Jan 30, 2013 Warming Up Again



Main canyon road on the S-curve



Storm that's dropping up to 4 ft of snow
on the mountains


















On monday morning it was, once again, overcast and 20.  Looked like it was snowing in the mountains to the west.  Blue sky and sun to the south in the late afternoon, so we managed to pull in some power.

I was able to back JB's Jeep right into its parking place with barely any shoveling.  After three days.  Go figure.  Had to put some air in a couple of MAX's tires and discovered a broken cleat.  JB had to carefully remove it without damaging the rubber track.

Got almost all the photos sorted out and put away.  One small box left, but enough is enough for now.

Finally!!  A hockey season!!  Go Black Hawks!

Tuesday: Happy Birthday, Elsie!

Was cloudy and 25 with many of the clouds scurrying across the sky from the northwest.  They soon were gone and we had mostly blue sky for the day with a high of 36.

Drove down to Larry's and Elsie's to drop off her birthday present.  Let their dogs out and gave them a treat.  We gave her a pink T-shirt that says, "As a matter of fact I do shoot like a girl."  And has a target with a hit bulls eye.  Bought myself the matching ball cap.  Oh, Yeah!  It was a great ride but I spaced out and didn't put on any toe or hand warmers.  Hopefully that will never happen again. . .

Will finish the last of the back two rows of firewood in the shed today.  Still have the front two, taller rows to go plus all the wood on the porch.  This year I am going to stack the wood in rows from back to front instead of side to side.  It will mean restacking the wood we don't burn this winter, but will make for easier access to all the wood and the older wood won't get stuck in the back.

Thought for the day:  We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker.  It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.  Ronald Reagan

Jan 28, 2013 Full Wolf Moon



Runaway firewood sled





Where it should have gone!



















Friday was cloudy with a high of 32.  No precipitation until we were about two minutes into our afternoon walk.  Then it started hailing.  Tiny little dots of hail, which turned to snow flakes by the time we got back to the house.  And then it stopped.

Had a nice long talk with RJ.  Helped JB put the chains he just bought on two of the tires on his Jeep.  Looks like the links are rather small to do any good.  Plus the snow is getting soft with all the warmer temperatures we have been experiencing.

Pizza and movie night.  Watched "Hunger Games."  WOW!  So well done.  Might have to read the books.  When the movie was over, it looked like street lights were on outside.  I love these bright, moon-shining-on-the-snow nights!

Saturday was cloudy, 20, with valley fog, and snow and colder temperatures in the forecast.  Was a full wolf moon and absolutely beautiful.  Am having a problem capturing it with the camera though.

The past few days we have had a very active pileated woodpecker in our yard.  Bits of bark from the fence posts litter the snow.  And as far as flying things go inside the house, we are back to only one or two wasps if any.

Keep forgetting to note that we have had deer tracks up on the south ridge for the past week.  JB and the dogs spooked a grouse on their morning walk and saw deer tracks on the north ridge.

Sunday dawned clear and 20 with valley fog, but it soon became overcast with a breeze.  The sun did manage to peek through a couple times though and the batteries seem to be doing fine.

There were deer tracks near the game cam, but no photos of them.  We got busy trying to move JB's Jeep back to its parking space and didn't take the card back down to the camera.  Will do that today.  Meanwhile we were only able to move the Jeep about one car-length.  Three more to go to get it back in its parking place.

Worked on organizing photos, printed not digital.  Have several small boxes and a few albums with pictures just put in randomly.  A few more days working on them ought to do it.

The path along which I pull the sled loaded with firewood is just slick enough so that when I get to the edge of the yard, I can give it a gentle nudge and it will slide all the way to the porch.  However, on Saturday, it somehow got on top of the snow and slid way down by MAX!  (See photos above.)

Am becoming a bit manic with sudoku lately.  Probably because I'm not in the mood to read a book yet.  Doing a lot of crossword puzzles too.

