July 29, 2016 Heat & Visitors

My morning companion
on the porch.

Wednesday 7/27. After JB left for Down There at 9:00 am, I hung out the laundry and then split the large branch and the trunk wood that he had cut yesterday.  And that was it for outside projects.  We are expecting increased heat and dry weather through Friday, but cooler temperatures for the weekend.

I asked Mrs. Gridder what time she would like me to be at her place Friday morning.  When she e-mailed me back, "Since it is going to be a hot day, how about 7:30", I almost asked, "a.m. or p.m.?"

The small brown eggs we got each day became almost as big as the white ones by Monday.  Then yesterday we got another tiny one, so another one of the younger girls must be laying now also.

While JB was gone, I re-arranged some of the kitchen cupboards and a few of the pantry shelves to make better use of them.  Still doing this after eight years.

My source for inexpensive DVDs, Hastings, is going bankrupt!  They are no longer selling on the internet, so one of JB's errands for today was to go to their store in town and spend our gift cards that I had purchased to use on-line.  There is really no other such store in town, so I suppose I will have to buy from Amazon.  I like neither that company nor their founder for their holier-than-thou attitude, and their could-care-less treatment of their employees.  It is pretty much "if you don't like it here, go ahead and quit.  There are plenty more where you came from."  My cousin quite several years ago and won a law suit against them to collect unemployment, as many others have.

There is a great article in the 7/25 issue of Time magazine entitled, "The healing power of nature."  It seems that the positive effects of being out in the woods can be physically measured.  And I am not at all surprised.

JB got home a little after 2:00 pm, very glad to leave most of the heat below.  The doctor said that he has osteopina, and possibly osteopourosis which is causing the problem in his knee.  But he is to go to the doctor the next time it blows up because it could also be gout.  Unfortunately there is nothing they can do unless he breaks something.  He is supposed to keep his leg as straight as possible and use two walking sticks when walking up or down hill.  And also get a bone density test next week.  He will have to start taking calcium and vitamin D, just like I do.

Just before dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Sixer arrived on their bikes, with three of their boys following in their side-by-side.  We had a great visit, and they invited us to dinner on Sunday at their cabin.  They have really been working on renovating it, to we are anxious to see it.  The Gridders and Larry and Elsie will also be invited for dinner.

We watched the last episode of Downton Abbey's season four and the last episode of season six.  I love the very last lines of this series.  Mrs. Crawley and the Dowager Countess are sitting together just after the stroke of midnight going into 1927.  Mrs. Crawley says, "Oh, this is exciting.  We are going into the future, not back into the past."  And the Countess replies, "If only we had a choice."

Thursday 7/28. It was 72 and clear this morning with a light breeze.  No outside work today, other than watering the flowers and garden.

I prepped everything for making blueberry jam, but it was just too hot.  I will make it on Sunday.  We both read papers and magazines that JB brought home yesterday, and just tried to stay cool.  I also cut JB's hair out on the porch in the afternoon.  Our high for the day was 88.

I will have to get up at 6:00 am tomorrow morning in order to be out of here by 7:00 am.  I have a list of several items I will be looking for, including a push mower.

Friday 7/29. It was 68 and clear when I got up at 6:00 am this morning.  Looking forward to the garage sales, just not the heat.

Thought for the day: Friendship is a know tied by angels.

July 27, 2016 More Wood, More Eggs, More Years

Fireweed along the main canyon
road by the aspen.

Moving large branches
to the cradle.

Monday 7/25. Jesse and I were on our way Down There to the vet at 8:30 am, and were able to be back home by 10:30, before the worst of the heat.  Since the splitter was in the shade, I split the big pieces of branch wood that JB had cut yesterday and one large round that JB helped me move.  By then it was too hot to do anything but nap and read books.

Our high for the day was 89. . .

Still on season four of Downton Abbey, and still loving it.

Tuesday 7/26. It was 62 and clear this morning.  Dinga woke us up around 2:00 am and we discovered that there was quite a light show going on to the northeast of us.  The sky was clear and the stars were out, except for over there.  She must have been able to hear the thunder, which we could not.  JB finally had to go sleep on the couch to calm her down.

We both managed to get a little more sleep, and were out right after breakfast.  JB cut the last cradle-full of branch wood that was there and several trunk pieces.  Then I loaded and he moved three tractor bucket loads to the splitter and four loads to the wood shed.  We then moved two piles of large branch wood in eight loads to the cradle.  And that was definitely enough for the day.

