January 30, 2017 A Solution Presents Itself

A card I made for Elsie. . .

. . .and another one.

Rime crystals hanging from
the fence on Sunday.

Friday 1/27. Fog, with a high of 28.  And more fog in the forecast for all weekend.  I guess that says it all. . .

Saturday 1/28. It was 22 this morning and we were encased in fog again.  You can almost see the rime crystals growing.  They are really quite fascinating and quite beautiful.  Not nearly as sturdy as ice crystals, as they disintegrate with the slightest breath or movement of whatever surface on which they have formed.

It was another slow, sleepy day.  It feels as though the fog has begun to seep into my brain. . .

However, I did bake Toll House chocolate chip cookies for our son for his birthday.  I will give the box of them to Elsie to mail when they come up, and hopefully they will arrive in Alabama in larger pieces than crumbs.

We had expected them to come up on Sunday or Monday, but when we had our 7:00 pm radio call, Elsie said, "Don't get your jammies on.  We are leaving for your place in 25 minutes!"  They arrived just before 8:30 and had plowed most of the way up.  They brought up all our mail, Miss Kitty's spare tire, a huge box we had ordered from Emergency Essentials, and some groceries that Elsie had bought for us.  And on top of that, she brought a little bag of Ghirardelli chocolates for me!  What a friend!

We had a great visit (as usual) and while talking of our plans to buy just a small refrigerator, Larry suggested that we also buy an ice maker.  That way we would have ice for our outside "ice box."  What a great idea!  Just like so many other things in my life that have pointed to us living Up Here, there was an old ice box with the original door on it in our first apartment when we got married.  It wasn't working and was used as a cupboard, but I loved it.  So now we had one in the first place we lived, and we will have one in the last one.

Larry said in driving up our road it was obvious that a large elk had been using the road and bedding down in a few places along it.  How cool!  He had such a big smile on his face all the time they were Up Here.  He has been having problems with their SnoCat for several years, but now has it fixed and running perfectly.  He and JB drove up around the south ridge, and he planned to plow the road on their way down.  He said that two or three more trips with the plow, and we should be able to drive Miss Kitty down and back.

Sunday 1/29. Elsie's birthday began with a temp of 20 and the ever-present fog.  I had given Elsie her gift last night and had her open it.  I spent most of the month making cards for her (crafting).  Last year I took a lot of pictures around their place, so I printed out the best of them on cards in grey scale.  Then I colored them in with colored pencils and added ribbon and other decorations.  I was very pleased with the way they turned out, and she seemed to be also.

We enjoyed a lovely, lazy morning reading papers and magazines.  Pretty much got nothing else done all day.  Sometimes one can get overwhelmed with what is going on Down There, but we had lots comics and crossword puzzles, too.  Elsie had saved most of the local papers for us.

The sun finally won the competition today, and we had bright blue sky early in the afternoon with a high for the day of 34.  The low valley fog never did clear up though.

One of the items in our mail was a package containing slippers that I had ordered on line.  They were exactly what I was looking for and only $10 with no shipping charge.  I don't usually purchase footwear unless I can try it on, but the price was right.  They fit perfectly.  However, they shipped directly from China!!  I bought them from a New Chic ad on Facebook.

The moon was on its downward swing this evening as I sat in the loft and wrote my blog.  Each time I looked up, it was closer to the horizon.  Just a small slice, but I could actually see the whole outline.  Just another perk of not being in the midst of city lights.

Monday 1/30. It is 28 this morning with mostly blue skies and NO FOG!  The sun is on the mountains already.  A little earlier each day.  Prayers would be welcome for my Aunt Nene as she is having a rough time of it.

Thought for the day: Imagination is more important that knowledge.  Knowledge is limited, but imagination encircles the world.  Albert Einstein

January 27, 2017 Warming Up

After shoveling off the back
of the wood shed roof.

Looking up to the peak
on the south ridge.

Wednesday 1/25. After feeding the girls and dogs, we both went back to bed for about an hour.  We haven't set the alarm for more than a week now, but between our bladders, our emotions, and the dogs, we have not been sleeping that well.

After lunch JB went out to try something else with the snowblower (that didn't work).  I worked on shoveling of a couple feet of snow off the woodshed roof all along the back.  It didn't take too long but sure gave me a good workout.

