April 30, 2018 A Garbage Run, Rain & A Woodchuck

The woodchuck's door into
the battery shed. . .

. . . & the front door to
his home.

Looking over a balsam root to
Mission Ridge.

Friday 4/27. We left on our garbage run a little after 9:00 am.  Jesse was nowhere to be found, but we left anyway.  He met us at the hairpin corner, so we just got him into the Jeep and he eagerly came with us.  Possibly his plan from the begining.

It was just down to the dump and back home, picking up the mail on the way.  We saw lupine beginning to bloom way down in the canyon, along with blue bells and dwarf waterleaf.  The hillside to the north of Larry and Elsie is quickly turning yellow with balsam root, and all the deciduous trees are leafing out and blooming.  On our road, there are several large patches of trillium now blooming.  They like a moist, shady area, so I know exactly where to look for them.

We were home before noon, and after lunch worked some more on the porch and picking up branches.

I discovered a woodchuck in the battery shed (yes, I know I said they are officially referred to as "rockchucks" west of the Rockies, but no one has a clue when I use that name).  We had one in there for a week or more a few years ago.  I put a screen across the door, which we leave open on warm days, so the dogs could not get in.  Dinga can smell it and is very interested.

It was another warm, Spring day with a high of 72.  Wow!  But rain is in the forecast, along with cooler temperatures.

Saturday 4/28. It was 41 this morning and overcast.  Rain fell most of the night, giving us 1/4", but it smelled so fresh!  The overcast soon broke up and the sun came out.

My brother was able to make it up to his cabin for a three-day weekend.  He sold his business last year and is working for someone else now, so it is much harder for him to get away.  I drove Miss Kitty down to visit him after lunch.  So good to see him.  On the drive back home, I stopped several times to collect branch wood and filled up the back of Miss Kitty.  

It was a beautiful, but much cooler day with a high of 58.  I took the dogs on their afternoon walk when I returned home, and it began to rain just as we got back to the house.  Rain fell quite hard for about an hour, but that was it.

Sunday 4/29. It was 38 with clear skies this morning.  Clouds moved in by noon and hid the sun for most of the rest of the day.

We put the wash tubs back in the shop.  We had got them out in January when we were having problems with the generator, but never had to use them.  Then I split the rest of the rounds, except for the larger ones that need to have the splitter flipped down.  The clouds dropped a few sprinkles while I was splitting, but not enough to worry about or quit what I was doing.

Today would have been my Mother's 96th birthday and it was Dinga's tenth.  April and May are big birthday months in our family.

Another cool day, with a high of 56.  Back to normal April temps.  By 6:00 pm the sky was completely blue again.

Monday 4/30. It is 36 this morning with overcast skies.  When I got up I watched four deer grazing on the new grass just south of the house.  What a lovely start to the day.

Thought for the day: What a beautiful world it would be if people had hearts like dogs.

April 27, 2018 A Trip Down There & Delightfully Spring

Blondie enjoying the sun & a dirt bath.

One of the many yellow bouquets
decorating the south slope.

The first shooting stars have
burst into bloom.

Wednesday 4/25. I was on my way Down There by 8:15.  Of course, my first stop was a latte, and then on to get new tires for my Jeep.  An hour and a half later I was on my way, and what a difference!  My next stop was to renew my drivers' license and move up to the enhanced one.  Don't need it until 2020 to get on a plane, but at least now I will have it.

Did some shopping and was home by 2:30 after a visit with Larry and Elsie.  Shortly after I arrived home, Elsie called to say that our neighbor to the south discovered that the dump he had burned a month ago had suddenly flared up. The fire got away from him and Larry was on his way there to help.  I hiked up to the south ridge (in my town shoes) to see if there was any smoke.  I could smell it, but there was no smoke to be seen.  So back down I went to change my shoes and clothes.  Then back up to the peak, but by then I couldn't even smell anything.  They must have got it quickly under control.

It was such an incredible day, with a high Up Here of 66.  Just perfect.

