July 30, 2014 Hot Again

Another phenomenal sunset

Monday  7/28. The smoke cleared out by mid morning, but it was back in the evening.  Our high for the day was 97 with very little air movement.

JB arrived home at 1:30 pm after doing a couple errands in town.  It was a hot drive for him as neither of us have air conditioning in our vehicles.  Hot and sweaty, but home, and that's all that counts.

Tuesday 7/29. It was 71 and clear this morning with just a little smoke coming in from the Chewakum fire.  I left at 7:45 for Down There to get the oil changed in my Jeep, hoping to beat the worst of the heat.  The shop had a nice, air-conditioned loaner for me, so I did a little grocery shopping for us and the dogs and chickens.  Turned out I needed a new battery (well, the Jeep needed it, but sometimes I feel like I do too) so that took a little longer, but I was home by noon.

By then it was just too hot to do anything but try to keep cool, which means just sitting as still as possible.  No wonder I am reading so many books lately.  More heat is in the forecast til the weekend.  Am still giving the girls frozen fruit on these hot days.  They love it.

I leave for Nene's a week from today and there is a promise of cooler temps by then.  Am really looking forward to the trip to Idaho, but I certainly hope it's a cool one. . .

Wednesday 7/30. It is 71 and partly cloudy this morning with a very cool breeze that is absolutely delightful.  I can only hope it lasts through the day.

Thought for the day: If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal. Emma Goldman

July 28, 2014 Rattlesnake!

Nice, big potatoes from our garden already!

Friday 7/25. Left for Down There at 8:30 am and was back by noon.  Spent the afternoon putting everything away and reading the week's papers all about the fires.  The one thing that jumped out at me from the photos of the burned houses was that they were surrounded by trees, right up to the house.  We get to feeling to so safe after living in town, that when we move to the country we forget that Mother Nature is really in charge.  Especially out here.  Landscaping doesn't matter diddley.  It's all about being safe.

Our high for the day was 75 with a soft breeze.  Very pleasant.

Saturday 7/26. It was 60 with clear skies this morning.  Here comes the heat again.

I drove Miss Kitty over to the flats to loan a book to some local neighbors on pole buildings.  They weren't there, so I left it in a zip lock bag on their steps.  It was a nice drive, except that I had forgotten to gas up before I left.  Made it back to Rose Camp okay though - on fumes.

Finished another Dresdan book, and started the next one.

I saw the hawk again, or at least I assume it is the same one.  Got a few pictures of it in the trees near the house.

Dug up a few more potatoes from the garden.  We already have big ones because we were able to plant a whole month early.  So nice!

We had a high of 80 today with higher temps on the way.  Wasn't too bad as there was a nice breeze.

Sunday 7/27. It was 65 and clear this morning, but still 71 inside.

I spent most of the day thoroughly cleaning the house, doing laundry, etc.  JB will be home tomorrow. Yes!  Waited til the shade was just right in the afternoon and then finished splitting and stacking the rest of the wood.  Turned out to be a wheel barrow load and a half.

I pulled all the onions in the garden whose greens had fallen over and began to dry out, which was about half of them.  I laid them on the porch to dry.  Cut the stems off leaving a few inches and will try to braid them and hang them on the inside clothes line to dry and cure.

By noon a light overcast had formed.  Our high for the day was 86, but most of the day was about 80 and very muggy.  Thunder storms are in the forecast for mid week.

The rain last week filled the water barrel behind the wood shed 1/3 of the way up, which is about 18 gallons.  The barrel by the hen house got about 5 gallons.

I decided that we need to put a roof on the whole chicken run to add more shade and protect them more from the rain and snow.  I think we have enough wood and tar paper to do it.  Just need to get some roofing.

Larry and Elsie came up to visit this evening.  Our neighbor to whom I lent the book had left two water barrels by our turn off from the main canyon road and they brought them up for us.  Found out that the photo I had posted of Elsie's "onion" stems tying themselves in knots, were actually garlic.  About 10:00 pm, Elsie walked over to their Arctic Cat (they haven't named theirs) to get a drink out of the cooler and suddenly yelled, "Snake!"  I was standing on the porch and could hear the rattling!  I grabbed a flashlight and my snake stick.  Larry got his out of the atv.  The snake was coiled up under the vehicle by the rear tire and was pretty good sized.  A green timber rattler.  Larry's snake stick is a golf club without the club.  He smacked it on the head and then skewered its head in to the ground and held it there while cutting off the rattles.  Big rattles!  A dozen of them!

