August 31, 2015 Rain & A Fish Fry

Lovely, lovely clouds

Friday 8/28. It was sprinkling again when I went out to feed the girls.  Rain drops never felt so good!  But on mornings like this it is hard to wake up.  I think that subconsciously my brain has come to the conclusion that I cannot go outside and work, so I might as well go back to bed.

The light rain lasted less than an hour, and the sun was peeking through the clouds now and then by 11:00 am.  I thought if I hung the laundry out, that might lure more rain.  No such luck.  And, looking at the ground, there was no evidence that we had had any rain at all.

Since it was so overcast, I put the rose hips I had picked yesterday in the oven instead of the dehydrator.

After lunch I started to weed one of the raised beds, but the overcast was beginning to break up, and half way through I found myself in the sun.  So I went over to the splitter, which was in the shade, and split and stacked two tractor bucket loads of wood.  Still have 2-1/4 large rounds left.

In anticipation of more rain tomorrow, I swept out both drains before dinner.  Our high for the day was a comfortable 72.  Walking out on the porch after dinner, I startled six grouse in the yard - four on my Jeep, one on the ground and one on the bird bath!

Saturday 8/29. It was 58 and partly cloudy this morning.  I could smell smoke when I let the dogs out at 5:30, but there was no air movement.  When I got up at 8:00 am, there was a breeze blowing in from the southwest and I could no longer smell the smoke, but it was thick to the north.  Very quickly the breeze became a wind and brought in a few drops of rain.  By 9:00 am it was gusting to 30 mph, bringing in more rain and whipping the needles of the trees.  The rain was such a glorious sight that we just stood and watched it for a while.  Except that now my Jeep is almost clean!

I turned on the oven for my morning waffles and forgot to take out the pan of rose hips.  By the time I remembered them, they smelled like raspberries.  Interesting. . .

There are some very good articles in the October issue of Cowboys & Indians.  Which brings me to the question of why do magazines get so far ahead of themselves in their issues?  We receive the October one in August?  Granted, it comes out every other month, but still. . .

By noon it was hard to tell that we had received any rain at all, but the air still smelled of it.  The cloud cover split, as it often does, and the rest of the rain was blown to the north and south of us.  I gathered several armloads of kindling-sized branches that a strong wind always managed to blow off the trees.  And I took several bag loads of fir cones to the swale.  Our high for the day was 70, but the wind was chilly.

That was enough of being out in the wind, so I completely defrosted and scrubbed out the refrigerator and freezer.  A lovely job. . .

Tomorrow Larry and Elsie are having their third annual fish fry and we can't wait!  Always so much fun, good food and laughter.

Sunday 8/30. It was 50 and overcast this morning.  It had rained for while around 5:00 am and smelled so fresh, but still windy.

We just did indoor chores, read books and went on our windy walks.  I baked some brownies to take with us this evening.  (I always bring the chocolate.)

We left in Miss Kitty at 5:00 pm and picked up the mail before going to Larry and Elsie's.  There were eleven of us for dinner, and another neighbor from town stopped by afterwards on his way up to camp for the night with two of his sons.  Again, so much good food and companionship.  Almost everyone there will be at our BBQ next Sunday.  Elsie had said that she didn't know what army she was cooking for, so we all left with bags of fish.

Monday 8/31. It is 50, overcast and blustery again this morning.  Sounds like a lot of the rain has gone north where it is so badly needed on the fires.  Even so, it was announced that they will burn until it snows.

Thought for the day: The secret of contentment. . . lay in ignoring many things completely. Mark Haddon

August 28, 2015 Rose Hips & Possible Rain

New plume of smoke to the northwest
Thursday evening.

Wednesday 8/26. JB left at 9:45 am for his appointment with his cardiologist and met three neighbors on the drive down, which is very unusual.  Had nice chats with all.  Even had time to go to the recycle center with the bags of paper, plastic and aluminum cans he took before he had to be at the doctor's.

He got a clean bill of health from the doctor and will be seeing the pace maker doctor in September.

I love the cover of the 8/31 Time magazine.  A photo of Trump with the caption, "Deal with it!"  Goodbye political correctness.

Late this afternoon the light was very eerie with all the smoke.  If we were in the mid-west, it would be an indication of possible tornadoes.  Our high for the day was 82.  Not a day to be outside.

I am so much more aware of the movement of the moon Up Here.  The nearer it gets to being full, the further east it is in the evening.  And now, with the smoke, it is a bright orange.

Thursday 8/27. It was 66 with a few clouds but no smoke this morning.  It seems to have once again retreated to the north.

After breakfast I split one huge round, which filled up the tractor bucket.  JB drove the wood to the shed and I stacked it.  Then he cleaned up the splitting area by taking several loads of dirt, rotten wood and wood chips to the small swale.  This created more room to move the last four large rounds up to the splitter, which he did.  We are saving a pile of wood chips for the raised beds and will dump them as soon as I have weeded the beds.

