November 30, 2015 Great Neighbors & Another Thanksgiving Dinner

Fog trying to creep over the south ridge
on Sunday afternoon.

High valley fog to the northwest also
on Sunday.

Friday 11/27. Gridder drove up and brought a friend with him this afternoon.  Turns out his friend actually drove one of the cement mixers that came up to pour the cement for the poles when our home was being built seven years ago.  We had a nice visit and then Gridder wanted to show MAX to his friend.  Since he seems to be quite taken with MAX, JB asked Gridder if he wanted to drive the vehicle.  He had a great time going up and around the south ridge.  Like a kid driving a car for his first time!

Later the Sixes drove up in both their UTV's.  (So nicknamed the Sixes as they have four boys, so there are six in the family.)  Seems Gridder went over to visit them, knowing they were up at their cabin.  He mentioned that Miss Kitty was in the shop and he didn't think he could get his trailer out to go pick her up when she is ready because of the snowy road.  Mr Sixes, who brings their large UTV over on the trailer every time they come up and parks it down by the paved road, said it would be no problem for him to get Miss Kitty.  So he left their side-by-side UTV with us, saying we could use it until Miss Kitty was fixed.  Then he would drive her up and get his UTV.  Wow!  I was a bit overwhelmed by their generosity.

Well, it is the day after Thanksgiving and I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do for a Christmas card this year.  Usually I have it all figured out by August.  This year - not a clue.

Our high for the day was 33.  The sky remained clear and there is an air stagnation alert for our area.

Unfortunately my muse seems to keep opposite hours than I do.  My 2:00 am fire checks are turning into two hour writing frenzies.  I need some sleep!  My living room chair was never intended to be used as a bed. . .

Saturday 11/28.  It was 24 and clear again this morning with valley fog.  Thanksgiving morning the temperature down at Larry and Elsie's was 13!  We are often warmer Up Here than Down There in the winter.

Again I was up writing when doing the fire check.  Had to go back to bed for an hour after getting up at 8:00 am to feed the chickens and dogs.  We left for our second Thanksgiving dinner at 11:30 am, all the while hoping I wouldn't fall asleep in my plate.  Well, I didn't have to worry about that as we were just having too much fun and eating too much good food.  I have decided that I could eat Thanksgiving dinner several times a week and not get tired of it.

We were back home a little after 5:00 pm.  I snoozed in my chair for a while and then we watched Jurassic World which Gridder loaned us.  It was very well done and entertaining, but I think the original movie, Jurassic Park, was the best of the series.

Sunday 11/29. it was 20 this morning with clear skies and valley fog.  A lot better than the six degrees it has been at Randy's for a couple of nights.  The valley fog settled in and stayed all day.  I don't think Larry and Elsie ever saw the sun.  

It was a nice, lazy day.  Read the mail we picked up yesterday.  JB installed Word and Excel back on my computer.  I worked on Christmas presents.

Our high for the day was only 28.  The fog was trying to creep up and across our south ridge when we went on our afternoon walk, but the sun forced it back down.

We began watching the second season of Elementary this evening.  Such a great show!  When JB went out to check the temperature at 9:30 pm before we went to bed, it had dropped to ten degrees.  Thank goodness for those fleece sheets!

Regarding the comment about chickens liking variety in their diet, I can see that your chickens are spoiled also!  Ours are just lucky that they haven't been invited to the stew pot, since they are no longer earning their keep by laying eggs.  But, yes, I will have to see what I can do about variety although it's not easy to keep fresh greens Up Here in the winter.

Monday 11/30. We are fogged in this morning with a temp of 8, and our world has a thick frosting of rime.

Thought for the day: The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money.  J.H. Jowett

November 27, 2015 A Novel & Very Happy Thanksgiving

Dinga & Jesse on our short walk Wednesday.

JB's loaf of bread.

Wednesday 11/25. I hesitated to write this, but last Saturday, when I got up at 2:00 am to check the fire, my muse smacked me over the head with an idea for the novel I have always wanted to write.  I stayed up for almost two hours writing.  Ever since then I have be jotting down notes, day and night.  I started it on my computer and am trying to learn to use the little recorder that JB gave me several years ago.  It may take me a year, five years or ten to complete it.  Or perhaps it will be a journey without an end.  But I have started it.  Can't go anywhere until you start.

On JB's morning walk with the dogs, he saw lots of deer, rabbit and squirrel tracks on the south ridge.  That's another thing we like about the snow, being able to see what critters have been around.

Did laundry and dishes.  Worked on Christmas presents.  JB baked a beautiful loaf of bread.  Read our books.  The dogs and I went out for a hike down the driveway, but I cut it short as I couldn't keep my fingers warm.  We went up to the north ridge and back home.