Well, that episode got our blood coursing.  They left about twenty minutes later and there was no way I was going to sleep.  I had a bowl of ice cream and read my book for about an hour.  Seeing a rattlesnake during daylight is one thing, but finding one at night is quite another.  The main reason why I usually don't go off the porch after dark in the summer. . .

Monday 7/28.  It is 71 with smokey skies this morning.  The smoke is coming in from the northwest from the Chumauken fire northwest of Leavenworth.  It is a little over 50% contained and the wind has kept the smoke from us for several days. 

JB plans to leave for home by 9:00 am and should be here by 1:00 pm.  Woo Hoo!

Thought for the day: Just live while you're living and don't die til you're dead.  Rebekah Teal from her column "Here's The Thing", Mary Jane's Farm magazine, Aug/Sept issue

July 25, 2014 More Rain

A hawk sitting on Miss Kitty

Wednesday 7/23.  Lots of smoke in the air this morning, which is odd considering all the rain we had.  There was a short downpour a little after 10:00 am and then sun popped out just before the first thunder rolled through.  A long roll of thunder.  We had more rain an hour later but it stopped and I could see blue sky by noon.

Meanwhile, since I have been sorting and organizing everything else in the house, the stacks of paper on the coffee table are still sitting there.  Staring at me.  Which is exactly why I am getting so many other things done. . .

I drove Miss Kitty down to Larry's and Elsie's a little before 1:00 pm to let their dogs out for a while, so they could do some errands after work and not have to worry about rushing home.  Elsie had left a bag of fresh blueberries in the fridge for me.  Hmmm, maybe I could let the dogs out again tomorrow.

Back home I decided that since the hot weather is supposed to return over the weekend, I would get as much wood split as possible while it was still cool.  I just finished splitting and stacking the second wheelbarrow load at about 3:00 pm when it began raining again.  By 5:00 pm, the wind had blown most of the clouds to the east and north.

On Monday I had pulled some small, new potatoes and onions from the smallest plants in the garden.  Today I made chicken stew with them.  There's just something about fresh food from the garden. . .

The wind turned cold this evening and brought in more clouds.  By 9:00 pm the temperature had dropped to 49 and the wind was gusting into the low 20's.

Thursday 7/24. It was 49, overcast and still windy this morning.  Feels more like October than July.  Not complaining, just stating a fact.  After holding off for more than an hour, I finally put a fire in the wood stove.  Just watching it made me feel warmer.

For breakfast I had the fresh blueberries on my hot cereal.  Yum!

The wind was soon gusting into the low 20's again, blowing away the overcast but continuing to blow smaller clouds overhead.  This has certainly been the year of the wind.  But in spite of it, I got outside to split and stack three more wheelbarrow loads of wood.  Have now started a fifth row in the woodshed.

As I was putting on my boots and getting ready to take the dogs for their walk, I glanced outside and saw a hawk sitting on Miss Kitty.  Never saw one so close to the house before.  Jesse saw it too, but fortunately didn't start barking.

The girls gave us three eggs today.  I had put an extra bale of straw in their hen house under the nest boxes.  They have created a nest on top of the straw and that's where all the eggs were today.

No smoke at all today.  Can't see it anywhere.  According to JB the fire to the north is more than 50% contained with the help of all the rain.

Am going Down There tomorrow for some groceries and errands.  It is supposed to be a comfortable day in the 70's.  Let's hope NOAA is right.

Friday 7/25. It is 49 again this morning, but with clear skies and the promise of warmer temperatures.  Hope to be on my way by 8:30 am.

Thought for the day: Most people to not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. Stephen R Covey

July 23, 2014 Rain!

Elsie's onions literally tying themselves
into knots!

Monday 7/21. I sorted and organized.  Sorted and organized.  Made another 8-cup batch of humming bird syrup.  By the looks of things, this may be the last one.  The humming birds have thinned out and it seems to me that they are all gone by late July or early August.

I waited for the shade to be in the right place, then split and stacked four wheelbarrow loads of wood from the eight trees we cut down.  Looks like there's maybe another four loads to do.  Feels so good to be doing this again.  Six summers of it and I still enjoy it.

Our high for the day was 79, but that was around 3:30 pm and not for very long.  Mostly it was a very pleasant day in the low 70's.

I got serious about cleaning out my crafting corner of the loft.  Got a big box and began filling it with craft supplies that, after six years, I am certain I won't be using.  I will take it with me to Nene's and leave it there for my crafty cousin.

