September 28, 2018 Trips Down There & Game Cam Photos

Wednesday 9/26. We were on our way Down There by 8:30 am.  Dropped off my Jeep to have the window fixed - again.  Then I dropped off JB at the doctor's and was off to do a list of errands.  First stop was the Dollar Store & when I tried to go to my next stop, JB's Jeep wouldn't start.  We have been having this problem for the past month or so and couldn't figure it out.  I called AAA and waited an hour for the tow truck to arrive.  Before the guy even attached the jumper cable, he said, "You have a loose connection!"  He tightened it with his hand and the Jeep started right up. . .  Seriously?!  Well, it was definitely worth the hour's wait to find that it was such a simple, cheap fix.

By then it was time to pick up JB.  The doctor said that a virus had penetrated his auto-immune system and caused the hearing loss.  He has a prescription to take and then goes back the first week of November to have it re-checked.    Together we ran the other errands, which included checking out another grocery store, Grocery Outlet, that Mrs. Gridder has been telling me I should do for several years now.  I will definitely be going back there.

Just as we were heading home, I got a call from the guy fixing my Jeep window.  Seems the main door switch had broken, but he said they would fix it and charge us for the part only.  Works for me.

Back home it was an absolutely glorious Autumn day with warm sunshine and a high of 70.  Must have been in the high 70's Down There.

Thursday 9/27. It is 54 with a clear sky this morning, and looks to be another perfect Autumn day.  Did inside chores and hung out the laundry, then after lunch we drove back Down There to pick up my Jeep.  Met my brother coming up for a long weekend and invited him to breakfast on Saturday.

We dropped off a couple bags of recycle then picked up my Jeep.  Another $140 for the part, but they had also fixed wires going to the door that looked as though they might not last much longer.  Guess it was worth it.

Too late to really get anything else done by the time we got home, except just enjoy the perfect Autumn day I knew it was going to be, with a high of 74.  The colors in the canyon and Up Here are really brilliant now.  Lots of gold, orange and some red all mixed in with the green.  My favorite time of year.

Friday 9/28. It is 47 with with a bright blue sky this morning.  Temps are supposed to be falling now.  So it's back to splitting wood and fixing MAX.

Thought for the day: Discipline is a rejection of entitlement and expectation.  Discipline is having a strong awareness that your choices have impact and that your actions make a difference.  Cameron Diaz

September 26, 2018 Back to Work

No photo today.

Monday 9/24. Sure feel like I am fighting off some west-side germ, but I was on my way Down There by 9:30 am with three big bags of laundry.  Stopped by Larry and Elsie's to drop off a couple bottles of wine.  Her garden is almost done for the year and she had a bag of fruit and veggies for me that I will pick up on my way home.

Our son gave me an Ipad that he found at an estate sale for $10 because it "wouldn't power up".  It took him about ten minutes to fix and is as good as new.  He put his Netflix account on it and I brought it with me to download some movies and TV series with doing the wash.

I picked up a large bag of onions, garlic and pears along with a jar of pickled beets and a jar of grape jam (home-made from their grapes) at Elsie's, then was home by 1:30 pm.  Really felt like crap and took a nap.

I wanted to watch a couple episodes of Sherlock this evening that I had downloaded, but the  cord didn't have the right plug.  Our son left a special tool for us to use in order to custom make one, so we will have to do that.

Our high for the day was 68 and there is warmer weather in the forecast for the rest of the week.  

Tuesday 9/25. It is 46 with clear skies this morning, and I am finally feeling much better.  We all went on a morning walk amidst the orange and yellow Fall colors.  So beautiful!

I split a few rounds and all of the larger branch wood that we had sorted out,  then got it moved to the wood shed and stacked it.  After lunch, JB and I worked on MAX for about an hour.  He got the break installed on one side and we almost got one of the axles installed.  But after leaning over so long, he had to go lie down and rest his back.  I did some more splitting while he was inside.  Then, while he was fixing dinner, I carried eight armloads of wood to the shed and stacked them.

Our high for the day was 66 with a few wispy clouds forming in the sky.

Wednesday 9/26.  It is 49 with mostly clear skies this morning.  We will be on our way Down There as soon as possible in order to drop my Jeep off at the electrical place that "fixed" my window, as it is no longer working.  Then I will take JB to the doctor to have his ear checked out and run some errands while he is there.

Thought for the day: I believe that if we relax and let go enough, extraordinary things begin to happen.  I suppose you'd call it spiritual surrender. Sir Anthony Hopkins

September 24, 2018 A Sad Goodbye Then Getting Spoiled

Our RED fir cones.

