November 28, 2014 A Windy Thanksgiving

Valley fog to the southeast on Wednesday

Wednesday 11/26. As I stepped outside to take the girls' breakfast to them, I heard the sound of pouring rain.  Water and tiny pieces of ice were pouring from all the trees.  After all the rain yesterday and last nights' freeze, every branch and needle was covered in ice until it warmed with the sunrise.

Eggnog in my morning coffee.  Mmmmm.  Buttershots in my evening eggnog.  Mmmmm.

We saw some blue sky all day, but the sun had a hard time getting out from behind the clouds, and the fog never quite made it up to Rose Camp.  Our high for the day was 45.  A soggy, mushy, breezy 45.  At least we don't have to worry about the girls' water freezing.

I did laundry and printed out one side of most of my Christmas cards, until the printer started acting up.  JB baked bread.  Another inside day, although the dogs got both their walks.

Will bake brownies tomorrow morning to take with us to Thanksgiving dinner.  I fixed up a basket with mandarin oranges, applets & cotlets, and a small bottle of elderberry vodka for our hosts.  Am so looking forward to tomorrow.  We have so very much to be thankful Up Here.  I give thanks each and every day, but celebrating it with friends is always a joy.  A very delicious joy.

Both the current issues of Time and National Geographic magazines have an article on the 3-D printer.  In my opinion, that is one of the most phenomenal inventions of all time!  Absolutely amazing!

Thursday 11/27. We awoke to blue sky, 45 degrees and a breeze.  There was a wall of clouds on the western horizon and low valley fog in the river valleys.  The wind picked to to 24 mph, blowing scattered clouds in.  The ground is mostly brown, speckled with white dots in a few places.  Haven't needed to put a fire in during the night for a while now.  Going to be a muddy drive down to Larry and Elsie's.

I baked the brownies, and in my thankful mood for such good friends, found a bottle of orange muscat wine for our hostess.

We have been having issues with the batteries for our solar system, and this morning JB discovered that one of the batteries is leaking.  We have two extra ones, that I hope are still good.  Thank goodness the bad battery is on the bottom row because they are very heavy.  Sounds like our project for tomorrow.

We left in Miss Kitty at about 1:00 pm and had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.  So much fun with Larry and Elsie's two little grandchildren there.  The wind howled most of the time and it was 52 at their house.  Our high for the day Up Here was 49

We left about 5:00 pm and drove home in the moonlight.  The main canyon road was still pretty icy, but our road was just muddy.  The dogs were glad to see us, and I took a nice, turkey-tummy nap.

Friday 11/28. This morning it is 46, partly cloudy and still windy.  The wind blew all night, gusting to 34.  Cold weather is on its way again, with forecast lows for Saturday night into the single digits.

Thought for the day: The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your had, the path of God just before you. Robert Louis Stevenson

November 26, 2014 Back to Brown

Tuesday morning brown

Monday 11/24. Had a good trip Down There.  The road wasn't a problem going or coming back.  (Well, I did end up going up the steep part of our driveway kind of sideways, but no big deal.) And, since it is the holiday season, there was eggnog and little oranges in the car when I arrived home!  Those and 37 different catalogues.

The day gradually warmed, and the snow on the lower part of the road melted.  But it didn't really begin to melt Up Here until after the sun set, when it was 36 and raining.

Tuesday 11/25. It was 39 and raining this morning.  The high for the night was 44, but the temperature dropped steadily all day along with the rain.  Rain right after 6" of snow.  Oh goody. . .

Regardless of the weather, we had a great morning reading papers and magazines with our morning coffee.  The Seattle paper had a section devoted to all the holiday festivities, including the Christmas ships on Lake Washington.  When we lived in Kirkland, which is right on the lake, in the winter we could see a small sliver of the lake through the trees from our deck.  We were able to glimpse the ships and hear the caroling.  Very good memories.

This Fall I have been doing quite well on cutting down on sugar, after a lifetime of addiction.  And the best part is that the less I eat, the less I crave.  However, I got sidetracked by apple fritters at the Fred Meyer bakery yesterday.  After all there are apples in them.  Had one for lunch and brought one home for breakfast this morning.  Sweet in the morning doesn't set very well any more.

NOAA's forecast for less than 1/10" of precipitation today went quickly by the wayside.  By noon we had more than 1/4" and, by the time darkness rolled in, more than 1/2".  Much of the ground is brown again, and water was coursing down the drainage channels.  

JB baked cranberry/orange scones.  I finished designing our Christmas card.  Now I just have to print them all and add a few decorations

This was one of those days that just slipped by and disappeared.  Only did the  basics outside today, even got most of the wood from the porch.  When I went to give the girls their second helping of corn at 3:30 pm, the temperature was down to 31 and the rain had turned a bit sleety.  I can only imagine the icy landscape that will be awaiting us in the morning.

Wednesday 11/26. It was 29 when JB awoke at about 6:30 am this morning.  An hour later it is 33 with partial overcast and valley fog.  There is a light dusting of snow on all the ice.  As the temperature rises, so does the fog.

Sure looking forward to tomorrow.  We have so very much to be thankful for Up Here.  I give thanks each and every day, but celebrating our blessings with friends is always a joy.

