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.