Aug 30, 2013 Ceramic Cookware

Our full wood shed with two rows at 8' long
and six rows at 10' long

Beginning to stack on the porch.

Wednesday 8/28.  Another mostly cloudy day with a high of 66.  A very comfortable day for working outside.  By 12:30 pm I had split and stacked five wheel barrow loads of firewood, the last load being stacked on the porch after I prepped it.  This is about six weeks early, as we usually do not get to the porch until about mid October.

A few weeks back I bought a ceramic lined frying pan to see how I would like it.  Well, it is fantastic!  It literally wipes clean with no soap and water.  So when I saw a set on sale last week, I snatched it up.  Talk about saving water!  (Although I do swish a little soapy water in it after wiping.)

I made chicken stew for dinner with our new potatoes.   Mmmmm!

A small rain shower moved through around 7:00 pm - after I watered the garden.  Looks like we may get more during the night.

Tomorrow we go Down There for JB's doctor appointment and some errands.  I spent the evening catching up on my e-mail.

Thursday 8/29.  Got on our way a little after 10:00 am.  There were some very dark clouds on the horizon and the temperature was 54.

JB passed his exam with flying colors but still has to take it easy for another couple weeks, then no heavy lifting for another two.  He is doing great but the doctor doesn't want him to over do.  However he will be allowed to drive the tractor so I can load the bucket with split wood, then he will drive it over to the porch instead of my having to push a heavy wheel barrow.  Hurray!

Just as we pulled into Jack in the Box, I could see a wall of rain coming in from the southwest.  A few minutes later the squall hit with a fury.  Wind and pouring rain.  But by the time we were done eating, there was just a lazy shower that petered out shortly thereafter.  Our road was still a little dicey, but we made it home by 3:00 pm after filling up all our water containers at Larry and Elsie's.

With so many leftovers in the fridge, we just scrounged for dinner.  We were both pooped, but since I hadn't worked up a sweat all day, just before we ate I walked up to the south ridge and pulled some six-foot-tall weeds that I had been neglecting.  Can't believe how quickly they grow.

Watched another two episodes of "The Walking Dead."  Yep, we're both hooked.  Don't really care for the gore, but the story and characters strike a chord.

Friday 8/30.  Partly cloudy and 49 with a small chance of rain today.  Sounds like it will be a nice holiday weekend though.

Thought for the day:  The trick is growing up without growing old.  Casey Stengel

Aug 28, 2013 Potato Harvest!

Our first potatoes for the year!

Monday 8/26.  After a leisurely breakfast we went out to the garden to harvest our first potatoes.  Got some nice little ones that I'll use for a soup or stew, and also some larger ones.  Always a bit of a thrill to gather what we have grown.

Then it was time to get to work on splitting all that wood that Jake and I had gathered.  I split and stacked four wheel barrow loads before lunch, and now have three partial rows to go.  Will probably begin to stack on the south side of the porch before the wood shed is completely done.  Did four more loads after lunch, then came inside to do the dishes and wash my hair.

When I was at Costco yesterday, a large box of Oreos jumped right off the shelf and into my cart.  It must have heard my inner child calling out to it.  I haven't bought them since we moved Up Here, but a glass of milk and some Oreos are good medicine for a mother's aching heart.

One of the main uses for the water I bring up from Larry and Elsie's is to flush the toilet, which we do twice a day.  That's two gallons per flush, so I manually fill the tank.  We use the outhouse as much as possible.  And, speaking of which, on Saturday I gathered a large kitchen garbage bag full of sawdust and shavings from where Jake had cut all the rounds.

The clouds became darker and darker during the afternoon, with thunder rolling in from the distant southwest about 3:30 pm.  It began to rain as the dogs and I were on our walk.  Just a nice, lazy rain for about an hour, but enough to water the garden.

JB's back pain and difficulty walking, along with his resulting grumpiness, came on so slowly during the past year that were were not really aware of the magnitude of each symptom until they disappeared this past week.  I am just amazed at how quickly he is recovering from the operation.  Still have him on a short leash until his doctor's appointment on Thursday.

We watched "The Avengers" after dinner, one of the movies Jake had brought out and let us borrow.  What a hoot!

Tuesday 8/27.  Slept in a bit this morning, but I was out by 9:30 am to split more wood.  Did a total of seven loads for the day, four before lunch.  When I was done, it was time for a nap.

I think the dogs are much relieved now that life is pretty much back to normal and they are getting their two scheduled daily walks and usually another one thrown in.  I walked down the driveway to pick up all the little nibs that had broken off the logs as we dragged them up.  They may be small pieces but they are perfect for starting a hot fire on which to place the larger pieces, or simply burning a pile by themselves.  So far I have a large barrel, a small barrel and a large yard bag full of them.