Thought for the day:  I find television very educational.  Every time someone switches it on, I go into the other room and read a good book. Groucho Marx

November 24, 2014 Alfalfa and More Snow

5+ inches of snow Saturday morning.

JB plowing the road around
the south ridge.

Friday 11/21. Disappointment set in as we realized it would not be prudent to take our trip tomorrow.  Not because we are so reluctant to cross the passes in the snow, but because of the time involved.  We wouldn't be home til after midnight, and that is just too long of a day.

I have given up trying entice the girls into eating the alfalfa pellets in any form.  So I am going to fill their leaky water pan with pellets and take it up the east ridge near one of the major deer trails.  Hopefully they will find and eat it.

Fog crept up from Down There mid morning and the temperature fell a couple degrees.  While JB and the dogs were on their morning walk, some sort of frozen moisture began to fall, maybe snow trying to get through the fog.  Snow flakes were in the mix by 12:30 pm off and on.  Now more, now less.  When I went out to feed the girls their heated cabbage and bring in fire wood around 1:00 pm, tiny ice crystals were falling.  Even with such a light snow covering, my firewood sled glides much more quickly over the ground, racing me to the porch.

By 1:30 pm some serious snow was falling, and by our afternoon walk, we stepped out into 2" of it.  Arriving back at the house, all four of us were almost as white as the ground.

JB got Dinga's favorite toy out after dinner - the snow blower.  It was still snowing but he wanted to get a jump on clearing the paths since we now had 4" of snow.  Dinga was ecstatic.  This is her favorite season of the year and the snow is her playground.  She makes snow angels everywhere and dances on her hind legs trying to catch the snow that the snow blower is throwing.  After a few minutes outside, Jesse comes in and just watches from the front door.

Saturday 11/22. We awoke to 33 degrees, a partly cloudy sky and more than 5" of snow.  The wind had blown all night, gusting to 29 mph, but it hadn't completely obliterated the paths that JB cleared last night.  I got up at 2:00 am, but it was still so warm inside that I didn't put in another fire.

No bananas for the girls' oatmeal this morning and Blondie was completely miffed.  Betty is still a little leery of warm food, but Belinda believes that food is food, and digs right in.

We put the snow plow on Miss Kitty and JB plowed our roads around the house and south ridge to get a feel for it.  Seems like he learned very quickly.  

By 10:30 am the temperature had risen to 37 and there was a wall of some sort of precipitation on its way to us from the west.  That wall hadn't arrived by early afternoon.  The sky was mostly blue and the wind had picked back up.  JB drove Miss Kitty down to the hair pin corner to plow.  The u-bolt holding the cable on the winch broke on his way back up the driveway and he had to tie the cable in a knot to hold the plow up.  We got it fixed, but then JB decided to use the snow blower on the paths instead of going back down to plow.

Our high for the day was 39 and no precipitation reached us today.  It all went to the north.

Sunday 11/23.  It was 37 and overcast with a wind gusting to 21 this morning.  Tiny snowflakes began to fall and be blown about a little after 9:00 am, but we were on the southern edge of the storm and just got it in fits and starts, while the sun was almost able to break through the clouds to the south.

I had a nice long talk with Sandy this morning.  She still has hummingbirds coming to her feeders. . .

JB tried the canned Yoders bacon with our eggs and hash browns for breakfast this morning.  That is one of the long-term storage items we have on hand but have never eaten.  It is sliced paper thin but is very good.  Unfortunately, because it is so thin, there is no "bacon juice" left over for the dogs.

JB left in Miss Kitty a little before 11:00 am to plow our road down to the main canyon road, a little less than two miles.  It took him about 45 minutes to get there and about the same coming back.

It is really a good thing that our cold season began with an arctic blast because now winter temperatures will seem pleasant.  Oh, look!  It's 28 outside - how nice!

A little after lunch, JB laid down for a nap and I went up to the loft to work on our Christmas card.  I managed to get it designed, and printed out a first draft.  I have never worked on this new Word program, but I love it because it has a photo-shop-like program right in it.  And it is fairly easy to learn.  That is saying a lot, because my tolerance for computer issues is nil.

While I was at the computer, a blizzard blew in for about an hour, dropping at least 3/4" of very wet snow and plastering the west side of all the trees.  The temperature finally fell to 32.  Our high for the day was 39, but I'm sure that was only for a few moments.

I am going Down There tomorrow for groceries, mail and to run some errands.  Will be driving JB's Wrangler as it handles much better in the snow.

Larry and Elsie have invited us to Thanksgiving Dinner, which I was so hoping they would do.  We are really looking forward to Thursday.

Monday 11/24. It is 31 and overcast this morning.  Another storm is due in this evening, which is why I am going Down There today.

Thought for the day: Patience is also a form of action. Auguste Rodin

November 21, 2014 Snow!

Thursday morning's snow.

Wednesday 11/19. In my exuberance to break up the ice in the girls' water pan this morning, I punched a tiny hole in the bottom.  Just big enough for the water to slowly leak out, which has given them a small skating rink.  Something to take away their winter blues.  I saw a swing for chickens on the internet, so why not a skating rink?  Am now using the dogs' porch-water dish for the girls which will suffice nicely until Spring.