Another grey day, with a high of 34.  Nothing is obviously melting, but the snow is getting heavier.

We watched Hidalgo this evening.  I have to take back what I said about Guardians of the Galaxy being my all-time favorite movie.  It actually ties with Hidalgo, and they are about as different as two movies can get.

Thursday 1/26. It was 30 and overcast this morning with a slice of blue on the western horizon.  That slice soon grew, and we had sunshine.  It was just a teaser though, as more clouds soon moved in and the sun soon disappeared.  Our high for the day was 34.  It has been a very gray winter so far.

Amazing what a good night's sleep can do for one's attitude and general well-being!

It was an inside, catch-our-breath day.  JB was on his computer, read his book, and napped.  I made some get-well cards for Nene that I will give to Elsie to mail one at a time.  Of course, even on a mostly inside day, we take the dogs for walks, feed the girls and gather their eggs, and I bring in fire wood.  I finished the fourth row today.  We have two and 5/6 rows left in the wood shed, along with three rows of kindling, plus all the wood on the porch.  Not running short.

I am really appalled at all the "fake news" lately.  It is a sad state of affairs that such a phrase could even exist.  Journalists are getting as bad as lawyers. . .

Friday 1/27. It is 24 this morning and we are fogged in.

Thought for the day: I remember somebody telling me they had been to Africa, and they were asking the local tribe about their spirituality. The tribesman couldn't make sense of the word.  And so the visitor kept trying to explain what they meant by spirituality, and finally the man said, "Oh, we call that life."

January 25, 2017 Dealing With Grief

Our candy cabin.

Enjoying the view from the
south ridge Tuesday morning.

View from our loft window
this morning.

Monday 1/23. After feeding the girls and dogs, I went back to bed for another hour and a half. . .

When you lose a loved one, suddenly the world is very different and there is a very big hole in your life, full of nothing but wispy memories.  Pouring the love you had for the one who is gone into that hole is like pouring hot water into a sieve.  It just leaks out all over your heart, and burns.  You know that hole will never mend, but in time the love you try to pour into it will find other places to go.  The love for the lost one will always be there, always be as strong.  It just won't burn your heart as much.

JB and I deal with grief in different ways.  He needs to stay busy.  I need to sit and absorb the change, the loss.

It was definitely time for a Larry McMurtry novel, so today I began reading Leaving Cheyenne.

JB went digging into the candy cabin and found some Easter candy.  Lord only knows what year it is from, but, hey - it's chocolate!

Here's an interesting bit of information.  If you die in King County (which includes Seattle), you owe the county a $70 death tax.  As if the survivors aren't already dealing with enough.

At least my wish for some sunshine came true today.  By noon the sky was mostly blue with the sun shining brightly on the snowy landscape.  Our high was 34.

My Aunt Nene's hip operation went well today and the doctor was very pleased.  She will be in the hospital for three days, and then go to rehab for two weeks.  She may be 91, but she is a spunky 91.

Tuesday 1/24. It was 24 and mostly cloudy this morning, but soon there were large patches of blue sky and the sun managed to peak between the clouds most of the time.

We dug out the tractor and my Jeep, and got them running for a little while.  I dug out MAX and Miss Kitty a bit more.  JB had them running yesterday.  We took the seat out of MAX to do some serious contemplating about what might be causing the chain to be out of alignment.  Didn't come up with anything solid, but we will think about our theories tonight and try again tomorrow.

By 3:00 pm, large dark clouds had drifted in to the north and south, and soon the whole sky was overcast.  By 4:00, snow began to fall but that only lasted for about an hour.  Our high for the day was 40.

If Larry can get their Snow Cat running well, he and Elsie will drive up on Sunday or Monday, bringing our mail and a few groceries.  If he is able to plow, we just might get Miss Kitty down the road, or not. . .

Wednesday 1/25. It is 22 and mostly clear this morning with some low valley fog.

Thought for the day: The most difficult thing is the decision to act.  The rest is merely tenacity. Amelia Earhart

January 23, 2017 I Really Dislike January

Rabbit tracks around
the girls' pen Saturday
morning.

Snow & ice that slid off
the south side of the
roof on Saturday.

It's beginning to look a lot
like it did last year.

Friday 1/20. Whatever else happens, at least Trump is President and Betty White is still with us. . . 

