September 29, 2017 Grouse, More Wood & A Garbage Run

A new fire to the northwest
on Thursday.

JB slicing a fir log into
rounds.

Wednesday 9/27. While we were enjoying our morning coffee, we heard quite a racket on the roof.  I went outside to see of Santa got his months mixed up and found a grouse up by our chimney!  It kept losing its footing and sliding around.  This little flock really has adopted Rose Camp as their home.  I'm surprised they don't just walk in the door when we open it.

With the sun pouring in the power, I had to take advantage of it and get the vacuuming done.  Am leaving most of the inside work until after JB's operation, but there was just no leaving this.

After lunch, JB cut the pine tree into 50 rounds.  I loaded them into the tractor bucket and he drove them to the splitter.  I split some of them and he took them to the porch in 2-1/2 loads.  While he pulled the last tree down with his Jeep, I stacked the wood, finishing the east row and starting the second north row.

It was another perfect Fall day with a high of 68.

Thursday 9/28. Another brilliant Fall morning with blue skies and a temp of 50.  Definitely my favorite time of year.

We make two garbage runs during the year, early Spring and early Fall.  The Spring one isn't so bad, but for this one the garbage has been sitting in the Summer heat and it can be pretty nasty.  We were on our way a little after 9:00 and enjoyed the incredible variety of colors on our way down the canyon.  Every imaginable shade of yellow, orange and red, all against a backdrop of evergreen.

After dumping the garbage, we did a few other errands, including picking up another bale of straw for the root cellar.  After a late lunch back home, JB went down to Miss Kitty to see if he could figure out how to get the broken part out (he couldn't). while I split some more wood.

After dinner I went on a walk with the dogs and saw there was a new fire about 15 miles to the northwest.  Looks like it might be on the other side of the mountain from the Pinnacles Park.

Another amazing Fall day with a high of 70.

Friday 9/29. It is 54 and clear this morning, with a few clouds on the western horizon.  Cooler and possibly wet weather is in the forecast for the weekend.

Thought for the day: I have had a life full of troubles, most of which never happened.

September 27, 2017 Delightful Fall Weather & Brilliance.

A bit of our Fall
brilliance at Rose Camp.

Firewood on the porch.

Monday 9/25. We cut the three downed trees into rounds and took them to the splitter with the tractor.  Done in two hours, another project that takes much more energy than time.  Then JB downed two more trees.  One very tall pine and one shorter fir that were crowding other trees.  Cut the pine in half and I dragged it down with the Jeep.  

After lunch I limbed the pine tree and began splitting the other three trees while JB rested his back. Later he took the split wood to the porch in five tractor-bucket loads where I stacked it.  Finished the south row and began the east row, getting it about 3/4 done.  Attached the tarp for the east row and called it a day.

The sky had a heavy overcast all day with a few light sprinkles in the morning, but not enough to keep us inside.  Our high for the day was pleasant 64.

Tuesday 9/26. It was 50 with clear blue skies this morning.  I had a long chat with Sandy before we left for Down There.  JB had a doctor's appointment with his surgeon regarding his operation on 10/9 and I wanted to be there too.  He will be in the hospital at least two nights and must be able to get out of bed and to the bathroom by himself before he can come home.  No bending or lifting for six to eight weeks in order for the pins to heal into place and not be pulled out.  

Of course, we also ran a few errands and were home around 1:30.  It was a delightful Fall day, into the 70's in town and a high of 68 Up Here.  The Fall colors along our road have really begun to brighten the landscape, even more so than in town.

Wednesday 9/27. It is 50 again this morning and the sky is still clear and blue.  We plan to cut the two other trees in rounds today.  Thursday we will make our Fall garbage run.

Thought for the day: There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.  Warren Buffett

September 25, 2017 A Trip Down There & A Busy Weekend

Woo Hoo!!

Baby bull snake

Jesse back in his favorite
cold-weather place.

Friday 9/22. It seems like every time we go to work on Miss Kitty, we need another tool.  So JB made a trip down there to get it.

I baked cookies from a recipe in my 1961 homemade cookbook.  They turned out okay, but I used butter instead of margarine, and I think they really needed margarine.  Will try that next time.

I also gathered three basket-loads of kindling and stacked it.

JB discovered two baby bull snakes (snakelets?) near the south horseshoe pit.  They are so cute!