Sandy e-mailed us about the change in the credit card law so that the consumer now pays the 3% charge instead of the credit card company or retailer. . .  Unbelievable.

Thought for the day:  The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. . . The remarkable thing is: we have a choice every day of our lives regarding the attitude we embrace for the day.  We cannot change our past.  We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.  I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. . .   Charles Swindoll 

Jan 25, 2013 Snow & Tears



The moose wine-holder I gave to JB
for Christmas


Woke up Wednesday to overcast skies with 12 degrees - and there was a bird singing outside our window!!  It sounded like a robin, but I find that hard to believe and I wasn't able to see it.  It started snowing a little after 11:00 am and continued for most of the day but we only received about 3/4".

Finished reading all the newspapers, magazines and mail.  Vacuum-packed the meat JB brought for the freezer.  Just a lazy inside day.

The Wenatchee paper had an article about a sasquatch siting near the cemetary on January 9.  Seems a local tracker who has studied sasquatch sitings for 25 years heard about it on the radio.  He went to the site and made plaster casts of footprints that he described "as looking similar to those of a bear, but with wide spread toes."  Hmmm.  Maybe that's why the dogs have been barking so much lately. . .

Larry and Elsie got a nice video on their game cam of a bobcat.  It was walking up the slope through the snow away from the camera.  Always so much more "real" than a still shot.

Thursday was sunny again with a high of 22.  The fog kept trying to sneek up from the canyons, but was unsuccessfull in its attempts, thank goodness.

Had a nice long talk with Aunt Nene.  Losing Jack is so very hard for her after their marriage of 68 years.  But she is spunky and so determined to make a go of it on her own.  Meanwhile my tears are staining the notes I'm making for Jack's eulogy.  His memorial service will be February 16, so I will go over a few days before and stay a few days after.  Hopefully I can talk her into coming over to visit us this year.  She has wanted to sleep in RJ's cabin loft, and have coffee on our deck while enjoying the view.

I got a good start on one of my winter projects, that I keep putting off, which is organizing our geneaological information for JB's family.  Getting it out of boxes and into binders.

Am getting hooked on the TV series "The Vampire Diaries".  Our son says he prefers "True Blood", so I'll have to see if I can find the first season of that one on sale too.

Thought for the day:  There are angels whose job it is to be sure you do not get too warm, too glad or too comfortable and miss out on life. . .

Jan 23, 2012



The view from my bench on our north ridge
Tuesday morning
(the dark blob is in my camera lens)


So much for our warming trend.  Monday morning was clear and 12.  The cold is fine, it's the sun that counts, but I hate using the generator on sunny days.  So I saved the laundry for Tuesday or Wednesday as there is snow in the forecast.

The dogs and I went on a hike down the road about 1/2 mile.  Had to stay on the road as I did not wear my snow shoes and sunk in at least to my knees if I strayed off.  JB worked on his computer, and sorted out old papers.

Still writing, not reading. . .

Was cold again Tuesday morning.  Light overcast and 10, with a high of only 14.  JB went down there and was back before 3:00 pm.  I did the laundry and other chores.  Took the dogs on their morning walk and brought in the wood then too.  Took a few minutes to sit on my bench on the north ridge and contemplate the view and the Universe.

Had to call JB while he was Down There to give him the tire size on his Jeep so he could buy chains for it.  He asked if it was snowing Up Here as he was seeing a few flakes Down There.  I told him there are always more flakes Down There than Up Here. . .

Tuesday is JB's day to cook dinner and even though he had spent the day going to town, he made jambalaya!  He had bought sausage and fresh shrimp for it while grocery shopping, and it was yummy.

Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze has another interesting article in the Feb/Mar issue of "Home Power" magazine.  It's about acorns and all the ways she is learning to fix them.  I often wish I was more into making my own food from scratch.  I mean really "scratch" like she is doing.  Should have got an earlier start on this kind of life.  Just too lazy now.