JB went on our afternoon walk with the dogs and me.  Slowly, but quite capably, even going up and down the south ridge.  Then he grilled pork chops and our potatoes for dinner and I sliced up one of Elsie's garden fresh tomatoes.  Yummm.

I found a perfect long, thin branch with which to measure the water in the cistern and marked the inches from one to two feet.  For the past couple weeks we have had about 19" of water, and with what little we are using, we are able to keep it at the same level with running the pump twice a week.  We usually only get about 5 minutes of water, but it is enough.  One inch of water in the cistern is equal to 22.5 gallons.

We watched another two episodes of "The Walking Dead", to which I am officially hooked.

Wednesday 8/28.  Another partly cloudy morning and 53.  Our high for yesterday was only 62.  Perfect weather for working outside.'

Thought for the day:  The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing should be taken too seriously.  Nicholas Murray Butler

Aug 26, 2013 Laundry!

Sunrise on Saturday

All the big wood Jake cut, waiting to be split.

Saturday 8/24.  There is just no way us older folks could have done in four days what Jake did.  I am sure it would have taken us two months.  I know we have enough wood for at least a year and a half.  Ah, youth. . .

Today we just had a quiet, relaxed morning reading mail, papers and magazines.  I puttered around the house cleaning up a bit and took the dogs for their morning walk.  After lunch I stacked the long ends of the last cutting into the cradle and added a few pieces.  Then I stacked the rest of the rounds by the splitter.

The sky cleared by noon and it warmed up to a cool high of 64, with more clouds moving in by late afternoon.  

There was a fire near Leavenworth during the week and no wind, so the smoke filled up the Wenatchee River Valley to the point where we could not even see the Columbia River.  The smoke is almost gone today and the fire 75% contained.  It certainly has been another nasty summer for fires.

Well, so much for my theory about air conditioning and my sinuses.  I spent three days in the air conditioned hospital with no side effects. . .

About a month ago I finally got tired of wearing my hair long and cut off almost six inches of it.  Now I wear it in a page boy that, when curled, hangs about an inch or so below my ears.  So much easier to take care of and I think it looks pretty good.

Am going Down There to do laundry and shopping tomorrow, but it was so good to have a day off.

Sunday 8/25.  Got on the road later than I had wanted to, but JB fixed bacon and eggs for breakfast.  So nice.  I got everything out for him so he wouldn't have to bend over to reach anything.

I had nine loads of wash!  With all our guests, and working and sweating every day, it really adds up.  Then I went to Costco and was actually able to be home by 2:30 pm after stopping for water at Larry and Elsie's.  Had a nice chat with Elsie during a break in her canning blueberry jam and pie filling.

I noticed that our neighbors were up when I took the dogs on their afternoon walk.  They came up to visit for a couple hours in the evening.  It was so good to see them again.

Made pizza for dinner and watched an episode of "The Walking Dead."  It had clouded over and began drizzling around 7:00 pm.  I think it did that off and on all night.

Monday 8/26.  It is partly cloudy and 46 this morning.  I may start splitting all that wood today, or not. . .  I can smell the muffins JB is baking.

Thought for the day:  You can't turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again.  Bonnie Pruden  

Aug 24, 2013 All Quiet on the Rose Camp Front

Jake cutting logs into rounds.

Cutting the 50' standing dead.

Wednesday 8/21.  We were out the door by 9:00 am to cut more logs and trees then drag them up to the splitter.  Jake cut down three trees by the property marker and then we finished clearing out that area.  After lunch we attacked the jumble just to the left of the end of our drive way.  Both jumbles were actually slash piles that have been sitting there for about 30 years from when the timber company made the roads.  I read an article in one of our magazines regarding firewood and BTU's where the author stated that wood that had been drying for more than three years wasn't worth burning.  Another example of "experts" who aren't.  We have burned wood from another slash pile and it is excellent, especially the fir.

There was another standing dead that Jake cut down, then we were going to drag all the logs up, but by 1:30 pm I wimped out and had to take a nap.   So Jake made the last two trips by himself and started cutting them into rounds and stacking them.  He planned to finish cutting the logs and the cradle on Thursday.

Every day JB is doing better and better.  I am really amazed at how quickly he is recovering.  He is doing the walking that he is supposed to, but is chomping at the leash.  At his doctor's appointment next week, we'll find out just how much he can push it. 

Larry and Elsie came up to visit and meet Jake, bringing fresh eggs and tomatoes and garlic from her garden.  A good ending to a good day.

