May 29, 2013 Elk & Deer & Bears, Oh My!



At least one bear is awake!




One big bull elk!







Monday, 5/27.  JB drove MAX down to the game cam before lunch to get the
card.  There were some great photos!  Proof that at least one bear is awake, and the elk are still Up Here.

A light rain begain falling about noon and stayed with us the rest of the day.  We all went down in MAX to put the card back in soon after the rain began just in case it got any worse.  I took photos of the elk tracks, then walked back up.  Good exercise.

Shades of Seattle!  As I am sure I have mentioned before, this is the weather we moved east of the mountains to get away from.  Well, maybe I shouldn't compain because it is usually only for 2-3 weeks in the spring and then again in the fall that it rains like this.  I think we still get more rain over here than they get sun over there.

I had lots to do inside to get ready for out trip.  Printed out feeding and meds instructions for the dogs.  Packed everything except my slacks and tops.  Cooked up a pot of chicken and broth for the dogs.  And, of course, finished one book and started another.  Our high for the day was only 46 and we never saw the sun.

Tuesday, 5/28.  Mostly overcast and 37, with the sun trying to peek through the cracks in the clouds.  A light rain fell off and on til about 2:30 when the sun started really shining.  Gave me enough time to vacuum and take a break out on the porch to enjoy it for a little while.  Then took the dogs for a walk before it started sprinkling again.  It was a busy day finishing up all the last minute little chores that need to be done when we leave for this long.

In looking at other blogs, I see that their daily postings are not usually as long as mine.  But then mine is a diary, and something I want not only for friends and family on a daily basis, but for our grandchildren.  Since we do not get to see them very often, I am hoping that when they are older this will give them a way to get to know about us.  Perhaps sometime in the future they will come to Rose Camp and enjoy it as much as we do.

Wednesday, 5/29.  37 and really raining.  No light sprinkle this.  There is an ol' hooty owl talking to us from the grove.  We may leave a little earlier than planned just to take it really slow.  But today is the day, and we are off on our adventure!

Thought for the day:  Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity.  Irving Kristol

May 27, 2013 More Rain



Junco eggs, about 1" long





Clouds over the Rose Camp and the mountains

















Friday, 5/24.  Another gloomy day weatherwise.  It will be interesting to see how our wild life Up Here reacts to a week without human or canine activity.  The only other time we were gone for a week, we came back to a yard full of grouse.

Today is the first day of the closing sale for the Sears store in East Wenatchee.  It has been there for more than 50 years but is now moving out.  That's a little disconcerting.  We don't even have a K-Mart.

On Thursday I found a junco nest on the ground along our path through the rose bushes to the garden (see photo above).  I am afraid that, just like the one last year by the tipi, the babies will be found by the dogs, chipmunks or snakes and be eaten.  I can only hope either the eggs will be found before they hatch or, by some miracle, the won't be found at all.

Since I am sure to be wearing sandals for most of our trip, I wanted to paint my toe nails.  And in spending time close to my toes I have discovered where the hair from my legs migrated.  I am beginning to look like a hobbit!  I also painted my fingernails for the first time in ages.  I used to love wearing fingernail polish but abandoned it a few years prior to moving Up Here.  I want to wear it on our trip but I almost couldn't stand the smell.  That never bothered me before.  Probably got lost in all the other man-made odors Down There.

We had one light rain shower in the morning, then patches of blue sky the rest of the day til after our afternoon walk when a heavy cell moved in and dropped its load in the form of a downpour.  It took about an hour to pass and then the sky went back to partly cloudy.  Our high for the day was 46.

We watched "The Bourne Legacy" this evening.  Very entertaining.  Better than I thought it would be.

Saturday, 5/25.  It was sunny and 34 when JB got up at 6:30 am.  He looked out our bedroom window and saw a buck walking through the yard.  They are such a soft brown color right now, but will turn more of a grey as the year wears on.  This one still had velvet on his short antlers.

I sat out on the porch with my coffee in the sun.  At 8:00 at it had warmed up to 40.  There is still a small burm of snow along each side of the house, but everywhere else it has melted.  Listening to the loud songfest of the joyful birds, I am so aware of the silence behind their song.  Nothing man-made.  Simply nature.  Simply wonderful.

Our dogs are such characters and so completely opposite in their personalities.  Jesse is laid back and loves attention.  He would sit still all day if he was being petted.  Dinga, on the other hand, just likes the attention for a few minutes and will let you know when it's enough.  And she always has to be first whenever we are hiking somewhere.  When Jesse picks up a scent or hears something and starts running, Dinga will dart in front of him with no idea of where he's going or why, but she has to get there first.  Neither of them are lap dogs or cuddlers, but Dinga loves to give big, sloppy kisses, and is more social with guests.

Shortly after breakfast the clouds moved in and all day looked as if they were about to burst.  They didn't though.  No precipitation of any kind.  Just grey and dry.  On days like this it is easy to stay inside with a book, but I have a lot of wood to cut and stack so I got out there after lunch and did two wheelbarrow loads worth and got it all stacked.  JB did a few outside chores, then went in to work on my computer.

