunday and it was delicious.  I love the fact that we can control the fat content and create our own flavors.  Next time he is going to try a little less black pepper and a little more brown sugar, and maybe add some maple syrup.

The dogs were really barking up a storm yesterday morning.  Jesse had his hackles up and wouldn't go very far down the driveway.  Dinga wouldn't go down at all, mostly staying on the porch with her tail between her legs.  Don't know if it was a cat or an ornery elk.

We are going to go Down There on Tuesday for some shopping, and for me to get the paperwork going on my Medicare Advantage Plan insurance.  I really enjoyed staying Up Here for months at a time for the first three winters.  It was a new experience.  But this winter I am enjoying my trips Down There.  Well, except for the Dentist. . .

Thought for the day:  Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.  Lao Tzu

February 19, 2012



Looking into the canyon to the south of us
on Thursday




JB got the snow blower running!


Fog!  All day Friday.  By the time we took our daily walk something frozen was falling - very tiny frozen crystals you could hardly see but heavier than snow flakes and falling very fast.  As we returned to the house from our walk, it had turned to snow and was falling more softly.  By 5:00 pm the predicted storm had developed a few hours early.  The wind picked up around 8:30 pm and was noisy most of the night.  But we only received about 2" by morning.  As soon as he made the coffee, JB bundled up to go scrape the solar panels.  Now that they are tilted up at more of an angle, the snow and ice build up on them more quickly.

There was no fog yesterday, but it snowed lightly off and on all day.  Didn't get the worst of it as we seemed to be on the storm's eastern edge.  We even got some sun breaks in the afternoon.  JB was actually able to get the snow blower going and cleared our pathways before lunch.  In the afternoon he used MAX to pack down the driveway and road to and around the south ridge.  Then he drove down our road to the main canyon road to pack it down.  Dinga and I stayed home while Jesse went with JB.

Then he made pork sausage!  He ground up some boneless country ribs and added seasonings.  We are going to have some for breakfast this morning.  I didn't do nearly as much as JB did yesterday.  Just watching him made me tired. . .

I defrosted both the refrigerator and freezer on Friday.  Quite the project!  I do the freezer about every fourth time I do the fridge.  Turns out to be every five or six weeks or so.  Other than that, I am busy reading the first ten books in Patterson's Women's Murder Club series.  Fun, light reading.

I have mentioned how quiet it is Up Here in the winter with the snow all around.  But what drives it home is laundry days when I finally turn off the generator, then the water and transformer.  The transformer makes a light background buzz that you don't really notice until it is turned off.  Then the silence becomes very obvious.  A loud pounding in your ears.  And you can almost hear your thoughts.

Thought for the day:  We are all travellers on the road to Joy; using this land of time and space to find our way back Home.  Wild Rose

February 17, 2012

A sample of the variety of eggs
that we get from Larry & Elsie

The dogs and I walked down to the hairpin turn that is a little beyond our driveway on Wednesday.  Checked the game cam on the way and it has 19 photos on it.  I'm sure that 4 or 5 are of JB and me.  There may be 8 of Jesse going up and down the road, and a couple of Larry and Elsie.  So just maybe there will be a few pictures of some wild life.  We'll see on Sunday.

I also spent time on both Wednesday and Thursday sorting and re-arranging some kitchen shelves and drawers, and my desk.  I am often trying to figure out more efficient and space-saving ways of arranging the little things.  The more I do it, the more space I have.  This also includes getting rid of things I don't need.  And the longer we are up here, the less we need.  Funny how that works.

On Wednesday, JB cut the wood for and installed the windowsill for the living room.  What a difference it makes to have the window framed in wood instead of plastic and duct tape.  You would think that in the 3-1/2 years we that we have been in the house we would have attended to such details, but the living room wall is still plastic so it didn't seem that urgent.  But our first project when the road is passable, is to get the tongue-in-groove wood up here and get that wall done.  I can hardly wait!

The dogs were both really barking Wednesday morning.  Once we got outside, we heard the wild turkeys that were causing them to get all worked up.  Saw some tracks fairly close to the house on the west side, too.  Also heard the blue grouse for the first time this year.