Tuesday 7/22. Woke up at 4:00 am to the sound of rain!  Woo Hoo!  It was 55 and still raining when I got up at 7:00 am.  Thanks to NOAA, I wasn't expecting rain until tomorrow, so Miss Kitty's windows were still out.  I put them back in when I went out to feed the girls.  Fortunately there was no wind, so the cab didn't get completely soaked.  I am sure there are a lot of relieved fire fighters and home owners this morning.  I don't recall ever greeting rain with such enthusiasm while living on the other side of the mountains.

I finished filling the box with craft supplies.  It feels really good to be getting rid of so much, especially because I am pretty sure that my cousin can use most of it.  And now I can actually see the top of the table.

The rain continued to fall off and on all morning, then just before noon the fog rolled in for a little while.  Never been this enthusiastic about seeing fog either.  It started raining again mid-afternoon and then on and off for the rest of the day.  We received .22".

I finished another Dresdan book. . .

Wednesday 7/23.  It is 55 and mostly cloudy this morning with a forecast for thunder storms.  The mountains are covered with big, fluffy clouds that are supposed to be here by 11:00 am.  At least the ground and flora are wet.

Thought for the day: Flowers are a proud assertion than a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson

July 21, 2014 It's Cool Again!

Small bull snake on the porch.

Friday 7/18. JB left for Seattle at 9:00 am.  I got busy with the chores, and again, it was cool enough to go on our full walk at 10:30 am.

Our son called on his way home from a short day at work.  Next weekend he and his family are going on a four-day weekend with their trailer to a place on the beach in Florida where they can snorkel.  The last two years on their vacation, they have taught the children to snorkel and they absolutely love it.  They finally found a place within three hours from home where it can be done close to shore on a reef.  If I were a water person, I just might try it.  The grandchildren are definitely water "babies."

It was cool enough to actually work outside, so I started organizing the wood shed.  I had to pull out some of the wood and re-stack it.  Finally getting back to some manual labor.

Larry suggested that I sprinkle water in the chicken coup as the girls seem to like it, which I did and they loved it.  They are used to having a large pan of water along with the drinking water, so I gave them one to save on having to change their drinking water so often.

Our high for the day was 94 but we had a cool breeze again that worked itself into a wind by late afternoon.

Saturday 7/19. It was 66 and mostly overcast this morning with no smoke.  I can see smoke to the far north, but there is none in the valleys.

Homemade cranberry/orange scone for breakfast.  Mmmmm!

About mid-morning I drove Miss Kitty down to road to pull knapweed that JB's spraying had missed, and gather wood.  I drove slowly and stopped often, so the dogs really enjoyed it.  I got a real workout, again with the manual labor.
 It was only in the mid 70's, but felt hot in the sun.  Back up at Rose Camp, I cut the wood and stacked it.  Still some patches of knapweed left, but I'll work on them on a cooler day.

After lunch it was time for a shower and a nap!

It was windy again today, gusting up into the low 20's.  Larry and Elsie always seem to get it a lot worse than we do.

I started sorting out the loft, which is the job I gave myself to do while JB is gone.  Not one I am really looking forward to.  But I also switched a couple pieces of furniture, the desk in the living room with the sideboard in the bedroom.  This is how we originally had them and I like it much better.  JB knows that when he leaves for more than a day or two, he will usually come back to something different in the house. . .

Sunday 7/20.  It was 55 and mostly overcast this morning.  Oh my, that coolness felt good!

I drove Miss Kitty down to Larry's and Elsie's at about 11:00 am to help them pick cherries.  They have two cherry trees that have ripened faster than they can keep up with them and the birds are having a field day.  We had a nice visit and I was back home in a couple of hours.

Our high was only 70, and that was after 4:00 pm when the overcast finally cleared.  I got a lot of little things done and just enjoyed feeling cool again.

As I was watering the hanging basket after dinner, I noticed a little bull snake on the porch - not a rattler.  I took a couple pictures and then it slid down the porch.  About two seconds later, Dinga comes scurrying out!  So funny!  I haven't seen the frog since it started cooling off.

Just one egg from the girls yesterday and today.  A couple of them are molting, so that may be affecting their laying.

I talk to JB every day.  His Mom certainly enjoys having him there, but I sure miss him.

Monday 7/21.  It was 48 and clear when I got up!  I had to put on my robe to go feed the girls.  It feels so nice!

Thought for the day: Age does not protect you from love.  But love, to some extent, protects you from age.

July 18, 2014 More Fires & Lots of Smoke

Smoke from the new fires as seen from
Larry's & Elsie's Wednesday evening.

Wednesday 7/16. JB vacuumed out our vehicles this morning.  So much dust!  They are cleaner now than they have been since we moved Up Here.