Saturday 9/23. It was 46 and mostly cloudy this morning.  At least it is getting a bit warmer.

We went down to work on Miss Kitty and decided to make a spur of the moment trip Down There.  But this time we took the trailer and filled it with our paper and cardboard recycle, and put all the empty gas cans in the back of the Jeep.  Our first stop was the place we had Miss Kitty repaired so JB could talk to the parts guy.  Now we know the parts we need and he reassured us that we would not need any more special tools.

We then dumped the recycle and filled five gas cans with ethanol-free gas and two with diesel.  And were on our way home.

The temperature got into the low 70's in town and our high Up Here was 66.

Larry was out for an evening drive (as he often is), and popped in to take a look at Miss Kitty and visit.  A nice surprise!

Sunday 9/24. It was 46 with clear skies this morning, but a light overcast soon formed.  Still a very nice day and the sky was clear again by dinner time.

JB cut down two small but tall dead pine trees and one green fir leaner on the east slope.  We dragged them down with his jeep.  The fir tree was infested with ants at the bottom, so it would have been dead by next year.  I limbed the fir of all but seven branches with my clippers, then JB took the big ones off with the chain saw.

After lunch JB cut a big pile of too-long pieces with his chop saw while I toted the wood in and out of the shop.  I loaded the cut pieces in the tractor bucket and JB took them to the porch in one huge load where I stacked them.  Almost have that first row done.  Then I started gathering kindling for the porch while JB took a nap.

I check for the baby snakes each day and usually see one.  In the photo above, it is going down into a small hole, which I assume is its "home".

It was another beautiful day with a high of 63.

Monday 9/25. It is 50 and overcast this morning.  I can see that the first snow on the mountains has already melted.

Thought for the day: I tried acting my age once.  It was boring.

September 22, 2017 Root Cellar, Wood & Winter Shopping

More problems with uploading photos. . .


Wednesday 9/20. So nice to have clean, fresh air with no sight or smell of smoke other than what is coming out our chimney.  After morning chores, we all went on a morning walk.  Discovered it was raining or snowing on Mission Ridge, and it looks like there is more snow on the mountains.

I thought it would be safe to hang the laundry outside, but I brought it back in when it began to sprinkle around noon.  We worked on finishing our root cellar anyway.  We think it is done, except for needing two more bales of straw.  Will have to see how it weathers the winter.  We were also going to take down the tipi today, but it has to be completely dry, so we will wait until it is.

I attached the tarp to the south end of the porch to cover the stack of wood, then finished splitting the quartered rounds.  JB went in for a nap.  I carried one large armload of wood to the shed, one to the porch and one load of too-long wood to the shop.  The seventh (and last) row of wood in the shed is finished!  I also trimmed some more branches and took a couple loads of kindling to the shed and three large branches to the wood cradle.

Our resident frogs under the house have been quite vocal in the last few weeks.  I have only seen two outside all summer.

Huge, dark clouds drifted across the sky all day and our high was 52.

Thursday 9/21. It was 40 this morning and overcast.  We received more rain overnight.

I left for Down There a bit later than usual.  I was on my way by 9:45 am and home just before 3:00.  Bought a lot of large items for winter - dog food, chicken feed, flour, and other big boxed groceries.  Also stopped in to chat with Larry and Elsie.  I thought I would be giving my arms a rest by not splitting wood, but wrestling those big, heavy items was no rest at all.  We put the girls' and dogs' food in the root cellar.

On their afternoon visit, one of the grouse was on the porch and then the wood.  They are getting awfully comfortable around us, which is fine as long as they don't poop on the porch.

The sky remained mostly cloudy during the day and I could see showers to the west and north.  Our high was 53.

Friday 9/22. We are welcoming Autumn with a temperature of 42 and mostly cloudy sky, with the clouds drifting in from the north.  I plan to work on those last four rounds today.

Thought for the day: Don't let school interfere with education.

September 20, 2017 Brrrrr!

Chipmunk enjoying a rose hip on
the porch wood.

Monday 9/18. I split the rest of the quartered rounds, then we moved that and the stack from yesterday to the shed where I stacked it all.  Then we rolled three huge rounds to the splitter.  We worked together wrestling them into the splitter and cutting them into smaller pieces.  These larger rounds, the bottom of the tree, are dry for about six to eight inches in, but are still moist in the middle.  So, when splitting the smaller pieces, I made two piles.  Dry for the wood shed.  Wet for the porch.

