June 13, 2014 Fires & Full Moons

Fire from a lightening strike to the west of us
on Thursday

Wednesday 6/11. The girls are getting rather demanding for their breakfast.  As soon as we let the dogs out, they start squawking for food.

With a sprayer borrowed from Larry, JB sprayed our road for knapweed all the way down to the sign, making two trips.  While I, rather belatedly, unpacked my summer clothes and put away my winter ones.  JB makes no such distinctions. . .

Patches of blue sky began appearing by noon and our high for the day was 71, but again with that cool breeze that turned to wind.

Thursday 6/12. Was able to leave for Down There by 8:00 am.  Not too many stops, but I did spend 30 minutes at the Chelan County Assessor's office protesting the rather dramatic rise in the value of our land.  Talked to a very nice, very calm man who explained everything to me and also suggested that we put the 11 acres that are not in forest or building site into "open space", as it is on a steep slope going down into the canyon.  I will make the appropriate call on Monday.

I wanted to make it back to Rose Camp before the storm arrived there and made it with 30 minutes to spare.  It rained for about 15 minutes and then the thunder and lightening started to our west and north.  Larry called, just as I was going out the door to check for lightening strikes, to let me know of a fire a few miles to our west.  I could see the smoke from the north ridge.  After checking on the south ridge, JB and I drove Miss Kitty to two more vantage points two and three miles to our west, but didn't see any smoke.  By the time we arrived back home, the black smoke from the fire had turned while and dissipated quite a bit.  Turns out county fire fighters were able to get there and contain it to under two acres.

While I had been Down There, JB put tar paper on the small, east roof of the chicken run.  Sometime this summer, we will put roofing material of some kind on it.

The temperature was in the mid 80's Down There and very uncomfortable.  Our high for the day Up Here was 72, and once again the wind arose in the evening.

We are getting two eggs a day now from the girls, which is plenty for just the two of us.

Enough excitement for one day.  I was in bed by 9:00 pm.

Friday 6/13.  It is 44 and overcast this morning, and looks to be a wet day.  That's good.  We need the wet.  It is also a full strawberry moon, which won't happen on a Friday the 13th for a few more centuries.

Thought for the day: Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous.  They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive.  Henry Steele Commager