Thursday 8/22.  This morning Jake cut most of the logs into rounds and sliced two full cradles.  I took wheel barrow loads to the wood shed and stacked rounds by the splitter.  We stopped for lunch, then Jake used expanding foam on the front and north side of the house to fill in the gaps all along under the eaves where escaping warm air is causing mold and where the wasps are probably getting inside the house.  The apex of the roof is 20 feet high from the porch and under the side of the house is 16 feet from the ground, so it was a very tiring job with moving the big ladder all the time.  I can do the eaves above the deck, and the south side of the house will just have to wait.  Jake wants to finish cutting the last five logs into rounds tomorrow morning.

This was his last evening Up Here, so after dinner he and JB played a couple rounds of Magic cards.  JB went to bed, then Jake and I stayed up and talked.  These two weeks have sped by so quickly. . .

Friday 8/23.  Rain began falling about 1:30 am, very quietly.  No thunder and lightening this time.  It had stopped by 7:00 am and we were out the door by 7:30 to finish cutting the last logs.  Jake said he felt much better knowing that whole project was done.

After a big breakfast, Jake packed up.  He and I left at 12:30 pm.  We had several errand to run and took time for a leisurely lunch.  Then we visited Larry and Elsie at their shop.  Got to the airport a bit early, but I simply could not stay with him longer than a half hour as I could feel the tears coming.  It was so hard to say goodbye.

I called JB for the grocery list and got that done on the way home.  Stopped for water at Larry and Elsie's, and was home a little before we heard Jake's plane take off.  I pushed myself to get everything unloaded and put away.  Made a cup of cocoa, and was in bed by 8:00 pm.  Exhausted.

Saturday 8/24.  It is partially overcast and 58 this morning.  I got up at 6:00, fully rested.  Am blogging while awaiting Jake's call.  He took the red-eye and is going to call on his drive home from the airport.  It was so very good to have him Up Here and I can still feel his presence.  But it is very quiet. . .

Thought for the day:  Rest when you need to rest and tomorrow you will be refreshed.  Wild Rose 

Aug 23, 2013 Saying Goodbye

Jake cutting the tree he felled.

Friday 8/23.  Saying goodbye to Jake today, so will write my blog tomorrow.

Aug 21, 2013 My Son, The Taskmaster

(No picture today until I figure out my "new" computer.)


Monday 8/19.  Jake and I worked on cutting and hauling logs then stacking wood until almost 3:30 pm.  Definitely my longest working day in years.  We were able to clear out a large area, plus he cut all the wood that was in the cradle and the wood we brought up that would fit in it.  He cut and brought it over to the wood shed.  I stacked it.  We both just collapsed when he finally admitted it was time to stop.  But it was a good day and we both felt like we had accomplished something.

JB had a good day too.  He was up and walking around outside, but not pushing it.  The doctor had said that because he has such an active lifestyle that he would probably pop back more quickly, but it will still be six weeks before he is back to normal.

I watched a couple more episodes of "The Walking Dead" while they played Magic cards after dinner.

Tuesday 8/20.  Another cool, clear morning and we were out the door by 8:30 am.  Down straight past the end of the driveway where there was still a bit of a jumble of logs by the property marker.  Jake cut the long logs so we could pull it all apart, then cut down three 8" diameter fir trees that were full of mistletoe.  We pulled most of the logs up, then, tired as he was, Jake wanted to tackle the 30' tall standing dead.  It fell right where he wanted it to, which was across the road.  He cut it into 6' pieces and we pulled up the two that were blocking access.  Then it was definitely time to call it quits.  Tomorrow we will finish hauling up the rest of the logs and cut them into rounds.

We took a break then drove down to get water at Larry and Elsie's.  Another long and very productive day, for JB also.

After dinner Jake caulked around the pipes that go through the roof on the outhouse as water has been leaking down there when it rains.  Then he showed me how to use the laptop that he had given me.  One of his older ones that he refurbished and is much faster than my old one.

Monday 8/21.  Here we go again. . .

Thought for the day: Good things, when short, are twice as good.  Baltasar Gracian 

Aug 19, 2013 Autumn Is in the Air

Sunset

Friday 8/16.  It took an hour to drive up our four-mile dirt road bringing JB home from the hospital, but on "happy" meds, he made it just fine.  Each day he feels and moves better.  Just being home helped immensely.  We all breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed the evening together.

Saturday 8/17.  A beautiful but cooler day.  Autumn had arrived Wednesday evening along with some very loud crickets.  It was an immediate switch this year, not just a scent in the air.  The mornings since then have been in the mid 50's, and today's high was 67.  Feels so good.