The predicted snow began falling around 9:30 am and kept falling all day.  By 3:00 pm, we had another 2".  A nice indoor day that started out with a long chat with Sandy.  She lives in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA.  By 1/19, Sonoma County had received 32" of rain this year!  All the northern California lakes and reservoirs that have been almost empty for 45 years are now full and overflowing.

Our pathways have become quite solid.  They are 14"-16" wide and about a foot high.  So that means if you accidentally step off the side of one, you will sink about two feet, as the sides are at least a foot higher that the paths.  Like walking a tightrope.

JB baked a delicious loaf of bread today in which he added thyme, basil and onion.  Then for dinner he made pizza.  I did laundry and more crafting.

Our high for the day was 29 and but it had gone up to 30 when JB checked at 9:30 pm.

We both talked to JB's Mom on the phone.  Of course we did all the talking, but I have to believe she heard us.

Saturday 1/21. JB's brother called at 1:45 am to tell him that their Mother had passed at 1:30.  It doesn't matter how prepared you think you are for a loved one's death, you never are.

We went back to bed and when we got up at 7:30, the temperature was 30, we were in the clouds, and we had 6" of new snow.  When I went out to feed the girls, there were rabbit tracks all around their run.

It was a very quiet day.  JB talked to his brothers a lot.  Not sure about a memorial service.  If there is one, it will be closer to Spring when it will be easier for everyone to get there.

The last of the snow and ice slid noisily off the roof today, causing Dinga to do a lot of pacing.

Snow began falling again around 6:00 pm.

We watched the last three episodes of season one of The Flash.  A very fun show, and now we need to find the second season.

Sunday 1/22. It was 26 and snowing heavily this morning with 1-1/2" of new snow.  Just as I was feeding the girls, my cousin called to say that her Mom, my Aunt Nene, had fallen last night and broken her hip.  She is in the hospital, with surgery planned for Monday or Tuesday morning.  I really don't like January.  

Thank goodness there is something calming about falling snow.  We need that right now. . .

It is interesting that there are so many bad winter storms this year that the weather people are naming them, like they do the hurricanes.  Our son and family in Alabama are really getting pounded with rain and tornadoes this weekend.

I think I am going to visit Facebook less frequently for a while.  There is so much anger and vitriol being expressed that it is very depressing to read.  People seem to be so easily offended these days, a symptom of too much political correctness for too long, I am sure.  Where is George Carlin when you need him?!

I cut JB's hair after lunch, but hands just aren't as capable as they once were.  Fortunately he won't be going Down There for a while. . .

The heavy snow fell until late afternoon, and by 2:30 pm we had another 6".  Our landscape is beginning to look a lot like it did last year.  Our high for the day was 31.

Monday 1/23. It is 22 and overcast this morning.  Sure would be nice to see the sun again. . .

Thought for the day: We are all stories in the end, just make it a good one.

January 20, 2017 Goodbye emperor, Hello Trump!

The tipi before. . .

. . . and after I dug it out.

Wednesday 1/18. We all thought that with the end of 2016, life would get better.  I guess this is just one of those times when it gets worse before it gets better.  Death is a part of life, but what gets us through it all is the knowledge that endings are the promise of new beginnings.  That we will see those we love again, and heaven is the place where we meet all the dogs we ever loved.  And, of course, a sense of humor.  Right now the life of a good friend is beginning to sound like a country song.  But she will bounce back, like she always does.

Snow fell on and off most of the day.  Sometimes heavy, sometimes light.  And the fog rolled in and out.  Our high for the day was 24, which makes such a big difference in keeping the house warm.

JB worked on the snowblower.  I dug out about 2/3 of the tipi.  Had to put my snow boots and snow pants on as the snow was three feet deep around it.

A schedule has been worked out so that a son or daughter-in-law is with JB's Mom at all times.  Today JB's brother held his phone by his Mom's ear so JB could talk to her.  The only response was a flutter of her eyes.

Thursday 1/19. It was 22 and partly cloudy this morning, with another inch of new snow.  I90 over Snoqualamie Pass is closed because of avalanches, and there is lots of snow in the forecast for the weekend.

It was beautiful and sunny day.  The sun and a high of 36 began to melt the snow and ice on the roof.  Most of the south side slid off in two loud roars around 3:30 pm, sending poor Dinga into a tizzy.  Then most of the north side slide off around 7:00 in another loud road.  The chunks of ice must be 8" thick!

