October 30, 2017 A Trip Down There & A Day With Miss Kitty

Tamaracks sporting their Fall colors
on the north side of Mission Rdg.

Birthday present for
my brother.

Friday 10/27. Dinga's leg is much better this morning.  Not sure what she did to it.

I was on my way Down There by 9:00 am on another incredible Fall morning.  Had eleven stops and was back home by 2:00 pm.  When I bought more chicken feed, I also bought a hay hook to help move the bales off the root cellar.  It worked great when I got home and had to put all the dog and chicken feed away.  They are full up now.

The mail filled up the bag I brought for it.  Tis the season for catalogs!

The girls have only been giving us one egg a day for several weeks now.  The younger ones are molting, so that is probably why.

Am so enjoying these sunny, Fall days.  Our high today was 62.

Saturday 10/28. It was 40 with clear skies again this morning.  Another incredible day, with a high of 60.

My project for the day was to defrost the fridge and freezer.  First time for the freezer with this new refrigerator.  Not nearly as much ice as I thought there was.  I also vacuumed underneath it, cleaned the backside and the burner.

Thanks to the books at the Dollar Store, I think I am set for the winter.  Amazing that I can find so many good ones there.

JB continues to get better and better.  He goes for at least two walks a day, and often three, with a shorter one after dinner.  Of course, soon it will be too dark to enjoy that one.

Sunday 10/29. It was 48 with clear skies this morning, and a little breeze.  After chores, I spent most of the day driving around in Miss Kitty.  I found out yesterday that my brother won't be up for his birthday and probably not again until Spring.  So I took both his birthday and Christmas present down to his cabin and took photos of them for him.

Then I drove down to visit with the Gridders and pick up our mail.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Gridder were getting ready to go up to their twenty mountain acres at the top of the canyon that they had purchased last year.  I drove up also, as I had never seen their cabin and small hay-bale house.  Wow! The view from their place is phenomenal!

What a great day!  Weatherwise we had a high of 59, warm in the sun and chilly in the shade.  And such a fun time with the Gridders. 

Monday 10/30. It is a chilly 34 this morning and the sky is clear.  Cold weather and possible snow is in the forecast for the end of the week.

JB is going to turn 75 on Wednesday!

Thought for the day: My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

October 27, 2017 Enjoying Beautiful Fall Weather

Drain chute through
front yard. . .

. . .and on the north side.

Wednesday 10/25. I worked on cleaning out the drainage ditches down the driveway and to the hair-pin turn.  Last Saturday we received 1-1/2" of snow during the day and 2" of rain during the night, so even though the torrent of water mainly went where we wanted it to, there was a lot of dirt and needles pushed down with it.  I got everything done except for the hair-pin turn, which I will probably do this Saturday.  It really needs to be dug out with a shovel.

After lunch I dug out the small drainage chutes through the front yard and the north side of the house.  The yard drain had not been done for a few years and wasn't very deep any more.

Before all this, I had hung out the laundry which was sheets.  A breeze had sprung up and quickly dried them.  

It was another incredible Fall day, with a high of 60.

Thursday 10/26. It was 40 with clear skies this morning.  Skies that remained clear all day and were full of bright sunshine.

I finished the yard drain, taking it clear over across the driveway and into the trees.  Digging out all the accumulated dirt.

JB baked a big pan of gingerbread this afternoon, and then made meatloaf for dinner.  So nice to have him able to do that again.  I still get out the dishes and utensils he can't bend down to reach.

The varied thrush are back, passing through on their way from Canada and Alaska to winter in California.  And, of course, the nuthatches and juncos are all about.

Dinga did something to her right front leg this morning and was limping quite badly.  Nothing we can see, but it is pretty hard on her as she has had a bad left rear leg for six years now.  Between that and her going blind, she is in pretty bad shape.  Hopefully her sore front leg will be better very soon.

Again, it was another incredible Fall day.  Just a little more chilly, with a high of 55.

