Feb 28, 2014 What a Month!

With no new snow or wind, the paths
are staying clean!

Wednesday 2/26.  Two trips down to Miss Kitty in MAX during the day digging her out.  Then a third trip at 7:00 pm to meet Larry and our new on-the-grid neighbor, Dave, at Miss Kitty.  Larry brought up his small generator/jumper and finally got Miss Kitty started.  We hooked up a chain to MAX and between him pulling and Larry driving, she drove out of her hole!  Then I took over driving her and followed JB on MAX with Larry and Dave in Larry's side-by-side (he hasn't named theirs yet!) following me.  With some work we got Miss Kitty all the way up to our hair-pin turn just below our driveway.  It is going to be quite a learning curve to be able to successfully drive Miss Kitty in the snow. 

One of MAX's chains had come off again, so  Larry, Dave and I walked up to the house, while JB drove Max.  Our one extra axle for MAX is an OEM one and the hole for the bolt is a fraction of an inch too small.  So Larry took it back down to enlarge it with his drill press.   

What do you do when saying "Thank you" is not nearly enough?  Having friends and neighbors you can count on is such an incredible part of life, and so very necessary when living Up Here.  We are indeed blessed.

We finally received our valentines when JB went Down There on Monday and picked up the mail before picking up Miss Kitty.  A little late but just as appreciated.

No snow today and our high was 28.

Thursday 2/27.  It was a slow start to this morning, after the past several days.  The temperature was 20 when we got up at 8:00 am, and the sky was overcast.  After a late breakfast I brought wood in while JB took the dogs on their morning walk. 

After lunch we finally got outside to get the chain back on MAX.  The reason it keeps coming off is because we could not pull up the tensioner.  A couple hours of completely cleaning out around it; soaking it in WD40; and wiggling it, did the trick and JB was able to pull it up.  Now the chain should not be able to come off.  So thankful we did not end up with a broken axle.

By 2:00 pm the sun was shining and there were scattered patches of blue sky.  Our high for the day was 32, and snow and ice were sliding off both sides of the house most of the day, building up the berms.

We didn't have time to get down to check on Miss Kitty, but I am sure Jesse is peeing on her tires plenty enough to keep the wolves away.

JB is going Down There tomorrow for groceries, errands and a new battery for Miss Kitty.  Then on Saturday, we will work on getting her up to Rose Camp.

Friday 2/28. It is 24 and overcast this morning.  Again the clouds have sliced the mountains down to hills and it looks as though we may end the month with more snow to add to our total of 40.5".  What a month!

Welcome back, Peggy!  And thanks for your kind words.

Thought for the day:  Be slow to fall into friendship, but when thou are in, continue firm and constant. Socrates

Feb 26, 2014 As Always, The Universe Provides

Dinga and Miss Kitty

Monday 2/24. This morning's break in the snowfall didn't last for long, but the flakes were larger and it snowed all day again.  JB got on his way at 9:00 am with both of us hoping that this is the vehicle we need.  Meanwhile, I did the dishes and laundry, read my book and waited for his call.

When I took the dogs for their morning and afternoon walks, I also cleaned the solar panels.  They were almost covered in ice in the afternoon, but I knew that as soon as the sun would shine through the clouds, it would melt.  I certainly couldn't scrape it off.

My Aunt Nene sent me an email regarding the Sportsman's Show.  She said that it was quite the event when she was growing up in Spokane (late 1920's to late 1930's).  One year there was a monkey for sale at the show that she wanted her Mother to buy for her.  When she wouldn't, Nene cried and cried.

It turned out the the UTV was exactly what we wanted and more.  Larry actually went with him to help check it out as he has a 2011 Arctic Cat.  It is a 2006 Arctic Cat Prowler XT side-by-side with a fully enclosed cab, a winch and a snow plow.  Even snow/mud tires, so no chains needed except for ice.  Everything we wanted but never dreamed we could afford.  It almost drained our savings account and added to our Visa debt, but definitely worth it for $6500.  Since it is a "Cat", we have named her Miss Kitty.

Now the only challenge is getting her up here in the middle of our winter.  JB drove her up to where our road turns off the main canyon road with no problems, and then, cut the turn a bit short, and got buried.  The cause being that the snow plow is too heavy.  He finally called Larry, who also has a winch on his Cat, and he came up to help.  They got Miss Kitty unstuck and were able to drive about a half mile down our road before she got buried at Water Corner.  Larry drove JB back down to get MAX, and JB came home.  We will drive MAX down tomorrow and try to get her out.

Tuesday 2/25. It was 13 and overcast this morning with another 2" of new snow.  So far this month we have received 40.5"!!  Almost 3-1/2 feet in just 24 days!

We read the papers with breakfast.  The Parade Magazine from 2/9 has the Beatles and Ed Sullivan on the cover with the caption "50 Years Ago Today."  OMG!  I remember watching them on the TV when I was a dreamy-eyed sixteen-year-old.

The dogs excitedly came with us as we rode in MAX down to Miss Kitty.  We dug her out, and ended up having to dig out MAX twice when JB was turning him around.  Only inches off the groomed road, the snow is very deep and soft.  We couldn't get Miss Kitty started, so we went back home for lunch at about 11:30 am and to pick up the jumper cables.

We relaxed and warmed up, then left the dogs at home when we drove down the second time.  They were worn out.  We still could not get Miss Kitty started.  The battery seems to be the Arctic Cat's only weakness and it was quite cold.  However, we were able to get the snow plow off.  Then we finally called it quits and got back home at about 3:00 pm.  Since Miss Kitty had been sitting for a while before we bought her, although she had only been on the market for a week, she most likely needs a new battery.  