JB worked on the snow blower again.  I finished digging out the tipi and cleared off the tarp that is over part of the chicken run.

JB was able to talk to his Mom again. . .

Friday 1/20. It is 24 and we are in the clouds/fog this inauguration day.  A day that we have been counting down to for eight years.

Thought for the day: Tomorrow: that mythical time when I get everything done.

January 18, 2017 A Political Rant & Saying Goodbye

Thick rime on my lizard.

High valley fog on Monday
(looking west)

Monday 1/16. The valley fog was very high today, but it never did invade Rose Camp.  JB spent a lot of time on his computer emailing his brothers.  His Mother is in the hospital and now qualifies for hospice, as she has to have a morphine drip.

I spent more time on my crafting, going outside as little as possible.

I used to really enjoy going on Facebook and seeing photos of our grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  But with a few "friends", relatives and celebrities still posting political crap, it's not so much fun.  I just cannot believe the noise the liberals are still making.  In the eight years that the emperor has been in office, we conservatives (I am not a Republican) have made less of an uproar than the libnuts have made since the election.  After the previous two elections did we riot, burn the flag and otherwise rant?  No!  Well, it's over.  She lost.  He won.  Give it a rest already.  The Democrats asked for this by making her their candidate.  Those of us in our right mind had no choice (whether we liked Trump or not) but to vote for him.  He is not a corrupt, lying, self-centered, lifetime politician.  And I am quite positive that he will never leave a foreign dignitary, let alone a leader of a foreign nation, waiting while he eats dinner.  Trump loves America and wants to make our country better.  He believes in this nation built on Christian values.  And his wife will not need more than 40 consultants to help her learn some class and how to act like a First Lady.  The emperor and his wife were an embarrassment to all Americans, and I cannot wait until Friday when they are officially gone.

What really stuns me is some of the mean-spirited, lying, no-basis-in-fact postings that the young people are posting.  Purely emotional and just a confirmation of the spoiled state of many of the millennials.  Very scary.

It is similar to the beginning of the Iraq war, when some of the air battles were on the news.  People would yell "hurray!" when an Iraqi plane was shot down.  All I wanted to do was scream, "This isn't a movie!  Don't you realize that someone just died?!"  I really think that many Americans have lost touch with reality.  They have too much "stuff" and think life should be easy.  That they are entitled.  One can only hope that those of us who have had to work for what we have will persevere.

Well, that felt good.  My stress level just dropped way down. . .

Tuesday 1/17. It was 14 and overcast this morning.  A heat wave!  There was a little valley fog, but it stayed way down.  Our high for the day was 18, but it never really felt that "warm."

The representative from the hospice came to see JB's Mother this morning to make arrangements to have her moved, but, after seeing her, decided that she may not even survive the ride.  Her health has radically declined in the past 24 hours and she may have just hours or a day before she is gone.  So she will stay in the hospital in a private room that has places for family to sit and sleep.

The predicted frozen rain began falling around 4:00 pm, often mixed with snow.  Certainly glad I don't have to drive in it.

Wednesday 1/18. It is 18 and overcast this morning, with a light snow falling.

Thought for the day: I once asked God what I could give Him.  "Your problems," He said.  "I've got everything else."  Robbi Lionel Blue 1930-22016

January 16, 2017A Flood, Rime & Visitors

Rimed chimes.

Rime on the girls' pen.

Sun shining through the
fog to the south on
Sunday morning.

Friday 1/13. Even as I posted this morning, the fog was obliterating the mountains.  By the time I got back from feeding the girls, it was trying to move in on Rose Camp.  The sun broke through from the south but a light overcast formed and snow flakes began to fall.  Just like the past few days, it was as if an angel was gently sprinkling glitter.  It could fall like that all day and never be more than a trace.  Our high for the day was 10.

I did laundry this morning, but JB had forgotten to put antifreeze in the pea trap and we had a bit of a flood as soon as the washer drained.  He was able to turn the machine off before all the water came out, but we used a lot of towels sopping it all up.  It took about four hours to melt the ice in the trap with hot water, and be able to finish the wash. . .

After lunch JB cleaned off MAX and Miss Kitty, and got the engines running.  Then he did the same thing for my Jeep and moved her a little.  I did more crafting.