We had blue sky and sunshine all day Wednesday, but yesterday there was light snowfall for most of the day with the fog once again creeping in and out.  Same thing this morning.  JB drove down the shortcut to RJ's cabin and then the loop out his road and back up to ours in hopes of making easier access for this weekend.  He thinks he will be able to drive them all the way in to the cabin on RJ's road.  However when I spoke to RJ last night, they had to cancel their plans for various reasons  NOAA is predicting a snow storm beginning on Saturday, so it's probably a good thing they are not coming Up Here.

The day I posted the photo of rabbit tracks coming from the tipi, Aunt Nene advised me via e-mail that I should check inside the tipi to be sure it's not the Easter Bunny storing his Easter eggs in there!  She also thinks that if I don't want to put out a side of beef to entice the cougar near the game cam, I should at least put out some of my cookies.  She always sends e-mail comments on each posting and I always look forward to reading them.

Don't think I have written much about the magazine "Farm Show."   I am so intrigued by all the ingenious adaptations and inventions shown in it by farmers just making what they need.  Most of them would be of no use to us, but they are still fascinating to read about.  There are also some great recipes from readers.  But my favorite part of the magazine is the Editor's Notebook page by editor and publisher Mark Newhall.  This is where I get some of my political thoughts for the day.  I love the way this guy thinks!

Thought for the day:  The policy of American government is to leave its citizens free, neither restraining them nor aiding them in their pursuits.  Thomas Jefferson  (Well you certainly couldn't tell that by our current government!)

February 15, 2012

Finally - some wildlife. . .

Saw this squirrel yesterday sitting on the horse skull in the grove.  He was chewing on it for the calcium as little critters and birds often do.  Makes it hard to find good bones and antlers though.

JB baked bread on Monday adding Garden Herb seasonings to it - basil, marjoram, thyme and chives.  Yum!  One other aspect of gluten free bread that I don't think I have mentioned, is that it does not have to be kneaded.  Just let it rise for 15 minutes or so until it reaches the top of the pan, then put it in the oven to bake.  Kneading is strictly to prepare gluten so the bread will turn out right.  Tuesday evening he made German pancakes for Valentine's Day dinner.  With peaches and brown sugar on top - Oh, my!

On Monday he also cut the wood for the bathroom window sill.  He has to sand it, then put spar varnish on each piece before installing them.  After he does the bathroom window, he plans to cut and install the wood for the living room window sill.  His wood stove in the shop keeps him nice and toasty while he's working.

On Saturday I had cleaned the wood stove and, fortunately, this time I remembered to do it before I showered.  The dogs and I went for a short hike on Monday up to the peak on our south ridge, then down the fence line and back to the house.  Saw lots of deer tracks and found the YakTrax for my boot that I had lost the last time I hiked through the trees.  I spent Tuesday sorting and organizing most of my finished product for my crafting business.  I had been busy making jewelry, magnets and plaques when we lived in Illinois right up until I started packing to move, so I didn't have a chance to sell them all.  Did not realize just how many items I had!  I doubt I will be making earrings or pins anymore, as I want to concentrate more on cards and maybe necklaces.  I really enjoy making the beads and pendants out of polymer clay.  It is a fantastic medium to work with.

A very fine, wet snow was falling most of Tuesday but didn't really stick until about 3:30 pm when we went for our daily walk.  I think the surfaces were too warm from the previous few days when it was in the low 30's, and the snow was too wet. Yesterday's high was 27.  The fog was also creeping in and out, so it was definitely a good day for working inside.  Our walk was strictly for exercise, as we couldn't see very far at all.  February is usually a very mild month west of the Cascades, with temperatures sometimes reaching into the high 50's.  I mentioned that we listen to the NOAA weather station each day, and it is interesting that records for both the high and low temperatures in Wenatchee are very recent.  Nothing going back further that the mid-1960's, and most of them since the 1980's.

I haven't done any political ranting for a while, so here goes.  Regardless if you agree with their political views or not, it seems like there has not been any class in the White House since the Carters.  Well, except for Laura Bush.  And the Kennedy's put them all to shame.  Yeah, yeah, I realize that it is more important to have good, solid policies that have a positive effect on America, but it is also encouraging to have leaders with some class.  After all, they are our royalty, so to speak, and represent our country.  I am actually embarrassed by our current representation.  They simply don't have a clue. . . about anything.