Friday 10/27. It is 40 again with clear skies this morning.  I am going Down There this morning for some more winter stocking up, as there are some pretty good sales.  Also going to buy my brother's Christmas present that is on sale, a food-grade water barrel.

Thought for the day:  I should be given an award for keeping my mouth shut when there's so much that needs to be said.

October 25, 2017 Getting Back To Normal

Rose working on MAX.

The last of our small tomatoes
ripening on the counter.

Monday 10/23. JB passed his after-surgery check-up with flying colors!  They took x-rays & we got to see the "before" and "after", an amazing difference between the two.  He was cleared for a little more activity, but still no bending, lifting more than 8 lbs, or twisting.  His next appointment is 11/21.

The road was a little slick in places, but really not bad at all.  The water had flowed down our driveway right where we wanted it to.  I did some grocery shopping and had to buy a new battery for MAX.

This is really the first day that I have felt like doing everything I had to do without my inner child screaming, "But I don't want to!"

It was another beautiful Fall day with a high of 59, and at least ten degrees warmer Down There.

Tuesday 10/24. It was 38 and clear this morning.  It was a mostly lazy morning of reading the Sunday papers.  JB dried the dishes, as usual, and after I hung up the laundry, we all went for our morning walk.

After lunch I put the new battery in MAX.  Not a complicated job, but the battery is quite heavy and in a very small "box", so it took a while to get the old one out.  When finished, I drove MAX up and around the south ridge, trying to get used to driving him again.  Then we all went on our afternoon walk.

It was another lovely Fall day with a high of 52.

Wednesday 10/25. It is 48 with partly cloudy skies this morning and more dry weather in the forecast.

Thought for the day: My alone time is sometimes for your safety.

October 23, 2017 MAX is back!

Saturday's snow on the
rose hips.

My new & final
kitchen cabinet
(next to the stove).

Snow on the Cascades.

Friday 10/20. A busy morning with chores, then we all went for a walk right after lunch.  It was slower going for JB, but he made it all the way.  When we got back to the house I took a three-hour nap.  My that felt good!

While JB's brother was here, he also helped me tip the solar panels all the way down.  He could have done it by himself.  At 6'3" and muscular, he made everything look so easy. . .

The wind blew all day, chasing clouds across the sky, but the sun managed to shine most of the time.  Our high for the day was 48.

Saturday 10/21. It was 34 and snowing big fluffy flakes this morning.  By noon the snow became wetter and heavier.  I measured 1-1/2", but it would had been much more than that if the flakes had stayed fluffy.  It was mostly rain by 5:30 pm and rain fell all night.  Our high for the day was 46.

My cold is rather tenacious - thank goodness for ibuprofen and decongestants.

It was definitely an inside day, so I finally began working on cleaning up the loft.  Something I was NOT looking forward to.  I also got out all the bowls and ingredients for JB to make banana bread.

With everything else that has been going on, my very good friend, Sandy, has been dealing with the fires near her home in Santa Rosa, CA.  Her mother and aunt had to evacuate their homes in Sonoma, but were able to go back to them today.  Sandy never had to evacuate, but she and her neighbors could see the flames and had their cars packed just in case.

Sunday 10/22. It was 40 and mostly clear this morning.  Since it had rained all night, I was actually grateful for the wind, as it helps dry up everything more quickly.  It blew all day, but that didn't keep us from getting out for our walks.  I also put up the slats on the generator room.

Late this afternoon, Gridder and his oldest son drove up with MAX!  He had figured out was was wrong and fixed it.  Regardless of how he drove MAX, he was unable to get the chain to come off.  I think we are good to go!  Gridder said he would come up to help put the tracks on probably next weekend.

Our high for the day was 46.  Don't even want to think about the wind chill, as it was gusting to the high 20's.

Monday 10/23. It is 40 and partly cloudy this morning.  We plan on leaving for Down There at 10:00 for shopping and JB's doctor's appointment.  With all the wind, the road should be good.