There is a heart-wrenching article in the current Time magazine about Burma and the tension between Christians and Muslims.  The real problem is never about religion.  The problem is with power.  Someone always wants to be in control and to make everyone else think like they do.  

At 1:30 pm the weather station read 101 degrees, but the temperature gauge on the porch in the shade read 86.  I went with the porch temp.  If I can convince my brain that it is "only" 86, I'm sure I will feel much cooler.

Putting a packet of wet wipes in the fridge was a great idea, especially since I can't find my cold neck wraps.

Our high for today was 104 with a warm breeze.  I stayed inside most of the time except for hanging out and getting in the laundry; helping JB clean out my Jeep; feeding the girls.  In this heat, the girls have been giving us only one egg a day.  I'm surprised we even get that.

The temperature had cooled off to the high 80's after dinner and I was getting cabin fever, so I drove Miss Kitty down to visit Larry and Elsie.  We sat out on their deck, talking and enjoying the breeze.  Didn't get home til almost dark.

Thursday 7/17.  It is 67 with no clouds but lots of smoke to the northwest.  The Chumstick fire jumped Hwy 2 and the river yesterday evening, so the highway is closed from Leavenworth to Stevens Pass summit.  There is a huge plume of smoke in that area with is about 30 miles away.  I guess new fires were started by lightening the other night.

There is a deliciously cool breeze this morning, but is supposed to be 98 Down There today, which is actually 10 degrees cooler than yesterday.  

JB left for town at 8:30 am to do the grocery shopping for me.  What a guy!

The birds are celebrating our cool morning with their songs.  They haven't been nearly so vocal for the past week or so.  It was only 78 at 10:30 am when I went to take the dogs for their morning walk, so we actually went all the way up to the south ridge like we would normally do.  But at the north ridge, we couldn't even see the Columbia river the smoke was so think Down There.

JB was back Up Here in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day preparing for his trip to Seattle tomorrow.  He also baked scones for me to have while he is gone.

The girls gave us two eggs today.

Randy called after dinner.  The sale of their house in southern California closes on August 15 and he is getting ready to make the last trip up to Idaho on Saturday.  His Mom has lived in that house for forty years and now, in her mid 70's, she is moving with him to the woods of northern Idaho.  What a life change, and good for her!

Our high for the day was 96, but it really did not feel that hot.  The cool breeze slowly grew into a wind.  By evening we could just barely see the other side of the canyon with all the smoke.  I was on the computer at 9:00 pm and my cousin who lives near Brewster was posting pictures from the local news of a new fire near there.  Brewster and another small town were being evacuated.  While listening to the shortwave radio earlier, we heard the panicked call requesting any and all help they could get in that area.  So scary!

Friday 7/18.  It is 61 and partly cloudy with a breeze.  The smoke is mainly north of us.  Am going to have to check on the fire status in Brewster.  

JB is leaving right after breakfast. . .

Thought for the day: We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King

July 16, 2014 Hot & Cranky

If I sit real still, she won't even notice me. . .

The girls love their clover and
dandylion greens.

Monday 7/14. It was actually pleasant this morning with a cool breeze.  Must have been the front moving in because we heard thunder to the south and east of us at about 11:30 am.  A large, dark cloud slowly slid over us on its way to the northeast.  We heard the thunder but never actually saw any lightening.  The cloud was dropping rain on Mission Ridge, but I guess we
weren't high enough to get any moisture.

The sky was mostly clear except for that one big cloud, and then it suddenly it wasn't.  The clouds weren't coming over the mountains but rather forming just this side.  JB left for Larry's to go fishing at about 1:30 pm and there was another big cloud right overhead causing a light shower.  Just enough moisture to clear the air and make little droplet marks in the dust.

I changed the girls' water, which is quite a production.  Hopefully in the winter I can just add hot water and probably won't have to worry about algae growing in it.

By 4:00 pm, the clouds had all blown to the northeast and the sky was mostly clear again.  The temperature had been a pleasant 81, but it quickly climbed to 94 and the storm had taken the cool breeze along with it.

The little frog was back in the dogs' water dish this evening.  This may become a daily ritual.

JB didn't get home until 11:00 pm.  No fish but a great time.

Tuesday 7/15. It was 71 and clear this morning.  The dogs were up late with us last night, so they slept in to 7:00 am.  So nice.

We got the washer loaded into the trailer and JB was on his way Down There at 9:30 am.  By then the temperature was already up to 84 and it was supposed to be 20 degrees hotter in town.  I am going Down There on Thursday for groceries.  I made an appointment to have the oil changed in my Jeep and use an air-conditioned loaner car for shopping.