Enough of the political ranting as I have done in the past few days.  I could fill my blog every day of the week, never running short of complaints, especially in light of the imposter's idea of an executive order on immigration.  A major reason we are living Up Here is to get away from it all. . .

I worked on long-overdue computer projects, ending up with a sore neck and shoulder.  Shades of sitting at a desk all day long. . .

Our son is going to send us a link to the grandchildren's school from which we can order copies of their artwork.  What a great idea!

Still using branch and junk wood in the stove until we go to bed at night.  Then we stuff it with pieces of split rounds.  So far we have only used about a half a row of that good wood.

With today's warmer temps and a high of 31, we were fairly confident in NOAA's forecast of snow for tonight.  Hope to wake up to a white landscape.  JB filled all the vehicles with gas just to be ready.

We have started re-watching season three of The Walking Dead, in anticipation of season four which I bought on-line at Hastings for only $15.  It has a little more gore than I remember, but I still love it.

Thursday 11/20. It was 22 with a partly cloudy sky and just enough snow on the ground to prove that it did indeed fall.  More than what I would consider a dusting, but no more than 1/4 inch.  We must have been on the northern edge of the storm because we can't see any to the north of us.  I don't even think Larry and Elsie received any.  But supposedly there is an inch or two on the way yet, and possibly more after that.  The week before Thanksgiving - right on time.

The sun tried to melt any snow it saw, but the clouds soon intervened.  The temperature was up to 29 by the time JB took the dogs for their morning walk, and our high for the day was 34.

The dogs didn't wake up JB for his 6:00 am watch until 7:30 a, but the temperature in the house was still 70.  So much easier to keep it warm when outside has been above 20 for a few days.  And today I didn't put in a fire all afternoon.

OMG!  A week from today is Thanksgiving!  I don't even have my Christmas card designed yet.  Decided I really had to get the presents wrapped and ready to mail, so that took up most of the day.  While I did that, JB worked on one of his computer projects.

As soon as I noted that we were getting an egg every other day, there haven't been any.  And that's been almost a week now.

We've both got a hitch in our git-along today.  Our left knees are acting up.  Getting older can really be a pain - in the knee, the elbow, the shoulder, the back, and the neck.

Friday 11/21. This morning is 27 and overcast.  Looks like Mother Nature is putting a damper on our plans to go west of the mountains tomorrow with three to five inches of snow in the forecast for today and tonight.

Thought for the day: When your mind is stretched by a big idea, it will never return to its original shape. Thomas Carlyle

November 19, 2014 Hot Coals & Hot Issues

Air-stagnation haze over the mountains.

Monday 11/17. Our air has been so cold and so still for so long that now we have an air quality warning.  Haze fills most of the canyons and valleys.  Thank goodness we are above the worst of it.

Buster is back up in the canyon and came to visit this morning.  Am always entertained when watching Jesse play with him.  Very different from the way he plays with Dinga.

JB finished organizing his loft "office", while I attacked several kitchen shelves and a cupboard that were screaming to be better organized.  Also made some banana coffee cake.  I think we are finally getting back into the cooking/baking state of mind.  JB made a big plate of lasagna over the weekend.  I can already hear the march of the calories.

Our high for the day was 24, but it certainly did not seem that warm, if 24 can be considered warm.  Maybe because I wasn't outside long enough to work up a sweat.  Bringing in the fire wood is not that strenuous.

And, speaking of fire, another issue with wood stoves is getting rid of the ashes that build up.  Of course, if one is using the stove 24/7, there will also be hot coals to contend with.  Having heard horror stories of fires set by these coals being dumped close to flammable items (wood and dry brush), I devised a plan to prevent such catastrophes Up Here.  First, when I empty the ashes and coals into the ash bucket, I keep it inside until it is cool.  It is large enough to use twice before emptying.  After it has cooled, the bucket gets dumped into a small, metal garbage can outside.  When that is full, it gets emptied into the garden or compost pile.

Larry and Elsie drove up for a visit early this evening.  A good visit with lots of political discussion.  Even more than usual

Tuesday 11/18.  It was 16 with a thin overcast this morning at 7:00 am when JB awoke.  By 8:30 am, when I went to feed the girls, it had already warmed to 21.

JB worked outside filling low tires, putting the snow plow up on boards so it doesn't freeze into the ground, driving MAX a little, etc.  I brought up a couple armloads of branch wood from down the west slope.

With Mother Nature's permission, we would very much like to drive across the mountains on Saturday to attend the grand opening of JB's brother's new tasting room at his winery.  It would be a full day, beginning with a visit to JB's Mom.  Then on to Costco for gluten free goodies that are no longer available over here.  (Eastern Washington seems to be strictly a meat and potatoes land.)  And, finally, on to the winery.  Driving west, our route will take us over Blewett and Snoqualamie Passes.  Coming back home, since we will already be north of Seattle at the winery, we will drive over Stevens Pass.  But Mother Nature has the final say, as she has a storm brewing.

With no nap yesterday and up twice again last night, I took a morning nap today.  Back to bed at 9:30 am for an hour.  Oh, how I love my naps!  JB was upset that I again did both watches, so tomorrow morning I will nudge him awake for the second one.