Our high for the day was 86.  Since it is so hot, I do not wait until 3:30 pm (the time of our afternoon walk, when it isn't so hot) to check for eggs.  We have been getting a small brown egg every day since the first one appeared on Friday.  And already they are almost as big as the white ones.

I took the humming bird feeders down today.  We have seen only one or two of the little guys in in past several days.  This is at least two or three weeks early for them all to have left.

Now that I am in the last year of my sixth decade on earth, 60-anything sounds so young.  But 70. . . well, 70-and-older is a badge of achievement.  Something to be proud of.  I am not sure that I look younger than 69, but I am quite sure that I look younger than 70.  We'll see when next May comes around.  

It is kind of like when I was in my late twenties.  I actually looked forward to turning thirty because 20-something sounded so immature.  The only birthday that really hit me hard was when I turned fifty.  Not sure why.  But it just sounded so very old.  But now both Sandy and I agree that we feel stuck at 50 mentally.  I know I am in better shape now than I was then, even though I was working in the fitness industry and had a gym to use at work.

Growing old gives one such a different sense of age.  There comes a point where time ceases to have meaning, or at least the meaning that is used to.

Wednesday 7/27.  It is 62 and clear this morning.  JB will be on his way Down There by 9:00 am for his doctor's appointment, to run some errands and buy some groceries.  It's going to be another hot one, especially in town.

Thought for the day: One is never old enough to know better.  Holbrook Jackson

July 25, 2016 Little Eggs & A Homecoming

Little egg vs. big egg!

Friday 7/22. Wasn't really excited about splitting and cutting more wood today.  By last Monday I was done with all the rounds that I could lift up onto the splitter in its horizontal position.  So I stood it up vertically so I can roll the larger ones into it, and larger they are.  These are definitely the biggest rounds I have ever split.

In his call this morning, JB said he has decided to buck the traffic and get an early start home tomorrow morning.  He plans to return via Hwy. 2 over Stevens Pass, and stop at the winery on his way.

I got the laundry started, then cut one cradle-full of wood and re-filled it.  Then I split one large round.  I put diesel in the tractor and moved six bucket loads to the wood shed.  I had more today because I hadn't moved the wood I cut yesterday.  I stacked it all except the kindling and broke for a late lunch.

After eating, it was really too warm in the sun to work outside.  The only place in the shade was the splitter, and I was done with that for the day.  So I read my book and cleaned up a bit inside.  Our high for the day was 74.

But the big news for the day is that we got our first little egg from one of the "little" girls (they are as big as the other three now)!  It was brown and a little speckled.  I thought we wouldn't be getting any until at least early September.

More Downton Abbey this evening, of course. . .

Saturday 7/23.  It was 52 and clear when I let the dogs out at 6:00 am.  Jesse has been sleeping on the bed with me all week while JB has been gone.  There really isn't room for the three of us comfortably, so we'll see what happens when JB gets home.

I puttered around inside and did a little weeding outside.  Traffic was heavy in a couple places for JB and much of the highway is just two lanes, so he didn't get home til 3:30 pm.  Needless to say, we were all very happy to see him.

Our high for the day was 75, and we got another little egg along with a big egg.  We relaxed this evening, watching three more episodes of season four of Downton Abbey.

Jesse was allowed to sleep on the bed, just for tonight. . .

Sunday 7/24. It was 62 and clear this morning with hot, dry weather in the forecast for the week.  Unfortunately we have to make at least two trips Down There, plus I plan to go garage saling with Mrs. Gridder on Friday.  Jesse has an appointment at the vet on Monday for his yearly shots, and JB goes to the doctor about his knee on Wednesday.  I also plan to going down to Larry and Elsie's this evening to pick some blueberries.

Right after breakfast we got outside so JB could use his large chainsaw to cut the rest of the pile of large branches by the cradle.  He cut three cradle loads (much faster than I do with the smaller, electric chainsaw), and then used the tractor to move it all to the wood shed in four trips.  Then I stacked it.

After lunch he finished the last of the wood pile that we were able to get stacked in the cradle, and then it was just too hot to do anything more outside.  Our high for the day was 79, and we got another little egg.  Would be nice if this were to be a daily event.

I was down at Larry and Elsie's at about 7:00 pm and picked blueberries for 1-1/2 hours.  They are so big!  Hopefully I will get some jam made this week.

Monday 7/25. It is already 66 and clear this morning.  Not looking forward to going down into the heat.

Thought for the day: Never underestimate the importance of being properly caffeinated.

July 22, 2016 All Things English

Frog on the fire weed
next to the porch.