This issue of "Home Power" also has an excellent article on a simple, solar power exhaust system for keeping a crawl space dry.  I think we will attempt to install one this summer.  Sounds easy and is inexpensive.

JB made raisin bread last week from a Bob's Red Mill mix.  Not as delicious as his Mom's, but very good.

Thought for the day:  Some things have to be believed to be seen.

Jan 21, 2013 A Family Loss



Dinga chewing on a chunk of ice


Friday morning the valley fog was lower than on Thursday and there was a definite rime line on the canyon sides.  It was still 32 when we got up.  JB left for Down There at 9:30 am and was back by 2:00 pm.  I did laundry, dishes, etc.  The high for the day was 40!  The dogs thought Spring was on the way and were outside most of the day.

It was pizza and movie night, so we watched "The Dark Knight Rises."  Long, like most Batman movies, but I loved the twists and especially the ending.

Saturday was sunny again with a high of 35.  But it was a very sad family day as Uncle Jack passed away from complications of the flu.  He was 87, and he and Aunt Nene had been married 68 years.  Not sure yet when the memorial service will be, but Nene has asked me to give the eulogy.  A great honor, but a weighty one.  I will go over to stay with her a few days before the service and then stay a few days afterwards.

JB and I worked on making MAX's parking place larger.  JB broke up the ice and hardened snow, then I shoveled it out.  Dinga was thrilled at all the ice chunks.  She loves chewing on them.

Larry and Elsie drove up in the evening with the first fresh eggs of the season.  We played "marbles" so the guys could have their egos stroked.  Elsie completely made up for her bad luck during the last game, but that night the dice hated me.  Was still a close game.

We have been much warmer Up Here than down at their place for the past few days.  They haven't even hit the mid 20's because of the fog and inversion layer.

Yesterday was nice again, with a few high clouds and a high of 28.  It has been warming up so much that the wasps are venturing out of their inside nest.  We had more than 20 in the loft during the day, and at least four downstairs.

I tried to start reading The Elephant Whisperer, but these days are for writing, not reading.  JB is going Down There on Tuesday to do grocery shopping.

The weekend seems like it was two weeks long.  When your private world changes dramatically, time slows down and your reality shifts.  In this case, our mortality was brought into focus and it was driven home, once again, that all we really have is this moment, regardless of our age or circumstances.  This moment, and only we can make the most of it.  When I lived Down There, I would go out after such an event and seeing life going on as if nothing had happened, I would scream at the Universe, "But don't you understand?!  There has been a change!"  And the Universe would whisper back to me, "Ah, but I do understand.  All is as it should be.  Change is the only constant, and you are Loved."  Now living Up Here, I look out at the snow covered mountains and canyons, and, still, all is as it was.  But it is soothing and I am calm.  And I feel loved, and know that angels surround is all, comforting and protecting.

Thought for the day:  If we discovered that we had only five minutes left to say all that we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they loved them.  Christopher Morley

Jan 18, 2013 More Sun!

Valley fog to the southeast



Mt Baker to the northwest












Wednesday was another gloriously bright day with a high of 30.  Now when we go for our afternoon hike about 3:45, the sun is not just barely above the horizon, but each day a little higher and shining directly in our eyes as we go west on our south ridge.  A promise of longer, warmer days ahead.

JB worked a bit on MAX, trying to figure out what the odd noise was when we went to visit Larry and Elsie.  A chain had not come off, as he thought, but a metal stake had fallen on it and rattled around.  I sat on my bench on the north ridge for a while and watched the wild.

Thursday was not as warm, but still clear and sunny, at least Up Here.  We thought the high was 25 until JB went out to check the temperature at 9:30 pm, as he usually does before we go to bed, and it had jumped to 32!  There has been valley fog for a few days which is supposed last until Tuesday afternoon.  I managed to get inside and outside chores done, but HAD to finish The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.  Absolutely fascinating!  Am going to have to google "noetic science."  Have heard everything mentioned in the book but am sure that by now there is so much more.

