Nov 29, 2013

A little valley fog over the Columbia River
on Thanksgiving Day.

Wednesday 11/27.  Today was partly overcast with a high of 27.   Neither of us were feeling very well, so we just puttered around inside.  I finished wrapping and packaging the last of the gifts, which were RJ's and Mike's.  He may be up next week, which will save me some postage.  I addressed all sixty Christmas cards, so now I am just down to writing personal messages in them.

JB took the dogs on their morning walk and I went on the afternoon walk, after bringing in the wood.  It felt good to get outside for a little while and connect with the earth.

We started getting ready for our Thanksgiving dinner today.  I baked the sweet potatoes.  JB made the corn bread for the dressing then cut it into 1/2" squares to dry out during the night.

Twice during the day deer were walking up our driveway just as we let the dogs out.  None of us saw them til the dogs were well into the yard.  Dinga barked and the deer bounded up the east slope.  Jesse chased them just to the fence.

Lots of interesting facts from the forest health seminar JB attended.  According to journals from early white men crossing our country, trees in the forests were far enough apart for them to ride three abreast through them!  For a healthy trees, they should be an average of nine feet apart.  Boy, do we have work to do. . .

The heavens during these past, cold starry nights have been phenomenal.  The stars seem twice as bright as usual.

Thursday 11/28.  Clear and 24 this Thanksgiving morning.  Jesse went outside right after I fed them at 8:30 am and was gone for two hours.  We heard his occasional bark but didn't see him until he returned right at 10:30 am for their morning walk and treat.  His internal clock is amazing.

I was feeling much better but JB was not, until I gave him a decongestant and some tylenol.  We both worked at fixing dinner.  I made the pie filling and JB made the crust.  Then he made the dressing and turkey, and some celery sticks with cream cheese to nibble on.  I fixed the bourbon sweet potatoes and gravy.  He broke out a bottle of Orange Muscat wine given to us from his brother - oh, my!  I have found my new favorite wine.

I had always seen pictures of home made pies cooling on window sills and thought that someday I would love to do that.  Well, today was the someday.  It wasn't on a windowsill, but I did set the pie outside to cool.

We have so much to be thankful for, which made our Thanksgiving dinner even better.  I could have easily fallen into a post-turkey-dinner stupor, but I left the couch to JB and went out to get fire wood, then took the dogs for a nice, slow walk.  Very enjoyable and just what I needed.

Then I got on the internet and spent my Christmas money at gohastings.com on many of the TV series we wanted.  After that, we settled in to watch three episodes of Bones.

Friday 11/29.  It is 30 and mostly cloudy this morning, with river-valley fog.  Already two degrees warmer than our high of 28 for yesterday.  We will probably spend most of the morning cleaning up our kitchen mess from yesterday.

There is a snow storm predicted for Sunday and icy temperatures from the Arctic moving in on Monday.  Possibly into the single digits, and sub-zero Up Here.

Thought for the day:  When there is trouble on earth it means there is movement in Heaven.  Irish tradition

Nov 27, 2013 Giving Thanks

Inversion layer over the Columbia River.

Sun on the mountains to the far northwest.

Monday 11/25.  By noon our blue sky was overcast and our high for the day was 28.  The high pressure system sitting off the coast is causing an inversion layer and air quality warnings, but supposedly there is a storm heading our way on Sunday.

I am in the process of losing a friend.  Someone I have known since high school.  I realize that people flow into and out of our life.  Sometimes we drift apart on a gentle current, and other times a tidal wave of differences sweeps us apart.  That emotional tidal wave can hurt as badly as a physical one, especially if you don't see it coming. . .

After being a bit of a social hermit for five years, I have decided to reconnect on a daily basis, so I am getting on Facebook almost every day instead of once a month.  It is time.

JB feels like he is coming down with something, so we may be staying home for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday 11/26.  This morning was 19 with a light overcast.  I left for Down There at about 9:00 am and just took my time doing my shopping and errands.  With the crowds, there wasn't going to be any rushing anyway.  So glad I don't have to be Down There on Wednesday.

I don't think the temperature got out of the 30's in town.  And I think the moisture from the Columbia River makes it seem colder than it is.  Our high Up Here was 27.

I was home by 2:30 pm.  JB did indeed catch a germ over the weekend and is congested with a sore throat.  Trying to keep me from getting it, he had me sleep on the couch.

Wednesday 11/27.  Well, sleeping apart didn't do the trick.  I am definitely coming down with whatever it is.  I am so disappointed about missing Thanksgiving dinner with Larry and Elsie and their family.  But that's just the way it goes sometimes.  I did buy a turkey breast and we have all the trimmings, so the four of us (two dogs and their humans) will enjoy a quiet Thanksgiving.  Instead of eggnog, we'll have hot wine, honey and butter.  So good, and it does the trick on the sore throat.