JB was moving so much more easily today, but walking is not the problem, getting up and down is.  I am amazed at how much improvement there is each day.

JB's nephew arrived about 2:30 pm and his son arrived at 3:30.  A very good reunion.  Everyone just talked and talked, then enjoyed a big pot of chili with corn bread for dinner.  Except Paul, who had gone vegan.  Fortunately I have plenty of food that he could eat.  

We got the guys settled in the tipi for the night with the almost-full moonlight.  A very good day.

Sunday 8/18.  RJ came up to join us for breakfast, and JB sat at the table with us.  As the day proceeded, we actually had to advise JB to take it easy and not do too much!

The guys and I went on a nice long hike.  Another beautiful day with a high of only 72.  It was very difficult to say goodbye, especially to Paul since it may be at least a year before we see him again.  JB's nephew promised to be back in September and bring his 5-year-old son.

RJ came back up for dinner and the three of them played Magic cards, while I watched "The Walking Dead."

Jake is the JB's designated "nurse".  What a relief to have him here.  More than a relief, it is just incredible.  And for almost two weeks!  He doesn't fly back until late Friday afternoon.  So beginning Monday, we are going to be cutting and gathering wood; dragging the logs up to the splitter; and cutting them into rounds.

Monday 8/19.  It is 50 and clear this morning.  After breakfast, Jake and I will get to work.  It is so good to have him here.  Did I already say thAT?  Well, I can't say it enough. . .

Thought for the day: The value of marriage is. . . that children produce adults.  Peter de Vries 

Aug 16, 2013 All Is Well

Helicopters flying over our house
on Tuesday.

Wednesday 8/14.  We arrived at the hospital at 10:30 am for JB's 12:30 pm surgery which, as usually happens, was delayed until 2:30 pm.  When we were advised of that, I drove back home to let the dogs out and have lunch, while our son, Jake, stayed with JB.  At 4:30 pm the doctor came out to tell us that all had gone as planned with no surprises.  JB's disc that is slipping a bit is not as bad as it could be, so if his recuperation goes well, he may never have to have it fused.  

Since we wouldn't be able to see him until at least 6:00 pm, we went out to dinner at Taco Time.  Jake's favorite fast food, and there are none on the east coast. We didn't get to see him until 6:30 pm when he got up to his room, and at that point he was not a happy camper.  We left him to bitch and moan at the nurses.  Had to get home to the dogs.  What a day!

Thursday 8/15.  Jake and I brought the TALL ladder inside so I could hang another picture and do some adjusting to things on the shelves.  Then we showered and left to see JB at 12:30 pm.  Visited, then left him and Jake while I went to get a few groceries for the weekend and do a couple errands.  We stayed til 4:30 and headed for home.  He will be going home with us tomorrow.

I am really impressed with the hospital and staff.  JB has a single room, which is very large and very comfortable, with a guest couch/bed.  He has a menu to choose from that looks just like one at a restaurant.  The cafeteria has just about everything and prices are extremely reasonable.

Driving down today we met RJ coming up!  He is here until Monday, so after dinner we drove down the short cut so Jake could see his place.  Probably the last time we'll drive the short cut as the last 100 feet or so have been badly washed out with our thunderstorms.  But we had a great visit, then drove home the long way.  Gotta love those Jeeps. . .

Jake had brought some movies with him that we haven't seen and also the first two seasons of "The Walking Dead".  JB isn't interested in that series so each night Jake and I watched a couple episodes.

The yellow jackets are diminishing in number but advancing in aggressiveness.  I have 1-1/2 bites already.  The first happened about 10 days ago, but I was able to swipe it off my arm before he was done - bitus interruptus.  Then on Monday I was weeding without wearing gloves and, sure enough, one bit me on my already enlarged arthritic thumb.  It's not that it hurt so much, but my whole hand swelled up for the evening and took a couple days to get back to normal.  Never had that happen before.  

Friday 8/16.  Since JB has to get out of the bed on his left side right now, and there is limited room on my side of the bed, I made it with our heads at the foot.  Going to be a bit disorienting, but then so is this whole situation.  JB called at 8:30 am to advise that he will be discharged at about 12:30 pm.  So now the fun begins. . .  

JB's son, Paul - Jake's half-brother, will arrive tomorrow for the weekend and so will Jake's cousin.  They will all sleep in the tipi Saturday night.

Thought for the day:  Be not afraid of sudden fear.

Aug 14, 2013 JB's Operation Day

Wednesday 8/14.  JB has to check in to the hospital at 10:30 this morning.  Both our son, Jake, and I will be taking him Down There.  I will post again on Friday.