Thursday 9/20. Getting up at 5:00 am really sucks, especially when I know I have to say goodbye to our son.  But we did it and were on our way Down There a little before 6:00 am in the dark.  Because Blewett Pass has only one lane open, we have to go east to go west.  Certainly not taking Stevens Pass then have to fight the morning traffic going south on 405.  It is a beautiful drive and we cross the Columbia River twice, once at Wenatchee and a second time at Vantage.  

We were at the airport by 10:30 am, which was probably only 1/2 hour longer than usual.  Driving away ripped my heart in half.  Even though I talk to him two or three times a week, it's just not the same as being with him. . .

But fortunately I was driving to my Aunt Nene's where I knew I would be loved and spoiled.  And, boy, was I!

Friday 9/21. Nene takes me out for almost every meal, but we didn't go out for breakfast this morning because we are meeting my cousin and Nene's best friend for lunch at noon at China Sun restaurant.  It is a buffet and they have every Chinese dish you've ever heard of.  Absolutely delicious.

My cousin came back to the house where we played Skip-Bo and chatted all afternoon.  No going out for dinner after that lunch!  But Nene and I had to play more Skip-Bo after my cousin left.

Saturday 9/22. It had rained during the night, like my tears for having to leave.  But I was on my way by 10:00 am and have decided to drive up 405 to my brother-in-law's winery in Woodinville.  I was on the freeway long enough to give thanks that I no longer live on that side of the mountains.  They treated me to a wonderful lunch and sent me on my way with two boxes of wine and port.  Had a lovely visit, too.  

Rain was falling all the way from Woodinville across Steven's Pass, but not hard enough to hide the incredible Fall colors.  It has been years since I have driven this road in the Fall and I had forgotten just how brilliant they are.  There are many more deciduous bushes and trees than on Snoqualemie Pass.  

Of course I had to stop at The Alps store on the Wenatchee River just before Leavenworth.  They make the most delicious fudge, taffee, mustards, and sauces! And I haven't stopped there for years.

I picked up a few items at the grocery store and was home by 5:30 pm.  Very good to be home again.

Sunday 9/23. It was 40 and mostly clear this morning.  So nice to wake up to the quiet and the fresh mountain air.  But now it begins for another season: bringing in wood and building a fire when I let the dogs out at 4:00 or 5:00 am.

Our son brought me an Ipad that he bought at an estate sale for no money because it "wouldn't power on."  Well, he quickly fixed that problem and it works perfectly.  Unfortunately he put Angry Birds on it and I am quickly becoming addicted. . .

With everything that has been going on, I am way behind on laundry.  So I will go down to the laundromat Monday or Tuesday.  But not just for the laundry, but also to download some movies on Netflix that he put on the Ipad!

I was going to take the day off, but then decided to split some wood.  I loaded and JB drove two loads of split wood and two loads of large branch wood that our son had split over to the wood shed.  I stacked it mixing the two together.  He also brought a load of smaller branch wood for large kindling.  Hardly seemed to make a dent in the pile that our son had cut.

Monday 9/24. It is 40 this morning and there are no clouds to be seen.  Will probably go down to the laundromat this morning, as we have to go Down There on Wednesday for JB's doctor's appointment for his ear and to drop my Jeep of to have the window fixed.  The one I paid $400 for isn't working any more.

Thought for the day: Autumn is like a second Spring where every leave is a flower.  Albert Camus (Thank you for that, Sande.)

September 19, 2018 Loving Every Minute

Cutting wood in the cradle.

A mountain of wood to move & stack.

Monday & Tuesday 9/17 & 18. So incredible to have our son here with us.  We are keeping so busy, and his phenomenal sense of humor keeps us laughing.  On Monday he and JB worked all day on MAX.  We have to get three axles re-engineered, so JB took them down to a machine shop on Tuesday.  Much cheaper than buying new ones.  MAX is a very simple machine with simple parts, thank goodness.

Tuesday our son and I worked all morning at the wood cradle.  (See results above.)  Then after lunch, when JB was home, we worked on the refrigerator/root cellar.  Tipped the large one over so we can open the door from the side.  Going to be so much easier to use.

The weather has been gorgeous with clear skies and high temps in the low to mid 60's.  I am putting a fire in the wood stove each morning to get the chill out, but don't have to in the evening.

Wednesday 9/19. It is 48 this morning and partly cloudy.  We are going to finish up cutting the branches in the cradle, then our son will finish up some electronic updating he has been doing for us.  Tomorrow I will drive him to Sea-Tac airport, then go on over to my Aunt Nene's for a couple days.  My next posting will be on Monday, 9/24.