Thought for the day:  Whatever life has brought, the message is: Give Thanks.  And as you do so, greater things will come.  Norman Vincent Peale

Nov 25, 2013 Busy, Busy Weekend

The deer we saw on our Friday
morning walk.

RJ's bottle wall

Friday 11/22. JB left at 9:00 am as he had planned.  Even with such a cold temperature (10), his breath did not show as he carried his gear to the Jeep.  Must be the complete lack of moisture in the air.

The varied thrush are back.  Ten degrees and these little guys are Up Here feeding!

I hope the dogs appreciated my sacrifice of leaving our cozy, warm cabin to take them on their morning walk.  We saw a deer down the south slope of the south ridge, which really made it all worth the effort.  A very light overcast was forming and my cheeks were rosy cold when we got back.  I also brought in a load of wood.  Am using the sled for the wood now as it glides nicely over the frozen ground.  On Wednesday, I finished the first row of wood in the wood shed.  The first two rows are about two feet shorter than the next five rows.

And speaking of frozen ground, I am sure that is why it seems colder than the thermometer indicates.  The cold is radiating up from the ground, not just from the surrounding air.  Our high for the day was 20.

Classmates.com finally snookered my into joining for two years with their half-off sale.  Kind of fun to check up on fellow classmates, even though I hated high school.  I was such a shy little mouse.

I worked on Christmas cards all day, with a nice respite when our neighbor to the south came to visit. Chatted and caught up for more than an hour.  Very enjoyable.

I had leftovers for dinner and spent the evening in the loft making more Christmas cards.  When I finally went to bed, I set the alarm for 2:00 am to feed the fire.

Saturday 11/23.  I was up at 7:00 am to prepare breakfast for RJ.  Baked a banana coffee cake which I served along with bacon and eggs.  We had a very nice, leisurely chat and I planned to go down and see what he's been working on in the afternoon.

It was another clear, cold morning with a temperature of 10, but it had warmed to up 18 by the time I took the dogs for their morning walk.  Once again I spent most of the day in the loft making Christmas cards.  I have used up all the old cards that will fit on the new ones and am creating from scratch.

I drove down to RJ's cabin at about 12:30 pm on the short cut.  Very easy to go up and down with everything frozen.  I spent a couple hours there visiting and checking out his major change.  He had spiral stairs winding around the middle pole in his living room going up to the little loft.  Unfortunately they blocked out most of the light coming from the loft windows.  So he took out that middle pole, and moved the stairway to the side.  Now the room is bright and seems three times as big!  And, no, taking out the middle pole will not be a problem with the roof as he has plenty of support in other places and all the support beams meet around the top of the pole which is still there.

After dinner I watched Narnia: Prince Caspian.  Entertaining, even if not as well done as the first Narnia movie.

Sunday 11/24.  Having a heat wave this morning - 17 degrees out there!  And clear, of course.  No moisture in the forecast until next weekend.  Since I really did no chores yesterday, I hit the floor running today.  Washed the dishes, did laundry, wrapped JB's presents, vacuumed and generally cleaned house.  Sandy called and chatted for more than a half hour.  A great start to my day.

JB arrived home about 2:00 pm after running some errands in town.  He also had a good weekend and both events at the winery were a huge success.

Monday 11/25.  It's even warmer this morning - 20!  Dinga was very restless during the night and kept waking up JB, so I got up at 7:00 am and made the coffee before blogging.  He slept in until 8:00 am.  

Just have about 10 more cards to make, which I will finish today.  Then tomorrow I have to go Down There for a few groceries and craft supplies.

Thought for the day:  We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.  Charles Kingsley   

Nov 22, 2013 Deer & Cougars and Bobcats, Oh My!

Fall colors in the Wenatchee River Valley,
as seen from our north ridge.

Wednesday 11/20.  Since JB won't be Up Here on Sunday morning, he made muffins, eggs, and bacon for breakfast this morning.  We eased into the day and did the dishes after he took the dogs for their morning walk.

After lunch he drove his Jeep down the frozen driveway to get the game cam card.  So many deer on it, including a buck with a 3x3 rack.  AND two cougars (probably the same one twice) and a bobcat!  No wonder the dogs have been going nuts lately.

Our high for the day was 20, so it was a good day to be inside making Christmas cards.  I always start with the kids' cards because they are so much more challenging.  Of course they probably don't really look at the card once they discover there is $5 in it. . .

Fascinating new Mary Jane's Farm and National Geographic magazines, as usual.  There is an interesting article in Mary Jane's about winter health and how connecting to the earth for just twenty minutes a day can make such a positive difference.  Time magazine has a section devoted to the year's top 25 inventions which are quite incredible.