I let Jesse out at 7:00 am and called him when he had not returned by 8:15.  Heard a couple faint barks in the direction of the south ridge, but when he hadn't come back by 8:30, we got concerned.  The best way to get him back home is to get all bundled up to go look for him, so we did.  Sure enough, as soon as JB stepped out on the porch, he saw Jesse just coming over the ridge.  Works every time. . .

Nene had e-mailed on Tuesday that Uncle Jack had come down with the nasty flu that's going around and she was try to keep him hydrated.  She called last night to let me know that he was in the hospital.  Not looking good as his kidneys are starting to shut down. . .

JB is going Down There today for mail and a few errands.  I am expecting three packages, one of which will be large.  He won't have room for everything if he buys groceries, so he will do that shopping next Tuesday.

Thought for the day:  The only rights you have in this world are the ones you are willing to fight for.

Jan 16, 2013 Dust, Snow & Sun



Paths through the snow in
our yard




Our Arctic blast disappeared abruptly, leaving us with thinly overcast skies and a high of 23 on Monday.  A cold breeze made it seem colder though.

On our afternoon walk, two large golden eagles soared over us on the south ridge.  One of them swooped down into the trees and over the house.  Absolutely stunning!

When I took items off the shelves to photograph them for my family heirloom booklet, I had to dust them off.  Had to dust off the shelf before putting them back, then the other shelves were in obvious need of cleaning.  So I ended up dusting the whole great room, and it isn't even Spring yet!

We ate dinner a little early on Monday so we could get ready for our visit to Larry and Elsie.  Took our emergency backpack, as usual, along with three flashlights and a blanket.  MAX's lights don't work because the battery is dead (the motor has a pull start), so I held a flashlight to be our headlight.  We made it down the mountain in about 35 minutes.  A much easier drive than JB had expected.  Had a great visit and an interesting game of "marbles" (it was definitely NOT Elsie's night for dice).  Going back up the road seemed a lot bumpier, but we were home by 9:30 and were greeted by the dogs as if we had been gone all day.  An exhilerating winter ride that we must take more often.

Their chickens have begun laying eggs again now that the sun has been shining more often.  Only about two eggs per day, but the problem is that by the time Larry and Elsie get home from work, the eggs are frozen!  Elsie has to put them in the refrigerator to defrost.

Tuesday was proof that our cold snap had ended.  It began with 23 degrees and we had a high of 36.  Turned out to be a glorious, bright, blue-sky-and-sunshine day.  Melting snow dripped off all the eaves.  It was the day I had been hoping for in order to clean out the wood stove, which was about two weeks overdue.  No fire was needed after lunch, so we could let it cool off enough to get in and clean it just before dinner.

After lunch JB dug out the path to the door of the shop where snow and ice sliding off the roof had blocked it.  I brought in the fire wood, then tried some sledding on the paths and driveway.  Got going way too fast for a sled that is tricky to steer and ended up in deep snow on the side of the drive.  Better than a tree. . .  But what fun it was!

I never realized it until we moved Up Here, but the snow seems to melt more from the bottom than the top.  It just deflates like a leaky balloon.  Didn't melt too much yesterday, but at least I can see the top of our moose welcome sign now.

Over the weekend JB found a great recipe for gluten-free French bread, and made two 9" loaves.  Very good, and toasts up nicely.  The recipe is in Carol Fenster's cookbook, Gluten Free Quick & Easy.

Have finished book #21 of The Cat Who . . . series, and started re-reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.  It's been a while, but I have read all of his books at least twice and thoroughly enjoyed them. 

Thought for the day:  To live in the world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books.  The Secret Teachings of All Ages  From The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Jan 14, 2013 Fighting Cold. . . & Old



Saturday's view of the mountains to the west


As I finished blogging Friday morning, snow flakes began gently floating down from the clouds.  They were in no hurry to reach the ground, and reminded me of pieces of cottonwood fluff that all but ignore the earth's gravity.  They stopped by noon with no noticeable impact on our landscape.  It was another very cold day, and the temperatures have continued to fall since then.