Thought for the day: Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. John Lubbock

September 17, 2018 Getting Ready For Our Son's Visit

First fire in the wood stove
this season.

More red in the pine cones
this year.

Friday 9/14. Our frogs are back under the house and serenading us.  A few days ago, Elsie woke up very early one morning and saw a doe and two fawns by their apple tree.  The doe was standing on her back legs so she could reach up to the apples.  Hope they left some for us.

There was a little extra peach pie filling left over when I canned it and I had some on my oatmeal this morning.  Yum!!

Had to start getting the inside of the house ready for our son's visit and so many other chores to do.  So today it was dishes, laundry, cleaning out the wood stove (what a dirty mess!), making chicken broth for the dogs.  Then after lunch I split, moved and stacked some wood.  We almost have the fifth row done.

It was cloudy all day but the sun managed to shine most of the time.  Our high for the day was just 62.  The house was pretty chilly, so we put in our first fire of the season this evening.  So nice!

Saturday 9/15. It is 46 and cloudy this morning.  I planned to bake cookies today, but first had to drive down to the Gridder's so he could put another part in my Jeep.  This one only took him ten minutes and he didn't have to crawl underneath like with the last one.

Back home I got the peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies baked.  Then did some dusting and general cleaning up.

The sky was pretty much overcast all day with the sun peeking through a few times.  Our high was just 60.

Summer seemed to have whizzed by and my list of things to do is still almost as long as it was in June.  At least we were able to get the trees cut down.

Both the pine and fir cones seem to have much more red in them this year.  (See photo above.)  They are quite beautiful.

Sunday 9/16. It is 45 and overcast this morning.  We had a short rain shower about 8:00 and they continued off and on til around noon.  Time for all the last minute chores.  JB was able to get the propane generator going so I could vacuum, but it died soon after I was finished.  He is going to take it to Yakima on Monday, 9/24, to get it fixed.

I set up the guest bed and had a fairly short list of things to do today before I leave for the airport, but somehow I was busy all the time.  Oh, I need to do that.  Oh, I really should do this.

I put a fire in the stove early in the afternoon as it was 65 in the house.  Coming from Alabama's 95, our son is really going to need a fire.

I was off to Down There at 4:00 as I had to stop by the store for a few things and thought it would be easier to arrive early at the airport than wait at home a bit longer to leave.  By the time he landed, the sky was mostly clear.

Monday 9/17. It is 38 with clear skies this morning.  When I let the dogs out at 6:00, I had to put a fire in.  It is soooo very good to have our son here.  Now it it time to just enjoy his companionship and fix MAX, cut wood in the cradle, and maybe slice down a few stumps.  Whatever, we will be doing it together.

Thought for the day: Family and friends.  That's all that really counts.

September 14, 2018 Guests & A Big Shopping Trip

Hanging basket sitting away
 from house because of hornets.

Wednesday 9/14. I canned six half-pints of peach jam this morning and had a little left over for the fridge.  Never made peach jam before and it looks as though it is jelly on the bottom and jam on the top.  Not sure what happened, but it sure tastes good.

No splitting wood today, had to get ready for our dinner guests.  My brother and nephew arrived a little before 4:00 and we had such a good visit.  My nephew just turned twenty and is 6'2".  I so vividly remember the day he was born. . .

It was another beautiful Fall day with a high of 64.

Thursday 9/15. It was 42 with clear skies this morning.  I was on my way Down There before 9:00 am with a very long list of things to do and buy, including another part for my Jeep.  It was a very long day and seemed like everyone in the county was in town today.  Didn't they know it was MY day to shop?!

One of my errands was to drop off some items at the thrift store, but they are closing in order to move, so were not accepting any donations.  However, everything in the store was 40% off, so I HAD to go in.  Found a few really nice blouses and jeans.  But it was a very long day, and I didn't get back home til after 2:00 with a very full vehicle.

And, of course, shopping is only half of the project.  Putting everything away and logging the food into the list is the other half.  I was able to buy Blade Runner 2049 at a Red Box, so we watched that this evening.  Two hours and 45 minutes, but very good and needs watching several more times to understand it all.

Another beautiful day with a high of 64 Up Here, but definitely into the 70's Down There.

Friday 9/16. It is 44 and cloudy this morning.  Our son is due on Sunday evening, so lots to do to get ready.  They don't have Taco Time in the South (he lives in Alabama), so we will be stopping by one on our way to Rose Camp when I pick him up at the airport.  It's been two years since we have seen him. . .