I saw a recipe for salmon cakes in the June/July issue of "Mary Janes Farm" with a peach topping.  Never thought of those two flavors together, but I made it for dinner and it was delicious.

After dinner I drove down to Larry and Elsie's as they are going to keep a few things for us while we are gone.  Our road was a lot worse than I expected it to be as we have had no wind or sun since the snow and rain.  Larry and Elsie didn't get any snow at all.  Of course I took my camera and snapped several photos along the way.

A friend of Larry's loaned him a wooden statue of a bear down on all fours which is a little bigger than a cub, actually made for archery practice.  Larry said that since he put it in his blueberry patch they haven't seen a turkey in there.  He also plans to get a couple 3-D coyotes.  He just has to remember to move them around every so often.

When I got back, we watched the last two episodes of season two of "The Closer."  I really enjoy that show. 

Sunday, 5/26.  It was cloudy and 39 this morning.  NOAA has revised their forecast from sunny to dismal.  And dismal it is.  Larry says that Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of "weekender season" in the canyon.  In Seattle if Memorial Day weekend is rainy then we could usually count on Labor Day being sunny and visa versa.  Over here, however, it is usually sunny, though not necessarily warm, from mid-June through September.  I remember one Labor Day weekend years ago when we came Up Here camping, we woke up in the middle of the night freezing.  We were sleeping on cots because my Mother was with us and we had to put blankets under our sleeping bags to get warm.  The days were very pleasant, but at night the temperature plunged down to 30.

Rain began falling around 11:00 am.  Our road may be a bit dicey on Wednesday if we get much more rain.  We may end up taking JB's Jeep to Seattle instead of mine, as his goes slower in 4-Low/low.  It rained til mid-afternoon, then I went out to get wood and go for a long walk with the  dogs.  The temperature did make it up to 50 today.

I discovered that the bird's nest had already been robbed of the eggs.  Oh well, better than after they hatched, I guess.

I cleaned out the birdhouse several days ago and this morning JB noticed a wren seriously checking it out.  Maybe we'll have a tenant afterall.

Thanks to OffgridBob for your comment.  Seems we do have a lot in common and I left a comment on your blog. 

Monday, 5/27.  Overcast and 38 this morning.  OMG!  We are leaving the day after tomorrow!  I will blog Wednesday but probably won't again until the following Wednesday, 6/5.

Thought for the day:  Stress cannot exist in the presence of pie.  David Mamet     . . . or ice cream or chocolate.  Wild Rose 

May 24, 2013 Aging, or Not



Snow on the lupine



Wednesday, 5/22. At breakfast, as the snow came thundering off the roof, I realized that we must have received a good inch or more.  It is a very wet snow and not easy to tell just by looking.  After eating we dressed in our winter gear, most of which was back in the closet, and went up to clean off the panels.  By the look of the snow on them, we probably got more than an inch.  Since they are now tilted all the way up, we needed to use a ladder to brush them off.  JB held the ladder while I did the honors.

We received some sort of precipitation all day long beginning with snow and fluctuating back and forth to rain.  During the breaks, the fog moved in.  A good day for lots of mental exercise, sudoku and crossword puzzles.  Doesn't burn a lot of calories but maybe it will build a little brain muscle.  It was way too sloppy to go for our afternoon walk, and our high for the day was a whopping 32.

It is fascinating to watch the flowers pop back up after the weight of the heavy snow melts from them.  The small arnica recovers much more quickly than the larger balsam root.

The longer I am here on earth, the more I tend to distance myself from my body as a reflection of who I am.  Even though my body insists that I am growing older, I am still not convinced.  But then most of my life my looks have not necessarily reflected my personality.  (Example:  You certainly don't look like someone who would have one tattoo, let alone several! -or- You did what?!!)  Perhaps I have too much of my Mother's prim and proper looks.  I am usually proper, but rarely prim.

I talked to our son for more than an hour while he drove home from the airport and made some plans for our trip.  He said it had been 90 in Baltimore the past few days.  Ewww!

We watched "Bandits" with Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton this evening.  Very entertaining!

Thursday, 5/23.  Woke up to fog and 27 with lots of snow still on the ground.  It rained most of the morning, but the sun managed to peek out for a few minutes around noon.  Since we had to use the generator for water anyway, I did another load of wash.

More mental exercising today and preparation for our trip.

The rain stopped in the early afternoon, so by 3:30 it was dry enough to go on our walk and not slog through mud.  By then it had warmed up to 40 and that was our high for the day.  After being couped up for a couple days, the dogs and I went for another walk after dinner.  We listened to the birds loudly celebrating the passing of the storm, and hopefully the final end to winter.

Friday, 5/24.  It is 32 and overcast this morning, but the forecast is for a dry and sunny weekend.

Thought for the day:  Once government becomes the supplier of people's needs, there is no limit to the needs that will be claimed as a basic right.  Lawrence Auster 

May 22, 2013 Snow!