Thought for the day:  We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe.  Goethe

February 13, 2012



Driving the short cut down to RJ's cabin



RJ's cabin in the snow

Sorry to disappoint those of you who were looking forward to game cam photos of wildlife.  These two old people obviously just don't understand about placement of the game cam.  There were no photos so once again we repositioned it on another tree.  If there are no photos this week then its the camera - not us. . .  We did see smaller cat prints on our drive yesterday in the same places as before.  These prints were probably a bobcat.
We drove MAX down to RJ's cabin yesterday to be sure everything is okay there - and it was.  We took the short cut down, then his road back to the main canyon road and back up to our road.  Because there has been no traffic on his road since it snowed, we had a rough time getting out.  On one slope up we had to dig out for about 15 ft. and on a couple others I got out and walked.  Fortunately going out the road is mainly flat or down hill.  We would never make it going up to his cabin on his road.  The dogs had a real work out and each one of them rode with us for about 1/4 mile to rest.  RJ, Mike and a friend of theirs want to come up this weekend for three days.  He should be able to drive his Jeep up to where the lower road turns off to his place and park it there.  JB will drive down in MAX to pick up RJ and Mike,  then drive them up our road to the short cut and they can snow shoe down to the cabin.  Their friend wants to walk all the way in their road to try out his new snow shoes.  On Monday, JB will drive back down the shortcut and bring them out on RJ's road.

Larry and Elsie came up late yesterday afternoon, with Larry mumbling something about kicking butt in "marbles."  And actually they did. . .  Elsie brought us some more eggs and garlic from her garden.

Since we have lived up here we have been keeping track of the weather on a daily basis.  JB has put that information into his computer and come up with some interesting facts.  Our snowfall has been as follows: winter 08-09 we received a total of 104.5 inches; winter 09-10 we received a total of 61 inches; winter 10-11 we received a total of 119.25 inches; this winter so far we have received 47.75 inches.  Of course we didn't have those totals on the ground all at one time with melting, compacting, and such.  Temperature averages are in the mid-twenties.

There is a good article in the current issue of BackWoods Home by Jackie Clay entitled "Homestead Burnout - What it is and How to Avoid It."  I don't really think of us as homesteaders as we are not aiming for complete self-sufficency and don't have any chickens, goats or cows, or a big garden.  I think we're just off-the-grid retired folks who are trying to be a little bit self-sufficient.  I doubt I have the motivation or energy for truly homesteading.  It makes me tired just reading about all the things Jackie does!

Thought for the day:  The statistics on sanity say that one out of every four Americans is suffering from mental illness.  Think of your three best friends.  If they're okay, then it's you.  Rita Mae Brown    

February 12, 2012




Melting snow Down There



Rimed wild flower stalks

 















It seems that some readers are logging on just in case I actually post a photo of a cougar, isn't that right Aunt Nene and Sandy?!!  Well, we're doing all we can to get one, short of putting out a side of beef by the game cam.  JB has seen more cat tracks in the snow on the road by our spring and up the driveway.  We'll see if we actually captured one with the camera when we check the game cam today.  Tune in Monday for the results.

I baked peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies on Friday from one of my Mom's recipes, and I think I have figured out the GF flour ratio to make them just perfect.  As if they were made with wheat flour.  The recipe called for 2-1/4 cups of flour, so I used 1-1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour and 1 cup brown rice flour with 1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum.  Bob's Red Mill flour calls for 1/4 tsp. xanthum gum per 1 cup of flour in cookie recipes.  Will just have to keep baking different kinds of cookies to be sure I have it right.  Yes, I admit it - I am a sugar addict.  Could be worse.

Saturday the fog/low clouds finally cleared and we had scattered clouds and sunshine.  This morning there is a clear blue sky.  The temperature Down There for the past few days has been in the high 30's and low 40's so, as you can see by the photo above, their snow is all melted.  We, on the other had, received an inch of snow on both Friday and Saturday.  We usually get snow Up Here in the Spring while they are getting rain.  One of our three neighbors in the canyon who has lived here the longest (17 years) has never received snow in March until last year, but we have had it March and April all three Springs we have been here.