Aug 12, 2013 Thunderstorms & Meteors

Clouds to the west on Sunday.

Friday 8/9.  I am quite sure I have figured out my sinus and sore throat problem - air conditioning.  Whenever I am in an air conditioned space more than one day at a time, I have this problem.  This is why I was feeling so badly when we arrived home from our trip to Maryland.  Everywhere we went was air conditioned.  After we returned and the adrenaline from the trip subsided, it took more than a week to recover.  This past week I had gone shopping on Monday, then sat in the dentists office on Tuesday for a couple hours.  All air conditioned.  I will just have to be more diligent about my forays into Down There.

My apologies to Larry.  It seems  my assessment of the status of the canyon road after Monday's storm was faulty.  It actually took him nine hours on his tractor to fix the mile of the road from his house to the pavement, as opposed to four hours from the last major storm. . .  Bless him and his tractor!

Great new issue of "Farm Show".  There seem to be more items for regular country folk and not just farmers.

We fixed the bottom of the liner of the tipi.  It has been up for more than two years now and the critters have chewed up the cotton rope for nesting.  We are using nylon rope this time.

The temperature got up to 80 today.  I can't believe I was out working in this kind of heat when JB was in Seattle!  Way too hot.

Dry lightening began flashing across the sky about 10:45 pm.  That has to be about the eeriest one of nature's events I have ever witnessed.  Reminiscent of a futuristic sci-fi movie.  We could hear distant thunder and it took about 30 minutes to reach us, bringing the rain with it.  Probably the only time we have been glad to have thunder.  I watched the light show from the deck, then the bathroom and dining area windows.  It was all coming in from the south and rolling down that canyon.

There was a horrendous clap of thunder directly overhead immediately after which we had large marble-size hail.  Incredibly loud!  Both dogs were on the bed shaking so badly that it felt like someone had put a quarter in a vibrating bed.  We watched and endured.  Found out later that Larry was caught out in the hail.  Ouch!

When the storm had passed to the north and east, I was out at midnight doing my after-storm rounds.  The dogs came with me and were thrilled with the outing and the quiet.

Saturday 8/10.  JB did his "sleeper" rounds first thing to check for any strike that might be flaring up.  There was smoke way to the north of us where the lightening had lingered for quite a while and most likely started another fire.

I only saw one humming bird yesterday, so I took the feeders down this morning.  Now all they are doing is attracting yellow jackets.  I do miss those little birds when they leave.

After JB left for Down There at 9:30 am, I clipped along the path to the north ridge and generally cleaned up small branches in the newly mowed area, all the while watching thunderheads build up to the south and east.

Smoke was almost overwhelming from the two nearby fires set last night.  The one to the north, near Entiat, and another one to the south where the Colockam fire had once been deterred.  With little air movement today the smoke just took over.  At least our high for the day was only 74.

When JB returned he had quite a tale of a mudslide on the paved canyon road right where our canyon road meets it.  More than a foot of mud and rocks that he had to carefully maneuver through in four-low.  Just as he got through it the mess, he met the equipment coming up to clear it.

Tonight's light show started about 11:00 pm.  Not as much rain as last night but certainly a lot of fireworks.  Fortunately no dry lightening.  I was out doing my rounds at 11:30 pm, the hardest part of which is getting out of a comfy, cozy bed, even if it is overrun with panting, drooling dogs.

Sunday 8/11.  A nice cool morning of 56.  JB went on his sleeper watch and called in a column of smoke to DNR that was a couple canyons to the south.  I left about 9:00 am to do laundry and grocery shopping, while he spent most of the time I was gone talking to DNR.  When they could not locate the smoke by driving around, they came up to Rose Camp to try and spot it.  They arrived a little before I did.  Very nice, knowledgeable young people who stayed a couple hours and guided a fly-by.  They could see the smoke that was now only occasionally puffing up, but the plane could not.  They were called off to another fire, but we received a phone call about 5:30 advising us that the smoke had finally been located and DNR was sending out a crew.

When I came home, I saw that the main canyon road had been graded all the way down to Larry and Elsie's.  I was sure I knew who had done it and when the DNR folks left, JB and I drove over to their place with four bottles of wine as a thank-you.  It is one of the weekenders from Wenatchee who spend a lot of time at their property during the summer as she is a teacher and has the time off.  He has a larger tractor that ours with a box scraper.  As we were visiting, it started to rain so we made a dash for back home - all our windows in the house and my car were open.  Not that is was really a dash.  You don't "dash" on these roads, but we arrived to find everything pretty well drenched.  Nothing came in the house windows, but my car was wet inside and the dogs' beds on the porch were soaked.