Balsam root, lupine and flox on the slope
of our north ridge.


Monday, 5/20.  A beautiful day and, just like Sunday, the temperature got up to 60.  Large clouds floated over but the sun managed to shine most of the time.

Sunday I had sprayed the last of the tent caterpillars on the south ridge and a few near the garden.  I think I have them all now.

Got our power of attorney forms ready to take with us tomorrow to be notarized.  When we took all the documents down a few weeks ago to the bank, we found out that they do not provide witnesses so we could only get the community property one done.  Tomorrow we will try the courthouse.

We made three trips down the driveway with JB's Jeep pulling the trailer to gather the small piles of branch wood.  Now I have a large pile to cut and stack.  I've decided that since I am simply not going to cut back much on eating, I will just be a lot more active and hopefully burn up a lot more calories.  Once I get this pile of wood done, we'll go back down for more.

Larry and Elsie came up this evening and brought their two tillers for us to use.  One to break up the new soil outside the fence where we want to enlarge the garden, and one to till the garden and newly broken soil.  Larry is all done with their garden, so we can do this when we return from our trip.  Elsie also brought a dozen eggs for us, and we had a nice long visit.

Tuesday 5/21.  It was cold and drizzling when we left for Down There at 9:00 am.  By the time we hit the pavement it was pouring, and continued to do so the whole time we were in town.  After the second time out of the car I felt like a drowned rat!  I didn't bring my hat and there was no umbrella in the car.  Who needs an umbrella this side of the mountains?!  On top of all that, my Jeep was getting washed.  There's just nothing sadder than a clean Jeep.

It really would have helped if I had called ahead, instead of wading through the pouring rain, to find out that no one at the courthouse notarizes any document unless it is going to be filed there.  So just how does one get something notarized that needs two witnesses and you don't know anyone who can make it to the notary during business hours?!  Well, I am going to take the documents with us to Maryland and maybe our son and one of his buddies can be witnesses.

By the time we got back to our canyon road, we discovered that it had only been drizzling there and not the downpour we experienced in town.  Thank goodness for that because as it was we did enough sliding around.  But  we did make it safely back home and we shouldn't have to go Down There again until we leave for Seattle a week from tomorrow.  Then the sun came out mid-afternoon and our high for the day was 44.

Wednesday, 5/22.  We woke up to 28 and snow!  More than a dusting but less than 1/2 inch.  In 2008 when I was living up here in the camping trailer, snow fell on June 9.  That snowfall was gone by noon, but I think this will last a bit longer.  I just hope my little blooming current seedling survives this.  But, as the saying goes, winter isn't over in the mountains until there is snow on the dogwood. 

Thought for the day:  Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.  Rachel Carson

May 20, 2013 Birds & Flowers



JB & the dogs with MAX



Western Tanager drinking from
the dogs water dish


Friday, 5/17.  The skies were dismal but I sure wasn't.  This was my birthday!  And speaking of attitude, wouldn't it be great if I could live every day with the attitude I had today.  Enjoy every day as I did today.  Well, it would also be cool if I could get presents every day, but I guess then they wouldn't be so special. . .  or maybe they would.  Whatever, it only goes to prove that attitude is everything.

And speaking of presents, including the lilac, everything I received, I wanted.  I hadn't told anyone about them, but JB's Mom gave me a pair of earings and a small purse that I had been drooling over in catalogs.  Then my Aunt Nene gave me a pillow that looks like a log that I had seen and wanted.  Sandy gave me earings, a Starbucks card and a Betty White DVD from the '50's that is hilarious. And my Mother's best friend remembered me with chocolate.  JB gave me a book that I wanted.  Just the Universe telling me, "See, not only will I provide what you need, but the things you want also!"

It started raining a little before noon, with several claps of thunder following closely thereafter.  Our first of the year.  Would be nice if we could get all the thunderstorms over by the end of June.  The rain is welcome though and it rained off and on through the evening.

Had a great time reading the book JB gave to me, but I can't mention any more about it as I am going to give it to Sandy for her birthday June 7.  I would love to buy it for all my dog-loving friends and family.

I did actually do some work - finished re-arranging the loft.  Had my favorite birthday dinner, pork chops cooked in apple juice and orance marmalade with rice and broccoli.  Watched some of the Betty White DVD, then "The Closer."

Saturday, 5/18.  The day started out partly cloudy and 36, but we ended up with a high of 53 with sun in the late afternoon.

I tried on the few Down There outfits that I have left and figured that if I ate nothing from now until we flew out of Seattle, they would fit perfectly.  Realistically speaking, they'll just be really snug and I may look a bit lumpy.

JB mowed a few areas around the house.  We are trying to find a new blade for our 25-year old John Deere mower.  Will try harder when we get back from Maryland.  We leave from Seattle on 5/30, so will drop the dogs off at the kennel on our way out of town.  Will arrive back in Seattle at noon on 6/4 and will hopefully be able to get back to Wenatchee in time to pick up the dogs before the kennel closes.