We watched the movie, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, this evening and were both riveted the entire time.  So very well done, and makes those people whose lives were directly affected by 9/11 so much more real.

Thursday 11/21.  It is all of 11 degrees this morning with a glacial blue sky.  I set the alarm for 1:00 am and got up to feed the fire.  Set the alarm again for 5:00 am for JB's turn, but he actually got up at 4:15 am to let the dogs out.  So glad it was his turn because Jesse stayed out until 6:30 am!  I let JB sleep in and I got up at 7:30 am to make coffee and greet the day.

Our resident frog was serenading us this morning.  I would have thought with these temperatures that he would be huddled down and hibernating.

I continued making Christmas cards.  Am into the adult cards now and they are all going to be different this year.  They are usually the same, but I am recycling old cards into new ones and am having a lot of fun doing it.  Just hope I don't send one to someone who previously sent it to me. . .

JB actually went outside this afternoon and started up all the vehicles.  He put some anti gel additive in the tractor and got it going.  Seems diesel engines are quite different from the standard gasoline ones.  He also got packed and ready to leave first thing in the morning.  Our high for the day was just 20 again.

RJ is at his cabin for a few days and will come up to have breakfast with me Saturday morning.

Larry and Elsie have invited us to Thanksgiving dinner again this year, which I so appreciate.  Am really looking forward to it and will bake a pumpkin something to take.  This year we will be able to drive my Jeep down to their place, instead of MAX like we had to do last year.  We have dry weather in the forecast for all week long.  Very cold, but very dry.

Friday 11/22.  OMG!  It is only 10 degrees this morning and the sky is still an icy blue.  I feel like I'm an icy blue, even though it is cozy inside.  And that is only because I got up twice to feed the fire.  At least JB will have dry roads on his journey to west of the mountains.  He has to go over two mountain passes to get there.  I plan to stay inside and finish my Christmas cards, and feed the fire.

Thought for the day:  It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars.  Garrison Keillor

Nov 20, 2013 Tis the Season

A view from the peak.

Monday 11/18.  It was a slippery ride down our road this morning.  The Jeep's rear end kept trying to catch up to its front end.  Took me a while but I made it down safely.  Got all my errands done in time to meet Nancy and her daughter-in-law for lunch.  Then it was off to her doctor's appointment and shopping at Costco.  It is always so much fun to watch people who haven't been there for a couple years or are there for the first time.

Got home just before darkness settled in.  Again, I am sure I dug the ruts in our driveway a little deeper.  It was warm Up Here with a high of 34.

Tuesday 11/19.  Wait a minute!  Weren't the Halloween costumes just coming out in the stores?!  Now Starbucks is using their red holiday cups, eggnog is in the stores, and Thanksgiving is next week.  Yum!  I love the taste of the holidays!  

My bladder woke me up at 2:00 am.  Didn't need to feed the fire.  Wasn't cold enough.  The wind kept me and Dinga awake, so I got up and fixed a cup of cocoa with eggnog, and read one of the newspapers.  Finally back to bed at 3:30 am.  Dinga does not like the wind and will come snuggle between us on the bed when it is really blowing.

When I got up again at 8:30 am, it was partly cloudy and 35, which turned out to be our high for the day.  Just a breeze was left from the night's wind.

I defrosted the refrigerator and freezer while reading the magazines and papers.  Then washed my lingerie in my hand washer and put them in the washing machine for just a rinse and spin.  That saves a lot of water and time running the generator.  I did the first load of wash since July on Saturday when the wind was really blowing, which somehow causes water to back up into the bath tub.  Go figure.

Had to get outside after lunch, so the dogs and I went for a hike up to the peak.  The breeze had turned so icy that my cheeks ached by the time we returned.  I brought in the firewood, and took a quick walk to the north ridge.  Too cold with the wind coming up the canyon to stay there.  I went back inside to warm up, then a little later JB took the dogs for their afternoon walk.

By the time we had dinner, the temperature had fallen to 27.  It's going to be a cold night.  The forecast for Friday Down There is 19 for a high.  We are usually 10 to 12 degrees cooler that they are. . .

Wednesday 11/20.  It is clear and 15 this morning.  Brrrr!  JB is leaving Friday morning to visit his Mother and help his brother with a winery event Saturday evening.  He will return home on Sunday and pick up our turkey.  With the cold settling in, our muddy road should be fairly frozen and easily transversed.

Thought for the day:  If things get better with age, I'm nearing perfection!

Nov 18, 2013 Wind & Snow

Jesse in his favorite cold weather place.

Friday 11/15.  A light wind blew all day.  I stayed in during the morning to make a pot of chicken broth for the dogs.  Also finished making Christmas presents and wrapping them.