I started the Dresden book number seven, Dead Beat.  I so enjoy these books, and they take me away from the heat.

I straightened up the porch, now that we have a bit more room on it, but it was just too hot to do much else outside.  I vacuumed and cleaned up inside, and then it was just too hot to move.  Our high for the day was 104!!  And I was getting very cranky.

The wind changed direction about mid day and blew smoke from the fire to the north down into the river valleys and everywhere else.  We could barely make out the other side of the canyon.  I really feel for all those fire fighters.

JB was certainly no happy camper when he arrived back home, sweaty and covered in dust.  At least we had newspapers and magazines to read.  Tomorrow is supposed to be the last of the heat for a while, and thank goodness for that.  Once the evening began to cool down, we sat outside on the porch, enjoying a light breeze and watching the little frog enjoy himself in his new swimming pool.  Dinga drank without even noticing him sitting on the rim, but when Jesse went to drink, the frog was swimming and Jesse almost jumped right off the porch!

Wednesday 7/16. It is 71 and clear again this morning.  There is still smoke in the air, but mainly to the north.

Thought for the day: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

July 14, 2014 More Heat, a Fly & a Frog

Little tree frog enjoying the dogs' water on the porch.

Friday 7/11.  I took Dinga to the vet, got a latte and picked up the mail.  Lots of mail.  Was able to get back home before the heat arrived.

JB was up-&-at'em , doing lots of little chores while I was gone.  He dumped the rain barrel and found there were two chipmunks inside, not just one.  Later he helped me rinse it out with some water and bleach.

No breeze today.  Our high was 94 and the heat just hung in the air, stifling everything, including my will to move.  Not fun.

When I feed the girls their greens in the morning, I also clean out their poop from inside the hen house.  Then every few days I dump it in the compost pile.  They gave us three eggs today.  This evening I gave them some icy cold lettuce and grapes to help them cool down.

Saturday 7/12. It was already 77 at 7:30 am!  Partly cloudy with smoke and I could just barely make out the outline of the mountains.

We packed our go bags today.  I can get a little freaked out if I think too much about why we are doing it, so I try not to.  I feel better that it is done, though.

JB charged Miss Kitty's new battery today.  It took five hours on the shop generator.

On July 4th, I got to looking around at everyone who was Up Here, these people who have been my family for almost 45 years now.  We have all changed physically, but what I see when I look at them with my physical eyes is influenced by memory and knowledge of their characters.  We may not see each other very often any more, but they are more dear to me than many of my blood relatives.  And I am so thankful for their kinship and great sense of humor.

At 3:30 pm the temperature was waffling back and forth between 99 and 100.  Up Here the heat of the day seems to be between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm.  An hour later it had already cooled down to 92.  But again, there was very little air movement.  When a breeze did come along, it was pure bliss.

Sunday 7/13. It was 74 with no clouds, no wind, no breeze, no air movement at all.  I realize this is very good for the fire fighters, but. . .

There is another great article in the current Home Power magazine by Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze about water witching and wells.  It is amazing to me that so many people do not believe in water witching.  Like so many things, just because they don't believe in it doesn't mean it isn't real.  Kind of like I don't really believe that the imposter (president) is the devil incarnate, but it doesn't mean it isn't true.  Although I think he is just one of Satan's minions, as Mr. Evil himself wouldn't be that obvious or stupid.  (Sorry, Kathleen.  Didn't mean to bring him into your wonderful article.)

In readying our go bags, we also have to gather our rifles and ammo.  One rifle, for whatever reason, was in the loft where we had to move a bookcase to access it.  We ended up sorting a lot of books and packing up a nice size box of historical research books to donate to the local junior college.  Can't believe we are still getting rid of stuff.

A light overcast formed by noon, a possible precursor to the thunder and lightening storms predicted for tonight.

I finished book five of the Dresden series, only nine more to go.  Great reading for such a hot time.

JB fixed the wiring on the trailer that got ripped off last time we used it.  He also attached the base on his Jeep for his new CB antenna.  On Tuesday he is going to take our defunct washer and lawn mower to a scrap metal place.  They actually pay $.03 a pound for this kind of stuff.

He is also going to Seattle on Friday to stay with his Mom for ten days while his brother and family go on vacation.  He will be back on the 28th and then I leave on August 5 to pick up Aunt Nene for our trip to Idaho.