We watched "Argo" and were quite impressed.  Wasn't too sure I would enjoy it, but I did and bit off most of my fingernails while watching.

Sunday, 5/19.  Now that we are retired, I love to start my mornings slowly.  Just easing into the day.  And there is no better way to do that than sitting on the porch with my coffee.  Watching the hummingbirds.  Being serenaded by the wrens.  Gazing at the flowers.  It just doesn't get any better than this.

It was clear and 48 with a cool breeze.  My chair was in the shade so I needed a light blanket, but it was too warm in the sun.  I chose the blanket.  The ravens were flying about and talking to us, and our ravenous woodpecker was hard at work.

The dwarf waterleaf has gone to seed and the western spring beauties have disappeared, but the sweet peas and lupine are now blooming everywhere, mixed in with the balsam root and arnica.  The Douglas triteleia is popping up in great numbers in most of the sunny spots.  I have seen some paint brush, and the brilliant while flox is blooming in its normal places out by the garden.  The trillium are gone.  I think it was not wet enough this spring for them to flourish.  Mother Nature's garden is magnificent and ever changing.

For their morning walk, JB drove MAX down to the game cam to get the card.  No photos of wildlife other than us and then Larry and Elsie coming up to visit.  After lunch he did some more mowing around the tipi and the outhouse.  I collected two loads of small branch wood and stacked them.  I rode with JB in MAX down to put the card back for the dogs afternoon walk.  We also drove up to Erno's property to the east of us.  Halfway up the road the balsam root starts to take over and by the time we got to the top, the landscape was solid yellow!  Just blew me away.  And of course I took LOTS of pictures, in addition to several I had taken in the morning.  By the time I downloaded them this evening, I had 93! 

A few months ago I bought a subscription to the Guideposts magazine.  My Mother always received it and I did also for many years, but not for quite a while now.  They now have a new publication called "Mysterious Ways" that I also subscribed to and received my first copes a few weeks ago. Fascinating!  It has re-united me with a bible that my paternal Grandmother gave to my parents and me.  Inside she had written: "Christmas 1955  Dear Ruth, Bob and Rose - You may receive other gifts that cost more but none that is worth so much.  The more you use it the more valuable it will be."  I have several bibles, but this ones means the most to me.

While the dogs were inside eating their dinner, JB called my attention to a western tanager drinking water from the dogs dish outside.  I slowly grabbed my camera and was able to get a few shots (see above).  This is the first one we have seen this year.

Monday, 5/20.  This morning was clear and 38 when JB got up at 6:30, but it had alread warmed up to the high 40's by the time I got out of bed an hour later.  There are thunder storms and lots of rain in the forecast beginning on Wednesday, so we are going Down There tomorrow for some last minute shopping for our trip.

Thought for the day:  The sky seems to be a pure, a cooler blue, the trees a deeper green.  The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.  Thomas Merton

 

May 17, 2013 66 Years Young!

No photos today as I am still using JB's computer & trying to figure out the mechanics of getting access to them.

Wednesday, 5/15.  Busy, busy day!  Did dishes and laundry.  When we sorted and re-arranged the shop, I took three large plastic containers out of there to put into the loft.  Where, I have no idea.  So this morning I pulled just about everything off three of the four shelves we have running across the south side of the loft to re-arrange it.  It is amazing all the "stuff" I keep just because I think I have the room.  I got rid of more things that we don't need.  Again the question, "Do we own our possessions or do they own us? 

Took breaks from this to plant the lilac bush and the two Pacific ninebark seedlings.  One of the blooming red current seedlings is showing signs of life at the very bottom, so I clipped it back a bit and will leave it in the garden for a while longer.  I also filled my Jeep with cardboard to recycle; cooked up more hummingbird syrup and cleaned the feeders; took lots more photos of wild flowers; and started a new book, Sacred by Dennis Lehane.  He also wrote Shutter Island, and I may have found another favorite author. . .

We watched a couple more episodes of "The Closer" from the first season, then greatfully hit the sheets.

Thursday, 5/16.  It was cloudy and 38 when I let the dogs out at 5:00 am.  This time Jesse was back within a half hour, so it was back to bed til 7:30 when I had to get up and get ready to go Down There again.  My doctor wanted a follow-up appointment with the results of bloodwork I had done a couple weeks ago.  Going Down There three times in three days is not my idea of a good time.  Thank heavens for the wild flowers.

I ran some errands and did some grocery shopping, and was home by 2:00 pm.  It was a very pleasant day weatherwise with a few rain showers, but they were over by 10:00 am.  All my bloodwork was normal, so I guess I am too. . . or not.

Dinga and Jesse must be getting used to the deer finally.  A few nights ago while we were watching a movie, Dinga jumped down from her chair and started growling.  We could see our little herd up on the east slope grazing, but neither of the dogs went ballistic.  They just watched the deer and we didn't let them out.  Then yesterday, Dinga was outside and actually watched a deer walk from north to south on the east slope and didn't bark til it got fairly close.