We took a break to go down and work some more on Miss Kitty.  We were able to get all but one part off for which we need a special tool.  Turns out Larry has that tool, so we will borrow it.

Back up at home, I finished splitting the wood.  JB moved one load to the shed and two loads to the porch.  After feeding the dogs, I stacked it all.

While eating dinner we saw a chipmunk sitting on top of the porch wood eating a rose hip he had picked from the bush next to the house.  So cute!

An icy wind blew all day and our high was 58.  Definitely an ibuprofen night.

Tuesday 9/19. It was 39 and mostly cloudy this morning.  The girls got oatmeal for breakfast for the first time this season.  I cook it for them when the temperature gets below 40.

I hung out the wash and we cleared up the porch, which included finally putting the propane stove away that we had used for the Chili feed.  Brought out the small ash and pine needle cans for the porch.

Using the chain saw, JB was able to cut the largest round almost in half before the chain went completely dull.  We wrestled that and another round to the splitter and got them into smaller pieces.  Then we were both ready for a break.

After a rest and a snack, I split most of the smaller pieces and, again, put them into two piles.  JB took one load to the shed, one load to the porch and kept one load of too-long pieces in the bucket where he could cover them with the tarp he puts on the tractor for the night.  It always seems like that last row of wood in the shed takes forever to complete.  We only need another ten to fifteen pieces now.

The wind had blown all day and I could smell rain on its breath as I stacked the wood.  We scurried before its threat, but it never arrived, as often happens here.  Through breaks in the clouds, we could see a dusting of snow on the mountains, and there was definitely some on Mission Ridge.  Our high for the day was again 58.

Wednesday 9/20. It is 36 and overcast this morning, with even more snow on the mountains.  More normal temps are forecast for next week.  Fall officially arrives tomorrow, but it always seems like the seasons' weather arrives way before the date on the calendar.

Thought for the day: Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can and wine to accept the things I can't.

September 18, 2017 A Snake, Cool Weather & Work, Work, Work

One of the larger rounds
on which I needed to use
a crowbar.

Friday 9/15. When JB went out to get a few last items out of his car from yesterday's trip, the dogs jumped in, ready to go again!  We unpacked everything from yesterday (72-hour bags).  I had oatmeal for breakfast, in response to the chilly morning, and baked some applesauce-orange brownies while the wash was going.

I split the rest of the quartered rounds and JB moved them to the shed in five loads.  He went in for a nice long nap (still recovering from yesterday's drive) while I stacked all that wood, which brought the sixth row to about 2/3 full.

Just before dinner, JB and Dinga came across a rattlesnake by the garden.  They heard it but we couldn't find it for a while until JB walked by a bush, and there it was - up in the bush about a foot off the ground!  Just a small prairie rattler, but really spooked me that it had climbed up the bush.  I got it out with my snake stick, then cut off the head and rattles.

Still a bit hazy today and our high was 63.

Saturday 9/16. It was a chilly 41 this morning and we put our first fire of the season in our wood stove.  Finally have our coffee warmer back!

We rolled several more rounds down to the splitter and I quartered them.  Then I split some and we moved them to the shed in four loads.  In stacking them, I finished row six and started row seven.  JB cut a small stack of wood that was too long on his chop saw.  It is so nice to be able to work and not be dripping with sweat when I'm done.

We drove down the drive to Miss Kitty and took the broken wheel off.  It looks like the wheel bearing is broken.  We may be able to take it apart, but I am sure we will need help getting it all put back together.

Our neighbors were over for the day from the west side of the mountains to do a little winter preparation.  They came to call when they where done and we had such a great visit.

Our high for the day was only 58, but this cool weather is so welcome.  And it is getting dark so early now, which is not at all welcome.

Sunday 9/17. It was 46 and overcast this morning.  We put another fire in the stove to take the chill out.

I was out early to split the rest of the quartered rounds, then loaded the bucket four times for JB to move to the shed.  I stacked the wood and went in for brunch.  Leftover German pancake from last night's dinner.  Yum!

We rolled down six more rounds to the splitter and have gotten into the larger ones.  I wrestled them into the splitter, but cutting them into quarters was quite a project.  I needed a pry bar on a few of them to get the pieces apart.  While I was still splitting the quarters, JB brought the tractor over and took four more loads over to the shed.  We wanted to get as much done as possible before the rain arrived.  He had been working on the door to the hen house, raising the threshold so we don't have to shovel the snow down to the ground to get in.

I continued splitting a while, then stacked the rest of the wood he had moved to the shed.  Getting close to filling the seventh (and last) row.  I put a tarp over the stack of split wood still by the splitter, and called it a day.  Definitely time for a shower.

By 10:00 am the overcast has cleared a bit and we could see blue sky.  But by 3:00 pm the forecast rain clouds had moved in.  We could see rain to the west and north, but ours didn't arrive til 6:00 pm, and then only for about half an hour.  Our high for the day was 62.

Monday 9/18. It is 40 this morning with mostly clear skies, but a huge bank of clouds on the western horizon.  More rain is in the forecast for the next few days.

Thought for the day: It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.  Moliere

September 15, 2017 A Very Long Day

Does anyone know what these
"tunnels" are for at Snowqualimie
Pass?

Wednesday 9/13. I was home by 1:00 pm with a Jeep load of groceries, dog food and chicken feed.  It took a while to put it all away and get it on our pantry list.  We put one of the bags of chicken feed in our root cellar. Then spent the rest of the day getting ready for our trip tomorrow.

The air was clear today with no smoke or haze and a high of 68.

Thursday 9/14. It was 47 and clear this morning. We were on our way at 7:15 with two very excited dogs.  We took JB's Jeep, as mine needs new tires, so there wasn't much room for the four of us.  As we entered the Teanaway Valley near Cle Elum, the smoke was thick.  Uncomfortably so.  But by the time we climbed into Snoqualamie Pass, the air was clear again.

We met JB's brothers and sister-in-law and scattered his Mother's ashes where she wanted them.  Then we all went out to lunch.  I don't know if this was exactly "closure", but it was a somber rite that needed to be done and now it is.

We were back home by 6:15 pm and both quite exhausted.  Our high for the day Up Here had been 68, and, except for the smoke along the way, it had been a beautiful, blue-sky day.

Friday 9/15. It is 47 this morning with blue sky and haze almost obscuring the mountains. Time to get back to work.

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

September 13, 2017 A Visit, Miss Kitty, Splitting & Stacking

Sun through the clouds
and smoke.

Quartered rounds by the splitter in
the down position, so I can stand
while splitting.

Monday 9/11. My brother and nephew came up for breakfast.  My nephew stayed to visit and help me move some rounds til after lunch when I drove him back down to their cabin in Miss Kitty.  I stayed to visit some more, then headed home.  Can't believe he will be off to college in less than two weeks.  Just at the beginning of our driveway, Miss Kitty broke a leg and I was very tempted to put her down with a bullet!  The front left wheel is sitting at an angle.  Didn't know what is wrong and didn't care.  She is rapidly becoming a money pit.

Tuesday 9/12. It was 62 and partly cloudy this morning, with a strong smell of smoke, and haze around the horizons, but blue sky above.

I was out early (8:45) to split the small rounds my nephew helped me move down to the splitter yesterday.  JB moved them to the wood shed in three loads and I stacked them.

After a late breakfast (which is my habit), I tipped the splitter up and split some of the larger rounds we had moved down into quarters.  Then I tipped the splitter back down so I could stand up and split the smaller pieces which are easy to lift onto it.  JB moved them to the shed in four loads where I stacked them, and now have more than 1/3 of the fifth row done.  

JB was working on our weather station that was on a very tall pole and not at all easy to access.  Now it is a bit shorter and has new batteries in it.

The wind picked up and blew more smoke in during the late afternoon.  Our high for the day was 84, but cooler weather is promised beginning tomorrow and maybe even some rain over the weekend.

Wednesday 9/13. It is 52 and mostly cloudy this morning, and I can actually see the mountains.  I am going Down There this morning for a big grocery shopping, then tomorrow we are driving to the other side of the mountains to scatter JB's Mother's ashes with his brothers.  Will be taking the dogs and just be gone for the day.

Thought for the day: I need more time, and probably always will.  Ashleigh Brilliant

September 11, 2017 Work & Wash

Wood stacked on the porch. . .

. . .and in the shed.