After talking to Larry on the radio this evening, we have a plan.  Larry will leave a special "self-contained" jumper on his porch this morning, which JB will go down to pick up.  Larry will also pick up a new battery for us and bring it up.  We'll get Miss Kitty Up Here yet.

We had a relaxing evening with Downton Abbey. 

Wednesday 2/26.  It is 17 and partly overcast.  The clouds have cut the mountains down to hills, but even as I write the sun is winning and it might just be a sunny day.  We'll leave for Larry's at about 10:00 am.

Thought for the day: If it isn't one blessing, it's another. 

Feb 24, 2104 MAX

Standing guard at the outhouse.

Friday 2/21. Howling wind all night!  I finally fell into sleep, but JB says he only got a wink or two.  But, as I said, it is blessedly quiet this morning, so we were able to work on MAX most of the day.  It clouded up a little and our high was 33.  

Right after breakfast we were out to MAX.  Got him jacked up and resting on the wood.  Took off the track and the three wheels, but then couldn't get the bolt out that holds the axle in.  We have replaced all the other axles at least once in the last five winters.  This is the last old one.  So we squirted it liberally with WD40 and let it stand while we took an early lunch.  We definitely have a new rule for using MAX: NO one drives him without FIRST checking all the chains.  To do this we have to take the seat out, but we just have to live with the fact that MAX is high maintenance.

Finally got the bolt out after lunch and installed the new center rod and axle.  One of the chains has come apart, but is looks easy enough to get back together.  We worked until 3:00 pm and then called it quits.  I'm afraid I was not very patient today, rather bitchy actually.  Poor JB, but we should be able to finish up tomorrow, hopefully in time for JB to drive MAX down the road to groom it.

Since the wind has formed a bit of a crust on the snow, the squirrels are able to scamper right across the top of it.  But Dinga cannot and lets her frustration be known with much barking.

Haven't seen any snow mold yet this year.  The snow just hasn't been around long enough.

Pizza and a movie night, so we watched Gosford Park which was written by the same fellow (Julian Fellows) who writes Downton Abbey.  And, of course, Maggie Smith absolutely makes both of them work.

Saturday 2/22.  It was 14 and overcast this morning and a light snow began falling about 9:30 am.  Working on MAX while it is snowing is not a problem, and thankfully there was no wind again today.

My frustration level would not be nearly as high when working on MAX if he weren't our only means of transportation up and down in the winter.  I actually enjoy the challenge of such mechanical work and the feeling of accomplishment when we are done.  I just do not like the pressure of having to get it done so quickly.  And today we had to figure out how to get the broken chain back on.  Sometimes I think that between the two of us, we have one, very good working brain.  We finally got the chain on, the correct solution being very simple.  Hindsight being 20-20. . .

We had everything fixed and back together in time for JB to drive the road.  Larry and Elsie had taken a drive up to the short cut last night, as they thought they would, and there was really no drifting to speak of.  And their tracks helped JB.

Sunday 2/23.  It was 16 and snowing with 1-1/2" of new snow on the ground.  With MAX in good working order, JB left for Down There and the Sportsman's Show at 9:1 am, AFTER we rechecked all the chains.  He and Larry went to the show together, ran some errands, checked out a used side-by-side UTV that JB will call about tomorrow.  He had a very enjoyable day and was home by 3:30 pm.

It snowed all day and we had another 2" on the ground by the time JB returned home.  I had taken the dogs on their morning walk only to arrive at the panels, huffing and puffing, and realizing that they needed cleaning and I had not brought the scraper.  So back to the house we went, and back up the south ridge to clean them.  Then I brought in two loads of wood, which I just started getting from the second 10' row.  After that it was just a relaxing day for me, letting my muscles rest and recuperate.  

The snow was very fine in the morning, more like shavings from creating larger snow flakes that fell later in the day.  But it was so nice to see it falling vertical instead of blowing horizontal.

Since JB was gone this morning, we had our big Sunday breakfast for dinner and then it was time for Duck Dynasty.  Watching the episode Red Neck Road Trip, JB almost fell off the couch laughing.  Laughing to the point of crying.

Monday 2/24. It is 13 and overcast this morning, with 3-3/4" of new snow.  It was snowing when I got up, but it has stopped for the moment.  JB is going to call about the UTV and then hopefully go Down There to see and possibly buy it, with some fiscal finagling on my part.

Thanks to Beth for her tip on giving corn to the chickens in the winter.  I know that Larry and Elsie do that, but she had read that giving them some warm food helps also.  Sounds like Pennsylvania is having a nasty winter also.

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. Dr Rachel Naomi Remen

Feb 21, 2014 Enough With The Wind Already!

Taking a well-deserved nap.

If only we could get Dinga to clean
up her mess.

Wednesday 2/19. When JB took the dogs on their morning walk, his foot prints from his 7:00 am foray to the panels had almost been erased.  Fortunately he had driven MAX up and around the south ridge again yesterday, so he had slight indentations to show him just where to walk without sinking to his knees.  When the dogs stepped off the tracks, about all that was visible was their head and tails.

I saw a remote-controlled truck with a snow plow on-line that someone was using to clear the snow off their deck.  Now, that's what I need!

We rescheduled JB's nephew's visit for mid-March, depending upon Mother Nature's approval.

