Nov 21, 2012 Sun and Washer



Rain barrel we have inside so it
won't freeze.  Not finished with the
water we put in it before broken
pipes were discovered.


Monday brought rain for the day, so we ran the generator while I blogged and then we did the dishes.  The service man for the washing machine called about 10:30, so JB drove my Jeep down to meet them at the pavement.  He had a four-wheel drive pickup and was able to drive up to where our road turns off the main canyon road.  JB drove him the rest of the way in the Jeep as the hair-pin turn below our driveway is a muddy mess.  He was able to figure out what is wrong with the washer, but said we could use it until he comes back to put the parts in.  Great!  And that's just what I did on Tuesday, since we had already used the generator Monday.

I worked on Christmas cards and gifts while JB was driving up and down the mountain.  We played cards at the kitchen table after dinner using just one light as we didn't want to use much electricity.  Used a candle lantern in the bathroom.

In looking around Tuesday morning, it seems like we are just 100 ft or so short of having received snow instead of rain on Monday.  All the mountains and ridges nearby are white, but Rose Camp is brown.  Almost all of our snow disappeared with the rain.  Throughout the day we had just about every kind of weather: wind, fog, pouring rain, and even moments of sunshine and blue sky when the wind blew the clouds and fog away.  This morning we have sunshine and lots of blue sky, but we did receive a heavy dusting of snow during the night.  Very windy, with more snow predicted.

JB drove MAX down the road aways to try and smooth out a couple ruts, and dig a drain for the water.  I wrapped gifts for a few hours.  It's not that I have a lot of gifts to wrap, but I tend to get obsessive about having whatever is printed on the wrapping paper centered just right on the front of the package.  I know I waste more paper than I should, however. . .

Talked to Nene and she said they had 5-1/2" of rain on Monday!  Lots of streets are closed due to flooding, and the rain has similarly affected many other small towns on the Olympic Penninsula.  She also told me that the weather people are predicting a Pineapple Express for this winter.  Oh, goodie!  More mud.  I much prefer snow to mud.

And speaking of our road, it is funny how our attitude towards driving on it has changed over the years.  When we were camping Up Here, we would always joke that if it rained we would have to call in sick to work because we couldn't get out.  After living at Rose Camp for more than four years now, our attitude is more, "Oh, it's only been raining for three days.  Should be no problem." Or: "It's only 10" of new snow.  The Jeep will do just fine."

I've also been thinking about how being constantly involved in activities that have to do with our daily needs is so very satisfying.  Very grounding.  Not just turning the tap on and taking it for granted that the water will flow, but having to fill the cistern and maintain access to our water supply.  Not just turning on the furnace and assume the necessary fuel is there, but gathering, cutting, stacking and bringing in firewood for the stove.  Maintaining a supply of food so we don't have to drive Down There so often, or just in case. . .  It's all part of the life that I believe people these days have become too removed from.  Everthing is too easy.  For many it seems that any part of life that requires work seems very irritating and unwanted.  Even down to taking time to understand how our government works.  So many people blame the wrong office holder for what goes wrong, and give credit to the wrong ones when things go right.  People just don't realize that we have to work at democracy, or we will lose it.  And it seems that we may be well on our way to losing it.

Thought for the day:  To sit back hoping that someday, someway, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will. Ronald Reagan