Thought for the day: You call them swear words.  I call them sentence enhancers.

September 12, 2018 Canning Peaches & A Screaming Dog

Interesting clouds on
Monday.

Monday 9/10. Got right to canning after breakfast.  Canned four pints of peach pie filling.  Then split and stacked some wood.  Not a lot, just enough to say I did it.  Am making the pieces a bit smaller this year as it is all green and doesn't have a lot of time to dry before we use it.

Later in the afternoon, I also began clipping the branches for kindling.  Took several arm-loads to the wood shed and stacked them.

The vet won't renew Dinga's meds without a visit.  It has been about three years since she has been, so I have an appointment to take her in tomorrow.  It's not going to be fun.

My nephew called to let me know that he and his dad are up at their cabin for a few days.  They will be up for dinner on Wednesday.  

Our high for the day was 67.

Tuesday 9/11. This sad day of remembrance began with a temp of just 44.  Dinga and I left around 9:30 to run some errands before her appointment.  The vet came out to the car to see her, but Dinga knew exactly who she was.  We had to put a muzzle on her and it went downhill from there.  She didn't want anyone but me to touch her and when the vet tried to put the stethoscope on her, you would have thought it was a knife.  I have never heard a dog scream before, but Dinga did and it ripped my heart out.  Meds or no meds, I will not put her through that ever again.

We were back home around 1:00 pm and after a quick lunch I took a two-hour nap.  Dinga was very quiet for the rest of the day.

Our high for the day was 66 with a cool breeze.

Wednesday 9/12. It is only 40 this morning.  I want to can some peach jam this morning, and am looking forward to my brother's and nephew's visit this evening.

Thought for the day: It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful. David Steindl-Rast, Benedictine monk

September 10, 2018 New Full-Time Neighbors

Fall colors.

One of my petunias that
the grouse haven't eaten yet.

Friday 9/7. Did more laundry today.  I've gotten behind with everything else going on, and there's always more of it in the summer.  Ordered some birthday and Christmas gifts on line while waiting for the laundry.  (See thought for the day.)  Then split more wood, moved and stacked five loads.

Clouds began moving in around noon and the wind picked up just after 4:00 pm.  Thunder storms are in the forecast for tonight.  Hopefully they will travel north and south of us, as they often do.  But we closed and covered up everything that needed it, just in case.  Then watched the dark clouds split and go around us.

Our high for the day was 80 and a bit muggy.  We saw some lightening flashes, but too far away to hear the thunder.  By 9:30 pm we were finally getting some rain.  Didn't last much more than 30 minutes, but it certainly smelled good.

Saturday 9/8. It was 50 and overcast when JB got up at 7:00 am, but the cloud cover was already breaking up a bit when I got up at 8:00.

Fall has definitely arrived at Rose Camp with its warm days and cool nights, bringing its bright yellows and oranges.  The season always arrives before the official date.

I took the day off from splitting and stacking.  Cleaned and did other inside chores, as our new neighbors from the other side of the canyon are planning to stop by this afternoon.  After problems with their vehicle, they arrived around 4:00 pm.  Very nice young family with three small children who plan to live Up Here year round and home-school their children, and will be a great addition to our canyon community.  She brought us a large box of peaches from their orchard.  I definitely have some canning to do.

I had to cut our visit short at 6:30 to drive my Jeep down to Gridder's so he could install a part it needed.  Had a great visit with Mrs. Gridder and was home around 8:30 pm.

Sunday 9/9. It is 48 and partly cloudy this morning.  Looks to be a perfect day for working outside.  So I split, moved, and stacked wood.  Then I split, moved, and stacked more wood.  And all that work called for a nap.

I was going to can peach pie filling this afternoon, but I got started too late.  I have everything out and ready to start first thing in the morning.

It was another lovely day with clouds drifting over mainly to the south and north, with a high of 71.

I have been sitting in my swing every day.  Sometimes for a while.  Sometimes just for a few minutes.  But for how ever long, it is always just what I need.

Monday 9/10. It is 50, breezy, and mostly cloudy this morning with a chance of rain in the forecast.  A good day for canning.

Thought for the day: Please, Lord, don't let my husband be home when my on-line purchases are delivered.

September 7, 2018 Splitting, Stacking & Re-stacking Wood

A bull snake by the tipi.

Wednesday 9/5. I hung out the laundry, then helped JB take the mower off the tractor for the winter.  He had already done most of the work, but it is hard to move on the rough ground and is easier with two people.