After lunch the dogs and I hiked to the top of Erno's road, which is the property to the northeast of us.  Lots of deer tracks and possibly some elk.  After returning home and warming back up, we went for our normal afternoon walk.  By then the wind had really picked up and become icy.  Our high for the day was 32.

We had a heavy dusting of snow by 9:00 pm, and it was still snowing half an hour later when we went to bed.

Saturday 11/16.  Blue sky with a temperature of 22 and about 3/4" of snow greeted us this morning.  And the wind was still blowing.  We probably would have had three or four inches of snow, if it weren't for the wind.  The trees are white, as are all the trunks on their northwest side, which is the direction from which the wind blew in the snow.  Looks like the mountains really got dumped on.  With the sun shining, the air was full of glitter.

I baked cheese and garlic biscuits for the dogs.  They actually tasted pretty good, so if we ever get really hungry. . .

We had a high of 24 for the day with 20 to 25 mph sustained winds all day long.  JB took the dogs on both their morning and afternoon walks.  I only ventured out to bring in the wood.  I do NOT like the wind or the wind chill factor.

I am still trying to adjust to the time change back to standard time.  I can usually deal with the Spring ahead quite easily, but it always gets me when we Fall back.

Our son wanted to get rid of his expensive cable bill and came across a TV antenna which can be built for under $5 out of a UHF/VHF transformer and wire hangers.  He built it and says it works perfectly!  So we are going to see if we can rig one up.  Like us, he will just buy the TV series he no longer receives.

It is amazing how much brighter the night is with snow on the ground, with or without a moon.  And, speaking of the moon, when I got up at 6:00 am to let the dogs out and feed the fire, the moon was just setting.  Beautiful!

Sunday 11/17.  It was overcast and 24 this morning.  Light, fluffy flakes began slowly drifting down about 8:30 am.  JB had just taken craisin muffins out of the oven when I got up at 8:40 am.  Within an hour, the sun was shining.  An hour later the snow was falling again.  And so went the day.  Often the sun would be shining on the panels while the snow was falling on the house.

JB and I both worked on our computers.  I finally made a new supply list, and also worked on my Christmas card list.

Larry arrived about 2:00 pm to visit and deliver their notice that the combination on the gate will be changing, which they do every three or four years.  Yes, we live in a gated community.  

By the time we went on our 3:30 pm walk, the sun had disappeared.  Our high for the day was 30, and most of the snow is gone.

Monday 11/18.  It is 32 and overcast this morning, and there is no remnant left of the snow.  It is going to be a slippery ride Down There.  I would have much rather had an icy cold start to the day.  At least there is no wind.  Am going to town to run errands, meet Nancy for lunch, go to the doctor with her and then to Costco.  Somehow whenever I start a list of things to do Down There, it takes on its own life and just keeps growing. . .

Thought for the day:  I don't know where my ideas come from.  I will admit, however, that one key ingredient is caffeine.  I get a couple of cups of coffee into me and weird things just start to happen.  Gary Larson

Nov 15, 2013 Waiting for the Snow

Sunset over the Columbia River.

Wednesday 11/13.  The sun soon chased the clouds away and it was a glorious day.  So, so much for just cleaning house.  I finished wrapping Christmas presents and boxing them up for mailing.  Dishes and vacuuming were the household duties I accomplished, then it was outside and into the sunshine.  We had a high of 40, but there was an icy breeze so it never really felt that warm.

We ran the well pump, which we hadn't done since Friday, so it took about 30 minutes to fill.  While that was going on, I used my garden watering can to move about 18 gallons of water from the rain barrel behind the wood shed to the one on the corner of the porch.  Then I took the dogs for their afternoon walk.

And speaking of birthday cards (as I was in my last posting), my Aunt Nene sent a hilarious one to JB that had a photo of a monkey on the front and said:  "Close your eyes.  Pucker up.  And kiss another year goodbye!"

We have started watching the 5th season of Burn Notice again and are looking forward to getting the last one on Black Friday.

Thursday 11/14. The day started off overcast and 29, with 10" to 12" of snow in the forecast for this weekend.  Nancy's son may be driving her down in a snow storm tomorrow.  But today's grey sky soon melted away to the sun, and by 11:00 am we had blue sky.

Today is Nancy's birthday and when I called her she was not feeling well at all.  So I wished her a "Happy Crappy Birthday!" and we had a good laugh.  I will meet her and her daughter-in-law Down There on Monday for lunch and then Costco after her doctor's appointment.

After a nice, slow start to our day, JB worked on the snow blower.  He actually got it started twice but couldn't keep it going.  That's an improvement though.  I worked on some small Christmas presents, then took the dogs on their afternoon walk.  

Friday 11/15.  It isn't snowing yet this morning, but it is mostly overcast and 27 with a breeze.  When my bladder got me up at 3:30 am and I fed the fire, the moon was shining through the loft window and into the great room.  With all that moonlight, the dogs decided they wanted to go out.  They didn't stay out very long, thank goodness, and I was soon snuggled down back in bed.