We, who live in eastern Washington, experience terrible frustration in having so little control over state issues that directly affect us.  Such divergent views on either side of the mountains.  Secession would be the perfect solution, but that just ain't gonna to happen.  Short of a sudden outbreak of common sense on the west side, the situation will remain the same.  Would be nice if we could find a way to reason with those tree-hugging, owl-loving, bleeding-heart, environmentally-inane liberals.  

One example of their many follies, as I understand it: Pine beetles are having a feast in Blewett Pass and the surrounding area.  However, those liberal environmentalists mentioned above will not allow spraying or the cutting down of diseased trees because it is in an area of an endangered animal of some sort (owl?).  So, slowly the beetles are winning, even though Mother Nature tried to intervene with a fire a couple years ago.  So not only will we lose the endangered animal, but we will also lose an entire forest (or vica versa).  No clue have most city folk, so removed from nature are they.  See, not only does Mother Nature agree with me, so does Yoda!

Now I have been called a tree hugger in my time, and I consider myself an environmentalist.  But a sane tree hugger; a sane environmentalist.  A little common sense goes a long way.  And, yes, I did go to college at WWU which is probably the most liberal post of higher learning in our state, but I survived with my common sense intact.

Wednesday 11/20. It is 24 and overcast this morning, with snow again in the forecast.  I slept much better last night and didn't even hear JB get up for the second fire watch.  However, it doesn't help that I am jotting down thoughts for my blog at all hours.  Inspiration, such as it is, must be grabbed and recorded as it occurs or it is lost for good.

Thought for the day: Obsessed by a fairy tail, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.  Eugene O'Neill  (Well, many of those living on the west side of the mountains do.)

November 17, 2014 Chicken Dances & Antlers

Sapling rubbed by deer antlers.

Frozen art along our road.

Friday 11/14. In a rare moment of mental acuity this morning, I remembered to pour hot water down the pea trap of the washing machine before using it.  Last December, during a similar arctic blast, it froze and we ended up with water all over the bathroom, kitchen and hallway floors.

Yesterday I noticed broken blood vessels in JB's right eye and today they looked worse.  So after lunch I drove him down to the clinic in town.  Very convenient for such circumstances when you can't get in to see your doctor and an emergency room is not quite appropriate.  Turns out it is nothing to be concerned about - spontaneous ocular vein explosion (or some such term).  JB is one of those lucky people who can go to sleep at night in a very healthy state and wake up the next morning with any possible number of things wrong: bloody eyes, swollen knee, sore shoulder, etc.  Don't look at me!  I don't kick in my sleep.

Our high for the day was 24, so the drive down and back up wasn't too chilly.

Saturday 11/15. It was 15 and clear this morning.  A bit of a warming trend in in the forecast for mid week, with possible snow.  I'll believe it when I see a white landscape.

The dogs have been very busy lately, chasing away either real or imagined intruders.  We have actually seen some deer, and it is rutting season. . .  But Jesse has been gone for more than two hours at a time, which is very unusual for him in such frigid weather.  However, considering his gaseous emissions, we think he has found a kill, or perhaps made one.

Am using my sled now to bring in the fire wood.  It glides across the frozen ground almost as effortlessly as it does on the snow.

This afternoon we cut up the two trees that we had dragged up the other day.  Used Miss Kitty to move the rounds to the splitter.  Then used her to move the two bags of chicken feed from my Jeep to the hen house.  Nothing like hefting rounds and 50-lb bags to work the muscles.  Although this 67-year-old can most likely attribute her defined biceps to trimming trees with the clippers.

Our high today was 25!  Woo Hoo!

In reading our off-the-grid and homesteading magazines, I always feel like we could be doing more.  Wish we could have started this life earlier in ours.  So many things I would like to do, especially with the garden.  I keep saying, "Next year", but they never get done.  Hopefully next Spring. . .

Sunday 11/16. It was 17 and icy clear this morning.  Beginning to sound like a broken record.  Had calls from both Sandy and Randy this morning, which makes for a great day.

Randy is beginning to learn how to dress for northern Idaho.  A whole new concept compared to southern California.  Upon his inquiry about whether certain winter clothes were proper, I responded, to paraphrase Yoda, "Proper there is not.  Only warm there is."  And that is the truth.  Who cares what you look like, as long as you are warm.  I think his next purchase will be one of those long sock hats or possibly the sock monkey/critter hats to go with his ski pants.

The girls are giving us an egg about every other day now.  I think Belinda is the main layer.  When I put alfalfa pellets in their oatmeal the other day, she tried it but the other two just did a WTF dance.  Okay!  No more alfalfa in the oatmeal.  Today Betty was doing the Monty Python crazy walk.

On the way home yesterday we saw some saplings that looked like they had had the bark either chewed off of them (porcupine) or rubbed off (deer).  So after lunch we drove Miss Kitty down to take a better look and get photos.  I walked part of the way with the dogs.  Looks like it was deer, thank goodness.  Rubbing their antlers.

Our high for the day was 25 again.  One can only hope this is a trend.

Monday 11/17. Once again it is 17 and icy clear.  I was up at 2:00 am to stoke the fire, and then my bladder insisted I get up again at 5:00 am.  So I took JB's watch, stoking the fire and letting the dogs out.  Not much sleep.  Looking forward to a nice nap sometime today.