Thought for the day: It does not require many words to speak the truth.  Chief Joseph

October 20, 2017 Ready For Winter, Including Miss Kitty

Ooops! No pictures this morning.


Friday 10/20. It is 37 with clear skies this morning, and lots of new snow on the mountains.  JB's brother left yesterday afternoon, after three intensely busy days.  When he arrived Monday afternoon, we took down the tipi.

Tuesday morning I had to go Down There to purchase a torque wrench and run a couple other errands.  Then, in a wind gusting to the high 20's, he fixed Miss Kitty.  I was basically his gofer, but by 3:30 pm I was able to drive Miss Kitty home.  Didn't have to shoot her after all.

Wednesday I had to run Down There again for a couple attachments for the torque wrench.  While I was gone, JB's brother started on the kitchen cupboard that needed to be installed.  It had to be cut in the back to fit over one of the poles that sticks out of the wall an inch or so.  Shortly after I returned home, we were able to install it.  Woo Hoo!  I have been wanting that for several years now.  Our kitchen is complete.  Then he did a last minute adjustment to Miss Kitty's wheel with the parts I bought.

Rain fell most of Wednesday night and off and on all day Thursday, so we couldn't get out to cut branch wood in the cradle.  But we did have a nice, relaxing day to just visit.  JB's brother left around 2:30 pm and I made him promise to drive VERY slowly down our road and call when he got to town.  He has a four-wheel drive, but not the required tires for a wet, slick road.  It took him 30 minutes to go the first 2-1/2 miles, but he made it safely down.

JB has his check-up on Monday, but he is doing incredible well.  Just no bending, lifting or twisting for several more weeks.

Thought for the day: I thank God each day for family and friends.

October 16, 2017 JB & Snow At Rose Camp

Snow at Rose camp
on 10/12.

Monday 10/16. I was able to bring JB home from the hospital on Wednesday, 10/11, and since then have had neither the time nor energy to post on my blog.  It was a slow, bumpy ride up the mountain, but he survived and was glad to be home.  Each day has shown incredible improvement and, as of Saturday, he gets outside for a walk.  For six to eight weeks there is no blt: bending, lifting or twisting.  But he has a great attitude, and I am actually succeeding as a fairly patient caretaker.

JB's youngest brother arrives today to help with JB and a few outside projects.  Most important is taking down the tipi while it is dry.  It has been up for more than a year now.

Unfortunately I caught a bug at the hospital, not really a cold more like a sinus infection that started attacking me Friday night.  Am looking forward to a nap or two while JB's brother is here. . .

We received 1/4" of snow on Thursday which lasted for a couple days.  Our cold snap is over and yesterday we had a high of 52, but more cold weather is in the forecast for the end of the week.  After all, it is October.

I will try to blog on schedule, but I don't guarantee it.

A big thanks to all our family, friends and readers for your prayers.

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

October 10 2017 Update On JB's Surgery

Tuesday 10/10. JB's surgery went very well and the doctor is pleased with the results.  He won't be able to come home until at least tomorrow.  All is well.

October 9, 2017 So Much For A Quiet Weekend

The girls' home, ready for winter.

The geese, ready for Halloween.

Friday 10/6. I cleaned out the hen house to ready it for winter.  Got rid of all the old shavings and straw, and gave them fresh.  JB drove two tractor-bucket loads of old straw away.  The girls always love to get in their house when I am done and dig around.  JB helped me put the tarp over their run to keep the snow out.  I put a new tarp over the old one on the hen-house roof.

Drained one of the rain barrels with a hose.  Did one yesterday and will do the other one tomorrow.

JB attended to a lot of outside details getting Rose Camp winterized.  It seems like the list is never ending, and by the end of the day, we knew that Saturday was going to be busy also.

The hospital called this afternoon to advise that JB has to be there on Monday for his operation at 12:30 pm.  We had hoped for an earlier time. . .

This morning's breeze grew into a wind and blew most of the cloud cover away to the east by noon.  It wasn't a cold wind, just a real pain when trying to work with tarps.  Our high for the day was 62.