Even with my arthritis, that I mentioned on Friday, and all the years under my belt, I still do not feel old.  Not mentally, emotionally or physically.  I don't dress old, and I'm pretty sure I don't act old (sometimes to the chagrin of our son).  My Mother, on the other hand, was always very proper about things like that.  Always acting and dressing the way the current culture considered she should for her age.  She was raised in London, so being proper was quite important to her.  I think her Mother would not have seemed so old had she not been ill for so many years.  My Grandmother had a wicked sense of humor, even with the pain she was in.  Both she and my paternal Grandmother died in their mid-sixties.  My Mother passed at age 72, and was more than ready to leave this earthly plain.  It may be that my generation of women, with Women's Lib and all, are the first generation in general to beat back the ideas of how to act at what age.  Works for me!

JB's Mom, at 91, says she's old, and her body may be acting like it, but mentally she is still very sharp and has maintained her sense of humor.  My Aunt Nene, of course, I don't think ever got out of her thirties!  She has never seemed "old", and I'm quite sure never will.  Her prefered wardrobe is slacks and a nice sweatshirt.  As comfortable as her great sense of humor!

Our son, on the other hand, complains that he is old, especially since he turns 38 next month and it will be time for his 20-year High School Reunion.  Not that he has ever gone to one or ever plans to.  I made him a birthday card that says, "Youth is not a time of life, but rather a state of mind."  Ain't that the truth!

Well, for us youthful folks, Friday night was time for pizza and a movie.  We watched "Promethius" which we enjoyed, being "Alien" fans.

Saturday morning was 7 and clear.  We are experiencing an arctic blast which is supposed to last for several more days.  Didn't do much outside.

It's a little disconcerting the way the days slip by so easily Up Here. . .

Sunday also dawned 7 and clear, but became mostly overcast before clearing up again just before sunset.  The sun, however, did manage to peek through the clouds most of the day.  Our high was 15!  JB got a ladder and cleared the snow and ice off the roof of the garbage/recycle shed, which was quite a chore.  He took a nap after that.  I, on the other hand, stayed inside to do a project I have been putting off for years.  I took photographs of most of our family heirlooms and antiques in order to make a booklet for our son and grandchildren.  I will identify each item by who it belonged to and approximately how old it is.  I felt very good at having finally started it.

Larry drove up about 3:30 pm to visit.  Elsie wasn't feeling too well and they weren't sure how good the road was, so she stayed home.  Was good to see him again as it has been several weeks.  We decided to drive MAX down to visit them today after dinner.  Will call to be sure Elsie is feeling better.

I read an interesting e-mail regarding a theory (which certainly makes sense to me) of why Romney lost the Presidential race.  It said basically: You can't beat freebies. . .

Thought for the day:  The ultimate result of protecting fools from their folly is to fill the planet full of fools.  James Russell Lowell

Jan 11, 2013 Enjoying the Tipi



JB & Jesse in the tipi




View of the Columbia River from
my bench our north ridge























We had been in bed for about half an hour Tuesday night when the dogs suddenly burst into a barking frenzy.  We grabbed our flashlights and went to the front door expecting to see a pack of wolves!  But it was only Buster.  I guess his owner must have come up to his cabin, but it is odd that the dog was visiting so late. 

The wind picked up again during the night, but nothing nearly has wild or warm as on Monday.  By the time the sun came up Wednesday, we had patches of blue sky and 30 degrees.

And Wednesday was one of those days when I get so very frustrated with my arthritic hands.  My fingers are weak and simply do not work as well as they once did.  If I'm not careful, I often drop things.  Like when I was doing the dishes that morning.  The floor and I ended up getting soaked.  Had to change my shirt when I was done.  Nothing broken though, just wet.  And I have to be a bit more diligent when crafting.  Oh well, it could be a lot worse.

