March 16, 2012



Odd tracks on the South ridge



More odd tracks. . .

JB saw these odd tracks on the South ridge Wednesday morning when he and the dogs hiked up to the panels to clean them off.  I took photos on our afternoon walk.  We came up with all sorts of possibilities (and some improbabilities) until we finally realized that they were the dogs' tracks in deep snow where they dragged their feet between steps.  The tracks had melted, spread out, and refroze.  A case where fiction would have been much more interesting than the fact. . .

With the warm weather we had recently, Larry told us that he had found a tick on their Beagle.  Sure enough, on Tuesday we found our first tick of the year on Jesse and the second one on him Wednesday.  I've been combing them both every couple days as that is a good way to find the ticks, both attached and unattached.

A very light, soft snow started falling Wednesday morning about 9:00 a.m.  It snowed all day but by 4:00 p.m. we only had 1-1/2".  Yesterday warmed up to 37 so no snow, just sleet and rain moving in and out all day long.  With the new warming, I had to work on the drainage "ditch" in front of the house as it was all ice again, but the snow and ice on the south side were melting.  Mid afternoon JB heard running water and we discovered that a stream was getting in under the porch where the south side meets the house.  I quickly diverted it and we turned on the pump.  Seems that water had filled up the pond again.  Thank goodness for the pump Larry and Elsie brought up.  Today JB is going Down There to pick up our pump and we can work on getting all the water out from under the house.  On Wednesday, I filled the shop vac and JB made eight trips with it outside.  Still a small lake under there even though it's not being fed any more. 

I really got suckered this year into thinking about and mentally preparing for Spring with that stretch of warm weather we had, when in reality we have at least another four to six weeks of Winter left Up Here.  Being retired and Up Here, I have become more aware of the seasons and their passing.  Spring warms and blossoms into Summer.  Summer cools into Autumn.  But Winter fights its way in and out.  Here in Washington there always seems to be a big storm the week of Thanksgiving and then Winter takes hold.  After ruling for several months, Winter fights Spring's advances sometimes all the way into June, butting heads with Summer.  Each year is quite an adventure in the mountains.

We have used up all the stick wood on the porch, along with the small inside rows of wood on each end.  So on Wednesday, JB took the frame and tarp that we had used for the stick wood and put them in the woodshed.  I swept the porch and stacked the 2X4's we on which we placed the wood.  Snow or no snow, the porch is beginning to get ready for Spring.  Now we can bring the chairs up from inside the tipi on nice days (over 35 degrees and no precipitation) and sit on the porch.  We already put the dogs' beds out when it is dry.

I really enjoy the off-the-grid writer who contributes to each issue of "Home Power" magazine.  This month's article is on raising pigs, which they plan to do this year.  She quotes one of her neighbors who raises them as saying, "Our animals have a great life and just one bad day!"  I love it!

I finally started my last Jim Butcher novel, Turn Coat.  I have been saving it but just couldn't wait any longer.  He is, by far, my favorite novelist.  And Harry Dresden is my favorite fiction character.  Am not-so-patiently waiting for his next book to come out in paperback.

When JB was Down There last week, he discovered a brand of frozen gluten free frozen waffles and purchased a box.  Nature's Path Gluten Free Buckwheat Wildberry waffles - very light and tasty!

Thought for the day:  In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.  Aristotle