Friday 9/8. After morning chores, including laundry, I split wood while JB moved the shop generator a little further away from the shop wall enabling us to clear out the snow more easily.  Now we can get the snow blower in there.  Then we cut four loads of large branch wood in the wood cradle.

After lunch I loaded the tractor bucket five times with green wood from the huge pile I have been splitting and JB drove it to the wood shed.  I stacked it, starting the fifth row.  The fourth row had dried and settled enough to add quite a bit of wood to the top of it.  The rest made about 1/4 of the new row.

We have had a mouse in the hen house for a couple months now.  He must be pretty smart to have survived that long.

We were above the smoke today and our high was 80.

Saturday 9/9. It was 56 with a breeze this morning and sun in a partly cloudy sky.  A lovely cool day in which we accomplished so much.  It was my nephew's nineteenth birthday and he will be on his way to college in less than two weeks.

I trimmed more of the large fir branches while JB ate breakfast, then he took two tractor bucket loads of branches to the wood cradle where we cut three cradle loads.  I then loaded the bucket five times with that wood and JB took it to the shed where I stacked it, beginning the sixth row.  I also took four large arm loads to the splitter.  I finished splitting the green wood and made a separate pile of it to be stacked on the porch.  JB took the rest of the split green wood to the shed where I stacked it, making more than 2/3 of the fifth row.  Whew!  Makes me tired just writing all this.

The breeze escalated to a strong wind in the late after noon, bringing smoke in from the southwest, probably from fires near Cle Elum.  Our high for the day was a very pleasant 70.

Sunday 9/10. It was 50 with a smokey haze this morning.  I was on my way Down There at 8:30 for my annual visit to the laundromat to wash our winter coats, quilt and blankets.  A nice break.

I was back before 1:00 pm and had met my brother and nephew on their way to their cabin for a few days.  They will be up for breakfast tomorrow.

After lunch, JB moved the last of the split green wood to the porch in four loads and I stacked it on the south end.  A month early, but we have to have everything done early because of JB's back surgery on 10/9.

It was a fairly pleasant, but smokey, day with a high of 72.

Monday 9/11. This sad day of remembrance has begun with a temperature of 56 and smoke on the horizons, but blue sky above.  My brother and nephew will be here around 9:00 for breakfast and hopefully a long visit.

Thought for the day: We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.  John W. Gardner

September 8, 2017 Smoke, Wood & Tires

No photos again today.  Not sure what the problem is lately.



Wednesday 9/6. We finally took down the food tent (my old craft-show booth).  JB put the battery in his Jeep, just slightly easier than getting it out, while I snipped more branches.  Then JB sliced the last tree into rounds.

By then it was getting too warm to be working outside, especially with the smoke.  Our high for the day was 82, and we could actually see some clouds.

Elsie told me that the tires that we ordered for Miss Kitty had arrived, so I will drive Down There tomorrow.

We started watching the first season of Boston Legal last night.  Anything with James Spader in it is excellent.

Thursday 9/7. It was 67 and still very smokey this morning.  We were out early to use Miss Kitty to move the rounds to the splitter in four loads.  Then we put the two new front tires back on the tractor, and took the two front tires and one back tire off Miss Kitty.  I took a much-needed shower and was on my way Down There at 11:00 am.

It was already uncomfortably warm by the time I arrived at Larry and Elsie's shop to pick up the tires.  Then I was off to Les Schwab to get the rims taken off the old front tires and put on the new ones.  Also had to get the rims switched on the spare and back tire.  (Long story)  I was home by 2:30.

After a late lunch, we put the three tires back on Miss Kitty.  Didn't want to wait as there were thunder storms in the forecast for this evening.  

Our high for the day was 80 with a lot of smoke, but the smoke was much worse in town than Up Here.  On these hot days, the house tends to heat up, so it is very pleasant to sit out on the porch in the evening when it has cooled down a bit and listen to the crickets.  They are so LOUD!

Friday 9/8. It is 60 with a breeze this morning.  We did get a few sprinkles during the night and heard some very distant thunder.  The sky is still smokey but the air smells fresh and we can see some clouds and blue sky overhead.  We plan to cut wood in the cradle today and tomorrow, and I want to get the rounds from that last tree split.

Thought for the day: I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.  Everett Dirkson

September 6, 2017 Hot & Smokey

A blue-sky morning with smoke
around the edges.