Wednesday 7/20. It was another busy day of laundry and vacuuming, cutting and splitting wood.  I used the tractor to move four bucket loads of wood to the wood shed, and then stacked it after dinner.  The fourth row is about half full now.

It was a beautiful day with a high of 74.  And, of course, I watched several more episodes of Downton Abbey.  Because of this, I have been staying up much later than usual, and tonight I coaxed the dogs out at 10:30 pm to do their nightly business, hoping they wouldn't get me up to go out in the middle of the night.

Thursday 7/21. It was 58 and clear again this morning.  I will definitely get the dogs out late each night now as they did let me sleep with no interruptions.  They woke me up at 6:45 am and I was wide awake.  So I made my coffee and sat on the porch to enjoy the early morning.  I noticed a little green frog sitting on the fire weed by the porch and got a cute photo of it.

By the time JB called at 9:00 am, I had done my morning chores including all the watering, and was ready to get to the wood.  We had a nice chat, as usual, and when we were done, I cut one cradle-full of wood and refilled it.  Then I split some wood.  After that, I found that a large bush that I had wanted to cut down was in the shade, so I cut most of it.  Also worked on the shoring up the swale by the hen house.  Busy, busy day, but also quite warm, with a high of 81.

I love the peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies I baked a few days ago, but they can be very dangerous.  I could easily eat a dozen of them in one sitting.  I told JB that there may not be any left when he gets home, and I may just be right.

We have been invaded by ants the last couple weeks.  I have sprayed inside and out to no avail.  But today I finally found where they were entering the house, which is from the shop.  They were getting in where the deck (roof of the shop) meets the end of the house.  I thoroughly sprayed there and will put foam or sealant along the seam soon.  I didn't see any live ants in the house today.

Re-watching Downton Abbey has made me realize once again how much I love all things English.  My Mother was raised in London until she was seventeen, and my grandparents were the epitome of proper English, especially my grandfather.  My Mother was always proper in her manners, her grammar and her dress.  Always worried about "what the neighbors would think."  I think that hearing an English accent is very soothing to me because I associate it with mostly good times.

My maternal grandparents had been wealthy when my Mother was growing up and she inherited much of their beautiful, antique furniture, paintings, vases, knick-knacks, jewelry, and such.  Furnishings that I grew up with.  Even though we didn't have much money, we were surrounded by beautiful things, some of which, unfortunately, my Mother had to sell off as the years went by.  So, seeing all the incredible antiques in Downton Abbey, gives me great pleasure, as does hearing all the lovely English accents.

I also am envious of their many traditions, and those things sacred to them.  I think that is missing in America these days.  No tradition is so sacred that is cannot just be forgotten, or dispensed with.  People don't seem to care how they look any more.  They don't even dress up for church, or very many other occasions or situations.  I miss that.  It all seems to have gone downhill since the beginning of the 1960's.  So I can identify with the Dowager Countess when she wants things in her world to go back to the way it was before WWI.

Friday 7/22. It is 60 and mostly clear this morning with a breeze.  Didn't get a good night's sleep, I'm afraid.  The dogs wanted out at 2:30 am.  It was raining, and when they came in, Dinga paced around the bedroom for a good half hour.  Don't know if she was expecting thunder or what.

JB will most likely be home on Sunday.  Traffic over the passes is heavy going east on Saturdays.

Thought for the day: Money isn't everything as long as you have enough.  Malcom Forbes

July 20, 2016 Rain & Solitude

An odd cloud formation to
the south on Saturday.

Monday 7/18. With dark clouds threatening, I got outside right after talking with JB in order to get at least something done before the rain arrived.  I pulled tall weeds that grow along the road to the south ridge by the old wood berm.  It is easier to pull them when they are just two to four feet high, instead of five to six feet high.  And especially while the ground is soft and wet from all the rain.  I didn't quite finish before the rain began falling a little after 10:00 am, so I got a bit damp.

Then I fixed myself a big bowl of old fashioned oatmeal cooked with raisins, and added maple syrup and a little milk.  (Don't gag, Nene!)  The perfect breakfast on a cool, wet morning.  And I put a fire in the wood stove to take out the damp cold.  Our high for the day was just 64.

It rained off and on most of the day, so I finished a "fluff" book and began to read Tara Road by Maeve Binchy.  I have to be in the mood for her books, and I guess I am because I am really enjoying it.  I also baked peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies.

Between last night and tonight, I am up to the middle of the second season of Downton Abbey.  I am watching three or four episodes an evening and loving it.

