March 9, 2012



Larry standing on top
of boulder



Larry standing next
to boulder
















When Larry and Elsie first arrived Up Here last Saturday evening, Larry was going on and on about how we were really going to have a rough time getting out our road as a very large boulder had rolled down on it.  Elsie had pictures on her camera that they had taken, and as I looked at them I couldn't figure out where on our road it could be.  Turns out it was actually on their road that goes up the canyon near their house.  Ha, Ha, Larry!  That's it in the photos above, and as you can see, it is really huge.  Not only that, but our car is parked down at the mouth of that canyon!

The arctic freeze that was predicted for Wednesday night never arrived.  It was back up into the low 30's on Thursday, but more snow is due over the weekend.  Looks like it's going to be a warm on today too, as it is already 32 at 7:00 a.m.  The sun was so warm on our walk yesterday that I really didn't need a coat.

JB is going Down There today for groceries and to send and pick up mail.  He'll have to go again next week to pick up the pump we ordered, which should be perfect for dealing with the water under the house.  It has a small gas motor and can sit outside our bedroom window.  We ordered 40 ft. of inbound hose and 20 ft. of outbound hose.

Wednesday and Thursday were indoor days for me.  Just making cards, reading, and normal chores.  My muse and I seem to be in sinc right now.  Some days I couldn't create a card if my life depended upon it, and other days I can't make them fast enough.

JB cleaned off his workbench in the shop on Wednesday in preparation for starting to learn glass cutting.  He built a fire in there Thursday morning, and after lunch started to teach himself how to use his glass cutting kit.  He also has a glass etching kit.  We have been keeping all our glass bottles. Not quite sure exactly he has in mind, but am glad he has a new hobby.

The other day I was looking through a book on ghost towns in the west that was my Dad's.  His interest in the history of the old west peaked my interest at an early age and I have become a fan also.  I remember when I was in the fourth grade, my Dad, Mom and Grandmother (Dad's Mother) went on a trip to several old west towns and ghost towns.  They started in Virginia City, NV, and ended up in Bodie, CA.  I was devastated that they didn't take me, but we had an International pickup back then, and there was only room for three people.  I have the photos they took, and many years later JB and I visited Bodie and took our own pictures.  My Dad had visited Bodie in the '40's and always told the story about the old timer who was still living there.  As he walked down the streets with Dad, he greeted people only he could see.  Townspeople and miners who used to live there. . .

JB and I had our own interesting visit.  When we arrived on the washboard dirt road, we drove to the cemetery first.  I love old cemeteries.  It was a clear, hot day but as soon as we got out of the car, a small dark cloud appeared and created a torrential downpour over just the cemetery.  We made a quick visit then drove into town, and looking back, the cloud had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.  The town had deteriorated since my parents' visit, but it was still fascinating, and left me wondering if I had been there before in another life. . .

Thought for the day:  It is not the length of life, but depth of life.  Ralph Waldo Emerson