Best breakfast ever - scrambled eggs
with garden-fresh tomatoes!

Monday 9/4. We were in no rush to get going this morning.  Did our usual chores and throughout the day put everything away from the BBQ.  I froze what food was left over from having given some to the Gridders.   Needless to say, we will be eating chili for quite a while.  And we didn't use any of the hamburger.  I always end up with way too much food, which is certainly better than not enough.

When JB went to move our vehicles to the back of the house on Sunday, he discovered that his Jeep had a dead battery.  We were able to get it started with a jump from my Jeep, but no such luck today.

It was a very smokey, very hot day with a high of 86.

Tuesday 9/5. It was 67 this morning and we were smoked in.  Almost like fog but not as dense, thank goodness.  Quite often these smokey days begin with blue sky and smoke around the edges that moves in later in the day, but last night the smoke did not clear out.  

JB was on his way Down There in my Jeep by 9:00 am to pick up the new front tractor tires, MAX's tire and a new battery for his Jeep.  Shortly after he left, I was out splitting wood.  We were both wearing masks which helped immensely.  I finished all the green rounds by noon and spent the rest of the day inside.

JB returned home about 1:30 with the tires and battery which we will install tomorrow.  We also have to take down the food tent.

This very smokey day had a high of 80, which was a bit of a relief.

Wednesday 9/6.  It is 66 and we are still smoked in this morning.  We plan to get out right after breakfast to start working while it is still a bit cool.

Thought for the day: Wonder is the seed of knowledge.  Francis Bacon

Sept 4, 2017 Smoke, Ash & A BBQ

No pictures this morning as Google is not cooperating.


Friday 9/1 - Sunday 9/3. I split more wood on Friday and JB finished weed eating. We put up the food tent began organizing for Sunday's BBQ.  Saturday morning I went Down There for meat and other perishables.  After lunch we put the tables in the tent and got more organized.

Sunday morning I vacuumed, dusted, made two pots of chili, one white and one regular.  We were actually ready when our first guests arrived a little after 1:00 pm.  Six people did not show up, so there were twelve of us, and once again a good time was had by all.

It was a very hot and smokey three days, with a light ash-fall each day.  Highs were in the mid to high 80's.  

Monday 9/4. It is 70 this morning and still smokey with very little air movement.  We are taking today off.

Thought for the day: The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.  e e cummings

September 1, 2017 Getting Ready For Winter & Our Annual BBQ

Our new umbrella stand.

One of our tomatoes
wearing a necklace.

Two of the grouse enjoying
the damp earth in my flower bed.

Wednesday 8/30. Couldn't let this cool morning go to waste so I used Miss Kitty to haul all the rounds from the smallest tree down to the splitter in four loads.  Then JB helped me load her up with rounds from the large tree and I took them to the splitter in seven loads.

After lunch we brought one of the large rounds from the dead pine tree down to the yard on a dolly.  JB drilled a hole in the middle and we now have a stand for our umbrella.  But that was it for working outside.  Our high for the day was 86.

There are a lot more grasshoppers Up Here now and if any of them get into the girls run, they fight over them.  Fresh meat!

It was quite windy all day and was supposed to blow the smoke out, but now that there is a fire to the south of us near Cle Elum, the wind coming in from the southwest seemed to be bringing more with it.  It became quite thick and we even had some ash falling on us.  Then suddenly around 5:30, it disappeared.  By sunset, the sky was clear.

Thursday 8/31. Another cool morning of 56, clear skies and wind.  We couldn't see any smoke, but we could smell it.  My bladder got me up at midnight and when I got back to bed, JB said he just heard the wolf howl.

Couldn't waste this cool morning either, so after morning chores, I did about an hour of splitting.  JB did some weed eating around the house.  After lunch we put up the food tent.  Then JB did more weed eating and I baked some brownies from another recipe in the cookbook I made in 1962 for applesauce-orange brownies.  So good!

After dinner I trimmed four large branches, taking the long ends too large for me to cut with my trimmers to the wood cradle.

The weather was much more pleasant today with a continuous breeze and a high of 80.

Friday 9/1. It is 63 with clear skies this morning.  As I write this, I can see smoke moving in to the west and obliterating the mountains.  

Thought for the day: Sometimes the only means of transportation is a leap of faith.  Guideposts Sept 2017