I took a break from the more serious tomes, and read Janet Evanovich's Sizzling Sixteen.  Always a hoot!

Our frog was serenading us today.  I am amazing that he is still awake in all this cold weather, especially since we put in the vents under the house.

The snow stopped falling about 11:30 am when the sun and wind finally chased the clouds away, and then they both stayed around to gloat.  For today's laundry, I washed my delicates in my hand washer, then just put them in the washing machine for a rinse and spin.

After lunch JB planned to drive MAX down to groom the road again, but got only about 100' down the driveway before realizing he had a broken axle.  Yesterday it sounded like the chain was loose and he was supposed to tighten it before leaving. . .  Well, so much for dozing while watching the snow fall.  Thank goodness it wasn't snowing or blowing today.  He drove his Jeep down to MAX, thinking he could pull MAX up to the parking place, but that did not work out.  So we just took the tires and one track off, which was a big project, having to take the big pieces of wood and other necessary items down to MAX when we jack him up, etc.  Then when JB tried to back his Jeep back up to it's parking spot, he could only get it up half-way because going back up, gravity was working against him.  Sometimes I feel like we are two of the three stooges.

We had begun re-watching season one of Downton Abbey last night and continued tonight.  Something relaxing and soothing.

Thursday 2/20. It was 21 with a light overcast and very windy when we got up.  Some of the paths are just small indentations in the otherwise flat and windswept landscape.  I thought for sure MAX would be just a big, white mound in the road, but it is a little sheltered from the wind where he is parked.  The tarp is still on him, but there is no way we will be working on him unless the wind lets up, which it did not do all day.  I can only imagine how the snow must be drifting on the road.  Snow is even blowing through the slats in the back of the wood shed, and drifting in there!

Instead, we dug out JB's Jeep and he was finally able to back it into the parking place.  A very short sentence, but a long, arduous project.  I brought in firewood and JB shoveled the path to the battery shed.  Then, after lunch, he and the dogs took a nap while I started a new book and defrosted the refrigerator.  Being housebound so much, we are drawing up plans for our main summer project: a shed for the tractor and in which to work on MAX.

I really am getting so tired of the wind.  Never even in Chicago have I experienced so many days of wind, and today it is not merely gusting, but very strong and sustained.  Enough already!!

JB had wanted to go Down There on Sunday to attend the Sportsman's Show with Larry, but I'm not sure that is going to happen unless there is no wind tomorrow and Saturday.  No need to go down for supplies.  Being low on peanut M&M's does not really constitute an emergency.

Friday 2/21.  It is 21, clear and blessedly quiet this morning.  The snow is covered with pine and fir needles and cones, and small branches.  It looks as though some of the shoveled paths had never existed, and the snow is half-way up the garden fence.  But it is quiet.

Thought for the day: I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.  Thomas Jefferson

Feb 19, 2014 Names of Places

JB having just turned MAX onto the
main canyon road.

Monday 2/17. Not only were the two major passes closed this morning, I90 was closed from North Bend to Ellensburg!  Seems like all those SUV owners did NOT know how to drive in the snow. . .

The sky soon cleared and we had sun beaming off white mountains.  Crazy dreams and not much sleep last night, so I took a morning nap.  The wind picked up around noon, releasing more snow bombs that literally caused white outs.

The paths had filled up again.  JB and I are going to really build up our muscles this winter.  Shoveling snow is not my favorite workout.  I can only hope that our snow blower will be working next winter.  No, let me rephrase that: our snow blower WILL be working by then.  Elsie says it takes her so long to get theirs started, that she just shovels!

I grew up thinking that one had to be busy and productive to make the most of one's time.  But after having been retired Up Here for almost six years, I find that sitting on the couch and watching the snow falling, then nodding off.  Then waking up and watching some more, and nodding off, is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend one's time and doesn't at all feel wasted.

After lunch, JB and I took MAX down to groom the road and left the dogs at home.  It was a bright and sunny drive and we saw lots of deer tracks.  We were able to accomplish our task much more quickly without the dogs, and I didn't take my camera because of the wind and blowing snow.  We got pummeled by a few snow bombs, but mostly it was wash blowing off MAX's tracks as we sped along.  When we got back home, I hadn't even got the first load of wood before the next flurries blew in.  Don't really have to pull the wood sled now.  More like restrain it.

It stopped snowing about 4:00 pm, but kept on blowing.  Our high for the day was 32.  We have become so used to the noise of the wind, that when it stops, the silence seems even louder.

Tuesday 2/18.  This morning broke overcast and 24.  We only received a trace of snow yesterday.  Either that or the wind blew it all away.  But today the air is quiet.

Listening to our short-wave radio can be a kick.  There are some real characters out there that we hear from Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona, etc.  Some real idiots also. . .

Knowing that we were going to get more snow today, JB and I left with MAX and the dogs after breakfast to groom the road.  It was snowing when we arrived at the main canyon road and then all the way home.  I brought in three loads of wood, but we didn't bother shoveling the paths.  The snow fell all day, with a short break between storms at about 5:00 pm, at which time the wind started up.

During the time we have been Up Here, we have slowly put names to places on our road.  Some due to experiences and others because of what it looks like.  Here are some of them, going east to Rose Camp from the main canyon road: Rocky Road, Drop-Off Hill, Shady Lane, Mushroom Corner, Water Corner, Water Lane, Cougar Corner, River View Corner, Bear Straights, O Sh*t Corner, Cherry Lane, Wood Spirit Hill, Sandstone Corner, Rope Gate Corner, Puddle Lane, Spring Corner, Spring Lane, Short-Cut Turnoff, Rocky Hill Drive, Hair-Pin Corner, and, finally, our driveway.