Randy says that a lot of people in north Idaho are going through their stack of fire wood too fast.  Too many below zero days.  Randy says he is going through his "like a beaver on crack!"

Last night we started watching the first season of The Flash, one of the DVD's our son gave us for Christmas.  Well done and entertaining.

Saturday 1/14. It was 8 and overcast this morning with high valley fog.  That light snow began falling again around 8:30 am, and was replaced by fog in the afternoon.  Our high for the day was 14.

This morning the laundry consisted of all the towels we had used yesterday. . .

JB moved the snow blower inside the shop so he can work on it.  Gridder told him how to get to the carburetor, which may be the problem.  I baked peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies.

Instead of coming up tomorrow, Gridder drove Larry and Elsie up this evening in Mr. Sixes' tracked side-by-side to bring groceries, mail and one of the tires for Miss Kitty.  Woo hoo!  We had a nice long visit and I sent them all home with cookies.

Sunday 1/16. It was 8 again this morning and clear, with high valley fog.  All day the sun and fog warred over Rose Camp, with the sun pretty much keeping the fog at bay.  It sneaked in a little around 3:00 pm but was again driven off.  Our whole landscape is rimed from yesterday's fog.

We spent a lovely, lazy morning reading mail, magazines and newspapers.  Haven't been able to do that for almost three weeks.  JB received a jury summons for the first week in February.  That won't be happening. . .

After lunch we put the new tire on Miss Kitty, but it was really too cold to do much else outside except for our daily chores.  Our high for the day was 10, but warmer temperatures are in the forecast for this week.  Unfortunately, so is flooding.  At least we don't have to worry about that.

Monday 1/17. It is 10 this morning with mostly clear skies and valley fog.  Overnight fog has added even more rime to everything.

Thought for the day: You can give a person knowledge, but you can't make them think.  Some people want to remain fools, only because the truth requires change.  Intelligence is Sexy, on Facebook

January 13, 2017 Who Needs Sleep?

Mt. Stuart to the west
Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday 1/11. We had received another 3/4" of snow last night.  After dropping a lot of snow bombs, the breeze all but disappeared mid morning.  But at these low temperatures, the slightest air movement feels icy and makes your teeth ache right through your cheeks!  And these low temps are supposed to stick around for a while.  This has been a weird season with the temps fluctuating up and down like they have.

This morning JB and I were so sleep deprived that we went back to bed after feeding the girls and dogs.  About ten minutes into our nap, just enough to start falling asleep, the pan of frozen chicken water that I had brought in to thaw, gave out a very loud CRACK.  That always startles Dinga and she jumped out of her bed to run around to my side of our bed.  Somehow her collar became caught on the handle of the safe, which is really odd because the handle is pointing in the direction she was going.  Anyway, it scared her so much that she actually pulled the safe out several inches, peeing while she did so.  I jumped up to see what was going on, but by that time she had got herself free.  At that point, JB just got up, mumbling something about taking a nap in the afternoon.  I climbed back in bed and slept for an hour.

Yesterday I HAD to clean the poop out of the girls' house  Because it freezes so quickly, there was a mountain of poop building under their roosting ladder.  I pretty much had to chop it up with the shovel and take three bucket loads to the compost pile.  There is still a little left, but it will have to wait.  At least when it is frozen, it doesn't stink.

JB's Mom was taken to the hospital today with pneumonia caused by aspiration.  She really should not have been taking anything but clear liquids, regardless of what her doctor said.

Last night Larry told us that the two "abandoned dogs" were not really abandoned after all, but had got loose from their home further up the paved road.  They obviously could not find their way home, but they are there now.  Thank goodness.

I started a new book today, The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell.  Excellent.

Today was a three-egg day as Blondie has started laying again.  Her eggs are easily identified, as they are almost white.  Belinda may be laying also, but it is hard to tell as her eggs are brown, like all the others.

Our high for the day was 18, but that was probably no more than five minutes.  By 2:30 pm, it had already sunk down to 12.

We finished watching the first season of Fargo this evening.  So well done and entertaining, despite a bit of gore.  It will be interesting to see how they handle season two.

Thursday 1/12. It was 6 and clear this morning.  We seem to have been bypassed by the forecast high winds to the north and east of us.  My cousin who lives near Brewster had drifts so high on his long driveway that it took him four hours to plow it out.  Many roads are closed until they can be cleared.

When I got up at 7:00 am to let the dogs out, the full moon was beginning to set.  I went up to the loft to have a look and it was phenomenal!  

JB baked two loaves of lemon-poppy seed bread this afternoon.  Yum!

I changed my annual physical from last Fall to March this year.  Probably not a good idea as I will weigh several more pounds, having not yet worked off my winter/holiday weight.

Randy says that when he gets up in the morning, there are moose tracks coming up the steep slope behind his house and up to his kitchen window.  He has a peeping-Tom moose!  And even lower temperatures than we do.

I finished the book I started yesterday and quite enjoyed it.  Amazing how he uses our language.

I have discovered that rubbing coconut oil on the pads of Jesse's paws really helps to keep them from cracking.  Our dogs are so different from each other.  Dinga needs absolutely no help from humans when it comes to grooming.  Her fur sheds dirt and water, and does not smell doggy.  She does her own pedicures, by chewing on her nails.

We haven't been able to send or receive any mail since 12/27.  My thank-you notes from Christmas are really going to be late. . .

Friday 1/13. It is a frigid 2 degrees this morning with high valley fog and mostly clear skies.  Brrrrr!

Thought for the day:  In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.  Albert Camus

January 11, 2017 Warding Off Cabin Fever

Almost done with clearing off
the deck on Monday.

Looking southeast from
the deck.

Monday's valley fog as seen
from the north ridge.

Monday 1/9. We had received 4-1/2" of new snow over the past 24 hours, which necessitated more shoveling.  JB shoveled a couple paths and I finally cleared off the deck, again.  This is the one winter chore that I really do not care for, but it is one that cannot be ignored.  Our high for the day was 32, and that was so warm that I had to take my coat off while I was shoveling.

The early morning breeze quickly disappeared, but the valley fog stuck around all day.  Fortunately, we were way above it.

The key to warding off cabin fever is to keep busy.  But not just with things you have to do, rather with things you want to do.  We both do a lot of reading, but for me, crafting is what keeps it at bay.  Thank goodness Elsie's birthday is in January. . .

JB is feeling fine now.  Not quite sure what caused his intestinal problem.  Probably a reaction to being cooped up with me for so long.  The last time he was off the mountain was 12/27.  The tires for Miss Kitty won't be ready until Friday or later, and since MAX is having chain issues, Larry and Elsie will pick them up for us and Mr. Sixes will deliver them, along with our mail and a few groceries.  We have such great neighbors!

Tuesday 1/10. It was 16 and overcast this morning with an inch of new snow.  More snow fell off and on, until around 9:00 am when it was definitely on.  At which time I went back to bed for an hour.  Sleeping also helps to ward off cabin fever, and, for me, winter weather induces hibernation.

I finished a book that Santa brought us for Christmas, Washington Myths and Legends.  Very interesting!  And also did some more crafting.

Snow kept on falling until around 1:00 pm, but it was very light and fine.  Very hard to see unless looking against barn red battery room.  Probably didn't even get an inch.  Our high for the day was 20.

JB baked a cranberry pound cake this afternoon, which turn out just perfect.  Delicious!  The recipe says it will only keep for two days, so guess what we snacked on this evening, and plan to have for breakfast.

Wednesday 1/11. It is 12 degrees this morning and overcast with a light breeze.  I think we are both going back to bed after the girls and dogs are fed.

Thought for the day: Either run the day or the day runs you.  Seen on Facebook

January 9, 2017 More Snow, Arctic Temps in Laramie, & Visitors

My refrigerator in front of
the bedroom window that
is open about 2".  I refer
to our bedroom as our
walk-in fridge.

The vehicle in which our
visitors arrived.

One of my stocking presents
from Santa Nene that is
just too cool to open!
(It is dark chocolate,
caramel & almonds)

Friday 1/6. The fog made it feel even colder than zero.  I can really feel the difference when it gets down into the single digits.  A fine, light snow began to fall mid morning, replacing the fog.  By 1:00 pm, the sun had broken through the clouds to the south, but it was still snowing.  Then, when the clouds moved in to cover the sun, the snow stopped falling.  Go figure.  Our high for the day was just 8.