I drove Miss Kitty down the the main canyon road and back just to get her moving.  As I came around the hair-pin turn to the game cam, I saw a big, brown blob in the middle of the road that, in the first nano-second, my brain registered as a possible bear cub.  It wasn't though.  Just a big rock that had dislodged and rolled down.  I almost had to work up a sweat to get it off the road, more because of its awkward shape and the fact that I was wearing my flip-flops.  I had my socks and boots with me, but I was not going to put them on unless absolutely necessary.

Not much air movement at any time today.  Our high was 95, but most of the time it was about 88.  Not pleasant.  By late afternoon the air smelled like rain, but all the forecasts were for dry thunder and lightening.  Seems to me we had a week of hot weather last summer during which I swore I would never again complain about having to put a fire in the wood stove on the 4th of July.  Well, I'm swearing again this year.  I would much rather have cool than hot.  I put a packet of moist wipes in the refrigerator.  They should be nice and cold by tomorrow.

Talk about better than TV, we spent about half an hour watching a little tree frog hop into the dogs' water bowl on the porch.  After the initial plunge, he stayed mainly on the rim, slowly lowering himself into and then out of the water.  He really perked up when a fly landed on the rim across from him, then in one leap he caught the fly and landed on the porch.  A few minuted later, he was back on the side of the bowl.  Fascinating!  Or maybe we're just easily entertained. . .

A light rain fell for about ten minutes at 8:30 pm.  The smell was absolutely heavenly.  Even though it didn't last long, it was so refreshing.  Jesse and I stood out in it, just soaking up the cool.  We went to bed at 9:30 pm with NOAA's promise of thunder and lightening to arrive around 11:00 pm.  According to Larry, this same storm has ignited more than 100 fires in Oregon.

Monday 7/14.  It is 72 and mostly cloudy this morning.  The thunder storm must have bypassed us, thank goodness, but there is more in the forecast for tonight.  Larry and JB are planning to go fishing on the Columbia this afternoon.

Thought for the day: Sometimes I wrestle with life's problems.  Sometimes we just snuggle.

July 11, 2014 Smoke, Goats & a Frog

A frog that has been visiting us for a couple days now.

Wednesday 7/9. The girls (chickens) are such characters, and each one different from the others.  Blondie is no longer shy and at the bottom of the pecking order.  If I don't get the top of the gate opened quickly enough when feeding them their greens and fruits, she will fly up to get them!  And when the food hits the ground, she is the first one after the bananas.  Even grabbing them out of Betty's mouth if necessary.  Betty is the digger, after what, I don't know.  Belinda is still in charge and now lays her eggs only on the floor, in her own little nest.

This morning was a bit cooler than it has been and the dogs are running through the house, playing like puppies.  The daily temperatures are recorded as higher with our new weather station, as opposed to the gauge on the porch.  But the hottest time is only for 30 minutes more or less.  It is as if it peaks and them immediately starts to cool down.

I washed my delicates in the hand washer - one of the best purchases we made for Up Here.  Then I just put them through a rinse and spin in the big washer.  Saves time, water, and propane.

JB drove Miss Kitty down to get the card out of the game cam.  It's been about three weeks since we have checked it, and had 105 videos.  In addition to all our guests, we had a bear (twice), coyotes, deer and an owl.  Very cool!

We fixed the fish that Larry and Elsie gave us for dinner last night.  It was so very good!  Larry is taking JB salmon fishing on the Columbia on Monday afternoon in his smaller boat.  It is going to be hot, but JB is really looking forward to it.

I finished Jim Butcher's book three and started book four.  On a Dresden roll right now.

Since it was a bit cooler today, I was able to get all the branches I had cut up to the wood shed and stacked.  The breeze was sporadic in the heat of the day, but still better than yesterday.  Our high was 91.  It is very frustrating when it is too hot to do the many things that need to be done, and then too dry to do them, too.

JB got the DNR channels loaded into his short wave and we listened to all the communications about the fires.  Very interesting.

Goats.  I think that is what will fill up our "almost", as in "almost complete."  Not this year certainly, but maybe next.  I have always wanted goats and will be doing a lot of research on them.

Thursday 7/10. It was 62 and clear this morning.  The wind died down very early, which is good for the fire fighters, but now the smoke is drifting down into the Wenatchee River Valley and up to us.  So now, not only can we see it, but we can smell it too.  There are a couple new fires to the north of us, one by Lake Chelan.  The humidity is down to 9%, which very, very dry.

I have to take Dinga back to the vet's early tomorrow morning, which is really very irritating.  They wouldn't okay the refill for her meds without blood work.  It certainly would have been nice to know that a couple weeks ago when I had her in there.  She does not like to go there and they don't like to see her coming.  Am going down for the earliest possible appointment (8:00 am) so we an get home before the heat really sets in.