Thought for the day: I want to live a life that causes my soul to dance within my body. dele olanubi

November 14, 2014 Just Trying to Stay Warm

Warming up after a day out in the cold.

Brought in lots of wood, and will use about
2/3 to 3/4 of this in 24 hours.

Wednesday 11/12. The temperature was a balmy 14 degrees when I left at about 9:00 am.  A long day Down There, but I thought it was such a good day until I got back home.  The clerk at the grocery store did not put the two Sunday and one daily newspapers in my cart.  I completely forgot two very important items that we needed.  And I nearly froze my fingers off driving down.  The heater in my Jeep only works when the fan is on high.  It hasn't been used since early May and I forgot to turn it on to check it out.  Didn't want to get blasted with dust and mice nests on my way Down There. . .

The day barely warmed to freezing in town, but I had on a bulky turtleneck, long-john bottoms under my jeans, and my winter boots.  Ended up taking off my coat about noon, as I was working up a sweat with all my bustling around.

I didn't get back home until after 3:30 pm and our high for the day had been 21.  There are usually 7 to 10 degrees difference between our two temperature gauges, the one on the porch registering the lowest.  So all our recorded temperatures, prior to installing our weather station, have been colder than it actually was.

Since has been so cold, I am setting the alarm for 2:00 am to get up and stoke the fire.  At that time, the temperature in the great room is usually about 65.  During the day we are able to keep it at 69.  But that doesn't mean it is really warm.  I wear long-john bottoms, and sometimes tops, under my winter clothes,  every day during the winter, and even then I can get chilly.  

Thursday 11/13.  It was 14 outside when I got up to feed the fire, and still 14 when JB got up at 7:00 am, with a partial light overcast.  JB drove his Jeep Down There today to get sand (six 50lb bags) to put into the back of Miss Kitty when we have snow and he has to plow.  And to pick up the items I forgot yesterday.  NOAA has been forecasting snow for today, and, I swear, everyone from our two counties was in town yesterday to stock up.  But now the forecast has changed and the snow may skirt to the south and east of us.  We'll see.

I worked inside organizing my winter outer clothes; making room in the pantry for all the food I bought yesterday; and just generally cleaning up

The pile of rounds by the splitter may be sitting there until February.  It won't work unless the temperature is at least 40.

The girls gave us another egg today.  I check their water several times throughout the day and break the ice on it.  They sure love their hot oatmeal in the morning and start eating it before I even get the pan on the ground.

The sky was completely overcast and the temp up to 22 when JB got home at 12:30 pm.  

There was a note in Time magazine that Lincoln sales increased by 25% after an ad with Mathew McConaughey aired.  Unbelievable!  Not having seen commercials in so long, I am amazed at how they can manipulate so many people!  No wonder this country is in trouble.

Friday 11/14. It is 19 with clear skies this morning, and no snow.  Elsie and I both feel that if we have to put up with these arctic temperatures, we ought to at least be rewarded with snow.  It would also provide a protective covering for the plants.

Thought for the day: Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith. 

November 12, 2014 Ice, Trees & Laughter

Snow covered mountains, including Mt. Baker,
far to the north.

JB putting up the winter slats over
the generator room.

Monday 11/10. So as soon as I write that I will not be renewing my subscription to Mary Jane's Farm magazine, I receive her Dec/Jan issue and love it! Lots of great ideas and recipes.  (Still won't be renewing though.)

After lunch JB drove Miss Kitty down to Larry's.  When Larry heard that we were going to build ramps for Miss Kitty, he insisted JB come down and borrow his.  While he was gone, I made a few trips down to where we cut the trees to get branch wood, not only from the trees we cut but also from the many, many dry fir branches that are down there.

When JB returned home, I helped him change the oil in Miss Kitty.  Much easier with those ramps.  He was going to put it off until tomorrow, but after checking NOAA's forecast, he decided we better get it done today.  Our high temperature for the day was 39, and that is warm compared to what's in store for us for the rest of the week.

It doesn't matter how much we do, I always feel like I should be doing more.  So many possibilities Up Here.  Of course I finally have an outlet for the writing I have always wanted to do, but I haven't been working on any crafts for a while.  So many ideas just waiting to come to life.

Tuesday 11/11. It was 18 and overcast, with a little breeze this Veteran's Day.  I cooked some oatmeal for the girls this morning and cut up a banana in it.  Oh my!  Did they love that!  Had to pour boiling water into their water pan to melt the ice.  Gave them warmed cabbage for their afternoon snack.

A short snow flurry passed through as I was feeding them.  We could see snow on the hills to the north of town and a lot more on the mountains.  Definitely a long-underwear day.  I brought in LOTS of fire wood this morning.

The girls gave us an egg this morning and I had to put it in the refrigerator to warm it up.

After lunch JB used his Wrangler to pull up the other two trees we had felled a few days ago.  They are tall, but no larger than 10" in diameter.  I trimmed off the last of their branches while JB put up the winter boards across the open (east) side of the generator room.  By then the sky was clear and the temperature had warmed to 22.

