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