January 28, 2015 Efficiency, Needles & A Birthday

Mount Baker trying to peek out from behind the
clouds to the northwest Tuesday afternoon.

Monday 1/26. I love watching Dinga outside in the winter.  This is her special time and she attacks it with such glee.  The outdoors is her snow cone and a blank canvas for snow angels.

When I first moved Up Here, I was always trying to do things in the quickest and most efficient way possible.  Well, efficient is good, but sometimes you just have to slow down and enjoy the process.  There is rarely rush and hurry at Rose Camp.  Yes, I know that part of this is because we are retired, but in the chaotic hustle and bustle of life Down There, so much is missed.

I am getting pretty good at solving "medium" sudoku puzzles on most days, but the jump to "hard" still evades me.  It requires a completely different thought process and tends to make my brain ache.  Sandy only does the hard ones and she doesn't even belong to MENSA, which seems to me to be a prerequisite.

I am noticing snow mold now in many places, but it doesn't seem to be bothering me yet.  Our high for today was 47, and we ended up with a light, partial overcast.

I made scalloped potatoes and ham for dinner this evening.  I don't particularly love to cook, but I do love to eat, so the two even out.

I actually got a lot accomplished in the loft today, especially cleaning up my crafting area that tends to accumulate things I don't have a place for.  I also vacuumed, with all the power we were pulling in.  My new vacuum is so much lighter and easier to use that I may just do this more often. . .  JB started all the vehicles and let them run a bit.  Then he made sure that Miss Kitty, MAX and the generator were full of gas.  He also spent a lot of time working on his computer.

From our perspective, the sun seems to move north more slowly during the first month after the winter solstice.  The days are certainly getting longer, but the sun doesn't look to have moved much otherwise.  The last six weeks before the summer solstice is when it really seems to quickly march north.

We finished watching the second season of Longmire this evening, and what a horrible ending!  I am going to have to find the third season on sale - SOON!

Tuesday 1/27. It was 40 and mostly cloudy with valley fog this morning.  Our high was about 45, and the brown ground is growing.  Still lots of ice on the driveway and paths, but the massive crop of fir needles really helps with the mud in a lot of places.

We pumped more water into the cistern, but we are also getting seepage from all the melt.  JB worked on Miss Kitty's windshield wiper and found a burnt fuse.  Then we cleaned the wood stove.  Always a joy.

I really like our wide windowsills, but they are quite the dust catchers and playgrounds for dust bunnies.  Of course I always notice this after I have put the vacuum away. . .

I plan to go Down There tomorrow to do laundry and get a few groceries.  Will also get fuses for Miss Kitty.

Wednesday 1/28. It is 32 with clear skies this morning.  A good day for a trip Down there.  Tomorrow is Elsie's birthday - Happy Birthday, Elsie!

Thought for the day: It takes courage to grow up and be who we really are. e e cummings