We had received more than 5" of snow since our last foray down the road in MAX, so JB took a ride down after lunch to groom the road again and give the dogs a run.  Buster's owner is indeed at his cabin and he was out plowing the main canyon road, so Jesse finally got to play with Buster.  It seems that his owner was out plowing late Tuesday night and into the early morning, trying to get his car up the road to his cabin, so Buster took the opportunity of being out to come visit.  When JB got home, we brought the dogs inside and he drove down for another pass.  I puttered and cleaned and sorted.  Then started book #19 of The Cat Who . . . series.

By bedtime, the temperature had dropped to 20 as the predicted cold front moved in.

Thursday morning the cold had settled in and we awoke to clear skies and 14 degrees.  After morning chores, walk and lunch, JB went out to clear more snow away from the tipi and start a fire.  The dogs and I went for a hike up to the peak on the south ridge and down to the north ridge.  We then joined JB by the fire in the tipi. 

This morning is 10 and overcast, but the sun has found a few holes in the clouds and I can see it slowly stretching across the mountains.

Writing about our granddaughter and the no-talk edict for the car brought back memories of when our son was a little older than she is.  We used to have some of our best talks while driving, even through his high school years, whether it was when taking him to school, going to the mall, or any fairly short drive near home.  When going on longer drives, he always fell asleep.  Now we have our best conversations over the phone.

Thought for the day:  I should be glad if all the meadows on earth were left in a wild state, if that were the consequence of men's beginning to redeem themselves.  Henry David Thoreau

Jan 9, 2013 January Chinook



Later-setting sun last Friday at 4:00 pm





Front door to the winter
critter condos














When we awoke Monday morning, it was 19, snowing and very windy.  Often hard to tell if it was still snowing or just blowing off the trees.  Must have been snowing most of the night as we had received 3" when JB measured at 11:00 am.  The wind turned out to be our annual Chinook which usually blows in sometime during the first or second week of January.  The snow was really too solid for any drifting, but by the end of the day there was definitely some melting and the trees were finally green again.

JB baked cinnamon-raisin scones and it was actually painful to have to wait until they were cool enough to eat!  I much prefer scones to cake, as they have more body and crunchy crusts.  Then he went outside to shovel the pathways, but I do NOT like to go out in the wind so it was a good excuse to stay in and make cards.  The sun was shining so it was no problem to do embossing.

As much as I enjoyed watching "Mama Mia" more than a week ago, I still have that song ringing in my head.  And as much as I like Abba, this is getting a little irritating. . .

Sandy sent me some great articles on sleep aids that I will certainly look into.  Nothing to ingest, more likes scents, which sounds delightful.  I'm very sensitive to a nice aroma, despite the fact that neither of us bathe as frequently as we did living Down There.  But JB's observation that I tend to have sleepless nights after days with little exercise seems to be right on.  If I don't get outside and do some serious work or hiking, I usually have a hard time sleeping.  OK, I can take a hint. . . maybe.

Our son calls at least once or twice a week and keeps us up-to-date on his family and the antics of our grandchildren.  I usually don't keep a history of them in my blog, but since this is a diary, I may start.  Right now: Last week he was telling me about our five-year-old granddaughter.  She's a pistol!  Always has been.  Seems now she talks incessantly.  Our son said, "She must breath through her skin because I never hear or see her take a breath between words!"  They have had to institute a no-talk time in the car when she is picked up from school or dance class until they arrive home.  Neither he nor our daughter-in-law can concentrate on driving while she is chattering.  Fortunately her eight-year-old brother is quite the opposite.  He's actually the perfect big brother any girl could want.

All the snow and ice on the east end of the north side of the roof finally crashed down.  Not as noisily as when the middle did, but enough to make Dinga run for the bedroom.  The west end is still hanging on, but the south side was slowly melting in the 33 degree temperature.