Thursday 4/26. It was 50 and clear this morning.  I am so enjoying these warm Spring days.  Not sure why this winter seemed so long.  It wasn't any more severe or longer than usual, but maybe it was because of all the fog and wind we had.

Didn't need a coat to go out and feed the girls their breakfast today, just my dressing gown over my jammies.  So nice!  The girls are definitely sharing their food and water with some critter(s) - mice, chipmunks?  But we are getting a lot of four-egg days.  Am giving the dogs scrambled eggs with their breakfast.  I split an egg between the two of them and they love it.

We worked on getting the porch arranged for sitting and enjoying.  Still have to get the wash tubs put back into the shop, but we have to wait for the dirt (mud) floor to dry out a bit more.  Also have to find a place and use for the huge cooler we had bought to use when our old refrigerator died.  When we were done moving everything, we did some sitting and enjoying.

Did some other things outside including continuing to clean up from winter's storms.  Lots of little branches to be cleared.

It was another great day, even warmer than yesterday with a high of 67.  Much of the ground is so very GREEN now, and we can barely walk in our small meadow to the south without stepping on alpine spring beauties and yellow bells.  The first shooting stars have bloomed now, also.  And the south slope is decorated with yellow bouquets of balsam root.  I really am in heaven. . .

Friday 4/27. It is 52 with clear skies this morning, but the forecast calls for rain all weekend.  We are going to go on our Spring garbage run this morning.

Thought for the day: One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up, instead of what they have to gain. Liz Josefsberg

April 25, 2018 Trespassers & The Scent of Spring

I know there's a critter in here
 somewhere!

Monday 4/23. I sat on the porch with my coffee for the first time this year, just listening to the birds sing and watching the grass grow.  Heaven!

I split some more wood and JB took it all to the wood shed in four tractor-bucket loads.  Also took two loads of kindling off the porch.  I stacked some of the wood, starting the third row with it.

I heard a wren for the first time today, and we saw two humming birds.  I tell them every year that the feeders do not go out until May 1, but they never seem to listen. . .

On our walk, Dinga climbed on top of the brush pile we have up on the south ridge.  The squeals coming from inside the pile lead me to believe that is where some of the rockchucks (what woodchucks are called west of the Rockies) are living.

Well, it seems that along with the dry, warm weather comes trespassers.  I simply to NOT understand people who walk or ride right past "NO Trespassing" and "Private Property" signs.  The Gridders had to deal with two separate trespassers yesterday and one got quite belligerent.  WTF??!!  It's a good thing for both them and me that they did not get up to our property. . .

Today was another incredible Spring day, with a high of 57.

Tuesday 4/24. it was 42 with clear skies this morning.  JB was on his way Down There at 8:30 for an appointment at the pacemaker clinic for a regular check up.  He also had a few other errands to run and had to fill up all our gas cans.

I just slowly eased into the morning.  Did the dishes, sat on the porch, then did a thorough vacuuming.  Sat on the porch.  Also stacked all the wood and kindling that got moved over yesterday.  Sat on the porch.

I have written quite a bit about the sights and sounds of Spring Up Here, but the scents of Spring are really the icing on its cake: moist, fresh earth; grass; warm breeze coming up from the canyon; sun on the fir trees.  On our walks, we are constantly introduced to new and unidentified lovely scents.  Such a perfect time of the year.

JB was home by 2:00 pm.  Just before he got to Larry and Elsie's, there was a turkey hen in the road.  She ran in front of him for about 200 yards before darting into the trees!

The dogs and I had pretty much spent the most of the time outside.  Such a perfect day, and with a high of 60.  Our warmest yet.

I am going Down There tomorrow to buy new tires for my Jeep, run a few errands, get some groceries, and possibly get my new drivers' license.  Am going to get the "new and improved" one that lets me get on an airplane if I ever want to do that again.  I just have to provide my passport for ID.

Wednesday 4/25. It is 44 this morning with some high, thin clouds.  The forecast calls for temperatures in the 70's Down There today.

Thought for the day: An optimist is the human personification of Spring.  (Seen on Facebook)

April 23, 2018 Firewood & Bringing The Jeep Home

Our first balsam root
bloom!

Moved firewood off the porch. . .

. . . & stacked it in the shed.

Friday 4/20. I hung the wash outside again today.  Seems like a little thing, but it is really a big thing.  Then I gathered two more bags of pine needles for fire starter.  Now that the snow is all gone, all the winter land mines (piles of dog poop) have been revealed.  Had to be careful scooping up the needles that I didn't also grab poop with my bare hand. . .

We pumped clean water into the cistern today, for the first time in a few weeks.  It will be a while before the water is crystal clear again.

We used the tractor to move all the fire wood from the porch to the wood shed.  It took 25-1/2 bucket loads, with me loading and JB driving and dumping.  Had to dump about 1/3 of it outside the enclosure.  Now I get to re-stack it all inside the shed, but we are getting our porch back.  Just in time to sit on it and enjoy the warm sunshine.

It was such a great day!  Cloudy to the southwest by mid afternoon, but didn't need a coat while working.  Our high for the day was 57, but that was in the shade on the porch.  Had to be in the 60's in the sun.  I opened a few windows and let in the Spring air.

Saturday 4/21. It was 34 and windy with clear skies this morning.  The wind popped up after sundown yesterday and blew all night.

JB was up at 7:00 am to bake banana bread that he didn't have a chance to make yesterday.  So, when I got up at 8:00, it was to the aroma of it baking.  Needless to say, it activated my saliva glands. . .

I didn't hang the laundry outside today because of the wind.  Didn't want to have to drive to the next county to find it.  I spent most of the afternoon stacking all the wood in the shed.  Of course we will still be using some of it, but we still have a nice early start on next winter's fuel.  It may not look like much (see photo above), but anyone who has ever stacked wood knows what a chore it was.  Eh, Randy?

JB worked on a shelf I wanted for the outhouse, and a few other chores.

But the time I was done stacking wood, the blue sky had all but disappeared and it was time to go on our afternoon walk.  In many places the ground is turning white and pink with some yellow splashes as small clusters of Alpine Spring Beauties blossom, interspersed with yellow bells.

Our high for the day was 58, with a wind gusting to 18 mph.  The wind finally disappeared along with the day.

Sunday 4/22. it was 34 and overcast this morning, but the sun was out by noon and the overcast was quickly clearing.  The ground is so quickly greening up that I was able to pick a big hand full of yarrow ferns for the girls.  They were thrilled!  There are also dandylion greens that I will soon be able to get for them.  I also gave them fresh shavings in their nesting boxes.

After lunch we drove down in Miss Kitty to Larry and Elsie's to get JB's Jeep and bring it back to Rose Camp.  He drove the Jeep up, while I followed in Miss Kitty stopping to clear small rocks off the road.  There is barely any snow left now.

Back home, I uncovered the splitter.  Checked the oil and hydraulic fluid, then filled the engine with gas.  It usually needs a little coaxing to start for the first time after having sat all winter.  I tried to start it, then let it sit for a little while.  Did this four times and it finally roared to life.  I split about five rounds and called it a day.

Our high on this phenomenal Spring day was just 52, but there was no wind and the sun was so nice and warm.  Spring is most definitely my favorite season of the year.

Monday 4/23. It is 38 this morning and the sky is clear.  The forecast calls for a warm, dry week ahead.  Woo Hoo!!

Thought for the day: We will be known by the tracks we leave.  Native American proverb

April 20, 2018 Finally - Real Spring Weather

Two tom turkeys in
Larry & Elsie's yard.

Wednesday 4/18. Dinga has been waking JB up at 6:00 am the past few mornings.  She just sits by the bed and stares at him!  It works. . .

Some critter other than a deer was around the house during the night.  The dogs were going crazy this morning, running back and forth.  Barking. Tails and hackles up.  Considering the time of year, it must have been a bear.  Larry and Elsie haven't seen "their" bears for a few days, so maybe it was mama bear and her two cubs.

It was such a nice day that I had wanted to start splitting wood, but I got busy inside with things that had to be done.  Defrosted the freezer, cut JB's hair, sorted recipes, etc.  I collect so many recipes that I have a huge pile of them.  So I am finally sorting them out and tossing most of them.  Dishes that sound good, but, realistically, I know I will never make.

We finished watching the first season of Fringe this evening, then watched the gag reel and another special feature.  Tomorrow I am going Down There and plan to stop at one of the Red Boxes that has American Assassin on sale.  Hopefully we can watch that tomorrow night.

Thursday 4/19. It was 32 with clear skies this morning.  Opening the door to bird song on a clear Spring morning is pure heaven.  It was cold, but the day quickly warmed up.  I had to get out first thing to take the chains off of Miss Kitty's front tires and fill her up with gas.  Then feed the dogs and girls, and shower.

I was on my way Down There just before 9:00 am and what a beautiful ride it was.  The bushes are budding and the grasses are turning green.  In town everything is in bloom.  After five months of seeing just stark white and dark green, it is so exhilarating to see the rainbow of Spring colors.  Had lots of places to go, but just took my time and enjoyed the day.  Walked up and down every aisle in Costco, but only bought a few items that were not on my list.

I am sure the temperature in town was well into the 60's.  It felt so good!  Took off my coat and didn't have to put it on again as I drove home.  Had a nice long visit with Larry and Elsie.  Their lawn is a brilliant green and there are actually a few balsam root plants blooming near their place.

I was home by 2:00 pm and our high for the day Up Here was 55.  Our warmest day yet.  There are only two places on our road where there is any serious snow left, and even with those I am sure we can get JB's Jeep all the way up to the house.  We will probably drive Miss Kitty down in the next day or two to do that, depending upon whether we get any rain.

Watched American Assassin this evening. We have both read all of Vince Flynn's books and are big fans, but the movie was a bit disappointing as the actor who portrayed Mitch Rapp just wasn't a good fit.  Of course, Michael Keaton was amazing, as always.

Friday 4/20. It is 38 this morning with clouds around the edges, and rain in the forecast.

Thought for the day: Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only what we know about nature.  Saint Augustine

April 18, 2018 Getting Blown Away

Dwarf waterleaf sprouting
in the grove.

Monday 4/16. The snow flakes dwindled and finally disappeared by noon, but the icy wind blew all day long.  In spite of that, after lunch we walked down to the hair-pin turn to switch cards in the game cam.  The snow on our driveway has all melted and been replaced by mud.  It wasn't real sloppy today, but it is steep and there are some slick spots.

Two weeks of photos and we were the only wild life on the card!  That is really odd, because there were deer tracks going up the drive. . .

Our high for the day was just 37, which is only one degree warmer than it was at 7:00 am!  The wind was gusting to 18 mph Up Here, but down in the canyon  at Larry and Elsie's, they were getting gusts up to 30 mph.

Still watching the first season of Fringe.  John Noble, who portrays Walter Bishop, really makes the series.  I know he earned at least one Emmy, but as far as I am concerned, he should have received one for each year.

Tuesday 4/17. It was 36 and partly cloudy this morning, with the icy wind still blowing, as it did all night.

After lunch we moved two large piles of branches to the wood cradle.  I loaded the tractor bucket and JB drove them up.  Feels so good to get outside and work.  We are going to have a lot of branch wood for next winter.  We spend the five months of winter resting and planning for the next three seasons, then spend those three seasons getting ready for the next winter.

The wind finally died down a bit by 4:00 pm, and our high for the day was 43.

Wednesday 4/18. It is 32 with a light overcast this morning.  Supposed to be cold for a day or two.

Thought for the day: I run entirely on caffeine, sarcasm and innapropriate thoughts.

April 16, 2018 Wet, Wet, Wet

Yellow bells on the south ridge Friday,
and there are more blooming every day.

Thursday's snow on our geese.

Friday 4/13. It was snowing at Mission Ridge on our morning walk, with a few flakes drifting our way.  The cloud cover was thinning, but by the time we returned to the house, a light snow was falling.  It didn't stick, but lasted about an hour before it turned to rain.  So, for the day, we had overcast sky, blue sky, snow, rain and sunshine - another typical April day with a high of 44.

Various little green sprouts are popping up all over with the promise of May flowers.  The first sprout, several weeks ago, that I thought might be bear grass is actually yellow bells.  They are now blooming in a few places on the south ridge.

JB moved the last few rounds to the splitter with the tractor, but first we had to put air in both the large tires.  One of Miss Kitty's back tires needed air also.

We watched Thor Ragnarock once again this evening.  So much fun!  I plan to return it and Jumanji to the Gridders tomorrow when I go down for the mail.

Saturday 4/14. It was 38 and partly cloudy this morning.  The girls are really enjoying their breakfast of cabbage and bananas after a winter of hot oatmeal.

I drove Miss Kitty down to get the mail around noon.  Had a nice long chat with Mr and Mrs Gridder, too.  The snow and ice on our road has receded to about four long patches.  We may be able to get JB's Jeep Up Here by the end of next week.

Rain began to fall just as I was walking back to Miss Kitty from getting the mail.  It was a light sprinkle all the way home until just after I parked and covered Miss Kitty with the tarp.  As I walked in the house, the real rain arrived and came down off and on all afternoon.  Our high for the day was 49.

Looks like we are not getting any more snow-melt water in the cistern now.  But even when we start pumping in fresh water, it will take a while for the murkiness to disappear.  We have a Katadyn filter that we are using and it is excellent.

Sunday 4/15. It was 36 and mostly cloudy this morning, but the few blue patches soon disappeared.

I gathered a large bag of small kindling from the south ridge after lunch, then baked peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies.  I was thinking about going Down There tomorrow, but I think I will wait til Thursday when the rain has passed and the Costco coupons kick in.

I have been having a hard time getting to sleep again.  That suggestion of not eating after 8:00 pm worked for quite a while, until it didn't.  But I have discovered that if I read for a bit and don't go to bed before 10:00,  I get to sleep fairly quickly.  I have always needed at least eight hours of sleep, if not ten, but maybe, as I get older, my body is changing to needing less.

I don't know about anyone else, but that old adage of "If you lose something, buy a new one and you will find the old one" usually works for me.  We had a nice long plastic funnel for putting oil in Miss Kitty, but after taking it out to her when she was parked at the end of our road, we lost it.  The small ones we had were a real pain to use, so last Monday a bought a new metal funnel.  JB used it last week and liked it, even though he couldn't see through it.  Then yesterday when I drove down to get the mail, there was the old one in it's white bag near where our road meets the main canyon road.  The snow had finally melted enough to see it. . .

After threatening all day, the rain finally moved in around 3:00 pm, stayed and gave us 1/4".  Our high for the day was 48.  Cookies always make a dreary day like today so much easier to endure. . .

Monday 4/16. It is 32 this morning with snow blowing in almost horizontally.  Not sticking - yet.  It is snowing at Stevens Pass as it has every day for the past week.

Thought for the day: You know you're getting older when happy hour is a nap.

April 13, 2018 Typical April Weather & Our First Tick

Our first Alpine Spring Beauty!

Wednesday 4/11. I hung the laundry outside today for the first time this year!  It was sheets and they smell so good.  Will be so nice when I put them on the bed. . .

The blue sky was overcast by 1:00 pm, but all the dark, heavy clouds went to the north and south of us, as often happens.  A light rain finally arrived around 5:00 pm.

JB baked a pound cake yesterday that is the best I have ever tasted.  The new recipe is on the back of the Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Sweet Rice Flour.  Today he pumped some more water out of the cistern, and we got the water filter set up.

The current issue of Capper's Farmer, Spring 2018, is fantastic.  So much great information and recipes.  Won't be filing this one.  It is going to stay in the kitchen.

For a few weeks now I have been hearing the male blue grouse puffing out his mating call.  And yesterday I heard turkeys very close on our east slope.  I was sure I would be able to see them, but they must have been hiding in the bushes.

Found a tick on Dinga today.  The first of the year.  I don't believe we had any last year.

We started re-watching the first season of Fringe last night.  Still enjoy it immensely.

Thursday 4/12. It was 30 and overcast this morning with a light wind.  The ground was white with about 1/4" of snow.  Well after all, it is April in the mountains.  The first year I was Up Here, it snowed on June 9.

The sky was blue by the time we all went on the morning walk, but the icy wind was still blowing, gusting to 14 mph.  On our afternoon walk, I discovered an alpine spring beauty.  By mid-May they will be carpeting the ground almost everywhere.

JB made a big pot of split pea and ham soup, that cooked most of the afternoon.  So good!

The snow was gone before noon, as most April snow is.  The wind dried out the ground, and our high for the day was 46.

Friday 4/13. It is 31 and overcast this morning.  The wind has died and the mountains are hidden by a veil of snow.

Thought for the day: The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves but wiser people are full of doubts.  Bertrand Russell

April 11, 2018 A Trip Down There & A Full Cistern

Looking north down to the house -
very little snow left.

The first balsam root has popped up
on the south ridge!

Monday 4/9. I was on my way Down There before 9:00 am.  Our road still has a lot of snow and ice, although the bare areas have definitely increased.  The main canyon road is 95% bare, and the wind had dried them both out so there was really no mud.  It was a beautiful, warm day.  Another confirmation of Spring.

At Verizon the person from whom I purchased the tablet was not in, so I was waited upon by a snarky young "lady".  I managed to return the tablet and not snark back at her, but didn't look at any Iphones either.  Just wanted to get out of there.  Ran my other errands and picked up some groceries.  Back up the canyon, I had a nice chat with Larry and Elsie.  They are seeing the bears almost every day now, and the large flock of turkeys visited them over the weekend.

I was home by 1:30.  JB had pumped some water out of the cistern.  Upon filling the water jugs inside, we realized that the water is run-off leaking in as the water was a bit murky.  So we will start using the water filter.  We definitely have to fix that leak this summer.  Shouldn't be too difficult, as it is coming in by the pipe from the well.

Our high on this gorgeous day was 52.

Tuesday 4/10. it was 36 with a light rain falling this morning.  We had showers drifting in and out most of the day.  The sun peeked through between each one.

JB drained more water out of the cistern this morning.  I am not being as thrifty with its use as I usually am since we are getting more than the cistern can hold.

It was mainly an indoor day, finishing up details from re-arranging the living room.  I love changing things around, but usually it is just pictures on the wall or knick-knacks.

I brought up newspapers yesterday and saved one to read with my morning coffee.  I am a bit of a history buff, so between that and my memories, I do not recall our country being so politically divided since back to the civil war.  It is very sad and frustrating.  I could go into further detail, but then I would just start ranting and getting upset. . .  Let me just say that although the liberals seem to be getting most of the media coverage, I sincerely believe that the majority of the country is more conservative.  Unfortunately, this may lead to a showdown at some point.

The wind blew in around 2:30 pm and cleared out a lot of the clouds.  Our high for the day was 48.

Wednesday 4/11. It is 36 this morning with clear skies, just a few clouds over the mountains.

Thought for the day: Sometimes it hurts physically to hold in my sarcastic comments.

April 9, 2018 A Trip & Mud Season In Full Swing

German pancake just out
of the oven. . .

. . . and half of it ready to eat!

Wednesday 4/4. I drove down to Mrs Gridder's to deliver our items for the garage sale and pick up our mail.  Had a nice chat with her and a good drive back up the mountain.  The main canyon road has only three spots with snow and ice, while the bare spots on our road are growing.

A light rain was falling when we went on our afternoon walk, and it was trying to snow on the south ridge.  Our high for the day was 44.

Thursday 4/5. It was 34 and lightly raining this morning.  I was on my way by 10:00 am and drove out of the clouds just before Mrs Gridder's.  We were on our way to Moses Lake by 11:00 am and it rained all the way there.

But the rain didn't dampen the fun we had on our visit.  Mrs Gridder and her folks make me feel like one of their family.  We talked and talked and ate and talked, then discovered that we all like to play pinochle!  Such a great day.

Friday 4/6. It was still raining this morning in Moses Lake and continued to do so all day.  We talked, ate, and played more pinochle, finally dragging ourselves away at about 1:30 pm.  Another rainy drive back to Wenatchee.  

I was home by 4:00 pm in the rain and fog.  The high for the day Up Here was 42.  Always good to be back home, but it was such a fun trip!

Saturday 4/7. It was 36 with a rain and hail mix pelting down when I got up at 8:00 this morning.  Rain fell all day off and on, mostly on.  We had received almost 1/2" overnight.  Mud season is definitely in full swing now.

Our older dog, Jesse, does NOT like to get his feet muddy, and it is so funny to watch him walk around outside.  He can be out for an hour and come back with his feet just a little wet, whereas Dinga can be out for five minutes and come back with mud halfway up her legs.

We saw our first robin today, and most of the snow is gone now.  I guess Spring really has arrived.  Our high for the day was 46.

Sunday 4/8. it was 36 and overcast this morning, but by noon the forecast wind had begun gusting and the sun was shining.

I have wanted to re-arrange the living room for a few weeks now, so we did it today.  Needed some power coming in so I could vacuum.  There are really only two ways we can have the furniture, so every three or four years I like to change it around.

Our cistern is filling up by itself again.  Don't know yet if it is from the well, or melt water leaking in (we have had both).  So far the water is still crystal clear.  So we took nice, long showers today.  A few times in the past we have had to pump water out of the cistern, so it doesn't overflow, with a hose attached to the hydrant.

By mid afternoon the wind was gusting to 17, which is great for drying out the ground.  I plan to go Down There tomorrow to return the Samsung tablet I bought.  I just can't get a signal unless I am right by a window.  But I have finally talked JB into a small smart phone, so we will each be getting one as soon as there is a good sale.  It will be less expensive monthly and we will have unlimited data for our computers using the phones as hot spots.

So nice to have the sun out, even if it was windy.  Our high for the day was 46, but it is supposed to be 62 Down There tomorrow.  I'll barely need a jacket.

Monday 4/9. It is 36 and mostly clear this morning.  The wind has died to a light breeze.  Hopefully the wind dried out the road as well as it did our yard.

Thought for the day: Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience; this is the ideal life.  Mark Twain

April 4, 2018 A Trip Down There Into Spring

Part of our little herd of deer.

Monday 4/2. We were on our way Down There just before 9:00 am.  More bare ground is showing on our road, but it is still mostly snow and ice.  But Spring has definitely arrived in town, and even the hills are turning green.  The trees and bushes are starting to bloom, as are the daffodils, and just since my last trip there.

Our visit to Verizon turned out to be very positive.  We signed up for more data at just $10 more a month, and I bought a Samsung Galaxy S3 for an exceptional price.  I never thought I would want a tablet, but I think it is the way to go now, especially with the computer updates eating up so much data.  It is going to take me a while to learn how to use it though.  I'm no techie, and can soon go into overload mode. . .

We were back home by 2:00 pm, even after a nice visit with Larry and Elsie.  The road was softer, with more mud, on our way back up.  Our high for the day Up Here was 43, but I'm sure it was at least ten degrees warmer in town.

Tuesday 4/3. It was 26 and overcast this morning, but not even a slight breeze.  Amazing how noisy the wind can be, and today was so quiet.  The overcast wasn't too thick, so it was a bright day with the sun finally breaking completely through around 4:00 pm.  Our high for today was only 40.

I took some time to play around with my tablet, but was soon on overload.  I did manage to send a couple emails though.  I'll get there. . .