After lunch I picked about 1-1/4 lbs of rose hips.  There are a lot of ripe, little ones on the bushes near the house.  The larger ones down the drive aren't quite ripe yet.  It is a lot harder to find perfect large rose hips, but the little ones are just right for drying for tea.  It took five nights and four days for the first batch to dry in the oven.  Tomorrow I am going to put everything I picked today in the dehydrator.

There was no smoke around today, but on our afternoon walk we saw quite a large plume to the northwest.  After dinner it had grown even larger.  We can only hope that the rain in the forecast for the weekend will be enough to help.  The clouds had begun to move in mid afternoon and our high for the day was again 82, but at least there was a light breeze most of the day.

Last night we watched Harry Potter: Deadly Hallows Part 1, and tonight we watched Part 2.  The last two movies in the series and it's been a while since we have seen them.

Friday 8/29. It is 63 and overcast this morning.  We have already had one tiny sprinkle, so hopefully there is a lot more coming.

Thought for the day: There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want. Bill Watterson

August 26, 2015 Clear Skies & Grouse

A grouse at the bird bath.

Monday 8/24. Right after breakfast, JB was out to start up the tractor and move some of the rounds up to the splitter.  Even though we agreed to take the day off, he just couldn't wait to get back into the swing of things Up Here.  However, we did take it easy the rest of the day, reading books and going on our walks.

Yesterday on our afternoon walk, we heard a rattlesnake in some tall grass next to the drive.  I wasn't going to go traipsing through there to try and find it though.  We know they are around.  We just watch and listen where we're going.

Our high for the day was 78 and by the time of our afternoon walk, the smoke had cleared above us and had begun to recede back to the north with Wenatchee still enshrouded.  By sunset we could see the mountains.

Tuesday 8/25. It was 56 and clear this morning with no smoke.  We were on our way Down There by 8:30 to pick up JB's Jeep and run some errands.  I was home by 11:00 am, and JB arrived a couple hours later.  On my way back up the mountain I noticed that the smoke was creeping down the Columbia River a bit, but it mostly stayed north of town.

The grouse have discovered the birth bath, and Dinga has decided that it is her job to keep them away from it.

After lunch, I split a couple of the rounds that JB had moved, but that was pretty much it for the rest of the day.

JB is still getting used to his pace maker.  He can't really lay comfortably on his left side and he needs to get something to protect it from his seat belt.  He has an appointment with his cardiologist tomorrow.

Our high for the day was a very pleasant 76.  I really need to get out and weed the raised beds we created, and put the fence from the garden around them.  Then we can put chicken manure and compost on them, and not have the dogs getting into it.  Dinga loves chicken poop. . .

After dinner I used the garden wagon to move the wood I had split to the shed and stack it.  Then we watched another Clint Eastwood western - The Outlaw Josie Wales.  Last night we had watched Pale Rider.  Love that guy!

Wednesday 8/26. It is 62 and smokey this morning.  Hard to tell if the sky is clear or cloudy.

Thought for the day: The only reason some people get lost in thought is that it is unfamiliar territory. Paul Fix

August 24, 2015 Rose Hips & Together Again

Smoke blowing back in from the north
Saturday evening.

Friday 8/21. The rounds that are left to be split are too large and too far away for me to move them to the splitter.  I will have to wait until JB is back and can nudge them over with the tractor.

I didn't watch anything last night because I started reading Glamorous Powers by Susan Howatch, and couldn't put it down.  Still had a problem with that today so I didn't get a much else done.

I gathered kindling left in an old pile of branch wood and used my fire-wood bag to take it to the wood shed.  I was able to get three bags full taken and stacked.  Then I lay down for a short nap and woke up an hour later.  How lovely!

I discovered that I had a small jar of the elderberry vodka left from last Fall.  Unfortunately it seem to be a drink that should be enjoyed within a few months of making.  Now it tastes like slightly fermented prune juice.

Today I noticed several yellow limbs on one of the small trees in the grove.  It definitely has to come down.  I have also noticed a few more standing dead on the west slope.  They are all fir trees, so it isn't a pine beetle problem.  Not sure what it is, but they all need to be cut this Fall.

Our high for today was 77, but the continual wind had a chilly edge to it and was gusting to 12 mph throughout the day, so it never seemed quite that warm.  In late afternoon the wind changed direction and by 6:00 pm I noticed the sky darkening.  It wasn't clouds but rather smoke being blown back in.  As soon as the smoke arrived, the wind began to die down to a complete calm.

I spent the evening reading Glamorous Powers, and, having finally glanced at the back cover, realized that it is the second book in a trilogy!

Saturday 8/22. It was 53 and clear but smokey this morning after a two-day respite of clear skies.  Cold air coming down from Canada has created an inversion layer, so the smoke is really thick today.  JB said they even have a smokey haze in Seattle now.

I took the last load of split wood to the shed and stacked it.  Pretty sure that some of what is left to split will have to be stacked on the porch.  The shed is almost full.

I baked a banana-chocolate chip coffee cake this morning in anticipation of JB's return tomorrow.  This has been a long two weeks.