This afternoon's storm pretty much missed us except for a couple showers, as all the clouds had gone around to the north and south clashing in the east.  We heard the thunder for quite a while before it moved on.

What a weekend!

Monday 8/12.  I arose at 4:15 am to see the meteor shower.  Sat out on the deck but only saw about six shooting stars, five small ones and one large one.  The dogs wanted out about 4:45 am so then I sat on the porch and saw a couple more small ones.  Was disappointed though, as I thought there were supposed to be a lot more and I read that the pre-dawn sky would be the best to see them.  Oh well.

Our son called a couple times this morning as he packed for his trip.  His wardrobe isn't really appropriate for working out in the woods, but he is going to bring a few new movies that we haven't seen.  He will arrive in Wenatchee tomorrow at about 5:00 pm and JB will go to pick him up.  I can't wait!

I may not post much on Wednesday morning.  It all depends on when JB has to be at the hospital and we won't find that out until tomorrow.  Our son will take him down and stay there during the operation.  He will come back up to Rose Camp once JB is in recovery.  Then we will both go down in the evening to visit.  Thoughts and prayers are much appreciated. . .

Thought for the day:  A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spend doing nothing.  George Bernard Shaw

Aug 9, 2013 Baby Wrens

More park to the north of the house.

Wednesday 8/7. By the time we ate breakfast and got outside to work, that welcome breeze had disappeared.  There was little, if no, air movement and it was warming up quickly.  

We drove down to the end of the driveway to cut some large, downed trees but when we hiked up to them, the chainsaw would not start.  We figured out later that it just needed to sit a while, as I had carried it up on its side.  Oh well, live and learn.  And we certainly are learning Up Here.  We ended up pulling out several more but smaller downed trees, and I hand sawed several more smaller ones with JB's new saw.

By the time we quit for lunch, we both had sweat running down into every crack and crevice.  Not comfortable. . .

After lunch and a short nap, JB mowed to the north of the house by the tipi, adding to our park.  I looked for hidden rocks and logs.  What a difference!

By dinner time I was starting to feel pretty crappy, like I was coming down with something.  We watched the last two episodes of "The Closer."  I guess I didn't have it all figured out but we both loved the ending.  Now we can hardly wait to start watching "Major Crimes."

Larry and Elsie drove up with fresh eggs and blueberries for us in anticipation of our son's visit, and to pick up Elsie's ATV.  We had a nice visit and gave Larry his birthday present, which he didn't have to receive in front of a crowd because we did not have our Rose Camp BBQ this year.  It was a door mat that says: Welcome!  I hope you brought beer.

Thursday 8/8.  The day began with a few clouds, 63 degrees and a breeze that stuck around a little longer this morning.  It was gone by noon though.

I woke up with a sore throat and indeed feeling crappy.  So I had the choice of staying inside; doing nothing; and feeling crappy, or going outside; doing light work; and feeling crappy.  I chose the latter.

There was a lot of chittering going on outside and we discovered that the baby wrens were out of the nest!  The first time we ever had the opportunity to see some.  Mama wren was watching over them as they flew in and out of the nest, which is 14" high under the eaves.  They are so cute!

We pulled out three old but good logs from the area between the tipi and the driveway.  Then I went inside for breakfast while JB mowed up on the south ridge, re-mowing the road and widening it.  I had a fresh blueberry and banana smoothie which would have been the perfect start to the day if I hadn't been feeling so bad.  It was so good!

I am reading Jeffrey Deaver's novel, The Broken Window, which is a Lincoln Rhyme book.  It is about data mining and is pretty scary, like 1984.

After lunch, it suddenly occurred to me that there was no chirping outside.  It was eerily quiet.  Mama and the babies were gone.  At least we finally got to see the babies this year before they left.

I got outside again to do some more light work, but it was really too muggy to do much more than load up the wheel barrow with small sticks from where JB had mowed by the tipi.

About dinner time, JB smelled smoke and sure enough there was a smokey haze from the north.  He checked on the computer and there is a small fire west of Leavenworth.  Because there is no air movement, the smoke is just filling up the valley and canyons.

We spent the evening on the porch, enjoying a very slight breeze.  Our high for the day was 77.

Friday 8/9.  It is 65 this morning with a few thin clouds.  We will probably attack that area at the end of the driveway again this morning.  I am feeling a little better, thank goodness.

Thought for the day:  Most of us lead far more meaningful lives than we know.  Often finding meaning is not about doing things differently; it is about seeing familiar things in new ways.  Rachel Naomi Remen

Aug 7, 2013 Doctor & Dentist

The 57' tree from one end. . .

. . . and the other.

Monday 8/5.  I left as planned and did not have to water anything at Larry and Elsie's as last night's storm had drenched everything.  The road was okay until just above their place, but not as bad as after the previous big storm the end of June.  I did find out later that mud and gravel had washed into Larry's shop and it had leaked in new places.  And several areas around Wenatchee experienced rivers of mud.  

My first stop was to pick up my new glasses.  Wow! What a difference!  Then it was off to do the laundry and grocery shopping.  Was able to get home by 2:00 pm, but was really sweating by then.  Our high for the day was 75, and it was 92 Down There.

Called JB's doctor and found that he had passed his tests and his operation is still on for the 14th.  Our son will arrive on the 13th and stay for about 10 days.  Am so please and relieved that he will be here with us.

We watched more of "The Closer" this evening.  Just two more episodes to go and I think I have it figured out.

Tuesday 8/6.  Before breakfast, while it was still nice and cool outside, JB and I sliced the large, broken-off tree we had drug up into 16" rounds.  I'll dice it later.  Turned out to be 37 rounds and an 8' top that I put into the cradle.  All excellent wood.  That fir tree was about 57' tall.

JB left for his last doctor's appointment about 9:30.  This was just a follow-up on his kidney test.  Turns out the problem is his gout medication (which he is now off of) and the fact that he drinks too much coffee and not enough water and other liquids.  He has to drink broth for a few days and go in for another blood test on Saturday.

After he left I moved all the rounds to the splitter and loaded the cradle with the small trees we had drug up.  I also began to fill in the hole for the well piping, shoveling it in on top of the gravel I put down there a few days ago.  We were advised to fill it in a little at a time to allow it to settle.

One of my teeth has been bothering me for the past week or so and I could no longer put off calling the dentist.  Tried out a new one I had heard of and they were able to squeeze me in this afternoon.  I met JB coming up just below the gate as I was on my way down.  And I think I have found the best dentist ever!  I am such a baby and he really put me at ease.  The problem wasn't a bad tooth at all, but a change in my bite from having that last one pulled in June.  He ground down a couple teeth a little and, viola!  I'll see him in January for a complete checkup when I have dental insurance.

It was another hot day and our high was 77.  It was still 69 when we went to bed.  Will save the last episodes of "The Closer" for tomorrow night.

Wednesday 8/7.  It is clear and 60 with a welcome breeze this morning.  Now that the date for the operation is firm, we have lots to do.

Thought for the day:  The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.  Alvin Toffler  

Aug 5, 2013 Busy Weekend!

Rose Camp is beginning to . . .

. . . look like a park.

Friday 8/2.  Since this was mainly a cool, indoor day, JB worked on his Magic card decks in preparation for RJ's and Mike's visit.  I baked cookies for the same reason.

JB heard hatchlings in the wren's nest today.  No wonder she is complaining so much - she's a single mother!

Got the call advising that my glasses are ready to be picked up, so I will go Down There on Monday to do laundry and grocery shopping also.

RJ and Mike arrived at 5:30 for dinner.  Mike looks like he is 20 now, not turning 15 in September!  Had a great visit and they will be back up for breakfast and cards.

After they left, we drove down to Larry and Elsie's to pick up her ATV and get last minute instructions for taking care of their place for the next three days.  They are taking their boat for a well-deserved mini vacation.

It was cloudy all day, with a high of only 60.

Saturday 8/3.  RJ and Mike arrived at 9:00 am for breakfast, although Mike was still half asleep.  Didn't keep him from winning the most card games afterwards.  Was hard to say goodbye as this may be the only time we get to see Mike this year.

My sinuses were really acting up today, so took a nap before I drove down to Larry and Elsie's after feeding the dogs at 4:00 pm.  Riding the ATV, not only can I see more, but I can smell more also.  In the car I get the general outdoor forest freshness, but on the ATV I get the individual scents.  Like the sudden muskiness of an elk or a bear (I wouldn't know the difference).  It was a great ride.

We had a little more sun today and our high was 64.

Sunday 8/4.  Overslept, so I basically jumped out of bed and threw on my clothes, then left at 8:15 for Larry and Elsie's.  It was a beautiful morning and 60 degrees.  The chickens were so glad to see me, but they didn't give me any eggs. . .

When I got back, I grabbed a cup of coffee and some peanut butter toast, then we were off to the end of the driveway to cut some small trees and pull them up to the splitter along with some logs.  There was one nice size tree that had broken off during the winter, so we dragged out the broken-off part and JB cut the 8' "stump."  We worked for a little less than two hours and pulled four loads up.  A good morning's work.