Tuesday morning was grey and overcast with a temperature of 25.  Amazing the difference it makes with all the snow gone from the trees.  The wind had died sometime before my bladder got me up at 3:30 am, but more snow began falling a little before 8:00 am and we had two more inches by 11:00 am.

We both enjoyed JB's scones for breakfast with puddles of melted butter on them.  Mmmmm. . .

I forced myself to go outside.  No excuse, since it wasn't windy.  JB shoveled the main paths and I cleared the one to the garbage shed.  Also cleaned the snow off his Jeep and brought in the firewood.  Later I took the dogs for our afternoon walk while JB cooked marinara sauce with Italian sausage for dinner.  Was delicious on rigatoni and with a glass of wine.

As far as books go, I am back to The Cat Who . . . .  Yesterday I finished #18 of 28.  Ten more to go.

Thought for the day:  Life is like riding a bicycle.  You don't fall off unless you stop peddaling.  Claude Pepper

Jan 7, 2012 Longer Days!




Jesse, in his coat, and Dinga
 on the north ridge

 


Our road on our monday morning ride


















Friday morning was 7 and overcast, but the clouds parted mid morning, at least Up Here.  Valley fog Down There.  A good day to finally dig out and clean off the tipi, a chore that was long overdue.  There was 8" to 10" of snow covering it all the way to the top!  Much more than we thought, and almost 2' of snow around the bottom.  The dogs were having great fun and Dinga found a mouse-cicle.  But from the way Jesse was acting, I think she took it from him.

On our way up to the south ridge on our afternoon walk, we discovered that the sun was just above the west end of the ridge, and not already below as it has been that time of day for the past month or so.  Got some great shots of it.  Seems odd that after the winter solstice the days get longer in the afternoon first.  Sunset comes later before sunrise comes earlier.  However it happens, it is most welcome.

We had 12 degrees and fog Saturday morning.  It started snowing about noon and warmed up to 20.  Got another inch.  Had to cut back on the fire in the wood stove.

Enjoyed the last of the eggnog in my morning coffee and took down the last of the Christmas decorations.  Twelfth night, which is when we always took everything down when I was growing up.

Layers of snow and rime have been building up on the tree branches since before Christmas.  I was thinking that if we get any sort of wind, I'm sure a lot of them will break.  And, sure enough, a strong breeze sprang up a little after 3:00 am Sunday morning.  I could hear the snow falling off the trees near the house, but no branches breaking.

Sunday was much warmer, 19 with mountain sun and valley fog.  The clouds moved in by mid afternoon and left only patches of blue sky.

After breakfast, we bundled up and took a ride in MAX to the main canyon road and down aways to the big S-curve.  A beautiful and envigorating drive.  Jesse decided enough was enough and rode all the way back home.  Something Dinga would never even consider.

Back home, we ate lunch and washed the dishes.  Then JB took a nap and I read more of the Dresden Files book that he gave me for Christmas, Ghost Story.  I finished it just before dinner and absolutely loved it!  JB is on the second book in the series and is definitely hooked.

The breeze continued off and on most of the day.  With sporadic sun and a high of 25, the snow also started to melt off the trees and drip off the south side of the roof.  A few weeks ago about 1/3 of the snow and ice on the north side of the roof plunged off with a horrendous roar.  But it has been so cold since then that it is just continuing to build up.  Good thing the county requires roofs Up Here to have a 100 lb.-per-square-foot snow load.

We're not getting many wasps inside this winter so far.  Maybe one every two or three days.  Certainly not five or six every day like the first couple years.

I so enjoy receiving Christmas cards, many from friends and family that I should be communicating with more than once a year.  I write my blog and tend to think that I am reaching everyone, but I'm not and it is not exactly personal.  OK, fine.  A belated resolution: write more letters.  E-mail is great, but, believe it or not, not everyone I know is on the internet.  And I really enjoy receiving snail-mail, so I am sure others do too.

Thought for the day:  Time magazine made Obama their Person of the Year, but keep in mind that Stalin made Person of the Year TWICE.  As Time itself states, "It is not a prize, per se."