I think I mentioned a while back that I was looking for a shampoo that would help my hair seem thicker, as I have very fine hair that is thinning with age.  Around Labor Day I purchased some Nioxin shampoo and rinse.  It definitely made a difference.  Nothing dramatic, but enough for me to detect.  However, I know it is all chemicals and finally confirmed that a few weeks ago when I got up the nerve to look at the ingredients.  Absolutely nothing natural, except water.  I bit the bullet and went back to using Dr. Bronner's castile soap for shampoo.  It is all natural, but doesn't help my hair feel any thicker.  I remembered something about adding baking soda to shampoo and looked at the list of uses on the package.  They suggest putting one teaspoon of soda in your shampoo once a week.  I did, and it worked, getting rid of the fly-away fineness and giving it some body.  I have never been disappointed with any of their suggestions.

A week ago Friday we finally watched "Inglorious Basterds".  I am never quite prepared for Quentin Tarantino films and this was no exception.  But as a WWII fantasy it was very entertaining.  If only. . .   My Mother's Father was a Jew, born and raised in Czechoslovakia.  He had a brother and two sisters, and his sisters and their families lived in Vienna.  My Mother was born there while her parents were visiting them, but she never spoke about them except for that visit.  I only discovered after she had passed away and I was reading some old family letters, that both sisters, their husbands and children were victims of the Holocaust.  I have no idea if his parents were still alive at that time or not.

This Friday we finally finished a project that we have successfully been putting off more more than a month now.  We put the last piece of wallboard up in the bathroom, re-arranged the stacked washer and dryer a bit, and hung up the mops and brooms.  Looks much better.  Now anytime Elsie wants to help me tape and mud is fine with me.  Unfortunately they are going to Mexico for a couple weeks in March, so that project my have to wait til April.  Not like we're in any hurry, since it's been this way for 3-1/2 years. . .

Thought for the day:  The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.  Thomas Jefferson

February 10, 2012



Rabbit tracks coming from the tipi




Dust cover for electronics






















I would like to say "Thank You" to readers who have posted comments.  I do appreciate the positive feedback.  So glad you are enjoying my musings.

Thursday was the second day in a row of being fogged in.  Perfect for doing all sorts of odds and ends inside, and reading.  Wednesday I finished Sue Grafton's book, I is for Innocent and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Was going to start again at the beginning of her series, but I remember too much about most of them as it has only been a couple years since I read them all for about the third time.  On Thursday I started Elizabeth Lowell's Midnight in Ruby Bayou, which is turning out to be a light, fun read.

JB and the dogs went for their daily morning walk on Wednesday to the south and north ridges, then after lunch JB took them on a longer walk down the road.  I, on the other hand, do not like going out in the fog so I pretty much stayed in both days except for getting firewood.  On Thursday JB had to go Down There for a doctor's appointment.  He took three bags of recycle paper since his route for the day took him right past the recycle station.  Larry is having a spate of bad days, so I sent a "Dammit Doll" for JB to give to him.  JB's Mom used to make them.  They are a cloth doll about a foot long with just legs, body and head on which is painted a screaming mouth, and an attached note that reads, "Dammit Doll - Just grasp it firmly by the legs, and find a place to slam it. . . And as you whack its stuffing out, YELL DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!"

By Thursday morning, all the trees, grass and bushes were frosted in white so you can't really see the green.  With the fog, there is no real color outside except for white and the grey shadows of the trees.  However when JB returned from Down There he said there was no fog by halfway down the canyon road.  So it wasn't fog - we were in low clouds.  This morning it is snowing.  Don't know just when it started but we already have about 1/2 inch.

In the mail on Tuesday was a letter from the Tooth Fairy in which she had enclosed two dollars for my pulled tooth!  Last year she had also sent JB some money for the teeth he had pulled.  Until we received that letter and noticed the return address, we had never realized that the Tooth Fairy lives at the same address as my Aunt Nene.  What a coincidence!

While JB was Down There on Thursday, I finally put up a "dust cover" over the shelves under the TV on which we keep the DVD player, stereo receiver, etc.  Since I am definitely not going to purchase a cabinet with glass doors, I used two valences from the kitchen curtains I had up before Elsie gave me the lacy ones.  I think they look pretty good.  (See photo above.) 

I started on the fourth row of wood in the woodshed yesterday, so now we are into the Douglas Fir from the yard of JB's brother.  It is more than four months' dry and burns nice and slowly.  The third row of wood lasted a month, so this one ought to also, as it is the same length - 12', although each row is not quite as tall the the last one, going down with the slope of the roof.  I will start using the wood on the porch in March even though there are still two full rows of wood behind the one I just started.  Don't want to have to move more wood than necessary from the porch to the shed. . .