While my phone was charging, Randy left a message that if our lowest temp inside was indeed 67, then he is ready to move in!  Well, that's the temp in the great room.  The bathroom is always a few degrees cooler, and the bedroom averages about 54, as we leave the window open a few inches and the door (curtain) closed.

Not a cloud in the sky all day long.  A bright, sunny day with a high of 30.  Randy sent photos of their place, which looks a lot like ours with all the snow.

Watched the last episodes of the last season of Burn Notice.  Loved it!

There is no more beautiful sight than a full moon on a snowy forest. . .

Thursday 11/26. It was 24 with clear skies this morning.  Buster arrived at 5:00 am to play! 

JB's Mom called to wish us Happy Thanksgiving.  She said not to worry that we can't be over there as she will eat our portions.

I baked pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese filling to take with us to dinner.  JB started up all of the vehicles.  We just took our time getting ready to leave, which we did at 2:50 pm.  It took 40 minutes to go the three miles down to Larry and Elsie's, but it was such a beautiful drive on such a lovely day.  No storm and our high for the day was 36.  The sun melted the snow off the side of the roof and all the trees it could reach.

We had such a fun time at dinner and completely stuffed ourselves.  The moon was out on our drive home and lit our way.  We were in bed by 8:30 pm, completely sated with food and friendship.

Friday 11/27. It is, once again, 24 and clear this morning.  I can see the almost full moon sitting just above the mountains.  Now we just have to get ready for tomorrow's big dinner.

Thought for the day: Stress cannot exist in the presence of pie. David Mamet

November 25, 2015 More Snow & Ear Worms

The mountains & our snowy landscape.

Monday 11/23. Valley fog covered the river and down town all day, but never made it very far up the canyon.  By mid day the sky was overcast and our high for the day was 32.

I worked on Christmas presents.  JB drove MAX around a bit to be sure he is ready in case we don't get Miss Kitty back in time.  The repair shop called with a price for us to approve and they will get the parts ordered.  The cost is just a little more than what we had for the trees, so we are good to go.

We both finished our books and started new ones.  I am now reading a book by a new author, Imogen Robertson, which is Anatomy of Murder.  Set in 1870's London and very good.  JB is reading Government Zero by Michael Savage, which is the book Larry and Elsie gave him for his birthday.

By the first week in November, the sun has migrated too far south for us to see the sunset any longer, as it is behind the trees on the west end of the south ridge.  But we can still see any colors that radiate from it.

When we talked to Larry on the radio this evening at 7:00 pm, he alerted us to the fact that the ground was rapidly turning white.

Tuesday 11/24. It was 28 and lightly snowing this morning.  While I took care of my morning chicken duties, JB and the dogs hiked up to the panels to clear them off and measure the snow.  We received another 2-1/2", so there is about 3" to 3-1/2" on the ground.

Time current Time magazine is about ISIS and the 25 best inventions of 2015.  Always an amazing list.  The most interesting one for us is the Banza chickpea pasta, with double the protein, four times the fiber of traditional pasta and, of course, gluten free.

There is a frog singing to us from under the house!  Must be a mutant, warm-blooded one or he is nesting right under the wood stove.

I have decided that I really do not want to have to vote for Trump for president.  While I might agree with many of his ideas, he does not have a diplomatic bone in his body.  And that is crucial for any president.  ("Have to" meaning that he is chosen as the Republican candidate.)

I seem to be very susceptible to ear worms.  And I don't even have to hear a tune, just think about it.  Right now I am trying to rid my brain of "The Easter Parade".  Where did that come from?!

A few nights ago I began setting my alarm for 2:00 am to get up and check the fire.  So basically I am losing about an hour of sleep, as it takes about 15-20 minutes to get one going to the point of having it burn just right, going to the bathroom, and then getting back to sleep.  JB takes the 5:00 am check.  So far the house temp in the house has not been lower than 67.  With that loss of sleep come my lovely naps. . .

Wednesday 11/25.  It is 22 with clear, blue skies this morning.  JB plans to do some baking and I'll still be working on Christmas presents.

Thought for the day: I believe humans get a lot done, not because we're smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.  Flash Rosenberg

November 23, 2015 A Tree, A Dance & Thanksgiving Plans

Rabbit tracks next to JB's tracks
across the north ridge.

Rimed grass on the south ridge.

Friday 11/20. Instead of being Up Here just dinking around today, we really should have been been driving down to check our road for any trees blocking it.  Oh, well.  This was brought home when Larry called this evening to tell us about a tree they discovered while out on a drive across our road that would have to be cut.  JB will have his saw with him when he goes Down There tomorrow.  The saw stays in the car now.

Our son also called us this evening to say, "I just drove my son to his first dance!  I feel so old!"  Well, listen Kiddo.  Try having your son call you to say he just drove his son to his first dance, then tell me how old you feel. . .

We watched Space Cowboys this evening between phone calls which is, in our opinion, the best non-sci-fi space movie ever made.  With Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland, how could it not be?

Saturday 11/21. It was 20 and mostly clear this morning.  There is a bridge out on the highway over Stevens Pass, so no traffic can get to the west side that way.  The only other major pass is Snoqualamie which now will certainly be twice as jam-packed over the holiday weekend.  With that bit of news and the weather forecast of another storm and frigid temperatures, we have decided not to go to Seattle for Thanksgiving.  I am so very disappointed, but I guess it serves me right for planning it in the first place.  There is ALWAYS a storm over Thanksgiving weekend.  I remember many a time having to use candles to eat by because the power was out.

JB left for Down There about 9:00 am.  He was able to cut the tree and pull it out of the way with his Jeep.  Fortunately there were no other ones down. 

Fog tried creeping in from the southeast, but the sun soon put an end to that.  For the past week or so, the south ridge seems to be the dividing line for the weather, with snow and fog in the canyons to the south and only a rain in the canyons to the north and in town.

While JB was gone, I defrosted the fridge and worked on Christmas presents.  Brought in the last pieces of fire wood from the first row in the wood shed, and started on the second row.  Also had a nice chat with Nene.  We are both very disappointed that we won't be visiting her on Friday.  And now we will have to mail our presents to each other.

JB arrived back home at about 2:30 pm.  He had seen Gridder on his way back up the canyon who extended an invitation to their Thanksgiving dinner next Saturday.  Mrs. Gridder's folks will be there also and we do so enjoy their company.  So we will be having two special dinners.  We will celebrate the holiday with Larry, Elsie and their daughter's family on Thanksgiving evening, and then again on Saturday with the Gridders.  How nice!

In the mail, we had received several TV series that I had ordered on sale from Hastings, so this evening we finally got to start watching the last season of Burn Notice, just two or three years late.

Sunday 11/22. It was 22 and clear this morning.  We have had the fleece sheets on our bed for a couple weeks and they are proving to be dangerous.  It can be just too hard to crawl out of them on cold mornings, which is every morning now. . .

Sandy called this morning and we had a nice long talk.  It's cold in Santa Rose also now.  Well, cold for them.  Then Randy called.  I talked to him for a few minutes and then handed the phone over to JB so they could discuss solar panels.  He is getting fed up with losing power so often.

Some thin, high clouds moved in from the southwest covering part of the sky, but the sun managed to shine through them.  Our high for the day was 30.

JB baked a banana coffee cake and made German pancakes for dinner.  Since I don't like to eat breakfast until around 11:00 am, we have moved Sunday breakfast to dinner time.

Larry called to see if we wanted to play marbles this evening, so they came up about 6:30 pm.  We got to laughing so hard that by the time they left after the second game, my stomach hurt.  Guys won the first game by a mile.  Gals won the second game by one throw of the die.

Regarding the comment about chickens liking cabbage and kitchen scraps, our girls decided a few weeks ago that they are tired of cabbage and bananas.  So in addition to their oatmeal, I also include some spinach and any other greens I have left over.  I think they are getting spoiled. . .

Monday 11/23. It is 24 with a few little clouds floating by thing morning.  We have a 70% chance of snow this evening.

Thought for the day: The bad news: Time flies.  The good news: You're the pilot.

November 20, 2015 A Lesson Not Learned & Homework

Snow-plastered bird house.

Moving the swing seat.

Wednesday 11/18. We had actually received two inches of snow during the night, not one inch.

Randy called this morning.  Our wind storm reached him last night.  Says he feels lucky to still have a roof on his house!  Several trees were down across his road, but fortunately a neighbor got them all cleaned up.

While grinding up cabbage in the garbage disposal for the septic tank this morning, I did not use enough water and managed to clog up the drain.  Have sent many a ground cabbage down the drain before and this never happened.  So we spent the better part of this afternoon cleaning that out.  Had to completely take out the garbage disposal to get to the clogged pipe.  I have very little patience with plumbing issues, so not only was the air heavy with the lovely scent of cabbage, it was also turning blue as I verbalized my bad attitude.  Pretty sure the Universe was trying to teach me something.  Pretty sure I did not learn whatever it was.

We are seeing deer almost every day now, whether from the porch or on our walks.  Very unusual, as the dogs more often than not chase them off before we get a sighting.

Our son was telling us about a special homework assignment our 11-year-old grandson was given for his religion class (they attend a Catholic school).  He has to keep a daily journal, written as if he was a slave building the pyramids.  His third entry read: Today the pharaoh increased our work hours, so the rest of my entries won't be as long.  Smart kid!

In talking to Larry on the radio this evening, we found out that they barely got a dusting of snow.  We were on the north east side of the storm, so there was really nothing to the north of us.

Thursday 11/19. It was 30 and lightly snowing this morning.  The snow fell til about noon, but was so light, it barely made a difference.

I let the dogs out at 4:00 am and there must have been a lot of critters out and about because Jesse stayed out barking for more than 1-1/2 hours!  I put in a fire and just curled up on the love seat.  Finally JB got up, went out on the porch and fired off a round.  Within a couple minutes Jesse was back home.  So when I finally got up at 8:00 am, I fed the girls and dogs, made my coffee, did one sudoku, and was back in bed at 9:00 am for an hour.  Just couldn't stay awake.

Larry called before they left for work this morning to let us know there was a tree across the road in the aspen.  He said it was small enough to cut with a hand saw, so JB will do that when he goes Down There on Saturday.

After laundry and lunch, JB moved the seat of the swing with the tractor over to the porch.  Since we do not have any wood stacked on the north end, we decided to put the swing seat, porch chairs and a bench there, and cover them with a tarp.  That will protect the porch from snow just like a row of wood.  A big job, and by the time we were done around 2:00 pm, the sun was shining in a blue sky.

Buster braved the snowing road to come up and visit for a while.  Once again, Jesse took a long nap after he left.  Well, if Buster is here then the tree across the road must have been moved as his owner would have to do that to get to his cabin.

Our high for the day was 34, but there was very little melting.  Still snow on the trees that weren't in the sun.

Friday 11/20. It is 26 with blue sky this morning.  The forecast is for mostly dry weather through next week so we just might be able to make it to Seattle for Thanksgiving.

Thought for the day: I feel it is healthier to look at the world through a window rather than through a mirror.  With a mirror, all you see is yourself and whatever is behind you.  Bill Withers

Speaking of mirrors, I have to mention a plaque I saw in a catalogue that read:  My house is haunted.  Every time I look in a mirror, I see a crazy old lady!

November 18, 2015 A Frozen Road & Wild Weather

Our yard Wednesday morning.

Monday 11/16. Just as I thought, the muddy road had frozen so there was no slipping and sliding, just bumpety-bumping, as I drove Down There this morning.  Got my crown, and although it cost as much as a tiara, it certainly does not sparkle like one, even when I open my mouth.  Very disappointing.

While I was gone, JB baked muffins, moved benches and other items out of harms way from the impending storm.  He also parked the tractor in a more sheltered area by the wood shed.

Our high Up Here was only 32 and none of the frozen puddles on the road had melted by the time I returned home.  The dogs both came back in covered with snow when we let them out a little after 7:00 pm.  By 9:00 pm, we had more than an inch covering the ground.

One of those days when I was just glad it was over. . .

Tuesday 11/17. It was 40 and raining with wind gusts to 32 mph when we got up this morning.  Only a few dots of white left from last night.  So very glad we do not have to go Down There for a while.

The wind soon increased its gusts to 40 mph and the rain was coming in horizontally.  That was our weather for the entire day.  It blew over the wood cradle.  I fastened the top of the cistern with tie-downs just to be on the safe side.  It ripped the tarp off of the wood on the end of the porch, so I had to re-stack the end and fasten down the tarp better.

Anything I did outside was just nasty!  Got wood.  Fed the girls.  Had to clean out debris from the two drains.

Inside, I worked on Nene's Christmas present.  JB was on his computer for a while.  And since we had received two envelopes from Sandy, we had lots of crossword puzzles to solve.  Poor Dinga was a velcro dog all day with wind roaring about.

The wind finally died down sometime while we were watching the fourth Die Hard movie this evening.  The temperature fell and snow began to fall.  So after all that crazy weather during the day, the porch and front yard looked just the same as they had last night - white with snow.  Our high for the day was 42, but by 9:30 pm it was 28.

Wednesday 11/18. It is 26 this morning and we have 1" of snow on the ground.  Another storm is due in tomorrow.  I can hardly wait. . .

Regarding the comment about the mysterious eyes, I don't think we have foxes in the area (although I sure wish we did).  There are feral dogs, but we have never seen them. 

Thought for the day: I believe in the power of prayer; the energy of love; the strength of faith, and the promise of hope.  FearlessRider.com

November 16, 2015 Mud, Deer & Mysterious Eyes

My swing, after the wind storm.

Friday 11/13. The large buck was back on the south ridge this morning.  I got to see him, but was unable to get a picture.  He has a huge rack.

Last night we had a big gust of wind that swept around the north side of the porch and knocked everything off that end, including the water barrel (empty), rubber mat, and an old milk can.  It continued up to the cistern and took the heavy, metal top off the riser and tossed it about twenty feet.  Nasty!

Still windy this morning, but I was on my way Down There by 8:30 am, and managed to slide sideways on a few areas of the very muddy and slick road.  Half-way down a hawk flew right in front of me carrying a small rabbit.  Not a sight I really like to see.

I knew that Gridder would never make it up to our place with his truck and trailer to get Miss Kitty tomorrow, so I stopped and talked to him.  He is quite the mechanic and said he would go up and take a look at Miss Kitty this afternoon to see if he could get her started.  So nice to have such great neighbors.

Passed my check-up with flying colors.  Our hospital now offers 3-D mammograms and our insurance pays for them.  Woo hoo!!

Lots of shopping to do and didn't get to it until almost noon, so I didn't arrive back home til after 4:00 pm.  It was easier going up the road than down, but still very slick.  I don't remember our road being this bad since about five years ago when Sandy visited and it rained for three days straight.  I think I got up our driveway only because my guardian angel was pushing. . .

Took a while to unload the car and get everything put away.  I always buy myself a new pair of Dearfoam slippers at Costco every November and today was the day.  Funny how such a small thing can be such a big bit of happy!

Gridder was able to get Miss Kitty started this afternoon, so the problem may not be as bad as we thought.  JB will drive her down tomorrow to Gridder's, where they will put her on the trailer and take her to the shop.

Just before bedtime, JB always goes out on the porch to check the temperature and shine his flashlight around.  Tonight he saw three sets of blue eyes staring back at him down by the outhouse.  Coyotes' eyes are red and cats' eyes are yellow, so not sure what they were.  Bear?  Deer?  Dogs?

What a sad day for Paris!

Saturday 11/14. It was 38 and overcast this morning.  JB left for Gridder's in Miss Kitty a little after 10:00 am.  He called at 11:30 to say they were on their way back from dropping her off to be fixed, so I drove his Jeep down to pick him up.  Much easier to navigate the road in his vehicle than mine!  Took some rose hip-orange marmalade down for them and had a nice but short visit.  Picked up the mail, which consisted of mainly catalogues, after all it is almost the holiday season.  

By the looks of things, I thought for sure Rose Camp would be up in the clouds, but it was actually above them, which was nice for a change.

I climbed up onto the hen house roof to fasten down the tarp a little better for winter, and then we took the dogs for their afternoon walk.

Our second night of watching a Die Hard movie.  Will watch the third one tomorrow.  Yippee Ki Yay!

Sunday 11/15. It was 38 again and raining this morning when I got up at 8:00.  Soon it couldn't make up its mind if it was going to rain or snow.  By 10:00 am, it had definitely decided to snow and was it sticking.  By 11:00, it stopped falling altogether and the white was gone by mid afternoon.

JB drove down to Larry's at noon to help him split and stack wood.  They are a little late getting their wood in this year.  I worked on my computer, did some filing, and other inside work.

Talked to both Randy and Nene today.  Always enjoyable.

When JB got back home around 4:00 pm, he said that Larry thought those eyes JB saw Friday night were probably deer.  I hope so because the bears should have been going into their dens a week or so ago according to the Farmer's Almanac.

Our high for the day was 40, but it was already back down to 30 when JB got back Up Here.

I have to go Down There again tomorrow for another doctor's appointment and to the dentist to get a crown on my broken tooth.  Will definitely take JB's Jeep.  I hope this is the last time we have to go down our road until we try to make it to Seattle for Thanksgiving!

Monday 11:16. It is a chilly 26 this morning and the sky looks to be mostly clear.  Hard to tell when the sun isn't up yet, but I can see the brilliant white Cascades to the west.  Hope to be on my way by 8:00 am so I can take my time, but it should be a little easier now since it was so cold last night.  The mud has probably hardened a bit.

Thought for the day: My dentist says I need a crown - Finally someone agrees with me.  (Seen on a T-shirt in a catalogue.)

November 13, 2015 A Hike, A Visit & Wind

The view to the east on Thursday's hike.

Wednesday 11/11. Dinga spotted a deer this morning on the east slope.  It is much harder to see them now with their grey winter coats.

The snow stopped falling around 8:30 am.  Soon after, the sun was shining in a blue sky.  We received about 1/4", a little less than on Monday.  And, as before, none of it fell in the canyon.  Larry and Elsie just got rain.

We did our daily chores and laundry.  JB tried to get my computer to recognize the scanner, but to no avail.

I am going Down There on Friday for my annual check-up and mammogram.  And also for my big, winter shopping event.  Have been inventorying the pantry to be sure we have an accurate count and making a long list for both Costco and Fred Meyer.

By our afternoon walk, the sky was mostly overcast again.  Larry and Elsie drove up for a visit this evening and to bring JB a book for his birthday.  We had a nice long chat, and it was snowing again when they left at 9:00 pm.

Thursday 11/12. This morning was 30 and overcast.  Just before I got up a little after 8:00 am, JB and the dogs saw a huge buck just ambling across the south ridge.  He barely even acknowledged the dogs, and they didn't get too close.

I got all my mail ready to send tomorrow when I go Down There, and found our winter quilt that I need to drop off at the laundromat.