Thought for the day:  You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.  Jonathan Safran Foer

Nov 13, 2013 Change of Plans

Some color from Down There.

Monday 11/11.  Down to the hospital to see Nancy again.  She seems more alert today and we had a good chat.  Then it was off to get my annual mammogram, run a couple errands, and eat lunch.  Jack-in-the-Box has pumpkin spice coffee.  Yum!  Back to see Nancy again.  I just don't see how she can be released tomorrow. . .

I was back home by 3:00 pm.  A very grey day and a very muddy road.

Larry and Elsie ventured up our sloppy road to visit about 5:00 pm.  So good to see them.

Tuesday 11/12.  It was warmer this morning, 32 with a light drizzle and fog.  All the snow has turned to mud.  (I love today's date: 11/12/13!)  JB and I left at 10:00 am, taking his Jeep as we needed to fill a couple gas cans and we can leave the top half of his back door open when driving home with it.  Our first stop was to see Nancy and she indeed is being released today.  Her daughter-in-law will come to pick her up, but she will call me when she arrives home.  At this point, we plan for me to take her home after her operation in a couple weeks and will stay with her for a few days.

I dropped JB off at the dentist and picked up a few groceries, then went to Hobby Lobby for a few craft items.  I never get a cart when I go there.  Just too many temptations. . .  JB called to say he was done just as I was walking out.  So I picked him up and off we went to the post office, pharmacy for pain meds and the gas station to fill up the gas cans.  Even with the back window open, we could smell the gas.  We drove up through the clouds and into the sunlight the last mile.  So glad we pulled in some power today.

We were home by 3:00 and met by a couple of very happy dogs.  I must admit that going Down There three days in a row is a bit tiring, but it was definitely worth it to visit Nancy and help her get through this.  She is a survivor (16 years cancer free) and has a great sense of humor.  She is two weeks younger than JB and for years have had an ongoing battle to see who can send the most outrageous birthday card.

Coming back up our road was worse than going down.  I am pretty sure that we dug another foot down in the rut on the steepest part of our driveway.

Poor Nancy didn't get home til 7:30 pm as there was a mix up on one of her medications and they didn't get to leave Wenatchee til after 5:00 pm.  It is an 80 mile drive to Brewster from here.  She has to come back down on Friday and again on Monday for doctor appointments.  I will go down and take her to lunch on both those days.  Maybe Costco too, if she is up for it.

Wednesday 11/13.  It is partly cloudy and 32 out there this morning.  Definitely have to clean house today, but that may be all that gets done.

Thought for the day:  It's not how old you are, but how you are old.

Nov 11, 2013 Up In the Clouds

Valley fog on 11/2.

Friday 11/8. It turned out to be a beautiful day, with a high of 37.  Lots of things to be done inside though, including cleaning out the wood stove.  Always such fun.  I also worked on crafts and cleaning out my craft area.  JB spent some more time in his shop organizing.

I took the dogs on a short hike after bringing in the wood, and later JB took them on their afternoon walk.  I didn't see any wild life, but he saw two deer.

At the forest health seminar, the organizers recommended the web site www.fs.usda.gov.  It is full of great information and on-line classes.

It was Hawaiian pizza for dinner and then a movie.  Yes, I know that in Chicago, ham and pineapple does not qualify as a real pizza, but we are in Washington. . .

Saturday 11/9.  Mostly cloudy and 23 this morning.  JB saw a buck and two does on the morning walk.  The dogs spooked them a little down the south side of the south ridge, but did not chase them.  (Yes, I am jealous!)

I did some overdue work on my computer, then began wrapping Christmas presents.  I want to get them all mailed right after Thanksgiving.

Tiny snow flakes began drifting down around 2:00 pm, and by 3:00 pm the fog had risen up from the canyons.  Our high for the day was only 28, and I cut our afternoon walk short as the pogonip was just too icy.

I have started a Sandra Brown novel, Lethal.  Excellent, as always.

Sunday 11/10.  Fog and 25 this morning with 1/4" of new snow.  We have about 1/2" on the ground now.

My Aunt Nene called at 9:00 am to tell me that my cousin who lives in Brewster had been taken to the Wenatchee hospital Saturday evening with a kidney stone.  I was able to leave a little after 9:00 am to go see her.  I am the only one in the area that she knows.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was good to see her.  We visited for a while, although she was still quite groggy, then I left her to nap while I ran some errands.  She was still asleep when I returned but quickly woke up.  We chatted some more and then I left for home about 2:30 pm.  I have to be in town anyway on Monday and Tuesday, so will visit her both days.  JB has to have two teeth pulled on Tuesday.  If she is not released until Wednesday, I will drive her home and stay a day or two.  If she is released on Tuesday, her son, who also lives in Brewster, will pick her up and I will drive up on Wednesday.