We watched "Looper" this evening and absolutely enjoyed it.

Friday, 5/17.  My how time flies.  Sixty-six years and still going strong.  And now I get to open my presents this morning!  I love getting presents! 

Thought for the day:  How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?

May 15, 2013



Huge old lilace bush down in
the canyon





Flowers in the canyon - balsam root
lupine and flox






















Monday, 5/13. We actually did end up putting a fire in the wood stove after we did the dishes and I hung the laundry up inside.  By then the temperature was still in the 40's with a little sprinkle of rain.

I cut/broke and stacked a wheelbarrow load of small branch wood, but my main job for the day was to read the book that JB gave to me for Mother's Day - The Twelfth of Never by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.  It's the newest of the "Women's Murder Club" novels.

A short rain storm blew through at 4:00 pm, just after we got in from our afternoon walk.  The rain disappeared but the wind increased.  Our high for the day was only 54, but very refreshing.

Larry and Elsie drove up around 6:00 with my birthday present!  They wouldn't be able to make it up on my birthday, so I got it early - a lilac bush!  I had told Elsie how much I love them and wanted to get one.  So cool!  She also brought eggs and a fresh halibut steak from Larry's annual fishing trip to the coast this past weekend.  We had a good visit, as usual.  Seems both our lives are getting harried what with their son's wedding coming up and our forthcoming visit to our son.

By the time we went to bed, the temperature had dropped to 36 and as darkness fell, the wind abated.

Tuesday, 5/14.  I let the dogs out at 5:30 am but Jesse still wasn't back by 6:30.  JB got up so I could go back to bed, but as he went out on the porch to call Jesse, a coyote came trotting down from the south ridge.  Dinga took out after it for a ways and came right back.  So we both got dressed and went out to get Jesse back.  JB finally found him up on the peak.  No use going back to bed by then. . .

The day was a complete waste as far as getting anything done Up Here, however I had ample time to drool over the canyon's flowers on my two trips to Down There and back.  I had called the opthamologist's office on Monday to make an appointment about symptoms I was having.  I had just read in the AARP magazine that if you have flashing lights and a sudden increase in floaters that you should see an eye doctor immediately.  Well, this had been going on for about four weeks.  Didn't think much about the lights as I get ocular migraines a few times a year (no pain, just a light show).  The doctor wanted me in Tuesday morning at 10:20.  So I went down for my appointment, after which I splurged on a huge hamburger, fries and a milk shake.  Turns out it was not a detached retina, but rather just another symptom of "as you get older". . .

So then I drove home, read the papers, took a nap and then headed back Down There for JB's MRI.  He had one many years ago and almost freaked out, so the doctor had given him a "happy pill" to take an hour before his appointment.  We left a little early so I could take pictures as I had forgotten to take my camera on my first trip.  I ran some errands while he was at the hospital, and we got home a little before 7:00 pm.  A long day.

Wednesday, 5/15.  Had problems with my computer this morning, so I am late writing my blog and am using JB's computer.  It is clear and still in the 30's as I write, but looks to be a beautiful day.

Thought for the day:  The hills are alive with the sight of blossoms.  Wild Rose

By the time

May 13, 2013 Our First Rattlesnake of 2013!



Wild Rose spraying the tent
caterpillars (her good side)




1st rattlesnake, sans head!
(It's lying by the tail)



Deer on the game cam

Friday, 5/10.  We were back from town by 2:00 pm on Wednesday.  I ran errands while JB was at the doctor.  Was able to get some great photos of flowers in the canyon both on the way down and back up.  High for the day was 72 at Rose Camp and pushing 90 Down There.

We spent Thursday taking care of small chores that wouldn't work up a sweat.  Sprayed the tent caterpillars up on the south ridge; hung out the laundry; fixed the garden gate; re-attached two slats on the back of the wood shed and pounded in some other loose ones;  cleaned a couple guns; worked on our computers; read books.  Our high was 73.

JB went back Down There today at 9:15 am to get the stitches out from his biopsy.  It's benign, nothing to be concerned about.  Whew!  I was outside shortly after he left, pulling weeds.  That little cousin of devil's club is everywhere.  The gravel by the parking area looked so nice last year, but now everything green is trying to grow through it, so I pulled the tall grass & left the really short stuff.  Saved washing the dishes and my hair till it was too hot to be outside and that was right after the dogs and I went for their morning walk, which we cut short because of the heat.  

There are at least two male wrens about, both warbling up a storm most of the day.  Wonderful music.  The hummingbird wars have started over the one feeder, so JB bought another one today which we hung at the other end of the porch.  Most of them hover while they are drinking, but there are a couple who sit on the rim of the feeder and drink and drink and drink.  One of these days they are going to try to take off after drinking so much and not be able to.  They'll just fall right off on to the ground!

We saw our first clouds for the week late this afternoon but the high for the day was 74.