Tuesday 7/19. It was 60 and cloudy this morning, with more thunder storms in the forecast.  I got out after a late breakfast and did some splitting.  Then I took a break and picked some wild currants.  We have a lot of them this year and I haven't ever done anything with them.  Our edible plant book says they are good for pies, tarts, jams, jellies and wine.

Randy called while I was picking currents and we had a nice talk.  He says the berries, including currants, are ripening over at his place now, too.  One of his other favorite blogs mentioned them just this morning.

After lunch I split some more wood and used the tractor to move it all over to the wood shed in 4-1/2 loads.  Then I drove the tractor up the road to the south ridge to collect all the weeds I pulled yesterday.  In doing that, I had to drive all the way around the ridge and there are a couple of rather steep places.  I did just fine though, and got the weeds dumped on the newest swale on the southeast slope.  

Then I stacked all the wood and took a rest on the porch.  I had to fill the humming bird feeders this morning, but I sure am not seeing very many of the little birds about.

We had a couple light showers move through in the late afternoon, but all the big thunder clouds went to the northeast, with smaller ones marching behind.  I could hear the thunder and see the rain falling as I puttered around outside after dinner.  The dogs heard it too, and stuck right by me.  Our high for the day was a very pleasant 71.

As much as I miss JB, I do enjoy the solitude of the mountain.  It is a very important part of my life, and I think it should be important to everyone.  We all need our alone time.  I know I do.  Time to do what I want to do and eat what I want to eat on my schedule.  Time to contemplate.  Time to listen to the silence.  Time to be.  But only for a week, thank you.  That is plenty long enough.

Well, that all sounds very nice, but there are the chickens and the dogs and the chores.  It's not a vacation, it's just a bit of solitude.

Up Here it is easy to be alone, even if we are both here.  After all, there is plenty of room for that on forty acres.  Of course there is usually a dog or two along, and I find myself talking to them more this week.  JB talks to them much more than I do, which is not to say that I do not give them any attention.  He just talks to them like he would another person and assumes they understand what he is saying.  From their actions, I think they do. . .

Wednesday 7/20. It is 58 and clear this morning.  Going to be another busy day.

Thought for the day: Do something every day that you don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.  Mark Twain

July 18, 2016 Tractor Lessons & Vegetable Gardens

Learning to use the tractor to
move the wood I cut and split
to the wood shed.

Friday 7/15. I cut one cradle-load of wood, but then it was in the sun and just too hot to do another.  After lunch the splitter was in the shade, so I used it.  About an hour before dinner, the cradle was in the shade so I cut another load and re-stacked it.

JB spent most of the day getting ready for his trip and taking care of a few things around the house for when he is gone.

And speaking of gone, the wren family has left.  They must have finally coaxed their other little one out of the nest.  It is so quiet without them here, and I was feeling a bit of melancholy.

Realizing that I had cut and split so much wood today, and would probably be doing a lot of that while JB was gone next week, I asked him for tractor lessons after dinner.  I had driven the tractor when we first bought it, but then left it to him.  It wasn't too hard and I had soon moved all the wood to the wood shed to be stacked tomorrow.

We had fresh broccoli from our garden on our baked potatoes for dinner!  It was so good.  This may be TMI, but both of us usually have a bit of a gassy problem with broccoli.  Interestingly enough, neither of us did with the homegrown.  Hmmm. . .

Saturday 7/16. It was 50 when JB got up at 6:30 this morning, without a cloud in the sky.  By the time he woke me at 8:00 am, the sky was completely overcast.

He was on the road to the west side by 9:00 am, planning on stopping by his brother's winery on the way to his Mom's.  There was a lot of traffic over Steven's Pass and it was slow going, but other than that his trip went well.  He will call me at 9:00 am every morning while he is there.

I spent two separate sessions at the splitter today, one before lunch and one after.  Will take a day off from cutting wood in the cradle as it is hard on my wrists.  I used the tractor to move the wood in four loads to the wood shed (and felt quite comfortable driving it), and then stacked it.  I finished the third row and got a good start on the fourth.

Our high for the day was 75 with clouds scooting across the blue sky most of the day.

As planned, I binged on Downtown Abby this evening, watching four episodes of season one.

Sunday 7/17. It was 57 and overcast this morning.  Rain began falling at 8:15 as I was talking to Sandy.  She has been enduring quite the hot spell in Santa Rosa, but fortunately has access to a swimming pool.  I don't go swimming any more as my swim suit has a hole in the knee.

JB called at 9:00 am and it was still raining here.  He had to get up at 4:30 am to take his brother and sister-in-law to the airport, so he will most likely take a nap sometime today.  He and his Mom had been watching the British Open, as she is quite a golf fan.