On my drive down the mountain, I soon realized that we were not fogged in, but rather we were in low cloud cover.  The road was a little slick going down, but was more slushy driving back up.  Our high for the day was 30.

JB had baked blueberry scones while I was gone, and then made macaroni and cheese for dinner.  Wonderful comfort food!

Because of the clouds, I had to run the generator to type my blog this evening.  I may have to in the morning, too, when I post.

Monday 11/11.  It is 28 and overcast this morning, but it is a normal, high cloud cover and we are not socked in.  Will leave at 9:00 am to go Down There again. 

Thought for the day:  Sometimes when things seem to be falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.  Donna Chnupa, Guideposts

Nov 8, 2013 Foggy, Foggy Days

Our front yard Thursday morning.

Valley fog on Thursday.

Wednesday 11/6. The valley fog quickly grew and encompassed our mountain.  It was a foggy, foggy day with a high of 28.  We had to use the generator to do the dishes.

JB tried to get the snow blower started with its electric starter but was unsuccessful.  I really think we have a lemon.  He ran MAX's engine for a while, and we put a sheet of plastic over shelves in the shop where it has been leaking.  

I baked dog biscuits.  A recipe I haven't tried before that calls for ground beef, eggs, flour, oats and water.  Messy to make, but I'm sure the dogs are going to like them.  I really want to get away from buying ready-made dog treats.

I also defrosted the refrigerator and sorted out a big pile of papers I had accumulated.  I love to cut out interesting magazine and newspaper articles, and information about new products I might want.  But they do tend to pile up if I don't file them right away, which I rarely do.

Another reason to love Autumn - clementine oranges.  I could eat a whole bag in one sitting!

Among the many catalogs I received last trip down was the National Geographic catalog.  Every year I look at their ad for the DNA testing to find your deep ancestry.  I have always wanted to do that, but for $200 it will have to wait a couple years.

We played cribbage instead of watching a movie.  At the end of a foggy day there is simply not enough power for more than one light.  It began snowing around 8:30 pm.

Thursday 11/7. More fog and 22 this morning.  Nothing like being brought out of a deep sleep by the sound of a barfing dog, which is exactly what happened at 2:00 am.  JB let them both out and I cleaned up the mess, then fed the fire.  Back to sleep and up again at 5:00 am for their normal morning outing.  It was sleeting, but we only received about another 1/4" of white.

I chatted with Sandy for an hour after breakfast.  Always a great way to start the day.

Snow flakes began drifting down through the fog a little after 11:00 am.  By 12:30 pm we had sun and patches of blue sky, and the fog had sunk back down into the canyons and valleys.  Our high for the day was 30.

After lunch, JB went out to his shop, started a fire in his wood stove and worked on organizing everything so he will have room for projects.  I stayed inside and finished a couple Christmas presents.  I really did have to get outside other than to bring in fire wood, so I took the dogs on their afternoon walk.

When I re-potted my two plants a few weeks ago, I managed to completely rejuvenate the large one and completely decimate the small one.  My brown thumb at work again.

With the sun out for a while we had plenty of power for the TV, so we watched the last two episodes of season two of True Blood.  So good!

Friday 11/8.  Mostly clear and 28 this morning.  Even the valleys are finally clear of the fog.

Thought for the day:  Guns are a lot like parachutes, if you need one and don't have one, you will probably never need one again.

Nov 6, 2013 Snow & Pogonip

A cold Autumn sky,

Monday 11/4.  Taking my Jeep in today was another example of universal timing.  When I turned it on to drive it to the shop, the engine light came on.  It seems it is overloaded with carbon build up, so they had to blow it out twice, not just the once that was scheduled.  Got all the fluids changed and new belts and radiator hoses.  Hopefully it's good for another 100,000 miles.  I just have to get it out on the highway more often.  A good excuse to go exploring.

It was a short trip.  JB followed me down and we dropped off my Jeep, dropped off some recycle and then JB got his blood drawn for lab work.  The dogs were so very happy that we weren't gone long.

At home, JB had to fix the shower as the cold water wouldn't turn off.  That was our chore for the day.

We received our new garbage compacter on Saturday.  I'm sure I paid way too much, but it will be well worth it.  It stainless steel and the top has a cut-out piece with a handle that is held in with magnets.  You just push down on the handle to compact the garbage within.  Very clever.

With the time change, we are once again eating dinner after dark, but, at least for now, it is light when we get up in the morning.

Tuesday 11/5.  This morning we did awaken to a white landscape.  Just a heavy dusting, but snow began falling again before we left for Down There at 8:15 am.  And while we were gone, pogonip (an Indian name for frozen fog) moved in.  When JB got back home, he had to scrape ice off of the solar panels.  We didn't get much more snow, maybe an 1/8 of an inch.