The Thought for the Day is one of my very favorites, which I think is from A Course in Miracles:  When we reach the edge of all the light we have ever known and take that first step into the dark unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen - we will have something solid to stand on or we will learn to fly.

February 8, 2012




Tilting the solar panels, before. . .

  

. . . and after.















On Monday it was time to tilt the solar panels to a different angle for maximum power from the sun.  For the winter sun, they are tilted all the way down.  Depending upon one's location, there are four specific dates on which to tilt the panels half way up or down.  For us the suggested dates are the 5th of February, May, August and November.  Tilting them this month makes me feel like Spring is on the way, especially since the days are so obviously getting longer.

Larry and Elsie drove up Monday evening and we played "marbles" again.  The guys are really suckers for that game.  So far the girls have won four out of five times. . .  Lots of fun and a very enjoyable evening.  Plus they brought us 1-1/2 dozen eggs!  With lots of variety in both size and color.

Had to go Down There on Tuesday to get my mouth checked out by the doctor (oral surgeon).  I had referred to him as a dentist but that is a misnomer as he is both an MD and DDS.  Everything seems to be healing just fine, and we had a few minutes to chat about our life on the mountain.  The doctor was very intrigued, and his assistants thought it was so cool that I was wearing my Carhartt winter overalls.  Well, it was 20 when we left Rose Camp at 9:00 am, but 39 Down There by noon.  Did some shopping, picked up the mail, got lunch, and, of course, a vanilla latte.  It was 30 when we arrived home and got an ecstatic greeting from the dogs.  JB had discovered that Fred Meyer had rice tortillas so for dinner we had BLT wraps.  Very good as long as the tortillas stayed warm.

It was a beautiful, sunny day so the drives down and back up the mountain were invigorating and gorgeous.  When we came back up last week after my dental surgery, I barely remembered the ride back up, except for the colors.  Reminiscent of that old Mother Goose and Grimm Sunday comic where Grimm (the dog) is curious why cats get so excited about catnip.  He gets into some and as his eyes glaze over, his comment is, "Ooohh, the colors!"


And speaking of colors (white), I am fascinated with the way the surface of the snow changes with the temperature.  It can be just "regular" snow after it falls, or crusty with ice if it has melted a little.  Or shimmering with little ice crystals like it was on Sunday (see photo below).  Every day seems a little different.  When I let the dogs out at 5:30 this morning it was lightly snowing, but now the fog has moved in.  

Thought for the day:  This history of liberty is the history of limitation of government power, not the increase of it.  Woodrow Wilson

Snow crystals



February 6, 2012



Dinga's snow "angel"



Snow on a dried wild flower





















Oh, my!  GF sourdough flaphjacks have forever taken the place of pancakes on my menu!  They are so much more tasty, with more body.  And with real maple syrup - well, need I say more?

I finished Sue Grafton's V is for Vengence, and was thoroughly entertained as always.  This book was written a little differently, slowly introducing all the characters and setting the scene.  Was a leisurely read until 2/3 of the way through when I simply could NOT put it down, much to JB's chagrin.  A couple hours after I finished it on Sunday, I started G is for Gumshoe which is one of the few books in the series that I was missing.  The third one that JB gave me for Christmas is I is for Innocent which I will read next.  Then I may start at the beginning and read them all once again.  I do that occasionally with my favorites, another of which is The Cat Who . . . series by Lillian Jackson Braun.

I mentioned that I had vacuumed and cleaned house before going to the dentist, which I am so thankful that I had done, but of course I did not dust.  I am sure I have said before that clean Up Here is different from clean Down There, this being a cabin in the woods.  Dusting was done before Christmas and will be done again during Spring Cleaning.  Up Here dust bunnies are considered pets, not pests.  And dust motes in the air are referred to as fairy dust.  However, we do clean the hearth about every other day with all the debris from the firewood.  Just letting you know in case you ever decide to visit Rose Camp. . .

But speaking of pests, since about the middle of January whenever we get a sunny day, we also get five to ten yellow jackets in the loft at the window.  They are still very sleepy so are easy to swat, but I am surprised there are so many of them as I did not see them swarm last Fall.  Definitely have to finish caulking outside this year.