The wind was still howling when we went to bed, but I must be used to it by now because it did not keep me awake.

Wednesday 2/19.  This morning it is 19 and snowing, of course, with 3-1/2" of new snow.  I can see a patch of blue sky though, and the sun is trying very hard to make it bigger.

Thought for the day: A new take on an old adage: "Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.  Give him someone else's fish and he will vote for you."  Compliments of my cousin, Terry, and The Tea Party's website

Feb 17, 2014 Even More Wind & Snow!

Where is the path I just shoveled
yesterday??!!

And that doesn't look like the
path that JB shoveled!

Friday 2/14. The wind started gusting about 9:00 am and soon blew away the clouds and falling snow.  With the sun shining, water began running off the south side of the roof almost as if it were raining.

I finished my Michael Connelly book with a loud, "Oh My Gawd!  JB, you have to read this book!"  It's the fourth in the Lincoln Lawyer series, and riveting like all his others.

After lunch JB drove MAX down to groom the road by himself.  He saw deer tracks and large cat tracks along the way.  And didn't have to go slowly for the dogs, or stop for me to take pictures.

More snow arrived from the southwest just as we started off on our afternoon walk.  There was a snow storm to the south of us and blue sky to the north.  The flurry ended shortly after we were back inside, but the wind continued as it had all day until well into the evening.  Our high for the day was 34, turning snowy paths into slush.

I am making a menu and a list of things to be done before our guests arrive on Wednesday.  One thing I always try to remember to do before JB's nephew visits is clean the top of the refrigerator.  He is about 6'5". . .

I have noticed lately that I no longer get nauseous when eating breakfast too early or having too much.  The only thing different in my diet is nuts.  A few weeks ago I began eating a handful of almonds and peanuts every day, of course the peanuts are chocolate covered.  Well, chocolate is good for you also. . .

Tonight is a Full Snow Moon - how appropriate!

We watched the movie, Killing Them Slowly, with Brad Pitt this evening.  JB was a bit disappointed as it was rather slow.  But you often have to have your thinking cap on when watching something by those Weinstein brothers.  It was a great statement about corporate America and our government.  At least that's what I got out of it.  Well, and of course, Brad Pitt.

Saturday 2/15.  It was 21 and overcast this morning, and again our slush of yesterday is our ice of today.  Three major storms with plenty of snow and wind are in the forecast for all this next week, with a flood watch because of warming temperatures in the low lands.  The avalanche canon on Mission Ridge was at it again.

Our son called on his way back from his Mardi Gras meeting.  His group's parade is this Friday, with their ball right afterwards.  He will again be riding on a float and throwing out beads and other goodies.  He has to purchase these himself and we were lucky enough to be in Mobile during Mardi Gras several years ago.  We had driven down from Chicago and got to go to the huge warehouse where he purchases all the beads.  OMG!!  There were so many different kinds!  I bought some to bring back for friends and family.  Didn't even have to take off my top. . .

The once-empty "in" box sitting at the end of our kitchen counter already has more recipes in it.  We have subscribed to Taste of Home magazine and I have been cutting.  Now I just have to start cooking. . .

Snow began falling in earnest at about 10:00 am and by noon we had at least an inch.  3" by 3:00 pm.  When it was time for our afternoon walk it was still snowing.  JB slogged up to clear off the panels while I shoveled the pathways around the house and to the outhouse.  Then I went in to feed the dogs while JB shoveled the paths to the battery and wood sheds.  Our high for the day was 24.

I emailed Elsie to let her know we would not be coming down this evening as planned because of all the snow.  They called us on the radio saying that they would be coming up!  They have a side-by-side ATV that Larry has chained up on all four wheels.  They made it up easily and we had a great evening of marbles, even though the guys won both games.  But they were close!

While we were playing, the wind started really gusting.  By the time they left a little after 10:00 pm, it was quite nasty outside.  They don't have doors on the ATV and had to clear out a lot of snow before getting in.  About ten minutes after they left, here came their lights back up the driveway.  I thought for sure there was a tree down or a huge drift in their way.  But, no, Larry had just forgotten his little cooler for his beer.  Everyone has their priorities. . .  I asked them to call when they got home and about 25 minutes later they did.  I guess it was a pretty wild ride.

Sunday 4/16.  This morning found us with four inches of new snow from the past 24 hours and lots of drifting.  It was partly overcast and 20.  Most of the pathways we had shoveled yesterday were completely gone.  When he first got up, JB went up to the panels to clean them off, sinking down to his knees in places on the non-existent paths.

We had a light wind all day and the sun shone for most of it, causing yesterday's snow to slip off the roof in chunks.

JB drove MAX down the road to groom it.  On their way up last night, Larry had seen large cat tracks crossing our road by the spring, but all signs of activity from yesterday were swept away.  Fortunately there were only a few places with any significant drifting and JB was soon back Up Here.  He also drove up to and around the south ridge to make it easier to walk up there.

We both worked on shoveling out the paths again today.  Really getting our workouts this winter.  Afterwards JB took a nap.  I started a new book and then went online.

Elsie told us that she had read in her "chicken" magazine that it is good to feed them something warm when it is so cold out.  So she buys them steel-cut oats and makes oatmeal for them in the morning.  Her "girls" seem frantic with joy when she brings it out to them.  No wonder their eggs are so delicious!