My Jeep wasn't done, so I was given a loaner for the day to go do laundry and shopping.  Got it all done and made my doctor's appointment at 1:15 pm to get the stitches out of my arm.  Had to make an appointment for January for the doctor to check it as it was skin cancer (NOT melanoma).

The Autumn colors are still vibrant Down There.  The leaves, along with the Autumn flowers make for a brilliantly colorful drive.  However, Up Here the deciduous trees and bushes are bare, and the wind has blown the gold off of the road.  

It was a good day, but a long one.  I was in bed by 7:30 pm.  I felt like I could sleep until Christmas.

Wednesday 11/6.  It is cloudy and 24 this morning with some low valley fog over the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers.  It's that time of the year again to feed the fire when my bladder gets me up during the night.

Thought for the day: There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God.  Bill Cosby  

Nov 4, 2013 A Busy Weekend

Tree that fell across RJ's road.

Valley fog on Saturday.

Friday 11/1.  JB didn't get to enjoy a relaxing birthday after all.  We decided it would behoove us to get the tracks on MAX today, since there is snow in the forecast for the weekend above 3000 ft.  It took us four hours to get everything out; take the tires off (all six of them); put a drive chain back on that had somehow come off; figure out why the chain came off and fix it; put the extenders on; put the smaller tires on (all six of them); and, finally, get the tracks on the tires.  This was all accomplished without the cussing and yelling of previous years.  Maybe we are finally learning. . .

Our high for the day was 43, which is good weather in which to work.  Cool enough so you don't work up a sweat and warm enough so your hands do not get cold, but it will be at least a couple weeks before I get all the grease out from under my fingernails.

We are using up the last of the junk wood for the fire in the wood stove.  Just takes a little more effort, as we have to feed the fire more often, but it's a good way to get rid of it and the short end pieces we always have.

For the first time ever we ran out of minutes on our phone service, three days early.  At $.45/minute, I won't be answering my phone until tomorrow.  Of course we ended up having to make three calls today, one for a question about fixing the chain problem on MAX.

I saw an article in a recent Time magazine about all the different types of cameras in the new smart phones which made me feel very outmoded.  I saw our son's smart phone when he was here and the many good quality photos he had on it.  My Dad was quite the photographer, for the family and the U.S. Forest Service.  I doubt he would have liked digital as it just doesn't have the color and depth that film does.  Personally I love the ease and cost savings of digital.  There is no way I could have the thousands of pictures I do if I was using film.  But I will just stay with my handy little Canon, as I doubt I will ever own a smart phone.

And speaking of new and old items, the new issue of Smithsonian magazine is completely devoted to "101 Objects that Made America."  It is fascinating.

Saturday 11/2.  It was 32 with fog and rain when JB left at 7:00 am for his Forest Health seminar.  The rain had begun falling about 2:30 am.  Back to bed I went and when I awoke again at 8:30 am, the rain had stopped and the fog had receded down into the canyons and valleys.  The sun was shining through a gap in the clouds when the dogs and I went for our 10:30 am walk, but by 11:00 am another rain squall had moved in.  Just a short one though, as by noon the sun was out again and the forecast wind had arrived.  It kept the clouds moving quickly past us as they tried to drop their snow load.  Our high for the day was only 34.  It was a good day to do all the indoor chores I had for the day.

I vacuumed and baked a banana coffee cake for dessert for RJ's birthday dinner this evening.  While it was in the oven, I had to run outside and rescue the tarps from the snow blower and MAX that the wind had ripped off.  Got the one back on the snow blower, but there was no way one person could get MAX covered back up in that wind.  The highest wind gust for Down There today was 51 mph and I am sure we had such gusts Up Here too.

I made a big dish of scalloped potatoes and ham, along with broccoli with cheese sauce, and left at 4:30 pm for RJ's cabin.  JB was going to meet me there after his seminar, but called to say he was just too tired and would go straight home after running a couple of errands in town.  The drive down to RJ's was a bit dicey, but that is what a Jeep is built for.  About halfway up RJ's road, I had to pull a tree out of the way that had fallen across the road.  Fortunately it was dead, so it wasn't too heavy.  Had a great visit with everyone and stayed about 1-1/2 hours.  I wanted to get home by the time darkness fell.

JB was had just taken off his coat after unloading his car when I arrived home.  The seminar was in a classroom in the morning, then after lunch, they all went into the forest.  It rained all day there and he got a bit chilled, but it was definitely worth all the information he received.  He took copious notes and was given a big stack of handouts.  

We were both worn out from our day and were in bed by 8:00 pm!