The smoke cleared a bit Up Here in the afternoon, but it still looks bad Down There in the valleys and canyons.  Our high today was a very comfortable 67.  Just wish the air had been fresher so I could have done more outside.

I finally finished reading Glamorous Powers this evening.  All I can say is: Phenomenal!!  I will definitely read the other two books in the trilogy.

I googled "Making rose hip tea" and found a great site - Recipes From The Wild - with several recipes for tea and other food made with rose hips.  So I went out and picked a small bowl full and am drying them in the oven.  I may try using the dehydrator too.  Like everything else this year, they are ripe now, which is at least five weeks early.  After raking out the seeds, I ate one and it was quite sweet.  They contain as much as 20 times more vitamin C than oranges and are also an excellent antioxidant.

Seems like every year I forget just how loud the crickets Up Here can get.  You actually have to raise your voice to be heard over them!  Fortunately they seem to prefer the south side of the house, so I can't hear them from the bedroom.

Sunday 8/23. It was 56 this morning and clear enough for me to see blue skies with a few scattered clouds.  The smoke stayed in the canyon until the sun started warming things up, and then it seemed to creep up like the fog does.  There is no possibility of rain in the forecast til at least next weekend, but by then who knows?

The dogs woke me up at 5:00 am to go out and stayed out for about a half an hour.  I tried, but couldn't get back to sleep, so I was up a 6:15.  By 7:30 I had most of the dusting done; had washed the outside of the loft windows; and had successfully completely a few pages of sudoku.  I also watched a pair of jays foraging in the yard and listed to a very vocal poorwill.

JB called at 8:45 am to say he was just leaving and would call when he got to town.  Unfortunately his Jeep is leaking a little transmission fluid, so we have to get it to the shop tomorrow so they can fix what they obviously didn't when we had it in before JB left.

I sure wish I could see what Jesse has been barking at almost every day.  I know he doesn't bark until he actually sees something and he doesn't bark at deer.  He just chases them of our property.  So it must be a bear.  Haven't heard any coyotes this year at all, and cats tend to roam their wide territory, not staying in one place for long.

JB called again about 20 miles out and we decided I would meet him at the shop where we would leave his Jeep to be fixed tomorrow.  I left for Down There as quickly as possible.  Met him and transferred everything to my Jeep.  We were home by 1:00 pm and so glad to be together again!

His Mom had sent lots of goodies and two sacks of books.  We unloaded my car and just relaxed.

Monday 8/24. It is 60 and very smokey this morning.  It's a day off for both of us.  Tomorrow we will drive Down There to pick up his Jeep and run some errands.

Thought for the day: Why are there always too many Democratic Congressmen, too many Republican Congressmen, and never enough U.S. Congressmen?  Author Unknown

August 21, 2015 Clear Skies & Childhood Fears

A feather?
No, a twig from a fireweed plant that
has gone to seed.

Wednesday 8/19. In looking back on my life through the years of living it, I think that I put all my childhood fears and frustrations into one file marked "The Dentist."  Finally realized it's time to burn that folder.

We now have twenty people confirmed for our Rose Camp BBQ, with the possibility of 30!

By early afternoon the breeze had cleared out the smoke a bit, and by 5:00 pm the light breeze had increased to a wind gusting to 11 mph that completely got rid of the smoke.  All that was left was a wide swath of brown over the northern horizon.  Our high for the day was 85, but not too uncomfortable because of the breeze/wind.

I watched Guardians of the Galaxy for the fourth or fifth time this evening.  Definitely one of my all-time favorite fantasy movies.  Must be genetic because my 11-year-old Grandson loves it too, and watches it at least once a week.

During our nightly talk on the radio, Elsie told me about the three fire fighters who were killed today.  I vowed that I would much rather be surrounded by smoke than have the strong winds that are causing so much havoc with the fires.  

Thursday 8/20. It was 63 with clear skies this morning and the only smoke I could see was on the horizon to the north.  Unfortunately in Okanogan County, which is where the fire is, there is a wind advisory beginning this evening and all day tomorrow.  Could be gusts up to 50 mph.  All we can do is pray.

Meanwhile at Rose Camp, the girls love to eat bugs.  So I give them the ones that have drowned in the bird bath.  Blondie especially seems to enjoy them and tries to get them all first, as she does the bananas every morning.

Although I am obviously not going to get the bedroom painted, which was on my list of "big" things to do, I did in fact finish my list of little things to do.  This in addition to reading several books.  And today I split more wood.  Some before lunch and some after when the splitter was in the shade.  Then later I used our garden wagon to pull a couple of half-loads over to the wood shed and stack them.  With the lovely, cool breeze, I didn't even break a sweat.  I guess I really have gotten used to the warm weather as the temperature had climbed to our high of 83.

I don't know about other people, but I will be going along with life when something "clicks" and slightly adjusts my perception of things.  This happened to me last week, as it seems to once or twice a year.  I think this may have been why found my "Dentist folder" and "burned" it, then breezed through my dentist appointment so easily.  Succeeding in facing some of my fears and getting rid of them.

I picked two ripe Hillbilly tomatoes, which are heirlooms, and had a most wonderful BLT for dinner.  I am sure that some of the moisture dripping as I ate was not just tomato juice but also drool. . . 

By sunset a line of clouds stretching north and south was marching slowly eastward reflecting the pick rays of the disappearing sun.

 Friday 8/21. This morning is a crisp 53 with clouds along the mountains, but otherwise clear skies.

Thought for the day: It was something every child knew how to do, maintain a direct and full connection with the world.  Somehow you forgot about it as you grew up, and had to learn it again. Jeffrey Eugenides

August 20, 2015 A Special Request For Prayers

Thursday 8/20. This posting is a special request for prayers for my cousin, Heidi.  She is a 27-year-old single mother of two little boys, who had a double mastectomy this Spring.  Recently she was declared cancer free, but now is back in the hospital with a fractured vertebrae in her neck, caused by the resurgence of the cancer.

August 19, 2015 Smoke and The Dentist

Smoke to the west on a typical day lately.

Monday 8/17. I worked on the issue with John Hancock this morning.  Unbelievable that such a company can be so screwed up.  We are beyond frustrated with them.  Talked to the woman at the Washington State Insurance Commission, who is handling our complaint, and she wrote to them again.

We have two little frogs under the house that are croaking a duet.  So funny!

I had made a dentist appointment for early September but they called today with a opening for tomorrow at 3:10 pm.  Completely forgot about the heat when I agreed to it.  Elsie reminded me that it is supposed to be in the 90's, when we talked this evening.

Jesse finally accompanied us on our walk this afternoon.  Maybe he's just getting bored being Up Here with just me. . .

Our high for the day was 77 and still with lots of smoke.  JB says that soldiers from the army base in Tacoma are being sent in to help with the fire.

Tuesday 8/18. It was 65 with clear skies full of smoke this morning.  I just puttered around and read a book til it was time to get ready to leave.  Buster came up for a visit, to Jesse's delight.  I was on my way at 1:30 pm and actually quite calm about going to the dentist.  Got my tooth filled and survived quite nicely.  Am so proud of myself!

Our high for the day was 82 while I am sure it was well into the 90's Down There.

I hit the sack early this evening, but woke up at 11:00 pm to what I thought was the increased smell of smoke.  Checked all around and couldn't see anything.  There was no air movement so I am sure it was just the smoke from the north moving in.

Wednesday 8/19. It is 67 this morning and, once again, our blue skies are full of smoke.

Thought for the day: A yawn is a silent scream for coffee.  

August 17, 2015 Busy, Smokey Weekend

Doe and fawn I saw on Saturday.

Friday 8/14. I baked brownies this morning to have for desert when Mike came to lunch.  It was so nice to have him all to myself.  After we ate, I showed him why we all are so amazed that he is going to be 17 next month - we looked at the photo albums I had put together in his first couple years.  His folks were living with us when he was born and for almost a year afterwards, so I have lots of pictures that he had never seen.  We also talked about family history a bit and I showed him the family tree and some old photos.

RJ had driven him up so I drove him back down in Miss Kitty.  We saw three deer on the short cut, but they stood still just long enough for me to get my camera out.  As soon as I pressed my finger on the button, they bounded out of sight.  By then the wind was really blowing at a steady 20 mph and we were surrounded by dust devils.

When I got back to Rose Camp, I noticed that the tarp over the hen house was really flapping.  All the ties had broken except for one.  So I grabbed some more plastic zip-ties and a ladder; climbed up on the roof and re-attached it while trying very hard not to be blown off.  Several months ago I had placed two 50-gallon plastic drums on the deck and used bungies to tie them together, but when I got back from taking Mike to the cabin, they were lying in the yard.  I put them safely out of the reach of the wind, moved the chairs on the porch back from the edge, and just double checked everything that might be a problem.  By the time I got inside, the wind was at a steady 25 mph that kept up most of the night.

Our high for the day was 84, but by 5:00 pm the temperature had dropped to 64 with the cold front that was blowing in.  It was a very noisy night.

Saturday 8/15.  It was 50 and clear this morning, the wind having blown all the clouds and smoke away.  I noticed that it had also blown down most of my tall fireweed bushes.  I left for Down There at 9:00 am as planned and found that the wind had scoured our mountain roads of most of the loose dust that had accumulated over the past few months.  As I drove, there were no billowing, brown clouds following me.  I did see a doe and a fawn in the aspen, and they stood still long enough for me to get a great picture.

The wind died down by mid day and the smoke began to drift back in.  By the time I arrived back home at about 1:00 pm, the mountains to the northwest were almost obscured again.  I read in the papers that I bought that there are three new fires near Lake Chelan that have joined into a complex that is moving northeast.  Our Evergreen State is going to become the Everblack State.  So sad.

RJ and Mike were coming for dinner, so after putting away all the groceries, I started a big pot of chili and then made some cornbread.  Sandy called and we had a nice long talk that turned into hilarity.  I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt.  We were just saying goodbye when RJ and Mike drove up.

We all enjoyed dinner and each other's company.  It was hard to say goodbye, as I made not see Mike again til next summer if he doesn't make it up for the Rose Camp BBQ over Labor Day weekend.  But, all in all, it was a very good day.

Sunday 8/16.  It was 58 with a light overcast that was difficult to see with all the smoke that had moved back in.  It was so thick that I could barely even see across our canyon.  A good day to stay inside.

I did get out for our two walks, although we just took half-walks because of the air quality, or rather lack thereof.

I pulled the remaining few fireweed stalks and took them all over to the small swale that needs some more building up.  Hopefully JB can use the tractor to move more dirt on it the first week he is back.

Blondie looks like the sorriest excuse for a chicken that I have ever seen, but she is our egg layer.  I am beginning to think the other two are getting too old.

Larry and Elsie drove up for a visit, which was so nice.  They practically had to use their GPS to find their way up through the smoke.  She brought me some freshly made pesto and garden fresh garlic!

Monday 8/17. It is 60 this morning and I can barely see some blue sky through the smoke.  Will be so glad when they get those fires out.

Thank you to a reader for the comment about mullien.  I had no idea it had any medicinal uses.

Thought for the day: Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. John Kenneth Galbraith

August 14, 2015 Critters & Cleaning

A mullein plant I let grow in the yard.
They can get more than 5' tall.

Wednesday 8/12. Blondie had already given us an egg by the time I went to feed them this morning.  I think it was Betty who finally gave us one yesterday.  I told Belinda that she better get with it.

JB calls every morning at 9:00.  He checks the fires on the internet every day and the Wolverine one by Lake Chelan is really spreading and only 20% contained.  That one has been burning for about a month now, I think.  There is supposed to be a special meeting tonight about how to deal with it.

While hanging out the laundry this morning, I was pretty sure that it would all smell like a campfire by the time it was dry.  Thought that if this smoke lasts more than a couple days, we may have smoked tomatoes too.  However the clothes smelled just as fresh as ever when I took them down.

And speaking of people being removed from nature (I think I was a day or so ago), I notice that brown eggs cost so much more than white ones when, in fact, the color of the shell has nothing to do with the quality of the egg inside.  Just another way to rip off those city folk, I guess.

A light breeze picked up and by 1:00 pm I could actually see blue sky and some clouds moving in.  The overwhelming smell of smoke had dissipated a bit too, thank goodness.

My friend, Jane, from North Carolina called and we had a nice, long chat.  It's hot at her place too, but at least we don't have the humidity that they do.

I sometimes get so frustrated with the state of the world these days that I just want to be like one of the reclusive characters in P.D. James' Unnatural Causes, who "was completely unconcerned with world affairs.  'Men will either have to learn to love each other, my dear Dalgliesh, in the entirely practical and unsentimental use of the word or they will destroy themselves.  I have no influence either way.' "  And it would be very easy to feel that way living Up Here.

On a happier note, I picked the first tomato off our Hillbilly plant today and it was a big one.  Can't wait to eat it.

There has been some critter around for the past week or so.  I can tell by the way the dogs are acting.  Pretty sure it is "our" bear.  RJ has seen signs of one in a wide circle around his cabin.  Last time he was up, some critter was trying to get into his garbage at night, but by the look of the tracks, he thinks it was a skunk.

The dogs and I sat out on the porch as the sun was setting.  A cool breeze had picked up again, but I still could not see the hills or river to the north because of the smoke.  Our high for the day was a very uncomfortable 91.

Thursday 8/13. It was 74 and the sky was clear of clouds but still smokey this morning.  Buster came to visit at 8:00 am and got me out of bed.  He barks to get the dogs to come out and play, and today he even barked to get me out!  Jesse will actually let me pet Buster now, and I always give him a bowl of water.

Heat or no heat, I absolutely had to vacuum this today.  And that got me in such a cleaning mood, that I washed the windows - inside and out.  Of course that is never just a matter of washing once inside and once outside, but rather running back and forth trying to erase the missed smudges seen only from the other side.  I think I would have rather painted the bedroom. . .

Well, it's not so much the painting that I don't like, but the prepping: clearing out or covering everything; sanding and cleaning up the dust; priming.  And only then can I actually paint.  Arrghhh!

My nephew, Mike, is going to come up for lunch and a visit tomorrow.  We may go through some the family albums I have out.

Today's high was 89, but it certainly didn't feel any cooler than yesterday's 91.  Thunderstorms are due in around 11:00 pm tonight and are predicted to last about 24 hours.  Would be nice to get some rain without the thunder and lightening.

Friday 8/14. It is 70 and partly cloudy this morning.  I can just make out the lines of the hills to the north and can see the river.  The thunder storm never arrived, but there are ominous clouds to the west, and the mountains are still hidden.

Thought for the day: We want to to a lot of stuff; we're not in great shape. We didn't get a good night's sleep.  We're a little depressed. Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful cup. Jerry Seinfeld

August 12, 2015 More Heat & Smoke

More work done on the cabin.

Monday 8/10. The drive down the mountain first thing in the morning is always so pleasant with the fresh scent of dew.  Lots of grouse and rabbits about.  As soon as Larry and Elsie's hens hear me drive up, they start clucking for their breakfast, and their cats meet me at the door.

As soon as I arrived back home, I made my breakfast of fresh eggs and tomatoes.  It just doesn't get any better than that.  Then I spent the morning busy with dishes, laundry and other chores.

I love being able to say, "Oh, I think I'll take a nap," and then following through.  One of the perks of being retired.  When I awoke a couple hours later, the sky was overcast and the air quite muggy.  It looked and felt like an approaching thunder storm, but it never arrived.  Our high for the day was 82.

After dinner I thought I might move the pile of wood I split yesterday to the shed and stack it.  I used my fire-wood bag, but after three loads it was obviously still to hot to be exerting myself while having to wear shoes and gloves.

I thought for sure we were going to get some much-needed rain this evening, and it looked like it came as far as Larry and Elsie's, but we didn't get even one drop.

Since it was too warm to be moving the wood, I re-arranged the three barrels behind the wood shed.  The way they were, water would never be able to flow into the third one.  I was about done with that when my Aunt Nene called to relay her excitement for the day.  While on her way to meet a friend for breakfast, she was rear-ended.  No one was hurt, but the trunk of her large Chevy was crumpled.

Talked to Elsie this evening.  They had a great time at the lake; Elsie caught the most fish and their grandson caught the biggest - a 4 lb. bass!  The birthday boy spent a lot of his time putting worms on hooks. . .

Tuesday 8/11. It was 66 with a thin overcast and haze to the north this morning.  I could just barely smell smoke, so there must be a new fire.  Temps into the 100's are in the forecast for Down There mid week.  And I have discovered that the best way to attract a cloud cover is to say, "I'll vacuum for sure tomorrow."

I baked a banana coffee cake knowing that RJ and Mike with probably be up to the cabin today.  Then I finally managed to lug all the wood I had split to the wood shed and stack it.  It took six trips with my fire-wood bag with a long rest after the first three.

I finished the third P.D. James book, and now it's on to another one by Kyle Mills.  And still my list of things to do has only one, short job crossed off . . .

R.J. and Mike did indeed arrive at their cabin this afternoon, so after dinner I drove down to visit and take some coffee cake to them.  They will be here for a week, so I will see them a few more times.

Wednesday 8/12. It is 75 and so hazy this morning with smoke that I can't see the mountains or even the hills to the north of town or the Columbia River.  The smell of smoke is strong, so there is obviously a nearby fire and no breeze to clear the air.  Going to be a hot one today.

Thought for the day: If I can't speak my mind, then this isn't America.

August 10, 2015 Happy Birthday, Larry!

Elsie's forest of tomato plants!

The T-shirt we gave to Larry for
his birthday.

Friday 8/7. I always feel a bit discomboobilated when JB leaves for more than a couple days, and it will take a few nights before I can get a good night's sleep.

I hiked all the way up to the peak on our morning walk as I saw and smelled smoke to the southeast.  It looks like it is drifting in from the fires that are to  the north and northeast of Rose Camp.

It was such a beautiful morning that I pulled weeds for a while before going in to do the laundry and dishes.  I do so enjoy hanging out the laundry.  It somehow always helps me feel grounded, as do so many of the chores we have Up Here that we never had Down There.  Doing basic things for ourselves.

I discovered dark blue berries on the bush that we enclosed in the expanded chicken run.  This is the first year it has bloomed and I think they are service berries.  I went inside the run and picked them for the girls.  They were thrilled with the treat!

On our afternoon walk I could see that the smoke had cleared, probably with the breeze that had popped up.  There is still a brown haze on the northern horizon, but nowhere else and I couldn't smell anything either.  It was a lovely day with a high of 74 and clouds moving across the sky.

JB visited his youngest brother at their winery on his drive over and finally arrived at his other brother's and Mom's place about 4:00 pm.  The traffic between the two was horrific.  He says he will never again complain about traffic on this side of the mountains.

I broke out a bottle of my favorite wine - Orange Muscat - to have with a dinner of pasta and marinara sauce.  We have discovered that the gluten-free pasta that is made in Italy is the best.  

Saturday 8/8. It was 65 and clear this morning, but clouds soon started appearing from over the mountains.  This was the first day that I detected Fall in the air.  A bit early, but then everything has been early this year.  In fact Fall colors began to appear the last week of July.  Yellow and orange leaves of bushes and ground cover now dot the forest green.

After an early breakfast, I used the weed eater to get rid of the tall grass south and east of the chicken coup, and some that had grown up in the grove.  One tank of gas lasts about 45 minutes, and so do I.

Last time I was at the thrift shop I found a 3-in-1 volume of P.D. James' books.  I finished one and started another today.  Love that Inspector Dalgliesh.

Mrs. Westie drove up with her daughter this afternoon, whom she wanted to show our place and introduce us.  Her daughter will be living in their small cabin while she looks for a job and apartment in Wenatchee.  A pleasant surprise and nice visit.