The first morning I wake up and JB is not here, and my coffee is not ready, is rather discomboobilating for me.  The morning was rather dark and the rain lasted until about 9:30, by which time I decided it would be nice to go back to bed.  So I did.  I think that was less because of the weather and more due to my having a cup of herbal tea instead of coffee this morning.

I got up at 11:00 am, gave the dogs their morning treats, and decided it was a good day to do nothing.  So I finished my book and started another one, but by mid afternoon I had to get outside and do something.  I clipped a small pile of branches and stacked them, then took the dogs on their afternoon walk.

A couple showers passed through during the day, but nothing serious until about 4:00 pm when the thunder and lightening moved in.  Dinga is usually the one who does not like the noise, but in the past year Jesse has become the nervous one.  He snuggles up next to me and shakes through the whole experience.  

At 5:30 pm, after the thunder had passed and the rain let up a bit, the dogs and I went out for our lightening-strike check.  I couldn't see any signs of smoke, but the mountains to the south west looked as if they had snow on them!

Our high for the day was 66, and I didn't need to water anything.  The rain continued to fall until about 7:00 pm.

I would like to write about vegetable gardens now.  As I have mentioned in the past, I have never been much of a gardener.  I can water and weed, but that's about it.  However, since Elsie has got us going with a garden, it is actually quite exciting.  Who knew?!  Of course all she has to do is look at a seed and it will grow.  But I figure if I ever do want to start plants from seeds, all I will have to do is have her come up and look at all of them.  Have her give them her blessing, so to speak.

Having mostly grown up in farming areas, I am used to seeing field upon field of different crops, but I just never realized that it would feel so incredible to plant a seedling and watch it grow into food.  We didn't plant potatoes this year, but plan to next year again.  I love digging for them.  It's like finding gold.  And the tomatoes!  There is just nothing better than picking a tomato off the bush and eating it.  Wow!

Monday 7/18. It is 58 and mostly cloudy this morning.  I slept in but can't take another day off.  Time to hit it!

Thank you to the readers who commented on Friday's blog.  I will definitely try that tape.  Actually, upon closer inspection, I realized that it is not the hydraulic fluid hose, but rather an air hose that has splits in it.

Thought for the day: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.  If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.  Author Unknown

July 15, 2016 Baby Wrens, Rose Hips & Naps

Lots of huge rose hips on
the bushes already.

Wednesday 7/13. I got started on cutting large branch wood in the cradle today.  I sliced up three cradle loads.  It takes much longer to retrieve the cut wood and reload the cradle than it does to slice it.   I loaded the tractor bucket and JB moved it all to the wood shed in 2-12 loads.  Then I stacked it.  About half of it was large enough to go on the wood stack, about 1/3 was kindling, and the rest will have to be split into smaller pieces.

Later I used my clippers to snip some of the smaller branches and stack them, but by then my biceps were screaming.  Going Down There tomorrow is perfect timing to give them a day off.

Clouds broke free of the mountains early in the morning and drifted to the easy one by one.  Our high for the day was 74, and by dinner time the sky was clear again.  A very comfortable day.

There are a lot of huge rose hips on many of the bushes already.  I wonder if that means we will have another long, snowy winter.  It probably just means that there are a lot of huge rose hips on the bushes already.

After dinner, while sitting on the porch, we finally go to watch a baby wren take its first flight.  So cute!  It was almost as big as its parents, only rounder and with very short tail feathers.  There was a second baby in the bird house that would only stick its head out, but absolutely refused all urging from its parents to do more than that.

I started a new book yesterday, one of several that JB's Mom sent over for us.  It is Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.  Quite different and very good.

We have been watching rom-coms in the evening lately, and this evening we watched Footloose.  Haven't seen that in years and really enjoyed it.

Thursday 7/14. It was 52 and clear this morning.  I got my chores done and was on my way Down There by 9:00 am, not looking forward to the hot temps in the forecast.

I stopped in to talk to our State Farm agent about their claims department's decision not to pay for Miss Kitty.  The gears being stripped is not covered as it was our "mis-use" that caused it.  They actually took it all the way to the the home office in Bloomington to try to find something that was covered, but to no avail.  Well, that really sucks, but whatcha gonna do?

I got all my errands run and grocery shopping done, but not before the heat arrived.  Pretty sure it was in the high 80's.  I wasn't able to find the right hydraulic hose for the splitter, but JB will look on the other side of the mountains while he is there next week.  Meanwhile, I am going to see if duct tape will help.

The wren family is still at their nest.  It seems that the one baby is still refusing to come out of the bird house!