Sunday 11/3.  It was clear and 23 this morning when we finally arose at 7:00 am, which was really 8:00 am by yesterday's time, so we had 12 hours sleep!  Thought we might wake up to a white landscape, but no such luck.

The dogs always have a hard time with the Fall time change.  They are just sure we have forgotten to feed them.  I try to make it gradual, but Jesse's clock is to the minute.

We spent a lazy morning reading papers and magazines that JB brought home with the mail yesterday.  On days like this you can hardly see the top of the kitchen table.

After lunch we put air in MAX's tires and used the jack to lift him off the pieces of wood and back onto the ground.  So glad we got everything else done on Friday, as today's high was just 34 and it was still breezy.  Way too cold to be out working very long.

One of the magazines we received is a local one entitled The Good Life which is one of my favorites.  It is all about people and places in the Wenatchee area and is quite fascinating.

Tomorrow we have to go Down There to drop off my Jeep for some overdue work that needs to be done around the 90 - 100,000 mile range.  Hey, that's what Visa is for, right?  We spend the winter paying off everything we have spent the rest of the year.

We will pick up my Jeep on Tuesday, then JB will drive his Jeep home and I will go on to do laundry and some grocery shopping.  Will be so glad with this going Down There is done for the season and I can hibernate.

Monday 11/4.  Blue sky and 17 this morning.  Brrrr!  The Cascades are shining proudly in their new white cape.  Not looking forward to the COLD trip Down There this morning.  I'd rather be sitting by the wood stove.

Thought for the day:  I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.  Maya Angelou

Nov 1, 2013 Doing Things Right the 2nd or 3rd Time

The tractor mower almost covered in
dirt from a critter.

Even more mushrooms!

Wednesday 10/30.  Another nice but chilly day.  The temperature just barely made it up to 40.  But a good day to work outside.  We took the tarp off the tractor mower in order to clean and grease it for the winter and found that a mole or some such critter had dug up dirt all around it!  Had to practically dig it out.  Should have put that dirt in the garden.  We had been told that an air compressor is the perfect thing to get all the grass and dirt out of the mower, but since we don't have one, we used the shop vac in reverse.  It seemed to work just fine.  And we still obviously do not understand those zirk fittings as we broke two of them off taking the grease gun off.  But the mower is all ready for winter and we raised it up on some pieces of lumber, so it is off of the ground.

JB went inside to bake a pound cake while I got firewood in.  Also had to dig out around the gate to the wood shed in order to open it more easily.  Then I gathered another bag of needles and also filled the small garbage can we use for them.  And trimmed the wild rose bushes by the propane tank.

It seems like sometimes the best options are right in front of me and they initially go unnoticed.  I had stacked the last load of wood from the cradle along the fence around the woodshed, when in fact there was plenty of room for it in the first row where I had already taken wood out.  Observing this, and finally letting it sink in, I re-stacked it.  This seems to happen too often Up Here, but once learned, the lesson is never forgotten.

We had JB's delicious pound cake for desert, covered with blueberries and whipping cream.  Yummmmm!

Thursday 10/31.  Our Halloween morning began with a blue sky dotted in white and 35.  Since we won't have any trick-or-treaters, I'll just eat more candy to celebrate. . .

I tried to read and understand our voter's pamphlet for next week's election, but I am quite sure I never did accomplish the "understand" part.  Who writes these things anyway?!  I definitely must be getting old.

I kept a fire going until after lunch today.  I really enjoy tending the fire.  It is comforting.  Like eating macaroni and cheese, or a turkey dinner with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

JB drove MAX down to put the game cam card back in (there was no wildlife on it last week) and change the mode from video back to still photos.  Then he drove down a bit further to give the dogs some exercise, and coming back up took the road to the top of Erno's property.  I brought in the wood and then walked down the road to meet them, and got a ride back up.  It was another beautiful day, with the occasional cloud floating overhead.  And a bit warmer with a high of 48.

After the ride, we pulled all the weeds in the garden.  However most of them I think are actually "arctic berries" that Larry and Elsie have down at their place.  Their chickens love them and I think there were seeds in the chicken manure we used in the Spring.  If they really are those berries, that's great!

There are still mushrooms popping up, mainly on our north ridge.  This season will certainly go down in my book as the Autumn of the Mushroom.

Friday 11/1.  Happy 71st birthday, JB!!  It is mostly clear and 33.  No specific work planned for today, just enjoying.  JB has a Forest Health Workshop tomorrow near Leavenworth that is held by the Washington State University Extension.  It will be outside, which may not be so pleasant as it is supposed to be windy with a 70% chance of rain.  I plan to make a birthday dinner for RJ, Mike and the others, but am not sure if they will come up to our place or we will go down to his.  Depends on the weather.

Thought for the day:  Age is just a number.  It's totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine.