July 30, 2018 A Delightful But Hot Weekend

Dead rattlesnake stripped of flesh
by bees in 24 hours.

Friday 7/27. I did a perfunctory vacuuming of the rugs, then realized that I really should vacuum out my Jeep if I was going to have anyone else riding in it.  JB did a little weed-eating around the tipi as the grass seems to have shot up in the past day or two.

The tree removal company called with an appointment for August 15.  That will give us plenty of time to take down the fence and move all the plant containers.

Bees had begun munching on the rattlesnake that JB had run over yesterday, and by noon today it was nothing but bones with rattles at the end.

I drove down in my Jeep at 1:15 pm to meet our guests, JB's nephew and his girlfriend, at the gate.  They parked at Larry and Elsie's; we loaded everything into my vehicle and arrived at Rose camp at about 2:30 pm.  They got settled in the tipi and we visited.

He brought his bow and arrows so they could practice Up Here, which they did for a while before dinner.  We visited some more and then they watched the sunset from our swing on the west ridge.

A rain squall blew through at about 6:30 pm and lasted for almost half an hour.  Very refreshing and nicely cooled everything down.  Our high for the day was 89.

Saturday 7/28. It was 68 and partly cloudy this morning with absolutely no breeze.  Our guests spent more time practicing with the bow and arrows, and just enjoying the peaceful mountain.

On his morning walk with the dogs, JB saw a very large and long timber rattler that just rattled at them and slithered back into the trees.  Upon the first sound of the rattle, Jesse ran.

After lunch, our nephew and his girlfriend took Miss Kitty for a drive, but it was just too hot to go very far.  Our high for the day was, again, 89.  We all sat on the porch chatting after dinner, and while we were there a flock of grouse wandered down from the south ridge and through the yard.  (Dinga was inside, and it was just too hot for Jesse to expend the energy to chase them.)  We watched them for a while until they went, chattering, up behind the house.  Then our guests went to sit in the swing and watch the sunset again.

Sunday 7/29. It was a hazy 68 again this morning.  Our guests planned to spend the day and night in Leavenworth, so I drove them back down to their car at 10:00 am.  These visits go by so quickly, but they had time by themselves to decompress from the city.  It was very hard to say goodbye.

We spent the rest of the day just trying to stay cool and reading our books.  It's not so bad if I just move slowly or not at all.

Our high for the day was 88, and now the forecast is for even hotter weather through Tuesday with the "back to normal" temperatures coming on Wednesday.  Monday is supposed to by over 100 Down There.

Monday 7/30. It is 74 and hazy this morning.  Just going to try to stay cool.

Thought for the day: Power is the central promise of evil, the dark side of that lamp, because nothing extinguishes the soul more quickly than pride in power.  Dean Koontz, Deeply Odd, page 249

July 27, 2018 A Garbage Run, A Snake & Hot, Hot Hot

Smokey haze to the north. . .

. . .and west.

Wednesday 7/25. We filled the trailer, made our garbage run, and were home by 11:30 am.  Lots of smoke coming down the Columbia River to the north from the fires up there.  The summer flowers and bushes are in full bloom along the canyon: fire weed, asters, thistles, wild currents and deer brush.  So pretty.

A breeze teased us all day by picking up and dying down, picking up and dying down.  We tried to stay cool, but kind of hard to do with a high of 86 (that's in the shade on our porch).

It looks like the hoard of humming birds that was here the other night was just refueling for their journey and has moved on.  Only four or five seem to have stayed.

Thursday 7/26. It was 66 and clear this morning.  JB drove down in Miss Kitty a little after 8:00 am to meet the person coming up to give us an estimate on cutting down five trees.  He arrived in a street-legal 4X4, having been up our road a couple years ago.  He gave us a good price that we accepted, and will call with a date.  We will have to take down most of our decorative fence and move a lot of the flower pots before they can take down the trees.

This should be the last time we will have to pay for having trees taken out as these are the last ones too close to the house.  I will really miss the tall pine tree out front and the shade it provides, but it is really too big and too close to the house in case of fire.

I baked bar cookies for our weekend guests, then just tried to keep cool.  There was an off and on breeze again today with a high of 87.

After dinner I discovered a small dead rattlesnake behind Miss Kitty that JB must have run over either coming or going this morning.  It was covered with bees that were pretty much stripping it.  And I heard crickets for the first time this year.

Friday 7/27. It is 68 and still hazy on the horizons this morning.  There is no air movement, but supposedly our temperatures are supposed to drop down to normal beginning this weekend.  I will meet our guests at the gate so they can park their car at Larry and Elsie's, and bring them up in my Jeep.  Sure looking forward to their visit.

Thought for the day: My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who work and those who take the credit.  He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there.  Indira Gandhi

July 25, 2018 Visitors & A Doctor's Appointment

My blue delphinium.

Monday 7/23. Up early to take showers and wash the dishes now that we have hot water.  I also baked the blueberry crisp.  JB's brother and nephew arrived about 10:00 am from the west side.  We just sat and talked until Larry, Elsie and their two grandsons arrived around noon.

Larry brought some flex seal to help stop the little leak in the hot water heater.  I served the blueberry crisp, which was a big hit.

After Larry, Elsie & the boys left, JB and his nephew continued their political discussion, which they both so enjoy.

A full and enjoyable day, with a high of 83.

Tuesday 7/24. It was 64 and clear this morning.  I was on my way down there around 8:00 am for an appointment with a dermatologist to have a little growth on the side of my nose near my eye removed.  The shot of Novocaine was rather unpleasant, but didn't feel a thing after that.  Got some groceries and was home by 1:00 pm, after visiting Mrs. Gridder.

Definitely time for a nap after some lunch.  JB had been getting the trailer and his Jeep ready for a garbage run tomorrow.  We usually just have to make two trips a year, but there had been a little extra for the past few years that has built into having a third trip this year.  Will leave early to try and beat the heat.

There was very little breeze today with a high of 86.  Not real pleasant.

Wednesday 7/25. It is 64 and clear again this morning.  Going to be another hot one.  Yuck!

Thought for the day: Moses was the first person with a tablet downloading data from the cloud.  (Seen on a t-shirt.)

July 23, 2018 Blueberries & Fixing The Flash Water Heater

A rare photo of the elf
living in our grove!

Our tomatoes are finally
starting to ripen.

Friday 7/20. I put laundry in to wash and was on my way to pick blueberries a little before 9:00 am.  I spent about two hours picking and brought back maybe five pounds.  While I was gone, JB hung out the wash.  What a guy!

On my way back up the mountain, I saw a small bear cub running up the side.  So cute, but it happened too quickly to get a picture.  Didn't see mama bear.

After lunch it was definitely time for a nap, and then reading a book.  After dinner I snipped some of the pine branches into kindling and gathered two bags of needles.

It was a very nice summer day with a breeze and a high of 76.

Saturday 7/21. It was 48 and clear this morning.  Love the cool morning air!

I canned seven pints of blueberries, planning to make things with them later on, but kept out enough to make blueberry crisp for Monday.  JB's brother and nephew will be up for the day.  This is the nephew who was unable to make it up for the Fourth.

I was quite disappointed the way the blueberries turned out.  Don't know what I was expecting, but from now on will can pie filling or jam.

After lunch we worked on re-doing the "root cellar".  JB used the tractor to pull out the wood and dirt from in front of the refrigerator.  We plan to pull the fridge out and set it upright, using dirt and tires to cover it, but nothing in front of the door.

After dinner we sat out on the porch for a while and were stunned by the number of humming birds!  There had to be at least twenty or more fighting for a place at either of the feeders.  They looked and sounded like a swarm of bumble bees.

It was another perfect day with a breeze and a high of 76.

Sunday 7/22. It was 56 and clear this morning.  Getting warmer as predicted.

When I got up at 1:30 am to let the dogs out, I noticed that the pilot light on our flash hot-water heater was out.  I was unable to get it to stay lit, so I just turned off the propane to it.  After breakfast we got the manual out and found that we had to take out the pilot light propane tube, then soak it in carburetor cleaner for 30 minutes.  We finally got the tube out and JB drove Down There for the carburetor cleaner.  

While he was gone, I cleaned out the water filter on the hot-water heater.  Then spent the rest of the time doing lots of little things.  Things that only take ten to twenty minutes, but just never seem to get done.  Boy, that felt good.

My PVC's decreased considerably today, leaving me with much more energy.  Will definitely be watching my caffeine intake from now on.

JB was back at Rose Camp in about 2-1/2 hours, mainly because he stopped to talk to people in the canyon.  We soaked the tube and got it re-installed.  After a couple tries, JB had the pilot light going with a nice blue flame like it is supposed to have.  So glad we will be able to have hot showers in the morning.

It was a bit warmer today with a high of 78 and very little breeze.

Monday 7/23. It is 64 with clear skies this morning.  Going to be a hot one.

Thought for the day: No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.  Dave Barry

July 20, 2018 Cooler Weather & Game Cam Photos

One of "our" bears on
the game cam. . .

. . .and a bobcat.

Wednesday 7/18. I helped JB get the other track on the snow blower.  Funny how easy it is when done right.

I vacuumed this morning.  Dinga is a constant shedding machine.  No more long-haired dogs for us.

I picked up the game cam card yesterday.  No elk, but some bears, a bobcat, and deer.

Our high for the day was 86, but the wind kept it quite pleasant.

Thursday 7/19. It was a chilly 56 with clear skies this morning and the house had cooled down nicely.

JB left a little after 8:30 am for an eye exam, to run some errands and just do his thing.  I worked in the loft, and now we can actually walk around up there.

He was back around 2:00 pm and had his fishing license.  He and Larry plan to go fishing next week on the Columbia River for sturgeon.  He hadn't had an eye exam in five years and the results were negligible, so he doesn't need new glasses.

We are having to fill the humming bird feeders every other day or so now that the second hoard has arrived.

The wind continued to blow all day, with gusts up to 12 mph.  Our high for the day was 81. 

Friday 7/20. It is 50 and breezy this morning with clear skies.  I am going down to Larry and Elsie's around 9:00 to pick blue berries.

Thought for the day: The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance.  Cicero, 56 BC
So evidently we've learned nothing in the past 2,074 years.

July 18, 2018 High Temps & A Medicare Waste of Time

One of the young grouse
on the dogs' bed.

A chipmunk checking out the
birdhouse.

Monday 7/16. Just another quiet summer day at Rose Camp trying to stay cool.  Did chores and took naps.

I heard two wrens really making a racket and found two adults on the ground by a rubber boa snake.  It was the largest boa I've seen, about 16'-18" long.  I guess it was just getting too close to their birdhouse.  It zipped under a nearby log as soon as I approached.  Wrens will attack anything, regardless of size, to protect their nest.

A mama grouse and her three young ones were in the yard late this afternoon.  One of the young ones was checking out the dogs' bed, but fortunately the dogs were both inside and didn't notice.

During dinner I noticed a chipmunk checking out the bird house on top of the tall stump that is one of our clothes line poles.  So cute!

Our high for the day was 89 with very little breeze.

Tuesday 7/17. It was 68 and clear this morning.  I was on my way Down There about 8:15 for a doctor's appointment and some grocery shopping.  My appointment was for a Medicare annual check-up and turned out to be the biggest waste of time.  Fortunately there was no co-pay or I really would have been pissed.  It is a hands-off check-up, other than taking my blood pressure and listening to my heart, and you cannot bring up any new problems.  I can just picture some young liberal in our previous President's administration making up the questionnaire.  Someone who thinks everyone old enough for medicare must be senile.  Won't be doing that again.  

At least I got some grocery shopping done, but I am quite sure the temperature had hit 100 before I left town.  It was 90 Up Here when I arrived back home about 1:30 pm.

Mama grouse and her little ones were in the yard again this evening, but Dinga saw them and rousted them out.  A cool wind picked up while we were watching Grumpier Old Men.  Love that movie with Jack Lemon, Walter Matthau, Ann Margret and Sophia Loren!  And the first one, Grumpy Old Men.

Wednesday 7/18. It is a lovely 61 this morning and the wind is still blowing.  The temperature will get down to normal through the weekend.  Woo Hoo!

Thought for the day: Summer is the time when one sheds ones's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.  A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world.  Ada Louise Huxtable

July 16, 2018 Cold Brew Coffee, The ER & Garage Saling

My "new" $20 cupboard!

Scorched hills to the north from
Saturday's fire.

Friday 7/13. I drove down first thing this morning to water and feed at Larry and Elsie's.  A lovely morning drive.