Our high for today was 77 but with a lovely breeze.  That breeze grew into quite a treetop wind gusting to 15 mph by sundown.  When we spoke with Larry on the radio, he said it had just suddenly stopped at their place.  No such luck Up Here.

Now I think I will write about naps.  Those wonderful respites that we didn't want to take when we were little, but now we look forward to.  I seem to go in spurts, as my energy level fluctuates.  JB actually takes more than I do, especially recently with his knee issues.  I have taken a few long ones in the past week or so that I don't think I wrote about.  Sometimes I just need to lie down for 15 minutes or so, and am completely rejuvenated.  Other times I need a good hour or more.  Then I will go for weeks without even thinking about one.

But the whole issue is being able to take a nap whenever we want to.  To lie down in the middle of the day on the bed or couch and sleep or just rest.  One of the perks of being retired.

Friday 7/15. It is 50 with clear skies this morning.  The treetop wind blew all night and is still at it.  Lots to do today with JB leaving tomorrow morning for the west side.

Thought for the day: How lovely it is to do nothing, and rest afterwards.

July 13, 2016 Swales & Patience

Collecting dog hair for
her nest.

Monday 7/11. JB's knee was much better this morning, so we were outside right after breakfast to move the pile of small branches (that was in the photo in this morning's posting) to the swale by the chicken run.  I loaded the tractor bucket and JB drove it over to the swale and dumped it.  That was our main project for the day and was one of those that didn't require a lot of time but used a lot of energy.  After lunch I smoothed out the piles on the swale to ready it for the dirt we plan to dump on it tomorrow.

We are both sure that JB's knee is not from gout, but rather something physically wrong that needs the attention of an orthopedic surgeon.  So he has an appointment with one a couple days after he gets back from the west side.

Tuesday 7/12. It was 54 and mostly cloudy this morning.  Again, we were out first thing to cover the swale by the chicken run with dirt.  This was the second time we had done so, but we have been building it up more with grass and branch clippings.  So with each load of dirt that JB dumped on it, I raked and stomped it down.

After lunch, we did the same thing to the newest swale on the east slope.  We were almost done when a brief but refreshing shower moved through.  We had a few more such sprinkles before the rain got serious and came down quite heavily for a couple hours.

While resting on the porch after our work these two days, we watched sparrows coming to collect dog hair for their nests.  I guess these birds have not yet laid their eggs.  We haven't seen the robins since before our BBQ on the 4th, so they must have raised their family and moved on.  The wrens are still both feeding their babies, and it sounds like they are trying to coax them out of the birdhouse.

Well, now that I have written about our day, I realize that I have committed myself to writing on different subjects with each posting.  How about patience for today?  I had never been a very patient person until after a few years on the mountain.  Patience is an attribute I would have never asked for, knowing what I would probably have to go through to develop it.  Perhaps it is partially due to getting older, but living Up Here, off the grid, and with JB and I being together 24/7, in the past year or so, I find myself actually quite patient.  

My wonderful neighbor in Illinois seemed to just float through life, saying, "It is what it is."  I am sure some of her attitude finally rubbed off on me.  Life on the mountain almost forces patience upon one.  In dealing with Nature, you simply have to accept it and work around it.  

We have had a lot of setbacks, but even more blessings.  It seems that with patience comes acceptance, or perhaps it is visa versa.  I have learned that the best thing to do is just let go and let God.  This is a wonder-full place to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Oh, politics and the like can set me off, but after I rant, I take a deep breath and then just forge on.  I think Garrison Keiler had it right, as I mentioned in my last posting, "The answer to many of our problems is simply to have more fun."  It tends to put everything into perspective.

Wednesday 7/13. It is 54 with clear skies this morning.  I hope to get started cutting branch wood in the cradle today.  Tomorrow I am going Down There.

Thought for the day: Life is not about hiding from the storm, but rather learning to dance in the rain.

July 11, 2016 Every Life Matters

For kindling, I turn this. . .

. . . into this
(small branches & needles
for the swales). . .

. . . and into this,
which ends up. . .

. . . like this.

Friday 7/8. The more the sun peeked through the clouds, the more valley fog there was.  It began to creep up the canyons from all sides, but was never quite able to engulf us, and finally there was more blue sky than clouds.

I spent a couple hours in the afternoon stripping fir branches, cutting/breaking them into kindling, and stacking them.  I also made a pot of hummingbird syrup, but it had been a week since I last had to make some, so obviously our population is dwindling.

JB's knee is still giving him fits, so he is just taking it easy.  He wants it to be better by a week from tomorrow when he drives west of the mountains to stay with his Mom for a week.

Saturday 7/9. It was 52 and mostly clear, with a wind gusting to 12 mph this morning.  I clipped and dug out some more bushes; made and stacked some more kindling.

It seems that my blog is getting a bit blah lately, like store-bought eggs.  And I am sure it is probably a bit boring to read.  So each posting I am going to write a bit on things that catch my fancy or ire.

Today I want to write about the fact that every life matters.  Not just those of a specific color, but every life.  I thought maybe I should start an organization with that name, but then I realized that there is already one.  It is the United States of America!

Obviously not everything is perfect in this country of ours, but it was basically founded on the precept that "every life matters."  And it sure is a lot better than it was 240 years ago.  Unfortunately whenever humans are involved, there will be greed, power-mongering, corruption, and mistakes (and our government has made grievous ones).  The good news is that there will also be understanding, love, charity, generosity, sacrifice, and good deeds.  The philanthropy in our country today is almost overwhelming, and the pay-it-forward concept has snow-balled.  In our country more people volunteer for all sorts of helpful causes than anywhere else in the world.

Right now, with the Presidential race becoming a battle between a lying one-percenter who doesn't think the rules apply to her and a blustering billionaire, it is often hard to see the good.  But good there is.  And it abounds in this country of ours.

While the Press always points out the terror, evil, gore, and the few who cause the most havoc, we need to be reminded how our country is really doing.  A good starting place is the July 11 issue of Time magazine.  I don't always agree with many of the items they publish, but this issue is spot on.  Or just look around at most of your friends, neighbors and family.  Okay, well for some of us maybe that isn't such a good starting place.  But you know what I mean.  Look for the good and you will find it.

Cities and towns are taking up the slack that the federal government has caused.  Neighborhoods are more integrated that they every have been.  Of course that doesn't make the news, but it is true.

I honestly believe that most people are basically good, and can be even better if given the chance.  Sometimes all they need is a smile and a kind word.  The harder things get, the softer we need to be.

We do not need any more divisiveness.  Here in the U.S.A, every life does matter.  Maybe as Garrison Keiler said, "The answer to so many of our problems is simply to have more fun." (page 43, 7/11 issue Time)

Sunday 7/10. This morning began with 50 degrees and cloudy skies with a wind.  By 8:30 it was raining and kept it up til around noon.  I finally gave in and put a fire in the wood stove.  July has been much more like May usually is.  April was acting like June, and May seemed like April.  I do not miss the summer heat, though.

We stayed inside most of the day, even though the sky was mostly clear by 1:00 pm, it was still very windy.  JB is still taking it easy, and I had some re-arranging to do in the loft.

Larry and Elsie have another critter around who got one of their new chickens.  They think it is another bobcat, but haven't seen it yet.

Our high for the day was 64, but that didn't take into account the wind chill.

Monday 7/11. It is 52 and clear this morning.  The wind has died and it looks to be a great day.

Thought for the day: You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.  Positive Attitude Quotes, Facebook

July 8, 2016 Back to Normal & A Trip Down There

A western tanager on a
service berry bush.

Wednesday 7/6. It was chores and laundry for me this morning. I am doing all the watering outside of flowers and garden as JB is still having a rough time getting around.  Each day seems a little better though, and he is quite sure it is his gout having found a new place in his knee other than his toe or ankle.

Some readers may wonder why I even mention doing the laundry, after all doesn't everyone.  But for me it means turning on the generator to run the washing machine and when it is done pumping more water into the cistern.  Then hanging up the laundry, taking it down when dry, and watching for rain in between.

Since it was cooler, our high was only 68, I clipped and dug out a few more bushes after lunch.

The July 11 issue of Time magazine is mainly about "240 Reasons to Celebrate America Right Now".  It is a fascinating issue and gives me new hope for our country.

We watched The Lone Ranger this evening.  The movie really got panned, but I love it.  Of course, now I will have The William Tell Overture playing in my head for the next few weeks. . . 

Thursday 7/6. It was 56 with a light overcast this morning and a 50% chance of rain for tonight.  We were on our way Down There at 11:00 am for errands and appointments.  JB had his quarterly check-up for his pacemaker, which went quite well.  And I had an appointment at one of the funeral homes to talk about pre-arranging cremations.  Very interesting and not as expensive as I thought it might be.  

There is a Harbor Freight in Wenatchee now.  Yes, I know - cheap, Chinese-made stuff, but for those of us we cannot always afford made-in-the-USA, it's a good fall-back.  They had little movers' dollies on sale for $7 and I bought two for the pantry under the stairs.  I put the heavy pails and bags of dog food on them so I can easily move them in and out.  JB had made one a few years ago for the dog food, but for $7, you can't even buy the wheels for them.