Took a frigid afternoon walk, and by then the the day had cooled to 19 and still with that persistent breeze.  Put some more pine shavings in the girls' nesting boxes, more hot water in their water pan, and gave them their afternoon corn.  They seem to be doing fine.

Randy in north Idaho has already been "enjoying" these frigid temperatures and snow flurries for a day or two.  Don't envy him.

Well, the impostor finally made me laugh.  He is in China for a economic conference and, when he saw Putin, he said, "After those mid-term elections it's good to finally see a friendly face!"  Funny on so many levels.

Am going Down There tomorrow for my annual mammogram and bone density test, plus ten other stops.  Groceries; a battery for MAX; oil for Miss Kitty; mail; etc.  Going to be a cold trip.

Wednesday 11/12. It is only 11 degrees Up Here this morning with clear, icy blue skies.  As I write, JB is fixing oatmeal for the girls and heating water.  I do not look forward to going outside.

Thought for the day: Writer (n): a peculiar organism capable of transforming caffeine into words.

November 10, 2014 Brrrrr!

One. . .

. . . two. . .

. . . three!

Friday 11/7. Driving down our road this morning, I experienced ice on the puddles and a tree across the road.  It had been a standing dead, so not too heavy for for me move.  We usually get more big rocks than trees on the road, but I am sure this is a result of the strong winds we have been having.

Fall colors are still raging at the mouth of the paved canyon and in town.  I wish I had brought my camera with me.  But even better than the colors is that I paid only $2.93 per gallon for gas!!  Has to be more than twenty years since I have paid less than $3.00.  Woo Hoo!!

Found more great books at the Salvation Army store, including the first three by Jean M. Auel, starting with the Mammoth Hunters.  Haven't read those in decades and I so enjoyed them.

Was home by 1:30 pm after letting Larry's and Elsie's dogs out for a romp.  The sun had been warm in town and our high for the day Up Here was 51.  A new wind arrived about 3:00 pm with a short shower in its grip, and gusting to 25 mph.

Am still getting a small handful of sun berries each day for the girls, even in the cool and often sunless weather we've been having.  Shouldn't be surprised though, as they thrive in Alaska.  

The girls gave us one huge egg today.  Would be classified as XXL!  Most of the ones they lay for us are XL, but this one was exceptional.

Black bears are supposed to be going into their winter hibernation this week, don't know if it has been cold enough for them Up Here yet.

We finished watching season two of Game of Thrones this evening.  Having read all the books, I swear they are going to stretch this out to ten or more years.

Saturday 11/8. Our temperature was 37 this morning and the sky was partly overcast.  Snow is in the forecast for the end of the week, brought down by a big storm moving in from Alaska.

Lots of indoor chores this morning, laundry, defrosted the fridge and freezer.  Somehow when I defrost, I always find so many other things that need cleaning in the kitchen.  Things I don't really notice until then, like little spills down the cupboards or spots on the floor.

After lunch, I drove Miss Kitty down to the fallen tree by the road to limb it.  JB drove down in his Jeep with his chain saw.  He sliced up that tree and another fallen, dead one near by.  Loaded the rounds into Miss Kitty and back up we went to stack them by the splitter.  Then, since we already had the chainsaw out, we hiked down to where we had cut down the big tree in September and cut three smaller, dying ones nearby.  A good day's work.

The partial, light overcast stayed with us all day, shrinking and growing.  By sunset most of it was to the east and north, turned pink by the sinking sun.  Our high for the day was 46.

We watched Inception this evening, and think we understood it much better than the first time we watched it.  However, we disagree on the ending. . .  While we were watching, Buster came up to visit at 9:00 pm.  That's the latest he's ever been here, so we figure it's because they just arrived Up Here again.

Sunday 11/9. It was 41 with partly cloudy skies and a wind gusting to 25 this morning.  Rain had fallen earlier, before we got up at 8:00 am, and it looked like it was still really falling in the mountains.  This has definitely been the year of the wind.  It spent most of the day tearing off little puffs of the clouds over the mountains and sending them in races to the east.

After lunch I went down to limb the three trees we felled yesterday.  JB pulled up the tallest one with his Jeep.  We sliced it, loaded it into Miss Kitty, and stacked it by the splitter.  We had just parked our vehicles when we felt the first rain drops on our faces.  I had just enough time to pick some sun berries and grass for the girls' afternoon snack.  By then the sky was really dark.  Of course, an hour later the sky was blue, the sun was shining and the rain had been blown to the north of us.  I could see that the clouds had been dropping snow on the mountains, not rain, and the snow level had dropped much further down than it had been this morning.  Our high for the day was 48.

There is an excellent article in Time magazine about Chris Nolan's new movie, Insterstellar.  Definitely want to see that one.

Thought I would get at least one comment on my last posting which mentioned my thoughts on liberals.  And, yes I know that not everyone west of the Cascades is without common sense, there have to be at least of few of you to maintain the sanity.

JB went out on the porch at about 9:30 pm as he always does with Dinga.  She was on the ground and just going down to do her nightly business, when she made a u-turn and shot back with her tail between her legs and barking.  Jesse came bounding out of the bedroom, and I let him out too.  JB didn't see what had frightened Dinga, but both dogs came back in fairly quickly.  We think it must have been a cat.  And by the way she was cleaning up, we think Dinga peed on herself.  She was spooked for the rest of the night.