I have had an irregular heartbeat for almost 20 years now, but I only get it maybe once or twice a month for a minute or two.  It started up on Tuesday morning and was still going on today, so I decided it was time to get it checked out.  After morning chores and hanging out the laundry, I told JB about it and asked him to take me town.  Anything to do with the heart has to be done at the emergency room, so that's where we went.  They had me in a room, about one second after I signed the paperwork, and that's where we spent the next three hours getting all sorts of tests done.  I knew it wasn't life threatening, and indeed that was their consensus.  The short term for it is PVC, pre ventricular something-or-other.  Just when the ventricular part of the heart decides to add a beat.  Since I had discovered and been drinking cold brew coffee for the past few weeks, the doctor thought that might be the culprit since it has about three times the amount of caffeine as regular coffee!  And since all my tests came back normal, it was decided that the coffee may be the culprit.  So I am off caffeine of any kind for a few days to see if it gets better.

If it doesn't stop, I can take a beta blocker, for which the doctor gave me a prescription.  But it really don't have to take it as these symptoms are not a health issue and many people just put up with them, which I might do if they don't stop.  But at least we got to spend the afternoon in an air conditioned room while the temperature outside climbed to 100.  Needless to say, the ride back home was not too pleasant.  Our high Up Here was 89.

Saturday 7/14. It was 60 and clear this morning.  I was up early and on my way down to Mrs. Gridder's by 7:30 am for some serious garage saling.  We really scored big, and by 10:30 we thought we may have to rent a van!  Especially since she found four rugs (one 8'X12') and I snapped up a cute cupboard.  So we were back to her house by 11:30 and I was home about an hour later.   I am definitely going to have to stick to books, DVD's and clothes from now on, as I just don't have room for anything else.

There was a fire just to the north of town and by mid afternoon the sky was full of smoke.  The smoke didn't reach us though as we had a nice breeze.

It didn't seem nearly as hot in town as it had been yesterday, and our high for the day Up Here was 86.

Sunday 7/15. It was 70 and clear this morning, which did not bode well for staying cool, so I worked mainly inside.  Did the quarterly maintenance on the refrigerator, which includes a complete defrost; made humming bird syrup, did dishes and laundry; and several other indoor chores that needed doing.

JB worked on getting the sno-blower tracks back on.  He discovered the trick to doing it and got one side on.  By then it was just too hot and he decided to do the other side on Monday.

Our high for the day was 86 but with a lovely breeze.  Unfortunately the breeze died out in the evening leaving us with an uncomfortably warm night.

Monday 7/16. It is 70 with clear skies again this morning with more hot weather promised for the week.

Thought for the day: I once asked God what I could give him.  "Your problems", He said.  "I've got everything else."  Rabbi Lionel Blue

July 13, 2018 Splitting Wood & A Trip Down There

Getting ready to split one
of the rounds from
last year.

One tractor bucket load of
fire wood.

Wednesday 7/11. Lots of dishes to wash after yesterdays projects!  Also hung out a load of laundry.  Lots more laundry to wash in the summer.

After lunch we moved the four large rounds left from last yeast to the splitter with the tractor.  They are not nearly as heavy now that they are dry, but heavy and large enough to be very unwieldy.  I wrestled one around and finally got it split with JB's help.  Then we moved it to the wood shed in 1-3/4 tractor bucket loads.  I didn't stack all of it, as I want to mix it in with new wood.

Larry and Elsie left for a mini vacation this morning at their favorite lake with their boat, so I will be feeding the chickens and cat and watering her flowers twice a day through Friday morning.  Drove Miss Kitty down late this afternoon to do that.

It was a warm day with a high of 78.

Thursday 7/12. It was 62 with clear skies this morning.  JB was on his way down in Miss Kitty at 8:15 to meet someone from the company who cut down some trees for us a couple years ago.  We want a quote on taking down five more trees near the house.  I left at 8:30, so I wouldn't eat his dust, on my way Down There for grocery shopping and errands.  Stopped to water and feed on my way down.

When I got to town there was a message on my phone advising that the men would be late for the appointment, unfortunately there is no cell service down in the canyon, so I couldn't let JB know.  At 9:45 he finally drove up to where he had service and cancelled the appointment.  We will reschedule for a day when we can be their first appointment of the day.

The temperature was really rising in town, so I hurried and was able to get back home by 1:00 pm.  It was hot Up Here, too, with a high of 83.

I baked a cherry coffee cake before dinner and drove down after dinner to water and feed.

Friday 7/13. It is 66 and clear this morning.  Will be on my way to water and feed right after I post, taking half the coffee cake down for Larry and Elsie.  Tomorrow Mrs Gridder and I plan on going garage saling, if we can stand the heat.  It is supposed to be 91 Down There.