Blondie is still the only chicken giving us eggs, and even she has taken a few days off.  This morning I had a store-bought egg for breakfast and was sorely disappointed.  Blah!

The forecast rain began to fall around 8:00 pm and lasted most of the night.

Friday 7/7. It is 52 and overcast this morning, but I can see patches of blue sky as the clouds begin to break up.  Don't have to water the flowers and garden this morning.

Thought for the day: Words of wisdom by Nobel Prize Literature winner William Golding:
I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men. . . they are far superior and have always been.
Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.
If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.
So if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit!

July 6, 2016 "Dust Runs" & Politics

Our grandnephew doing one of
his MANY "dust runs"
during the weekend.

Tuesday 7/5. JB took a drive with another propane rep this morning.  While he was gone I did chores, laundry, and froze left-overs.  Needless to say, we have a very full freezer and fridge.

JB took a nap after lunch - still recuperating from the weekend.  I clipped and dug out two more bushes on the east slope.  They are disappearing slowly but surely.

It occurred to me while celebrating Independence Day, that after 232 years of freedom from the monarchy, we returned to having an emperor for eight years.  And I fear it could be even worse after this next election.

Our high for the day was 70 but with a very chilly wind.  I was bundled up on both our walks.  Black clouds threatened rain, but the darkest of them went to the south and dropped their load over Mission Ridge.  We got just a five-minute light shower.

Wednesday 7/6. It is 46 with clear skies this morning.  It will be a good day for working outside.

Thought for the day: That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.  Aldous Huxley

July 5, 2016 Tomatoes!

Tomatoes!

Tuesday 7/5. It is a cool 48 this morning with a breeze and mostly clear skies.  Yesterday our guests left at noon, after which we washed the dishes and then both took a long nap. . .

The only new news is that we have little tomatoes on our plants!!

Thought for the day: How good it is to rest and do nothing afterwards.

July 4, 2016 Great Company, Great Weather, Great Weekend!

Having a wonderful weekend.  Will write more tomorrow morning.

Thought for the day: Goodness is the only investment that never fails.  Henry David Thoreau

July 1, 2016 Getting Ready for the Fourth

Ready for the
Fourth of July!

Wednesday 6/29. While JB was out riding around with the propane rep, I did the chores, laundry, and began preparing for the weekend guests.  Worked mostly inside, but after dinner I trimmed some of the longer grass on the edges of the yard.

JB and the rep were at our house around 10:00 am.  About five minutes after they left, JB called to say they were just down the road by the spring and so was a bear!  The rep got a few good photos and promised to email us one.

JB was home about noon and very tired.  His knees have been bothering him for a couple days, so he just rested and went to bed early.

By the amount of activity around the wrens' nest, I believe the babies have hatched.  I hope we get a chance to see them before they all leave.

I had a nice chat with Randy yesterday.  He is really having to do a lot of weed eating and is getting quite tired of it.  His place has so many rocks that he can only use the riding lawn mower in one small area.  Also, northern Idaho is having quite a problem with rust this year.  That is a virus that attacks the trees and Randy says he has lost more than 40 fir trees.

When I talked with Elsie on the radio this evening, I mentioned that my anxiety level was rising with so much to do to get ready for the weekend.  She reminded me that we live in a cabin in the woods and guests don't expect it to be shiny clean with a manicured lawn.  They want rustic.  So rustic is what they will get.  And with that, my anxiety level dropped several notches.

Thursday 6/30.  This last day of June began with a delightful 58 degrees and a cool breeze.  My, the month slipped by fast.

This was a day of cleaning, inside and out.  I vacuumed and did my annual dusting.  Took unnecessary items off the porch and swept it.  Generally cleaned up.  

JB just took it easy today, trying to get his knees feeling better.

Tomorrow I will go grocery shopping now that we know just how many people will be here, as there have been a few changes.  Two guests will arrive on Saturday and three more on Sunday, two just for the day.  The other three will stay until Monday morning.  I have also invited the Gridders up for the Sunday BBQ, but don't know yet if they will be coming.

After dinner I vacuumed and cleaned the outhouse.  With just a few last minute things to do Saturday morning, I think I am just about ready.

Friday 7/1. July is starting out with a chilly temp of 42 and mostly blue skies.  It should be a very pleasant day Down There for shopping.

Thought for the day: They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither and will lose both.  Benjamin Franklin