After I brought in the wood, the dogs and I went on our afternoon walk.  JB made some excuse about having to get the chicken in the oven to roast.  The wind had formed a light crust on the snow.  Not quite thick enough to hold up the dogs, so every time they strayed out of MAX's tracks, at least two of their legs would sink all the way down.  I had to stay in the tracks too or find myself up to my knees.  Our high for the day was 32, but I didn't notice any melting.

Snow was falling when we went to bed, and from the look of the porch, it had been coming down for awhile.

Monday 4/17.  26, lightly snowing and 3-1/2" - 4" of new snow.  All the trees are white again and the only movement is snow sliding off the roof.  The wind is gone.  Both main passes across the Cascades are closed this morning.  Sadly, we are going to have to reschedule our nephew's and grand-nephew's visit.

Thought for the day: As long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think, free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost and science can never regress. J. Robert Oppenheimer



  

Feb 14, 2014 And More Wind!

Before. . .

. . . and after tilting the solar panels.

Wednesday 2/12.  With these "warmer" temperatures it is very easy to get the house too warm, but it's such a relief not to have to set the alarm to get up in the middle of the night to restock the fire.

I often go around the house, and even the sheds, clearing out the cobwebs.  And in the mornings I have to clear them out of my head.  Why is it we always see their webs, but never the spider?  Has anyone ever actually seen a cob spider?  And how in the world do they get inside my head?!

The snow is starting to get slushy, especially where the sun hits it.  Sure don't want to get back into the melt-&-freeze cycle where so much of the ground is covered in ice.

JB's nephew is bringing his six-year-old son up to visit Rose Camp on the 19th and we want to be able to get them and their gear Up Here on MAX with no problems.  So JB drove MAX down our road again today to groom it.  When he returned, we went up to the solar panels to tilt them up halfway.  We tilt them four times a year, two up and two down.  We are about a week late this time, and now they will have to be cleaned more often, as the snow will not just slide off of them.

The wind blew all day, decreasing incrementally as the day wore on.  By late afternoon it was just a strong breeze and after sunset it completely died out.  Our high for the day was 37.

The sun is now far enough north so that we can see it as it sets.  It is no longer setting behind the trees to the southwest of the house.  This means that daylight lasts until we are finished with our 5:30 pm dinner and no longer eating when it is dark out.  Yes!!

I keep in touch with my Mom's two best friends, even though she has been gone for more than 18 years.  One of them, Pat, called me this afternoon and it was so good to talk with her.  We spoke of her other friend, Hazel, who will be 98 years old on the 20th.  Pat reads my blog and seems to really enjoy it.  Hazel doesn't have a computer, but I keep her updated throughout the year.

I started another book that JB had given me for Christmas, The Fifth Witness, by Michael Connelly.  One of my favorite authors.  I also had to cook up a pot of chicken broth for the dogs, but I got started too late, so they ended up having some canned chicken with their dry food, much to their delight.

The sky was a clear palette for the almost-full moon and it shone brightly on the snow.  The stars were shining crisply in the cold night.  Don't know if it's my imagination or they really do shine more brightly on cold nights.  They just seem softer in the summer.

Thursday 2/13. We had a short snow flurry at about 7:00 am, then the sky quickly cleared.  It was a normal 25 degrees out, but there was definitely a wind-chill factor.  Once again the wind blew all day, disappearing shortly after sunset, and our high was 31.  Yesterday's slush is today's ice.

Before I got up JB noticed two deer walking up our road.  The dogs were inside and didn't see them, so JB was able to watch the deer saunter up the east slope, nibbling on branches and rose hips along the way.

The avalanche control canon was booming away on Mission ridge this morning.  I took a late morning nap and Jesse slept on the bed with me, using it as a good excuse not to go on the morning walk with JB and Dinga.  He does not like that canon, even though it is obviously far away.

After lunch I gave JB a long-overdue hair cut and beard trim.  It turned out to be a bloodless affair, but I think he is going to be chilly for a while.  Then he baked some french bread which he used for a french toast dinner.

Weather permitting, we will ride MAX down to Larry and Elsie's Saturday evening for some marble competition.

Friday 2/14.  Happy Valentine's Day!  At Rose Camp it is 21 and snowing lightly with another 2-1/2" of new snow on the ground.  JB had to clean that full amount off the tilted panels this morning.  And the avalanche canons are booming again at Mission Ridge.

Thought for the day: Fearlessness may be a gift, but perhaps most precious is courage from cultivating the habit of refusing to let fear dictate one's actions.  Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner

Feb 12, 2014 Wind & Snow

Why we do not use the side door
during the winter.

Monday 2/10. It was a very bright morning even as the snow fell.  I shoveled off the deck after lunch, then JB took a much-needed nap while I shoveled the pathways to give him a break.  The sun finally chase the clouds away around 3:00 pm and quickly burned off the fog that tried to  form, however the more the sun set into the west, the more quickly the fog crept up from the canyons.

All the February snow is still on the roof.  It's going to be very loud when it finally slips off.

Each day during the winter seems to be much the same as the last, and I am sure it can be a bit boring to read about, but it is incredible to live.  Words escape me as I try to describe how I feel about it.  To wake up to our incredible views each morning and enjoy them throughout each day is a joy.  Even when it is too foggy to see past the surrounding trees, it is still amazing.  I love our small home, the result of so much work on our part.  It really is a heaven on earth.  The white of winter dims the memory of spring's colors, so each year it is a new wonder.  And in February I am already thinking of spring.