I made a banana coffee cake this evening that we had for dessert after a light supper of cottage cheese and pears.

Saturday, 5/11.  Overcast and 54 - nice and cool, but we still ended up with a high of 71.  Some of the clouds disappeared by noon, but it got very muggy and uncomfortable by late afternoon.

Today we re-hung my swing then got the lawn mower out of the shop.  We had to move so many things to do that, we ended up working the rest of the day to sort and re-arrange the shop.  When we finally stopped, I went inside to wash my hands and saw a snake out on the rocks.  Couldn't tell if it was a bull snake or rattler til we got out there.  I grabbed the gun and walking stick, and call JB.  Well, it was a rattler.  A big fat one with lots of rattles.  I worked on flipping him up on the earth - couldn't take the chance of shooting him while he was on the rocks.  Finally got him moved and he coiled.  JB shot him but got his rattles in addition to his head.  He looked so big and lumpy that I'm pretty sure he had just feasted on a few mice.  I cut off his head that JB tossed in the out house while I went up to the south ridge and flung the rest of him over the edge.  This is the earliest we have seen a snake Up Here, but then this is the warmest May we have had since we have lived here.

By late afternoon it was just too hot to do anything other than sit on the porch, so that's just what we did.  Sometimes I'm afraid that if I stop to admire the flowers for too long I'll just slip into a blossom-induced catatonic state.  All the color is almost overwhelming, especially after four or five months of all white.  I have been to several well-known, large, man-made gardens around the country but none of them have impressed me as much as Mother Nature's gift of wild flowers Up Here.

Sunday, 5/12.  Mother's Day and a gift of a wonderfully cool morning - 54 with a light breeze.  Perfect for sitting on the porch with coffee.  Our high was only 62 and even the flowers seem perkier.

JB drove MAX down with the dogs to get the card from the game cam.  This was the first time we checked it after moving the camera down to the hair pin turn.  There were some great photos of LOTS of deer.  This is definitely the best place for it.  I rode down with him later in the afternoon to put the card back in.

Spent lots of the day on the porch and reading a book.  But also cut/broke three wheel barrow loads of small branch wood and stacked it.

We watched "Finding Neverland" this evening for the first time and I am sure it won't be the last.  We both needed kleenex by the time it was over, but it is such an incredible movie.

All week long the evenings have smelled heavy with moisture.  Today smells like rain, which we sure need.  Tomorrow NOAA says there is a 50% chance of rain with thunder storms.  Oh goodie. . .

Monday, 5/13.  It is 44 and overcast, but not cool enough in the house for a fire.  I hope NOAA is right about the rain - not the thunder storms.

I have finally identified that flower I posted on 5/8 as bear grass.  Who thinks up these names?!

Thought for the day: Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire.  Virgil

May 10, 2013 Enjoying Spring at Rose Camp



Balsam Root in the canyon



The first blue bells



Mt Stuart



Yellow Bells & Western Spring
Beauties



Lupine & Balsam root





Thought for the day:  If you've never been thrilled to the edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.  Audra Foveo

May 8, 2013 One Hot May!



A deer by the house.





Dwarf Waterleaf carpeting the grove.





Unidentified flower















Monday, 5/6.  The dogs started barking at 6:15 am.  JB got up to let them out and counted 11 deer moseying across the east slope from the south ridge.  We think that is the largest herd we have seen so far.

It was 68 before noon.  Wonderfully pleasant to sit on the porch.  Not so pleasant to work in.  I did a little branch gathering and stacking in the shade, but it was a good day to be inside or just sitting on the porch.  I defrosted the refigerator and cooked up a big pot of chicken broth for the dogs.  Read a book.  JB worked on his computer, Magic cards, and napped.  Our high for the day was 70, but Down There it was 87!  That was 19 degrees above average.

Saw the first bluebells and trillium blooming.

Having the windows open and letting all that fresh, Spring air inside is so refreshing.  Makes up for not having a fire.

Tuesday, 5/7.  I left for Down There at 8:45 am, getting errands and shopping done as quickly as possible. Was back home by 1:30 pm.  Our high was 72 and I am sure it was at least 15 degrees hotter in town.  We have to go back down tomorrow morning for an appointment with JB's doctor.  Will get the results from all his tests.

I made fried chicken with gravy for the first time ever this evening.  Following the suggestion from the movie, "The Help", and I used Crisco.  It turned out delicious and crispy!  Much better than Kentucky Fried.

No movie tonight.  We just sat out on the porch and enjoyed nature.

Wednesday, 5/8.  Up early and it is 55 and clear.  Because of this unusually early heat wave there are avalanche warnings for the mountains and flood warnings for some of the rivers due to snow melt.  This all more than a month early.

We are leaving by 8:30 for Down There and will hopefully be able to get back before the heat of the day.  Am going to remember to take my camera today as the flowers down in the canyon are simply unbelievable.

Thought for the day:  The idea is to die as young as late as possible.  Ashley Montagu.

May 6, 2013 No Pack Rat - It's a Woodchuck!