Monday 11/10. It is 32 and the sky is clear this morning.  The storm from Alaska is on its way, pushing arctic temperatures in front of it.  High temps for the next several days are supposed to be in the low 30's.  Brrrr!

Thought for the day: People who say it can't be done should not interrupt those of us who are doing it.

November 7, 2014 Weather & Liberals

Still a few patches of Fall color left

Wednesday 11/5. The solid blue sky to the west was broken into little pieces as it moved east, but at least they let the sun peek through during the morning.  By 1:00 pm, the sky was completely overcast.

The dogs and I took a long walk down our road after lunch.  Saw lots of deer tracks, from tiny to very large.  Pretty sure the large ones were elk.  I haven't been taking long walks/hikes nearly as often these past two years as I did in the first four or five years we were Up Here.  Not really sure why.

JB tried to change the oil in Miss Kitty but because there is so little room underneath her, we need to build a ramp on which to drive her up.

A light rain began falling about 3:30 pm but lasted less than an hour.  Our high for the day was 49.

Thursday 11/6. It was 43 and mostly cloudy with valley fog this morning, but I could see large patches of blue sky when the fog receded a bit.  It was trying hard to cling to the mountain while the sun tried to burn it off.  The wind picked up a little after 9:00 am and forced the fog to stay down in the canyons and valleys.  By then the temperature was already up to 52.  Normal and below normal temps are forecast for the next several days.

By the time we finished the dishes and 10:30 am, the temp had dropped down to 46, the wind quieted, the valley fog was successful in its siege of the mountain top, and we had passing showers.  Of course, by 11:00 am, the fog had once again retreated.  And so the morning passed.

Larry and JB tested their hand-held short-wave radios this morning as Larry was driving to work.  We get better reception than with the CB's.

JB cut some branch wood in the cradle from a small pile that we still have.  It translated into two, heaping wheel-barrow loads that I stacked on the east side of the porch.  This year we have less wood on the porch and more in the wood shed.

The valley fog was no where to be seen by early afternoon and the sheets of rain crossing the mountains dissipated as they reached the eastern slopes, but the day remained dark.  A new wind arrived about 3:00 pm with a short shower in its grip, and 16 to 30 mph gusts.

I am sure I am having just as difficult a time as the dogs are adjusting to standard time.  The days just seem longer, and not necessarily in a good way.

I plan to drive Down There tomorrow to run some errands, buy a few groceries, and send some mail.  I have to go down next Wednesday for my annual mammogram and bone-density test, but there are some things that just can't wait til then.  JB may have to go down on Tuesday for jury duty.

With the results of Tuesday's elections, it looks as though almost all the country has turned red.  One can only hope that the Republicans will get their sh*t together.  Here in eastern Washington, voting results can often be very frustrating as more people live in western Washington and most of them tend to be tree-hugging, ungrounded, completely-lacking-in-common-sense liberals (which is as nice as I can express it).  So they are able to pass state laws which have no foundation in reality, and elect state and U.S. senators and representatives who have no brains.

Friday 11/7. It's a cold morning with a temp of 36 and clear skies.  A nice day for going Down There.

Thought for the day: Common sense is so rare these days it should be considered a super power.

November 5, 2014 Marbles & Wind

One of the deer we saw Tuesday
morning.

Monday 11/3. Started the day with the usual chores, laundry and dishes.  Then sliced up a big ham I bought at Costco.  So glad Elsie talked us in to getting an electric meat slicer.  Made ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches for lunch on the bread that JB baked, slathered with mayo and horseradish sauce.  Yum!

MAX's battery isn't holding its charge, so we will have to get another one when we go Down There next.  Fortunately it is just a small lawn mower type.  JB put a new air filter in Miss Kitty.  Took the old one out and just have to wash it.  No need to buy more.  Depending on the weather, he will change the oil tomorrow.

Was finally able to vacuum yesterday since the sun was out and the panels were sucking up all that power.  With the lack of it lately, we have had to use the generator a lot, and I refuse to use it for vacuuming.  The manual carpet cleaner and broom just have to suffice.

I finished Dean Koontz's Brother Odd.  Excellent!

Drove down to Larry's and Elsie's, and got there about 6:00 pm.  Larry sharpened two chain saw blades for us, and then we played two games of marbles (Chinese checkers).  Girls rule!!!  We won both games, although the first one came down to whoever rolled a one first.

On our way home, we could see an opalescent dome of valley fog over Wenatchee, glowing with the lights from beneath.  Just another perk of mountain life. . .

Tuesday 11/4. It was 45 and overcast with valley fog this morning.  Rain had fallen during the night.  The wind whipped up by mid morning, blowing away all the fog and howling through the trees.  I have yet to find another adjective to describe the wind, which is probably why it is so popular.  It sounded really cold, but our high for the day was 52.

I saw two deer coming down from the south ridge this morning just as I got up.  Fortunately the dogs were inside, and I wouldn't let them out until I was ready to go feed the girls.  By then the deer had disappeared up the east slope and the dogs were not too pleased.