The dogs and I went on a hike after lunch way up to the top of Erno's property which is to the east of us.  Looks like it was snowing in the mountains and to the north of us most of the day.  A few errant flakes reached us, but that was it.

Friday 11/13. It is a blustery morning with wind gusting to 23 mph and a temp of 46.  The snow has completely disappeared but more is on the way for the weekend.

Thought for the day: The path isn't a straight line.  It is a spiral.  You continually come back to things you thought you understood and see deeper truths.

November 11, 2015 Our First Snows of The Season

Our snow by 10:00 am Monday.

Dried and frosted wild flowers.

Monday 11/9. Got dressed right after successfully solving several sudoku (say that five times fast).  We both went out to unload the branches from the trailer.  Stacked as many of the large ones as we could in the cradle and the rest on the ground.  Took a big load in the wheel barrow of the smaller ones I had already snipped to size to the wood shed and stacked them.  It was snowing by the time we stepped out to do this, and the ground was turning white, as were our coats.

Had to cancel our appointment to get the trees cut, as there as no way the truck would make it up here.  Plus I am sure they wouldn't want to work in a snow storm.  We were told that we could give them one day's notice to come up, but I think we are going to have to use the money to have Miss Kitty fixed instead.

JB baked blueberry scones this afternoon.  I cut the fabric and covered the tops of my marmalade jars.  And we both relaxed with our books.  We have discovered a new author that we both like - Steve Berry.  Very similar to Dan Brown.

Had a nice chat with Randy yesterday and Nene today.  She is getting pouring rain and wants summer back.  Not a fan of cold weather.

The snow flakes turned back into rain drops around 1:00 pm and it all stopped falling by 2:00 pm.  The sky cleared a little, as did the ground.  By the time of our 3:30 pm walk, most of the snow had disappeared.  Our high for the day was 35, and all the peaks around us were white.

In talking to Larry on the radio this evening, we learned that they just got rain and were surprised that it had snowed Up Here.

Tuesday 11/10. It was 28 with blue sky, a heavy frost and valley fog this morning.  A beautiful day in which to get things done.

I brought in a few loads of fire wood and vacuumed.  Washed the dishes and cleaned up the house a bit.  Scrambled egg and blueberry scone for breakfast.  Yumm!

I really do need to get more exercise.  And I am sure that is what the doctor will tell me when I go for my annual check-up on Friday.  I am just not out and about Up Here nearly as much as I was the first four or five years.  I know I have written this a few times in the last year or so, but have done nothing about it.  Time to change all that.

A light overcast began creeping in from the southwest and by early afternoon most of the sky was covered.  A few inches of snow are predicted for early tomorrow morning down into the valleys.

After lunch I grabbed the macintosh and walked down to the hair-pin turn with the dogs to dig out the drainage "ditch" that had filled up with silt.  It is about 6" deep and fifteen feet long.  That was certainly a good cardio workout, as well as the hike back up.

Our high for the day was 42, but that couldn't have been for more than five minutes.  And there was a cool breeze blowing.

Wednesday 11/11.  Honoring our veterans today, including JB who was in Vietnam.

It is 30, windy and snowing this morning.  The wind howled most of the night, gusting to 22 mph.

Thought for the day: What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday.

November 9, 2015 Flu Shots, Birds & More Wood

Snow falling on Mission Ridge Thursday.

Friday 11/6. The nuthatches were certainly noisy today.  Lots of other birds out and about too.  The varied thrushes tend to arrive in the evening.  JB is the bird expert, looking them all up in our book and identifying them.  Then I get to sound knowledgeable also.

We tilted the solar panels all the way down this morning, in order to catch the rays of the winter sun.

I finally made the rose hip-orange marmalade this afternoon.  The three pounds gave me 9-1/2 jelly-jars worth.

Saturday 11/7. It was 34 when I got up this morning at 7:50 am, and was just in time to see the fog moving in from all directions.  It only stayed about an hour, and was on its way back Down There about the same time we were.  The hospital was having a free flu-shot clinic today, so we took advantage of that and ran a few errands.  Nene had showed me that Walmart has the Glutino gluten-free pretzels that we like for a reasonable price, so we bought some of those.  Bought some books at the Salvation Army thrift store, and visited Larry and Elsie.  

We were back home by 1:00 pm and up in the clouds.  The rest of the day was perfect for just staying inside by the fire and reading papers, mail and our books.

Our high for the day was 40.  A very damp and chilly 40.

Sunday 11/8. It was 37 and partly cloudy this morning.  I had planned to get some inside things done today, but as plans usually go. . .