Thought for the day: The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

July 11, 2018 Picking & Canning Pie Cherries

A gift from JB's nephew.
So funny!

My 15 lbs of pitted cherries with my
wrinkled fingers from pitting them.

Monday 7/9. Just when we thought the propane generator was all fixed, it wouldn't start this morning.  JB thought he might need to adjust the propane flow a bit.

After dishes, laundry & brunch, I was on my way down in Miss Kitty to get the mail.  I visited with Mrs. Gridder, then drove up to Elsie's to visit and pick pie cherries.  She and her two grandsons helped me pick and I ended up bringing about fifteen pounds of them home!  Then spent two hours pitting them.  No, I don't have a cherry pitter, I just squeezed each one out by hand, but both Elsie and I had tried to pick as many as possible by pulling them off the pit.

Our high today was 82, but with a nice breeze, so it didn't seem so hot.

Tuesday 7/10. It was 58 and partly cloudy this morning.  I got right to work and by 11:30 had eight pints of cherry pie filling in the canner outside on our propane 3-burner camping stove.  Much better than heating up the house for 45 minutes.  Also did dishes and laundry by then.

It's been two years since I canned pie filling and I forgot that you must rapidly stir as you add the sure gel to the juice and sugar or it gets lumpy.  So, as happened the first time I ever made it, I had to dump the first batch and make another (this before I added the cherries).

The recipe called for ten pounds of cherries, but I could only get about seven pounds in the pot to make the pie filling.  Even then I had about the equivalent of two jars worth of filling left over.  I put it in the fridge and will make two coffee cakes in the next couple days.  

Then I got out my juicer and steamed juice from all the leftover cherries and ended up with a little more than 1-1/2 quarts.  Will see if the chickens like the cherries that were left in the steamer.

JB worked on the generator and adjusted the propane flow a bit.  Now the generator seems to be starting up okay.

A very productive day.  And a very windy day with a high of 74.

Wednesday 7/11. It is 56 with clear skies this morning.  We are in for a hot spell for the rest of the week.

Thought for the day: Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it.  If it keeps moving, regulate it.  And if it stops moving, subsidize it.  Ronald Reagan

July 9, 2018 A Fire & More Guests

The fire on Thursday.

Friday 7/6. We brought in the long ladder in order to clean off one of the trusses.  It looked like some bug had got up there and chewed on it a bit, so I sprayed and cleaned up  the sawdust.  Wasn't an awful lot but just enough that when we opened the window and there was a breeze, it knocked it down on the couch.  Such a mess, and had to vaccuum when we were done.

The woodchucks have been doing a lot of remodeling on the wood pile.  There are branches sticking out all over and several obvious doors.  

I took a nap after lunch.  Have I mentioned how much I enjoy my naps?  When I got up, JB was listening to the fire channel on the radio.  They mentioned that a tanker was due in in ten minutes, so I went out to the north ridge to watch.  I heard the tanker coming in from the east, then was able to watch it drop its load of red fire suppressant.  Far away, but pretty cool!

Got things ready for another of JB's nephews who is coming to visit for the weekend with his ten-year-old son.  Thank goodness we have food left over from the 4th.

Saturday 7/7. It was 60 and partly cloudy this morning, but the sky soon cleared.  Our guests arrived around 2:00 pm which was a bit later than planned, but he had zoned out and missed the turn-off on I90!

They helped up put up the tipi so they could sleep in it.  Then we barbecued hamburgers on the grill and made s'mores over the campfire.  A very good day, with a high of 72.

Sunday 7/8. It was 52 and clear this morning.  JB made pancakes and eggs for our breakfast, then I showed them how the splitter worked.  We hiked up to the peak and just generally enjoyed each other's company.  They left at 3:00 pm after sad goodbyes.

They announced on the radio that the fire was 11% contained, but it sure looked more than that.  I have never understood how they arrive at those figures.

It was a bit warmer today with a high of 76, but there was a lovely cool breeze.

Monday 7/9. It is 62 with clear skies this morning.  I plan to drive down in Miss Kitty to check the mail and visit with Mrs. Gridder and Elsie.  Last night Elsie was making cherry jam and pie filling with cherries from her tree.  She invited me to pick some, so I might just do that.

Thought for the day: If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.  Plato

July 6, 2018 Celebrating Freedom With Family

One of our three bull elk.

Returning from a hike. . .