Jan 4, 2013 Brrrr!

(The blogger is not letting me upload photos this morning.)

Wednesday morning, 7 degrees and fog.  Another good day to be inside.  Did dishes and laundry.  I worked on my rubber stamp inventory and JB worked on his Magic card inventory.  The only time we were outside was to bring in wood and go for our afternoon walk, at which time I put Jesse's coat on him.  Our high for the day was 8.  Dinga would be warm and happy at -20, but Jesse seemed very pleased to be wearing his coat.  He pranced for the whole walk.

Thursday was 8 and overcast, no fog.  JB left for Down There about 9:30.  Didn't particularly want him to go in such frigid weather, but freezing rain and/or snow are in the forecast for the next few days so yesterday was the day.  This time though, he took a walkie-talkie so we would be able to communicate at any point in the canyon.  It was a good trip and he was home by 3:30 pm.

I have decided to take down the Christmas decorations slowly, a few each day.  That way they won't be suddenly gone, but rather our home will just gradually transform from Christmas into the New Year.  And, speaking of the New Year, with its entrance I always get a rush of energy.  The holidays are over.  No more excuses to just relax and enjoy the aura.  (I get very lazy in December.)  It's a new year, with new plans and promises.  Regardless of the news media, I am always upbeat and positive about the months ahead.  Hopefully that won't fall under the heading: famous last words. . .

Thought for the day:  It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important.  You have to do the right thing.  It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit.  But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing.  You may never know what results come from your action.  But if you do nothing, there will be no result.  Gandhi

Jan 2, 2013 Plans



Snow rope on our fence




JB on MAX clearing road to
south ridge






















We spent Monday engulfed in low clouds.  Different from fog which ebbs and flows from thick to misty.  Appropriate weather for the last day of 2012.  Murky like the year's politics.  Personally, 2012 was our rock'n roll year - a year of Earth, Wind and Fire.  Don't want to do that dance again. . .

We saw the old year out with the rest of our cheese and sausage, and  JB had baked a chocolate chiffon pie with a crust made from almond flour.  Yum!!  We watched "Mama Mia" - what a fun movie!  (When I was young, I wanted very much to sing and dance, but I was just too much of a shy little mouse.)  And actually stayed awake til 11:00 pm.  Before falling asleep, we could hear fireworks going off in nearby canyons.

The New Year dawned crisp and clear with lots of sunshine, which I hope is a good omen.  The valley fog tried for most of the day to sneek up, but the sun kept burning it off.  By the time we took our afternoon walk, the sun was too low and weak, so the fog made it all the way up and over our mountain.  Which I hope is not a bad omen. . . 

Politically, the good news is that he can't run again. . . legally.  Won't think about the possible bad news.  We'll survive.

JB keeps a record of daily temperatures and snowfall.  In December we received a total of 31" of snow!  So far the temperatures are lower than they have been the past three winters, averaging as low as our first winter Up Here, 2008-09.  Wow!  This is our fifth winter.  My how time flies when you're living an adventure.  The total snowfall for 2012 was 134", which is the most we have had in one year.

I realize that if you want to make God laugh, make plans.  But in spite of that, we do have plans for this new year and will improvise, as usual, if they go awry.  There is the promise of seeing our son and grandchildren in June.  Of course that means flying and dealing with airport security, but I will deal with that.  The only major project we have for Up Here is a small addition to the shop in which to park and work on MAX.  I also want to paint the bedroom, and we may work on a smoke house. . . and a root cellar.  Lots of options, but a very small budget.

As far as resolutions go, mine usually don't go very far.  I often resolve to cut down on sugar, which is really my only vice.  I may have a drink once or twice a week, but as far as I am concerned, that hardly counts.  So here we go, "once more into the fray."

Thought for the day:  Self-reliance is the only road to true freedom, and being one's own person is its ultimate reward.  Patrical Simpson