I finally gave Jesse a bath, which is a major operation.  His 48 pounds suddenly become 148 when he knows I want him in the bathroom.  I got almost as wet has he did, but I know he felt much better afterwards.  I am embarrassed to admit how long it has been since he has had a bath, so I won't.

I was going to drive Miss Kitty down to gather a load of wood along the road, but her battery is dead.  Couldn't even jump it.  JB will try to get it charged tomorrow.

It was warmer again today, with a high of 94.  JB worked in the shop, and cleaned the rifle that was used over the Fourth.

I was walking past the back of the wood shed this evening and as I neared the water barrels, I smelled a slightly unpleasant odor.  It seems that a chipmunk had somehow got into the full one and drowned, enticing all the normal bugs who like a dead body.  They are all floating in there, in one, big nasty mess.  JB will dump it all out tomorrow and I'll rinse it with water and bleach.

With all the goings-on Up Here in the past several weeks, I feel like I have slipped back into hermit mode.  Haven't been checking my email, let alone answering it.

Friday 7/11. It is already 66 at 6:00 am today.  The smoke has dissipated so we can actually see the mountains.  I'll be leaving at 7:00 am to take Dinga to the vet.  Can't wait. . .

Thought for the day: The central premise of Constitutional governance is that "We the people have the power and the right to alter or abolish the form of government under which we live." Raymond Ku

July 9, 2014 Smoke & Fires

Fire way to the north of us.

Monday 7/7. We have so many humming birds Up Here this year.  Right now I am making eight cups of syrup for them about every two or three days!

Another hot day with a high of 88.  Basically just did inside chores and read books.  The laundry dried very quickly on the line.

Larry and Elsie returned home relaxed and tanned, but with quite a story.  When they were nearing the dock where they had parked their truck and trailer, Elsie commented that she didn't remember the ground being so black near the parking lot.  It seems that some nutjob had been setting off fireworks there and started a fire.  It came within twenty feet of their vehicle!  The perpetrator was caught and fined.  

They drove up to visit this evening bearing some walleye fillets from their fishing expedition.  Larry caught a 27"'er.

Tuesday 7/8. It was 70 and clear with more hot weather predicted for the next week or so, and thunderstorms in a few day.

I was finally motivated to sort out my two piles of papers, since it was just too hot to do much outside.  The heat doesn't seem to affect JB as much as it does me, so he did a lot of little things out there before lunch, then worked on cleaning up and sorting out the shop.  Says he can actually see his work bench now.  

At about 4:30 pm, I noticed smoke way off to the north.  I took my camera to the north ridge and got some pictures of an incredible pillar of smoke coming from the Entiat area.  When we spoke with Larry on the radio at 9:00 pm, he said it was already burning up to 2000 acres.

Earlier in the day JB called to cancel the rough-cut mower we had reserved.  We were going to use it to cut a lot of the bushes down in the trees, but it is so dry now that one little spark from it hitting a rock could really cause a problem.

Our high for the day was 99!!  I think some of my brain cells are melting.  And the heat is definitely sucking out most of our energy.  There was very little air movement until evening, then we sat out on the porch to enjoy the breeze.

I finished Jim Butcher's second Dresden novel, Fool Moon, for about the third or fourth time, and started on the the next one.

With all the windows open, the breeze managed to cool down the house so it wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be to get to sleep.

Wednesday 7/9.  It is 67 and partly cloudy this morning with a light breeze, and strong winds in the forecast, which does not bode well for any fires out there.

Thought for the day: Life is complicated and not for the timid. Garrison Keillor

July 7, 2014 Just Trying to Stay Cool

One of Elsie's beautiful planters.

Fireweed & paintbrush along our road.

Friday 7/4. As my Dad always used to say: "And a good time was had by all."  There were only eight of us this year but that included JB's 92-year-old Mother and we were all thrilled that she wanted to be here with us.  JB's 20-year-old nephew said that Thursday night's sunset along was worth the trip.  Mother Nature really did put on quite a display - better than any man-made fireworks.

This year began a new family tradition: German portedos, best served with bourbon. . .  JB's idea. 

I led them back down to the gate in Miss Kitty at about 3:30 pm, then watered the plants and fed the animals at Larry's and Elsie's.  They have taken a well-earned four-day weekend to go camping and fishing, so I will be making two trips a day to their place.

Saturday 7/5. It was 59 with a light overcast this morning, and a lovely ride down to Larry's and Elsie's.  As good as sitting on the porch with my coffee, or maybe even better.