Saturday 10/7. It was 39 with clear skies this morning, and still windy.  Only today's wind was cold.

JB helped me take the new tarp off of the hen house, as I realized it would fit much better turned the other way.  Really had to hold on tight to it in the wind, which was stronger today.  Then JB continued with outside winterizing, such as putting anti-gel solution in all the diesel.

I picked the four large tomatoes on the plant in the yard and put them inside on the windowsills.  

JB has been taking walks with Dinga after dinner this week, and this evening he saw some bluebirds on the north ridge.  It has been a couple years since we have had any Up Here.

The sky stayed blue until late afternoon and then was overcast by 5:30 pm.  Our high for the day was 52.

Larry and Elsie drove up for a visit this evening, and brought the parts for Miss Kitty that had arrived at their shop.  

Sunday 10/8. It was 38 and clear this morning with more new snow on the mountains, but thankfully, no wind.

Our main projects for the day were to put the three water barrels behind the wood shed back where they belonged, all connected with pipes (not as easy as it sounds), and get the tractor mower up on a pallet.  I also cut some kindling with the snippers and stacked it.  Then got rid of the tomato plant in the front yard.

It was another gorgeous Fall day, with a high of 58.

Monday 10/9. It is 37 and mostly clear.  I am blogging this morning since we don't have to leave for Down There til about 11:00 am.  All prayers will be greatly appreciated.

Thought for the day: No one else has your story, your scars, your wisdom.  No one.  Embrace them.  Accept them.   John O'Leary

October 6, 2017 A Trip Down There & Skunk Season

A squirrel on the porch wood. . .

. . .and at the top of the porch roof.

Wednesday 10/4. This morning we attended to outside details: fixing a loose board on the wood shed, screwing in loose screws on its roof, covering items for the winter, etc.  After lunch I baked cookies, while JB continued working outside.

There was a squirrel on the porch this morning.  When the dogs and I went out, he screamed at us and flew up to the top of the center pole!  Didn't come down til he was sure we were far away.

The juncos have been back for a week or so now.  They seem to come Up Here in early Spring and early Fall.  Our little flock of grouse doesn't come around every day any more, but I see them on our road when I drive down.

It was another beautiful Fall day with a high of 60.

Thursday 10/5. It was 46 with clear skies this morning.  My turn to go Down There.  I was on my way by 9:30 with ten stops on my list.  No big shopping, just a few things here and there.  It became quite warm in town, probably the forecast 69.

My last stop was to visit Larry and Elsie.  They bring their dog to the shop and he wasn't feeling too well today after an encounter with a skunk late last night.  Elsie had to bathe him at 11:00 pm.  It is definitely skunk season.

JB was in the process of changing the oil in the generator when I arrived back home.  And I was soon in the process of taking a nap.  After dinner JB baked a couple loaves of banana bread.  Almost half of one disappeared very quickly.

It was quite warm Up Here today also, with a high of 66.

Friday 10/6. It is 49 with mostly overcast skies and a breeze this morning.  We plan to have a quiet weekend.  The hospital will call this afternoon to notify us of what time we have to be there on Monday morning for his operation.  I don't plan to blog until Tuesday.

Thought for the day: Smile and let everyone know that today you are stronger than you were yesterday.  Drake, singer.

October 4, 2017 Green Tomatoes & Details

Pile of large branches from the
sentinel pine tree.

Monday 10/2. By 10:00 am there was lots of blue sky, so I hung out the sheets to dry.  Then I wrapped some birthday and Christmas presents, and packaged them for shipment.

After lunch I drove down to Larry and Elsie's to pick some apples from their tree.  Elsie had picked all they wanted and offered the rest to me before the bears got to them.  Last week she went down to their peach trees to pick them, but the bears had beat her to them.  I must have picked at least 40#!  Most for us to can pie filling, and some for the girls through the winter.  It was much warmer down in the canyon that up at Rose Camp.  Our high for the day was 58.