We can really see the difference in the disappearing snow between our morning and afternoon walks.  I gathered up two more bags of pine needles for fire starter, wanting to get more before the forecast rain arrives.

Had a long talk with our son this evening and, even though my tablet was a really good deal, I may be returning it.  If I buy a smart phone and use that as a hot spot, our monthly bill will be much less expensive with unlimited data.

Tomorrow I will take all my items for the garage sale down to Mrs Gridder's.  Then on Thursday we will be off to Moses Lake for the night.  So I will not blog again until Monday morning.

Wednesday 4/4. It is 30 and overcast this morning with rain and snow in the forecast for the next few days.

Thought for the day: Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively to authority and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us? Justice William O. Douglas

April 2, 2018 An Interesting Easter Weekend

Our first blooming wild flower!
Only 1/8", but it's a flower.

Easter gift from my cousins.

Snowing over Mission Ridge
during our Easter morning walk.

Friday 3/30. Lots of power coming in this morning so I did a thorough vacuuming.  Amazing how much gets tracked into the house when there are no paved roads, sidewalks or lawns. . .

It is much easier to hike up to the peak now that there is no snow on the path and the ground is dry, so I am doing that on most of our walks now.

After lunch we were outside again to finish up clearing the drains, and collect more branches.  I took time for a leisurely walk around, which included sitting for a while on my "be bench" (where I can just sit and be) on the north ridge.

Some clouds moved in, but it was a very nice day with a high of 51.

Saturday 3/31. It was 30 and partly cloudy this morning.  An odoriferous creature of some sort visited us during the night.  Don't think it was a skunk - elk, bear, Bigfoot?  Dinga was barking and both the dogs wanted out, but there was no way that was going to happen. 

I have begun re-reading the Jim Butcher series of The Dresden Files books again.  Am on book two now, Fool Moon.  So entertaining!

JB started up the tractor and used it to clear some of the snow left on the drive.  Then he used it to moved the rounds that the Gridders brought up in January to the splitter.  I'm still collecting branches.  Also collected a bag of pine needles, as the top layer on the ground is dry.  The ground is covered with them everywhere from all the wind we have had this winter.

Half of our snow has disappeared, although some of the patches that are left are a foot deep.  And so much for March's lamb ratcheting up the temperature to the 70's.  Not nearly as energetic as its lion.  Our high for the day was only 43.

Last night we watched Driving Miss Daisy, and this evening we watched Being John Malkovich.  Two such different movies, but both very good.

Sunday 4/1. This Easter Sunday and April Fools day began with a temperature of 34, mostly cloudy skies, and a wind gusting to 11 mph.  The sun managed to shine all day, but we had snowflakes blowing in from the south and west.  On our morning walk, there was snow falling on Mission Ridge.  The icy wind increased during the day to 19 mph by late afternoon and our high for the day was 44.

After lunch JB checked the oil in the generator and then Miss Kitty.  Not sure why, but this winter we have had to add oil to Miss Kitty after every third or fourth trip.  She's not burning oil and there is none dripping on the ground. . .

JB keeps track of the weather and eggs each month.  In March the girls gave us 73 eggs which was 23 more than in February, and which is why we have six dozen under the bed (the coolest place in the house other than the fridge).  We also keep a dozen in the fridge and replace them with those under the bed.

By 4:00 pm there was a huge wall of snow coming in from the west, but it never arrived.  Just went to the north and south of us.

Larry and Elsie drove up for a couple games of marbles.  The guys made up for the last few games, winning by one throw of the die the first game and a much larger margin on the second game.  By the time they left at 8:30, the temperature had dropped to 28 and the wind was still hustling about.

Monday 4/2. It is a chilly 24 this morning with mostly clear skies and a wind gusting to 18 mph.  Heavy snow is falling on both passes through the mountains.  We got a light dusting overnight.  We are both going Down There today to discuss our program with Verizon and buy a few groceries.

Thought for the day: The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd. Bertrand Russell