The wind sprang up in the early evening and when Larry called us on the radio at 7:00 pm he told us it was snowing at their place.  And, sure enough, it was snowing Up Here also.  Snowing and blowing.  We thought our high for the day had been 16, but when JB when outside to check the weather and temperature at 9:30 pm, as he does every night before we go to bed, it had warmed up to 22.  It was still snowing and blowing, but the moon was shining through the cloud cover, making it very bright out.

We started watching the fourth season of Vampire Diaries this evening.  Still addicted.

Tuesday 2/11. The wind blew all night, gusty not sustained.  This morning was 24, clear and still very windy.  We had about 2" of new snow, hard to tell with all the wind.  The wind chill is negating the pleasure of normal temperatures, but we won't have to duck from snow bombs today.  There is very little snow left on the trees.  More snow is in the forecast for each day this week.  It is as if all our winter precipitation will arrive all in one month.  This month.  February.

The snow is sculpted into soft lines.  No sharp edges anywhere, just soft mounds and flat stretches.  Two of our pathways are barely visible.  And during the night some of the snow and ice on the south side of the roof had slid onto the ground.  Slabs of ice a few inches thick.  Lots more just waiting to roar down.

The wind stopped abruptly at about 10:00 am and suddenly it was so quiet.  But shortly thereafter a rumble and then a roar announced an avalanche of snow and ice slipping off of the north side of the roof.  This really causes Dinga to tremble, and she becomes our velcro dog.  The roof kept on shedding most of the day until it was almost clear on both sides.

JB got out the snow shoes and the dogs and I took a short hike up to the south ridge, along the east slope and down to the north ridge.  I had forgotten just how much of a workout the snow shoes give your hips.  Even with them, I sank into the snow a bit because it is so powdery.  The dogs tummies disappeared into the snow as they trudged through it.  There was no evidence of yesterday's forays, having been erased in the newly sculpted landscape.

We needed to check and groom the road after all this, so JB and I rode in MAX and the dogs had a good run all the way down to our sign on the main canyon road.  There wasn't much drifting, but the snow was deep in many places and MAX had to really work to get through.  JB will be making daily trips for a while.  Our high for the day was 30.

After arriving back home and enjoying a nice hot cup of cocoa, I baked some peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies.  Elsie had given me some home made peanut butter which I used.  Oh my, they turned out so good!  And began quickly disappearing. . .

I am working on a list of minimum amounts of food and supplies needed for winter.  This winter I was much better prepared, but there are still a few items that we need a little more of and some a little less.

After dinner we finished watching the first season of Major Crimes.  I like it just as much as The Closer.  Sure hope it gets renewed.

Wednesday 2/12.  The wind sprang up again about 4:00 am this morning, and when JB got up it was 31 and clear, with another 2-1/2" of snow.  When I finally got up at 8:15 am, he had already been up to check out the panels, although the wind had taken are of cleaning them off.  Then he cleared out a couple of the pathways.  Sure hope the wind stops as early as it did yesterday.

Thought for the day: I never quite understand the way society decides who is beautiful and who is not.  But an open face and a capacity for kindness always feel like reliable signifiers to me.  Tilda Swinton

Feb 10, 2014 Fog & Snow

Dinga playing in the snow.

Our new kitchen drawer pulls, made
to look like antler buttons.

Friday 2/7.  JB left for Down There a little before 9:00 am in his Jeep.  He called at 10:10 am to let me know he was safely at the pavement in my Jeep. 

By the time the dogs and I went for their morning walk at 10:30 am, the temperature had warmed up to zero and the sun actually felt warm.  Heat wave!!  Our high for the day was 10!

I puttered around the house, read my book, and brought the wood in.  JB returned about 3:30 pm.  This will definitely be the last time to take the Jeep down until the road clears.  MAX gets to do his thing now.

JB had brought up the game cam card and we were treated to watching a bobcat amble up the road, two large coyotes, and several deer having visited at different times during the week.

This evening we watched Mrs. Henderson Presents with Judy Dench.  One of my all-time favorite movies.

Saturday 2/8.  It was 4 degrees and snowing lightly, with 1" of new snow and a light overcast.  So much better than -10!

We enjoyed a relaxing morning of reading the papers, magazines and mail.  The sun had soon cleared out the clouds leaving much blue sky, but the clouds moved back in, creating a heavy overcast by early afternoon.  A grey and white world for our afternoon walk.

We poured hot water down the pee trap of the washer, then got the towels washed that we had used to sop up all the water on Wednesday.  When the load was done, we poured special RV antifreeze into the pee trap.  Larry told us that his pipes finally froze also in one "cold" wall that he has, but he was prepared.  After the first time it happened several years ago and he had to open up the wall, he wrapped the pipes with special material for roofs that can be heated.  Now when it happens, he just plugs it in and in a few minutes it has all melted.  Very clever.

After lunch, JB drove MAX down the road to groom it.  The dogs and I stayed home where it was warm.  Our high for the day was 8.

This evening we started watching season three of Walking Dead.  Oh yeah!!

Sunday 2/9.  It was 7 degrees and overcast, with 4-1/2" inches of new snow.  We have received more snow in the first eight days of February than we did for the whole month of January.  And thank goodness, 'cause we really need it.  By the time I got up at 7:45 am, JB had already hiked up to clean off the solar panels and shoveled most of the paths.  There is more snow in the forecast for a few days, but the temperatures are supposed to get back up to average beginning tomorrow, which would be in the mid-twenties for us.