Rocky, the woodchuck, peeking out from
under the battery shed.





Rocky out getting his dinner.















Friday, 5/3.  JB left for Down There at 9:30 and didn't get back until 5:00 pm.  Was a long day of tests for him.  I stayed busy.  Cleaned the wood stove and vacuumed.  Picked up more branches outside. 

Tried to identify the critter in the woodshed.  We got a better look at it before JB left and it is definitely NOT a pack rat.  Can't see a tail, so with a couple of books we have on wildlife, we thought maybe it was a large pika.  I tried to get it out of the shed, but it wouldn't go and just chirped at me.

Forgot to sent the Mother's Day cards with JB, so I will have to go Down There on Tuesday.  I need a few more things, including dog food that I can get with our Tuesday senior discount.  Also have to get a special insert for my shoes.

With so many of them around, I simply could not resist picking and pressing more Western Spring Beauties.  Am seeing lots of lupin sprouting, but no blooms yet.  Lots of prairie stars blooming and a yellow flower I have not been able to identify.

Just after we finished dinner, five deer came ambling up the driveway.  The dogs were inside and we kept them there for a while so the deer could graze.  It was another perfect Spring day with a high of 60, and our first night without a fire in the wood stove.

Watched "The Happening" but were a bit disappointed.

Saturday, 5/4.  Partly cloudy and 47 this morning, with the clouds coming in from the east, which is unusual.  But the clouds mainly disappeared by 10:30 and it was another great day with a high again of 60.

We got an even better look at the critter inside the battery shed and this time saw that it indeed does have a tail, so it is definitely a young woodchuck.  They are in the marmot family and on the west side of the Rocky Mountains are referred to as rockchucks.  Okay.  So we named him Rocky.  He is so cute!  Dinga is very curious about him and when she gets to sniffing too close to the shed, he will chirp at her.

I took my little hatchet and began cutting fat wood sticks from the larger pieces of wood that have a very high pitch content.  Forgotten how much I had collected!

After lunch we drove down the shortcut in JB's Jeep to cut down the tree that is across the road.  Also picked up four tall, thin trees for JB's baker tent.  He took them back up in the Jeep with Dinga, while Jesse and I walked back. 

I trimmed the trees by north fence in the yard.  They are growing and needed their lower branches cut off.

While we were eating, Rocky came out to eat too.  So we watched him and got some more photos.  Fascinating!

We watched three episodes of "The Closer" season one.  One of our favorite series.

When we are finished watching TV, JB always goes out on the porch to bring in the dog beds and check the temperature.  The dogs went out with him and Dinga started barking.  Not unusual, but JB yelled at her to come back and then came inside to get the gun.  Seems when he shone the flashlight across the driveway there were four red eyes staring back at him - coyotes.  He fired off one round which scared the coyotes away and got the dogs running back home.

Sunday, 5/5.  Clear and 48.  The first morning we did not have a fire.  Had my coffee out on the porch and called to chat with Sandy.

Hung the laundry outside.  Trimmed some rose bushes.  Suddenly there are a lot more shooting stars blooming, so I picked more and pressed them.

We watched Rocky leave the shed and go towards the garden and west ridge in the morning.  Since he had not returned by 2:30, I used small pieces wood to block up all the openings.  We are pretty sure he decided it was time for him to build his own home, but his visit certainly was fun.

I brought down two wheel barrow loads of branch wood from two different piles.  Many of the pieces were already about the right size or just needed to be broken in half or thirds.  Got them all stacked in the wood shed.  JB baked French bread to have with our soup for dinner.

Before dinner we were sitting outside on the porch enjoying the incredible weather when I glanced to the west and noticed a deer eating the horseradish by the garden.  Then the dogs jumped up and ran in the opposite direction to chase several more deer up the east ridge.  It certainly has been a weekend of wild life!  I love it!  Well, most of it. . .

Monday, 5/6  Clear and 48.  It is supposed to be in the 80's Down There all week, which means mid 60's Up Here.  Will definitely leave early to go Down There tomorrow morning.

Thought for the day:  There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it.  Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.  Logan Pearsall Smith

May 3, 2013 Pack Rat



A zoomed photo taken from our north ridge
of the balsam root blooming by
the gate (bottom left) on the canyon road





Our porch sans the winter firewood
















Wednesday, 5/1.  Busy day.  Hung the laundry both inside and out.  Took down the metal frame we were going to use for a greenhouse, as that is just not going to happen.  JB fixed MAX.  I worked on getting most of two piles of branches broken and stacked, with the larger pieces going to the cutting cradle.  Using a dolly and lever, we took the LARGE rock out of the garden.  Turned out to be a very nice day, sunny and cool but no wind, with a high of 45.

The water is coming in awfully slowly to the cistern.  We think a piece of bendable pipe may have pinched, so we will dig down to it on Saturday to check it out.

We received 9-1/2" of snow in April!  Must have been making up for January.

The new Smithsonian magazine is very interesting, as usual, but there is a one-page article called "The Paper Chase" about how "the true revolution in portable publishing began not with e-books, but with [Robert Fair] de Graff, whose paperback made reading into an activity that travels everywhere."

I tried a chicken-wrapped-in-ham-&-swiss-cheese dinner that I saw in an advertisement for a cookbook.  No idea exactly how to make it, so I guessed.  Turned out pretty good, but with a few changes it will be great.

We watched the last four episodes of the fourth season of "Castle" after dinner.  We now have a list of TV programs for which we need another season.  Fortunately some of them are older ones.

Thursday, 5/2.  The day began clear and 35, and was already 40 when I left for town at 8:30 am.  Saw three grouse and a deer just past the hair-pin corner down from our driveway.  It was such a beautiful drive with all the wild flowers.  The Spring "lush" is upon us.  Got all my shopping done and errands run quickly, and was home by 1:30 pm.  There was a light, hazy overcast by mid afternoon with a slight breeze and a high of 55.  Just an all-around perfect Spring day.  Plus JB made banana bread while I was gone. . .

Monday evening Larry told JB that there was a tree down over the road on the short cut to RJ's cabin, so this afternoon JB took MAX and Dinga down to check it out.  Seems like there are several trees down in addition to the one across the road.  The wind must have really roared down that slope.  We will probably take JB's Jeep and the chainsaw down on Saturday to cut it out of the way.  Jesse stayed at home with me as he has a sore front leg.  Looks like he sprained something. 

We are starting to plan for our trip to Alabama at the end of this month.  Our son is flying us out so we can attend the ceremony where he becomes a Commander in the Naval Reserve.  We have never been there when he has been promoted and this is a really important one.  Right now he is at Fort Meade on orders for a month.

Friday, 5/3.  It is clear and 40 out there this morning.  Going to be a beautiful warm day.

Last evening Dinga and Jesse were barking and sniffing around the battery shed.  I looked inside but couldn't see anything, then this morning JB saw a HUGE pack rat go in the opening on the ground.  He tried to get a photo but it disappeared too quickly.  He will put some poison in there this morning before he leaves for Down There.  It is obviously too big to get into the shop, thank goodness. 

Thought for the day:  In May, everything seems possible.

May 1, 2013 May Day!



Elsie's photo of the balsam root in bloom
by their house.




Shooting Star

















Monday, 4/29.  By the time the laundry was done we had blue sky, so I hung everything outside that wouldn't fit on the line inside.  I used extra clothespins to keep the shirts from flying off in the wind.  I really wanted to spend time outside today, but that wind was just too icy.  Our high for the day barely made it to 40.

On our afternoon walk we saw tent caterpillars already on some of the bushes on the south ridge.  Will have to get them sprayed soon.  Seems awfully early for them.

This certainly is the year for the dwarf waterleaf Up Here.  It is covering the floor of the grove in its purple blooms.  It seems to be everywhere I look, along with the Pacific spring beauties.  But there aren't very many of the shooting stars, so I picked as many as I could find and pressed them.

Larry and Elsie came up for a visit bringing fresh eggs and more bones for the dogs.  Their hens gave them nine eggs yesterday!  We spent their visit talking mainly about Agenda 21 and Behind The Green Mask, the book about it that JB and Elsie are reading.  They both agree that neither of them can read much at a time without taking a break, as it is so upsetting about what the government is up to.

Tuesday, 4/30.  It was partly cloudy and 24 early this morning, and only 25 when we left for Down There at 8:00.  JB had a doctor's appointment and we had several errands to run.  He will have to go back down on Friday for x-rays and a couple tests.  Could be sciatica and/or a few other things.

Big, fluffy clouds drifted over during the day, some of them bringing showers to the north and south of town.  But it was dry everywhere we were, just April trying to leave its legacy.  It was a beautiful drive up and down the canyon with all the balsam root in bloom.  The lupine is beginning to show its purple blossoms, and I saw a few sweet peas intermingled with the others.  We were home by 1:00 pm and there were a actually a few snowflakes blowing around.  They soon disappeared and after we got up from a nap at 3:30, it was all blue sky.  But once again the daily temperature struggled to reach 40.

I haven't seen any more activity around the birdhouse, so perhaps the wrens are not using it this year.

Wednesday, 5/1.  Clear and 24 again this morning.  The forecast is for warmer temperatures by the end of the week.  Although the balsam root is in full bloom down the canyon, it is just beginning to recover from the cold snap Up Here.

Today is May Day!  As a child my Mother and I would spend the evening of April 30 making two paper baskets.  First thing in the morning of May 1, I would rush out to pick whatever flowers I could find in our yard to fill them, often lilacs, sweet peas and dandylions.  Then as stealthly as I could, I would place one on the front door step of each of two neighbor's homes and run away as fast as my legs could carry me.  Wouldn't want to get caught!

Thought for the day:  There are two things that one must get used to or one will find life unendurable: the damages of time and the injustices of man.  Nicolas Chamfort