Meanwhile the thunder clouds built up on the horizon.  A few drifted overhead but the great majority of them were to the north and south, coming in from the southwest.

Wow!  August already.  And the days are noticeably shorter.  Time to tilt the solar panels halfway down, which we did after lunch.

I made chicken broth for the dogs, then took them on their afternoon walk and fed them while JB rested and worked on his Magic card decks.  At 4:00 pm I headed down to Larry and Elsie's.  Our high for the day was 72 but it was much warmer down at their place.  The chickens were again happy to see me and this time there were four eggs.  

I ran into a cloudburst on the way back, just before our road, and it followed me all the way home.  I didn't get too wet though as I had remembered to bring my rain gear.  Of course the rain let up as soon as I got inside.

I didn't water the potatoes this evening as it soon became overcast with dark clouds and scattered lightening and thunder.  The rain began at 7:15 and the lightening was right overhead!  It was a downpour for about 30 minutes with some hail mixed in.  The storm lasted for about 45 minutes, slowly rumbling off to the northeast, having rattled the dogs and watered the garden.  I made my after-storm rounds in the last of the sprinkles and couldn't see any sign of lightening strikes.

Monday 8/5.  A clear, quiet morning with a few clouds off to the west.  I want to leave by 8:00 am as I will have to feed and water at Larry and Elsie's on my way Down There.  Hopefully the road wasn't too badly rutted in that downpour.

Thought for the day:  The bad news: There is no key to the universe.  The good news: It was never locked.  Swami Beyondananda 

Aug 2, 2013 Well Fixed & Rain

Smoke from the Colockum fire

Flowers Mother Nature planted
by our porch.

Wednesday 7/31.  Another hazy morning.  Dinga is used to snapping at flies that bother her, but now the flying bothers are mostly yellow jackets.  So this morning she finally got bitten on her upper lip.  It is a little swollen and obviously bothered her at first.  She didn't yip though.  And it didn't teach her anything. . .

After JB left and I ate lunch, I went out to split the cherry wood.  Found a small niche in the wood shed where I can keep it stacked separately.  But halfway through splitting the second load, the yellow jackets got so thick that I had to quit and go in the house.  It really wasn't hot out, just hazy and muggy.  There are more yellow jackets at the hummingbird feeders than there are birds.  I did manage to get one more load done later on.

Initially JB wanted to use the cherry wood for the smoke house he plans to build next year, but as I started splitting it I noticed that is smelled more like sweaty feet than a good smoking wood.  And I am an authority on sweaty feet.  The tree was cut several years ago and has been sitting out in the damp Seattle climate, so we will just use it for the wood stove.

Dinga again chased turkeys into the trees on our afternoon walk.  Probably the same ones from this morning, but they had moved down by the garden.  They were really chattering at her from their branch perches.

The wind picked up and a few raindrops fell a little after JB returned home at 4:00 pm, as if announcing an impending shower.  But it was short lived.  The Colockum fire blew up again and there was a lot more smoke to the southeast.

On Monday JB had discovered a sale on the last season of "The Closer", finally!  So we have been watching that in the evenings.  Am looking forward to seeing "Major Crimes" also.

Thursday 8/1.  Partly cloudy and 59 with a light haze from the smoke.

A man from the well company called about 8:00 am and was on his way.  JB drove down to meet him at the gate and lead him up, as he doesn't have to leave for his ultrasound until about 3:00 pm.  Within an hour and a half of arriving, not only was the pitless adapter fixed, but he had also replaced the pinched pipe!  We were still only able to get about 15 minutes worth of water pumped, but it was flowing in nicely with nothing leaking back out.  We'll just keep plugging along.

We heard thunder off and on in the distance to the south in the afternoon, but the sun was shining through the haze over us.  Our high was 74, but the air was very heavy and my sinuses were screaming.

On our afternoon walk I could see rain falling from the huge thunder cloud to the south over the fire.  I can only hope they were getting enough rain to help put it out.  We were on the north edge of the storm and received scattered showers while the thunder edged closer.  Then there was a downpour for about an hour, during which JB arrived home.  And then it was gone.

Friday 8/2.  Rain began falling again shortly after 4:30 am when I let the dogs out.  After a week of doctor appointments and two days of not being able to eat lunch because of his tests, JB slept in.  I did too.

As I write this it is 46 and the rain has just stopped.  That's good because RJ and Mike are coming up for the weekend today.  It will be Mike's only opportunity this summer because of all his sports activities.  We are really looking forward to seeing him.

Thought for the day: The secret to dealing successfully with a child is not to be its parent.  Mell Lazarus