Larry called as we were washing the dishes.  It seems that when they were on their drive last night, they discovered a large tree across the road.  They called the neighbor who owns that property and were told they could have the tree and any other downed trees in the area.  So instead of driving out to forest service land to cut wood, as they had planned to do this morning, they got their wood nice and close to home.  Larry told us there were a lot of big branches that he knew we liked for firewood, so JB hooked up the trailer and we drove on up.  Larry and Elsie got more than a cord of wood and we filled our trailer.  Then Larry drove their truck down to empty it and I drove JB's Jeep and the trailer back up to our place, while JB and Elsie stayed to watch the burn pile that they had started in order to clean up all the small and unused branches.  

I came back with Miss Kitty just before Larry arrived with their empty truck.  The neighbor who owned the place arrived shortly after that with his family in tow, and we all stood around the bonfire chatting and keeping warm.  Buster was there barking for people to throw his stick again and again and again.  A very good afternoon. 

We left about 3:30 pm and realized, as we drove home in Miss Kitty, that she has a problem with her transmission.  Oh, goody. . .

Looks like the tree people may actually be able to get Up Here tomorrow.  The snow may not arrive until Monday night or Tuesday.

Monday 11/9. It is 34 and trying to snow this morning.  A rain/snow mix is falling.  Not sure if the tree people will make it up now or not.

Thought for the day: Good Morning.  This is God.  I will be handling all your problems today.

November 6, 2015 Scraping Dirt & Making Marmalade

Our clean and fairly level splitting area.

Blondie & Betty eating
breakfast, after Belinda
got her fill.

Wednesday 11/4. I made oatmeal for the girls this morning and put dehydrated broccoli and a few pomegranate arals in it.  Oh, my!  Did they love that!

Buster was up to visit this morning.  Last Saturday he was here at 6:00 am!  He is such a character.  But today's visit completely wore out Jesse.  It is the first time he has come inside before Buster left.

After lunch and chores, JB used the tractor to clean up and level the area where we use the splitter.  He moved a few bucket loads to the north side of the large swale, where I stacked it all against the side to reinforce it.  Then he used the bucket to scrape the splitting area, dumping the dirt on the lower north side.  I raked it, effectively creating a small swale.  Looks good.

Alcoa announced that they are cutting way back on smelting and will be laying off 400 people in Wenatchee alone.  That is going to be a big economic blow to the area.  So if there is going to be little or no smelting of iron, steel or aluminum in the United States, what do we do in the case of war or other situations where a lot of those are needed?  Why is this country putting itself in a situation of relying so heavily on other countries?

We watched The Postman starring Kevin Costner this evening.  One of the first apocalyptic movies. . .

Thursday 11/5. It was 34 and mostly cloudy with a breeze this morning.

JB left for Down There a little after 10:00 am to run several errands, go to his regular pace-maker check up, and possibly spend some of his birthday money.  I spent the day inside mostly doing chores, working on my computer and getting the rose hips ready to make marmalade.  Got a bit of a late start on the rose hips as they need to be in the steamer/juicer for 2-1/2 hours.  I was able to get a pint of juice, then it took me almost two hours to squeeze the seed pods out of all of them.  I will cook and can the marmalade tomorrow.

A light rain began falling just before 1:00 pm and lasted about an hour.  JB called to see if it was snowing.  He arrived home at 4:30 pm, and had met a neighbor on the road up.  Always good to chat and get the latest news.

Snow is in the forecast for early next week.  We can only hope that it holds off until Monday night, as the tree people are coming up on Monday to take down our three trees.

Friday 11/6. It is 34 and mostly cloudy again this morning.

Thought for the day: Be alert.  The world needs more lerts.  (This was one of my Mother's favorites.  She taught grade school for 25 years and always had this sign in her classroom.)

November 4, 2015 An Egg & A Safe Computer!



A rainbow after the storm.

The tree across our road.

Gridder's pygmy goats on
our visit Sunday.



The last of my tomatoes, ripening on
my kitchen windowsill.

Monday 11/2. This morning when I went to feed the girls, I found an egg that was obviously left over from yesterday!  JB had given the girls their afternoon corn and had not even looked for eggs.  I figured it was Blondie's birthday present for him.

I feel so removed from today's fast-paced world.  It's all too fast, so techie.  And I do not understand many of the terms that are used.  I could see this in our visit with my brother, his son and a friend Saturday evening, and almost every time I talk to our son.  I see it when I read Time magazine and other such periodicals.  My first reaction is that I am so glad we live Up Here on the mountain, but then immediately on the heels of that, I am thinking that I am missing out on something.  Possibly something big.  Or not. . .

And, speaking of Time magazine, there is a very interesting article in the 11/5 issue entitled "The War On Delicious", which is about red meat and cancer.  Lots of takes on political BS involved with the FDA, etc.  But in the end it pretty much says: all things in moderation.  And isn't that just a good rule for life in general.

No wind today, but yesterday it blew some little tomatoes right off the vine.  The day was so quiet without all that bluster.  Sometimes the silence can be quite loud. . .

Regarding the banana-coconut-chocolate chip bread - it turned out sooo delicious.