We have so many leftover's that we won't have to plan meals for a few days.  That's really good because we are in for a really hot spell which dowses any thoughts of cooking.  Today's high was 85, but again, there was a refreshing breeze.

The only work I did outside was to trim the larger branches from the downed trees to cut into fire wood.  We both read books and vegged.

Sunday 7/6.  The dogs wanted out at 5:55 am and five minutes later my phone rang.  It was Larry calling to advise us of a fire on the outskirts of Wenatchee to the northeast of us that friend had called him about.  Well, that woke me up!  I got dressed and drove Miss Kitty to an outlook where we could see it.  The wind was blowing from the west, so I couldn't even smell the smoke.  Didn't look like anything to be too concerned about, but the dogs thought it was a great treat for a run so early in the morning.  JB listened to his shortwave radio and I called Larry back when we heard the fire was out.  I think he had gone back to sleep. . .

Since I was up, I drove down to Larry's and Elsie's at 7:15 to water and feed.  I really enjoy the morning trips.  The forest is so fresh as it is waking up.  In this heat, the afternoon trips are not quite as enjoyable.  Our high today was 91, with very little air movement until late afternoon.  I did manage to get the branches all cut up though and will take them all to the wood shed when it gets a little cooler.

It was such an early morning that by 9:30 am I was taking a two-hour nap.

The Westies from across the canyon were up for the weekend and came to visit after dinner.  We hadn't seem then since New Year's Eve, so we had a nice visit.

Monday 7/7.  It was already 62 at 7:00 am and not a cloud in sight.  I couldn't get on the internet, so I took my last trip down to Larry's and Elsie's to water and feed.  As soon as they hear me pull into the driveway, their chickens know they are going to get some food and are urging me to hurry up and get with it.  It was another refreshing drive down and back, but it is going to be one of those days during which we simply try to stay cool.

Thought for the day: There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it. John W. Raper

July 4,2014 Happy Birthday USA!

Thursday's sunset

Wednesday 7/2. Was able to get back Up Here before the worst afternoon heat Down There which was 94.  Our high was 87 which really precluded doing any real work.  Fortunately JB was able to get all his outside chores done before that.  He used the tractor to take out three rotten stumps in the same area where we dropped the trees and then mowed around the house.

Thursday 7/3. Busy, busy morning!  Our first guests arrived at Rose Camp about 11:30 am and JB drove Miss Kitty down to the gate to meet them.  Then we had a great day.  Talking, eating, shooting, hiking.  Our high was only 81 with a nice breeze.  So much fun!  And Mother Nature put on a splendid show to end the day.

Friday 7/4. More family coming today.  More fun, more food.  

Thought for the day: Men should stop fighting among themselves and start fighting insects.  Luthor Burbank

July 2, 2014 Hot Has Arrived!

Fire weed by the bird bath.

The baker with its firepit.

Monday 6/30.  Started the morning out with a call to Sandy.  JB cut the last four trees he dropped into rounds before lunch and the heat.  After lunch, laundry, etc., he sliced off all the stumps to ground level and I took all the rounds to the splitter in Miss Kitty.  Now I really have a lot of wood to split.

Our high for the day was 74 with a lovely little breeze.  Just perfect.  After dinner the dogs and I took a meandering walk around.  Then we all sat on the porch til about 8:00 pm.  It was such a delightful summer evening.

Tuesday 7/1. The temperature was already 64 at 7:30 am with clear skies.  JB left at 9:00 am for Down There to buy gas and other errands.  I'll go tomorrow for picnic supplies.

A cool breeze started blowing around mid-morning and made the warm day quite pleasant Up Here.  But it was 90 and not at all pleasant Down There, according to JB.  

We put the finishing touches on the gutter on the hen house with parts that JB picked up so the water will actually run into the water barrel.  Then moved my "winter outside ice box" to the baker for the summer, and put the tripod over the fire pit.  Obviously won't be using it for a while, but it looks really cool.

Too hot to do anything else but relax and try to stay cool.  Our high for the day was 84.  After dinner we put the net tent up in the grove, which is where we will have the picnic on Friday.  Supposed to have good weather for the holiday weekend, but thunderstorms are due in tomorrow.

Wednesday 7/2. It was already 70 at 7:30 am with dark clouds floating in from the southwest.  I'll be taking my raincoat with me when I go Down There.  Am not looking forward to the trip, because if it is already in the 70's Up Here. . .

Thought for the day: It doesn't matter if my glass is half full or half empty, clearly there is room for more wine in it.