Buster also came up for a visit, giving Jesse a good workout.  They both went on our afternoon walk with Dinga and me.  

After dinner I drove Miss Kitty down to pick up the mail and stop at Larry and Elsie's so Larry could show me his new set-up for watering.  I also gave him his birthday present (see photo above).  Elsie gave me a dozen eggs from their girls in hopes that I would not get out my BBQ chicken recipes.

All in all it was a very pleasant day, with a high of 78.

Sunday 8/9. It was 60 and partly cloudy today with possible thunder storms in the forecast beginning tonight and on into the week.  I didn't see any smoke on the northern horizon so the rain that looked to be falling over there yesterday must have helped with the fires.

Randy called this morning.  At a little after 9:00 he was already on his way back from the dump, having taken many of the 15 trees that he and a neighbor had cut down from the slope at the back of his house.  He planned on cutting up the rest and making another trip today.  He suggested that I mention in my blog about being careful what you wish for.  He wished for living in the mountains, but he just didn't realize how much work it would be!  As we were talking, he saw what looked to be a tiny, newborn fawn trying to stand up by the road.  Fortunately it is a gravel and little-traveled road.

The talk with Randy seemed to pull me out of the slump I had been in for the past month or so, what with the heat, lack of exercise and everything going on with JB.  After breakfast I started up the splitter and began working on getting the last of the rounds split.  As I was taking the first large load to the wood shed, our wheel barrow met its demise.  I knew the barrel was loose, but it came completely off, dumping its load near the gate.  I stacked the very pitchy wood and then had to wash my sticky arms.  By then the splitter was in the sun, so it was time for a rest.

After lunch it was back in the shade, so I split several more rounds and just left the pieces in a pile right there.

After an early supper, I drove down to Larry and Elsie's to feed the cats, collect the eggs and water all the plants and garden.  At Larry's suggestion, I also picked a few bright red tomatoes.

It was a very pleasant day with a high of 77.  I could see thunder clouds to the north, but none came near us.

I have continued watching the second season of Elementary and so enjoy the character of Sherlock Holmes that they have created.  "The world is continually balanced on the knife's edge of destruction.  You just accept that and get on with things."  One of my favorite lines from the series.  Such exceptional writing and acting.

Monday 8/10.  Happy 60th Birthday, Larry!  As I told him, he doesn't look a day over 59.  It is 65 with some thin, high clouds and I will be on my way down to their place as soon as I post this morning.

Thought for the day: A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves a hundred moments of regret.

August 7, 2015 Being Prepared vs. Taking For Granted

Interesting cloud formation Tuesday evening.

Wednesday 8/5. A perfect day to work outside.  We put gas and oil in Miss Kitty.  Refilled the yellow jacket traps.  I worked on the pile of branches for kindling,   breaking/cutting them into 16-18" lengths and stacking them in the wood shed.  Yesterday we had tilted the solar panels half-way down.  

My main project for when JB is gone is to paint our bedroom.  That means sanding and priming first.  We'll see just how much of that actually gets done.

Our son and his family took their vacation to DisneyWorld this year.  What they really wanted to do was drive to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and the Black Hills, but that turned out to be way too expensive.  With his military discount, DisneyWorld was much more affordable.  That was the complete opposite of when I was growing up.  

And it is really too bad, because people are so far removed from nature these days.  They tend to take everything for granted that "civilization" has to offer them.  Turn on the faucet and water comes out.  Flip the switch and the lights come on.  Go to the store and there are plenty of groceries available.  Taking things for granted is something we have learned not to do Up Here.  You just never know, and you need to be prepared.  I see that because of 9/11 the government has made September something of a Preparedness Education month, which is a very good thing.  They finally got something right.

It was a lovely day with a high of 72.  Huge clouds drifted over most of the time, but there was always plenty of blue sky.

Jesse still refuses to go on the first half of our daily walks, which is up to the south ridge.  He stays in the yard and joins us as we pass going down to the north ridge.  Am pretty sure the reason is the possibility of snakes.

We are rewatching season one of Elementary in the evenings, and enjoying it immensely.

Thursday 8/6. It was 54 and clear this morning.  Downright chilly when I went out to feed the girls and water the plants.

I finished cutting up the branches for kindling and it turned out to be one large wheel barrow load that I stacked.  Then we got JB's Jeep packed, as he is leaving in the morning for the other side of the mountains for two weeks.  I gave him a hair cut so he will fit in better over there, but my fingers just don't seem to be as nimble as they once were.

I took a lovely nap while JB baked blueberry scones for me to have while he is gone.  I got up just in time to see them come out of the oven and go for our afternoon walk.  Jesse never even got off the bed. . .

Another perfect day with a high of just 70.  Clouds drifted over from the mountains but never made it to us.  They split and went either north or south of us.

The great debate is tonight.  So glad we can't watch it, although I am sure that Donald Trump will keep it more interesting than usual.

Friday 8/7. It is 52 and clear this morning.  Looks like JB will have a very pleasant drive.