Our three tomato plants are full, but I doubt this weather is going to allow them to ripen.  We may end up eating fried green tomatoes.  Our son, who lives in Alabama, says anything tastes good if it's fried - especially in bacon fat.

Tuesday 10/3. It was 40 with blue sky this morning.  The girls love their warm oatmeal for breakfast.

JB left for Down There around 9:00 am for his quarterly appointment at the pace-maker clinic.  He took the trailer that we had loaded with all our scrap metal yesterday, including the propane dryer.

I just relaxed until it was time for our morning walk at 10:30.  It was such a glorious Fall morning!  Crisp and brilliant.  When we arrived back at the house, I gave the dogs their treats, then finished hauling the rest of the huge branches from the sentinel pine tree to the wood cradle.  Inside I attended to a lot of details that never get done when I am concentrating on larger projects.

JB was home by 1:30 pm with lots of mail and papers to read.  Our high for the day was 57.

Wednesday 10/4. It is 42 this morning with a few light, pink clouds in the blue sky, as the sun sleeps in a little longer each day.

Thought for the day: I can choose to be right or to be happy.

October 2, 2017 Done With The Wood!

Rounds for next year.

Friday 9/29. With rain in the forecast, I wanted to get more dry pine needles for fire starter.  I gathered three large garbage bags, filled the small garbage can and the basket in the house.  That ought to do it for the winter as I already have several bags in the wood shed.

After inside chores, JB cut the the fir tree into 27 rounds and drove them to the splitter.  I did some splitting and loaded the tractor bucket five times, which JB took to the porch.

By noon, clouds covered the sky and began to drop their load in the form of a light sprinkle just after I brought in the laundry.  JB helped me get the wood onto the porch where I stacked it into 2/3 of the second south row.  The rain was never more than a sprinkle and by 4:00 pm the wind had picked up and blown most of the clouds away.  Our high for the day was 64.

Wild rose bushes account for a large portion of our bright Fall colors.  Such a delight for the eyes.

I think I am finally tiring of splitting wood.  I really do enjoy doing it, and not only for the activity itself, but because it is an excuse to put off other projects which I do not enjoy, as this is the one that HAS to be done.

Saturday 9/30. It was 42 and mostly clear this morning with a breeze, but clouds soon moved in.

I gathered branches from that last tree that were ripped off when JB pulled it down to the splitting area.  Then I split some more wood.  We moved it to the porch in four loads where I stacked it, finishing the outside east row and 1/3 of the inside row.  Pretty sure that is it for splitting wood this year.

The wind wisked clouds across the sky all day and our high was 60.

Sunday 10/1. October arrived with a chilly temp of 38, mostly clear skies and a light breeze, and there was more snow on the mountains.  I put a fire in the stove when I got up to let the dogs out at 4:00 am.

There is an 80' swath of large, medium and small branches on either side of where we felled the sentinel pine tree.  I have been gathering kindling from there most days, but this morning I worked on moving the large branches to the wood cradle.  I also gathered more kindling and finished the row of it on the porch.

Then I cleaned up the splitting area, stacking rounds left for next year, raking the ground, and putting the oil and gas away.  I am DONE!

JB and I worked on getting poles to keep the door open on the root cellar when we need to retrieve dog and chicken food.

JB's brothers have offered to come over to help after his operation.  How cool is that!  His youngest brother will be over on the 16th and stay til the 19th or 20th.  He can help me take down the tipi, tilt the panels, cut some wood in the wood cradle and perhaps give me a break so I can go Down There.  If we still need help, his other brother will come over on the 20th.  Wow!  He has such a great family.

The afternoon brought very dark clouds in from the southwest, but they split and went to the north and south.  Our high for the day was 60.

Monday 10/2. It is 40 and overcast this morning.  Feels a bit empty not having any more splitting to do.

Thought for the day: Kindness works.  It's like a boomerang: It always comes back to you, even if not from the person you gave it to.  Gayle King