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