Thought for the day: No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation. General Douglas MacArthur

August 5, 2015 Last Trips Down There for a While

Birds drinking from the dogs' water when their
bird bath was empty.

Monday 8/3. We were back home just before noon after dropping off JB's Wrangler and running some errands, including picking up some ice for RJ.  The sky was overcast and it was a lovely day with a breeze and a high of 82 Up Here.  RJ came up to get his ice and water a little after we arrived home.  He is working on six different projects at his place.  Wants to be sure he has everything done and ready to move in on a permanent basis in less than two years when Mike graduates from high school.

The clouds actually dropped a few sprinkles, but they were so light that you had to be outside to realize that anything was coming down.  Sure cleared the air nicely though.

We just took it easy for the rest of the day.  I finished my book, Storming Heaven by Kyle Mills.  A new author for me and I really enjoy his writing.  I also baked some blueberry muffins.

Tuesday 8/4. It was 58 and partly cloudy with a breeze this morning.  We were on our way Down There before 9:00 to pick up JB's Wrangler.  He drove back to Rose Camp while I went to get some groceries.  Just got a few things that will keep me going while JB is gone for two weeks: fruit, milk, chocolate, etc.  Do NOT want to have to drive Down There again for a long while.  I will just take Miss Kitty down a couple times to pick up the mail.  Plus I will be watering for Larry and Elsie this weekend while they go boat camping overnight at their favorite lake with their oldest Grandson to celebrate Larry's 60th birthday.  Boy, did I get the perfect gift for him. . .

And, speaking of Larry and Elsie, I stopped in to see them while I was in town and it seems that I completely misunderstood their water situation.  They are not low on water.  The static level in their main well has dropped, but they are still pumping all they need.  They are actually using less water this year as they are not watering their lawn, knowing that they need to conserve because of the low snowfall we had this past winter.  The water for the blueberries and extended garden comes from a spring up the small canyon to their northeast.

JB started packing for his trip, as he leaves Friday morning.  In the summer, whenever we go anywhere for more than a day, we take our go-bags with us.  So that is what he is getting organized, adding what he needs for his two-week stay.

Our high for the day was a comfortable 80 with a light wind, which just goes to show how hot it has been this summer when I can think that 80 is comfortable.

Wednesday 8/5. It is a lovely 54 outside this morning with clear skies.  And we don't have to go anywhere!

Thought for the day: Forget all the reasons it won't work and believe the one reason that it will.

August 3, 2015 Healing & Heat

Signs of an attempted break in.

Smoke to the north from the fire
near Lake Chelan.

Friday 7/31. A very slow morning.  I really dislike afternoon appointments.  Especially in the summer heat.  Whine, whine, whine.  And too early for wine, wine, wine.  But JB got a clean bill of health and is healing as he should.  Still cannot lift his left arm above his shoulder or lift more than eight pounds for another two weeks, but that is all normal.  He is good to go for his trip to the other side of the mountains next Friday.

The temperature had soared above 100 Down There and was still 90 when we arrived back Up Here around 4:00 pm.  Not at all comfortable, especially when the air conditioning in my car consists of opening the windows.  I finally took Sandy's advice and put my feet in a pan of icy water. . . slowly.  It cooled me right off and kept me that way for the rest of the evening.  JB doesn't seem to be affected by the heat as much as I am.

Saturday 8/1. And we are done with July.  This morning's temp was 71 with clear skies.

The girls' tail feathers are starting to grow back now.  I told them that they had better start earning their keep again or I will get out my recipes for BBQ chicken.  They only gave us 19 eggs in July.

Another hot day with a high of 90, but we didn't do much at all except chores and reading our books and some magazines we got in the mail yesterday.  Nice to have a slow day for a change.

The fire to the north of us near Lake Chelan started up again and we can see the smoke from it.  I really feel for the fire fighters in this hot, dry weather. 

Still trying to get all my family history documents and photos organized and scanned in.  I found some of my Grandmother's books she used for teaching dating back to 1917 that I will take to the museum in Spokane Valley.  Nene and I want to stop in for a visit on our way back from Idaho.

Larry and Elsie's well is getting low on water.  They have been using a lot this summer with their extended garden and blueberries.

We watched TransAmerica this evening.  What a great movie!

Sunday 8/2. It was 74 with a light haze this morning.  When I went out to feed the girls, I saw that some critter had tried to get into the hen house during the night.  The dogs were very interested and sniffing all around.  May have been a skunk or a weasel.

We have a frog under the house again, serenading us in its croaky way.

The hoards of birds are gone, with just a small flock left.  Larry said it is the same way at their place, which is great for the blueberries that are still ripening.  While the number of small birds may have dwindled, we have had grouse wandering through our yard for the last several days.  It got to the point yesterday that Dinga just watched a couple from inside the house and didn't even want to go chase them!

We watched the movie Always, which is one of our favorites.

Monday 8/3. It is 68 and partly cloudy this morning with a light breeze.  Going to be on our way as soon as possible to take JB's Jeep in for some work.

Thought for the day: Adversity is often the buffer that puts a shine on your faith. Ruth F. Weaver, Guideposts reader