Sept 24, 2012 Hanging In There



Squirrel drinking out of the dogs'
water dish



RJ came to breakfast Friday.  He stayed and talked til almost noon, and was going to leave for Seattle around 4:00 pm.  He'll be back Up Here in about a week or so.

The smoke cleared up nicely Friday evening so I opened all the windows to air out the house and cool it off.  Since it was so clear, I worked on cutting up branches from the felled trees after dinner when it cooled down.  Am stacking the green wood outside the roof of the wood shed but still inside the fence enclosure.  Worked til it was too dark to see.  Closed all but two windows before we went to bed and woke up to smoke.  Really socked in Saturday morning and looked like a light fog.  Not a very auspicious beginning for Autumn.

Tried the well pump but still no water.  Am going to buy several more 2-1/2 gallon water containers when I go Down There on Tuesday to do the laundry.  Anything larger is just too heavy for us to be carrying around.  Will fill them up at Larry and Elsie's on the way back home.

Everything inside and out is dirty from the smoke.  Am not going to dust until it all clears up.  It is very frustrating not to be able to be outside all the time when there is so much to do.  We need to haul up the wood that JB brought over from the West side and split it.  Have to get that wood shed full.  JB did get a large pile of branches chipped.  He moved the chipper over where we felled the trees and just spread the chippings there.  I worked on getting all the cooked freezer meat vacuum sealed.  Didn't like the idea of him working outside, but chipping doesn't require a lot of exertion.

We heard thunder way to the northeast of us but nothing close by, thank goodness.  Nothing more predicted in the near future, except some rain north of us tomorrow.

The air was so much better yesterday.  Couldn't see the mountains, but we could see the surrounding hills.  We had a slight breeze and 50 seconds of rain.  JB finished splitting the trees by hand (he started on Thursday) and I stacked the wood.  He cuts and rests.  Cuts and rests.  The important part is to know your limits and when to stop.  I worked on gathering and cutting branch wood from stacks on the east slope.  I have filled the area under the roof of the wood shed where I stack it, so am now stacking outside the roof, next to the fence on the opposite side of where I am stacking the green wood.  Still need 3-1/2 rows of the larger wood.

Finally checked the trail cam for the first time in three weeks.  The only animals caught on it were coyotes.  I guess everyone else is just trying to get away from the smoke.

JB is going to town today to pick up a few things for his various small projects.  He is also going to check on a small true-syne-wave inverter that we could use just for the washer and battery charging.  

For about a month now we have had a house frog (under the house) and a shop frog.  They are so small and yet so loud!  When the shop frog gets to talking it seems to echo off the metal walls and you can hear him all over the place.  Fortunately they don't seem to be into duets. . .

Thought for the day:  It is better to wear out than rust out.  George Whitefield