I tried a new recipe I had found for breakfast this morning.  Just put two eggs and one banana per person in a blender.  Then cook on a non-stick griddle like pancakes.  I also added some cinnamon and nutmeg.  Very healthy, and good.  Well, at least I thought so.  Not high on JB's list of things to eat.

A very fine snow began falling about 8:30, then the fog moved in.  The fog stayed around all day, but the snow only lasted a couple hours.  The tree branches are bending under their load and dropping "snow bombs", as JB calls them.  Our high for the day was 15, even with the fog.  It was so warm that when we went for our afternoon walk, I had to take off my hood and gloves!

It was Duck Dynasty night, and we laughed all the way through four episodes.

Monday 2/10.  It is overcast and 8 this morning.  Snow began falling at 7:00 am when JB got up.  Looks like I am definitely going to have to clear off the deck again today.

Thought for the day: It is clear that the individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of the same opinion, is a monster.  Voltaire 

Feb 7, 2014 Brrrrrrrrr!

View from the north ridge.

Wednesday 2/5. A breeze was blowing snow off the branches into a sparkling veil of fairy dust.  As the breeze increased, it seemed as though snow was falling with no clouds in the sky.  A stunning day with brilliant white gleaming against icy blue.

But it certainly wasn't the relaxing day I had anticipated.  I put in a load of wash and all was well until the end of the wash cycle when the water drained.  Or at least tried to.  Seems the water in the pee trap had frozen. . .  So the water couldn't go anywhere except back up the pipe and all over the floor.  JB got the washer turned off before we got completely flooded out, but in such a small house we had water in the bathroom, hallway, under the wall into the kitchen, and a little into the great room and the bedroom.  Surely there has to be a more subtle way of letting me know it was time to clean behind the washer and kitchen stove. . .

I heated some water and poured it down the drain, which did the trick.  We were able to turn the washer back on and let it finish its job.  After all was said and done (I can't repeat just what we said), both kitchen and bathroom floors were sparkling; rugs were drying out, and so was the floor, and there was a pile of wet towels in the bathtub.  Since the sun was shining, I also vacuumed.  Without even going outside I got my cardio workout for the day, and then I had to bring in three loads of wood.

Prepared all the mail for JB to take down on Friday, valentines and birthday cards, etc.  Don't know yet if he will be able to take the Jeep or not.

Our high temperature for the day was -3.  Didn't even get up to zero.  Had to bring the the beer from the porch.  Our outside refrigerator is once again a freezer.  Even my bottle of margaritas is frozen solid.

Set the alarm again and got up at 2:00 am and 5:30 am to stoke the fire.

Thursday 2/6. Our early morning temperature was once again -10 and our high for the day was once again -3.  We had a partial, light overcast which the sun soon broke through and broke up, but by noon it was moving in again and by 3:00 pm a fine by steady snow had begun to fall.  Cut both morning and afternoon walks in half.  Just too cold.

Got my cardio workout again today clearing off the deck.  JB did some more shoveling too.  Then we finally got all the kitchen drawer handles installed.  Looks great!

We had a junco on the porch looking for food today and yesterday the wren visited us.  Both look like flying tennis balls.

Depending on how much snow we get tonight, JB may be able to take his Jeep down to my Jeep instead of MAX.

Friday 2/7. Another brilliant morning with 5 degrees and 1-1/2" more snow.  JB has already cleaned off the solar panels and plans to leave for Down There at 9:00 am in his Jeep.  Hopefully the temperature will be able to climb above zero today.

Thought for the day: Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.  Maimonides

Feb 5, 2014 Finally Winter & Cold, Cold, Cold

Winter at Rose Camp.

Dinga's favorite season!

Monday 2/3. There is just something so soothing about watching the snow fall.  Especially when you are inside a cozy cabin. . . in the woods. . . on a mountain.  No place I would rather be.

Dinga caught a mole when JB took the dogs on their morning walk.  The second one in as many days.  The dogs always get a treat when they return home, and Dinga wanted her treat but she wouldn't spit out her prize.  So she took the treat with her front teeth, with her mouth full and all the while drooling, which created a white beard hanging down from her snout.  She is such a character!

I finally got to a winter chore that had been on my list for about three years now - sorted out all my recipes.  I tend to cut out a lot of recipes and just put them in an "in" box that sits on the end of our kitchen counter.  Years ago I started a recipe book that is now thick with recipes I have never tried, so the first thing I did was take out all those recipes, leaving just the tried and true ones.  I sorted those and all the ones in the box into categories, then put them in another binder in which I have such loose recipes.  I also found several I had been looking for and made one of them for dinner - potato and salmon pancakes served with applesauce and sour cream.  A different spin on regular potato pancakes and so good!

JB pulled up the Superbowl ads on his computer and we watched the two Budweiser ones.  They both brought tears to our eyes, as usual.  I would love to make a DVD of all the Budweiser ads over the years.

Saw the news about Phillip Seymour Hoffman's death.  What a terrible waste of such a talented man.

Snow continued to fall all day until about 3:00 pm, light and steady.  By then we had another inch.  I brought in the fire wood and then we went on our afternoon walk through our winter wonderland.  It started snowing again at about 4:00 pm and probably kept up most of the night.  Our high for the day was 12!