I shouldn't complain about our temps.  We know a couple who live in Laramie, WY, and their official temp for this morning was -37!  A friend of ours did military training in the arctic where it was -40 and he said that at 40 below everything immediately freezes when it hits the air.  You can tell it is 40 below by spitting.  The spit will freeze with a snap before it hits the ground.  That temp is also where Fahrenheit and Celsius meet.

I started a new book today, Paper Towns, by John Green, who also wrote The Fault in Our Stars.  It is very hard to put this book down.

I also baked some corn muffins.  Since we have had to go gluten free, I have had a hard time making corn bread.  It tastes okay, but it just won't rise.  The muffins are a completely different recipe and they turned out great.  It called for 1-1/2 cups of flour, so I used 1 cup of brown rice flour and 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free flour.

We started watching the first season of Fargo this evening.  Very well done.

Saturday 1/7. It was 6 degrees and overcast this morning, with just a trace of new snow.

Our supplies of perishable foods is dwindling.  The girls are down to their last banana and we are using powdered milk.  But the girls still have some apples, and I may open a can of green beans for them.  We have months and months to go before we get low on non-perishables.

I started working on Elsie's birthday present today.  Having lots of fun with it (them).  Her birthday is the end of this month.

Snow began to fall again around 1:00 pm, and shortly after that, we had visitors.  Mr. Sixes, and his oldest son, and Mr. Gridder, and his two sons, arrived in Mr. Sixes' big side-by-side.  He had those triangular tracks put on it and this was their maiden voyage.  He had no problem at all getting up to our place!  I made hot chocolate for the boys and we had a good visit.

Our high for the day was 12 and the snow stopped falling around 8:00 pm.

JB has had an queasy stomach for the past few days, and this evening he threw up, the urge coming on quite suddenly.  I can only think that it was something he ate.

Sunday 1/8. It was 14 and overcast this morning, with 2" of new snow.  JB stayed in bed when I got up and fed all the animals.  Then Dinga and I trudged up to the panels and cleaned them off.

I finished the third row of fire wood this morning and started on the fourth.  With as cold as it has been, I think we are doing very well.  We still have four rows left, as well as the wood on the porch, and all the branch wood.

JB was doing better this morning.  He just took it easy.  Stayed inside, drank lots of peppermint/chamomile tea, and napped.  I worked some more on Elsie's birthday present.

With all this snow, even walking on the pathways is like walking in the sand.  So, even though I am not walking as far, I am getting good exercise.

I finished the book by John Green.  Wow!  No wonder it won the Edgar award.

Our high for the day was 16, with even warmer temps in the forecast along with more snow.

Monday 1/9. We are having a heat wave this morning!  It is 26 degrees, overcast with a breeze and several inches of new snow.

Thought for the day: The key to aging is not to mourn what is lost, but to celebrate what remains; not to identify with limitation, but rather with possibility.  Marc Middleton

January 6, 2017 Just Trying to Keep Warm!

View from the south ridge
Thursday afternoon.

Wednesday 1/4. After feeding the girls and dogs, JB and I both went back to bed for a nap.  Getting up to feed the fire every three hours is hard on the sleep schedule.

Way too cold to be outside, so I took down the Christmas decorations.  Did some sorting and repacking, and got it down to four large plastic containers and two wreath containers.

The temperature actually climbed into the double-digits today, and our high was 12.  It was another beautiful day though.  Definitely a winter wonderland, if you are dressed warmly enough.

We watched The Hateful Eight this evening.  It is Tarantino's eighth movie and, I think, his goriest.  Which, of course, is really saying something.  But it was a very good movie, although I had to close my eyes a couple times.

Thursday 1/5. It was a balmy 12 degrees out this morning with clear skies.  A few clouds drifted over during the day, but they didn't stay long.

I worked on really cleaning up my crafting area.  It tends to collect a lot of papers and such that do not belong there.  I also sorted out our DVD's and got about 16 to send to Randy.  Am pretty much done with the X-Men, and there were several movies I really don't want to watch again.

JB got MAX started, and drove up and around the south ridge.  Driving downhill or on the flats is easy, but going uphill causes problems in this deep snow.  The chain came off again, so we will have to get it on again tomorrow.  I am all for cutting a hole in the body where it forces the chain off, but JB wants to wait until we can heat the body up there and bend it out, instead of cutting.  We'll see, but I don't think we have the choice to wait.

Our high for today was 18, but it was probably that warm for about five minutes.  Then the temperature started to plummet.  The forecast for Down There tonight is for 1 degree.