And speaking of Spring cleaning, with my resurgence of energy I cleaned out the bathroom drawers on Sunday.  That sure feels good, especially since I did not find an over abundance of any supplies like I did in the linen closet.

Checked the game cam on Sunday, and once again we had obviously placed it too high to catch any movement.  When we put the card back, we also moved the game cam way down on the tree which sits on a ledge overlooking where the road comes up to our driveway and makes a sharp turn heading up to Erno's property.  Hopefully next week I will have some deer and bunny photos to post.

Thought for the day:  Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.  Albert Einstein

February 5, 2012



From my walk on Thursday



Pine Drops in the snow on
Friday's walk





















My energy level is way up since my tooth was extracted (I say "extracted" because it was not merely pulled).  I think the decay from the tooth was poisoning my whole system, or maybe I'm just so relieved to have it out.  I have read that bad teeth can be a real detriment to your heart health, not to mention your breath. . .

The dogs and I took a long hike on Friday.  We left after lunch, and after JB was done baking bread so he could come with us.  I really enjoy hiking the circle east on our south ridge to the peak and along the ridge where it ends at the top of Erno's property, then down the road to our driveway and back up to Rose Camp.  The views are always phenomenal, and so was the day.  JB decided to turn back while we were still on the ridge so he wouldn't have to hike up our steep driveway.  I should have worn my snow shoes as it had snowed several times since our last sojourn to that area.  The dogs had it even worse than I did, so needless to say we all got our exercise.  I have never seen so many rabbit tracks.  They must be madly procreating this winter.  We even had several tracks in our yard Saturday morning.  And still lots of deer tracks.   Must have been some sort of wild critter meeting Up Here this past week.

Friday morning JB had also made a new gluten-free sourdough recipe that he had found on line.  Unfortunately he had closed the lid on the container in which he made it and set it in the sun.  When the dogs and I returned from our hike, I noticed that it had exploded all over the counter and floor!  We cleaned up the mess - wish I had thought to take a picture of it - and JB made some more.  He plans to make sourdough flapjacks for breakfast this morning.

It was 18 outside Friday morning and a bit chilly inside.  Neither of us had got up during the night to feed the fire.  If it is not in the single digits, I don't set the alarm.  It is interesting that when we lived Down There, I always turned the furnace down to 62 at night, but it never seemed at cold as it does Up Here at that temperature.  Maybe because the forced air furnace was able to heat up the house more quickly than the wood stove does.  However, I much prefer the warmth of a wood stove, and I love to stand by it even if I'm not really cold.

Thought for the day:  The difference between a welfare state and a totalitarian state is a matter of time.  Ayn Rand

February 3, 2012

Sculpted snow on bird bath
& stump in background

Wednesday wasn't so bad, still floating.  However on Thursday the melancholia of worn off drugs set in.  Plus my swollen cheek looked like some old man's jowl.  I am developing my own set so I certainly do not need any help in that area.  JB had to go Down There for an annual doctor's appointment, so after chores I forced myself outside for a walk up to the peak.  Was a sunny day with a few clouds and the walk helped perk up my attitude.

I had vacuumed and generally cleaned house on Monday so I wouldn't have to worry about any of that for the rest of the week.  Thank you, Self.  JB had managed to get the snow blower running, having cleaned off the spark plug for the umpteenth time.  Also got another spare axle ordered for MAX.

We think that every deer in the area came up to Rose Camp Sunday night and into early Monday morning for some sort of get-together.  The dogs woke us up twice during the night with their barking, which is very unusual.  Monday morning there were deer tracks everywhere!

Finally finished the fourth book George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series.  Will now get into the three Sue Grafton books that JB gave me for Christmas, if I can manage to drag my mind out of the Seven Kingdoms.

Thought for the day:   Always read the stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.  P. J. O'Rourke

February 1, 2012

This is where I want to spend today

The dentist has both his finger and my tooth.  The latter having had to be extracted surgically.  It's a bit foggy Up Here this morning, and so am I. So this will be short and sweet today, while I go hold frozen peas on my jaw.

Thought for the day:  Security is mostly a superstition.  It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a dairing adventure, or nothing.   Helen Keller