. . .and 14 minutes later!

Ready to party!

Monday 7/2. I made a "quick" trip Down There for some perishables and was home by noon.  Five of our neighbor's cows were on our road, so made a call to Larry to see if he could get in touch with the neighbor and let him know.

Picked up the game cam card on my way.  Wow!  Look at that bull elk that is just one of three who seem to be hanging out together.  Then there is the bear that was just 14 minutes behind us on a hike.  Also got a cow elk, several deer, a coyote and a few more bears.

Did lots of last minute things to get ready for our guests, but couldn't build a fire because it was so windy.

Tuesday thru Thursday 7/3-7/5. Fortunately, the weather was very cooperative with mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 60's to 70 on the 4th.  Thursday was our hottest day with a high of 82.

There was a total of eleven of us, including three children, and we had so much fun.  Played a game Tuesday night that JB's nephew had brought up and laughed so hard that my stomach hurt.  There was no wind, so we had a fire and s'mores Tuesday evening.  Good food and good times in our land of the free.

One of JB's brothers and sister-in-law stayed over til noon on Thursday.  Was so nice to have such a long visit with them.  And they were able to see a couple of our woodchucks.

A tech from the propane place came up on Thursday and fixed our problem with the generator.  He just had to adjust the propane input and now all is well.

Elsie called late Thursday afternoon to let us know about a fire west of us.  It was close to 300 acres, but the Forest Service was on it right away.  JB listened on the short-way radio to the goings-on.

Friday 7/6. It is 60 and partly cloudy this morning with the possibility of rain this afternoon.  Looks like the crew did a good job on the fire.

Thought for the day: Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people.  A nation does not have to be cruel in order to be tough.  Franklin D. Roosevelt

July 2, 2018 Deer, Wrens & A Fire Pit

Our two visiting deer.

Our fire pit.

Friday 6/29. JB did more weed-eating, then we used the tractor bucket to move large rocks in front of the house for a fire pit.  When he took the tarp off the tractor, he found a mouse nest with four baby mice in it.  I put the nest with the babies in a small container and a fence around it, in the hopes that mama would find them.

After lunch the dogs and I walked down the road while JB followed in the tractor.  He mowed the center and I trimmed the bushes and trees that were too close.  Then I rode in the back "bucket" as JB slowly drove back home.  The whole project took about two hours.

After dinner we worked on making a fire pit with the rocks.  It's a bit rustic, like everything else Up Here, but it will do for now.  

We have a bumper crop of lizards this year.  They seem to be everywhere and know just how to startle us.

Was a good day for working outside with a breeze and a high of 70.

Saturday 6/30. It was 50 and partly cloudy this morning.  JB finished weed eating and I did more general yard clean-up after morning chores.

I think we have quite a pack of woodchucks now.  They often chirp at us when we walk by the wood pile in which they are living.  

We had two young does checking our our yard late this afternoon.  Dinga was lying on the porch, but didn't see them until they wandered across to the east side of the drive.

I took a long nap this afternoon.  Oh, how I love my naps!

I keep forgetting to mention that the the wrens in the nest under the eaves are still here.  Last night as JB was washing up for bed, a couple of the babies were learning to fly, or at least trying to.  They would grab on to the metal ridge under the bathroom window and look at him as if pleading for help.  This evening the family had obviously been out for flying lessons and the parents were trying to get the little ones back up into the nest for the night.  So cute!

The day was very windy with a high of 72.

Sunday 7/1. it was 50 and partly cloudy this morning.  The wind was still blowing, but not quite as strong as yesterday.

JB changed the oil in the propane generator.  We have a technician coming out next Thursday to look at the regulator.

I don't think mama mouse found her babies and they were not in very good shape, so like it or not, I had to deal with it. . .  Used a rock and a heavy piece of wood.

I vacuumed and dusted, and did some more yard clean-up.  Then baked cookies.  Cut JB's hair so he wouldn't scare his young grandniece and grandnephews.  Then did a little more yard clean-up.  Am going Down There tomorrow for a few perishables.  Can't believe it is almost the 4th!

It was a perfect day for working outside.  The wind died down to a nice breeze and our high for the day was 72.

Monday 7/2. It is 46 and mostly cloudy this morning with cool but dry weather in the forecast for this week.  Since we will have company through Thursday, I will not post again until Friday.

Thought for the day: Interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constituion is a glorious liberty document!  Frederick Douglass