It was 6 outside when we were ready for bed, so I set the alarm for 2:00 am to be sure we kept the fire going.  I got up then and JB got up at 6:00 am.

Tuesday 2/4.  It is our son's birthday today and temperatures at his home in Alabama have climbed back up to normal, in the 60's and low 70's.  However, when JB got up at 6:00 am it was 2 degrees Up Here and overcast, with another 4-1/2" of snow having fallen in the past 24 hours.

JB slogged up to the solar panels at 8:00 am to clean the snow off of them, and then swept off the porch and shoveled paths to the battery and wood sheds, outhouse, and the dogs' outlook on the west ridge.  Fortunately it is a light, fluffy snow.  No more snow in the forecast, but temperatures are supposed to be 20 to 30 degrees colder than average for the rest of the week.  And the wind is supposed to pick up.  We did have a breeze for most of the day and our high was only 6!

I finished making all the cards I need for February.  JB plans to go Down There on Friday and will mail everything then.  As it now stands, he will probably have to drive MAX down to my Jeep.

A very fine and light veil of snow fell for most of the day, but we probably didn't even get 1/2".  We went for our afternoon walk after I brought in fire wood, and by then the sun was trying very hard to break through the clouds.  Never quite made it though.  We had to run the generator for a couple hours this morning.  Supposedly it only uses 1 gallon of propane per hour, but add the hot water heater, refrigerator, kitchen stove and all the pilot lights to that, and we use about 500 gallons a year more or less.

Wednesday 2/5. The sky is a clear, icy blue this morning, reflecting our temperature of -10.  Yes, that is minus 10.  We have another 1-1/2" of snow, which brings the total on the ground to more than 13".  Definitely going to just sit by the fire and read a book today.

Thought for the day: The only people you should get even with are those who have helped you.  Buz Moxon, February Guideposts magazine

Feb 3, 2014 OMG! Seahawks are Superbowl Champs!!

Hiking up to the peak on Friday.

Driving back up the short-cut on Saturday
with Dinga in the lead.

Friday 1/31. The fog was soon chased from the canyons and valleys alike to leave a day of dazzling blue and white for all to enjoy, Up Here and Down There.

After lunch we all traipsed out for a hike.  Up to the peak and down along the fence line on the east slope, then back up the driveway.  Shorter than some hikes, but longer than our normal daily outings.  So many rabbit and deer tracks along the fence!  I was quite surprised at all the signs of activity just out of sight from the house.  

Back home, I resumed making valentines.  On Wednesday we had received some great photos and videos from our son in Alabama of the grandchildren sledding down their snow-covered hill in plastic laundry baskets and I looked at all of them again, and again. . .

Also started another book today, Blue-Eyed Devil by Robert B. Parker.  I'd been saving it since Christmas but just couldn't wait any longer.

This evening, being pizza and a movie night, we watched Oblivion with Tom Cruise.  Excellent!

Saturday 2/1.  It was 13 and foggy when we got up, but the fog melted away as the sun arose.  Where the breeze had blown the snow off the branches, it was white again with rime.  Colder than average temperatures are in the forecast for the next several days, along with some possible snow flurries.

After breakfast and dishes, I defrosted the refrigerator and baked some more banana coffee cake.  Also finished my Robert B. Parker book.  So entertaining!

We took a ride in MAX after lunch and soon discovered that it wasn't fog at all, but low clouds.  We drove half-way down the short-cut to my brother's place, to just before the first really steep part, then back to the end of our driveway and turned up to Erno's property.  A beautiful and invigorating ride.  Jesse had run up to Erno's instead of following us down and we didn't see him again until we got up there.  Then he discovered another fresh trail and ran down as we were going back up.  He didn't get back home til about a half an hour after we did.  Still must be lots of traffic around.

JB made bread sticks to have with our dinner of chili instead of cornbread.  Yummm!

By mid afternoon the sky was mostly clear although a few wispy cloud remnants still hugged the mountain sides.  As soon as the sun started to set, the fog crept into the valley.

We watched more of Pride and Prejudice this evening.  It is the 1996 version from BBC/A&E with Colin Firth, and so very well done.

Sunday 2/2.  It was 8 with a light overcast this morning that soon broke into a blue and white patchwork.  No fog to be seen.

JB made eggs and pancakes this morning that we enjoyed with Elsie's delicious blueberry jam.  And we enjoyed a quiet, inside day.  JB worked on his computer a bit, posting January's stats of temperature and snowfall.  We received 11-3/4".  Still way behind for the winter.

I worked on Valentines and some paper/magazine sorting (winter projects).  Larry called to invite us down to watch the Superbowl, but we were into our projects and more into hockey than football.  Maybe we should have gone and seen history being made.  Sounds like the Seahawks romped right over the Broncos and marched into the history books.  I really never thought it would happen, especially with Denver, their nemesis for so many years.  

Monday 2/3.  Sometime during the night another 3/4" of snow covered Rose Camp.  It wasn't snowing at 6:00 am when I let the dogs out, but when JB got up at 7:30 am it was and the temperature was 10 degrees.  So he got dressed and slogged up to the solar panels to clean them off.  They are on the south ridge, a little more than 300' from the battery shed.  Just one more reason to have them as close to the house as possible. . .

Thought for the day: Individuality is the aim of political liberty.  By leaving to the citizen as much freedom of action as comports with order and the rights of others, the institutions render him truly a free man.  He is left to pursue his means of happiness in his own manner. James Fenimore Cooper.
(If only. . .  WR)