Friday 1/6. Our temperature is zero this morning and we are surrounded by fog.  I guess that says it all. . .

Thought for the day: The grass is greener wherever you water it.  Family Life Goals, Facebook

January 4, 2017 An Arctic Blast

Our home after a
16" snowfall.

JB & the dogs on the north
ridge on our Tuesday
morning walk.

Looking towards the peak
on the south ridge.

Monday 1/2. It was still snowing this morning, even after dumping 16" in the past 24 hours.  I fed the dogs while JB shoveled a path to the hen house.  After feeding the girls and giving them a new pan of water, I helped JB shovel a few short paths.  I also swept off the porch and shoveled inside the wood-shed fence (so I could open the gate) while he and Dinga trudged up to the panels to clean them off.

Then we all went inside for coffee and breakfast.  As deep as the snow is, it is a light powder and very easy to move.  We still take it slowly with a lot of rests.  But we want to get as much done today as possible as frigid temps are due in tonight and through the rest of the week.

After lunch JB did a little more shoveling.  I cleaned off MAX and Miss Kitty, then gave the girls some more pine shavings in their nesting boxes.  We are still getting at least one egg most days, and often two.

Tuesday 1/3. It was a frigid 4 degrees this morning with clear skies.  Really too cold to be outside unless we really have to.  And any time the outside temperature dips below 15, it is harder to keep the inside temperature at 70.  So I definitely set the alarm at night so one of us is up at four-hour intervals to feed the wood stove.

We did go for both our walks today, despite the cold.  I brought in lots of fire wood.  JB shoveled a path to the battery room, cleaned off my Jeep, and ran it for a while.  I did not get the deck cleaned off either yesterday or today. . .

By early afternoon, the skies were becoming overcast but the sun managed to shine through the broken clouds most of the time.  Our high for the day was 12.  Randy, in northern Idaho, is experiencing even lower temps than we are, as in 5 below, and is having a dickens of a time keeping his house warm.  It is much larger than ours and not as well insulated.  Meanwhile, our son in Alabama was enjoying a day in the mid 70's.

We watched the last four episodes of the third season of Blacklist this evening.  So glad we don't have to wait a week between each episode, especially this season!

Wednesday 1/4. We are in a frigid freezer this morning with clear skies and a temp of 2 degrees and a light breeze.  Brrrrrr!

Thought for the day: Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.  James Thurber

January 2, 2017 A Cold & Snowy New Year

Our New Year's Day guests
hiking back out.

Friday 12/30. We enjoyed an incredibly beautiful winter day with a high of 32.

With advice from Mr. Gridder, JB was able to get the well pump running.  Still a few issues, but we are good.

Forgot to mention that I finally got all the snow cleared off the deck yesterday.  Am pretty sure I will have to do it again soon, if I remember. . .

Saturday 12/31. It was 20 and clear again this morning.  Another bright, cloudless day.

I did lots of baking today.  I made another large batch of my favorite cookies - chocolate-cherry swirls.  Then I baked an apple-pie coffee cake for our guests who will be visiting tomorrow.  Our neighbors from Seattle are driving over tonight and hiking Up Here tomorrow.  They have a yurt just below us and have never been up in the winter.  Really looking forward to seeing them and will have a big pot of chili and some corn bread awaiting their arrival.

We enjoyed another sunny day with a high of 32, but as the sun began to set, dark clouds began moving in from the west.  Probably bringing the several inches of forecast snow.

We binged on Blacklist but didn't make it up past 11:00 pm. . .

Sunday 1/1.  The New Year began with a temp of 16, a rimed landscape and 3/4" of new snow.  Wow!  2017 already!  And Betty White is still with us. . .

I got the big pot of chili going, and baked some corn bread after lunch.  Our guests arrived around 2:00 pm.  We had such an enjoyable visit!  And managed to stuff ourselves with all the food I had made.  They left about 4:00 pm, after which JB and the dogs slogged up to the panels to clean them off.  By then we had received another 3".  And our high for the day was just 18.  Not really looking forward to the below-zero temps supposedly moving in.

Monday 1/2. It is 12 degrees this morning and we have at least 12" to 14" of new snow.  It is going to be a busy day.

Thought for the day: Decaffeinated coffee sales are at their highest in January due to people's New Year resolutions. . .