JB was able to tilt the solar panels down all the way by himself on the morning walk.  They will stay that way for the next few months in order to make the most of the winter sun.  After lunch, I helped him build a long, low bench to use to stand on in order to clear the snow off the panels.  Hopefully this will make that chore much easier.

It is interesting that Putin's speech last week was blocked out in the western countries.  Of course it found its way on to the internet.  It's a sad day when the Russian leader speaks more truthfully than our own.

Today's wind eventually thinned out the cloud cover, as it had the other day, enabling the sun to shine through.  By the time of our afternoon walk, the wind speed had increased from 14 to 26 mph.  Its only redeeming feature was that it wasn't really cold.  Not warm, but not icy.

The moon will be full on Thursday, and as it grows, so does the brightness of the night.  So much more noticeable Up Here with no other man made lights than our own lamps.

Wednesday 11/5. It is 43 and mostly overcast with some blue sky to the west this morning.  The dogs wanted out at 3:30 am - the only downside to the bright nights.  No wind, so hopefully JB can get the oil changed in Miss Kitty today.  I'm feeling like I need my oil changed too. . .

Thought for the day: Give me one good reason why I should act my age!

November 3, 2014 Birthdays, Eggs & Mushrooms

Little mushrooms popping up

Stairway to RJ's loft with its
entwined-branch railing

Friday 10/31. Completely forgot to note that the girls gave us an egg yesterday!  Perhaps the lack of them wasn't so much the weather and disappearing sun, as the fact that they were molting.

We are wet, wet, wet!  Randy is whining because he is finally getting some of our wet.  But he is right, North Idaho does not need any more water.  If they ever run out, we're all in deep doodoo.  I read an email from him this morning and it made me so tired just reading about all the work he is doing, that I almost had to go back to bed.

The fog cleared early this morning, but then kept creeping in and out.  A little before 1:00 pm the wind whipped up briefly, blowing the fog even further away and I could see most of our little world.  Couldn't see the mountains, but I presume they are still standing.  The sun actually managed to burn through the cloud cover for a few minutes, startling in its brightness.  Our high for the day was 46.

The girls were making so much noise today that we thought for sure they had laid another egg.  But no such luck.  Maybe they were just expressing their joy at a moderately dry day.

Since we took down the Baker, our winter refrigerator is in its place on the porch and our beer ensconced within.  At least until the temperature drops below freezing for any amount of time.

Yesterday JB tripped on some of the clutter in his part of the loft, so he has finally resolved to clean it up.  He worked on reorganizing his space most of the day. 

I talked to Pat today and was complaining that because we don't get any trick-or-treaters, I didn't have an excuse to buy extra candy.  She said, "You don't need an excuse!" And, by golly, she's right.  I'll remember that next time I go Down There.

Saturday 11/1.  It is JB's birthday and he turns 72 today.  Happy, Happy Birthday, JB!!

As if celebrating that fact, there was NO fog today!  The day began 38, cloudy and breezy.  It stayed breezy all day which seemed to thin out the clouds.  By sundown the wind had really whipped up and the sky was clear.  Our high for the day was 46.

Randy called this morning and got me laughing, as always.  Such a character!

I cooked up a big pot of chili, a pan of cornbread and some gooey, very chocolatey brownies, and we left for RJ's cabin at 1:30 pm.  Finally got my big winter jacket out to wear.  We had a great visit.  Was so good to see Mike again and hear all about his training for track and school studies.

We picked up the card out of the game cam on the way back home.  Good videos of a cougar, a couple different small bears, and some deer.  One of the bears is probably just a one-year-old, so his mother must have geen somewhere nearby.

Larry and Elsie came up for a visit, bearing birthday greetings and a gift for JB.  A gift certificate for four tickets to a Wenatchee Wild hockey game.  They had wanted only two, but were given four, so we will pick a date for the four of us to go.  We haven't been to a hockey game since just before we left Chicago and went to a Blackhawk's game.

Sunday 11/2.  It was 37 and clear with a bit of a breeze.  Two days now without awaking to rain!  Woo Hoo!

I love the extra hour we got last night and the brighter mornings.  Not so much the earlier dark.  And the Fall time change is always much more difficult than the Spring change for the dogs.  Their inner clocks don't reset so easily.

Little mushrooms are popping up in small clusters in many places.  With all this wet, I almost expect to see ferns also.

We took the door off of the hen house today so JB could trim it, and finally got it to fit right.  Funny how, when building something in the heat and dry, everything fits together just fine until it gets really wet. . .  I put more straw and shavings in for the girls and they immediately went about scratching through it all to check it out.  They had given us another egg this morning.

JB took MAX's battery out and recharged it.  MAX seems to be doing fine if we should have to use him.

The sky completely clouded over by early afternoon and our high for the day was 44.  More rain is due tonight.

We have finished watching all the Star Wars movies and started the second season of Game of Thrones.  But I still have the Star Wars' theme playing in my head all day.  Argh!!

Monday 11/3. It is 43 and overcast, but no more rain so far.  We plan to drive down to Larry and Elsie's in Miss Kitty this evening to sharpen our chain saw blades and then play some marbles.

David, I am so sorry for your situation, but am glad you enjoy reading my blog.  Thank you for your comment.

Thought for the day: Americans have come to learn that it is easier to vote for something they want, than to work for it.