We all went on a morning walk, even Jesse.  Although the walk has become an amble rather than a forced march.

The mountains have disappeared into the smoke this morning, but we can still see across the canyon.

I did more splitting today and loaded the tractor bucket five times for JB to move it all to the wood shed.  I stacked it all, finishing the fourth of seven rows and started on the fifth.  Just before dinner there was a loud "crack" and the fourth row tumbled down.  Don't know what it is with that fourth row, but this is the third year in a row that has happened, but today it was because the slat of wood holding it up broke.  So after dinner I put a 2X4 up to hold it and re-stacked it.

It was a gorgeous day with a high of 74.

Thursday 9/6. It is 58 and still smokey this morning, and I ache.  But then September is Achey Month as I am usually splitting and stacking wood.  Thank goodness for ibuprofen!

After we did dishes and laundry, I got the call to come pick up my repaired Jeep.  So down we went in JB's Jeep.  We each ran some errands before going back home.  I bought a part for my Jeep that Gridder told me to get.  I thought maybe the spark plugs needed changing, but he said no, it most likely is the PCS.  Of course, I asked for a CPI at the parts store, but when I explained, they knew what I was talking about.

Back home, after lunch, I did some more splitting.  Not a lot, but just enough to say I did it. . .

Much warmer today with a high of 80.  I sit in my swing every day now and just LOVE it.

Friday 9/7. It is 57 this morning and the mountains have re-appeared.

Thought for the day: Well behaved women rarely make history.

September 5, 2018 A Snake On The Entertainment Committee

Smoke moving back in down
the Columbia.

Monday 9/3. Here are some details from our BBQ.  Turns out there was a rattle snake on the entertainment committee.  After most of us were done eating and  we were standing around talking, Elsie suddenly yells "Snake!".  And sure enough, there it was.  Slithering not two feet away from my sandled feet.  The man I was talking to pulled his gun and shot it before I could grab my snake stick or even yell, "Fire in the hole!".  It certainly got everyone's attention.  He cut off the head and rattles, and said I should put it in the chicken run.  I did, but the girls were totally uninterested.

I had forgotten how much the six boys had grown and how much they eat!  But we had plenty of food.  I loaded up on desserts before the plates disappeared, and JB and I had Mrs. Gridder's Mom's home-made apple pie for breakfast this morning.  Heavenly!

After all the planning and preparation, the BBQ itself passed quickly by, but we made lots of lasting memories and more new friends this year.  By 1:00 pm today, there was no physical trace left of our good time.  So much more quickly cleaned up than prepared for and set up.

Both our cars were dead this morning, so JB used the small generator to charge their batteries.  We have to drop of my Jeep tomorrow to have the window fixed and I will have them check out the battery while they are at it.

I started splitting wood this afternoon.  Something I will be doing every day for the next few months, as the weather allows.  It was a perfect day with a high of 74.

Our son is flying into Wenatchee to visit on Sunday, 9/16.  He will be here four nights and three days, then I will drive him back over to SeaTac airport and continue on to visit my Aunt Nene for a couple nights.  So looking forward to both those visits.

Tuesday 9/4. It was 48 with smokey horizons this morning.  I guess the wind had changed and is blowing the smoke south again.  We were on our way by 8:30, driving both cars Down There.  Dropped my car off, then went to the clinic to have JB's ear checked out.  He thought for sure it has been clogged for a couple weeks, but it turns out that nothing is in there.  He is going to have an appointment with an ENT specialist and audiology.

Coming back home, we met a few people on the road and talked quite a while, then stopped in at Larry and Elsie's.  So we weren't home til just after noon.  After lunch I did some more wood splitting and JB moved almost five full tractor-bucket loads to the wood shed where I stacked them.

Our high for the day was 70 with a cool breeze.

Wednesday 9/5. It is 54 and still quite smokey on the horizons this morning.  We will probably be driving Down There today to pick up my Jeep.

(As you probably noticed, I am changing the tense for each day to present.  Just thought it would sound better.)

Thought for the day: Life is tough, my dear, but so are you.

September 3, 2018 And A Good Time Was Had By All

Ready & waiting.

Flowers from a westie neighbor.

Friday - Sunday 8/31-9/2. We spent Friday and Saturday preparing for Sunday's BBQ and Potluck.  Beautiful weather with highs of 72 and 78.

Thirty-three of us had a great time on Sunday.  So much good food and good fellowship.  The weather cooperated with a high of 77.  A perfect day.

Monday 9/3.  It is 50 with clear sky and a light breeze this morning.  Will just take it easy today and finish cleaning up.  

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