Well, it's that time of year again when we are eating dinner by candlelight.

Tuesday 11/3. Our first morning down to freezing.  It was 32 and mostly overcast.  However, we did see some ice on the shallow puddles when we drove down our driveway on Sunday.

Since it was so cold, I decided to pick the few tomatoes that were on the vine and bring them inside to ripen.

It was an average day at Rose Camp today, and I spent a lot of time on my computer.  JB puttered around in the cold shop a bit.  The overcast cleared and our high for the day was 48, but as before, I am sure that was just for a very few minutes.

Wednesday 11/4. It is 28 with clear skies this morning.  Definitely time to start making hot cereal for the girls' breakfast.

Thought for the day: A year from now, you'll wish you had started today.  Anonymous

November 2, 2015 Birthdays & A Stormy Weekend

(No photos as I am still using JB's computer.)

Friday 10/30. Windy all day with sustained winds in the mid teens and gusts to 30 mph.  Occasionally the wind brought in rain from the west.

I finished saving all the photos and documents off of my computer.  Did laundry, which I hung inside to save it from being blown into the next county.  I actually braved the wind and pick up a couple armloads of kindling that had been blown off the trees.

JB napped while I read the current Smithsonian magazine which features articles on little-known facts about U.S. history, from the slave trade to the C.I.A.  A very good read.

When I attended the craft fair earlier in the month, I treated myself to three metal garden stakes which read: Believe, Giggle, and Dream.  I am amazed at the impact that just seeing those words has on my attitude.  Each time they create a smile on my face and in my mind.

Saturday 10/31. It was 46, windy, and rain was falling this morning, as it had all night.  Poor Dinga does not like the noise of the wind and becomes a velcro dog.  Rain fell continuously all day, sometimes light and sometimes drenching, but the storm blew itself out by about 3:00 pm.  Only a light rain fell off and on after that, but there was only a breezy remnant of the blustery wind.

I spent the afternoon getting ready to visit RJ and Mike at their cabin to celebrate RJ's birthday.  Cooked up a big pot of chili and some cornbread.  JB made giant chocolate muffins.  We left for RJ's at 4:00 pm and it took us 50 minutes to drive the four miles.  We spent about ten of those minutes cleaning up branches from a dead tree that had fallen across our road.  Fortunately it was at such an angle that we could drive under one side of it.

We had a great visit full of lively conversation and good food, and were on our way home after a couple of hours.  The road was actually a lot better than we had anticipated, with just a few slippy, slidey places, but lots of puddles.  When we arrived back at Rose Camp at 7:30 pm, the sky was mostly clear and the wind had picked up again.

We received a little more than an inch of rain and another 50 gallons of water in our barrels.  The west side of the mountain is supposed to receive a record amount of rain this weekend and Mt. Rainier may get up to 12-15 FEET of snow.

Sunday 11/1. It was 37 and windy with a few sprinkles this morning of JB's 73rd birthday.  But the wind soon blew the clouds away, gusting to 30 mph.

We all adjust much better to losing an hour than gaining one, especially the dogs.  This whole "daylight savings time" is such a farce.

The girls only gave us one egg in October.  Not sure what their problem is, but at least we are getting chicken manure.  They have also decided that they do not like cabbage any more, but they do love spinach and still enjoy their bananas.

We get to choose what we want for breakfast and dinner for our birthdays, and JB wanted biscuits and pork-sausage graving for breakfast.  So I made them and it was delicious.  He wanted baked potatoes, fully loaded, for dinner, so it was a very starchy day.

Varied thrushes have been arriving from Alaska lately.  They are about the size of a robin with markings similar to a nuthatch, but with more orange on their feathers.  Very pretty.

On JB's morning walk with the dogs, he could see snow on every elevation about 1000 ft above us, including Mission Ridge.  The mountains were in the clouds all day, so they should be heavily covered by tomorrow.

After lunch we drove down to pick up the mail, visit with the Gridders and cut the fallen tree off the road.  The wind had dried much of the sloppy mud off the road, but there were still plenty of puddles.  The whole outing took almost three hours and was quite enjoyable.

Our high for the day was 48, but that must have been for all of three minutes.  The wind was not sustained today.  It gusted to 30 and then completely died down, only to repeat that cycle all day long.  With that wind chill, it was really cold.

After filling up on our baked potatoes, piled high with onions, tomatoes, bacon and sour cream, we made a loaf of banana bread together.  I don't remember ever having done any baking after drinking a glass of wine, but it did remind me of the shirt I saw which read: I cook with wine, but after four glasses I don't remember why I am in the kitchen.

Monday 11/2. It is 38 and mostly cloudy this morning, but the clouds have lifted from the mountains and we can see they are covered in snow.  What a great sight!

Thought for the day: Life isn't always candy, cowboy boots and horses, but it should be.